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I've been reading through the latest Stereophile. Herb Reichart's article about the Salt Cellar System is very niche but interesting even though Herb concludes that "today's audio technology, both recording and playback is walking a dead-end path".
We've read similar sentiments from Art "audio engineering hasn't advanced in the last 30 years" Dudley so no great suprise but is it really insight to suggest that accountants and advertising executives are keeping the greater public from what they want - huge mono horn systems to listen to jazz and blues. Really?
Herb also writes "many of today's audiophiles think audio is a numbers game. They discredit direct experience and deny the concretness of observation and memory. Instead of listening and trusting their impressions, they block them out with graphs and numbers". Hold that thought while we forward through the issue to a review of the Quad Artera Solus integrated amp/CD player/USB DAC by Herb Reichart. Dac duties are carried out by an ESS chip that, like many, offers several digital filter responses. Herb tried them all and found each to have a distinct character - "The Fast filter was my clear favorite; however, I am annoyed that modern digital engineers expect me to choose among four very different- sounding outputs. Why do they do this? I perceive this as evidence that digital is designed by numbers, not by listening".
Hang on, Herb, if it was designed by numbers surely there would be only one filter, the one that measures best. Instead you got three extra, including the one you liked best and that one does not measure well. So was it chosen by the numbers or was it included by the designers after listening and trusting their impressions?
Regards,
13DoW
Follow Ups:
But perhaps older circuit designs have not been surpassed. Also, nothing has equaled the venerable Tannoy 15" DC speaker.
"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. "
― W.C. Fields
not so sure about wire (WE wire is still held in high regard), some resistors, and not most "iron" IMO/IME.There were some pretty darned amazing, very vintage capacitors, too... as their prices on the 'aftermarket' illustrate.
all the best,
mrh
Edits: 02/23/20
Nt
I was there at the event. Sent Stereophile my own comments.
Care to reveal the nature of your comments?
Mentioned typical horn system "flaws" I heard, with music I knew.
Thanks for the insight.
I re-read HR's TSCS article. HR's impressions of "the system" seem highly influenced by the simple hand-crafted artisanal and one-off nature of it. Possibly to the point of overlooking "flaws". While ostensibly a review of a recorded music reproduction system, underlying all of that was a commentary on how he believes modern technology has had a negative or dehumanizing effect on the process and end result over the years...and maybe that technology in general has not been the benefit to humanity we're led to believe it has been.
I don't think that Herb is a hypocrite. That is accusing him of moral failure which I don't believe is the case. It may be held that he is somewhat contradictory though. Something that most of us inadvertently are from time to time.
"We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams
no accusation of moral turpitude, perhaps a specific instance of contradicting himself - at least (IMHO), though Herb might disagree because he hadn't realized he had. And it is a catchy, and alliterative, thread title.
If anything, in this instance he is guilty of being curmudgeonly, which disappointed me as his writing is usually so positive. I have no doubt that the sound he seeks and what he wrote about in the salt cellar is engaging, but I think someone in his position needs enough perspective to ask why it is not widely available as claimed. Does he seek something that is actually "better" or something "preferable"? Specifically, he likes the Holo Spring DAC that is non-oversampling. His preferred Quad Artera Solus digital filter is very non-oversampling-like. If filters like that were used in airport radars or in medical imaging air safety and medical diagnoses would take huge steps backwards. So, has there really been a global conspiracy to keep good sound from the masses for the last 40 years or has the world just moved on?The complete Quad review was very positive and engaging, except for that one bit. As for Art "modern life is rubbish" Dudley he is always in this vain and there is no hope for him. He writes very well about minutiae that are important to him (which is mostly what he writes) but when he tackles important stuff it annoys the heck out of me. Vent over.
Regards
13DoW
Edits: 02/19/20
I've not read the article but perhaps he found that one filter suited his speakers better than the others but equally he might prefer another filter for a different pair of speakers. After all speakers (and room acoustics) are by far the most likely cause of non-linearity at the listening position. It is surely a good thing for modern amps to include a range of filters, or better still a built-in room correction system?
...is a well considered and even handed one.
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