Stereophile Tests $45k D'Augostino Monoblocks

[sarumbear]

I never said you could. We certainly don't approach anything close to this.

Evidently the product in question is a preamp. I could see how this type of circuitry could be included.

The product in question is a power amplifier. When I asked how you reverse polarity with firmware you asked me in return if I have heard of relays.

Now I am asking again, how do you reverse polarity of a power amplifier with firmware without adding extra circuitry?

 

[PierreV]

What causes bias drift in a new amp? I've heard of old ones needing rebiased, especially after having components replaced but in a new(ish) amp what would cause that?

Action-Reaction: Serinus being emotionally moved pushes the amplifier's bias in the opposite direction.
That's the experimental proof, the one we had been waiting for, that subjectivity affects our real-world listening experience.

 

[nothingman]

What causes bias drift in a new amp? I've heard of old ones needing rebiased, especially after having components replaced but in a new(ish) amp what would cause that?


They have replied that it was calling the other person a "cancer" that got your post deleted. Most don't allow personal attacks on other readers.

Although, I do agree that there are at least two that post on there that make it impossible to have any intelligent conversation.

Yeah, I accept they could decide to take issue with that, but it’s something of a phrase, and I stand behind the sentiment that tonykaz is a major detriment to Stereophile’s slim chances of ever building an actual community of commenters. He’s just relentlessly stupid.

The real question is whether they would let me comment stand if I removed that line.

Only problem is they not only deleted the comment but banned me. I’m emailing with Jim Austin now to see if that‘s permanent. Talk about thin skin.

 

[pma]

FYI, Stereophile is deleting comments on this review. They are doing this without any trace of the deleted comment so no one would know. Goes to show how much they are willing protect the industry.

My comment was first loading fine as “new” then just disappeared. Sure, I was harsh, but I wasn’t crude.

View attachment 160487

(edit: and yes, I messed up on the price, it’s $45,000 as noted)

My suggestion - have clear comments spot on target, supported by facts and almost free of emotions and guesses. Then it is difficult to find a reason to delete them.

 

[caught gesture]

https://www.stereophile.com/content...n-m550-monoblock-power-amplifier-measurements

I would give this a headless panther. Since I have no panthers I can't. Measured performance looks weak to me (unless I'm missing something). The conclusion is bias is adjusted wrong causing crossover distortion.

Reviewing the equipment used, I think the Valhalla 2 USB cable is the weak-link in his system. This definitely gives me reason to question his opinion.

 

[jtwrace]

Maybe. More probable that JA put his foot in his mouth to defend JVS' ears.

JVS is one of the biggest audio reviewer wankers I've ever come into contact with.

 

[nothingman]

Jim Austin has told me it’s not that I am banned, it’s that he has closed the review for any further comments from anyone. He did that without any sort of note at the bottom, so no one would know.

Just boom, thanks for coming, we did everything exactly correct, nothing to see here, enjoy the fine Stereophile product and visit the gift shop on your way out.

Truly a publication that is For Dinosaurs By Dinosaurs that will and should die sooner rather than later.

 

[nothingman]

I mean, really, imagine shutting down areas of your website just to protect that amp and commenters like tonykaz.

 

[voodooless]

My suggestion - have clear comments spot on target, supported by facts and almost free of emotions and guesses. Then it is difficult to find a reason to delete them.

While I agree with the sentiment, you should also acknowledge that as long as there is that “delete” button, it can and will be pressed if they don’t like what you wrote. And that is the only reason they would ever need.

 

[caught gesture]

I mean, really, imagine shutting down areas of your website just to protect that amp and commenters like tonykaz.

It’s The Emperor's New Clothes. Everyone has to agree otherwise the edifice crumbles (even if it is supported by the new Wilson Audio Acoustic Diode Spikes).

 

[mhardy6647]

Action-Reaction: Serinus being emotionally moved pushes the amplifier's bias in the opposite direction.

Wait -- are you saying that this amplifier uses... (wait for it)

Expectation bias circuit topology?


(oh, I crack myself up sometimes...)

 

[KSTR]

All that doesn't answer how you can reverse the polarity of the signal without adding extra circuitry (buffers)?

The input is balanced, so all that's needed is a relay (mechanical or solid-state) to swap the input lines. As the amp appears to be a bridged type that changeover could also be made at the input of the main power amp stage, after any input circuitry. No matter which way, no extra complexity added.

 

[sarumbear]

The input is balanced, so all that's needed is a relay (mechanical or solid-state) to swap the input lines. As the amp appears to be a bridged type that changeover could also be made at the input of the main power amp stage, after any input circuitry. No matter which way, no extra complexity added.

You do realise that there is no polarity change option for the user. You are saying that they have incorporated a system just in case during manufacturing the unit is wired wrong.

Besides, I can’t see any control at the input stage, can you? Or do you think they used relays on the output?

 

[KSTR]

This and similar amplifiers are its own category with "special" customers. They do not care about measurements at all and probably would not hear any problem.

Well, I think the point here is that it is entirely possible that people might find this amp better sounding than, say, a Benchmark ABH2, even in a blind test. Depending on the type of music program a little bit of added "excitement" induced by some amount of HD and IMD sure can be interpreted as subjectively better, notably with typical audiophile show-room music with small instrumentation and lot of space and air between the notes.

 

[ahofer]

One thing I've noticed is that all these golden-eared audiophiles seem to love Rickie Lee Jones. I honestly don't get it.

or Krall through the Krells

 

[ahofer]

Well, I think the point here is that it is entirely possible that people might find this amp better sounding than, say, a Benchmark ABH2, even in a blind test. Depending on the type of music program a little bit of added "excitement" induced by some amount of HD and IMD sure can be interpreted as subjectively better, notably with typical audiophile show-room music with small instrumentation and lot of space and air between the notes.

But the same can be introduced for one-thousandth the cost, right?

update/revision: well, maybe $450 not $45, but still two orders of magnitude less.

 

[KSTR]

You are saying that they have incorporated a system just in case during manufacturing the unit is wired wrong.

That's not what I said.
Not a solution I'd would consider myself and yes, it sounds fishy. If you can't control how your staff wires up a thing as simple as a mono-block amp something really is amiss. I don't care though, this is not a serious amp in my book.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

The product in question is a power amplifier. When I asked how you reverse polarity with firmware you asked me in return if I have heard of relays.

Now I am asking again, how do you reverse polarity of a power amplifier with firmware without adding extra circuitry?

That wasn't me who asked if you ever heard of relays - it was somebody else. We don't reverse polarity, but one way it could be done is by controlling either relays or FET switches, but of course that's extra circuitry. I don't know why its an issue anyway - ask the amp manufacturer how they do it. I'd be curious too, but not curious enough to bother to ask them.

 

[KSTR]

But the same can be introduced for one-thousandth the cost, right?

Yep.

 

[pma]

Well, I think the point here is that it is entirely possible that people might find this amp better sounding than, say, a Benchmark ABH2, even in a blind test. Depending on the type of music program a little bit of added "excitement" induced by some amount of HD and IMD sure can be interpreted as subjectively better, notably with typical audiophile show-room music with small instrumentation and lot of space and air between the notes.

Klaus, are you serious. The worst distortion of all kinds - crossover distortion up to infinity is on the table here. The only possible output is sound smearing.