Sound Practices magazine

[Steve Schell]

I just ran across an ebay auction for the CD compilation of all issues of the late, great, lamented Sound Practices magazine. The auction appears to be conducted by SP publisher Joe Roberts.

For those who don't know, SP debuted in 1992 and literally defined and fuelled the triode / horn DIY revolution of that decade in its 16 issues. My complete stack of SPs is among my most cherished possessions. Now the whole shebang is available for $29. Recommended!

http://cgi.ebay.com/SOUND-PRACTICES-...QQcmdZViewItem

[boputnam]

Thanks, Steve! Nice one...

[DavidF]

Thanks for the heads-up, Steve. I have been interested in looking at some these but the hard copies are long gone.

Davidf

[kingjames]

thanks for the head's up> I bought the last one. Need some reading material.

[Steve Schell]

Kingjames, I don't think you will be disappointed. In those issues are dozens of articles that have offered new horizons and helped shape my approach to audio and appreciation of technologies of the past. Many of the articles are quite entertaining and witty as well, notably those by Joe Roberts and Vinnie Gallo.

I looked at the seller's past auctions and he has been offering batches of the CDs steadily. More of them will likely be offered soon.

[Tom Brennan]

Roberts still owes me dough, I'll bet I'm not the only one.

[sfellini]

Roberts still owes me dough, I'll bet I'm not the only one.

Yeah well, me too probably, but no matter.
I like to think of it as having "paid it forward".
I'm very sorry to have seen it end so soon.

Steve.

[Steve Schell]

Tom, a couple of other guys have made the same comment to me. I probably had some issues due as well, but I'm so happy to have the ones I received that the few measly bucks I sent Joe over the years pale in comparison. He did post the articles from the unpublished big issue on his site for a time, possibly as a mea culpa for the unfulfilled subscriptions.

Intrepid audio adventurers unfamiliar with SP might want to poke around in the Wayback Machine archives. The Altec Experimenter's Info (including the essential Jim Dickinson VOTT tutorials) and a few sample articles are well worth the effort to find them.

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://...dpractices.com

[Tom Brennan]

Steve---I don't care about the dough but I think he could'a sat down and sent out letters saying he went bust and was sorry. Would have cost him a few cents a letter and a little time.

When I sold my house I threw out all my SPs and VTVs. I figured I'd never need them again. Now I wish I'd kept them but sometimes you have to clean house so you can aquire new junk.

Anyway it's a shame that SP couldn't make a go while magazines of far less value thrive. I wonder if he was a bad businessman or there's just that limited a market for a magazine about good hi-fi.

[boputnam]

I wonder if he was a bad businessman or there's just that limited a market for a magazine about good hi-fi.

I think the latter. Niche magazines are difficult to keep afloat. Printing and distribution costs require not only (affordable) subscriptions, but advertising revenue, too. It is a tough market.

Thanks again, Steve - I ordered my archives right at your announcement. Look forward to reviewing them...

[duaneage]

SpeakerBuilder was my all time favorite publication, I subscribed for 11 years straight. When Ed Dell rolled it into Glass Audio, Audio amateur, and some other magazine no one was thrilled. I wish they would have asked us through a reader's survey what to do, I would have gladly paid more each year for such an excellent magazine. I have every issue still and refer to them occasionally, even built some of the projects featured.

I saw SpeakerBuilder magazines for sale in Hong Kong at twice listing price. Clearly there was a market for this publication.

[kingjames]

Well, I just got my disc today but have a little probelm with it. It appears he sent me a blank disc. Already I'm not liking this deal? How can people be so nieve?

[johnaec]

It appears he sent me a blank disc.

Maybe it's a DVD?

John

[kingjames]

no it's a cd, I confirmed it being blank by burning a song to it using Nero.

[Steve Schell]

Yikes! Kingjames, I hope I haven't given you guys a bum steer, and apologize if this is the case. Was the person you dealt with Joe Roberts, the publisher of SP? The text of the auction indicated to me that this would be the case, and I cannot imagine that Joe would send out a blank CD intentionally. Please keep us informed of the results as you seek a remedy.