New forum catagories

[NickG]

that it distracts from the raison d'etre of the forum

That may deserve a little closer look at what is the reason for the forum. n my mind, its first an advertising tool for WD, then a source marketing information, and finally a source of support.

For a site to work on the internet and to provide advertising needs the site to be found by the search engines. The best way to get up the search engines lists, is to have a lot of content. By having discussions abount all sorts of HiFi related topics, means that the site will be targeted by searches that are not just looking for WD products, that brings people to the site that may not have though of a valve amp. Having got here, they find many people posting about all sorts of things, some world class amps, some DIY, and in the middle of that is the WD amps, that people are posting about if asked in very postive forms. And also commenting positivly about the quality of service WD provides. And finally if they buy one, they already know that they can come here to ask and talk about their new pride and joy.

Just my 2d on it.

[BOONDI]

Originally Posted by Shane

Who are the main participants in these events? People who's knowledge has taken them far beyond the level of WD kitbuilders, and who are not likely ever to buy a WD kit. But who are the people who have guided, informed and helped those who have bought WD kits on the strength of what they've heard in the forum? The same people. They are not a distraction, they are a massive free asset. If they can't communicate through here they will be lost to WD, and WD will suffer as a consequence.

Seconded.....

I would also like to raise a point about computers and audio.

Most studios use a PC or mac at some point in their production of LP or CD.

Computer music via the compressed formats, be it MP3/4, AAC, WMA or any other proprietary format you care to name, is the future of recorded music.

WD, like all other manufacturers will surely have to take this into account when designing and marketing product. Even if they do not have product that uses such technology directly, they will without doubt have to make product that is seen to be compatible with such technology.
A high quality headphone amp for your ipod sir......
How about playing your compressed music from your fileserver into a top notch valve kit sir.....

Free technical support via the WD forums sir.....

[Tony Moore]

I agree, it opens the market available to WD to a far wider audience if the posts cross over into computer audio also.

If there is enough interest in high quality computer audio then maybe we'll start to see downloads of higher bit depth/sample rate music and digital music will finally be able to come of age. What better way to introduce people to the potential of higher quality digital audio than to provide access to reasobably priced DIY amp and speaker kits on a site that they "hit" on a search for SqueezeBox, CDPro, etc.

Hopefully it'll be a circle and with more demand for higher quality might encourage artists and producers to make available better software for download. I can live in hope! The current SqueezeBox can only handle 44.1Khz and 48Khz (to my knowledge) but maybe the next one will also handle 24/96 or 24/192? I know from personal experience that DAT at 48Khz sounds better than CD so I'd imagine that 24/96 could sound fantastic if the right non-OS DAC could be found!

Tony

[BOONDI]

Hi Tony, you are right to point out that a crossing over of computers and hi-fi can only lead to greater things....

24/192 recordings can sound absolutely stunning when done properly. However, one major bugbear of mine is that some of the so called 24/192 DVD-A and SACD issues are little more than up-sampled 16/44 CD quality tracks.....

I am lucky in that I already posses the technology (Pioneer 575 DVD and 24/192 sound-card) to listen to 24/192 recordings through a good valve design. Solid state doesn't cut it at 24/192. It's so clean and clear that it sounds like artifice, for want of a better word, whereas a good valve amp simply becomes mesmerizing and spell bindingly beguiling. I lose hours at a time this way.... .... and I mean that. I could quite literally sit and listen while the house burnt down around me......

Then I would need a new amp......

I'll concede that computer audio has a place here, but I am still disturbed by the tones of 'we are the forum' and 'we inform WD what is going on in DIY', if anyone can't already understand why, I will not irritate you by making it even more obvious.

The DIY stuff has its own categories to keep them away from the stuff placed above it.

If people don't like me pointing out that WD needs to sell product to keep the forum going then fair enough. If people want to attack me for pointing out that the WD forum discusses a whole lot of alternatives to buying WD product and next to none about the merits of WD product then I despair. If people want to ignore me for stating the bleeding obvious, then good luck to them.

Shadow, thank you for quoting my reservations about everybody's hobbies, I'm sorry that the word 'product' distracted you. Can you recommend us anymore RIAA stages that throw away treble, or would you rather advise that someone waits to try the WD Phono III which almost certainly won't?

Shane, you make a very good point about the 'free assets', which brings me to Nick...

Thanks, I know from my own WAD postings that content equals Google visibility - I received a few newbie PM questions on the old WAD forum about "Sextet" regarding tweaks and amplification. I tried to encourage them to investigate and question more publically, but at least two said that they were put off by the, to them, more advanced and esoteric content.

Back to the topic - more forum categories - yes then, but also less...
Add Computer Audio if deemed necessary, but do consider a little rationalisation at the same time:

The For Sale and Wanted categories could be merged.
Membership Issues and BB Problems could be merged.
WAD General and WAD Problems could be merged.
The 'holding' forum containing all the WD Projects should be removed and the individual forums made directly accesible.

[NickG]

Shane, you make a very good point about the 'free assets', which brings me to Nick...

Thanks, I know from my own WAD postings that content equals Google visibility - I received a few newbie PM questions on the old WAD forum about "Sextet" regarding tweaks and amplification. I tried to encourage them to investigate and question more publically, but at least two said that they were put off by the, to them, more advanced and esoteric content.

And your point is?

We have done out best in the past to help the forum, but I can't see the practical outcome from what you are suggesting. Should we all sit checking the forum every day, for a WD related post to come along, and then answer it? But refrain from posting ourself?

[pre65]

[quote=Lord.]I'll concede that computer audio has a place here, but I am still disturbed by the tones of 'we are the forum' and 'we inform WD what is going on in DIY', if anyone can't already understand why, I will not irritate you by making it even more obvious.


Hi Lord-very good of you to concede.

What would the forum be without "us" ?

There are a few with a vast depth of knowledge on our specialised subject and many who contribute on a regular basis from their practical experiences.Some give a lot,and some take hoping to give at a later date when what they have taken has sunk in and bourn fruit.

These are the "we" that form the core of the forum and yes,it is a sort of club,and many of us get a lot of satisfaction from the way the forum has evolved.This i am sure has been to the benefit of everyone,including WD.

Philip

[Shane]

Originally Posted by Lord.

If people don't like me pointing out that WD needs to sell product to keep the forum going then fair enough.

I don't think anyone would argue with that, but there's nothing in the forum at the moment that's going to stop WD selling product, and plenty that will help them to do so, even if some of it doesn't mention WD directly.

Originally Posted by Lord.

If people want to attack me for pointing out that the WD forum discusses a whole lot of alternatives to buying WD product and next to none about the merits of WD product then I despair.

I don't think it does. What it does do is point out where the purchase of a WD kit can lead, should one chose to take that path. I've lost count of the number of posts telling prospective purchasers (including myself) what a brilliant amp the KEL84 is in it's own right, whilst at the same time being a wonderful introduction to the whole DIY thing.

Originally Posted by Lord.

If people want to ignore me for stating the bleeding obvious, then good luck to them.

Language, Timothy. And I'm sorry but it's not bleeding obvious to me.

[The Shadow]

Originally Posted by Lord.

Shadow, thank you for quoting my reservations about everybody's hobbies, I'm sorry that the word 'product' distracted you. Can you recommend us anymore RIAA stages that throw away treble, or would you rather advise that someone waits to try the WD Phono III which almost certainly won't?

Now that's a cheap shot Matt. I can't recall recommending the RCA phono stage to anyone. Most of the guys like Andrew Nick et al are far beyond that point. It is my nature as a teacher to enthuse about things but that doesn't mean that anyone has to take notice. People are free to make up their own minds after all.

It is just a good simple starter stage for the person new to scratch building them that's all. I learned a lot from the experience of building and troubleshooting it. I just post what I find and when loaded properly into a high impedance it was frankly streets ahead of my PhonoII to my ears in my system.

It certainly wasn't treble light at EggFest when playing Miles on my son's turntable.

It's a bit like the DL103 situation you either like its full bodied presentation or you don't.

I couldn't give a flying toss about hi-fi systems and since I stopped that nonsense my own system has come on in leaps and bounds. Well engineered music systems? now that's a different matter altogether.

Steve

[NickG]

I will ask the question again, as it didn't seem to warrent an answer last time

"Should we all sit checking the forum every day, for a WD related post to come along, and then answer it? But refrain from posting ourself?"

Yes, I agree very few posts at the moment are about WD kit. But that will still be the case is we stop other posts. It will just become a dead place, with a couple of postings a week at most. IMHO.