Klarinet Archive - Posting 000402.txt from 2005/04

From: Tim Roberts <timr@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Re: "Dark" revisited - new battery gives CD players "richer fuller
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 17:10:49 -0400

On Thu, 28 Apr 2005 08:33:51 -0700, ormo2ndtoby@-----.net (Ormondtoby
Montoya) wrote:

>Heh! Does this sound like a familiar argument?
>
>Panasonic has announced a new flashlight battery which produces 1.7
>volts instead of 1.5 volts. The company cites a test wherein 80
>percent of musicians in a Japanese orchestra preferred the sound from a
>portable music player powered by the higher voltage batteries.
>
>However, in a different test, most people couldn't tell any difference
>between the two sounds.
>
>

Of course not. These are DIGITAL devices. The battery voltages are all
clamped to a constant level by a voltage regulator before the signal
ever reaches the circuitry. There is no difference. The only effect of
using 1.7v cells would be to make the device run hotter, as the voltage
regulator converts the excess voltage to heat.

In fact, most people are now using nickel cadmium or nickel metal
hydride batteries in these players. Those batteris have 1.2v per cell,
and they work perfectly well.

>The newspaper didn't give details about the music played, or whether
>more than one brand of music player was tested, or even what "most"
>means.
>
>The claims did make me chuckle, however.
>
>

Years ago, just after double-blade razors were introduced, there was a
fake commercial on Saturday Night Live for a disposable razor with 5
blades. "The first blade shaves you close. The second shaves you even
closer. The third, fourth and fifth blades? Well, they don't do
anything, but aren't you glad they're there?" Same concept.

(I've thought of that commercial a lot recently, since one manufacturer
has now released a portable razor with 4 blades...)

--
Tim Roberts, timr@-----.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

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