So you think you are Round Earth.

Here is a little quizz which has been compiled from various contributions on the Naim forum over the last few years. I thought it might be fun over here as well. If you score a plus you are flat earth and if you score a negative you are definitely round

• If yes If no
  Is your turntable worth more than your speakers? 35
  Do you own a record cleaner? 25
  Is your turntable placed on a dedicated altar? 20
  Do you use fancy anti-static inner sleeves? 10
  Does your turntable's platter weigh 50 kg or more? -25
  Is CD your only source? (The CDS2 / CDS3 counts as a turntable) -20
  Does your turntable have a record clamp? -10
  Do you own any of the following tables: LP12, Rega P9, or Roxy? 40
  Or these tables: Linn Axis, Rega P25, or the Michell rotating cake stands? 30
  Or these: P3, Linn Basic, old Heybrook, or Revolver? 20
  Any American table? -30
  Does your table have an external power supply? 30
  Is your turntable worth more than your speakers? 35
  Is your table better than your arm? 20 -10
  Is your arm better than your cartridge? 20 -10
  Did you understand why the last two questions were asked 10 -10
  Do you have an separate spur. 40
  for each additional spur 10
  Is your system plugged into a power conditioner, powerline enhancer, or computer power bar? -100
  Does your preamp have a mono switch? 30
  Have you ever accidentally left the preamp in mono but didn't notice for days? 20
  Did you paint the front of your 52 silver to match the rest of your classic Flat Earth kit? 20
  Did you chintz out and get your preamp without a phono input? -50
  unless you did this specifically to free up money for a separate phono stage 80
  Does your preamp weigh 5 pounds and your power amp weigh 500? -40
  Did you go active before maxing out your source, preamp and power supply? -20
  Does your preamp have tubes? -30
  Does your power amp have tubes? -30
  Do you own any of the following speakers: Kan I, Kan II, Sara, Isobarik, IBL, SBL, NBL, DBL, Quad 57s? 40
  Do you own speakers by any of the following manufacturers: Royd, Neat, Epos or Dynaudio? 30
  Do you own speakers by any American manufacturer? -80
  Do you position your speakers for the best overall groove and image? 0
  Do you position your speakers for the best overall groove? 20
  * Do you position your speakers for the best overall_ image? -20
  Do you enjoy air, space and blackness? -40
  Do you prefer thin but groovy bass? 20
  Do you prefer full but flubby bass? -20
  Have you ever spent an afternoon adjusting the tracking force for that magic value between 1.95 g and 1.97g? 20
  Do you vacuum your cartridge regularly, knowing full well that one day you'll suck the generator right out? 15
  Have you ever wondered whether the belt and mat combinations interact 10
  Have you tried all permutations 10
  Do you spend Saturday afternoon at garage sales, looking for 50 cent LPs? 10
  Do you own a 45 RMP version of Yello's "Stella"? 5
  Do you own a half-speed master of ELP's "Tarkus"? -40
  Do you buy audiophool LPs for their smooth, silky sound? -35
  Do you use a record clamp? -20
  Do you go to live concerts to enjoy air, space and blackness? -80
  Have you ever gone to a shop that carries high-end American gear?
  If you go to deliberately take the piss in front of the salesdude -20
  If you go to report here how dire the system sounded 20If you go because you're wondering if a soundstage is for you -40Have you ever dreamt about hi-fi? Was it about hearing or owning better Flat Earth kit 20
  Have you ever dreamt about hi-fi? Was it about hearing or owning better Round Earth kit -20
  Is SACD your main source? -100
  Do you use an off board DAC? -20
  Is a tuner your *main* source? 30
  Is a turntable your *only* source? 30
  Are you unable to convert pounds to kilos? -15
  Does your amp cost more than your source? -25
  Does your amp generate >150 watts @ 8 ohm? -10
  Add 30 for each tubed component, 40 of it's a CDP.
  Does your tube amp generate <10 watts? -20
  Does your preamp have a phase switch? -30
  Are any of your RCA jacks gold plated? -10
  for each fascia in brushed aluminium, champagne or chrome. Add an additional 10 for each casing in said finishes -10
  25 for each component in black or olive 25
  Do your speakers cost more than your source? -50 50
  Are your speakers ported? -15
  Are your speakers floorstanding? -10 10
  Are your speakers >93 db? -25
  What are the speaker cones made of? Add 35 for Kevlar, 15 for polypropylene, carbon fibre, or aluminum. Deduct 20 for paper or Bextrene.
  Do you use a subwoofer? Subtract 50 points for each additional subwoofer. -20
  Subtract 5 points for each 5 degrees of speaker toe-in -5
  Are speakers are pointing straight out 20
  Is your remote hewn from a solid billet of aluminum? -10
  Do your speaker cables cost more than your source? -100
  Do they employ network boxes? -50
  Do your interconnects cost more than your source? -100
  Do they employ networks? -50
  Are they RCAs? -100
  Add 100 for using the stock interconnects. 100
  Do you use a PLC? -100
  Subtract 15 points for each squidgy footer -15
  Subtract 5 points for each cone. -5
  Subtract 35 for each air bladder / colostomy bag. -35
  Subtract 25 if your rack contains marble -25
  Add 20 points if your rack employs glass shelves. 20
  If you recognized satirical quality of the previous question, add 30 points instead. 30
  Subtract 10 points for each album you own by the following artists: Patricia Barber, Holly Cole, Keb Mo, Mike Oldfield, post-Police Sting, Diana Krall, The Eagles. -10
  Add 15 points for each album you own by the following artists: XTC, King Crimson, Ken Boothe, Leftfield, Photek, Aphex Twin, Phish, Gang of Four. 15

 

My score exluding the repetive questions was -90. So I am round earth. I am guessing flat earth is old skool buy a Linn LP12 feed it with an average Pioneer Amp and some Heybrook speakers, then of course use standard stock interconnects, bell wire for the speakers, and have the L12 stacked on top of the amp.

So I am a right in thinking Linn's theory of source first is flat earth, and round earth is well more open minded and rounded?

 

Man, that is a test of endurance. I wanted to hack my head off after the 6th question. I think i have fallen off the edge of the earth, with a no score.

 

Somewhere around 700 points so I could be flatter but not much :MILD:

 

Well it's a twist on an old scale some 'Clever person' did on the Naim/pancake forum
I've been to people houses with serious earthy scores only to find a roundie effort.
Still you can have both. and it's sounds good, I don't if those earthy boys could cope with it Tom you still haven't opened your mail box have you? WM

 

Mine works out to about 340 (and I do now have an olive box as well as black ones).

Does Royd count for Mk 1 Rega Elas - I assumed it did

What about interconnects - I don't have a Naim source, but most of my interconnects (tape decks, tuner) use the cheapest DIN->phonos I could get, or had lying around...

 

495 points, I think that makes me flatish...

Although I am concerned about the definition of a turntable altar?

 

I'm in self exile from the Naim forum and am tending to keep of the others at the mo.

 

-85, pretty lousy bearing in mind most of my gear is FE.
That'll teach me to use a Teac VRDS on the front of it...

 

If I count my components as black then its 45 points. It means absolutely bugger all of course

 

-70

I like to think thats 'well rounded' !

 

Amazingtrade,

You have summed it up very aptly I feel

 

Tom, just been browsing your list, you missed a couple

Owning any Nu-Vista/Tri-vista/300 series M/F -500 points
Having a CDS2/CDS3 is not owning a TT, TT's are far better
Ever drempt of owing Naim, see a Physciatrist urgently and have immdiate enema -750
Colour matching naim kit, -300 saddo points and a free bottle of prozac
Only having dedicated spurs for each bit of kit +10 points for only doing half a job
Do you prefer thin groovy bass -20, but those that have seriously fast groovy and big bass +250 (some thing I've yet to hear from a FE system)
Having monster leading edge and trailing note body without the use of ferrite worship 1000
Not having aloofiness about TT's on singular horizon forums -250
Only buying music cuz you think it makes your system sound good -500
And posting smug polls which improve your standing in the flat community and try to make small 'those others' see Enema
Fridays, don't you love em WM

 

Where's the delete button?

 

I thought you'd like it .

Fridays?. Everyday is Saturday for me:MILD:

 

I get 650. Mostly because I own everything by the Aphex Twin and the Gang of Four...

-- Ian