Transformer Va.

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Geoff.R.G
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Re: Transformer Va.

Unread post by Geoff.R.G »

Stemcor1990 wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 6:54 pm I lost my NVA virginity to a Phono 1. Since then I’ve had a Phono 2, a Phono 2 with twin psus, a Phono 2 with a bbpsu and I bought a second bbpsu to get to a Phono 3. Unfortunately Richard passed away before the conversion could be done.

At every upgrade the music sounded more like people playing musical instruments. My understanding is that the phono circuit is the same in a P1 and P2 and a few tweaks for the P3.

If the increased power supply is beneficial to reproduction then I would argue that we do not have a full understanding of the circuit and/or the environment it is used in. To my mind, there are too many variables. This opens the door to the subjective v objective arguments but to be objective you do need to fully understand what is going on. I’m not having a pop at anybody here but I would trust my ears over any other argument. After all, it’s me who has to live with it !
If I may, the problem with the objectivist approach is that it insists on measurement without knowing how they relate to what we hear. So it is, supposedly, ideal if a speaker has a flat frequency response. How does the frequency response of a speaker relate to a musical sounding output? Simply, we just don't know.

I have to agree with your last paragraph, we simply don't know enough about what is happening in the circuit, or the power supply, in terms of what affects the sound quality. Much of our technological progress has been achieved by people trying things, finding that they work and then trying to find out why. I think that is where we are with the phono stage and power supplies.

Stemcor1990
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Re: Transformer Va.

Unread post by Stemcor1990 »

Geoff,

I think that the first paragraph of your response sums up my view of objectivism. I can see the temptation to be an objectivist but to my mind it ultimately does not make sense. Perhaps one day in the future when we have a greater understanding……

Geoff.R.G
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Re: Transformer Va.

Unread post by Geoff.R.G »

Stemcor1990 wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:32 pm Geoff,

I think that the first paragraph of your response sums up my view of objectivism. I can see the temptation to be an objectivist but to my mind it ultimately does not make sense. Perhaps one day in the future when we have a greater understanding……
Thinking about it, I can see why it might be assumed that a flat frequency response might be considered appropriate. If the device responds equally to all frequencies it might be assumed that it is not unduly influencing any one of them. Whether this results in a completely accurate representation of the input may be open to speculation. Essentially all we do know is that what measures well doesn't necessarily sound good.

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