[Roger A. Modjeski]

A very intelligent man who happens to be my distributor in all of Northern Europe called today because he wanted to "talk to someone with some sense". After thanking him for the compliment we discussed his impressions of a listening session he had with the Beveridge ESL speakers. We both agreed that they were way ahead of their time being available as early as 1975 where there was no high end audio and companies like Wilson, Infinity, Avalon etc had not raise the bar to what we are now accustomed to today, in fact they didn't exist. I am happy to say that I was there when high-end audio was born.

I recall the 1975 CES in Chicago seeing Jim Bongiorno dressed in yellow head to foot playing 45 RPM M&K jazz records through his Ampzilla and Magnepans. I saw many competent companies who never got to see the light of day due to no reviews or being (unfairly if felt) panned by magazines.

That was the year we opened Audio Art in Richmond VA representing Beveridge, Acoustat, KLH, Polk (they were just out of college as was I) SAE, Magnepan and simple turntables and arms that could be had for less than $500 (TT, arm and cart). Digital audio was a long way away, Nakamichi was king of the cassette (and they deserved every bit of the good reputation they had). We didn't carry the "component of the month", we sold Audio Magazine (Gene Pitts Ed) because it was about the last bastion of truth. We were amused by TAS, The Audio Critic, and several others that came and went including one published by two of our customers.

 In 1978 Stereo Review had the Bev Model 2 on the cover with the caption "worlds most expensive speaker, is it worth it?"  It was a bargain at $5200 and Bev lost money on every pair. What came out of the conversation is what happened, why did other speakers get more sales, what has determined "high end sound". Competing with Bev at the time were the Infinity Reference System, Apogee, Magneplanar Tympani, Fulton and others that are largely forgotten today though Beveridge speakers still have a strong following.

One thing he and I (we are few but not alone) agree on is why do people pay tens of thousands of dollars for speakers, amplifiers, preamps that done perform well. Sadly the magazines have had a lot to do with it.

I have supported Stereophile over the years because, beginning with J Gordon Holt there was a willingness to call a spade a spade. I had the opportunity to give a toast to Holt at RMAF and gave my appreciation for publishing his list of "100 of the worst audio components ever made" The Karlson speaker that my dad had built was among them. I also got to tell a little story about a visit I made to Harry Pearson in the early 80's and his comment upon my departure from Sea Cliff. Leaning over his Corvette he said "Audio is a drug, and I'm the audio pusher". After telling the story I looked around to see if Harry was in the crowd and much to my surprise, he was the next speaker. Not commenting on my story, he, in my hearing, made a rather uncomplimentary toast to the man being honored, noting that they never agreed on anything. I have no doubt that was the truth.

We have a supposed authority who does not measure anything, seems to promote the most expensive and often the most unreliable equipment as if the absolutely best sound is based on price, complexity, tonnage and sketchy designs from uneducated designers. They and others long ago decided to disqualify engineers as being sonically inept and then promoted designers that were (in their ears) capable of good sound but bad engineering (unreliable, noisy, troublesome, equipment).  Clearly, the monkeys are busy at the typewriters but none has yet written Shakespeare. Those of you who have bought their recommendations know the truth after owning them, though not before.

Now we have a number of online magazines that seem to be doing no better. If anyone knows one that makes sense and is reliable let me know. I would love to see one that really gets into the equipment with a competent engineer on staff who even opens stuff up, shakes it around a bit, looks for potential problems. Most important I feel is a set of measurements and an explanation of what they measure made in real-life terms. Granted you can't measure the "sound" of an amplifier but you can measure its noise and give some standards. My success in making some of the lowest noise amps and preamps in the field is made possible because I understand where noise comes from and how to measure it.

Here's another funny story that I don't mind telling because the company (Counterpoint) is long gone, though they left a long trail of bad equipment in my opinion. Shortly after I released the RM-4 headamp Counterpoint released their 4 tube unit, mine having only 2 of the same tube 6DJ8/6922. A few years after that one came across my bench from a customer who was complaining about the noise level. I put in 4 of my best tubes measured the noise and it was some 6 dB higher than my RM-4 and about 9 dB higher than it's own specification. I scratched my head, looked around for other problems and called Michael Elliott to ask him if his published spec was correct and how he had arrived at it. He replied. "I took the spec of your RM-4 and made mine 3 dB better because it should be 3 dB better as it has four tubes vs. your two. That's why I put 4 tubes in there to make it better than yours.  I replied "But its not, how did you confirm it?" He said "I didn't know how to measure the noise but I knew you did so I just took your number and added three dB". I asked him if he wanted to do something about that, he said "no".

Audio has long been a hobbyist field and many hobbyist end up producing something they cooked up over the years. Read Jim White's (Aesthetix) interview on his web site. What bothers me is when a very expensive product gets all dressed up, gets great reviews written by people who mostly judge the gown and not the sound and is flawed by intolerable noise which is barely mentioned something is wrong. If someone is selling a noisy preamp for a $100 it wouldn't be so bad but at $5000 something needs to be said.

In the end the audio junk-pile will tell the tale, for the meantime Audiogon prices are a good gauge of what people think of high dollar, highly touted, disappointing unreliable equipment.

[Ericus Rex]

Have you ever thought of writing a book, Roger?  I would love to read a book on amp design by you that's also filled with anecdotes, personal experienc and history.  I guess part electronics manual, part memoir.  I think that would be a great contribution to the tube cause.  You've proven yourself here and in your very entertaining and informative RM-10 manual to be a captivating writer.

Just thinking out loud....

[rbwalt]

That was very good roger. keep it up. By the looks of what people are buying,selling and making there should be a audio junk-pile here on audio circle also. Roger i continue to love my RM9SE that i got from you.

thanks roger for speaking up.

rob.

[Roger A. Modjeski]

Jim (James) Bongiorno.

Thanks for correct spelling. Jim is one of the more colorful characters in this business and someone I always enjoy seeing. I have great respect for his work and long career in audio. When I get more organized from this move, which seems to go on forever, I will find and post some pictures I have from a party I gave around 1982 called "Triodes and Tri-tips". For those of you outside California, a Tri-tip is a triangular cut of beef we season and throw on the BBQ. As I recall I have a great picture of Jim (also known as "Bogo Jim") using great precision in cutting one up. He is a very lively fellow to have at a party.

[Roger A. Modjeski]

Have you ever thought of writing a book, Roger?  I would love to read a book on amp design by you that's also filled with anecdotes, personal experienc and history.  I guess part electronics manual, part memoir.  I think that would be a great contribution to the tube cause.  You've proven yourself here and in your very entertaining and informative RM-10 manual to be a captivating writer.

Just thinking out loud....

Thanks for the nod. Here is my thinking out loud....

I have thought of it many times and have written a few chapters, some of which have appeared here as lessons and stories. Someday I'll put it all together. The other day I was thinking that I need to write something like "All the things I have learned about audio since I was ten" or something like that.

What I would really love to do is start a magazine that does what I have mentioned in the beginning of this post, to which I have added a few more stories today. I would likely just focus on amplifiers of all sorts as they are my specialty. The main difficulty I see in that is getting the equipment to test. I don't think many manufacturers would be anxious to send it. Of course you guys could.....

I would like the audio public to know that there is some good equipment out there and I would hope that those who make the bad stuff would care enough to improve their equipment if flaws were found. I would only publish test results and the only listening commentary would be based on how those results influenced the sound and reliability of the equipment. For instance if a preamp is noisy I would give the measurements, compare them with other measurements Ive made and let a person know how that would affect his system. One of the problems a lot of you are having is audible noise that has become more apparent as speakers have become more sensitive. I hear about it all the time. I have a customer right now who has gone through hours of trying to quiet his system, first thinking it was his RM-200 but, having used shorting plugs at the input knows the the 200 is dead quiet. I'll put a post up soon about that problem as I think many of you are having it. Things like this would be covered in the magazine.

I happen to have three spiral notebooks I call "Various Amps Tested" which have my notes and measurements of over 150 amplifiers and preamps that have crossed my bench in the past 25 years. Whenever someone brings me an amp to look at or fix I make measurements and take notes. Many of the amps are no longer made yet their company names are both famous and infamous. I call them the good, the bad and the ugly. I wonder if I could sell enough copies at $25 a shot to make it worthwhile putting it together. My handwritten notes would take some time and a lot of explanation to be decipherable by the audio public.

[bummrush]

Youre an expert no doubt also I sure as he'll am not on especially tech stuff $25 he'll yes I'd pay

[rbwalt]

i would pay 25$.

r.

[rollo]

  Write the book Roger I'm in. It's even time for a new magazine. The real hobby not the component of the day. It would be refreshing and well received. Tube talk, synergy, DIY, think pieces, tech talk, measurements, etc. Would even consider a sponsorship.



charles

[rbwalt]

roger have you checked out soundstagenetwork?

The only internet review mag that does measurements:

http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17&Itemid=19
http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=18


r.

[Roger A. Modjeski]

roger have you checked out soundstagenetwork?

The only internet review mag that does measurements:

http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17&Itemid=19
http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=18

r.

Rob,

Thanks for the link, I was unaware. Bascom King is a local friend. I'll give him a call and learn more about what they are doing. I read two of his tests (atmasphere and belles) and I would do it differently.

My question for the group is how useful is the information given. There is very little mentioned about things to look out for, once again it's all positive stuff and the negatives are not stressed.  I do respect Ralph's work on the Atmasphere designs but I think it should be pointed out that 2 mV of output hum is going to quite noticeable on any sensitive speaker and that the low damping factor will certainly influence the frequency response of speakers that have very wide impedance swings.

I once measured an amplifier with a similar damping factor (about 1) connected to a Quad 63. There was tons of one note (50 Hz) bass, no highs and the speaker certainly did not sound like itself. I measured the drive at the speaker terminals and found it was up 8  dB at 50 Hz and down 12 dB above 8 KHz. That's the kind of stuff people need to know. I would put that in the text as I don't expect the average reader to be able to determine that for himself.

[Roger A. Modjeski]

  Write the book Roger I'm in. It's even time for a new magazine. The real hobby not the component of the day. It would be refreshing and well received. Tube talk, synergy, DIY, think pieces, tech talk, measurements, etc. Would even consider a sponsorship.



charles

Charles,

What kind of sponsorship?

It would likely be an online magazine and there would be need of help in the setting up of the pages, web maintenance, etc. I would do the tests and write up my findings and email them to the appropriate person. I could see starting with one or two a month plus some of my findings on the classic pieces like Marantz, Fisher, HK Citation, Dynaco. I know a lot about the good and bad aspects of those quite well and I sure we could rattle some cages among the forums who worship those amps. I already have rattled the Dyna Stereo 35 people with my RM-10 which they discuss as "impossible to get 35 watts", "he must be burning up the tubes", etc.

[chrisby]

Roger - could you check your gmail account

[JohnR]

It would likely be an online magazine and there would be need of help in the setting up of the pages, web maintenance, etc.

You could use HifiZine - then the hard part's already done for you

[DustyC]

What's really a shame is it seems like BOTH the well built and carefully engineered products that do well on the test bench and the stuff that is crafted with no idea as to the design or principles of circuits, get rave reviews! 
Back in the 70's and 80's HP lambasted the idea that a amp with good specs could sound good, thus laying the groundwork for the subjective review.
All things being equal, I'll take an amp that's designed correctly and well built.

[Roger A. Modjeski]

For members who are contacting me via ramtubes@gmail.com. Please put "audiocircle member" first in the subject line.

[Ericus Rex]

I'm in for the book!

[Scottdazzle]

I'd buy the book, too!  I love my RM-200.

[pubul57]

$27.50

[DARTH AUDIO]

Youre an expert no doubt also I sure as he'll am not on especially tech stuff $25 he'll yes I'd pay

WHAT??

[Ericus Rex]

Just smile and nod, Darth.