Biline.ca now has a complete archive of the original, historic journal of objective, high-end audio reviewing, the Audio Critic. Previously, Biline had only parts of Volume 2, and the online Webzine articles. As of very recently, they have filled in the gap and now have everything ever published under the Audio Critic masthead.
Makes for some very interesting reading. Aczel was in the early days, something of a subjectivist on preamp and amplifier sound. Could have been that early transistor (mid 1970's) to say nothing of tube designs were insufficiently optimized and were indeed distinguishable from one another, though Julian Hirsh would have disagreed even back then. But Peter did come to later espouse the objectivist audiophile conclusion that all well designed transistor electronics will have flat frequency response, inaudible levels of distortion, high input impedances and low output impedances, and be flat in the FR, and so will be indistinguishable from each other if level matched, and not clipping.
In any case, some of the reviews are hilarious, and the takedowns absolutely epic. Other reviews are firsts looks at some absolutely seminal, historic designs. Reading through this is like witnessing the birth of high end audio.
Not to be missed.
Makes for some very interesting reading. Aczel was in the early days, something of a subjectivist on preamp and amplifier sound. Could have been that early transistor (mid 1970's) to say nothing of tube designs were insufficiently optimized and were indeed distinguishable from one another, though Julian Hirsh would have disagreed even back then. But Peter did come to later espouse the objectivist audiophile conclusion that all well designed transistor electronics will have flat frequency response, inaudible levels of distortion, high input impedances and low output impedances, and be flat in the FR, and so will be indistinguishable from each other if level matched, and not clipping.
In any case, some of the reviews are hilarious, and the takedowns absolutely epic. Other reviews are firsts looks at some absolutely seminal, historic designs. Reading through this is like witnessing the birth of high end audio.
Not to be missed.
