Recent content by sergeauckland

Not a band, but I never got Bob Dylan until recently. I always loved his songs, as long as sung by somebody else, anybody else. However, in the last year or so, I've thought his voice wasn't the nasal whine I always heard it as. Now quite enjoying all his early albums. Similarly, Richard...

This is exactly why I create a mental Tender Document before I buy anything significant. it avoids being seduced by shiny new objects. If it doesn't meet the tender spec, I don't buy it. I think I understand why buying stuff may be difficult for some, my difficulties are all in drawing up the...

Very much this. In effects, YouTube is self-publishing, at virtually zero cost. If it cost anything like what it did to publish a paper magazine or book, there would be far fewer self aggrandising nobodies putting out rubbish. S

I am suspicious of ALL reviews, paid for or otherwise. Whether it's done for money or ego, they have an agenda. I apply this to restaurants, cars, HiFi, books or anything that has a review. The only thing for me are the measurements, or other verifiable facts, not opinions. Consequently, buying...

If the amplifier is measured with different loads, that also tests the current capability. The Powercube will also test different phase angles of the load, so suitable tests do exist and are used. S

You can believe that if you want. I prefer to believe my measurements which show no such thing. If the power supply behaves as you describe, it's clearly inadequate. Once there is enough capacitance to hold sufficient charge to provide its rated output into rated loads, then everything else is...

It's electronics, not magic. If we're measuring linearity of the transfer function, then a single tone is fine. Using two tones is just another way of assessing linearity, as there is a mathematical relationship between harmonic and intermodulation distortion. If you have an amplifier where a...

Music doesn't do that either. A music signal can only ever have one voltage value at any one instant in time. It doesn't matter how many tones it is made up of, at any one instant there is only one value of voltage. A sinusoidal 1kHz signal that swings both positive and negative will exercise...

You know, every time I read that a loudspeaker is 'bland' or 'boring', I find I like them. To me, bland and boring is neutral and uncoloured. As our transatlantic friends say, YMMV! S

Don't know the P3, so really can't comment. I did read the P3ESR review in Stereophile, and the response looked OK, except for the oddity around 4-5kHz. I really can't get enthused over small passive 'speakers, especially expensive ones, when there are plenty of active 'speakers, from Kali to...

The KEF 101 was a superb little 'speaker, much better than the LS3/5a for mid & HF smoothness in frequency response. Neither 'speaker has much bass, but I agree that the KEF bass was more satisfying. The Jim Rogers JR149 is another 'speaker with the same drivers as the LS3/5a, yet manages a...

One of the finest culinary experiences I ever had was in Paris. There was a cheese shop in the Rue d'Amsterdam (Androuets) that must have had some 300 cheeses on sale. Above, they had a restaurant where every dish was cheese-based. Managed to get there twice, and had the most wonderful meals...

Just about to sit down to lunch with three favourite cheeses:- Cote Hill Blue from Market Rasen, Lincolnshire Baron Bigod from Bungay, Suffolk Mrs Temple's Binham Blue from Wells Next The Sea, Norfolk If I had to, I suppose I could give up meat, but would find it impossible to give up cheese. S.

In the UK, I can completely recommend Expert Stylus. They have retipped three of my cartridges, an EMT, an Ortofon and an AT. Excellent service at a sensible price. I had a terrible experience with another cartridge refurbisher who ruined my EMT, and it had to go back to the factory for them to...

Not tried optical, but regularly use a 15m length of ordinary cheap coax for S-PDIF without any problems. It may be that the cable happens to be around 75 ohms impedance, but it was bought just as a stereo extension cable. Digital audio is incredibly rugged, far more than the audiophile...