Page 77 - Hi-Fi World (January 2020)

LETTERS & EMAILS

away the joy of finding the actual object
of desire sitting in a rack or box. It’s
almost like unearthing treasure.
Clicking on a link, entering credit
card details and then getting it delivered
over the ‘net strikes me as being totally
soulless. Can you examine the vinyl,
engage with people, barter, travel to
different parts of the country, chance
upon new stores you didn’t know
existed while stuck in front of a screen?
On the subject of bartering, I’ve
found most proprietors/vendors are
more than willing to listen to offers as
long as they’re reasonable. Remember The McIntosh MCD350 CD/SACD player. Expensive but with
that store owners have to make a wonderful sound quality.
living and you need them to stay open
to satiate your needs. Don’t barter Am I describing a single-ended but extra depth harks back to
in charity shops, it’s churlish in the amp? I don’t fully know, so maybe amplifiers of yore.
extreme. an article on the various types of Both David Shaw (Icon Audio
Another plus to our hobby is the amp, written by someone with a MD) and I feel low feedback
benefit to mental well being. I find that much greater command of English is the best compromise with
listening to music daily reduces stress than I (and, obviously, with a lot more valve amplifiers, giving them a
and anxiety. I like the ritual of playing knowledge on the subject as well) modern sound balance and also
LPs. There is effort involved which, in might help others (there must be some) tightening bass from many, if not all,
my opinion, makes the experience more who are a bit baffled by this aspect of loudspeakers, whilst retaining the
enjoyable, I won’t be streaming anytime amplifier design. sense of ease that such amplifiers
soon. Yours sincerely, have. NK
Thanks for a thoroughly informative John Malcolm
magazine that I’ve enjoyed since the SONY STRDN-1080 AV AMP
days of Giovanni Dadomo and LJK Hi John. Adding treble lift to sharpen For the last few years I have enjoyed
Setright. My favourite sections continue the sound when no feedback is a Pioneer AV amplifier which I selected
to be the opinion pages as they are applied (open loop) is – I guess – a as it contained a good ESS Sabre
genuinely thought provoking. possibility, but it would add compli- DAC. I found the sound quite clean
Regards, cation to the switching since this and powerful for films and TV and
Steve Williams network could only be chosen at reasonable with pure stereo music.
one switch position. My AV speakers are Quad 22L2
Hi Steve. Yes I guess we get to be The zero feedback option is for at the front, Quad 22L side surround,
vinyl collectors by default. I can’t purists – and lack of frequencies Quad 9L2 rear surround and Quad L
stop buying the things – even when above 12kHz is not such a big deal centre speaker. These were purchased
I already have them. Always hoping as to warrant the complexity and in pairs over several years from 2004
the new re-master will blow me extra cost. If you’re a purist you may on, but all in beautiful birds eye maple
away. Often, the digital file can sound well not mind as the slight warmth veneer (no longer available). I do not
‘better’ – but never as natural or
authentic as pure analogue. As you
say, it is a matter of “mental well
being“ – vinyl keeps you sane! NK
FEEDBACK ON FEEDBACK
Just a quick enquiry concerning the
No Feedback option on the Icon Audio
Stereo 40 MkIV amp you reviewed in
the Aug ‘19 issue.
Am I being dim, or just stupid,
when I see the solution to a duller-
sounding – erm – sound as simple:
design the audio circuitry with a
carefully calculated rising output as
the frequency rises, thus producing a
more level/flat output. It could restore
the edge you report as missing on
transients (guitar strings, blocks of
wood). But as to other detrimental Icon Audio Stereo 40 MkIV valve amplifier. “Design the audio
characteristics of a no feedback design, circuitry with a carefully calculated rising output as the frequen-
again surely modern circuit design can cy rises” to fix its warm, no-feedback sound, suggests John
sort these out? Malcolm.

www.hi-fiworld.co.uk JANUARY 2020 HI-FI WORLD 77