Music Lovers...

[BRABUS]

Hihi

Maybe can do a "Music Lovers Meetup" at my humble hifi shop. And you guys can bring your CDs, MP3s, etc.

Good idea?

Hi , pls let me know if there is such a meetup , i bring few of my ICE kakis who happen to own a few watchs over ! Actually we often meet up to discuss about watch and Audio , But most of us are Fans of Focal JM_Labs , be it home or car audio

Can see that you are in volvosg too , think its at least 5 years since i last log in, Wonder the boss Alvin still there ?


Cheers

[armchaireconomist]

Guys,

Since there is some interest in having a meetup. Let's do it after CNY. Me also damn busy these period. So really looking forward to taking a nice good break during CNY period and spend time with family...

Brabus,

The new volvo sg club website is now . Alvin is no longer the 'Boss' of the site. But he is still lurking around. Come back and join lah. We still have our monthly meetups at Turf City. But the venue may change.

================================================== ===
About audio systems (regardless of home or car). The main stages are:

1) Source (Analog or Digital)
Player to play the music ('software')
- Turntable (would need phono stage)
- Tape
- Reel
- CD, SACD, HDCD, DVD-A, etc
- Computer

If digital source, there will definitely be a DAC (Digital-to-Analogy Converter) where it transforms digital (waveforms) to analog (sine-wave) data.

2) Pre-amplification
For car, its the Head Unit. Basically, it controls the entire system by volume, tone control (most high end units don't have this), source selection.

BUT a lot of people (even audiophiles) tend to forget the most critical thing that the pre-amp does... And that's Pre-amplification. In short, it pre-amplifies the signal from the source to feed to the Power Amp. There are 2 stages: Input and output Stage.

Input and output stages can be tube-based or solid-state (transitor-based).

3) Amplification

As it is there are 3 popular types of amplifications:

a) Tube-based
Well... the first computer in Manchester was tube-based. So this technology has been around for more many decades.

b) Transitor-based (or Solid State)
Again there are 3 ways to amplify sound by solid state:
- Power Amp (by current and voltage only)
- Current Amp (by current only)
- Voltage Amp (by voltage only)

Power and Current amps are the most popular types by far. Whereas voltage amps are very rare. When I say I am using a voltage amp, even audiophiles go 'huh?'.

c) Digital-based

Plenty of new-comers to this technology (Class D, T, ICEPower, etc). A lot of car audio uses this because it can produce a LOT of power without pulling a lot of current. And thus is very efficient.

4) Speakers

Types:
- Driver-based
- Electro-statics
- Horn

The easiest to understand is imagine taking is signal from power amp, and the power amp will 'drive' the drivers (tweeters and woofers) in rhythm to the signal to produce sound wave. And walaa... music.

Personally, I regard this as the most important component in the entire chain.

================================================== ===

Please pardon me if I missed out any important components. These are off the top of my head. And I've not even gone thru' the technical parts of it and it's already getting boring... And also haven't touch on cables, listening environment, etc. Another time, another day...

But the whole point of it all is very simple: To get closer to the music...

Its an emotional affair... but I never, never 'tune' a hifi system to be comparable to live music. Because it can never be the same. It's like watching football on TV and live football. It's the feel, its never the same... so do watch concerts and live performances. Me and my wife was dancing and jumping during the Police concert, that will never happen in front of my hifi system... It's just not the same...