Originally published in 1999, reprinted as a memorial.

ARTICULATING THE HIGH END

Significantly shtupping the daughters of the Daughters of the American
Revolution

André Jute reviews

The Search for Musical Ecstasy by Harvey Rosenberg
published by Image Marketing Group, Stamford, CT 06907 tel (203)
357-7600 fax (203) 967 9100

Harvey 'Gizmo' Rosenberg was born of Jewish parents nearly sixty years
ago. His mother probably wished that the gizmos he preferred to toys
would a violin. I'm giving you the stereotype first, because without it
we would not have The Giz telling us what to think about the high end.
If Harvey Rosenberg could play an instrument, or if he could sing, he
would not write about audio. We would all be poorer.

Rosenberg is a legend as the man who made Julius Futterman and his OTL
(output transformerless) hi-fi amplifier topology famous by bringing it
to market. He is also a legend, among some of the more uptight, prep
school Protestant writers on audio (that's most of them) for what they
consider the egregious gush of his writing about audio. The Giz writes
sorta like Tom Wolfe before several editors toned him the hell down,
and he got old and tired, and the flow fizzed. Fortunately for us, The
Giz has always been in a position to pay for the publication of his own
kandy-kolored genuine metalflake naughyde prose, first as
advertisements for his firm New York Audio Laboratories and latterly in
his books, so avoiding the depradations of editors. I suspect that the
editors of the magazines he writes for are too intimidated by the flow
of words to dare tone him down--or perhaps they understand that this
excess is far from wretched, it is a glorious passion.

Gizmo isn't just an audiophile, nor just an enthusiast for the high
end, by golly no! He is a fully fledged audioxtasist. And not only is
he one of those, he wants a man like you, a lover of fine electronics
and Harley-Davidsons--you are, aren't you?--to bond with him in that
great revolution of music in the home.

This is not the love that dares not speak its name. Our Harvey is alone
and childless, as he admits and despairs of in his book, because he
spent all his passion on the search for musical reproduction rather
than on the more obvious pursuits.

In fact, Rosenberg has the politically incorrect commitment to
truthfulness to point out that audioxtasism is an exclusively male
avocation--and the brass balls explicitly to regret it in the face of
the rednecked trailer park trash who in their search for a place to
hide from their own inadequacies have been invading the high end waving
their NRA cards and Bring Back the Bra banners as signals of their
chauvinistic exclusivity.

But you're right, the entire book is about sex.

It is a commonplace that rock'n'roll, the people's poetry, is the great
revolution of the twentieth century. To many it feels like the right
and intuitive thing to say, even thought like all sweeping cultural
statements it is at best only partially true; that is exactly what
makes the thoughtful among us think twice before saying it except
deliberately to rub the unholy. But our Harvey is not embarrassed to
say it.

And only Harvey Rosenberg comes up with the compelling proof: all those
rock'n'rollers shtupping the daughters of the Daughters of the American
Revolution. What is a revolution but the new classes conjugating with
the daughters of the old? It takes a genius not to scorn the obvious
when it is true.

There's a lot of electronics in this book, including a number of good
schematics definitely worth building. Harvey even prints an early
Futterman design, which almost bancrupted him, with a warning not to
build it. The capacitance on the wiring is critical. As the sort of
infuriating fellow who always drove Porsches from the days when they
were nothing more than jumped-up Volkswagens--and equally reliable, I
do relish my bit of schadenfreude when I find some fellow who loves an
unreliable Ferrari! At p256 Rosenberg, generally a nice man, sneers at
the sort of fellow who drives a reliable, useful Porsche, in preference
to something faster without air conditioning.

Harvey's pain is written all over this book; he lets it all hang out.

He also lets his joy in music hang out. In fact, the major part of the
book is a guide for people of culture seeking a path to the higher
plane of ecstasy. And that isn't California bull****. The Giz has been
there. He keeps slipping back. He keeps finding a new path. He writes
it down, in a form we can all grasp and understand, because no-one else
has the confidence to let it hang out like that. "A man with a mission
should have no embarrasment."

The Search for Musical Ecstasy is not indexed. It is probably
impossible to index, but I would like to have some of my least
favourite editors try! It is an infuriating book to search in for
anything, though the illustrations, of which there are hundreds, do
serve as mnemonics.

But then the bible isn't indexed either. The parallel is exact. The
Search for Musical Ecstasy is the Kabala of High Fidelity. I recommend
that you make space for it on your lavatory bookshelf right next to the
Mosaic Tables of Fidelity, Langford-Smith's RDH. You will want to dip
into it that often.

Copyright ©1999 Andre Jute

André Jute was educated at universities in South Africa, Australia and
the United States in psychology, economics and business management. He
has worked in advertising, management consulting, and as a political
and military advisor, and is now Chairman of the graphic and industrial
design house Communication Jute. He is a distinguished novelist and
writes a column on classical music read every week by 9.2m music
lovers. Before taking up tube amp design, he designed and built
complete automobiles.

Andre Jute wrote:

André Jute was educated at universities in South Africa, Australia and
the United States in psychology, economics and business management.

The absence of any kind of technology from your credentials is noted ! No
great surpise. You talk a load of hot air ( as befits someone trained in
psychology, economics and business management ) and nothing whatever about
electronic design.

So, where did you get your toob 'skills'. The Ladybird book of electronics
?

Graham

Where are your manners Graham? In this thread Andre pays homage to the
memory of a benefactor and promoter of audio. But you use it for your
petty sniping! How long could it have taken you to make a separate
thread? Have you any decency?
Regards,
Gray

Pooh Bear wrote:
Andre Jute wrote:

André Jute was educated at universities in South Africa, Australia and
the United States in psychology, economics and business management.

The absence of any kind of technology from your credentials is noted ! No
great surpise. You talk a load of haot air ( as befits someone trained in
psychology, economics and business management ) and nothing whatever about
electronic design.

So, where did you get your toob 'skills'. The Ladybird book of electronics
?

Graham

wrote:

Where are your manners Graham? In this thread Andre pays homage to the
memory of a benefactor and promoter of audio.

Andrew Joot is so full of gas that it's hard to tell what he's even rabbiting on
about. He rambles ad nauseam about nothing in particular at all. This is his
method of attempting to dodge his lack of knowledge of anything of value.

I've never known anyone so incapable of 'coming to the point' as Joot.

He's simply a great vacuous gasbag.

Any competent poster would 'get to the point' but Joot simply drivels on......

But you use it for your
petty sniping! How long could it have taken you to make a separate
thread? Have you any decency?
Regards,
Gray

You ask *me* about decency ?

See the troll Joot's posts about me.

He is the very worst kind of know-nothing self-aggrandising Usenet troll.

Graham

Dear Graham,
This isn't about what your beef with Andre. Nobody cares what you think
of Andre except you.
This is about your disrespect for a dead benefactor of audio. If you
cannot see that, you are beyond redemption.
Regards,
Gray

Pooh Bear wrote:
wrote:

Where are your manners Graham? In this thread Andre pays homage to the
memory of a benefactor and promoter of audio.

Andrew Joot is so full of gas that it's hard to tell what he's even rabbiting on
about. He rambles ad nauseam about nothing in particular at all. This is his
method of attempting to dodge his lack of knowledge of anything of value.

I've never known anyone so incapable of 'coming to the point' as Joot.

He's simply a great vacuous gasbag.

Any competent poster would 'get to the point' but Joot simply drivels on......

But you use it for your
petty sniping! How long could it have taken you to make a separate
thread? Have you any decency?
Regards,
Gray

You ask *me* about decency ?

See the troll Joot's posts about me.

He is the very worst kind of know-nothing self-aggrandising Usenet troll.

Graham

You slime. Couldn't you even leave a piece about a dead man up? Making
a new thread is free, Poopie. It is simply malicious to invade and
wreck threads other people want to read.

Unsigned out of sincere contempt for an ill-mannered lout

Pooh Bear wrote:
Andre Jute wrote:

André Jute was educated at universities in South Africa, Australia and
the United States in psychology, economics and business management.

The absence of any kind of technology from your credentials is noted ! No
great surpise. You talk a load of hot air ( as befits someone trained in
psychology, economics and business management ) and nothing whatever about
electronic design.

So, where did you get your toob 'skills'. The Ladybird book of electronics
?

Graham

Andre Jute wrote:

You slime. Couldn't you even leave a piece about a dead man up? Making
a new thread is free, Poopie.

Go boil your head in a vat of acid you charlatan.

Graham

Pooh Bear wrote:
Andre Jute wrote:

You slime. Couldn't you even leave a piece about a dead man up? Making
a new thread is free, Poopie.

Go boil your head in a vat of acid you charlatan.

Graham

Put your mind in gear before you spout off, Poop. I'm a writer, among
other things, on technical matters (books on computers and automobile
engineering, articles for appropriate magazines about amplifier and
other electronic engineering, other stuff entirely outside your
understanding like reprographics), as a novelist I am a stylist, as a
critic and playwright and so on I am involved in other forms of
culture, so how can I possibly be a *charlatan* for reviewing a book by
an amplifier manufacturer who is known for his exuberant writing on
cultural matters?

Why don't you explain to us how you would have done it better, Poopie.
We could do with a good bellylaugh.

Oh, by the way, Harvey Rosenberg put a delightfully inscribed copy of
that book in my hand and said he could not think of anyone who would
understand his book better than I did. He loved the review.

So now, Graham-without-a-surname, who do you think you are to know
better than the editor-in-chief of a leading magazine group who paid me
about twenty times more than his regular contributors for that review
(and ditto for my other work for his magazines), than the leading book
publishers in the world, than the author of the book I was reviewing
who also happened to be a renowned major amp manufacturer (several
times over), all of them satisfied that in me they got the right man --
go on, Poop, explain to us your *credentials* for calling me a
charlatan and them fools for wanting me rather than a total unknown
like, say, you with your soundbite brain and total lack of subtlety and
taste. I hope you're not again going to give us that crappy little
diploma of yours and your crappy muzak manglers, because in this
company they aren't even cheap bling. You're now in a room where you
were let in only because you're carrying a tray and offering drinks.

You're a contemptible little man trying to blow himself up into
something noticeable by attacking your betters. You aren't fit to lick
the shoes of Dr Harvey Rosenberg, whose homage from me you so
contemptuously ripped out in a newsgroup where you arrived like a bad
smell less than a week ago.

Like I said, you're slime.

Andre Jute

wrote in message
oups.com...

Where are your manners Graham? In this thread Andre pays homage to the
memory of a benefactor and promoter of audio.

So what? I don't care if Jute wraps his body in an American Flag and sings
"Old Glory". As long as he's doing a fair imitation of a world-class liar
and deceiver, why can't we call a spade a spade?

"Pooh Bear" wrote in message
...

wrote:

Where are your manners Graham? In this thread Andre pays homage to the
memory of a benefactor and promoter of audio.

Andrew Joot is so full of gas that it's hard to tell what he's even
rabbiting on
about. He rambles ad nauseam about nothing in particular at all. This is
his
method of attempting to dodge his lack of knowledge of anything of value.

That's his schtick. Always has been, and probably always will be. About the
only interesting thing about Jute would be learning his BA while he writes
this bilge! ;-)

"Andre Jute" wrote...

...........
You're a contemptible little man trying to blow himself up into
something noticeable by attacking your betters. You aren't fit to lick
the shoes of Dr Harvey Rosenberg, whose homage from me you so
contemptuously ripped out in a newsgroup where you arrived like a bad
smell less than a week ago.


ok - that ought to do it..........

"Andre Jute" wrote in message
ups.com...
You slime. Couldn't you even leave a piece about a dead man up? Making
a new thread is free, Poopie. It is simply malicious to invade and
wreck threads other people want to read.


Perhaps if you actually stuck to the subject of tube audio and stopped the
attack threads, people would stop attacking you.

Until you started with the atttacks on Stewart I'd never heard of you.
Unfortuantely, you seem to crave negative attention.

Is there going to be a time when you actually discuss anything technical at
all? Or are you just going to write an occaisonal editorial and then revert
back to the sniping?




Unsigned out of sincere contempt for an ill-mannered lout

Pooh Bear wrote:
Andre Jute wrote:

André Jute was educated at universities in South Africa, Australia and
the United States in psychology, economics and business management.

The absence of any kind of technology from your credentials is noted ! No
great surpise. You talk a load of hot air ( as befits someone trained in
psychology, economics and business management ) and nothing whatever about
electronic design.

So, where did you get your toob 'skills'. The Ladybird book of electronics
?

Graham

duh! said Mickey, with an accent on the duh!

Perhaps if you actually stuck to the subject of tube audio

Whatever else one might accuse Mr. Jute of, at least he's not dumb enough to
believe every citizen should personally be responsible for building his own
portion of the public roadways.

"George M. Middius" cmndr [underscore] george [at] comcast [dot] net wrote
in message ...


duh! said Mickey, with an accent on the duh!

Perhaps if you actually stuck to the subject of tube audio

Whatever else one might accuse Mr. Jute of, at least he's not dumb enough
to
believe every citizen should personally be responsible for building his
own
portion of the public roadways.


Mikey actually said that? Just when I thought he posted something audio
related with the Manger stuff...

Cheers,

Margaret

On 12 Dec 2005 00:45:13 -0800, "Andre Jute" wrote:

You're a contemptible little man trying to blow himself up into
something noticeable by attacking your betters.

The perfection of your projection is as remarkable as your dedication
to this pathological pursuit.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

Poop Bear sneered and jeered:
Andre Jute wrote:

André Jute was educated at universities in South Africa, Australia and
the United States in psychology, economics and business management.

The absence of any kind of technology from your credentials is noted ! No
great surpise. You talk a load of hot air ( as befits someone trained in
psychology, economics and business management ) and nothing whatever about
electronic design.

So, where did you get your toob 'skills'. The Ladybird book of electronics
?

Graham

Andre Jute answers courteously:

My scheme, first published in Glass Audio, for reducing the RDH to
almost within reach of soundbite brains is he

http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/J...MPS%20RDH.html

Do give us a URL to the Ladybird book you learned your electronics
from, dear Graham.

Andre Jute wrote:
Poop Bear sneered and jeered:
Andre Jute wrote:

André Jute was educated at universities in South Africa, Australia and
the United States in psychology, economics and business management.

The absence of any kind of technology from your credentials is noted ! No
great surpise. You talk a load of hot air ( as befits someone trained in
psychology, economics and business management ) and nothing whatever about
electronic design.

So, where did you get your toob 'skills'. The Ladybird book of electronics
?

Graham

Andre Jute answers courteously:

My scheme, first published in Glass Audio, for reducing the RDH to
almost within reach of soundbite brains is he

http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/J...MPS%20RDH.html

Do give us a URL to the Ladybird book you learned your electronics
from, dear Graham.

Sorry, Graham, old thing, I should have said: RDH stands for Radio
Designer's Handbook. Study it assidiously, stick with me, old Poopster,
and soon we'll have you designing some entry level stuff, very simple,
say soundbite reinforcement amps.

It is a great book. The current edition was reprinted at my suggestion
by an associate company of one of my own publishers. Isn't it great to
have influence?

Always here if you want me. Just call.

Andre Jute
More vital book reviews at Jute on Amps at
http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/
"wonderfully well written and reasoned information for the tube audio
constructor"
John Broskie TubeCAD & GlassWare

Andre Jute wrote:

Andre Jute wrote:
Poop Bear sneered and jeered:
Andre Jute wrote:

André Jute was educated at universities in South Africa, Australia and
the United States in psychology, economics and business management.

The absence of any kind of technology from your credentials is noted ! No
great surpise. You talk a load of hot air ( as befits someone trained in
psychology, economics and business management ) and nothing whatever about
electronic design.

So, where did you get your toob 'skills'. The Ladybird book of electronics
?

Graham

Andre Jute answers courteously:

My scheme, first published in Glass Audio, for reducing the RDH to
almost within reach of soundbite brains is he

http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/J...MPS%20RDH.html

Do give us a URL to the Ladybird book you learned your electronics
from, dear Graham.

Sorry, Graham, old thing, I should have said: RDH stands for Radio
Designer's Handbook. Study it assidiously, stick with me, old Poopster,
and soon we'll have you designing some entry level stuff, very simple,
say soundbite reinforcement amps.

It is a great book. The current edition was reprinted at my suggestion
by an associate company of one of my own publishers. Isn't it great to
have influence?

It's no surprise to me that your reference work is some 50 years out of date. Even
stereo barely existed back then

Science, technology and knowledge march on in all areas including audio.

Seems you'd prefer to live in the dim distant past.

I rather suspect you're not actually capable of understanding its contents anyway
in fact.

Graham

"Andre Jute" wrote in message
oups.com...

My scheme, first published in Glass Audio, for reducing the RDH to
almost within reach of soundbite brains is he

http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/J...MPS%20RDH.html

Don't bother with this link. It's full of pop-ups, pop-overs, and probably
even a little spyware.

Here's a link to some online versions of the RDH:

http://www.vcomp.co.uk/manuals/rca_r..._radiotron.htm

http://kanak.perl.it/amptronic/

http://www.pmillett.com/tecnical_books_online.htm

Andre Jute wrote:
snip
Sorry, Graham, old thing, I should have said: RDH stands for Radio
Designer's Handbook. Study it assidiously, stick with me, old Poopster,
and soon we'll have you designing some entry level stuff, very simple,
say soundbite reinforcement amps.

It is a great book. The current edition was reprinted at my suggestion
by an associate company of one of my own publishers. Isn't it great to
have influence?

At least four companies have reprinted this hoary old volume of turgid
prose and Korean War RCA techology.

Prpobably the best written and most helpful books are those written by
one Rainer zur Linde. Unfortunately they are all in German (one is
Dutch.) He speaks Dutch but not English and the one translation done to
date isn't that great.

"Bret Ludwig" said:

Prpobably the best written and most helpful books are those written by
one Rainer zur Linde. Unfortunately they are all in German (one is
Dutch.) He speaks Dutch but not English and the one translation done to
date isn't that great.


3 of Rainer's 4 books are translated in Dutch, available via the
publisher Elektor.

There's another author that deserves mentioning: Menno van der Veen.
I can highly recommend his book "Modern High End Valve Amplifiers" to
any tube novice.

--

"Audio as a serious hobby is going down the tubes."
- Howard Ferstler, 25/4/2005