Motor generator-audiofools

[Tony Duell]

On Fri, May 7, 2021 at 7:20 PM ben via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:

> >
> Well I am a Audio-Fool. Like they say "A fool and his money.. ".
> Secret word of the day "ElectroStatic Speakers".

I  do not consider that to be audiophoolery.

The charateristics of a particular electrostatic speaker are
measurable. They are also different in some respects to those of a
moving coil cone speaker, no matter what cabinet it is used in (which
of course makes a big difference). They will sound different to a
movng coil speaker system, and if you prefer that sound then that's
what you should listen to. Far too many people forget that the real
purpose of your audio system is not to be technically perfect but to
reproduce sounds that you enjoy listening to. It is to give pleasure.

There is something of an interest in the UK (at least) in the cheap
1960s record players of the 'Dansette' type. Techically they are
terrible. A cheap autochanger, a cystal or ceramic cartridge, a simple
amplfier based round either an outpur pentode (1 stage) or if you are
lucky a triode-pentode (2 stages) and a single small-ish speaker in a
cabinet with no acoustical merit whatsoever.

BUT... it's nostalgia. People remember listening to such players back
in the day, perhaps dancing with a person they later married.
Remembering that gives pleasure. Which as I said is the real reason
for such a device n the first place.

To me audiophoolery is things that can't be measured and can't make a
difference to the sound (or if they do, then something is serously
wrong with the design). Like special mains cables, when there are
several hundred metres (at least) between the final substation
transformer and the wall socket outlet. And if the amplifier is so
sensitive to small fluctuations of the mains input then the PSU of
said amplifier needs to be redesigned properly.

-tony