I am about to start a build of a tube phonostage and I was wondering if it is ok to mount the tubes on top of a chassis versus directly on the PCB. I ask this because, c'mon folks, half the reason you buy tubes is to show them off. Any advice would be really appreciated!

Quote:   I agree with you, Prog.   In the interest of accuracy and neutrality I have posted a link to this poll in the cable forum here: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/548006/head-fi-census-i-need-your-vote   Hopefully this will increase the number of votes and give us a...

Moderators: I apologize in advance if this post is out of bounds.    I am posting this thread and poll to see how members of Head-Fi feel about the ever-controversial topic of cable burn in. The poll itself is as neutral as I could possibly make it. I am NOT looking to start yet another...

I am posting this thread and poll to see how members of Head-Fi feel about the ever-controversial topic of cable burn in. The poll itself is as neutral as I could possibly make it. I am NOT looking to start yet another debate on the subject, just a kind of census to see where the community...

In a recent thread (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/544331/dunning-kruger-effect/15) that talks about the Dunning-Kruger Effect, a lot of people have made statements and cited facts about the superiority of so-called "trained" listeners versus regular folks.   What does this training...

Unfortunately I haven't, but the next time he rolls into L.A. I want to see him. Still looking for an SACD version of In Search of The. 

Quote: Too right.

[Stole this post idea from Syan25  ]     What is your favorite guitarist based on either virtuosity, technical skill, or creativity?Or all of the above, if you like!   My first pick would be Buckethead. Very eccentric, insanely talented.     I chose him because he meets (in my...

  This is one of the greatest bassists of our time (if you like metal). Sure he's painted up like Satan, and his facial expressions scream "I-eat-babies", but Ryan Martinie is crazy talented.  

Quote: The video-camera looks like it was strapped to the head of a hyperactive seal, but DANG that dude can slap n' pop that bass!  

Quote:     Well said!     

Main Article: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning_kruger_effect    The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which unskilled people make poor decisions and reach erroneous conclusions, but their incompetence denies them the metacognitive ability to appreciate their mistakes.[1] The...

  Seriously? Only ONE mention of Les Claypool? That man can WAIL on the bass!    

I've had a pair of Samson SR850's for a while now. And while they are not as good as many other brands of headphones, I think they are rather over looked as a good starter headphone. They are cirumaural, partially open backed, 32-ohm headphones. For around US$40 they are a steal. They don't to...

Quote: My god...   New Case Study: 100% of magnet factory workers posting on internet forums have lost their ability to use QWERTY keyboards! This suggests that the simple act of putting your child's artwork on your refrigerator is equivalent to clamping your wedding-tackle in a hot...

I could understand why some scientific equipment needs to be isolated, but I am willing to bet that you could put a solid-state memory music player in a paint-shaker and it wouldn't mess up the sound (assuming the jacks were very secure). 

There is something that has been bothering me lately. Whenever I look at hi-fi magazines I always see solid-state electronics with vibration isolation devices underneath them.   Why on earth would you need vibration isolation for solid state? This makes sense for tube electronics, as tubes...

Don't believe the hype about EMF damage. While it is true that RF radiation can be damaging, if EMF was dangerous or caused tumors we would all be nothing but blobs of suppurating, cancerous flesh.   People living in the 21st century are literally BATHED in EMF. Constantly, 24 hours a day...

Quote: True. Demons are creatures of fire. Cold is anathema to them.

In audio there are very few tools you will be using as often as a soldering iron.    I would suggest allocating a good chunk of your budget towards a decent soldering iron station, like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-937-Digital-Soldering-Station/dp/B000I30QBW/ref=pd_cp_hi_2   A...

  We, as audiophiles, have dedicated ourselves to the art and science of accurately reproducing music. This is more than just a hobby, this is our passion! We examine and scrutinize every single pedantic aspect of our gear in as scientific manner as is possible. So why has it taken the...

Ok, I need some help here.   Every time I listen to music through my SoundBlaster Creative external sound card I get an audio artifact that sounds like someone poured sand into the air chamber on my Grados. I do not get this problem from any of my other sources, so what gives here? The right...

The Dark Side of the Moon 180 gram audiophile record.   Hands down the best $35 bucks I've ever spent on anything. That album, heard in its intended analog format, is like smoking a Cohiba with a glass of Glenfiddich 18 yr after a massage.   What vinyl album does that for you? 

I hadn't thought about a tube flooding with oil, with out a doubt that would seriously screw up the process of thermionic emission.   That being said...   I am going to go through with this. My plan is to build a high voltage (120-300+ ) dual regulated DC power supply for bench testing...

It seems like a typical DC cooling fan is enough to circulate the oil in the enclosure. I still think that the oil would go a long way in extending the life of a tube. No ambient gasses = No gas leaks into the tube. Right?