Cable "burning": Real or VooDoo ???

G'day Detlof, mate.

Red, the VAST majority of Engineers and Techs that i know are FAR from being "scientists". They only know what their books and teachers taught them and that's where most of their "education" stopped. That is why many of the products that we have today are the way that they are: VERY limited and not real flexible. They look good on paper but are not practical or realistic in real world situations.

Part of this is because "adaptability", "practicality" and the "hands on approach" are not taught in schools anymore. They simply give you the basics and shove you out into the working world. Hell, most of the time if you can pay your tuition and show up, you will graduate. Who cares if you really know enough to do the job !!!

As such, it is up to the "techs" and "engineers" to do TWO things. Apply what knowledge they have AND learn more as they go along. Since many engineers simply do a design and do not get to put the actual end product through its' paces in actual field use, they don't have the "hands on" that many "commoners" have to deal with on a daily basis. Since they get very limited feedback on the design from the end user ( if ANY at all ), they assume that their "creation" is near perfect. As such, they learn to live by their "textbook" education and the limited feedback that trickles back to them from management. Anything else that does not conform to their limited point of view and desktop experiences is strictly considered to be "heresy", "snake oil" or "impossible". They've closed their minds, eyes and hearts to the opportunities and knowledge that confronts them on a daily basis.

To those engineers and techs that are NOT like this, KUDOS to you for breaking the mold. To those that this offends, maybe it's because it hits too close to home. Sean
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702 sez, among other tings:

"If you've listened to recordings, attended concerts, gone to films, seen a Broadway show, or watched TV in the past 20 years there's a good chance you've heard some things I've been a part of developing."

so *that* explains why there's etched highs, unnaturally forward midrange, over-boosted mid-bass, compressed dynamics, flat soundstage in so much commercial audio... ;~)

sorry, couldn't resist; doug s.

I have a question for the type of engineer to whom Sean is giving Kudos.... When you have designed an amplifier that has very low harmonic and intermodulation distortion, no transient imtermodulation distortion, low noise, stable under all loads, flat frequency response, low phase shift, in other words when all the specs are great; what kinds of things do you think about changing when you decide that it doesn't sound very good?

THANK YOU Steve for posting this question. While i don't have time to respond right now, BELIEVE me, i WILL when i get back from work tonight. Sean
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