Re: Few highend preamps in my experience have invert switches nt

Hi Mark.

So, you still listen to mono records! You must be some connoisseurs who still backtrack music of the good old days. No wonder you like to have a preamp with a mono switch, or even hi-cut & lo-cut switches
to remove the noise of the old old recordings. Very hard, if not impossible to get such 'obsolete' features in 'modern' amps these days, unless you go for amps of vintage years back to 60s. But then, there will be some dramatic trade-offs sonically. I won't touch those old timers without major DIY overhauling.

One solution is to simply add a DP/ST toggle switch, at the back of
your existing pre-amp, to bridge up the L/R channels for playing those old recordings, be them monaural LPs or tapes. No big deal.

In fact, I still listen a lot to some good AM broadcasts of oldie music, & taped them off on stereo cassette tapes. I don't need any mono switch as I have no problems with those 'modern' recordings.

My LPs collection (not many, quite a few hundreds only)_are ALL stereo format. To me, only stereo recordings, not monaural nor 5.1/multi-channel digital formats, can satisfy me with the closer-to-real sonic perspectives I pursue.

Like my antique radios, I also collect historic stereo LPs. Mind you, those oldies sound pretty good, recorded back in the tubes-only analogue era with the traditional two-microphone technique. That's why.

Here, I want my readers tour back 50 years with me, through the historic LP, packed in an entirely golden coloured sleeve, which I picked up quite unexpectedly, from a local Goodwill store two years ago. I think it could be a very first stereo LP in the market:
a "Spectrum Stereophonic Recording" label, released in New York in 1958. It was recorded by a then revolutionary "authentiphonic Stereo Process" under the engineering auspices of some big-shot, Dr. Harlow White, who pioneered the "independent impulse stereo record cutting" technology in 1936. He reportedly developed this record cutting know-how after A.D. Blumlein, who publicly demonstrated his world's first stereophonic record in 1933.

Some stereo record history flashback! Sound interesting? The music is one of my favourite classical piece: "Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto in B Flat Minor", performed by The Royal Farnworth Orchestra, conducted by Warren Edward Vincent, & soloist: Jean Bargy.

The sound? Pretty good. The background is surprisingly quiet (master tape hiss & vinyl noise are not noticeable). Airy & dynamic. What impresses me most is the effortless rich bass that I can't find in many modern LP recordings. I paid only 50 cents for it!

It again, confirms my impression that a lot of old recordings sound
better than today's LPs digitally recorded.

Back to my less-is-better straight-line concept. Surely I won't recommend you to enjoy music using a pre-amp loaded with knobs & buttons, however functional they may be for your work. I would use
a 'straight-line' pre-amp strictly for music listening, & acquire a features-loaded vintage amp, after major sonic upgrading, for dubbing work.

"Simple nothing is always better than inadequate something".

Good listening.

cheap-Jack
Aug 26, 2003.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Polarity and SET Amps... - Todd Krieger 13:24:53 08/17/03 (23)

Re: Polarity and SET Amps... - john curl 13:38:30 08/19/03 (0)

Absolute polarity is neither "positive" nor negative. - clarkjohnsen 07:24:15 08/19/03 (4)

but that's not what he's asking... - Commuteman 09:27:31 08/19/03 (3)

I understand. But still... - clarkjohnsen 07:08:44 08/20/03 (2)

or is that absolute negative polarity....? (nt) - Commuteman 13:41:56 08/20/03 (1)

Too much Absolut, fella! nt - clarkjohnsen 13:47:19 08/20/03 (0)

Re: Polarity and SET Amps... - Thorsten 03:12:36 08/18/03 (16)

Few highend preamps in my experience have invert switches nt - Norm 15:01:37 08/18/03 (15)

While inversion can be done easily on a parafeed tube line stage - Norm 10:08:58 08/19/03 (3)

"The best way to play this unit was to invert at the speakers." NO! - clarkjohnsen 07:45:24 08/20/03 (2)

If you are right about 50/50 - Norm 14:03:46 08/20/03 (1)

You can thank me and Ed both for that switch. nt - clarkjohnsen 12:40:25 08/21/03 (0)

Re:Atma-Sphere has had polarity switch for the last 14 years... nt - Ralph 09:17:39 08/19/03 (0)

I consider two features non-negotiable in a "High End" preamp - polarity and mono switch (nt) - Thorsten 03:51:02 08/19/03 (2)

Agreed - and on the remote please - Metralla 22:54:58 08/19/03 (0)

Quite right! But, bon chance! nt - clarkjohnsen 07:22:18 08/19/03 (0)

Re: Few highend preamps in my experience have invert switches nt - Todd Krieger 22:29:04 08/18/03 (5)

Re: Few highend preamps in my experience have invert switches nt - john curl 13:42:45 08/19/03 (4)

Re: Few highend preamps in my experience have invert switches nt - cheap-Jack 13:04:41 08/20/03 (3)

Re: Few highend preamps in my experience have invert switches nt - markrohr 09:46:21 08/21/03 (2)

Re: Few highend preamps in my experience have invert switches nt - cheap-Jack 11:36:58 08/26/03 (0)

Re: Few highend preamps in my experience have invert switches nt - cheap-Jack 13:58:32 08/25/03 (0)

I must have two of the three then... - rp1@surfnetusa.com 21:08:07 08/18/03 (0)

Follow Ups

Re: Few highend preamps in my experience have invert switches nt - cheap-Jack 11:36:58 08/26/03 (0)

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