calibrating the FEP scale

Posted by: Joe Petrik on 10 October 2000

With all the FEPs being awarded and rescinded on the forum, maybe we should calibrate the scale so the points mean something.

Although some components work together synergistically -- suggesting that FEPs awarded to individual components can be multiplied -- for simplicity we should add individual points to get an overall FEP score.

Ready? Get a pad and pencil out and tally your FEPs...

Source FEPS
· Is your turntable worth more than your speakers? If yes, add 35 points.

· Do you own a record cleaner? If yes, add 25 points.

· Is your turntable placed on a dedicated altar? If yes, add 20 points.

· Do you use fancy anti-static inner sleeves? If yes, add 10 points.

· Does your turntable's platter weigh 50 kg or more? If yes, subtract 25 points.

· Is CD your only source? If yes, subtract 20 points, unless you own a CDS-II.

· Does your turntable have a record clamp? If yes, subtract 10 points.

Electronics FEPs
· Does your preamp have a mono switch? If yes, add 30 points.

· Have you ever accidentally left the preamp in mono but didn't notice for days? If yes, add 20 points.

· Did you paint the front of your 52 silver? If yes, add 10 points.

· Did you chintz out and get the preamp without a phono input? If yes, subtract 50 points.

· Does your preamp weigh 5 pounds and your power amp weigh 500? If yes, subtract 40 points.

· Does your preamp have tubes? If yes, subtract 30 points.

Speaker FEPs
· Do you own any of the following speakers: Kan I, Kan II, Sara, Isobarik, IBL, SBL, DBL, Quad 57s? If so, add 40 points.

· Do you position your speakers for the best overall groove and image (zero points), best groove (add 20 points), or best image (subtract 20 points)?

Lifestyle FEPs
· Do you enjoy air, space and blackness? If yes, subtract 40 points.

· Is it better to have thin but groovy bass (add 20 points) or full but flubby bass (subtract 20 points)?

· Have you ever spent an afternoon adjusting the tracking force for that magic value between 1.95 g and 1.97g? If yes, add 20 points.

· Do you vacuum your cartridge regularly, knowing full well that one day you'll suck the generator right out? If yes, add 15 points.

· Did you try all four positions of the belt and both positions of the mat on your LP12 to determine which sounds best? If yes, add 10 points. (If you ever wondered whether the belt and mat combinations interact and therefore exponentially increase the number of permutations add another 10 points. Add another 10 if you tried all permutations.)

· Do you spend Saturday afternoon at garage sales, looking for 50 cent LPs? If yes, add 10 points.

· Do you own a 45 RMP version of Yello's "Stella"? If yes, add 5 points.

· Do you own a half-speed master of ELP's "Tarkus"? If yes, subtract 40 points.

· Do you buy audiophool LPs for their smooth, silky sound? If yes subtract 35 points.

· Do you use a record clamp? If yes, subtract 20 points.

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Joe Petrik

210 FEPs for me.

Joe

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Former member

..and I got 150 points.

Regards,

Per

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Former member

Joe,

What is the scoring scale for flat-earthness? Do I pass with 125 points?

James

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by P

I've puzzled over the meaning of FEP's for some considerable time now - but now I know.

Now would someone explain just who the hell is TF?

Regards P. - How many points for not using vinyl even though ones loft is full of the stuff?
Oh and I now have a CDS11 by the way -great!

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Joe Petrik

James,

FEPs are measured on an integer scale, so flat earthedness starts at 1 FEP, and round earthedness starts at -1 FEP. To be a flat earther in good standing, though, I think you'd need at least 100.

Joe, waiting to see if the vinyl nutter tops my kick-ass score of 210.

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Bob Edwards

Actually, I score 220 FEPs.

Bob

PS--Brilliant post, Joe !

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Chris Metcalfe

I reached 170, though it's been a while since the Saturday afternoon LP searches. I used to adjust tracking weights on my old RB300/RD11S in the 80s.

I notice NBLs don't make the sacred speaker list, even though the UK's premier reviewer (and latterly Naimophile) Martin Colloms pronounced them as 'defining time and dynamics like no speaker I've heard before'.

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Former member

Joe.

195 for me--but you know if I had an LP12, I would have earned a full 30 for doing the belt, mat and belt-mat interaction stuff (and landed ahead of you). I did score 10, however, for having thought about the interaction even though I never owned an LP12.

I can't believe Bob Edwards is ahead of me! Going to have to buy those Kans or SBLs sooner than I thought. Hold on a second though: Kans image better than what I have now! Your scale is fucked.

Vuk.

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Greg Beatty

...I was *almost* nailed on the Tarkus thing.

And I *paid* more for my TT than speakers, but speakers were bought 2nd-hand are are "worth" more now on the used market. So I dunno...

EZier than taxes, but how would a high PRat Mini System rate?

- GregB
Freedom is not in finding the Holy Grail but in stopping the search for it

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Phil Barry

Ah! The mystery of life explained. But I have one (2?) question(s) left: how does one score for actually listening to music? (Or have I missed the point entirely?)

It's amazing what a Ph.D. prepares one to do....

I'm at 180 points, plus/minus the points for listening.

Regards.

Phil

[This message was edited by Phil Barry on TUESDAY 10 October 2000 at 20:41.]

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Scott Naylor

Joe-bob,

Hey, 180 for me but I cheated a little bit -
since I owned an LP12 for several years and
did all that permutation jazz I added LP12 points.
This was to offset the fact that Exposure pre-amps
don't have mono switches - heck, they don't even
have balance controls for heaven's sake.

I didn't know how many Fat Elvis points I'd
been awarded earlier by Prof V. Nutter or I'd have
added those too.

-Scott
known to cheat at cards too :-)

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Former member

quote:
It's amazing what a Ph.D. prepares one to do....

I think you are confusing Joe with the other Joe.

Vuk.

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Bob Edwards

Vuk--

Maybe my opinions are not so strange after all. . . .

Cheers,

Bob

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Joe Petrik

Vuk,

The FEP scale has been developed and validiated over many phases of investigation involving focus groups, extensive psychometric tests and a team a researchers that wear horn-rimmed glasses and white lab coats.

Your score is your score. If you want more FEPs, you'll have to ditch your Tannoys for Kans or SBLs.

Joe

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Former member

Joe.

Kans will get me 40 points, but SBLs only 5, as I would lose 35 for having speakers more expensive than the deck. Are you saying that people with the best TT in the world can't have anything more expensive than Credos at the back or can I add the XX-1L, Reference Table and Prefix to the cost of the P9?

Vuk.

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Stewart Cooper

Joe,

I'm fearful to report a humble 140. But when I get back to the US I will endeavour to improve ...

May I ask how you are supporting your TT these days?

Stewart

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Bob Edwards

Vuk--

See subject line !

Cheers,

Bob

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Joe Petrik

Vuk,

quote:
Kans will get me 40 points, but SBLs only 5, as I would lose 35 for having speakers more
expensive than the deck. Are you saying that people with the best TT in the world can't have anything more expensive than Credos at the back or can I add the XX-1L, Reference Table and Prefix to the cost of the P9?

You get to count the cartridge and Prefix in the cost of your table but not the support, so you're OK up to SBLs. After that, you'll have to get a Te Kaitora or XV-1 to not lose FEPs. See, it's very scientific -- just like the rules of fizzbin

Joe

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Former member

Joe

Is 125 purely positive FEPs better than the same score arrived at with a mixture of pluses and minuses? Also, I don't think forum members should count prior situations for FEPs. It's what you do or have in the present that counts, otherwise they should also include all the negative, round earth points for their past sins.

James

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by mr saucisson

Seriously good post, and good to get 205! I should get out more...

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Former member

"Is CD your only source? If yes, subtract 20 points, unless you own a CDS-II."

Hey, that's a tailored question for Joel ! a 1991 CDS1 or a CDI should at least give the same FEPs.

On the other hand, Joe, you're very modest, I'd give you some points for them sorcerers, the only FEPped Royds.

Only 105 for me due to lack of playing with myself, sorry, with my p3 and records.

Omer (does tear gas in your listening room add or subtract FEPs ?)

[This message was edited by Omer Shibolet on TUESDAY 10 October 2000 at 22:29.]

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Former member

215 for me.

Whats the pass mark?

Rob.

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Martin Payne

215 FEPs! Good grief, I beat Vuk & Joe!

The highlights:-

My LP12 cost me about 2.5x what I paid for the Isobariks - it's still worth more even if you count new prices. (35 points). My CDS-II cost me about £600 more, though. I'll have to try out the vacuum cleaner - which model gives the best improvement in sound? Do I have to remove the air filters to give more suction?

I have both Kan-I's and Isobariks (40 points - I only counted them once).

Should I earn extra points for having more LPs than CDs?

Best of all, though, is my speaker positioning.

The Isobariks are only 1.4m apart, centre to centre. However, I have to sit a long way back to get a lean bass (20 points). My seating position is over 5m from the front of the speakers, a ratio of over 3.5 (stereo don't enter into it, mate!) Who can beat that? (Another hard-earned 20 points).

cheers, Martin

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Mike Hanson

I got only 40!

Of course, I don't have a turntable (yet), so that handicaps me quite a bit. I'll have to add these up again when I do. Oh well. Catch you later!

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

Smilies do not a forum make.

Posted on: 10 October 2000 by Former member

Mike.

How did you contrive 40 FEPs? When I do the math for you the total ends up at -60. That's MINUS sixty.

Vuk.