Quote Originally Posted by 300A
First off, the AES reviews the content of articles before printing. I am sure the Journal of Electrical Engineers also do the same. Don't want to soil their reputation.

Secondly, transistors haven't changed in their spectral distortion problems, or quantity. It is inherent. They are very similar to tetrode and pentode tubes in distortion products. Triodes are unique. I believe Eric Barbour clearly shows the spectral distortions of different devices, both tube and SS as does the AES article.

Thirdly, the reason for all those SS part numbers is that when manufacturing transistors, IC chips, the variations in hfe are so varied, they didn't want to throw them away as being out of spec. So they assigned different numbers to them.

Granted most of the population isn't that concerned with audio and replacing tubes every so many years. They just want music of reasonable quality, no hot spots for a child to get burned on and energy efficiency (bills are getting high).
SS Amps are largely the same...the difference is that the measurements have changed to put the newer technology in the best possible light. Wow and flutter on a cd player sure impresses people even though it's worthless as a measurement for cd players.

Speakers on Axis at 1 meter tells you little to nothing of how it actually sounds.

People say the high end has an agenda to get people to spend more money...which may be true. But the large conglomorates selling cheap junk have the BUCKS and they have an agenda as well. The reality is most people are not "into" audio and thus wouldn't it be cheaper for the conglomorate to press the notion that a $200.00 complete stereo system from Costco is as good as it can possibly get. Companies spend money to make buyers feel good about products.

There is an assumption that being a skeptic makes you right. Thus if I write a skeptical magazine then I'm suddenly a more objective magazine.

If all amps are indistinguishable and all cd players are indistibguishable and we go by CR as to what the BEST speakers on the planet are...then basically we may as well take those Bose speakers and connect it to a JVC cd player receiver all in one - and this will obviously be better than the the guy running a B&W or Paradigm set-up with his Rotel or ASL gear.

Where is CR's PROOF - where is the scientific FACT. They are making a claim...they are saying those speakers are BETTER. PROVE it. Prove to me that it will SOUND better to me.

This does not validate the so called "regular magazines" but if there is no listening involved then it's meaningless.

Validity: These people simply don't want to look it up. Even Floyd Toole has STATED that his tests apply to the testing envoironment ONLY. A little thing that very Subjective objectivisists don't mention. Toole knows that the test is not entirely valid...hence the notation of only in the testing environment.

And even then - Hi Fi Choice measures in a room at a listening position - which is why the measurements coincide with the subjective listening experience. If the two don't match - then you MEASURED wrong. period.

Which is not to say everyone is going to agree with Hi-Fi choice...they base it off a panel of listeners blind. They mention that several members didn't like a particular aspect of the sound but others did. On the whole they may give it a 4/5 for sound - but it depends who YOU are. Half may give it a 3 half give it a 5 and think it's the best product going. Another product may get a 5 consensus but 3 of the panel still might have liked that first unit that got an overall 4 stars better.

It's going to depend on you the listener. Interestingly, Michael Colloms is one of the formost experts on audio and he's not so brain dead to rely on testing only. Hi Fi Choice listens in a panel BLind level matched for ALL componants. Interesting that some amps get 3 stars for sound and others get 5. All sound the same - the measurments are not the same either. B'ahh.

Engineers are not scientists. So why would anyone care what an engineer has to say about scientific testing of humans. Engineers can stick what they know...fiddling with gadgets and designing circuits. And even then - The Sugden A21a from the 1960s is still the same now as it was then. In the blind listening session at hi-fi choice it came out on top. In the subjective reviews it comes out on top for the money.

Your article was from what 1973 a good 5-6 years after the Sugden came out...so yes indeed, what has changed so dramatically since then in SS amps to make them better. Most of the AES articles on amps being produced is of a 1980 test of ONE GUY, with his Tanberg(notice they didn't last). No one has said all amps sound different, paying more doesn't ensure it. If I sat in Front of most SS amps even not blind and not level matched they sound the same