Acoustic Room Help
https://amcoustics.com/tools/amroc?l=17.5&w=14&h=10&ft=true&re=DIN%2018041%20-%20Music
https://www.sonarworks.com/soundid
(Video on Sonarworks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhGc-YX2-68)
Paul McGowan as PS Audio has several videos on room acoustics.
https://www.youtube.com/user/sharanelani/search?query=room+acoustics
https://www.avproedge.com/training-schedule.html (includes seminars by master acoustician Anthony Grimani)
https://www.gotostage.com/channel/c799f2a08dc64252ad27b3426b82e846 (Trinnov Audio)
LOCAL DEALERS:
Acoustic Designs-
AZHiFi- Glen & Bill
BigEarStereo.com-Tom Rothermel
DedicatedAudio.com-Dan Harmon
MC Entertainment-Mike Weir
USATube Audio -Charlie Harrison
WoolsonsAudio.com-Larry & AJ
VINYL RETAILERS:
RecordHighinPhoenix.com
InGroove.com
ZIA Records
REPAIR WORK:
James Koch
Line Magnetic Authorized
3202 S. 40th Street Suite 9
Phoenix,AZ
480-398-7362
Jeff's Professional Audio Repair
Also Car Stereo work
4221 North 19th Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85015
602-274-0794
M-F 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Refoaming Speaker Surround Service:
Michael Mitchell
480-749-7003
Steering Committee
Paul Righello
President
Joe Goswami
Treasurer
Jeff Kalina
V.P.
Roy Cook
Newsletter
Ben Taylor
Club Music
Dave Hjortland
Write
Bob Olivere
Classic Music Maestro
Tim Warren
Work horse
Tom Harvell
Atlas
The Arizona Audio Video Club was formed in the mid 80's. The greater Phoenix population has now grown to 4.5 million people yet in January of 2019 the Club had only 25 paid members and was on the verge of shutting down.
Today's goal is to increase membership by updating the social media presence as well as offering more Special Events that members tell us they want to attend.
Attracting younger members is paramount. As Millennials come to learn they are missing much detail of every song they love so much, we HiFi buffs are presented with an opportunity to grow the ranks.
Sonos and other portable sound systems serve the important purpose of allowing music to travel.
Forward thinking companies like
Cambridge Audio, Elac, Emotiva
are a few examples of companies that provide an affordable option. The goal must be to offer a HiFi system with streaming capabilities, room correction and Speakers that retails at $1,000 or less.
Lofty yes but why not set the bar high?
We actively seek out member input
of ideas or recommendations for improvement. Please email any Steering Committee member with your progressive ideas!
We need members who want to take ownership of provocative conceptual meetings.
How Much to join for a year?
$35 Annual renewal
Free-Newsletter Subscriptions
-What is the biggest benefit ?
-Enhance your musical enjoyment with new music , new equipment and most importantly new friends.
-A highly sought after collection of well recorded music is provided each new member.
-Assistance and advice when choosing new equipment. Patience will be rewarded.Members sell gear frequently and at very good prices for the most part. These sales are typically legitimate bargains
-Guest Speakers such as Andrew Jones , renowned speaker designer,
Dan D'Agostino are recent examples.
-Hear about the newest products as they come to market.
-Access to member written Trade Show Reviews from Axpona
and RMAF. Club Group Travel.
-Meet up privately with other members to hold your own music nights.
-Door prizes-
-Steve Adamson was the lucky winner of a $300 power cord!!
-Warren Rosenbaugh
won a pair of $600 AudioQuest Interconnects.
-Paul Righello who produced the DAC It Out event was given the winning DAC from Black Ice Audio, an $800 value.
-Mini System made in Germany. 12-8-19 Update-Lucky Winner-Roy Cook!! Congrats!
Once Covid is not an issue these will begin.
Meetings:
1 1/2 to 2 hour duration. Held on the 4th Wednesday of each month except in the case of a public event which be held on a Saturday. November Meeting is held 1st Saturday of December. There is typically no other December Meeting.
Location:
These will vary as we visit Showrooms,
Manufacturers, private residences, Phoenix Chamber Music Society performances, MIM,
Record Stores,etc. Members will receive a newsletter via email the 1st Wednesday of each month.
By end of 2019 we will have close to 65 paid members and another
40 associates who include retailers and wholesalers in the HiFi world.
Why is this important? For a club to be able to offer its membership
worthwhile meetings the club needs to have some meaning
to the manufacturers it solicits.
Secondly the leadership of the club must be vigilant
recognizing that local retailers are their best friends
not a place to simply stop/shop and then buy elsewhere.
Such a buyer is a pariah who puts merchants out
of business. That is a lose-lose proposition.
WIN-WIN is the ability to "Try before you buy",
Get local support and have a friend who cares
and will let you in his Special Deals. Beats a
voice on the phone anytime.
Here is an article submitted to the club by our member Tom Rothermel.
Tom will be making a lot of positive impressions on the local music enjoyment
scene.
I recently spent several hours at Tom's home, listening showroom and repair shop.
bigearstereo.com is his website. See the many brands Tom has chosen to carry.
Besides the name brands we never had an opportunity to hear in Arizona,
Tom offers custom made cables, interconnects, power cords, equipment racks, speaker stands and turntable wall shelves, all at very fair prices.
Known in the past as the The Vinyl Valet, his collection is extensive.
If vinyl is your thing, Big Ear Stereo is a must see.
Tom is also very well versed in classical, jazz, blues, reggae, folk and rock music.
Yes he is a true renaissance man.
AZ AV Club Article - 02_2020 (pdf)
Download
1. How did you come to be attracted to the audio world?
Mother enjoyed music. Experimented in his youth by building his own diy gear.
1st pair of speakers were of cardboard enclosures.
At UC Davis, had a circle of friends with higher quality equipment than his. This got the ball rolling. Roomed with 3 other guys and they were able to combine all four sets to play as one.
2. What do you see as Audio's biggest achievement in the past 40 years?
Overall he felt it had to be the introduction of the CD.
3. Where do you believe the biggest need exists for improvement in the HiFi world?i.e. Recommend a goal that would most please you.
Not able to answer. He did state that he is pleased with the trend by speaker manufacturers toward building more efficient speakers.
4. How would you describe why listening to music is important in your life?
Not asked
5. Tell us about the "Best System you ever heard"?
Has heard several"Great Systems" but not side by side.
6. When you had built a new product to be included in your company's line,did you make all the voicing decisions or was it done more by committee?
He gives lots of weight to other listener's opinions.Former partner now deceased, Joe Sammut had a great ear
and taught listening skills to other employees. They employ about 3 matched speakers in different locations so comparisons on any new products
are accurate.
6. A. Can you recall the funniest incident situation you have been a part of in this business?
Not asked although he did relate other funny tidbits
7. Who in this industry do you most admire, living or not?
Not inclined to answer this one as well. Practical fellow he is.
8. What accomplishment are you most proud of in the audio industry?
Matching components to their best use.
9. What do you think is this industry's biggest "Dirty Little Secret"?i.e. What bothers you about the practice , direction or ? of the industry?
Not asked
10. What do you perceive as the greatest challenge facing the audio world today?
He did discuss the trend toward higher efficiency in speakers which, in turn, makes building better amps easier (lower power easier than higher power). Along with that, he talked about lower power amps requiring less/fewer feedback loops, which reinforces his tendency toward simplicity in design.
11. Have you spent any time studying the human ear and its functionality in order to assist you in your audio work?
Yes he has. Read Dr. Diana Deutch - primarily known for the illusions of music and speech that she discovered. Knows Dr. Steven Dear. Studied relationship between hearing and perception.
12. Talk about the passion you must have to be successful in your field?
Not asked but touched on in other responses
13. How did your past life experiences prepare you for your current endeavors?
Not asked
14. What will be the next product you plan to release?
Asked. Response was a smiling nod toward the opposite end of his desk where a pile of gear lie. Not sharing at this time. He did explain that some recent successes from First Watt are being incorporated into the Pass line.
15. Have you ever pursued inquiries with the defense department to see what new technologies they may have developed which bear on the Audio world?
Not asked
Members:
From Keith McDonald
1. What are the advantages/disadvantages of the McIntosh “autofomer”? (This circuit supposedly maintains uniform power output into different loads, rather than changing with the load.) Do Pass designs incorporate such a feature, and why or why not?
A challenge to recall with any precision but I recall Nelson saying that when McIntosh changed from tubes to transistors the autoformers were required to make transistor sound more acceptable. They are a circuit that provides consistent power into 4-, 8- and 16 ohm loads,
but it had its own sonic signature.
From Peter Eichen
1. How has your philosophy changed over the years with respect to power amp design/circuit design/parts section?
Early on they placed a lot of effort on circuit topologies to make improvements and used parts based on reliability,cost and availability. These days there is more emphasis on thecharacteristics of the parts themselves. Now more of the design choices are based on the parts themselves.
We also asked about the XA25 and the INT25 successes and why he felt it was so. He said simplified topography was part of it. I was surprised to learn that these are not his largest
selling items. That honor goes the First Watt SIT3. Soon to be out of production as Nelson's unobtainiam supply of special parts is about used up for this product. Also one of his parts suppliers had the nerve to close its doors. So the SIT3 may be one to add to your collection
if you are so inclined.
Mr. Pass shared a funny joke too. I was too busy reading ahead to recall it though.
A drunk lost his keys...
RJ-The joke was also an anecdote. It goes something like this... “a cop found a drunk stumbling under around under a streetlight and looking at the ground. The cop asked the drunk what he was doing. “Looking for my keys” the drunk replied. “Where do you think they are?” the cop asked. “Oh, they’re up the street, but the light is better here”. The analogy for Nelson is the streetlight is our know tests and measurements and the keys are the reasons we hear what we do. At least, that’s how I interpreted it.
Nelson Pass was very kind and generous to share his evening with us.
Thank you so much on behalf of the Arizona Audio/Video Club.
Stay well.
You are a National Treasure!
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