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The issue


Buzz, I understand your point -- that if someone changes their view and says so, that is entitled to a little respect. Drlowmu cannot be faulted for lack of interest in finding sonic nirvana, and he has certainly stimulated discussion.

But -- and I don't want to speak for Tre' or others -- I think the harsh reaction comes from the fierceness with which Drlowmu presented his views in the past -- views which he just recanted because his own guru said something different.

Here is a post that shows what I am talking about:


Quoting Drlowmu:

"Hello,

Only the HV secondary DCR matters. Bad news : 252 ohms DCR I must inform you, positively stinks, such high DCR is not accceptable for audio, guarantees NOT GOOD sound in a no NFB triode amp !! Buy a T amp!!

Even a crummy ST-70, which runs super warm to the touch, or likewise, a Dyna MK III power trannie has about 80 ohms DCR.
On Power transformers, FROM ALL MY LISTENIING EXPERIMENTS OVER 30 YEARS:

Eighty ohms is LOW FI.
Forty ohms is just MID FI.
Twenty ohms is good HI FI.
Under Ten ohms is ULTRA HI FI.

There you have it. About the same DCR parameters apply to inductors BTW.

No need to build your house on a weak foundation.
You can't get quality from left over TV parts. Don't mean to be hard on you.

Jeff Medwin"

Now, in fairness, low DCR to some extent goes with higher current capability. But, this does not hold up when making subtle distinctions below 100 ohms of secondary DCR. I have some honkin' power transformers with 50 ohm DCR secondaries rated at 310-0-310 and 500mA -- before this recent channelling from Dennis, I was under the impression that the transformers were not even mid-fi.

Most folks are like me -- they would never ever post something saying some other person's system or parts do not or cannot sound good, without hearing it. If one does not live by that rule, he or she must expect a little grief when abandoning the underlying rationale for making such bold assertions. And, when claiming to know something based on "LISTENING EXPERIMENTS", only to say "Never mind . . ." based on an email from a guru, seems a bit contradictory as well.

Let me be clear -- while other topics are worthy of the kind of focus low DCR has gotten, I think the forum and hobbyists have benefitted from the discussion, driven by Drlowmu's embrace and advocacy of particular ideas. A lively forum keeps us coming back.

My beef is with pronouncing things "mid-fi" or "low-fi."

Steve Root



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