Last year, not long after starting this blog in fact, I treated myself to a nice new amplifier. Whilst no music buff I like good sounding music and having completed my lens collection for my camera wanted something to collect for the next few years.
I settled on a Cyrus system - small, reasonably good looking and good quality. And the added bonus that the style of boxes has not changed in recent years, and that you can build and expand the system over the years without losing any of your investment. Hopefully.
I was over the moon when the I got it home (brought it from Leicester HiFi as they have always done me right over the years and seem to know their stuff). Even Mrs Stace who doesn't overly care providing it produces sound commented that it sounded nice once it was running.
Until December when it started make a whole platter of not nice noises and no noise at all. It went back to the UK and after being software upgraded and tested was returned. It is much better now, so far. Touch wood.
So yesterday evening I spent 30 mins plugging everthing back in and making sure that every input produced the desired sound.
To test the BluRay I sat in the floor picking my way through ald and new CD's, listening to a few songs whilst searching for the next and repeating.
I had totally forgotten just how much I love doing that. I've got so used to just plugging the iPod into the aux input and leaving it on shuffle that I didn't even realise how much I missed the whole searching for songs, picking a CD, listening and swapping it out for another. Takes me back to when I was growing up and I would do it with vinyl on my dad's stereo. Loved it, and have to make sure that I do it more often!
Stace
Call me an electronic engineer who received their qualification in the Dark Ages, but I'm kinda glad my amp doesn't require any software to work :)
ReplyDeleteYou're an electronic engineer who received their qualification in the Dark Ages.
ReplyDelete:)
I was wondering whether to put that comment in the post itself. I think that programmable ROM's are a curse disquised as a blessing. In theory it should be *if* there are problems with the embedded code it can be sorted with a firmware upgrade. It's used as a way to avoid QA as you can always upgrade should you need to. I've had it with my car, camera, phone etc etc etc.
As to why it has the embedded software... I should say that at present it's my amp. Once the set is complete (many years away) it'll just be the sound processor / DAC / Pre Amp for the system with all power amps being seperate boxes. And all that requires software to make it work right.
Stace
I asked for that, didn't I.
ReplyDeleteFair enough. My definition of an amp is just that: as good a gain block as you can make. But that doesn't include any DSP, and it makes absolute sense to incorporate that in the same box.