Burn-in time: it's no joke.

[E-Stat]

"Sceptic" person who habitually doubts generally accepted beliefs.

Collins English Dictionary

There are quite a few English words that have slightly different accepted spelling depending upon which side of pond you reside, such as:

sceptic -- skeptic
analise -- analyze
organise -- organize
favourite -- favorite
rumour -- rumor
centre -- center
theatre -- theater
manoeuvre - manuever
catalogue -- catalog
anaemia -- anemia
tyre -- tire

We Americans wonder things like why is "lieutenant" pronounced with an "F"?

rw

[RoadRunner6]

Not only is your command of english poor, so is your math. You have lived 9/10ths of your life in Fance, not 18/20ths

I think AA (he is a university student) was trying to relate that the first 18 of his 20 years on the planet Earth were spent living in France. I think his English is excellent considering this fact, especially knowing that if he had uttered even a single word of English in those first 18 years it would have been off to the guillotine for him. In fact, his English is so good, I had no idea for a long time that he was not a native English speaker.

RR6

[02audionoob]

I too found no problems with AA's grammar...and wondered why the criticism.

[jrhymeammo]

In the meantime, I'll continue listening to, and enjoying, my Marantz SA-8001. It's one of the best pieces of audio equipment I've ever purchased and is the only piece of gear that has a Stereophile Class-A Recommendation, which I consider quite something, especially when one looks as the astronomical price tags (often over $25,000) for other gear with the same recommendation.

Peace.

I'm glad that you continue to enjoy the SA-8001. But, dont buy into that Stereophile's classification. It's absolutely meaningless without considering rest of the system. I, too, own the SA-8001 and it sounds muddy in my system, but it sounds like a perfect match in your system though. Class A in your system, Class C in mine. I think I need to get a different player, instead of complaining about. Anyhow, congrats.

JRA

[emesbee]

There are quite a few English words that have slightly different accepted spelling depending upon which side of pond you reside, such as:

sceptic -- skeptic
analise -- analyze
organise -- organize
favourite -- favorite
rumour -- rumor
centre -- center
theatre -- theater
manoeuvre - manuever
catalogue -- catalog
anaemia -- anemia
tyre -- tire

We Americans wonder things like why is "lieutenant" pronounced with an "F"?

rw

One thing that throws me sometimes is the American use of the word 'check'. To me, the word 'cheque' and 'check' have two quite different meanings, whereas Americans use the word 'check' in both cases. ie: I might write a cheque for $100, but make a check on the weather, for example.

I remember as a student reading a passage in a textbook, which said something like 'a check is made for the balance'. It didn't make any sense at first, until we realised that the book was American.

[Feanor]

There are quite a few English words that have slightly different accepted spelling depending upon which side of pond you reside, such as:

sceptic -- skeptic
analise -- analyze
organise -- organize
favourite -- favorite
rumour -- rumor
centre -- center
theatre -- theater
manoeuvre - manuever
catalogue -- catalog
anaemia -- anemia
tyre -- tire

We Americans wonder things like why is "lieutenant" pronounced with an "F"?

rw

We Canadians tend to be somewhere mid-Atlantic. So for example we tend to use ...

cheque
centre
theatre
favourite

on the one hand, but on the other ...

tire, (viz. "Canadian Tire Corporation")
catalog
manuever
analyze
criticize (vs.UK, criticise)
civilization (vs. UK, civilisation).

[E-Stat]

One thing that throws me sometimes is the American use of the word 'check'. To me, the word 'cheque' and 'check' have two quite different meanings, whereas Americans use the word 'check' in both cases. ie: I might write a cheque for $100, but make a check on the weather, for example.

The word "check" is one of those words with lots of meanings both as noun and verb. Like one of our ex-presidents said of another: It depends...

rw

[Rich-n-Texas]

Huh.

A derailed thread that I had nothing to do with.

I must be getting old.

[emesbee]

We Canadians tend to be somewhere mid-Atlantic. So for example we tend to use ...

cheque
centre
theatre
favourite

on the one hand, but on the other ...

tire, (viz. "Canadian Tire Corporation")
catalog
manuever
analyze
criticize (vs.UK, criticise)
civilization (vs. UK, civilisation).

I tend to use the English spellings, because that was the way I was taught. (I was also born there.)

Here in Australia, the following are fairly standard usage:-

cheque
centre
theatre
favourite
tyre

American style spellings seem to be creeping in for some other words, although both spellings are often used, eg:-

color (UK colour)
harbor (UK harbour)
criticize (UK criticise)

etc.

[audio amateur]

Thanks for the defence guys it feels like I'm back in time being confronted by my parents and having my elder siblings take my defence and speak for me

I think AA (he is a university student) was trying to relate that the first 18 of his 20 years on the planet Earth were spent living in France. I think his English is excellent considering this fact, especially knowing that if he had uttered even a single word of English in those first 18 years it would have been off to the guillotine for him. :

okay, there's a little exageration in that
Actually both my parents are native English speakers, one being American and the other British. Even though I spoke most of the time in French (at school etc), I would speak mostly English with my parents.

[nightflier]

Actually both my parents are native English speakers, one being American and the other British. Even though I spoke most of the time in French (at school etc), I would speak mostly English with my parents.

9/10, or 18/20, peu importe. Je croix que c'est un peu injurieux que vous ne possédez pas au moins une seule pièce d'équipement Français. Ce n'est quand même pas qu'il n'y a pas assez de choix! Et ce serais utile d'avoir une autre voix pour leur description - on en a bien besoin après avoir jeté tout ce bon vin Français à la demande du Cowboy de Texas ces dernières années, .

[audio amateur]

9/10, or 18/20, peu importe. Je croix que c'est un peu injurieux que vous ne possédez pas au moins une seule pièce d'équipement Français. Ce n'est quand même pas qu'il n'y a pas assez de choix! Et ce serais utile d'avoir une autre voix pour leur description - on en a bien besoin après avoir jeté tout ce bon vin Français à la demande du Cowboy de Texas ces dernières années, .

What a suprise! Did you get any help writing that?
Yes, I guess it is a little insulting to not have any French equipment. Actually, i'm not sure 'injurieux' is the correct expression, but I sure understood.
Are you talking about Rich in the last sentence?

[nightflier]

Just practicing my French. Lived in Andrésy, a little spec on the Seine in the same department as Versailles for a few years. But at least I've owned a Micromega CDP, Monsieur!

Yes, that was a jab at Tex, but don't tell him. Once he finds someone to translate it, he might get angry enough to drive down here with his Hummer, break into my wine cellar, pour out my priceless collection of Bordeaux, and fill the bottles with Wallmart-brand whiteZin-in-a-box, just to screw with me. And then I'd have to kick him where it counts, and, well, people here like him to much to let him live the rest of his days screeching like a soprano.

[E-Stat]

Did you get any help writing that?

Maintenant pour le version pathetique! J'ai trois ans du Francais a l'ecole trente ans le plus hier. Ce probleme est il n'est pas le temp pour utiliser le Francais ici a d'Etats Unis. Merds pas. ?Quelle surprise.

raoul

Je ne sais pas ecrivez les accents egu et grave sur le keyboard.

[RGA]

There are quite a few English words that have slightly different accepted spelling depending upon which side of pond you reside, such as:

sceptic -- skeptic
analise -- analyze
organise -- organize
favourite -- favorite
rumour -- rumor
centre -- center
theatre -- theater
manoeuvre - manuever
catalogue -- catalog
anaemia -- anemia
tyre -- tire

We Americans wonder things like why is "lieutenant" pronounced with an "F"?

rw

If you're Canadian it's worse because there is a mix of rules between the two countries. Argghhh We spell Tire as Tire but we spell Center as Center and I personally use the Z in organize but some Canucks use S.

[audio amateur]

Maintenant pour le version pathetique! J'ai trois ans du Francais a l'ecole trente ans le plus hier. Ce probleme est il n'est pas le temp pour utiliser le Francais ici a d'Etats Unis. Merds pas. ?Quelle surprise.

raoul

Je ne sais pas ecrivez les accents egu et grave sur le keyboard.

A+ for the effort. 30 years since your French classes eh? Well bravo. I can imagine it ain't easy to practise it in the US.
So your name's Raoul?
Indeed, accents are a little tricky to do with a US Keyboard. Actually, I can't do them most of the time unless I switch to the French layout (I have a US Dell). I can however with Word and msn messenger, among other programs. For the aigu, it's Ctrl and ' at the same time then e. For grave, Ctrl with ` and then e.

[GMichael]

To get back on topic; If you were to set me on fire, I'm sure that my sound would change as I became burned-in.

[Ajani]

To get back on topic; If you were to set me on fire, I'm sure that my sound would change as I became burned-in.

I'd like to test that theory...

[E-Stat]

A+ for the effort. 30 years since your French classes eh? Well bravo. I can imagine it ain't easy to practise it in the US.

I tried a bit two years ago on a Air France flight to Edinburgh when ordering wine, but when the attractive flight attendant responded, she went over my head tres vite and returned to speaking English when she saw the deer-in-the-headlights look on my face. I can read it s-l-o-w-l-y and digest, but it seems Parisian French is run at light speed.

So your name's Raoul?

Rough equivalent.

rw

[GMichael]

Do I get to go Up in Smoke?

[JoeE SP9]

Time to shake things up!

A couple of years ago I made some speaker cables from some CAT-5 Ultra I had laying around. About 30 hours into using them I heard a dramatic change in the middle of a song. It was as if a lot of spiky nasty sounding grit went away. I know you may be wondering what I was smoking. That's irrelevant. I heard a dramatic change. I was playing my Gold 20Bit Sony re-issue of Kind Of Blue. This is music I'm so familiar with I hum the solo's as they're being played. I have heard no other changes since then with those cables.

How about that, burn in and cable differences in one shot. I've got my bullet proof vest on. Let's hear it!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Ajani]

TI know you may be wondering what I was smoking. That's irrelevant.

It's very relevant... cuz I want some of that stuff!!! It might even make setting GM on fire more enjoyable (assuming that's possible)...

[JoeE SP9]

I was smoking a cowboy killer (Marlboro). I was also drinking a Chimay.

[GMichael]

For some reason, I don't feel safe anymore.

[JoeE SP9]

Chimay never hurt anyone.