High end, these amps sure aren't!


Most of the author's thrust in this book and in his other audio
construction book is that sound quality in amplifiers is soley
attributable to certain measurable parameters. The high end audio
industry, as defined by small specialist product lines sold by
specialist dealers and advertised and described in "Stereophile" and
"The Absolute Sound" magazines, is in simple terms a scam.

Naturally, his designs provide better sound at much less cost.

Unfortunately, for hobbyists and serious music reproduction fans, he's
wrong. Circuits and parts do have sonic faults and attributes test
sets, as useful and ingenious as they are, just can't address. Gas
spectroscopy is an incredibly useful tool for science, but it's of
little use in separating truly great wines from Thunderbird. These amps
and associated circuits are perhaps not audio Thunderbird, but they're
not a fine Chardonnay.

Can the homebuilder build electronics to equal the best High End
equipment? Given a first rate electrical engineering education, a
machine shop, transformer winding fixtures, and a lot of time, effort
and money-absolutely. The hobbyist of more modest skills and facilities
can have fun and build stable, reliable and musically reasonably okay
gear, but it's important to realize you usually have some substantial
limitations. (On the other hand your time is not money and you can
build around choice surplus or salvaged parts that commercial
manufacturers of less than the most expensive gear can't design
around.) Most people will find it hard to justify the necessary space,
time, and money that need to be invested unless they are serious
electronic hobbyists to begin with.

Where I find real fault with Slone is his attitude, as he obviously has
a problem with the High End industry that goes past the technical. If
he likes cheap table wines better than expensive ones, that's his
right, but he's simply wrong to insist they are the same thing or
better. If you have the skills and test equipment and want to build
serious audio gear, go buy a book that at least addresses the issues
involved. This is just a 500-page ad for Night Train.