Automotive Analogies

[Archguy]

I don't give better compliments than this.

Well okay then! I just had two impressions of my own when reading your posts. One, cars like Nissans and Mitsubishi Colts are very pedestrian, and even the Lexus LS has a lukewarm 'lack of edge' to it, which I don't associate with Accuphase. But who knows. They're only analogies, no one said they had to be perfect.

I've had Japanese cars too and yes, they never had any issues that I can recall. BUT, I never fell in love with one either, while I can most definitely fall in love with half a dozen Japanese audio brands. And have. OTOH again, there are a few Japanese cars from before my time that I could definitely fall in love with...

 

[John James]

^ ^ ^

Three great cars.

 

[john111/LZ]

Well i started off with a morris minor,fiat 126 and a citroen 2CV-now ive got a red badge Bentley ie Tannoy dual concentrics and Audion amplification.Happiness is a warm driver......

 

[bhunter]

The high end from Japan: 1967 Toyota 2000GT.

My favorite Japanese Car:



And the special production convertible used in the movie:

 

[maxhifi]

Some More literal analogies

Compare power to weight ratio of a car, to speaker efficiency.

Compare a transmission to an output transformer.

Compare basic car maintenance like changing belts and giving a tune up, to replacing spent caps in an amp

As for Japanese cars, I think it's an age/generation thing. I grew up with Japanese cars, learned how to drive in one, and have had them to pieces and back together. As such I can't share the opinion that they have no soul.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

The high end from Japan: 1967 Toyota 2000GT.

My favorite Japanese Car:

View attachment 990755 View attachment 990756

And the special production convertible used in the movie:

View attachment 990757

Fun toys, but useless for me as A: I can't drive over 98% of such vehicles and B: I can't fit in one, and C: No room for my wheelchair either. Sports cars are fun, but for many not practical or useful. Nice cars however. For me, sporty is doable at Celica Liftback or 280 Z 2 + 2 level.

 

[john111/LZ]

Dont think anyones made a sports car lovelier than the Jaguar E-type....

 

[toddalin]

Low-end receivers are mini-vans. High end receivers as SUVs. They try to be all things to all people, with price, features, styling, and build quality determining their position.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Don't insult the minivan. Mech986 and I love the independence and freedom adapted ones can bring a family. They mean more to us than any Sports Car or SUV (though for me there is SandyG's Mighty Valdez and the rest are poseurs). If something happens where you lose the use of your legs (and I don't wish this on anyone) you might be relying on one. One man's boring is another man's independence, and his speaker hauler. My Ford Station Wagon is like that minivan. It lets me get out and enjoy my world, access it, and I don't have to deal with difficult transfers with legs stiff as lead, and I have enough energy I can enjoy life. It's not just a vehicle, it is my independence. It helps me conquer space, and terrain, and gets me to what I love most in life, good people, good times, good audio. And sports and recreation and work, and so much more.

 

[Archguy]

Okay, I now definitely accept that McIntosh isn't the RR of audio. In fact, there's really no close automotive analogy.

Meanwhile, I did think of yet another analogy which isn't Mac-specific: Resale considerations.

I never, ever use the sunroof in my cars. I'd be happy to buy a car without one. But they're very hard to sell.
Similarly, even though I'm happy with manual transmissions, they're hard to sell on to the next buyer.
This is also becoming true with certain advanced safety features.

The analogy? I don't listen to vinyl and I don't use headphones--ever. But woe unto you if you're trying to sell a high-dollar amplifier without those provisions! The market seems to shrink very fast all of a sudden.

Ugh...every time I see an old Mac thread I'm reminded of how I came into the market at the wrong time.
The very same components are selling for 20-40% more than they did just a few years ago.

 

[Balifly]

Luxman - Honda Civic 5 speed.

Will get you there and back.

 

[twiiii]

The greatest thing that could happen to Mercedes is that they could make their cars as service free as a Mcintosh. My extended family has owned 100's of cars and nothing American made comes close to a Mac. Maybe some of the old Mercedes 190 diesels might be considered as dependable. Maybe there is a Diesel truck that can go a Million miles without a major engine failure, but you are going to need tires, brakes rebuilt etc etc. Klipsch , Bozak, Altec and JBL made some speakers that have lasted as long as Mac electronics, ut their crossovers need to be rebuilt. Just like Mac amps power supplies.

My Dodge diesel will be 20 years old in a couple of years and the only issue I have had besides tires, is the clock spring in the steering wheel for the horn had to be replaced as part of a recall when the truck was about 3 months old and the dash needing replacing do to sun exposure.

 

[CruzBay]

I've always used simple automotive terms to describe amplifier classes of operation.

The power developed by the amplifier is considered to be the speed the car is going, ie. 20 mph=20 watts.

Class B; you step on the gas pedal, the car goes whatever speed (wattage) you select. You let off the gas and the car stops. You only use fuel (electricity) when you're running the car, minus a small amount to keep the engine running when stopped. Very efficient. Car jerks a bit starting and stopping.

Class AB; your car jerks starting and stopping, so you have a mechanic turn the idle on the engine up so the car will travel on its own to about 5 mph. You pull the parking brake so the car won't travel when you're not pressing the accelerator pedal. The engine is developing heat and power commensurate with traveling at 5 mph, and consuming that amount of fuel (electricity); but you're not moving. You step on the gas pedal to get to 20 watts, (20 MPH) and you let of for silence (you're stopped). Not too bad for efficiency, good for lowered distortion (compared to Class B). No jerky stops or starts, because the car is tricked into thinking it's moving a bit while it's really stopped.

(This is where it gets fun)

Class A; you have placed a slag lintel on the accelerator pedal. There is another on the brake pedal. If you need 20 mph from the car (20 watts in my analogy) you'll gently lift the weight from the brake pedal until the car gets to 20 mph. To stop, you'll drop the weight back on the brakes.

The engine is always developing full power, and you're burning fuel at a rate to make the space shuttle envious. The radiator (heat sinks) have to be sized that the engine can continue like this for some time, making class A operation very costly to support for power amps, doable for preamps.

This thread (http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=231514) has some good discussion on amplifier classes of operation, my post is a cut/paste from there.

To go further, versus efficiency: class B is running the A/C with the windows shut, class AB is running the A/C with the vent windows open, class A is the A/C with the windows open, and convertible top down.

 

[beanoil]

My first experience with a computer taking a car down was a GMC Envoy. I think 7 different modules on the can bus. My old Volkswagon had one purpose, point a-b, no frills. Drove a 67 Camaro once with a 454 and Muncie rockcrusher. Couldn't use even 1/4 the power available, and was up in smoke at every throttle punch. A friend had a big Mercury land yacht, a Grand Marquis. Smooth, powerful, a floating pillow.
At home, it's Envoy>Volkswagon>Camaro>Grand Marquis in the audio chain. HP Computer>Schiit Modi>Kenwood>Klipsch.
I guess I'd have to say Pioneer is the Toyota line. Everyone had one, they were reliable, some caused a little excitement, some downright sexy, many were just solid basic transportation for audio signals.

 

[gtv2000]

Then my Heathkits are kit cars?

 

[twiiii]

I don't agree, But I get where you are coming from in your analogy. Try to describe sound. Its a part your trying to relate to a car. You can't touch it, taste it, smell it, see it and only rarely feel it. Yet, it can bring you pain, pleasure, force you to want to escape or scare the hell out of you sometimes are some of its qualities. To see it we draw graphs, compare it to ripples on calm waters or maybe ripples on a balloon of various shapes as it expands or contracts. We give sound weight, density, color, and any manner of description all in attempt to convey what type of sound it might be. Relating it to a car is so restrictive. We relate sound to all the other senses.

As a sound system recreates sound then the best descriptions are how it relates to the other senses. Its a more descriptive and broader more accurate description with less room for debate. We hope anyway. The automobile is easy to describe, the production of sound it not so easy. Especially in describing all facets of how the sound is originally created, captured, held in suspension, and then brought back into a facsimile of the original creation. Its is a creation story and we know how complicated and debate-able those can be. Yes sound can be a religion to some, a spiritual experience. I guess a car can be, too. I have almost been scared to death a few times in one. And enjoyed a few moments of bliss, too. My sound system gives me many more hours of pleasure while I'm at rest. A car can transports me to new adventures, but I am forced to be a participant, a sound system I can be physically at rest and let my mind be transported to any place my imagination will carry me. Try that in a car and you end up in a different dimension from which you cannot return.

I do get off the subject at hand. I guess I should relent and say your analogy is valid. Its just to limiting for me. Its like using arithmetic trying to describe a curve when forms of calculus only approximate the beautiful ever changing curve we see.

 

[Justgotohm]

Cerwin Vega = Ford F-150 easy to find, does it all, cheaply, for the masses.
Advent, KLH, AR, Cambridge Soundworks = Saab, it was really good in its own way and now dead.
JBL = hard to classify but I would think GM division as a whole, some really really nice pieces both new and old, some stand the test of time, to absolute junk.
Bose = most 70's muscle cars. The majority of the population see it as fast and super awesome, in stock form most are slower than a Honda Accord V6 and handle like crap, nice lines, horrible build quality, names that have been rebadged over and over again, still synonymous with the original products, command a high price for realitive lack luster performance.
Pioneer SX = Jeep CJ, not the cheapest when new but built well and always fun, lots of options, super reliable, look for a used one to relive some memories and end up staring at listings thinking (WTF people pay that). Can come across a good one cheap if you look hard enough.

 

[mikeybc]

McIntosh is not Cadillac. Cadillac has changed too many times along the way since 1969, first badge engineered GM land yacht, then since 1992 wanting to be a different kind of American Luxury, now they want to be BMW. McIntosh's basic philosophy hasn't changed. Cadillac has several times in my lifetime.

Maybe more like Buick...

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Buick's changed too much likewise. Think Bentley or Rolls-Royce.

 

[Justgotohm]

Maybe Mac isn't exclusive enough to be a Rolls, it's high quality, sought after both new and old but not uncommon. It's very expensive new, attainable used by most who appreciate it but still cost a lot to have repaired by qualified techs. I'm thinking a 7 series BMW. The higher end pieces being early 745's, newer being Alpina B7's.