Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-17


disc It should preferably be
which appeared on the scene
in 1925, was a decided adul-
teration Of the art. and any
traffic in hi-fi could be
thought of by Ed only as a
sort Of talking machine
chicanery.
This spring Ed got a him
set. BY a simple projection
Of probabilities I figured that
/ would be dead and listening
to Wagner tubas in Valhalla
by the time he again recon-
sidered obsolescence, but for
the last month he has been
talking to me concerning
nothing at all except his
gnawing canker about stereo-
phonic sound =" Should !
switch over, or shouldn't II"
/ wasn't much help, for I
had never heard of stereo-
phonic sound. 1t was no use
for Ed to shame me, for ]
am impervious to shame, but
then he cunningly suggested
that l had a public which was
waiting for the word on the
latest in audio, that for every
one reader interested in music
there were 80 fascinated by
the possibilities Of stereo-
phonic sound.
1t was a convincing argu-
ment, and I have spent con-
siderable time this summer
listening to stereophonic
sound supplied by manufac-
turers' representatives and
local retailers. For their help
and their unfailing courtesy
in answering my questions I
thank them all. I do not,
however, consider my find
ings an answer to Eds ques-
ton whether or not he should
now buy stereo, for they do
not take into consideration
that most important consid-
Grafton which must always be
tacitly disregarded by any
consumers researcher - the
buyers fun in spending his
money for something that he
himself wants.
Not Binaural Sound
In the first place, it is Of
, the utmost Importance not
to confuse stereo with bin
aural sound. In theory and
in practice the two are en-
tirely different techniques
for the reproduction of music.
In listening to a piece Of
music, each of the human
ears hears from a slightly
different vantage point. What
each ear hears is modified by
its location and the different
acoustical properties of the
sides Of the hall. The blend
of these factors is what gives
depth, color and presence to
music. A fault of ordinary
monaural recording is that
the characteristics ofthe room
in which the recording is
made are superimposed on the
characteristics of that in
which it is played back
often at the expense of real
ism. If two microphones are
used, placed quite near each
other, and the signal from
each is amplifled separately
and heard by the auditor
through each of a pair Of
earphones-two entirely dis
tinct musical circuits from
microphone to ear-the re-
suit can be amazingly lifelike,
with great depth and pres
ence. This is the technique Of
binaural sound.
Binaural sound, however, Is
not thought to be CONNER
cially feasible, since it would
be difficult to make the Amer
lean hi-fi fan satisfied with
individual earphones. Il my
self find earphones not at all
unpleasant to use. Good ones
are not uncomfortable and
they are remarkably clear and
free from distortion. If they
are admittedly antisocial,
they also merit the blessings
of those members of a house,
hold who perhaps simply
don't like either music or
hi-fi.l
Two Speakers Needed
Stereophonic sound is the
amplification of signals from
two microphones mot neces-
sarily placed close together)
through two loudspeakers.
These speakers, in the COM
mercial sets I have seen. are