KEEPING OUR SPEAKERS BUT DIGITIZING ELECTRONICS

[rolandr]

Because of recent dramatic advances in digital amplification, DSP, digital eq. we are facing a complete digital takeover of audio electronics including the Hi End. Our heavy inefficent amps are being replaced with small light 90% efficient inexpensive digital amps. These will OUTPERFORM the BEST of analog with chipsets costing less than ten dollars. Since less money in audio systems is going into electronics more will go into hi quality speakers. Luckily we Altec owners are already set. Check this must read article: Moore's Law catches up with Hi Fi Audio. http://www.newformreasons.com/moores_law.htm

[rolandr]

Wrong web site. Try this.

http://www.newformresearch.com/moores_law.htm

[Steve Burger]

I like the digital processing for home theatre but for music I still run my source components (as well as my HT processor at this point in my set-up, until I can dedicate the speakers for HT) into the front channels of my hafler pre-amp then to my big old heavy mosfet Hafler amp. I hear the hype about digital amps and what not, but to be honest my ears have not heard anything they like better than the big heavy amps. It may just be that I have not been exposed to enough of the high end digital amps to be able to change my mind on it but digital just does not give me the right feeling yet. Maybe I'm a bozo on this- but more will be revealed! I will try to remain open-minded!

[AllanCT]

Too late for me.

I'd spend the $200-$300 to get my analog equipment fixed before I went digital.

Only have one amp. out of service right now and plenty of spares just like speakers.

No need to upgrade here. If it ain't totally broke, don't fix it.

For somebody starting out and wanting more compact equipment by all means. I am not a big fan of miniaturization though. Old age I guess.

[Steve Burger]

To be fair I have only heard the higher end digital amps in hifi stores and not on my ALTEC's and I am extremely prejudiced toward the "West Coast Sound" so would not likely find the speakers they are played through palatable. However the digital stuff I have gone through (medium-fi) did not impress me.

[rolandr]

I am an old Audio type of guy my equipment is Altec, tubes etc. The above views represent the opinion of the article listed. Nevertheless having briefly reviewed available info I am forced to agree with this view. A new generation of digital amplification has arrived not the older nasty sounding stuff see http://www.tactaudio.com/ and check out the reviews of their amps. The technology is groundbreaking in that digital signals are directly converted to speaker response by modulating the power supply. No DAC is needed and most parts and components involved in analog amplification will not be needed. The circuit can not get simpler than that. Although this technology at first was expensive(overprized) we will be having cheap light extremely high quality digital amps with built in preamp and DSP soon The chips to do this are already available and inexpensive its just matter of packaging. This will be a three billion dollar a year business!!

The major players will be Texas instruments which just bought out TacT, Motorola. Pulsus and possibly others. Their generic chips will be used by most amp manufacturers who will charge mostly for their name recognition. Once these improved resolution amps arrive the focus should be more on improving the speakers themselves.

[dennis gilliam]

Always let you ears be the final arbitrar!

Of course, just 'cause it is "vintage" (read: OLD), does not mean it is good. Nor just because it is new, it is junk.

Look at the stuff we had to deal with through the '50's and on, a lot of it was just produced to get by with no thought to the finer tunings (like the terrible Altec 351). I even had to keep some old 287W's going, and they were always long on oomph, short on non-colored output. Then there were the 1568-9-70 amps, with great sound and easy to keep alive in any environment.

All that from just one company!

Today, commercially I use a lot of David Hafler's stuff, they do a remarkable job, both in terms of sonics & operability. And they treat Altec reproducers with the utmost respect, and that is good as repairs are pricy.

At home, it is all tubes from the source up, triodes to boot. But that is a quirky, expensive way to get just a modicum better sound than the later gear...

A good source? Playback on an Ampex 350 in stereo, selected 12SJ7's at work. It doesn't get any better.

A bad source? An early consumer-grade CD player with knock-off D/A chipsets and no headroom in the output.

A good source? The rare Revox C221 pro CD machine. Tough as nails, great sound, and real balanced outputs!

A bad source? Anything MP3.

I can't wait to get my hand & ears on one of the new generation servo amps. I am certain at least on of the units will be great, and I would embrace it. An hear it through nothing but...Altec speakers.

DG out

[RonSSS]

The thought of doing crossovers in the digital domain, appeals to me greatly. You ould pick the freq, slope and phase delay at will. What a way to zero in on what your speakers and ears like.
Beyond that, give me tubes.
The best part of this hobby to me is building and listening to my own gear. There is no challenge to just going out and buying stuff. Other than paying for it that is.
Ron

[AL-TEC]

I read the web site info on the newest, newest digital technology that is coming for amps, speakers, cross-overs...ect.
I am not super enthused ..yet. I have to let my ears do my selection of what I may like when I hear it.
I know an older guy engineer friend of mine who is VERY smart in audio, but says flat out he just does not believe in "stereo". His system is a tube pre-amp he designed and built, a McIntosh MC-30 tube power-amp, and 90's factory refurbished Altec 604B in a Karlson enclosure suspended what I call upside-down from the cieling in the corner of his living room. I must say I was impressed when I heard this one Altec in his set-up. His music source was a brand new Sony 300 disk CD player

So this guy is not all old fashioned, and he can go on and on, telling about recording, and micing technics. (He owned a recording studio in the fifties, and recorded some major musicians).

It is now, and still will be, in the future, up to the individual's own listening preferences as to what audio equipment is favored. Whether vintage audio equipment is used, and liked, or new tube equipment, or vintage sources even,.....(VHS tape, reel to reel, LP Records, cassttes), its going to be up to what you like.

When I have listened to many newest home Surround digital systems alot of poeple have right now, I always enjoy coming back to listen to my favorite music over my Altecs, tube amps....ect Of course the surround 5.1 systems are mostly for DVD movie effects! Thats good for the effects, maybe not for just music.

The new technology that is coming, may not be that superior to some.......and thats OK

AL-TEC

[rolandr]

Check these sites for additional info.

http://www.smalab.com./Reviews/source/tas.html

http://www.stereophile.com/shownews.cgi?1003

After reading dozens of reviews by the best golden ears on the daddy of the technology, the Atac millenium. The only criticisms are too sterile a sound, too dark a backgroung, the midbass is stark compared to tube amps....... but resolution is above all other amps. I need to audition for myself but they are here to stay.

Texas instruments, who had bought out Atac, has chips $25 in quantity.

We have a new valve and it is the digital amplification chip! Are we heading for DIY digital amps, DSP and dig Eq??? I can't wait.