Audio misconceptions that stuck with you

[chadnliz]

When recording, don't let the VU meters go into the red area, as that will cause distortion.

I was told that when purchasing my first cassette deck in the 70's. It resulted in a lot of low volume tapes.

Thats correct with a proper explanation and the seller was right
. What they wanted to convey was signal should peak in red zone on your meters but not ride the redline in a constant way. It is going to be distorted if you go too far and for the best sound with cleanest dynamics you want to peak in the red for also a nice level of output.

 

[chadnliz]

I have two:

1) Stacking your LPs ruins them.

2) Letting the stylus run on the final groove wears out your stylus.

Both bogus. Probably both posted before.

Both are true but to a degree,
It is not a good idea to stack your albums, between the outer lip and inner label as you stack more weight on them it will allow a warp to happen and its just not a good idea for serious storage.
Letting the needle run in the end groove isnt harmful within reason but if you fall asleep and let it run for hours on end that cant be good as the needle whips up against the edge over and over.
So again both of these are technically correct with an explanation as to what degree they are talking about.

 

[Grainger49]

Naah! ! !

Chicago Transit Authority is just one of many classic Rock albums that are sided for stacking. I think Tommy is another. A stack of 3 LPs will not rub grooves (you play the inside sides not the tops) and no one I know leaves a stack on the table for a month.

As for the run out groove, it doesn't harm the sylus more than playing does. But it does wear, just not accelerated wear.

 

[chadnliz]

Naah! ! !

Chicago Transit Authority is just one of many classic Rock albums that are sided for stacking. I think Tommy is another. A stack of 3 LPs will not rub grooves (you play the inside sides not the tops) and no one I know leaves a stack on the table for a month.

As for the run out groove, it doesn't harm the sylus more than playing does. But it does wear, just not accelerated wear.

Stacking I thought could mean in storage and thats what I was talking about not playing them on a stacker..............those tables most always suck and no self respecting Audiophile stacks his albums, he gets up, cleans them and puts them away when its finished loading the next for playback.
While I dont think the run out groove causes instant damage I do think as mentioned that its not a good idea to leave it in there spinning away while you are asleep or leave the room. Maybe its not that bad but it sure isnt good.

 

[audiodon]

Another audio misconception:
Only bad loud sound will compromise your hearing.

While it is true that distorted loud music is very unappealing, loud is still loud.

 

[Grainger49]

Another audio misconception:
Only bad loud sound will compromise your hearing.

While it is true that distorted loud music is very unappealing, loud is still loud.

Good point. That is why OSHA requires ear plugs in many industrial areas. Some areas require ear plugs and muffs.

 

[WattUsay]

Thats correct with a proper explanation and the seller was right
. What they wanted to convey was signal should peak in red zone on your meters but not ride the redline in a constant way. It is going to be distorted if you go too far and for the best sound with cleanest dynamics you want to peak in the red for also a nice level of output.

Yes, I learned that after recording many tapes avoiding going into the red at all.

 

[KFCrosby]

Yes, I learned that after recording many tapes avoiding going into the red at all.

Depends on if you're using averaging meters or peak metering.....

 

[audiodon]

Yeah, I try to stay out of going into the red also. :tears:

Oh . . . we're talking VU meters here. Some had peak LEDs. Basically, I pushed them and then listened to playback and figured out where the tape saturation level was. It always depended on the tape formulation.

 

[Mr. Lin]

Yeah, I try to stay out of going into the red also. :tears:

Oh . . . we're talking VU meters here. Some had peak LEDs. Basically, I pushed them and then listened to playback and figured out where the tape saturation level was. It always depended on the tape formulation.

Bingo.

 

[jeremyjustic]

ummm are we forgetting a still common misconception that computer based play back has no place in "high end" audio. I cant even count how many times recently i have heard " you cant get good sound form a computer source"

that being said i am certain that many ready this are now yelling at their computer monitors " THAT'S NOT A MISCONCEPTION!!" thus proving the point.

 

[libertycaps]

"The more you spend the better the sound."

After many years in this hobby, it has been replaces with the following observation:

"Sometimes you have to spend a lot of money only to learn you didn't have to spend a lot of money to get excellent sound."

That's a good one. I'm a staunch "Econophile" myself. Put the extra money where it will do the most good, not on silly stuff. :thmbsp:

 

[Mr. Lin]

ummm are we forgetting a still common misconception that computer based play back has no place in "high end" audio. I cant even count how many times recently i have heard " you cant get good sound form a computer source"

that being said i am certain that many ready this are now yelling at their computer monitors " THAT'S NOT A MISCONCEPTION!!" thus proving the point.

Even though that's not the path I intend to take, it seems to be the direction hi-fi audio is starting to go in, not surprisingly. Consequently there's a boatload of new DACs and "music servers" coming out aimed at the high-end audio consumer. Check out the current issue of TAS. They review the Meridian Sooloos music server (an extreme example at this point in time), and another made by Linn (who has pronounced the CD "dead," and no longer even makes CD players).

So yes, it would definitely be a misconception to say that computer or hard drive-based systems don't have any place in an audiophile system. They just don't have any place in my audiophile system.

 

[YAMAHAULIC]

I was told that the watt rating on the back next to the power chord was the output.
that stuck for a while (age ten or so). Reading spec sheets cured that.

Higher damping facter = better bass. Not as convinced as I was anymore.

lower THD= better sound. I belived that for years , though my favorite sounding amp does have the least:scratch2:

car speakers cannot be used on a home stereo. Most of this was due to the 4 ohm impedence. 'but my CV's and bose are 4 ohm' was my argument.
And to date my Concept CSS 15's car subs are the best bass I have ever heard. Those are in my sound room:thmbsp:

 

[audiodon]

My next media player purchase will be computer based.

 

[jeremyjustic]

computer audio is just too easy, to have a few thousand songs at your finger tips is great! ( if not more! i have a friend with about 300 gigs of music on his ituens, about three years of continuous listening without any repeat songs!!) I am an avid vinyl guy , owning and enjoying vinyl for the last 25 yrs (I'm only 33) I pretty much only listen to my thorens td 160 and my computer. CD player is regulated to the bookshelf ,out of the way and gets very little use. I have a cheap pro-ject external sound card/dac and it sounds pretty good! not as good as the thorens but I am sure a better dac would benefit the system quite well. it really is just too easy. when i really want to "listen" to music i go with vinyl, when i just want to put something on and go about my business then i click on some itunes. is it as good as vinyl , NO, does it sound good, YES!

plus an added bonus. if you want some new music , bring a zipdrive to your Buddy's house and load up on some new tunes for free! ok maybe not the most "honest" way to get music but hey we have all given record companies a lot of money so I dont feel too bad

 

[chefg1]

Ha,ha,ha he still listens to records. now they all ask do you still have you records?

 

[jeremyjustic]

Ha,ha,ha he still listens to records. now they all ask do you still have you records?

dont quite understand this but i have been listening to records for most of my life, I distinctly remember the nuns at my grammar school teaching us how to handle vinyl in the 1st grade, and one of my best friends and I deciding that "old records" were WAY cooler then tapes (pre cd) who knew a couple of kids could be so right! also my aunt had a turntable hanging from her ceiling buy ropes! blew my child mind

 

[bluesky]

A $80 AT cart will work just fine.

Now I have a NOS 1980 Ortofon 'M20FL Super', world of difference in sound quality.

 

[ev13wt]

Vinyl pickup systems and RIAA amps and even cables between the two - that is where "tweaks" actually make audible differences!