Sound
Fountain is your site for audio and music, analog and digital reproduction,
audiophile recordings and vintage equipment.
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UPDATED : APRIL, 2019
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Cherish
your records and if you cannot get an old original, buy a re-release
that was pressed by the original label in the 1970s or 1980s.
On a few pages short examples of music will start playing automatically after the download is ready, but only if Microsoft Internet Explorer is your browser. Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome do not have the facility to let you hear sound in the background.
BOOKS
FOR YOU
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The New Issue of Liner Notes Magazine is out. It is the Magazine for Music Listeners interested in LP recordings, Historical Artists and New Stars
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It's
Trinaural DIY: Notes on The Belt Drive Turntable
A
Personal Evaluation
Experience
with
Lester
Koenig's |
75 Years Porgy and Bess, Gershwin's Opera Bernard Haitink 50 Years with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Elisabeth Lugt
FOR SPANISH READERS ARTICLE IN RUSSIAN |
LOUDSPEAKER
PLACEMENT
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Concert
Hall - MMS
Discographer
Ernst Lumpe's Research: The
TD124 Page with tips and instructions:
THE REMINGTON SITE STARTS HERE
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Calligraphy by Tsuneo Kobayashi <tsuneokobayashi@hotmail.com>
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Long
Playing Records Last More Than 100 Years?
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Sometimes you hear a person state an opinion with an aplomb as if he were the expert on the subject that he is talking about. There are many experts. But is every expert a true expert? When vinyl records are the subject, one has to read fora and magazines or sometimes there is a newspaper article that comes up with a so called expert opinion. In a shop where they sell second hand vinyl and newly pressed 180 gr. records, I overheard a conversation between a novice and an "expert". Both were visitors of the shop. The expert stated that vinyl records do not last forever, thus warning the novice not to invest in LP's.
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He - the expert - does not realize that we have prove that vinyl records can last more than 60 years. The LP was ready in 1947 and was officially introduced in 1948. It is true, not many of these discs are around any longer. And the ones that have survived the ravages of time, are generally no longer in an acceptable state. They may have been played with heavy cartridges and worn needles. Yet there are items that are still fine to listen to and give exceptional sound quality for their age. There are many records from the 1960s and 1970s that were well taken care of by their owners and still have a high quality. And what about the digital editions that were pressed up to 1993 and are the last "analog" testimonies of the artists of the 1980s and early 1990s ? In case the wizkid meant that only the antique discs would be collectable, he should not forget that even the non-antique discs give so much joy. On top of that, records can always be played back. |
Even with a pin and an improvised paper membrane, which cannot be said of any digital format. Specifically in the last decade the understanding of the exceptional vinyl record has increased. New cartridges have been designed. Turntables are better than ever, even the vintage specimen function perfectly well because knowledgeable people restore them. Loudspeakers too have improved significantly. Today it is possible to buy even small loudspeaker systems that are dynamic in behaviour and extended in frequency response. And more than ever before, they measure a low distortion figure and reveal the analog signal in full detail. Also the understanding of how to keep records in good shape by cleaning them, and storing them correctly, has improved. Well, the so called expert had probably come to his opinion because he bought a Beatles Parlophone disc that had been used for a frisbee. In that case it did not even last 1 year, let alone 100 years - what IMHO may be well expected. Remember also that after a market low, the value may well increase. Take care. - R.A.B. |
COMPLAINTS
IF ANY....
Very
often we hear from hobbyists, audiophiles and music lovers who have
complaints concerning a malfunctioning product, a bad repair, or the
unwillingness of a manufacturer or importer to take responsibility
for their product. Many people assume that if they pay a lot of money
for a high end product, also the guarantee and the service are provided.
That is however not always the case and the customer is not only disappointed
but he is without the proper functioning product he initially bought
or had serviced. We soon will report those cases when a manufacturer,
dealer or importer gave bad service or no service at all.
The following examples will be published soon: How a Kiseki Purple Heart Sapphire was sent to Jan Allaerts to be repaired by him, and when he damaged the cartridge he promised to replace the coils with his own and would include his best tip, but after 5 years of delays and promises he just sent back the damaged cartridge in parts. It was Aalt Jouk van den Hul who refurbished the cartridge and did the final repair and turned it into a fantastic sounding cartridge. Another example is how the importer of Shure needles in the Netherlands tried to sell an imitation tip for the V15VXMR as being the original. These stories and more will be published on this page as a warning always to check carefully when buying a product, to be cautious when choosing the repairman or shop. |
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The
strings lie in a golden bedding, All
is quiet yet. The scanty light It
will resonate a brazen warmth,
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Audio
& Music Bulletin |
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