On Dec 20, 10:16*pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 03:08:03 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"





wrote:
"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
news

The "plain box" you described came in a wide variety of quality levels..
Some of the variations in sound imaging involved the exact type of
components used, how they were placed relative to the box edge, etc.
There were and still are "box" speakers that will create a remarkably
interesting audio image. The problem with 901s was that they tended to
create an image which in no way represented what you'd hear at a live
performance, unless the musicians were arranged in a circle around you..
Messy, in other words.

First, a disclaimer. *I am not claiming that Bose 901s are audiophile
level speakers or even close.
My point was that the direct/reflecting concept and the use of multiple,
small drivers was a very different approach to sound duplication in an age
dominated by big, heavy (often sand filled) cabinets, drivers with rigid
cones and surrounds and relatively small or weak voice coil magnets.
Remember ... this was 1968.

Second point ... a box speaker cannot, by itself, accurately reproduce the
sound stage image of a live performance. *All the sound (per channel) is
emitted from a single point source. *They depend on proper mixing and
manipulation of the recording to create a sound stage image, but still
lack backside reflections that would normally occur in a live performance.
Bob Carver even developed a "holographic" processor in some of his amps to
address this and give the speakers a sound stage with a 3 dimensional
image, when properly set up.

Carver's idea was meant to sell his electronics to people with
less-than-decent speakers. It worked. As far as the sound image, though, I
suspect you've never sat very long in front of top of the line Kefs or B&O
speakers. Matter of fact, even in1968, the simplest AR acoustic suspension
speakers could create a pretty remarkable image, if fed a decent signal.
Remember the first & second Blood, Sweat & Tears albums, where somebody
actually cared about the production?

Piffle.

The only speakers worthy of the name are Bozak Concert Grands.

Any other speaker is merely a speaker.

PS: *Yes Bassy, I own four of these little beasties. *:)

PPS: *Analog rules - digital drools!!

PPPS: *Yes Bassy, my personal office stereo system is analog. *:)

PPPPS: *With tubes.

PPPPPS: Which glow in the dark.

PPPPPPS: And transformers - real transformers that weigh a ton.

PPPPPPPS: Ok, maybe not a ton, but a lot.

PPPPPPPPS: *In my opinion, the only true way to test a stereo system
is Derek and the Dominos "Layla" played at 11.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

"PPS: Analog rules - digital drools!!"

Digitial is the only way to store music. No one stores music any
other way these days. Unless you're not using cd's you have digital
music. Professionals are running digital as far as possible before
converting to analog.

"PPPPPPS: And transformers - real transformers that weigh a ton"

And there's what is wrong with tube amps. Tubes are fundamentally
voltage amplifiers while speakers are current devices. To solve this
mismatch any tube amp has to have a big honking transformer in between
the output circuit and the speaker. Problem is that designing a
transformer to work invisibly from 20hz to 20khz is not so easy. In
fact getting 20hz through a transformer at all is pretty difficult.
Power transistors are current amplifiers. The transistor can be
hooked straight to the speaker. An ab amp with transistors is
practically identical to the tube version except no output
transformer. This opens up the power range. Building a 200 rms watt
ab amp is trivial with transistors, impractical with tubes. That
means the transistors have more head room as well as placing normal
operating range much farther down their power curve.