Simplicity, Presence, Mods, and Direct Conversion Receivers

Over on the Discord server that we set up for the SolderSmoke Challenge project.  One of the guys who succeeded in building the receiver (kudos to him!) commented that, for some reason, his receiver didn't sound good on SSB.  I was kind of surprised by this, because usually we hear the opposite:  that direct conversion receivers sound GREAT on phone.  In fact, this may be the origin of the term "presence" when used to describe the audio quality of DC receivers.  So I sent this note on the issue: 

Sounds like you are on the right track in wanting to understand the circuitry .   I would just point out that even experienced users of commercial SSB radios are usually impressed by the sound quality of simple direct conversion receivers like this one.  This is the origin of the term "presence"  -- Doug DeMaw used this word when describing the experience of listening to Wes Hayward's 1968 direct conversion receiver.  He said it made the guy from the distant station sound as if he were "present" in the room with the receiver!  From an article about this event:  "This was the epiphany, the moment when Doug realized that solid-state technology had produce a new way to build a simple receiver. Doug tuned the receiver higher in the band and found some SSB. Again it was like nothing he had ever heard. It was as if the voice came from the same room. Doug used the term presence in his description."  So you should not have diminished expectations for this simple receiver.    Realize that Wes's receiver was even simpler than ours!    I don't feel a need to defend this design, but will point out that these receiver can sound great if used properly.   Here is a recording of one of these receivers in action in December 2024:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSI7YDJGAos  And this one: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2024/12/listening-to-40-meters-on-dc-receiver.html  Mods are great, but remember that you CAN diminish the simplicity and thus the "presence" of these receivers by strapping on a lot of unnecessary  features:  filters, amplifiers, Digital VFOs, frequency counters, etc.  especially if these mods are put in there to address shortcomings that don't really exist.  73  Bill N2CQR

What do you folks think of all this?  

BTW, you too can get involved in the project by visiting our Discord server.   Just go to Discord and set up (it is easy) you own server.  Then use this logon to get to the SolderSmoke Discord server: 

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