halvis
pfm Member
Is there such a thing as politically correct hifi?
If this it? - http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/oct/05/dmitry-medvedev-stereo-system-russia
Is there such a thing as politically correct hifi?
I think multilayered PCBs and microscopically small SMT semi-conductors are a somewhat less bodger-serviceable than the traditional one or two layer PCB with through-hole components. The trouble with vintage kits of any make is availability of OEM-spec parts. I dread the day I need another pair of Sanken 2SA747 / 2SC1116 TO3 power transistors.
"Unusual" power transistors with thermal tracking diodes, motorised volume pots, input selector ICs...I think multilayered PCBs and microscopically small SMT semi-conductors are a somewhat less bodger-serviceable than the traditional one or two layer PCB with through-hole components. The trouble with vintage kits of any make is availability of OEM-spec parts. I dread the day I need another pair of Sanken 2SA747 / 2SC1116 TO3 power transistors.
It is ridiculous that a 1950s valve amplifier is easier to maintain than a 2000s Cambridge
I agree that speakers cannot be tiny and sound great. However compact to medium sized stand mounts look fine in most homes.
Fakes aside, the fT of 15MHz is somewhat unusual. The TO3 devices today are either significantly lower or higher than that.I doubt there is much problem obtaining an equivalent or better spec TO3 device for transistors, Hitachi did some nice lateral FETs that can be used as drivers and headphone amplifiers but there is no equivalent and fakes abound and as for Sony and Yamaha power jfets, well I am glad I have a few Sony power JFETS knocking around because they have joined the unobtanium mine now. Trouble is I am terrified of wrecking them but I shall not let them go to waste in case any one is worried.
Well, I guess that depends on your definition of what sounding great is. I agree small loudspeakers can't go loud and deep at the same time, but a small 2-way has much better odds at sounding musically coherent than the average 3 or 4-way floor-stander.I agree that speakers cannot be tiny and sound great. However compact to medium sized stand mounts look fine in most homes.
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By the way, what is the logic of stand-mounts? They have the same footprint of a speaker 3 times the size that would provide better and more extended bass.
Up to a point, but I don't think it's quite that simple. While you might get extended bass, there are other trade-offs and cost issues.
At any given price point it ought to be easier to build a better stand-mounter than floor-stander, simply because you can spend less on the cabinet and more on drivers etc. Plus, it's easier to control cabinet coloration with a smaller box. Many cheaper floor-standers are effectively stand-mounters stuck on empty - and resonant - wooden boxes.
Generally speaking, at any given price point, I would choose decent stand-mounter over floor-standers, and add a decent sub with room correction if needed. This of course totally ignores the cost of the sub and decent stands which probably negates my whole argument.
Take a decent small stand mounter like the Spendor D1 and add about GBP500 for the matching stands..At any given price point it ought to be easier to build a better stand-mounter than floor-stander, simply because you can spend less on the cabinet and more on drivers etc. Plus, it's easier to control cabinet coloration with a smaller box. Many cheaper floor-standers are effectively stand-mounters stuck on empty - and resonant - wooden boxes...
On the "wife friendly" aspect, when John Crabbe was editor of HFN, people use to build giant horns into room alcoves and under the floor, or in the bottom of their sofas.
Fakes aside, the fT of 15MHz is somewhat unusual. The TO3 devices today are either significantly lower or higher than that.
If you can point me to a source of equivalent 2SA747 and its complementary 2SC1116 transistors, I shall be grateful to stock up some. The closest I got was 2ST5949 and 2ST2121, but these are also now out of production.
On the "wife friendly" aspect, when John Crabbe was editor of HFN, people use to build giant horns into room alcoves and under the floor, or in the bottom of their sofas.
It is a question I have asked in the past. My conclusion is that the typical home audio stand mount speaker with a fixed baffle step correction in the crossover designed to only work on stands out in the room is primarily a fad. Unlike pro monitors with their switches on the back they cannot be positioned on shelves, desktops, etc... without upsetting the response. The claimed advantages are somewhat vague and don't seem to survive examination based on physics or real world experience. The cost of a typical stand is more than the typical cost of including a bit more wood and stuffing in manufacture. If you already have a stand of the correct height you are happy with then you can replace a stand mount speaker with another one of the same size without purchasing a new stand. It might be a bit tenuous but it is an advantage!By the way, what is the logic of stand-mounts? They have the same footprint of a speaker 3 times the size that would provide better and more extended bass.
The Japanese audiophiles had a penchant for large loudspeakers in small rooms and it does work.