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Inside High End Equipment


STC

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Never heard of the brand ... found this classic KK, subjective of course, review, http://www.mimetism.com/REVIEWS/20.1-H.NEWS-01.06/H.NEWS-JAN.06-20.1-P1-4.pdf - yep, ticks the boxes. There have always been one or two manufacturers who go the extra yards, and apply the attention to detail that allows the SQ to 'bloom' - but such an approach has never caught on. Which means it remains a struggle to find components at reasonable prices, that can deliver a sound with minimal faults - if one comes across a beauty, don't let it slip between your fingers! ... 😄

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32 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

There are so many things wrong with that design and construction, I scarcely know where to begin. :o

Start with the four 50-cent bridge rectifiers...  Yuck!

I might be wrong, but I don't see any metallic shielding of any kind...   It superficially looks open for any kind of RF.  Not sure if I can see any RF electronic filtering either...   In pro designs, there are often explict rolloffs on purpose, actual explicit filters to limit infiltration above 30-40kHz or so.   Gotta have that, or in RF environments sometimes encountered by pro gear, there will be extra noise.   Even low level RF noise is unacceptable.

 

Also important, but everyone already knows this -- solder joint quality is important, because electronic filters become useless with odd little nonlinear resistors added all over the circuit.

There does appear to be a shielded signal wire, but even the large signal wires can grab random RF if the grounds aren't good.

 

Nowadays, IF I was to start from scratch in a design that I would sell, doing any kind of amplifier/preamplifier, I'd also use at least a ground plane, if I can swing it.   A lot of types of high end audio should have enough profit margin to spend an extra $10 or so per board in moderate quantity.

 

For my own purposes, it would be okay to use whatever technique that gives me the best results in the specific application.  I'd still want to use a ground plane and shielding on the box.   Maybe, under certain limited cases, spend more money for actual magnetic shielding, but probably not needed.  Nowadays, making designs very small and controlled impedance designs or at least a ground plane gives an extra level of robustness when properly implemented.   In my most recent commercial designs (a few decades ago), they have been almost paranoid in quality, but most of my designs had been used in short runs, used in true industrial environments where high quality design is beneficial.

 

John

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6 hours ago, Miska said:

 

Oppo is standard Mediatek platform, almost all BD/SACD players these days use that. No need for manufacturer to know about programming.

 


But this was a case of same product with different case. IIRC, Lexicon issued a statement saying they did some improvement in the video output. And again IIRC, Lexicon got THX certification but not Oppo for the same. Maybe Kal should know better. 

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17 minutes ago, fas42 said:

 

As an example of what I worry about, the care taken with the routing of the wiring is a disaster, to my eyes - I would start by completely rejigging just about every wire there, without changing what was used, to optimise the stability and separation of the cable from what surrounds it.


Don’t worry the Omniscient one, the person doing that knew how to handle them. Maybe, the pictures in your NAD may guide us better.  

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Which I have already done, in this thread - not mine, but it would look almost identical ... you see, part of the NAD 'secret' is that there is almost no stray wiring; it's all in the single circuit board - what they did stuff up on, is using cheap and nasty switches, and pots.

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ST, you're interested in what mine is for the wrong reasons. And so it will never work. Absolutely essential is the ability to hear what's going on with the sound, hopefully getting better, as changes are made. If one doesn't understand that then it will end up a disaster, because one after another wrong moves will be made, because "that's what everyone does!".

 

I never, ever do something unless I hear a benefit, or know from experience that such is essential. Let sleeping dogs lie ... also, I'm lazy, 😜.

 

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5 minutes ago, fas42 said:

ST, you're interested in what mine is for the wrong reasons. And so it will never work. Absolutely essential is the ability to hear what's going on with the sound, hopefully getting better, as changes are made. If one doesn't understand that then it will end up a disaster, because one after another wrong moves will be made, because "that's what everyone does!".

 

I never, ever do something unless I hear a benefit, or know from experience that such is essential. Let sleeping dogs lie ... also, I'm lazy, 😜.

 


just a minute ago you said you were interested in “ immersive” and now back to your old mantra. The two are not the same. Immersive is produced by indirect sound. It is envelopment of sound. 
 

This is the problem when you don’t have a system to demonstrate. OR MAYBE, that is exactly the reason why you do not have system because that would show the truth. 

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2 hours ago, STC said:


just a minute ago you said you were interested in “ immersive” and now back to your old mantra. The two are not the same. Immersive is produced by indirect sound. It is envelopment of sound. 
 

This is the problem when you don’t have a system to demonstrate. OR MAYBE, that is exactly the reason why you do not have system because that would show the truth. 

 

Yes, the sense of immersion is created by the indirect sound - but, you can also, I repeat, also listen to the direct sound ... I don't have any trouble pinpointing the direct sound as being the most intense source of what I'm hearing; the indirect sound is an 'enhancement' of that, as occurs naturally.

 

Walk up to a real piano being played in the room, inches away - you can focus on the actual strike of the hammer on the string; hear that event as being "right there!" - but at the same time be aware of the flood of piano sound swirling around you ... it's not one - or the other.

 

When troubleshooting you "walk up to" the sound maker, the speaker, and listen intently to what's emerging - that's where you diagnose the SQ. With experience you don't need to do this - I can hear a system of mine not being right literally at the other end of the house - the clues are there, and are very distinct.

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12 hours ago, STC said:

Local scientist modification to CD player. Anyone want to guess why?  
 

@fas42 you go first. 
 

C8055365-930F-4728-A8FB-FC8F5730522C.thumb.jpeg.1003d466afeae04e71abe096b7c46d5f.jpeg

It is the addition of a flux capacitor, which will allow the recording to travel to a future time when all ambitious rigs are properly sorted.

Windows 11 PC, Roon, HQPlayer, Focus Fidelity convolutions, iFi Zen Stream, Paul Hynes SR4, Mutec REF10, Mutec MC3+USB, Devialet 1000Pro, KEF Blade.  Plus Pro-Ject Signature 12 TT for playing my 'legacy' vinyl collection. Desktop system; RME ADI-2 DAC fs, Meze Empyrean headphones.

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On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 7:00 PM, STC said:

No screws, supposedly no eddy current, no zobel filter, bare wires. 

ST

 Do you remember who the designer of this product is ?

Several years ago  In a U.K. based forum where I was a member, we had discussions with an eccentric  designer whose name currently escapes me,  who put all of his products in wooden cases and refused to accept the use of metal screws.

 Regards

Alex

 

How a Digital Audio file sounds, or a Digital Video file looks, is governed to a large extent by the Power Supply area. All that Identical Checksums gives is the possibility of REGENERATING the file to close to that of the original file.

PROFILE UPDATED 13-11-2020

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14 hours ago, STC said:

Local scientist modification to CD player. Anyone want to guess why?  
 

@fas42 you go first. 
 

C8055365-930F-4728-A8FB-FC8F5730522C.thumb.jpeg.1003d466afeae04e71abe096b7c46d5f.jpeg

 

Yep, you don't geddit - I don't do "mad scientist"stuff, you see; I assume the core circuitry is "good enough", but that silly and money saving shortcuts kneecap the potential - so, that's what I 'sort' 😊.

 

I learnt that lesson, in the first round - the Big Daddy Yamaha CDP was exactly original, when it produced the magic sound, the first time - I merely cleaned up all the obvious connector weaknesses, and stabilised the cabinet.

 

Sorry, I came second ... 🙂

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1 hour ago, sandyk said:

ST

 Do you remember who the designer of this product is ?

Several years ago  In a U.K. based forum where I was a member, we had discussions with an eccentric  designer whose name currently escapes me,  who put all of his products in wooden cases and refused to accept the use of metal screws.

 Regards

Alex

 

The presence of the 'wrong' metal, typically iron based, too close to sensitive circuitry can affect the sound - spacing is your friend. Sometimes, it will be a juggling act - you want the hardware to be sensible, but not at the expense of degrading the SQ.

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