Audio Quiz


Gather round kiddies; I have something different in store this evening. An audio quiz. Ten simple questions, heck a couple are just throw aways, to test your general knowledge of the hobby. I have tried to spread things out, solid state, tubes, CD, LP etc. 'wanted to start easy and end hard but I'm afraid that's not how it worked out. This is just for fun so please don't get huffy when you catch my mistakes. First one to get all ten questions correct gets a free Audiogon "wanted" ad. And Albert, your handicap is that you have to play blindfolded. Let's rock and roll.

1) Your favorite CD begins skipping on the very last track. Which is most likely?
a)There is a scratch close to the center hole.
b)There is a scratch close to the outer edge.
c)This is impossible CDs don't skip.

2) Your favorite LP begins skipping on the very last track. Which is most likely?
a)There is a scratch close to the center hole.
b)There is a scratch close to the outer edge.
c)Who cares, I can listen right through analog noise.

3) Roger Modjeski designed which of the following:
a)The Harold Beveridge preamp.
b)The Music Reference electronics.
c)The Counterpoint SA-4 OTL mono amp.
d)The Mac MR-78 tuner output section.
e)a,b and c.

4) A magnetron tube is
a)A nine-pin small signal dual triode commonly used as an input/driver in audio tube amps.
b) An eight pin Soviet power tube used primarily in single-ended applications.
c)Part of my microwave oven.
d)A medical device used in orthroscopic surgery.

5) You live on the flat plains of rural Kansas. A distant station is at 101.1 on the FM band. No other stations broadcast on adjacent or alternate channels. Your tuner will not lock on to the station. Your tuner probably has inadequite
a)Sensitivity.
b)Selectivity
c)Capture ratio.
d)Output circuitry.

6)In a loudspeaker with a passive radiator the bass alignment is modeled the same as
a)An acoustic suspension (sealed) speaker.
b)A vented speaker.
c)A transmission line speaker.
d)An isobarik speaker.
e)A three way speaker.

7)My tube preamp has just blown a 6DJ8. Which of the following substitutions from my tube stash will work?
a)6922
b)7308
c)6ES8
d)ECC88
e)ECC189
f)All of the above.
g)None of the above.

8)The distinguishing characteristic of the Sanken output transistor is
a)It can operate at temperatures three times that of a conventional transistor.
b)It requires no external heat sink.
c)It combines a thermal sensor in the same package as the transistor.
d)It has a driver circuit in the same package as the transistor.

9)The Dayton-Wright electrostatic speakers
a)Were made with Corian frames.
b)Had cheap piezo tweeters.
c)Were the first cylindrical stats.
d)Deployed the electrostatic element in a bag of gas.
e)Both b and d.

10)Primaire electronics are made in
a)France
b)Belgium
c)Italy
d)Denmark

Good luck. If you like this one we may try for something harder when I have more time on my hands.

Marty

128x128viridian
Extra for experts: Which of the following speakers used Bessell aligned crossovers:
a)Arial
b)Synthesis
c)Snell
d)Spica
e)Hales
f)Pentagon
Have to guess on a few so let's see how i do...

1 B
2 A
3 E
4 C
5 A
6 B
7 F
8 A
9 E
10 D
11 A

Please don't post the results until you get a few more guesses. I don't want to be the only one that flunks : ) Will you be grading on a curve ? : ) Sean
>
Marty, please clarify what do you mean by scratch on the cd.
If it's only surface scratch than CDs won't skip. It's probably fault of player/dac/transport.
Marakanetz, sorry, "it's probably the fault of the player/dac/transport" is not a choice. The question asks which of the three given choices is MOST likely given the circumstances. Sean, you mean I am supposed to have the answers? Just kidding. No winners yet.
Okay, here goes:

1) B
2) A
3) E
4) C
5) A
6) B
7) F
8) C
9) D
10) D

Extra credit: well, I know the Spica did.... :-) Were there others?

Cheers, Mark Mills
Kudos to all of the brave souls who have so far taken the challenge. I regret to report that, not only do we not yet have a winner who has gotten all of the first ten questions correct but not one person has correctly answered the "extra for experts" question. Answers and analysis will be posted Thursday evening late. Good luck.
Marty
hey "teach", what kind of apples do you like ? Can i stay after school and clean the chalkboards and erasers for extra credit ? : ) Sean
>
Gregm, no extra credit for you but I get graded down....again. Give it a whirl you might have some fun. Sean, I don't like apples but am always amenable to cash payments. Thanks for the jibes.
Marty
Greg, how can you get "extra" credit when you didn't even submit a test ? Are you one of those "class clowns" that sits in the back, makes crude comments, does not turn in any of the assignments and then expects to pass class ? I know i was : ) Sean
>
I flunked Kollege! That's my qualification for writing inane audio quizzes.
Marty
Hey, if I had known it was spelled "Primare" I would have answered Italy instead of France. Can I have my test back? :-)
Okay Marty:

Let me have a shot at these.

(01). B
(02). A
(03). D
(04). C
(05). C
(06). A
(07). I am going to guess "C". But I don't have that much experience with tube gear. I am more of a solid-state guy.
(08). A
(09). E
(10). C

Well, I don't know how well I did. But at least I tried. Well, how did I do, Marty??

--Charles--
OK, I cheated and opened one eye.

(1) B
(2) A
(3) E
(4) C
(5) A
(6) B
(7) F
(8) D
(9) E
(10) C
Bonus A
And the envelope please. The answers to the audio quiz are 1)B, 2)A, 3)E, 4)C, 5)A, 6)B, 7)F, 8)C, 9)E, 10)D and extra for experts both B and D.

Analysis: Audiophiles are spending way too much time in the kitchen as evidenced by so many knowing that a magnetron tube is the element in your microwave ovens. You need to get back to your audio rigs and order some take-out if you expect to nail the much harder "audio quiz 2" coming in about a month. Many of the tube heads were not familiar with the excellent Sanken outputs used in many cool Brit amps including the latest Rega Mira and several Musical Fidelity numbers. The Motorola piezo tweetrs in the Dayton Wrights seemed to cause problems, they were also used in another classic of the time the Dalquist DQ-10. Goes to show that you can make classic speakers with crappy drivers but the converse is much more prevalent, that you can make crappy speakers with great drivers. Finally, it seems that you are all familiar with John Bau's brilliant work at Spica but no one was familiar with the good-in-their-day Synthesis speakers by conrad-johnson, another line to deploy the Bessell alignment. All of the players are winners and I have arranged with Audiogon to allow each one of you a free wanted ad. Albert, perhaps next round you should play with both eyes open.
Marty
V, how do we claim our free wanted ad ? I have tried to post one but i keep getting an "insert coupon now" displayed on my monitor. I never received my coupon and don't know where to insert the coupon at ??? Can you tell me where i get the coupon and where to stick it once i do get it ??? : ) Sean
>
Sean, having correctly answered the magnetron tube question your fixation with coupons is clearly related to the excess time that you are spending in the kitchen and apparently in close proximity to the radiated energy from the microwave. What is it that you wish to request in your wanted ad? Perhaps I have an extra Kaypro computer laying around somewhere.
Regards,
Marty
JUST as I was ready to post my answers, Marty beat me to it! Of course, the answers I was posting tally with those that Marty revealed... ;>) No really, I got the micro-wave right & 1,2,4,5,7,10. Which means, I flunked. Maybe I should go back to my kitchen & stay there!