A standby switch supposedly enables heaters to run [often at a lower voltage] while the ht is switched off so that everything is warmed up ready for the ht to be applied. When ht is in fact switched in, you can get a lot of noise as all the voltages set themselves up very quickly

Continue reading The trend for Standby and Triode/Ultralinear switches on `modern` valve amps …

The advice to leave hi-fi systems on 24/7 is ill-advised because components such as capacitors have a finite life; as little as 10,000 hours!

Not to mention the environmental issues.

Anything that is well designed should reach near optimum performance within half an hour.

Since the birth of CD it seems that there have been moves to justify its sound; emphasized two-dimensional leading edges, attack and dynamics achieved through forwardness and a lack of body.

In demonstrations, this type of sound initially impresses many customers because there is a feeling of more detail achieved by means of a stark, spotlit

Continue reading Negative Colouration …