What I've learned today

[Serial_Apologist]

A-hem, getting a bit close to the border there LMcD!

I'm in stitches...

[Bryn]

There's usually a snag in these cases.

Sausages.

[Joseph K]

Quite. It's a defining feature of jazz in fact, I would say. (Do you know Gunther Schuller's book Early Jazz by the way? It was a revelation to me.)

Agreed and no - thanks for the recommendation.

[rauschwerk]

In my search for greater knowledge and attenuation, I found a definition/explanation of 'preamp attenuation', but I'm afraid it made no sense to me after several readings. Never mind ... the search continues.

I think it's a technical term for 'turning the wick down'.

[Bryn]

I think it's a technical term for 'turning the wick down'.

Heh, heh. Just a touch more to it, I think, https://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/...p_attenuation/

[Serial_Apologist]

Heh, heh. Just a touch more to it, I think, https://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/...p_attenuation/

So, attenuation isn't turning up for something.

[rauschwerk]

Heh, heh. Just a touch more to it, I think, https://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/...p_attenuation/

That's crystal clear to me, thanks, though how it can help with the sound from a digital source recorded at a high level reminains a mystery to me, I fear.

[Bryn]

So, attenuation isn't turning up for something.

[Dave2002]

A-hem, getting a bit close to the border there LMcD!

I see some people are cottoning on to this colourful thread.

[Dave2002]

That's crystal clear to me, thanks, though how it can help with the sound from a digital source recorded at a high level reminains a mystery to me, I fear.

I'm not quite sure of the context of these posts, but some attenuation between separate units in a system can reduce distortion on occasions by avoiding input overload distortion. That can be a problem when feeding the output of one amp (pre-amp) to the input of another. There can be clipping on inputs as well as outputs - neither are desirable.

[jayne lee wilson]

That's crystal clear to me, thanks, though how it can help with the sound from a digital source recorded at a high level reminains a mystery to me, I fear.

When CD first appeared, the high output (usually around 2V) was several times above that of a typical Cassette Deck or FM Tuner. So especially with a high input sensitivity on the amp (300 mv or less), the range of usable volume on a typical British Integrated of the time was very limited. In other words, way too loud before the volume was at 10 o’clock. These amps were no power stations - about 40-60w per channel, but crucially had limited dynamic headroom - the ability to cope cleanly and smoothly with big climaxes.

Result - harsh sound off of CD (due to its dynamic range) and a misjudgement of the medium itself, or at least its potential.
Accessories Companies, never slow to spot the chance to make a quick buck, began offering attenuating plugs, fitted inline between the interconnect and the amp input, with a choice of differing levels of attenuation according to your amp specs and personal preferences. Being inline, some audiophiles felt that resolution suffered to some extent, but this depended as ever on the quality of the design. For some listeners it was revelatory - they could enjoy CD at last!

An amusing ad (Rothwell - still in the HiFiNews classified) shows a volume control with “loud” (at about 8 o’clock) “too loud" (at about 9 o’clock); “way too loud” (at 10 o’clock). Which it often really was…so simply reducing volume level couldn’t really work.
Latterly, amps tend to be designed with much more power in reserve, sometimes with lowered CD input sensitivity, but it can still be a problem especially for much-loved older amps, and attenuators remain on the market. But quality - transparency to the signal - is crucial.

[Pulcinella]

I started to work my way through the new postings on this thread, but I'm afraid that my attenuation span isn't what it used to be, so I gave up.

[Ein Heldenleben]

When CD first appeared, the high output (usually around 2V) was several times above that of a typical Cassette Deck or FM Tuner. So especially with a high input sensitivity on the amp (300 mv or less), the range of usable volume on a typical British Integrated of the time was very limited. In other words, way too loud before the volume was at 10 o’clock. These amps were no power stations - about 40-60w per channel, but crucially had limited dynamic headroom - the ability to cope cleanly and smoothly with big climaxes.

Result - harsh sound off of CD (due to its dynamic range) and a misjudgement of the medium itself, or at least its potential.
Accessories Companies, never slow to spot the chance to make a quick buck, began offering attenuating plugs, fitted inline between the interconnect and the amp input, with a choice of differing levels of attenuation according to your amp specs and personal preferences. Being inline, some audiophiles felt that resolution suffered to some extent, but this depended as ever on the quality of the design. For some listeners it was revelatory - they could enjoy CD at last!

An amusing ad (Rothwell - still in the HiFiNews classified) shows a volume control with “loud” (at about 8 o’clock) “too loud" (at about 9 o’clock); “way too loud” (at 10 o’clock). Which it often really was…so simply reducing volume level couldn’t really work.
Latterly, amps tend to be designed with much more power in reserve, sometimes with lowered CD input sensitivity, but it can still be a problem especially for much-loved older amps, and attenuators remain on the market. But quality - transparency to the signal - is crucial.

My amp vol control starts at 7pm and ends at 5pm . With R3 on FM now it’s currently on 9pm and at one metre is producing about 50dba on the forte sections of this rather fine Sibelius 6 performance from the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
Interestingly a solo cough is 32dba .
When I’m streaming the vol control needs to be on 11pm to get the same sort of level .Presumably the output from the headphone socket of my MacBook suffers from the opposite “problem” to early CD’s?

[Joseph K]

All technical talk about hifi technology and whatnot is above my head and brings to mind this classic scene:



Homer Simpson : [stares blankly for a few seconds] Can I have some money now?

[jayne lee wilson]

My amp vol control starts at 7pm and ends at 5pm . With R3 on FM now it’s currently on 9pm and at one metre is producing about 50dba on the forte sections of this rather fine Sibelius 6 performance from the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
Interestingly a solo cough is 32dba .
When I’m streaming the vol control needs to be on 11pm to get the same sort of level .Presumably the output from the headphone socket of my MacBook suffers from the opposite “problem” to early CD’s?

Absolutely - its all about output level and input sensitivity. Not many sources approach the typical CD player 2V output....streaming R3 live off of Sounds at 320 kbps., I usually set my preamp volume to 10 or 11 0'clock (without attenuation); always set the Sounds Volume at 11 (the default is usually 8, offering a useful choice.).

****

What a shame some people post these dated and tiresome jokes and cartoons in attempted mockery of hifi & tech etc., which never work because of their repetitive and clichéd crudity, and only try to make fun of those of us who take these issues seriously and have a lifelong love and fascination in them...
attempting to encourage understanding wherever we can.

Knowledge is Power.

That impulse to mock and scoff, so intensified through social media, shows Humanity at its basest.