News - August 2004

Last month I had an embarrassing disk crash. The reason I say it was embarrassing was that being a computer expert, I should have backed up my data. I had backed up my data. The only problem was that my latest backup was December 2002. Somehow, I thought I was more up-to-date than that.

My hard disk started making some noises and I knew I had better back up the system. The problem was that I didn't know what to back it up to. I had outgrown floppies, ZIP disks and even CDROMS. My mail was now several gigabytes. I went out and bought a Nu Technologies Dual DVD RW+. Unfortunately, my drive would no longer boot. I booted with Mepis Linux. Mepis is one of the best desktop Linux distributions and it is a very useful disk to have. Mepis includes a program that will repartition your disk, a DVD/CDROM burner, and quite a full useful tools for backing up data from your existing hard drives.

Unfortunately, my drive kept getting worse. For some reason, the drive no longer showed its structure and to both Windows and Linux, the drive looked like an unpatitioned drive. Fortunately, I knew enough not to panic.

The first thing I did was to set up a new hard disk. So long as I didn't write any more data to the corrupted disk, I should be able to get the data back. I did a search on the web. There were many programs that promised to recover data from drives. Most of these programs will allow you to download them and try them for free. I downloaded several programs but none of them would recover the data. One of the programs I downloaded was free but supported by donations. That program is PC Inspector File Recovery. You can download the program here . It is certainly worthwhile to test this program for free.

I did eventually find a program that could recover my data. Amazingly, it recovered virtually all the data. A few files were corrupted but the bulk of my data was there. I used GetDataBack. This time I was lucky. I wound up buying two new hard disks and a DVD RW. Loosing the data would have been far more costly.

Tube vs. Solid State

I get more e-mail about tubes vs. transistors than I do about anything else. The reason that we get so much mail is that we are one of the few companies that sells both tube amps and transistor amps.

There are many audiophiles who swear that tube amplifiers sound better. They go so far as to claim that solid state amplifiers simply can not reproduce sound as well as tube amplifiers. I don't believe this. I believe that it is possible to build great amplifiers that are either solid state or tube based. I also believe you can build very bad amplifiers using either approach.

If it is possible to build a great sounding solid state amplifier, why have we been selling tube amplifiers. The reason is simple -- harshness.

Harshness

From the very early days of solid state amplifiers, listeners have noted that some solid state amplifiers sound harsh. This isn't to say that it isn't possible to build a smooth sounding solid state amplifier. There are many very good solid state amplifiers that sound excellent -- with no trace as harshness.

The problem is that virtually all consumer level audio products sound harsh when compared to high-end audio equipment. A few years ago, nOrh released the CD 1. This was a CD player with a tube output section. This was nOrh's first tube product. The CD 1 received tremendous praise. We continue to get e-mail asking us to bring the product out. Unfortunately, the transport we were using was discontinued and we were unable to produce any more.

What set the CD 1 above other CD players was the fact there was no harshness. Some audiophiles wrote that CDs couldn't sound as good as vinyl. By eliminating the harshness, the CD 1 won over many audiophiles.

There are solid state amplifiers which sound smooth and detailed. Unfortunately, these are often very expensive. Many audiophile amplifiers cost over $10,000 USD. Some cost even more. Why do audiophiles spend so much money on amplifier? Many audiophiles have learned through the years how to listen to music and over the years they have become very sensitive to the typical harsh sound from consumer HIFI products.

Originally, nOrh built solid state components. We created amplifiers and preamps that delivered smooth and dynamic sound. The problem was that the combination came to about $2,000.00. While this is much less money that what other company's charge, $2,000 is beyond the budget for many people who simply want to enjoy music.

Two years ago, nOrh introduced the SE 9. The SE 9 was and still is one of the best values ever. The SE 9 is one of the most cost effective solutions to harsh sounding audio. The SE 9 is powerful enough to drive most reasonable loudspeakers and reliable enough to deliver years of audio enjoyment.

We have sold hundreds of SE 9s over the past couple of years. We have received many letters of praise telling us how wonderful the SE 9 sounds. The SE 9 eliminates the harshness and recreates the sort of sound that audiophiles spending many thousands of dollars desire.

The SE 9 has enough power to drive most existing loudspeakers. Even with inefficient loudspeakers, the SE 9 can play loud enough to drown out conversation or in my case, get your significant other to come down screaming to turn down the music. How much louder do you need? I used to believe that I needed enough power to destroy any loudspeaker. I wasn't happy unless my amplifier was drawing as much electricity as an iron. I now find that the SE 9 and its larger brother, the SE 18, are more than enough amplifier for my listening.

The SE 9 is the ideal integrated amplifier for an office, dorm, bedroom or small apartment. The SE 9 is the perfect starter systems and it is the ideal upgrade for someone who is now using a mini component or some other "all-in-one" solution. The SE 9 is available for $450.00 USD shipped directly to your home.

The ACA 2b preamp is one of the best values available. The ACA 2b is a small, inexpensive, high performance preamp that costs a fraction of what other high quality preamps cost. We have received rave reviews on this product but its low price leaves many possible customers suspicious. We ship the ACA 2b for only $395.00 yet it sounds better than many preamps that cost much more. The ACA 2b is an ideal low cost preamp to mate up with lower cost solid state amplifiers because most low cost solid state amplifiers tend to be harsh. The ACA 2b provides a lot of voltage so that it is possible to run long wires between your amplifier and preamplifier.

SE 10

The SE 10 is about ready to ship. The product was finished but we got an e-mail that our styling was too close to that of an existing amplifier. We spoke to our supplier. They assured us that the styling similarities were not intentional and that they had never seen the amplifiers which looked similar to theirs. We have spent the past two months changing the style of the amplifier. The amplifier will continue to be a very elegant looking upgrade to the SE 9.

The SE 10 is very similar to the SE 9 but it has many upgrades. The SE 10 has a Ultralinear switch that allows the user to switch between Triode or Pentode performance. In Triode mode, the SE 10 outputs 8 watts and in Pentode mode, the SE 10 outputs 10 watts.

The SE 10 uses uses point to point wiring and uses silver cable. The components and volume control in the SE 10 are higher grade than what we use in the SE 9. The SE 10 is designed to create a limited edition amplifier for less money than other companies produce very standard equipment. The SE 10 is available for $695.00 shipped.

Loudspeakers

nOrh has focused on building better loudspeakers. Our loudspeakers are better because we use better materials, better drivers, better components and better designs. Our nOrh 3.0 is an amazing product that sells for only $250.00 USD shipped. For anyone wanting amazing audio from a lower powered receiver or integrated, we strongly suggest our Classic 6.1. The Classic 6.1 is only $500.00 per pair shipped. There are simply no loudspeakers that sound, look or perform better at this price.

We continue to offer the Classic 7.0s for $995.00 shipped. Given the lower value of the USD, this is an amazing offer. I know of no other loudspeaker in this price range using such high quality drivers. The Classic 7.0s continue to use Scanspeak components. Most loudspeakers in this price range use OEM Chinese drivers.

We also continue to provide the highly acclaimed Mini 9.0 kit. We sell the mini 9.0 kit for $500 shipped. You only need to add drivers. The Mini 9.0 is the best sounding small loudspeaker I have ever heard. The look is stunning.

The Mini 9.0 kit is still available for only $500.00 shipped. Simply add your own drivers

Music

I believe that the Red Hot Chili Peppers is one of the greatest American rock bands still producing music. I know that there are some who would argue that REM should hold that title. I enjoy REM but I can't say I like them universally. As popular as RHCP is, I think that they are underappreciated. The original incarnations of RHCP came about way back in 1976. Very few bands can stay together and continue to sound fresh after 20 years.

The first RHCP DVD that I bought was Funky Monks. I was disappointed with Funky Monks because there was too much talking. Actually, if I had known there would be so much talking, it would have been less a disappointment. I actually did like the DVD but I have only played it once.

A few years ago, I bought RHCP's Californication. The version I bought had a VCD included with about six videos. I bought my copy in Singapore and I doubt that any copies sold in the US included the DVD. The version of the DVD I bought came from Thailand so I am not sure if the exact same version is available elsewhere. There is a CD/DVD combination sold in the US with different artwork that appears to have the same DVD but includes a CD.

My first comment is that I have never really heard RHCP until I heard this DVD. None of the CDs that I have heard until now (or LPs) sound nearly as clear as the DVD. I never realized what good vocalists the band members are. This is particularly clear in the video Road Trippin (which I had never heard before) and My Friends. I also now have a much greater appreciation for Flea's bass playing. His rifts have never sounded better.

What astonished me the most about the DVD is just how much better the image quality was from what I remember. I watched many of these videos more than 15 years ago on MTV. The image quality is brighter, more dynamic and more detailed than I have ever seen before. The most startling video is Around the World. Around the World is the demo video you have always wanted to show off your high-end video system.

If all of this were not enough, this collection contains one of the best reprises of a Stevie Wonder song eve -- Higher Ground. I strongly recommend this collection

Movies

I have recently seen some of the worst movies I have suffered through in a long time. I watched the horrible Around the World in 80 Days. Around the World in 80 days was so bad that it made Wild Wild West look like a masterpiece. I saw both I Robot and Spiderman and while I enjoyed both films, neither of these movies are the type of movies that grab me. The movies that grab me are small movies that simply show me something completely unexpected. One of the movies I have raved about many times on this webpage is Donnie Darko. I bought Donnie Darko on DVD. I don't know why I picked it but it was a movie that hooked me and left me breathless. I urged everyone I could to go out and see this film before it disappeared completely.

My daughter graduated high school and she packed up what she could to go to college. My daughter has a huge collection of movies and videos. I have bought her complete collections of the Simpsons, South Park and Futurama. She has many teen films and of course lots of action movies. My daughter had to choose between clothes, makeup, movies or music. She had compressed most of her music on MP3 but when it came to decide what DVDs to take back to the US, the picked only one -- Donnie Darko. The problem was that Donnie Darko was my DVD. I didn't want her to take it because I couldn't get another copy.

Once my daughter left, I bought a DVD RW and told her that if she brought back my Donnie Darko, I would burn her a copy (which she could hold as my backup to this irreplaceable DVD). She said she would do that so hopefully I will get Donnie Darko back again.

I have just learned that Donnie Darko is going to be released again. Apparently, my daughter and I are not the only two people who enjoyed Donnie Darko. Donnie Darko only brought in about $500,000 during its theatrical release but it has become a cult classic during its DVD release. Donnie Darko earned $10 million USD in DVD sales. I would like to think that some of the people who bought it or rented it went out to find the DVD after reading about it here.

Enough people have enjoyed Donnie Darko that the movie is going to be released in theaters. The new version will be 20 minutes longer and will feature newer effects. I have no idea whether or not the longer version will add or subtract to Donnie Darko. I am looking forward to seeing the newer version. The new version of Donnie Darko will be released 21 July, 2004 and a new DVD will certainly come out following the theatrical release. For some reviews of Donnie Darko, check out this site.

New Products

Introducing the upcoming PP40

We are going to be introducing the PP40 soon. This is a 40 wpc push pull tube amplifier using a set of 6L6W tubes. The PP40 is powerful enough to drive just about any loudspeaker. The PP40 rests on a beautiful Teak wood base. The look, sound and power are unmatched at $995.00 USD shipped.

Another view of the PP40

The SE 19

We are also introducing the SE 19. The SE 19 is a 19 watt per channel SE integrated. The SE 19 sells for the same price as the new PP 40. The SE 18 will stay in our product line.

More details about these new products will be announced shortly.

I get many e-mails every month from people who want us to upgrade the SE 9. Some people have asked for Triode versions. Other people want to know if we can do a point-to-point version and there are others who want us to use a better volume control or better parts. We could do those things but if we did, the price of the amplifier would go up and we would be missing the target market we designed the amplifier for.

What we have decided to do instead up upgrade the SE 9 is to introduce a brand new integrated amplifier. The new integrated amplifier is an attempt to create a more refined classic. The first difference is that the new integrated amplifier has a new look. The base is made from beach wood. While the outside shows that we are using essentially the same Electro Harmonix tubes, we have made some very significant refinements. The new integrated amplifier is wired point-to-point. We have decided to use 98% solid silver wire for the point-to-point wiring. This is the same wire we used in our nOrh 9.0 marble loudspeakers.

The new amplifier works in triode or pentode mode. There is a switch that allows users to have either 10 watts of Single Ended performance or 8 watts of Single Ended Triode performance. The volume control is a Nolen volume control from England. We are using an Alps switch. We have upgraded all the internal components. All of these changes not only take the amplifier to a new level of sonic performance, but also greatly enhances the look. These improvements make for a new amplifier for a completely new market segment. We will announce the price shortly.

The SE 10 will be shipping June 2004. We are doing some restyling and will have new photos up as soon as they are available.

In addition to the SE 10 we will also introduce the SE +3. The SE +3 is one of the first three channel tube amplifiers on the market. The SE +3 can be used as a three channel amplifier in a 5.1 channel home theater system. You can use the SE 9, SE 18 or the SE 10 for the front channels and then add the SE +3 for the center and rear. The SE +3 is built to the same standards as the SE 10. It uses solid silver wire for point to point wiring. The SE +3 is also a pure single ended design with the option to operate in either triode or pentode mode. It uses a tube rectifier for the third channel.

These new amplifiers call out for a new approach for loudspeakers. Although 8 watts is enough to drive almost any loudspeaker to loud levels, some people will want to have all the dynamic range and power they are used to -- even though they are using a lower powered tube amplifier.

I now use the SE 18 with a pair of 7.0s in my second audio system. This is a great match. The sound is loud and clean. Even so, I was unprepared for the impact I heard when I used the SE 10 with our newest loudspeakers -- the 100dB.

Transmission line loudspeakers are not very common. They are expensive and complicated to build. Our new loudspeaker uses a 8 inch full range Fostex driver and matches it with a custom designed horn tweeter. The overall sound is amazingly smooth and dynamic. The 100 dB is the ideal loudspeaker for anyone who has low powered amplifiers -- particularly single ended tube amplifiers. The 100 dB is probably one of the most reasonably priced loudspeakers to achieve this level of performance and sensitivity on the market. The price of the 100 dB is $1295.00 per pair shipped.