10 metres audio cable going into PC = too long?

Utter bullshit. The signal has to be analogue when it enters the house - that's not a bottleneck, that's delivery of a *useable* POTS signal, just like the output of a DAC in a hi-fi system. If you want something else coming into your house, then it's not a 'phone line, and can't be described as providing a POTS.

At the domestic master socket, yes, but the *cable* isn't necessarily the limitation, and nowadays is often also delivering up to an 8Mb/sec ADSL digital signal. Which brings us neatly back on topic.

Whatever - was my *meaning* unclear to you?

It's likely that we are looking at a culture difference here. I used to work for Hughes Aircraft at the Tucson AZ plant, and I was staggered at the detail in the training manuals for basic electronic assembly workers. Then I got into conversations in the staff canteens, and I understood the reason for difference. In the US, many 'skilled' workers are virtually illiterate by UK standards, but have excellent and highly detailed training which allows them to perform very specific tasks competently. In the UK, we tend to have a broader educational system (we consider the term 'high school graduate' to be hilarious), with not far off 50% of school leavers going to University or similar tertiary education.
As a result, the general level of education in 'low-grade' technicians is significantly higher in the UK than in the US, and they have much more capability when things go a little 'outside the box'. It's perfectly reasonable to suppose that a 'pole and hole' man over here would be perfectly familiar with the technology he was installing, and that one over there would not. Indeed, I had an interesting chat with the guy who changed our electricity meter while he was doing the work a couple of years ago, and he was fully aware of the operating principles both of the old 'spinning disc' eddy current meter he was remnoving, and the new Hall Effect meter he was installing. I seriously doubt that would be the case in Arizona!

On Tue, 02 May 2006 17:51:38 +0100, Stewart Pinkerton Gave us:
I've got nine inches of "boy" to go up in your retarded ass with, little girl.

Thought so, boy. Had to be somewhere in the South, or maybe more likely the Appalachians. Squeal, piggy!

On Wed, 03 May 2006 06:53:07 +0100, Stewart Pinkerton Gave us:
You're a goddamned retard. No wonder Hughes fired your lame ass.

Poor taste, yes. Retard, no.
Just politically incorrect and proud of it.
Two Muslim women in Millets trying on rucksacks - one says to the other "does my bomb look big in this?"
Difference between Basil Brush and a Muslim? A Muslim only goes boom once.
etc etc...

Not here it isn't. The main voice line coming into the building is ISDN.
The fax line is analogue though (and is the one that carries the ADSL broadband as well).

Score! I'd love ta meet your wife, your sister and your cousin - if she's still with you. Getting back to audio, how's your collection of banjo music doing?
Actually, I left Hughes because I was invited to take up the post of Head of Electronics and Computer Applications at the Production Engineering Research Association - but thanks for playing.

Note that POTS is the topic under discussion.

HTH Sue

Distortion is a modifying influence. It is not a signal. A distorted signal is the result.
Distortion can be countered by applying a counter-modifying influence such as with feedback for example.

According to Fourier, it can just as correctly be called a signal added to the original undistorted signal.
Yes, and the feedback signal is just the opposite phase of the distortion signal.
MrT.