HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: rec.audio

>these speakers are going to be an integral part of my living room, which 
>consists of mostly modern furniture, I'm looking for floor standing, black
>speakers.  I guess smaller speakers with stands would be OK, but I definitely
>don't want oak or wood grain speakers (my fiancee would kill me :-) ).
>
>Anyhow, up to now I've listened to the following:
>Boston Acoustics t930
>DCM TF600
>MB Quart Three's
>Infinity Reference 5
>NHT 1.8
>Celestion 15
>
>Unfortunately, all of these were in different audio stores and show rooms,
>so I couldn't AB any of them. I liked the NHT's a lot. I was surprised that
>they had such powerful bass.  However all the other ones sounded good too.
>The DCM's had a very pleasing overall sound, the Boston Acoustics seemed 
>very smooth.  I wasn't too impressed wit the Infinity's though.
>
>Any comments? Any other brands I should look into? Right now, as it stands,
>Eric
>bosco@cs.stanford.edu

Mirage speakers sound good and have the black look you are looking for.  They 
are carried by Sound Goods.  Ask for Chris and tell him I said hi.  Paradigms
also have good sound you should listen to.

Try and use the same quality amp when comparing speakers - it does make a
difference.  Matching to the amp you will be using when auditioning is
also a good idea.  In the end, your ears will tell you "this is the
speaker for me".

Kirk out
----------

Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: georgen@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (G. Ng)
Subject: Re: More CD skipping...
Keywords: cd skip
Organization: UTCS Public Access
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 05:40:36 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.235544.24722@raven.alaska.edu> fsgab@ix.acf-lab.alaska.edu (Grant A Beaugard) writes:
>What about near-new, unscratched CDs which skip?

On my new NAD 505 changer, I've noticed random CD skipping of about a second,
(e.g., if the track being played is at time 01:00 (mm:ss), it'll suddenly
jump to 01:02) at every couple of CDs, though sometimes it doesn't skip at
all for the whole duration of the disc(s) being played.

Although it's nothing serious, when the skipping happens a little more
frequently during the play of a single track (and that is rare though),
it gets to be quite noticeable and uncomfortable.

When the same CDs were played on my older Sony D303 portable, I never heard
them skip (except when the 303 was being bounced around while walking with
it on my side).

Maybe it has something to do with the moon being in the right phase, and
the planets being aligned in synchronous harmony with one another...

go figure
gn
Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: georgen@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (G. Ng)
Subject: Re: CD skipping
Organization: UTCS Public Access
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 04:36:53 GMT

In article <1992Nov18.214728.17585@husc3.harvard.edu> on@husc10.harvard.edu (Ahmad On) writes:
>Is there a correlation between skipping and the length of the CD?
>My old Technics refuses to play properly on track 1 of especially
>long CDS.  I've oiled the rails of the laser transport (as suggested
>here) but it still has problem with the first 2 or 3 minutes of
>long CDs (+ 70 minutes).

I did some listening tests today on my NAD 505, and it seems to skip more
on the last track or so of a long CD (say, 5 minutes from the end of the CD).
Guess different players like to skip differently...

As one person suggested through email, I think I'll probably bring it into my
dealer and have them look at it (luckily, my 505 is still under warranty).
Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: bill@bilver.uucp (Bill Vermillion)
Subject: Re: Are Record Club CD's The Same Quality?
Organization: W. J. Vermillion - Winter Park, FL
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 16:39:02 GMT

In article <Nov.14.16.28.02.1992.872@gandalf.rutgers.edu> rgonzal@gandalf.rutgers.edu (Ralph Gonzalez) writes:
>wb@tornado.kodak.com (wb@tornado.kodak.com) writes:

>>In the case of say, Columbia House, any CD that is NOT a Columbia-owned (that's
>>CBS, folks!), the master used to make the disc distributed by Columbia House
>>is not the original master. It is a copy most likely an Analog copy! I was told

>[stuff deleted]

>Why would they use an analog copy instead of a digital one? I
>think it is more likely that the pressing quality may be a little
>below the highest standard, which may make a difference to the
>green felt-tip marker crowd...

The concept of digital storage/retreival is that the storage mediums do
not affect the signals - until/unless the errors reach the point that
error-correction can be accomplished and error concealment comes into
play.

CD pressing plants are not like LP plants.   You can't cycle the
presses faster, you can't change the thickness of the material used to
save plastic, you dont have to worry about the plated backing plates
affecting the inherent noise.   

There is no way to make CDs any cheaper in a plant except to cut down
on front end - mastering - or back end - packagig, labeling, etc.

And CH is Columbia which is Sony - whose plant masters/presses a lot of
CD for a lot of companies.

In the days of LPs anyone could start a pressing plant with very little
money.   A couple of presses would do it, as you could have someone
else plate for you.   It made sense to press near the centers of
distribution because of the shipping weight.   

You could start a very small pressing plant and be operational for
under $100,000.  To put up a CD plant you are talking an investment of
aabout $20,000,000 ,

In other words you could build 200 LP plant for the cost of one CD
plant.   So there is a lot of plant to amortize over the long run - and
there is no real way to make any CDs cheaper than another in the same
plant.


-- 
Bill Vermillion - bill@bilver.oau.org  bill.vermillion@oau.org
                - bill@bilver.uucp 
                - ..!{peora|tous|tarpit}!bilver!bill
From: mikeh@bryant1.ncd.com (Mike Harrigan)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: ESS Speakers for sale
Date: 19 Nov 92 20:38:11 GMT
Followup-To: mikeh@ncd.com
Organization: Network Computing Devices, Mt. View, CA, USA


ESS amt1b. Heil Air Motion Transformers with 12" woofers and rear-firing 12" passive woofers. Require minimum 100 watts/channel. These are 10 years old and the woofers need to be rebuilt (flexures are crumbling). Any offers?

Call 415.694.0663 or email mikeh@ncd.com. I don't read this group regularly.

-- 
Mike Harrigan
Network Computing Devices
mikeh@ncd.com
From: curt@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Curt Welch)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: MD recording quality
Date: 20 Nov 92 20:04:58 GMT
Reply-To: curt@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Curt Welch)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In rec.audio, andy@csqx.cs.rhbnc.ac.uk writes:
>Something that I haven't seen mentioned before in this group is the fact
>that the quality of MiniDisc home and studio recording will inevitably
>differ. ...

>The ATRAC converter to be found in consumer
>products, especially the smaller personal units where the power consumption
>of the ATRAC chipset is significant, will not be as sophisticated as that
>found in the professional unit.

This is something else I've heard and find surprising about these new
data compression algorithms.  I can understand how a professional ATRAC
unit could have better A/D converters, and have extra features like
48K to 44.1K sampling rate conversion, and extra digital input formats,
but I wouldn't expect the ATRAC encoding to be different at all.

I would expect the ATRAC algorithm to be fixed.  Either you do it correclty
or you don't.  But this must not be the case.  Can anyone explain more about
how this works and how (and why) the algorithm would be implemented
differently on different units?

The limited descriptions that I've seen of the algorithm seem to imply that
the music is broken into short segments, and that an FFT is done on these
segments.  The resulting set of numbers is then scanned, and some of the
data is thrown away, and the remaining info is then encoded, with varying
degrees of accuracy.  The music is basically stored on the disk in the FFT
form.

So what changes in the more expensive converters?  Is there some type of
trade off on the cpu time required to analyze the the data when deciding
what to throw away and what to keep?  Or does it have more to do with
deciding how to encode the frequence data to maximise the information
saved in the fixed block on the disk?

Curt
From: rlk@underprize.think.com (Robert Krawitz)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: DAT and SCMS, some info
Date: 19 Nov 92 15:53:21
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge Mass., USA
	<1992Nov17.002951.9577@nntpd2.cxo.dec.com> <27653@oasys.dt.navy.mil>
	<1992Nov19.181629.27707@nntpd2.cxo.dec.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: underprize.think.com
In-reply-to: winalski@adserv.enet.dec.com's message of 19 Nov 92 18:16:29 GMT

I'm curious as to whether the HRRA forbids record companies from putting
an SCMS 10 code (no digital copies) on digital media?
--
ames >>>>>>>>>  |	Robert Krawitz <rlk@think.com>	245 First St.
bloom-beacon >  |think!rlk				Cambridge, MA  02142
harvard >>>>>>  .	Thinking Machines Corp.		(617)234-2116

Member of the League for Programming Freedom -- write lpf@uunet.uu.net
Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: bp@cs.brown.edu (Boris Putanec)
Subject: Re: Need help on buying Bookshelf Speakers
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Brown University
	<Nov.16.05.22.57.1992.24684@geneva.rutgers.edu>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 23:44:43 GMT

In article <Nov.16.05.22.57.1992.24684@geneva.rutgers.edu>
hedrick@geneva.rutgers.edu (Charles Hedrick) writes:

   There are now a number of companies that make reasonable speakers
   in the $200/$300 per pair range.

I was just shopping for a $200/pair speakers for surround. However, I
wanted to get the best possible speaker for the money, something I
could move into a standlone setup later. And, more and more Dolby
Surround recording use a full-range on the rear-effects instead of the
mandated 100Hz+ signal. I.e., I wanted speakers that would at least
_try_ to give good bass.

   There are several companies known for more expensive speakers that
   make some in the price range, but I don't recall hearing any
   reaction to them, e.g.  B&W and KEF.  

I ended up with B&W 201s. The other speakers I listend to where the
Paradigm Titan, the Acustic Research M.5 and the Venturi something or
others (the salescritter really liked them for some reason).

Of the four, the Paradigm and B&W were closest in sound. For the
midrange, I could not really tell the difference between A/B
comparisons--we switched a couple of times and I could not figure out
which speaker was which. However, the B&W's were much better at both
the high and low ends. I was honestly suprised for the price range. I
have a pair of pretty expensive Kefs for my fronts and the little
B&W's honestly tried to keep up with them--not to say they succeded,
but they got an A for effort.

I feel like Paradigm is going for that "British sound" (Kef, B&W, etc)
and has gotten the mid-range down pat, but do not have an equally
accurate full-range like the B&Ws. Look at the other models in the
200series, at least the 202s should be in the <$300 range.

Both the ARs and Venturis were to bright for me. Maybe good for the
occasional effect, but I could not listen to them for long periods of
time. The ARs imaged like crazy though. I don't think I have ever
heard speakers that image better--if only I could listen to them for
long periods of time without feeling nauseous. :)

After a week with the B&Ws I love them. Completely wonderful. The
Buffalo scene in _Dances with Wolves_ is completely another world with
bass-capable surround speakers. 

boris
From: winalski@adserv.enet.dec.com (Paul S. Winalski)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: DAT and SCMS, some info
Keywords: DAT, SCMS, copying
Date: 17 Nov 92 00:29:51 GMT
Reply-To: winalski@adserv.enet.dec.com (Paul S. Winalski)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Nashua NH


In article <1992Nov16.164847.24403@porthos.cc.bellcore.com>,
whs70@dancer.cc.bellcore.com (sohl,william h) writes:
|>
|>Essentially, SCMS guarantees that direct digital-to-digital
|>tapes of CDs, prerecorded digital tapes and future digital
|>radio broadcasts will be made on consumer DAT recorders.  The
|>only restriction introduced by SCMS is on digital copies of
|>digital copies, and then only if the maker of the original
|>digital source asserts the copy protection.

Alas, this isn't quite entirely true.  A SCMS-implementing DAT deck recording
from analog sources records a SCMS code of 11 (one more generation of digital
copying allowed).  This means that if you are, for example, using a SCMS DAT
deck to make a recording of yourself singing or playing an instrument, you
can make copies of the original DAT tape, but you cannot make copies of the
copies, even if you, as holder of the copyright for the material, desire to
do so.  The maker of an original digital source on an SCMS-implementing DAT
has no choice about asserting the copy protection--it will be asserted, whether
the maker wants it to be or not.

To provide some of the technical details on SCMS, it is encoded as two bits
of the subcode 6 field of the header information for each block.  The four
SCMS codes are:

	code	meaning
	00	unlimited digital copying allowed
	01	(this code is not used)
	10	digital copying prohibited
	11	one more generation of digital copying allowed

If a DAT deck receives digital input with a SCMS code of 10, copying is
prohibited.  If the digital input has a SCMS code of 00, copying is allowed and
the result will also have a SCMS code of 00.  If the digital input has a SCMS
code of 11, copying is allowed and the result will have a SCMS code of 10.
If input is from an analog source, recording is allowed and the result will
have a SCMS code of 11.


Note that SCMS is not unique to DAT.  DCC and MD also must implement SCMS
in consumer units.

--PSW
copying is allowed
Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: nwc1@kimbark.uchicago.edu (N.W. Choe)
Subject: NAD receiver for sale $150
Summary: 7220PE
Keywords: stereo, NAD, receiver, sale
Reply-To: nwc1@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: Beaver Consulting Co.
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 07:37:43 GMT

NAD 7220 PE receiver for sale. 20W/ch. with Power Envelope circuitry
for 50W/ch. peak output. Excellent tuner section 87.00 - 108.00 MHz
in .05MHz increments. Digital display with seek and five presets/ band.
AM tuner as well. Inputs for phono, cd, video and tape monitor loop.
Soft Clipping switch protects speakers from damaging distortion.

Perfect condition, some years old, no problems at all. Original box.
Reason for selling- bought a classic receiver, don't need this one.
Retailed for ~$250, I'd like $150 for it. Buyer pays shipping, Chicago
area preferred.

This is a pristine receiver perfect for the dorm room or as a second
system. Volume should be no problem. Pure appearance, minimalist
graphite finish.



-- 
	N.W. Choe - nwc1@midway.uchicago.edu
	5454 South Shore Drive #318, Chicago, Illinois 60615
	Beaver Consulting Co. Chicago
	312.702.4605
From: lstowell@pyrnova.mis.pyramid.com (Lon Stowell)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: Soft music speakers
Date: 23 Nov 92 21:09:39 GMT
Reply-To: lstowell@pyrnova.pyramid.com (Lon Stowell)
Organization: Pyramid Technology Corp., Mountain View, CA

In article <1ekp5sINNgmu@charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu> msiegall@OAVAX.CSUCHICO.EDU writes:
>I like to listen to music at soft-moderate levels, even if it's
>rock or classical.  I generally listen to soft rock, new age, some
>jazz (dinner jazz) and some classical.
>
>Any suggestions on speakers that cost $800/pair or less?  It seems that
>many don't sound their best at low volumes.  I'm currently auditioning
>Klipsch Forte IIs, Klipsch 5.2s, Infinity 122s, and Paradigm 
>somethingorothers.  I currently have Polk 10s.
>
    
    I'd look more to the Magneplanars, DCM, etc.  These are more 
    "chamber music" type speakers and imho sound pretty good at
    lower volume.  The best would be an electrostatic if you could
    find a used pair.  

    The Klipsch's are more for dynamic range....
From: scott@psy.uwa.oz.au (Scott Fisher)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: Defeating SCMS
Date: 23 Nov 1992 02:02:09 GMT
Organization: The University of Western Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: wapsy.psy.uwa.oz.au

rkarlqu@scd.hp.com (Richard Karlquist) writes:

>Two other possible reasons for SCMS:
>*conspiracy theory mode on*

>1.  SCMS and the copy guard system that preceeded it (the one with the

[theory deleted...]

>2.  Anyone (especially non-Japanese companies) who tries to compete with
>DAT/DCC gets snarled up in government red tape.  Remember that the same
>companies who make DAT also own record companies (Sony=CBS, etc.).

[theory deleted...]

These are quite possibly true...my own theory is that the recording
companies saw a threat to their existence in that if everyone had a
SCMS free DAT, then share-ware music (similar to computer software)]
and other copy-based distribution methods may kill off their recording
studios and present monopoly.   New and undergound bands would no longer
have to get a recording contract with a recording company they could 
record a DAT and release it as share-ware, soon eveyone has a copy and
the recording companies not only miss out on signing up the band but
they miss out on sales as well...think about all the new shere-ware,
free-ware music that would be avaliable...why buy from the industry?

Hows that for a reason for SCMS?

Regards Scott.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Scott Fisher [scott@psy.uwa.oz.au]  PH: Aus [61] Perth (09) Local (380 3272).                
                                                             _--_|\       N
Department of Psychology                                    /      \    W + E
University of Western Australia.      Perth [32S, 116E]-->  *_.--._/      S
Nedlands, 6009.  PERTH, W.A.                                      v       

Joy is a Jaguar XJ-6 with a flat battery, a blown oil seal and an unsympathetic wife, 9km outside of a small remote town, 3:15am on a cold wet winters morning.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: nmehta@sal-sun60.usc.edu (Niraj Mehta)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Sony Amp questions
Date: 16 Nov 1992 13:48:15 -0800
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: sal-sun60.usc.edu



I was planning to purchase the Sony STRAV-1090 soon, but I'm still undecided
on it.  I was still thinking about the Pioneer VSX-411 or 511.  (I hope I have
those numbers right).

I was wondering if any of you had any input...
 
I also had a special problem with the speakers.  The way my cabinet is, I can't
possibly fit a full size speaker as a center channel.  But I already own a Yamaha
amplified sub-woofer that I am going to connect to the main left and right
channels.  This allow all the bass notes to go to the main channels, and fed
right in to the subwoofer, but again, if I want to turn on the wide mode in 
Dolby Pro Logic, my center channel will get all the bass it's suppossed, and 
therefore will screw up the sound by putting bass notes in the center speaker
that it can't handle!  What do I do?  Any input and/or recommendation will
be greatly appreciated.  I already have a hi-fi VCR and a LD player so I'm
really looking forward to great sound soon.   


Please e-mail personally since I doubt I'll check news group again. 

Thanks a lot....

Niraj Mehta
From: whiting@europa.eng.gtefsd.com (claude whiting)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Infinity Renaisance Speakers
Date: 18 Nov 1992 07:35:07 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject:Infinity Renaisance 
Reply-To: whiting@europa.eng.gtefsd.com (claude whiting)
Followup-To: 
Distribution:usa 
Organization: GTE Federal Systems
Keywords: 

Has anyone listened to or own the either of the Infinity Renaisance speaker 
systems? What are your impressions if them and are they worth the money?

I just sent off for literature from Infinity and intend to audition them 
soon, but would like to hear what the net has to say about them.

Thanks.

Claude

Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: kimnach@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (GREG KIMNACH)
Subject: Re: PNP vs NPN Output Stages
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Keywords: Lock
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 17 Nov 1992 16:08 EST  

In article <1992Nov9.214606.3791@sei.cmu.edu>, rsd@sei.cmu.edu (Richard S D'Ippolito) writes...
> 
>In article <1992Nov9.113458.16272@EE.Surrey.Ac.UK>, Rob Bish writes:
> 
>> ***** if you like Bach use NPN *****
>> ***** if you like Chopin use PNP ***
>> 
>> ...Has anyone else observed this effect, and can they shed any light on the
>> cause?
>> 
>> Rob Bish.
> 
>I've noticed the same thing, and furthermore, I get better depth perception
>when listening to baseball and football broadcasts through FETs.
> 
>Rich

But nothing brings to life any form of audio recordings like an MCT (Mos-
controlled thyristor)!  Hell, they performed wonders on 20kHz power 
inverters also.

Greg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                         ED-Beta: Simply THE BEST!
"ED Beta is simply the best consumer videotape format available."
                                     --VIDEO Magazime, Nov. 1992, page 30.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: wood@uk.tele.nokia.fi (Peter Wood)
Subject: LP Sales (Was:.Re: The end of cassettes)
Organization: Nokia Telecommunications, Transmission Product Development,
	Cambridge, UK
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 06:22:29 GMT

>>>>> On Mon, 16 Nov 1992 21:24:13 GMT, myers@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Bob Myers) said:

Bob> Whoa, folks!  I am NOT saying that cassettes WILL necessarily go the way
Bob> of the 8-track; just giving an example of a medium that DID essentially
Bob> vanish overnight.  A better analogy might be the LP - vinyl is taking a
Bob> little longer to leave, but does anyone doubt that its days ARE
Bob> numbered, like it or not?

LP sales are actually going UP in Japan, by an order of something like 30 or
40% this year over last, admittedly from a very small base.  Apparently
Japanese audiophiles are now discovering what we've known for years...

Cheers
Pete
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Peter Wood,   Nokia Telecommunications,  Transmission Product Development -
-                    Cambridge, UK.  Tel:  +44 223 423 123                  -
- External Email: wood@uk.tele.nokia.fi         Internal Email: NTL02::WOOD -
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: weitzman@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Adam J. Weitzman)
Subject: DCC's in the stores
Organization: Brandeis University
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 14:18:53 GMT


Just thought you'd all like to know that you can buy pre-recorded DCC's now. I
saw some in Tower and HMV last night. The pop/rock ones were selling for
$13.99 (U2's _Rattle_And_Hum_ was $15.99) in Tower, $14.99 in HMV. Some titles
by U2, Suzannne Vega, Eurythmics, Tears For Fears, the Steve Miller Band,
Steve Winwood, and others I have forgotten. No '92 releases, though. Many more
classical titles were there also (I had to search through them to find the pop/
rock ones), but no idea what they cost or how recent the recordings were.

-- 
					- Adam J Weitzman
					  weitzman@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu
"All our life is spent in this permanent brainwashed contempt."
	- Meat Beat Manifesto
Newsgroups: rec.audio