Enter The Boogieman! - February 2023

I hope you caught my play on words. The correct spelling is Boogeyman but since we deal with both music and video, it seemed right.

Before I go any further, I want to state something very clearly: There is no such thing as an audio or video emergency. Nothing is life threatening nor should it trigger anger which, unfortunately, gets leveled on us all too often. Trust me, it does not help you at all. It doesn't help anyone else either. As my wife now has a heart transplant and nearly died 6 times, trust me, I know what life threatening means and it does not include audio or video. Not even close.

So, what's up? Well, whether we like it or not, most of the products we now own are, one way or another, controlled by software. Unlike the early days, many products can take on both software and firmware upgrades. Our first mutual experience was with our cars. Yes, it can be very frustrating and I have experienced that with my two vehicles. I don't know what vehicle I am getting back once they have them. With my truck, I have lost both power and mileage for goals never explained. With my car, well, the bluetooth went from great to terrible and my driver's window works randomly. Oh, I can factory reset that but you get my drift. But maddening is not life threatening. PITA Moments: Pain in the Ass. I'll say it now: We didn't do it and sometimes we don't even know when they do it.

The same now holds true with many electronics. You can have "upgrades" that brick (lock up) the device and make it useless. We have seen this with Bluesound, Control 4, and Sonos making them completely useless. We have also seen "upgrades" play havoc on televisions with unannounced features being added like auto brightness to room light. That got us a dozen calls from people thinking their set was failing. I'll say it here: We didn't do it and sometimes we don't even know when they do it until the phones light up.

Now, many people rely on a feature called "automatic update" or something similar much like what you may have on your computer. While this can get you the latest and greatest (I say with a word of caution), it can come with a price. Certainly computer upgrades can come with all sorts of nasty surprises for either Windows or Apple. The same is true for audio and video products. In that regard, you may want to seriously consider turning off that automatic feature so that you have the opportunity to search the web for problems before you download it onto yourself. Sometimes, you don't have a choice about upgrading firmware or software and it becomes a forced march but at least you get to choose when and what will happen. They even might have a revision to fix what they did so you don't download the mess. Again, I will say it: We didn't do it and we don't know when they will do it. You, however, can.

Then, there's another issue that has struck numerous customers. Their network is deficient. This can be caused by poor service, modems, routers, wiring, or even poor electric. This is very common today and we have had to do quite a few network systems. It's not dial-up AOL anymore, folks. There can also be communication issues with certain pieces. Of course, all along, you better have your passwords ready. We have also seen where installation companies do not give that to the owners which makes it impossible for either the owner or another company to effect changes. Most sincerely, if we didn't build your network, that can be the real issue and yet again "It's not our fault." Old modems and routers, those good ole friends that still work, can also be a problem. They get outdated too.

Then, there's power. The greatest fear in doing any "upgrade" is the loss of power while it is being performed. Sometimes, the loss of power can create an irreversible disaster. It is case by case. This is the risk of not controlling when an upgrade is done. This is where having an uninterrupted power supply, a battery backup, can become crucial. Battery backup for modems and routers is the first target. Then, something for the item actually being "upgraded." We have a couple of pieces in the store that got caught in the middle of an upgrade and they make great door stoppers. And, yet still again, it's not our fault if you do automatic upgrades without being sure you system will have the proper power to complete it. So, as we head towards spring and all those lovely storms, think about where you are now and where you want to be and plan for it.

Meanwhile, if you do have a problem, handle it as coolly as Jim Lovel in the movie Apollo 13 with "Houston, we have a problem". Don't be like the control room going into a panic when the shit hits the fan. One thing at a time and let's work the problem together.

And now, Boogie on!

Lou

Perfect Sound Forever (Again) - January 2023

I would like to wander into the world many of you are considering: Streaming.

Hold onto your hats and open your ears. This all began after I visited the owner of another dealer who is out of state. He presented to me his best system using both Audio Research and Wilson Speakers using exceptional cables. When he streamed what he wanted to play, it was truly excellent. However, things went quickly amiss when Debbie and I started to choose the music we wanted to hear. Dreadful, actually. I do not fault either the dealer or the equipment.

I have done multiple comparisons with my LPs (original pressings) in the store with what is available via streaming. I have been investigating this and repeatedly found the LP far more musically satisfying. I proceeded to purchase a personal favorite rock album from the 70s, a new reissue, to provide further demonstration material to drive this point home after hearing how terrible this had sounded on the other dealers system. Much to my staff's horror, the reissue LP sounded absolutely dreadful and was easily crushed by the Bel Canto streamer.

It was at this point that I realized that it wasn't so much the format used, as it was that the quality of the source, the music itself, was the answer. Much like when CDs first came out, they did not bother to go to the original master but rather grabbed any version, however many generations later, to make the product. Some of you may recall the early days of photocopiers and what happened 6 or 7 generations later. Same thing. So, in the case of my LP, it was the exact same problem: some miserable digital remaster of lord knows what generation copy. I now have a 1975 pressing in bound to show that not all is happy in LP land either.

I think, as well, that there are fundamental differences between our interactions with the music itself. Without question, the use of LPs requires a decision, an intent, to sit down and enjoy it much like a fine meal. The blind assumption given to streaming is that the meal presented is equally so. Like meals, we have come to learn there can be quite a difference between restaurants. Convenience does not always satisfy. It may be a trade-off you are willing to accept and I have no problem with that as long as it is an informed choice. It’s sorta like cutting the air conditioning belt on a car. Yep, better mileage and pep as long as you are willing to sweat.

Marketing is also a funny thing as CDs were marketed for years as "perfect sound forever." Well, they were not perfect and I also have plenty of examples of CD rot (the deterioration of the metal). So, here we go again and now it's hard to find a nice player for those CDs. We are doing what we can.

There's not much point in arguing this and we have chosen to merely present the reality of the formats and if they insist on demonstrations only by streaming, then they need to be made aware that depending upon their choices, the better the system the poorer results may and will likely occur. As for many other stores, who rely solely on streaming, I consider them to be lazy and that you, the buyer, are not likely being given proper demonstrations nor do they either care or know. The truth be told, the better the system, the worse it will either sound or leave you pondering why should I spend that sort of money. I TOTALLY AGREE. If only steaming is available, everyone may become a victim of what I call electronic scoliosis (everyone hunched over a phone or tablet) served on a dish of mediocrity. Don’t get me wrong, there is some excellent streaming available but is what you want streamed any good? Oddly enough, were are now challenged with the old two source rule which use to be used in reporting.

So don’t be surprised if Audible Elegance simply takes a few moments to alert you to this situation as you try to make an intelligent investment in your life and home. Rarely do the educated take the easy and simple path. It's our lot in life to understand and, if possible, to teach others.

And so it goes, again.

Lou

The Dark Art Of Power Cords - December 2022

This month I am going to venture into one of the dark arts of audio and video: Power Cords. Like interconnects and speaker cables, there are as many naysayers as there are believers. But, power cords remain the most mysterious of them all. For the record, I do believe cords, power, speaker, and interconnects do make a difference. The question is does it make it better?

Over my 50 years of playing with audio and video, only power cords continue to remain the difficult one to predict. Two of my friends in the industry, Frank Culmoni and Mike Moffat of both California Audio Labs and Theta Digital (Mike now does Schitt Audio), have played with power cords. Frank has a double engineering degree from MIT so most likely to understand what they do. His conclusion was, ultimately, yes they do make a difference and he has no understanding why they have such a sonic impact in musicality, spatial, or otherwise. Some were, at the other end of the spectrum, completely undesirable on all counts. This has lead many manufacturers to use some basic power cord (for both cost and political reasons) as well as controversy with customers.

One of my early experiences in trying to understand them came from Bryston Electronics. They chose a heavy cord but one that was also shielded as designated on the cable with the letters SJT. It was their thought that if there was any sonic difference, it was not the power cord itself causing it but rather the leakage of RF from the power cord into nearby interconnects. It made a lot of sense and remains the most logically accurate answer.

However, as years went on, I began to play with power cords from all sorts of manufacturers and some even home brewed. Like Frank and Mike, I began to experience that each cable was capable of having all sorts of effects, some very desirable, some not so much. In addition, there were cases where the stock power cord supplied by the manufacturer was, in fact, the best of all. Likewise, the price of the power cord provided no practical guide into the results. Thus, cheap ones could perform as well or better than expensive ones and visa versa.

Likewise, what may deliver desired results on a preamp failed miserably on a power amplifier, what worked on a power amplifier was a disaster on a subwoofer and the list goes on and on. Even more confusing was the influence of a combination of them within a system and, again, I really don’t know why. So, where does this leave this mysterious subject?

Simple: Experimentation within your own system. To that end, Audible Elegance has loaner power cords for you to try, if you so wish. We have a limited number of them so be patient if you need to wait your turn. Straight Wire has two versions, actually. One more stranded than the other. The less stranded one is targeted towards items that draw a heavy amount of current. Wireworld and Cardas also produce a range of power chords as well and we have a few of them about. We do require a pre-authorization on your credit card for both our protection and that the borrower is encouraged to do the testing promptly and not become a forgotten item on a shelf. Others are waiting to try them too.

In a nutshell, no, I don’t promote one brand over another. No, I don’t believe one company holds the magic answer either which are words they don’t like to hear but, it’s the truth. Can power cords make a difference? Absolutely. In some cases through experience, we can be pretty accurate in a recommendation if we have had the chance to play with the product combination multiple times with the same results. But across the industry? No way. Even then, there can be cases where what you receive as electric for your house could affect the results. Maddening, isn’t it?

So, if you want to see what they can do for you (or to you) it is best to borrow them first from whoever or wherever you live. If they make the effort to loan you some, then please reward them with the purchase if you like them. These are the people who care about you and the results. Mail order houses are nothing more than McDonalds in that regard. Give me your card, here’s your stuff, and you have so many days to return it. After that, we don’t care.

Happy Listening as always.

-Lou