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What really matters?
It can often be difficult to figure out which specs matter. Lower distortion is always a good thing unless it is at the expense of something else. High bandwidth is certainly...
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Stepping stones
Just because something is different doesn't mean it's better. Back when I was a kid my parents, who considered themselves progressives, had read a new book on child rearing by...
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Taking for granted
In yesterday's post, Changes, I made a remarkable mistake. I wrote that we have pretty much moved on from physical media and have only the smallest collection of SACD and...
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Changes
While wandering around our local Target store I was struck by the complete elimination of the DVD Blu-Ray movie section. Vanished. Gone. Upon further examination even the little aisle they once...
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The Audiophile spark
How many audiophiles does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Just one—but they'll spend hours debating whether the light output has the proper "warmth" and "presence," and they'll insist...
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Defining moments
A defining moment is when something happens or is observed that changes your worldview. It could be as simple as noticing your car automatically goes into park if you unbuckle your seatbelt...
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Part two of letting go
In yesterday's post I wrote about the difficulty of letting go, of ignoring sunk costs and moving forward. Perhaps an even more difficult decision is this next one. Letting Octave...
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Letting go
It's difficult to let things go. Things close to you. But often it's remembering that money, time and heart invested in a project or a piece of gear happened in the past—sunk...
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The big disconnect
When I was growing up our automobiles were connected directly to us and the road. Even fancy cars with this new fangled feature called "power steering" were still connected, just...
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Playing your hand
Pull a Kleenex tissue out of the box and, like magic, the next one pops up. Of course the magic trick is simple. By interfolding the tissues, as you pull...
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Plans
Most of us don't start out with a thought out plan of action when it comes to assembling a high-end audio system. Instead, we might start with a hazy notion...
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Secondary benefits
One way to lower blood pressure is to spend time in a sauna. Now, one might conclude the reason for lower blood pressure is the relaxing nature of a sauna,...
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The wonders of progress
Not that long ago, if you wanted to watch a movie at home, you’d have to dust off a DVD, pop it into a player, and wait as the disc...
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Old fears
I receive a lot of questions from people. What's great about that is how much each question educates me. Take for example this one:"Is it really the case that the...
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Don't look in the mirror
What do they say about aging? "Beats the alternative." The only reminder I get that I’m aging is when I catch my reflection in the mirror. From the inside, everything...
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It's all relative
My friend Gary wrote the following to me: "When Edison introduced his first disc records and phonograph in 1912 - the Edison Diamond Disc - he conducted Edison Tone Tests around...
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PVC mystery
If you take a digital audio file and transfer it over to Poly Vinyl Chloride, it takes on a certain magic. Is it the grooves in the record? The cartridge...
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It shouldn't work
For a few hours each morning I am writing a new Audiophile's Guide series. My plan is to complete 9 full books to make a set that will cover the entire...
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The finer details
One of the reasons why I write this daily post is to try and help the members of our community gain an understanding of a complicated subject. On the surface, stepping...
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Arte TV
Terri and I do not watch much television. Too much violence or depressing stuff for the most part. If it's not on Disney we'll typically do something else in the...
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