Would Like To Hear From Strain Gauge Owners

Hi Slowhand,

First, I have heard the Soundsmith Strain Gauge in a show setting, and also in the private residencies of a couple of people. In all cases, I found it to be very engaging. Would you like it? I believe so, but somehow you are going to have to find a way to hear it for yourself. Online opinion is like face-to face opinion, but you know that.

Second, it brings up a larger point. There will always be people with agendas of some sort or another, and there are always those who are experienced enough in a given area to voice a valid opinion. Sometimes the two traits go hand in hand, but sometimes not. Even those who know a great deal about one area of our hobby may know nothing about some other area, even if they purport that they do. For example, I know a little about turntables, but what I know about solid state amplifiers could be poured into a teacup. There are those, however, who would have us believe they know everything. It just isn't true simply because we all tend to know most about the specific area of our interests, and less about passings fancies on the periphery. The moral here is that you need to take most opinions with a grain of salt.

You need to actually hear the cartridge, even if it requires some travel to do it. I believe it will be worth the time and effort.

My two cents, for whatever that's worth.

Agree
Hear it for yourself if possible.
IMHO - it is an awesome product which I would love to have in my collection if budget permit that.
Take my words with grain of salt seen my limited expousure to SG.
However, on both occasions my thoughts were the same - some of the best analog reproductions I've heard.
Trust your ears

I have been following this thread with a bit of reluctant curiosity. I was, at one point, going to chime in and encourage responders to cut Raul a little slack; but only a little. Reason being that as a person for whom the English language is a second language, I understand all too well how sometimes one's statements, particularly those made in writing, can sound more severe and austere than what was really meant; due to a certain linguistic aukwardness. I can't recount how many times I have had to mediate misunderstandings between my Anglo wife and Latino mother; all due to the in-law's less than perfect command of the English language. But alas, after upwards of twenty posts, I think Raul has made his point perfectly clear; language aukwardnesses and all. While I admire anyone who is so passionate about audio as he is, I just happen to think he misses the boat. One comment he makes I think says a great deal:

"...when you play a recording that was recorded with ( before ) a non RIAA eq. standard then you heard a totally different performance of what is in the recording that comes with a different equalization curve."

Absolutely not true. It will be different as far as frequency response goes, but as we all know there is far more, and arguably far more important, to the proper (I deliberately did not use the word "accurate") reproduction of a recorded performance besides absolutely accurate frequency response. In fact, as I understand Peter's comments (and I confess to limited technical knowledge), a deliberate choice was made to make some sacrifices in absolutely accurate frequency response, in order to gain the potentially more musically significant advantages of fewer phase problems. Makes sense to me.

What doesn't make sense to me is how it is possible that one of the most prolific writers on this forum, one with such strong opinions about audio, and the reproduction of sound, one with over seven hundred responses in various threads, has not made one single contribution on the subject of MUSIC.

Thanks for the advice on hearing the cartridge for myself. I actually have heard it at the RMAF in 2007 and 2008. I admit it was very limited exposure, but I was very impressed with what I heard. I was also very impressed with Peter's "The Voice" cartridge. I was just trying to get opinions of those who have the SG in their systems at home and have had long term exposure to it.

Dear Frogman: How is that?, are you telling me that a recording being played through two different equalization curves have no different quality performance?, I'm not talking or posted anything about " accurate frequeny response " I speak and posted about different frequency response that's different of what you states.

IMHO two different frequency response curves give you at least two different tonal balance spectrum to the same recording and two different " all " music presentation.

Frogman, those facts have nothing to see with accuracy but differences on the equalization curves, example: one curve with + 1-2db on 60hz, 900hz, 3khz ( these deviations affects almost three octaves each one ) and the second curve with deviations at + 2-3db on 45hz, 360hz, 780hz, 1.8khz,5.5khz and - 2db at 3.5khz, please tell me: do you think that the quality performance that you hear through your system are not different on each one? because that's what I'm saying all the time: different quality performance.

I don't think that I'm missing the " boat ", some of you try to move it but the " boat " is still firm.

About the MUSIC contribution I have a lot lot to share but I don't have enough time to a second forum.

Slowhand/Mosin: when I posted my first post in this thread I had no idea that the SG device does not conforms according the RIAA standard, it was after a research when I take in count ( fortunately ) and share my findings: it was not exist a previous agenda like you think.

Now, I already receive several emails ( in the last 36 hours ) where the people give me " thank you " to put some light on the subject, I know that like me many of you read for the very first time on those findings about and this fact for the good or the bad IMHO is a learning " episode ".

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.