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RE: for the scoops...

I think the somewhat diy-reticent vibe around here is that vinyl people are discerning and realistic about themselves and their capabilities.
Many here aren't afraid of mounting multi-$k cartridges, re-wiring tonearms, plinthing tables, building diy interconnects, constructing a rack, and the like.

Some aren't afraid of building amps, phonostages, speakers, either, but perhaps most draw the line at those, and the more complex endeavors of that sort. I think many of us know enough to know that we might end up in love with a signature-special-edition-diy unit that sounds great to our own uncalibrated ears, but has never been required to stand up to even minimal audio requirements & testing, so remains an unknown.

I think it's a reasonable reservation to hold (especially here thinking of projects that require spl metering, freq-response figures, spectral analysis, vetting with oscilloscope) -- that a diy project constructed outside of a professional testing regimen may be flawed. And the flaw itself may be unnoticeable, minor, but may undermine other performance aspects. And that one flawed instrument in a chain blows the credibility of the chain.

It is one thing for an audiophile with EE credentials to look at testing results and know what's missing, wrong, masked, unasked or short of expectations, but --- I think it's sometimes the better part of wisdom to know when you don't know. Sure, it's a lifelong journey to increase competency in matters like this, and maybe some of us who built their first interconnects five years back might tackle a standard power amp kit today, but amp design? Speaker design? ..Probably not.

And when you change the Q of an enclosure just a touch, or sub a part in a power supply with a slightly enhanced one, where are you on the assembly-versus-design continuum ?

And are you competent, confident to be there, shifting parameters without test facilities ? I'd say some know when they are, and some know when they're not, and ... those are the lucky groups. Some don't know but blunder on anyway.

It all comes down to what you want from the system. Do you just want better background music at the much-lower diy price ? Or is it much more of a sophisticated system you're after--- do you want to be able to discern between first & second violins, assess the alternate takes on historic jazz sides, & listen with complete confidence in the component chain you've assembled..?

Tough to move into serious musical nirvana when you've got doubts about how the gear might have tested on a proper test bench, second thoughts about minimum basic specs vs actual performance. So, lacking the testing capability, many give it a pass.






housepet in a box ©


Edits: 04/16/09
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