Hello,
Has anyone been to one?
I'm working on a project and would love to hear feedback from attendees.
Was the integrity/origin of the media an issue?
Was the audio dynamics of the space legislated for?
Was an expert speaker involved - did this enhance?
How would you feel about a theatrical element to the proceedings?
Did they sever booze?
Did you dig it?
any feedback welcome.
cheers
Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
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Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
Heavy Tourism
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mojo filters
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Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
I would expect the simplest answer is that such events will vary on whether they are run by sales people or impartial enthusiasts. To be honest I've only ever heard of events described as per above, that had some relationship with sales. A particularly notorious and disreputable company is called Russ Andrews, with whom some may he familiar. For those not...
This company runs events which tries to characterize themselves as putting the spotlight on the highest end audiophile equipment. I don't know whether these still happen, but when they did it was really a shameless marketing exercise. Russ Andrews would use spurious A/B comparison techniques to try and show that his uber expensive mains, interconnect and loudspeaker cables and components actually improved the sound of whatever hifi equipment they were hooked up to. He also has a range of other snake oil products, mostly concerned with some dubious notion of "cleaning" or "purifying" the mains supply to make your hifi sound better and increase the quality of the sound and picture from your DVD player, TV etc.
He's able to get away with a lot simply by virtue of folks perceiving a difference - a kind of emperors new clothes scenario. Whilst his analogue kit claims could not definitively be disproven, his digital kit is easier to deconstruct. For example he sells various grades of HDMI cable that span a huge price range. As they get dearer the cables add more esoteric ingredients such as silver-plated copper wire inside and gold plated plugs - whilst the sturdy design means these are well made items which will last, it's common knowledge that binary information doesn't care what metal is transporting it, hence the claims that spending over £1000 on an HDMI cable will improve picture quality are obviously false.
Another example of his shameless profiting from the ignorance of others is the "Super Fuse". He takes a regular 3, 5 or 13A fuse, plates the exposed metal on the outside with silver and gives it cryogenic treatment (offered on many other products). The latter just means it spent some time in the freezer. Then he sells each fuse for £25 (untreated regular fuses are sold in multipacks of 10 or 20 for a couple of quid tops!) claiming the improved transmission of electricity will improve whatever appliance you fit the fuse into the socket of ... he advises maximum benefit will come from having these in all your audio and video appliances!
His other mains products are even more expensive (though not necessarily such shocking mark-ups). They all fail to account for the simple fact that even if his claims regarding the beneficial impact of his mains products were true - to make them actually work, every conductor and cable right back to the power station would have to be similarly treated! Of course electricity doesn't care what conductor takes it to/from your appliances, but Russ Andrews will try and prove to audiences that there is an audible difference when he switches his products in and out of the circuit.
If you are attending a less obviously sales-focussed event, be aware of an old but effective hi-fi sales trick - when comparing alternative items of equipment, a slight increase in volume will make that sound subjectively "better" to most peoples ears. A fair comparison requires perfectly equal volume levels. Don't rely on an iPhone dB metering app for this, they are simply not accurate. At a minimum use a proper dB meter (Radio Shack make a popular dedicated cheap version) and check the weighting (only A and C are relevant, for the difference Google Fletcher Munson or equal loudness curve).and understand the difference between setting the meter for slow or fast readings. Alternatively just being aware of this should allow you to guard against being influenced in such a fashion.
Another mistake often made when A/B and other comparisons are attempted, is to use a very cheap switching device that could colour the signal and may unintentionally favour one side over the other.
To be honest the phrases used above are ones I've only ever associated with marketing, both subtle and blatant. Otherwise such critical listening is really just the same as listening to your hi-fi at home, but with some extra people. Increasing the number of people in the room also can affect the sound.
High end hi-fi users often have extensive acoustic treatment in their listening room, the same as you find in the control rooms of studios. Humans can cause various effects, from acting like movable bass traps to eliminate standing waves/room nodes, to increasing the humidity which can attenuate high frequencies. High frequencies are most easily affected because of the shorter wavelengths - hence 1 person blocking one side of a stereo pair of loudspeakers will block high frequencies the most (destroying stereo image, phantom centre etc) and as the spectrum goes down (ie wavelengths are getting longer) that person will block less and less, until you get to the very low bass and subwoofer frequencies (<100Hz) by which point all but the largest horn-loaded loudspeaker will radiate sound 360° with no pattern control.
Normally the best acoustic treatment is to ensure there are no parallel surfaces within the listening room. Almost impossible to eliminate them all, but the fewer there are the less reflected sound you'll hear - relative to the direct sound. This is important as no matter how good your loudspeakers etc - if the sound they generate is mired in reflections then time-smearing, phase incoherence and so forth will colour the whole sound.
Ideally you want to eliminate reflections. Obviously you can't build an anechoic chamber, but treating hard surfaces that produce unwanted reflections will clean up the sound. Ideally you would have an experienced system tech use a multiple microphone Fast Fourier Transform measurement setup to gauge factors such as the RT60 of your room - but obviously that requires special training and equipment. You may find that using a simple Real Time Analysis of your room shows up any issues. Likewise measuring the Transfer Function of the hi-fi system with pink noise will show both frequency and phase coherence/variation - if this is a particularly critical application that kind of data will give you an insight into the accuracy of your reproductive equipment.
Let us know how you progress this project!.
This company runs events which tries to characterize themselves as putting the spotlight on the highest end audiophile equipment. I don't know whether these still happen, but when they did it was really a shameless marketing exercise. Russ Andrews would use spurious A/B comparison techniques to try and show that his uber expensive mains, interconnect and loudspeaker cables and components actually improved the sound of whatever hifi equipment they were hooked up to. He also has a range of other snake oil products, mostly concerned with some dubious notion of "cleaning" or "purifying" the mains supply to make your hifi sound better and increase the quality of the sound and picture from your DVD player, TV etc.
He's able to get away with a lot simply by virtue of folks perceiving a difference - a kind of emperors new clothes scenario. Whilst his analogue kit claims could not definitively be disproven, his digital kit is easier to deconstruct. For example he sells various grades of HDMI cable that span a huge price range. As they get dearer the cables add more esoteric ingredients such as silver-plated copper wire inside and gold plated plugs - whilst the sturdy design means these are well made items which will last, it's common knowledge that binary information doesn't care what metal is transporting it, hence the claims that spending over £1000 on an HDMI cable will improve picture quality are obviously false.
Another example of his shameless profiting from the ignorance of others is the "Super Fuse". He takes a regular 3, 5 or 13A fuse, plates the exposed metal on the outside with silver and gives it cryogenic treatment (offered on many other products). The latter just means it spent some time in the freezer. Then he sells each fuse for £25 (untreated regular fuses are sold in multipacks of 10 or 20 for a couple of quid tops!) claiming the improved transmission of electricity will improve whatever appliance you fit the fuse into the socket of ... he advises maximum benefit will come from having these in all your audio and video appliances!
His other mains products are even more expensive (though not necessarily such shocking mark-ups). They all fail to account for the simple fact that even if his claims regarding the beneficial impact of his mains products were true - to make them actually work, every conductor and cable right back to the power station would have to be similarly treated! Of course electricity doesn't care what conductor takes it to/from your appliances, but Russ Andrews will try and prove to audiences that there is an audible difference when he switches his products in and out of the circuit.
If you are attending a less obviously sales-focussed event, be aware of an old but effective hi-fi sales trick - when comparing alternative items of equipment, a slight increase in volume will make that sound subjectively "better" to most peoples ears. A fair comparison requires perfectly equal volume levels. Don't rely on an iPhone dB metering app for this, they are simply not accurate. At a minimum use a proper dB meter (Radio Shack make a popular dedicated cheap version) and check the weighting (only A and C are relevant, for the difference Google Fletcher Munson or equal loudness curve).and understand the difference between setting the meter for slow or fast readings. Alternatively just being aware of this should allow you to guard against being influenced in such a fashion.
Another mistake often made when A/B and other comparisons are attempted, is to use a very cheap switching device that could colour the signal and may unintentionally favour one side over the other.
To be honest the phrases used above are ones I've only ever associated with marketing, both subtle and blatant. Otherwise such critical listening is really just the same as listening to your hi-fi at home, but with some extra people. Increasing the number of people in the room also can affect the sound.
High end hi-fi users often have extensive acoustic treatment in their listening room, the same as you find in the control rooms of studios. Humans can cause various effects, from acting like movable bass traps to eliminate standing waves/room nodes, to increasing the humidity which can attenuate high frequencies. High frequencies are most easily affected because of the shorter wavelengths - hence 1 person blocking one side of a stereo pair of loudspeakers will block high frequencies the most (destroying stereo image, phantom centre etc) and as the spectrum goes down (ie wavelengths are getting longer) that person will block less and less, until you get to the very low bass and subwoofer frequencies (<100Hz) by which point all but the largest horn-loaded loudspeaker will radiate sound 360° with no pattern control.
Normally the best acoustic treatment is to ensure there are no parallel surfaces within the listening room. Almost impossible to eliminate them all, but the fewer there are the less reflected sound you'll hear - relative to the direct sound. This is important as no matter how good your loudspeakers etc - if the sound they generate is mired in reflections then time-smearing, phase incoherence and so forth will colour the whole sound.
Ideally you want to eliminate reflections. Obviously you can't build an anechoic chamber, but treating hard surfaces that produce unwanted reflections will clean up the sound. Ideally you would have an experienced system tech use a multiple microphone Fast Fourier Transform measurement setup to gauge factors such as the RT60 of your room - but obviously that requires special training and equipment. You may find that using a simple Real Time Analysis of your room shows up any issues. Likewise measuring the Transfer Function of the hi-fi system with pink noise will show both frequency and phase coherence/variation - if this is a particularly critical application that kind of data will give you an insight into the accuracy of your reproductive equipment.
Let us know how you progress this project!.
I'm like Evel Knievel, I get paid for the attempt. I didn't promise this shit would be good!
Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle
Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
The only thing of this sort that is probably legit is the Hi Fi show at Scalford Hall near Melton Mowbray every March. Assorted nutters and wierdos turn up with their own kit, set it up in a variety of rooms (from tiny bedrooms to massive conference rooms) and run demos all day. You can get to hear everything from vinyl, valves and horns to ultra-modern digital only systems. All budgets from £0 built it all myself to £ 
£ All of this is accompanied by the opportunity to drink loads of decent beer, eat pies and buy lots of cheap vinyl. And no bastard is trying to sell you any kit!
£ All of this is accompanied by the opportunity to drink loads of decent beer, eat pies and buy lots of cheap vinyl. And no bastard is trying to sell you any kit!-
semisynthetic
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Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
I will continue with an addendum to what I sent you, albeit on a somewhat different subtopic. The last similar experience I have had with at least some of these parameters was roughly 7-8 years ago when I wished to finally make some quantum leaps in the quality of my Sound System; the total time this took to ultimately achieve, for a variety of reasons, was Close to 3 years.
It was a sham. Quite literally like "Pay no Attention to the Amps behind the curtain"; where a cheat and scoundrel wished to show "an amp of a certain power", he had no less than FOUR TIMES the number of Amps to EACH speaker or speaker assembly and even that was not even the beginning of this clown's deception.
BUT, the final nail in his "sales coffin" was pounded in by the clown; a so-called AudioPhile Store had not ONE example of a Turntable of any type. He was quite totally and utterly clueless.
When I commented that I wanted components of a certain quality, and what I had heard so far was well short of the mark, and sounded like a "gigantic transistor radio" and had all of the "AudioPhile Characteristics of an Edison Cylinder Player, but lacking the warmth of analogue" he was clueless as to what an Edison Cylinder player was! He practically soiled himself when he found out just how much $ he was missing out on when he saw what a truly high end turntable might cost, but I was long finished with him. The Listening Session was very reminiscent of the very first, and very carefully made CD releases that were nothing like what would be en masse in stores later; when I made his So-called ultimate system rattle and cough, he was very worried I had damaged it!
When later, at varying times when the Sham was discussed - almost always by someone who had been by when I was listening to the Sound System I ultimately obtained, or earlier, if I was meeting someone at my home to discuss a system, the people who grew up with this charlatan knew him very well! I heard people swear with a terrible furosity that I had NEVER heard swear before when his name was mentioned! Apparently his family were famous thumpers and "salesmen" of the worst type.
Ultimately, I did find a place that excelled at what they did, and I did get the finest system I could; but their focus was ALWAYS on the Sound Quality, instead of "cost of each component" and they do know Analogue!
So I agree with Olan that unlike what I sent you originally, when I answered your questions from my perspective, if some half-witted twit who has ONLY$$ in mind, the experience will be a negative one. Many years earlier I went through a similar unpleasant experience.
Ultimately, what I laid out in costs for the system I did obtain was multiples of what the twit had discussed, but he had no sense of the Enjoyment of Music; he could just as well been what he excelled at and sold organic fertilizer.
The people that put a system together for me LOVED MUSIC! They certainly did not do this for free, but their knowing what the real goal was certainly apparent in how they proceeded and how carefully they treated each variable, alone and en toto. The listening experience in my home attests to their focus and expertise.
It was a sham. Quite literally like "Pay no Attention to the Amps behind the curtain"; where a cheat and scoundrel wished to show "an amp of a certain power", he had no less than FOUR TIMES the number of Amps to EACH speaker or speaker assembly and even that was not even the beginning of this clown's deception.
BUT, the final nail in his "sales coffin" was pounded in by the clown; a so-called AudioPhile Store had not ONE example of a Turntable of any type. He was quite totally and utterly clueless.
When I commented that I wanted components of a certain quality, and what I had heard so far was well short of the mark, and sounded like a "gigantic transistor radio" and had all of the "AudioPhile Characteristics of an Edison Cylinder Player, but lacking the warmth of analogue" he was clueless as to what an Edison Cylinder player was! He practically soiled himself when he found out just how much $ he was missing out on when he saw what a truly high end turntable might cost, but I was long finished with him. The Listening Session was very reminiscent of the very first, and very carefully made CD releases that were nothing like what would be en masse in stores later; when I made his So-called ultimate system rattle and cough, he was very worried I had damaged it!
When later, at varying times when the Sham was discussed - almost always by someone who had been by when I was listening to the Sound System I ultimately obtained, or earlier, if I was meeting someone at my home to discuss a system, the people who grew up with this charlatan knew him very well! I heard people swear with a terrible furosity that I had NEVER heard swear before when his name was mentioned! Apparently his family were famous thumpers and "salesmen" of the worst type.
Ultimately, I did find a place that excelled at what they did, and I did get the finest system I could; but their focus was ALWAYS on the Sound Quality, instead of "cost of each component" and they do know Analogue!
So I agree with Olan that unlike what I sent you originally, when I answered your questions from my perspective, if some half-witted twit who has ONLY$$ in mind, the experience will be a negative one. Many years earlier I went through a similar unpleasant experience.
Ultimately, what I laid out in costs for the system I did obtain was multiples of what the twit had discussed, but he had no sense of the Enjoyment of Music; he could just as well been what he excelled at and sold organic fertilizer.
The people that put a system together for me LOVED MUSIC! They certainly did not do this for free, but their knowing what the real goal was certainly apparent in how they proceeded and how carefully they treated each variable, alone and en toto. The listening experience in my home attests to their focus and expertise.
Last edited by semisynthetic on Sat May 23, 2015 7:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Everything is a Poison; it is the amount or degree that separates one Poison from another"
Paracelsus
Paracelsus
Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
Cheers,
some good stuff there guys.
What i hope will make my idea a new twist on the audiophile playback shindig is the venue itself.
The room where a hugely influential band started rehearsing in 1968/69 can be hired for a modest hourly fee. So the playback would be their first two lps and a couple of relevant supporting discs - pre album demos and the like.
For this presentation the historical significance of room itself has equal 'billing' to the kit i might be able to procure. The playback equipment available will depend on which local hi fi dealership wants to get on board and what they are happy to supply.
The only comparable event that i can think of was not so long ago when a Nick Drake session featured a particular copy of Pink Moon - it might have been Nick's own copy.
some good stuff there guys.
What i hope will make my idea a new twist on the audiophile playback shindig is the venue itself.
The room where a hugely influential band started rehearsing in 1968/69 can be hired for a modest hourly fee. So the playback would be their first two lps and a couple of relevant supporting discs - pre album demos and the like.
For this presentation the historical significance of room itself has equal 'billing' to the kit i might be able to procure. The playback equipment available will depend on which local hi fi dealership wants to get on board and what they are happy to supply.
The only comparable event that i can think of was not so long ago when a Nick Drake session featured a particular copy of Pink Moon - it might have been Nick's own copy.
Heavy Tourism
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mojo filters
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Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
There is no necessary correlation between the event you describe above, and the concept of high end audiophile playback - whether you're involving vinyl or some more linearly accurate playback medium.
How big is this room? What are its acoustic properties? How many attendees do you expect?
If you need a stereo sweet spot for more than 3-4 people in a critical listening environment, you must factor in the ability to create a wide stereo field that everyone in a larger group can appreciate - you need equipment capable of delivering this.
If this room has poor acoustics, such as an intrusive RT60 echo time - how will you address this? What research are you planning beforehand? Are you planning to eliminate any acoustic problems that impede "audiophile" reproduction in this space?
How have you determined that a hi-fi dealership are suited to provide equipment for this task? I would expect a better starting point is to involve qualified and experienced acoustic consultants.
What is your budget for the event? That may restrict some of your stated aspirations, if it's relatively tight!
Unless the room already has decent acoustic treatment or doesn't require it, even the most high end hi-fi equipment will not be capable of providing an "audiophile" experience.
If it's a larger room and you intend to attract more than a very small number of people, even assuming perfect conditions - it will require particularly able loudspeakers to provide the desired experience for all attendees.
If you are able to involve a hi-fi dealer that stocks brands such as PMC (eg IB1, IB2S, MB2S, BB5), Dynaudio (larger AIR or M-series) or the larger B&W Nautilus loudspeakers for example - they might have suitable products to provide an "audiophile" experience. Such products normally come from specialists in large-format studio monitoring, as they are primarily designed and used for that purpose.
If it's quite a large room and you intend to cover >10-15 people at a decent volume - you really should consider reproduction equipment more suited to the task. Whilst the same qualifications as previously stated regarding acoustic treatment still apply, instead of hi-fi speakers a more suitable solution could well be a high quality PA loudspeaker like the co-axial 8, 12 or 115XT point source cabinets from L-Acoustics, or one of the smaller wide Q boxes from Meyer. Both companies have excellent high quality small format point source PA cabs that are very common and easy to hire. Other manufacturers worth considering are d&b E9s, KV2 EX series, Danley Sound Labs, Martin Audio, Fulcrum Acoustics, Nexo PS10 or 15 and Tannoy's VQ & VXP full range tops.
The description in your second post sounds more like an interesting historical experience, rather than a proper audiophile listening experience as per the title. Given you only have two LPs that will really benefit from a high quality listening experience - might it not be better to consider the event as a historical perspective for the benefit of fans, rather than going to the considerable effort involved in the getting the pristine ideal sound quality originally referenced?
Obviously this latter point is irrelevant if you have already arranged appropriate accommodation of your specific "high end audiophile playback" criteria, and I wish you luck.
If not - are you expecting a hi-fi dealership to offer discounted or free services? I would not rely on this - they will only want to exhibit their wares in a flattering environment, so for this aspect room acoustics will be crucial.
If you pull it off I hope it lives up to the expectations you've set out. If you can't be sure of achieving them, is it not just as worthwhile to drop the "high end audiophile" aspect, and simply find the best and most appropriate listening equipment you can - then just relax and enjoy listening to the music in such a unique context? That sounds like a more enjoyable and less stressful way of proceeding, at least to me.
I certainly don't mean to belittle your desire for good quality music playback at this event - it's very commendable and ironically increasingly rare in a world where we have the most advanced audio quality available to us, yet so many concerts and clubs have bad sound, usually because some ill-judged line array components are incorrectly deployed. Thankfully in a small space where fewer loudspeakers are required, it's easier to get thing right ... at least it's harder to get things wrong!
If I were putting on such an event in one of the larger local rehearsal rooms, I'd take the output from the phono preamp direct into some good quality powered speakers, eg Yamaha DSR12, EV ZX1A, QSC K8/10/12 etc. Assuming the preamp is unbalanced I'd use a decent passive DI such as Radial, BSS, Orchid if required - then just enjoy it
How big is this room? What are its acoustic properties? How many attendees do you expect?
If you need a stereo sweet spot for more than 3-4 people in a critical listening environment, you must factor in the ability to create a wide stereo field that everyone in a larger group can appreciate - you need equipment capable of delivering this.
If this room has poor acoustics, such as an intrusive RT60 echo time - how will you address this? What research are you planning beforehand? Are you planning to eliminate any acoustic problems that impede "audiophile" reproduction in this space?
How have you determined that a hi-fi dealership are suited to provide equipment for this task? I would expect a better starting point is to involve qualified and experienced acoustic consultants.
What is your budget for the event? That may restrict some of your stated aspirations, if it's relatively tight!
Unless the room already has decent acoustic treatment or doesn't require it, even the most high end hi-fi equipment will not be capable of providing an "audiophile" experience.
If it's a larger room and you intend to attract more than a very small number of people, even assuming perfect conditions - it will require particularly able loudspeakers to provide the desired experience for all attendees.
If you are able to involve a hi-fi dealer that stocks brands such as PMC (eg IB1, IB2S, MB2S, BB5), Dynaudio (larger AIR or M-series) or the larger B&W Nautilus loudspeakers for example - they might have suitable products to provide an "audiophile" experience. Such products normally come from specialists in large-format studio monitoring, as they are primarily designed and used for that purpose.
If it's quite a large room and you intend to cover >10-15 people at a decent volume - you really should consider reproduction equipment more suited to the task. Whilst the same qualifications as previously stated regarding acoustic treatment still apply, instead of hi-fi speakers a more suitable solution could well be a high quality PA loudspeaker like the co-axial 8, 12 or 115XT point source cabinets from L-Acoustics, or one of the smaller wide Q boxes from Meyer. Both companies have excellent high quality small format point source PA cabs that are very common and easy to hire. Other manufacturers worth considering are d&b E9s, KV2 EX series, Danley Sound Labs, Martin Audio, Fulcrum Acoustics, Nexo PS10 or 15 and Tannoy's VQ & VXP full range tops.
The description in your second post sounds more like an interesting historical experience, rather than a proper audiophile listening experience as per the title. Given you only have two LPs that will really benefit from a high quality listening experience - might it not be better to consider the event as a historical perspective for the benefit of fans, rather than going to the considerable effort involved in the getting the pristine ideal sound quality originally referenced?
Obviously this latter point is irrelevant if you have already arranged appropriate accommodation of your specific "high end audiophile playback" criteria, and I wish you luck.
If not - are you expecting a hi-fi dealership to offer discounted or free services? I would not rely on this - they will only want to exhibit their wares in a flattering environment, so for this aspect room acoustics will be crucial.
If you pull it off I hope it lives up to the expectations you've set out. If you can't be sure of achieving them, is it not just as worthwhile to drop the "high end audiophile" aspect, and simply find the best and most appropriate listening equipment you can - then just relax and enjoy listening to the music in such a unique context? That sounds like a more enjoyable and less stressful way of proceeding, at least to me.
I certainly don't mean to belittle your desire for good quality music playback at this event - it's very commendable and ironically increasingly rare in a world where we have the most advanced audio quality available to us, yet so many concerts and clubs have bad sound, usually because some ill-judged line array components are incorrectly deployed. Thankfully in a small space where fewer loudspeakers are required, it's easier to get thing right ... at least it's harder to get things wrong!
If I were putting on such an event in one of the larger local rehearsal rooms, I'd take the output from the phono preamp direct into some good quality powered speakers, eg Yamaha DSR12, EV ZX1A, QSC K8/10/12 etc. Assuming the preamp is unbalanced I'd use a decent passive DI such as Radial, BSS, Orchid if required - then just enjoy it
I'm like Evel Knievel, I get paid for the attempt. I didn't promise this shit would be good!
Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle
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semisynthetic
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Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
I agree with Mojo-Filters on this; perhaps the "Ideal" is asking too much; but to first visit such a Historical Spot on the way to a proper Music Room adequate in Equipment, Recordings and Space would be an alternative and keeps with the general Idea; I do like the "Historical Aspect", unfortunately it seems to be problematic to have every variable maximized for an Idealized experience. Personally, when it comes to listening, I want a space designed for that purpose; there are just too many ways that the listening experience can be degraded - including the very existence of the guests themselves as has been already discussed.
If the site itself were truly EXCEPTIONAL, it may be more interesting to accept a lesser quality listening experience in such a unique and Historical Site than to expect too much and be disappointed.
If the site itself were truly EXCEPTIONAL, it may be more interesting to accept a lesser quality listening experience in such a unique and Historical Site than to expect too much and be disappointed.
"Everything is a Poison; it is the amount or degree that separates one Poison from another"
Paracelsus
Paracelsus
Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
Many thanks for this people!
Absolutely brilliant stuff - thanks for taking the time to share it.
I guess a good chunk of the research is being done for me right here.
So, now i know that the term audiophile is problematic. My idea of audiophile is perhaps not universally used.
I suppose for me going round to someone's house who has a better stereo than me constitutes an audiophile experience - which i know must sound ridiculous to some. I was absolutely over the moon when a friend emigrated and gave me his equipment (which i did eventually pay him for) but other people snort at my suggestion that it sounds amazing. I also get a very pure audiophile high out of listening to my grandfather's Leak tuner. My point is that audiophile has many levels of meaning.
The equipment issues will start to be resolved when i meet with the dealers. They're all keen - its a cracking idea. I look forward to giving you updates on what they offer and will welcome your comments. Likewise the room itself. Which is advertised as holding 50 seated bodies. I feel sure that some subtle modifications will improve matters and the ability of potential partners to get to grips with that might be a key indicator of which dealer gets the gig. I am particularity grateful for the way you folks have flagged up how cautious i need to be with the dealers and their sales agendas. I would not have thought of such issues in advance.
But i accept the thrust of what you are saying. Purest audio wankery just ain't gonna happen in a 1960s municipal community centre.
I guess i'm just looking for the best i can get. Better than what most people have at home but accept that its not gonna be what others recognise as audiophile. Though mine will be a perfectly legitimate use of the word. I certainly intend to specify the equipment in the blurb so folks can make up their own mind if the ticket price is worth it. I not too keen on discussing the budget here just now.
Interesting to cross reference your observations and contributions with the Classic Album Sunday website. Their session cost £10-£20 seemingly varrying with the profile of the quest speaker/expert. I don't think those people are overly concerned about the sound equipment or the room they use. Their blurb stresses the community aspect of it and taking the time to actively listen. While the word audiophile does appear in their notes its not as prominent as you might initially expect - maybe they have run in to trouble with the term themselves.
There's a lot of stuff about the band that is not widely published that i have dug up which would feature in the introductions. That's the historic bit. The aim of the exercise is to raise the profile of the building in the hope that when the council sell it off for redevelopment people know what is being lost.
That's it for now.
Cheers
Absolutely brilliant stuff - thanks for taking the time to share it.
I guess a good chunk of the research is being done for me right here.
So, now i know that the term audiophile is problematic. My idea of audiophile is perhaps not universally used.
I suppose for me going round to someone's house who has a better stereo than me constitutes an audiophile experience - which i know must sound ridiculous to some. I was absolutely over the moon when a friend emigrated and gave me his equipment (which i did eventually pay him for) but other people snort at my suggestion that it sounds amazing. I also get a very pure audiophile high out of listening to my grandfather's Leak tuner. My point is that audiophile has many levels of meaning.
The equipment issues will start to be resolved when i meet with the dealers. They're all keen - its a cracking idea. I look forward to giving you updates on what they offer and will welcome your comments. Likewise the room itself. Which is advertised as holding 50 seated bodies. I feel sure that some subtle modifications will improve matters and the ability of potential partners to get to grips with that might be a key indicator of which dealer gets the gig. I am particularity grateful for the way you folks have flagged up how cautious i need to be with the dealers and their sales agendas. I would not have thought of such issues in advance.
But i accept the thrust of what you are saying. Purest audio wankery just ain't gonna happen in a 1960s municipal community centre.
I guess i'm just looking for the best i can get. Better than what most people have at home but accept that its not gonna be what others recognise as audiophile. Though mine will be a perfectly legitimate use of the word. I certainly intend to specify the equipment in the blurb so folks can make up their own mind if the ticket price is worth it. I not too keen on discussing the budget here just now.
Interesting to cross reference your observations and contributions with the Classic Album Sunday website. Their session cost £10-£20 seemingly varrying with the profile of the quest speaker/expert. I don't think those people are overly concerned about the sound equipment or the room they use. Their blurb stresses the community aspect of it and taking the time to actively listen. While the word audiophile does appear in their notes its not as prominent as you might initially expect - maybe they have run in to trouble with the term themselves.
There's a lot of stuff about the band that is not widely published that i have dug up which would feature in the introductions. That's the historic bit. The aim of the exercise is to raise the profile of the building in the hope that when the council sell it off for redevelopment people know what is being lost.
That's it for now.
Cheers
Heavy Tourism
Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
all this has come to a head...
https://crossroadsofsabbath.wordpress. ... he-warpig/
many thanks for your input...
Hope the kids dig it...
Rave on...
https://crossroadsofsabbath.wordpress. ... he-warpig/
many thanks for your input...
Hope the kids dig it...
Rave on...
Heavy Tourism
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semisynthetic
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Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
^
Well done Plastic! It is wonderful to see someone with an Idea turn it into reality! There are so many obstacles to leap through sometimes, that all too often, many people unfortunately choose to not persevere; I am very Happy for you!
Well done Plastic! It is wonderful to see someone with an Idea turn it into reality! There are so many obstacles to leap through sometimes, that all too often, many people unfortunately choose to not persevere; I am very Happy for you!
"Everything is a Poison; it is the amount or degree that separates one Poison from another"
Paracelsus
Paracelsus
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mojo filters
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Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
It's great to hear you got the event up and running. I've followed you on WP, though my account is somewhat lacking in content - it was meant for a musical project, however all I use it for at the moment is when I visit Joe Saward's blog for his excellent F1 journalism.
If I was a fan that sounds like it would be a great event! Unfortunately I've never really given Black Sabbath much time - that irritating guitar shop staple riff was enough to put me off, whilst Ozzy Osbourne seems like an English pastiche of Iggy Pop ... like the transatlantic Cliff Richard / Elvis Presley equivalence from just over a decade earlier.
Have you invited Stewart Lee? I've heard him mention that music scene, describing growing up round your way ... at least when he wasn't busy protecting Top Gear's Richard "The Hamster" Hammond from fictional school bullies (he's not a real hamster). Tell him it's for charity and he might come just for the crisps, assuming you have all the flavours
PS - Don't forget Klipschhorns need to be placed in a corner to get proper 1/4 space acoustic loading, otherwise you'll wonder where the bass went!
If I was a fan that sounds like it would be a great event! Unfortunately I've never really given Black Sabbath much time - that irritating guitar shop staple riff was enough to put me off, whilst Ozzy Osbourne seems like an English pastiche of Iggy Pop ... like the transatlantic Cliff Richard / Elvis Presley equivalence from just over a decade earlier.
Have you invited Stewart Lee? I've heard him mention that music scene, describing growing up round your way ... at least when he wasn't busy protecting Top Gear's Richard "The Hamster" Hammond from fictional school bullies (he's not a real hamster). Tell him it's for charity and he might come just for the crisps, assuming you have all the flavours
PS - Don't forget Klipschhorns need to be placed in a corner to get proper 1/4 space acoustic loading, otherwise you'll wonder where the bass went!
I'm like Evel Knievel, I get paid for the attempt. I didn't promise this shit would be good!
Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle
Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
Nowt to do with the topic at hand, but cheers mojo filters for the F1 blog recommendation - as a fully subscribed fanatical follower of the sport I'm always on the lookout for new sources of F1 gossip, analysis, history and intrigue...
Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
When i was 13/14/15/16 i hated heavy metal. The gang was me and four others. Three of them had elder brothers. Two of them got into metal. We had endless discussions about it.mojo filters wrote:It's great to hear you got the event up and running. I've followed you on WP, though my account is somewhat lacking in content - it was meant for a musical project, however all I use it for at the moment is when I visit Joe Saward's blog for his excellent F1 journalism.
If I was a fan that sounds like it would be a great event! Unfortunately I've never really given Black Sabbath much time - that irritating guitar shop staple riff was enough to put me off, whilst Ozzy Osbourne seems like an English pastiche of Iggy Pop ... like the transatlantic Cliff Richard / Elvis Presley equivalence from just over a decade earlier.
Have you invited Stewart Lee? I've heard him mention that music scene, describing growing up round your way ... at least when he wasn't busy protecting Top Gear's Richard "The Hamster" Hammond from fictional school bullies (he's not a real hamster). Tell him it's for charity and he might come just for the crisps, assuming you have all the flavours
PS - Don't forget Klipschhorns need to be placed in a corner to get proper 1/4 space acoustic loading, otherwise you'll wonder where the bass went!
As a result of that i got a GCSE in metal and it has served me well in later life. I'd say it has been more useful to me than my other GCSEs.
I was into the Bunnymen et al. I thought Will Sergeant conveyed more emotion with one note over 3 mins than Eddie Van Halen ever could with his 1000s of emissions.
And lyrically - are you taking the piss? Really?
But living in Birmingham, and taking a step back, as one does in advancing years.
And meeting Einstellung...
Has led me to this point.
Black Sabbath are the most important band ever.
And their guitarist was born about 200 meters from my home.
I still see every other metal band as pantomime though. I have tried with Judas Priest but they still make me giggle in the same way as when i was 14 and arguing that The Stranglers really meant it.
Funny how things turn out.
Heavy Tourism
Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
This is playlist of videos showing how it came out
can't seem to use the standard YouTiube link facility here is a link
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... I74jZVczLu
can't seem to use the standard YouTiube link facility here is a link
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... I74jZVczLu
Heavy Tourism
Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
Having done one myself i attended an event in London last night.
Ride - Nowhere with band interview and Q&A.
The thing i really took away from it was how the LP playback seemed like minutes.
I'm not overly familiar with that LP.
But i know it. I knew what track was coming next but didn't, for instance remember how epic some of the epic moments were until a split second before they hit.
I confirmed this with the chap sitting next to me. "wow, that went by in a flash" - quicker than a good gig.
The stereo effect of the large room was wonderful.
Put the sound quality was not SOOOOOOOOooooooo much better than what i have. Which pleased me. I didn't come away thinking "I must spend 5K on a stereo".
I would go to a similar event again.
Ride - Nowhere with band interview and Q&A.
The thing i really took away from it was how the LP playback seemed like minutes.
I'm not overly familiar with that LP.
But i know it. I knew what track was coming next but didn't, for instance remember how epic some of the epic moments were until a split second before they hit.
I confirmed this with the chap sitting next to me. "wow, that went by in a flash" - quicker than a good gig.
The stereo effect of the large room was wonderful.
Put the sound quality was not SOOOOOOOOooooooo much better than what i have. Which pleased me. I didn't come away thinking "I must spend 5K on a stereo".
I would go to a similar event again.
Heavy Tourism
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mojo filters
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Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
That sounds like a great event! Would have thought lots of folks here would be interested, I certainly would have been if it was't so far away.
Was this an official Classic Album Sunday event, or some other type of event? Also did you note what gear was used at the event?
Was this an official Classic Album Sunday event, or some other type of event? Also did you note what gear was used at the event?
I'm like Evel Knievel, I get paid for the attempt. I didn't promise this shit would be good!
Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle
Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
The gear was Audio Note. It wasn't a big deal though - there was no lecture from the engineer or sales nonsense.
The host just made a brief mention that Audio Note were a partner and that their representative was in the room if anyone wanted to chat at then end.
It was valves, It looked the part, turntable, another box (I expect a pre amp - but a BIG one) then a value monster on the floor
And big speakers.
Yes, it was a Classic Album Sunday event - in partnership with a newspaper. Well over 100 people.
The host just made a brief mention that Audio Note were a partner and that their representative was in the room if anyone wanted to chat at then end.
It was valves, It looked the part, turntable, another box (I expect a pre amp - but a BIG one) then a value monster on the floor
And big speakers.
Yes, it was a Classic Album Sunday event - in partnership with a newspaper. Well over 100 people.
Heavy Tourism
Re: Vinyl hi-end audiophile playback sessions
Might be of interest to some; The Teardrop Explodes 'Kilimanjaro' is coming up in January with Cope in attendance:
http://classicalbumsundays.com/john-pee ... lian-cope/
http://classicalbumsundays.com/john-pee ... lian-cope/
Nineteen...Nineteen...Six Five