HiFi-Stereo-Review-1987-04.pdf - World Radio History

1987 $2.25

VIDEO SPECIALS:HOW TO USE A VCRSURROUND SOUNDA BUYING GUIDETO HI-FI VCR'S

LAB TESTS:MARANTZ CD PLAYERPIONEER PREAMPSNELL SPEAKERS

FIRST TESTS:BOSE AM -5SPEAKERS

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-Knew you'd be a vision in wh toIto oid you pi these pants sodiff?Dml know what you're coinBuf you mutt be livie right

We got sonw places fo seeI iroughf of the maps with meSo jump rig,f in_. Ain't no sirTake a rides my rnachiae

Cly frac& mov n way ho sktwDrop the pedal and go._ go...fo

Coif ridin on the freeway oflowrtrwurs against our backGrin ridiri on the freeway of lowis my pink tadiVac-*

FREEWAY

AreYa

MAXELL. THE TAPE THAT LASTS AS LONG AS THE LEGEND.She's traveled the highway from gospel singing sister to the reigningQueen of Soul. Fueled by a big powerful voice and a big joyous heart.Maxell audio tapes are created so that you can have a permanent record ofthat long journey, now and in the years to come. At Maxellevery tape is manufactured to standards 60% higher thanthe industry calls for. So even after 500 plays the geniu!that is Aretha will still thrill you just like it did when youfirst heard it, tooling down your very own freeway of love.c 1986 Meath Corporation of America. 60 Oxford Drive. Moonachie, N 07074 Art by Guy Fery. a' 1985 Gratitude Sky Mush and Polo (amends Music

BULLETIN

by Christie Barter andWilliam Burton

PHILIPSNEW AUDIO/VIDEOPhilips is spearheading

41p thethe launch of a form ofCD -videodisc similar to

lirmg' Pioneer's. The new"Iproduct, which Philips

calls Compact Disc Video, will bereleased in three formats, howev-er-as five -inch "singles," eight -inch "EP's," and twelve -inch"LP's." Due to be introduced at theSummer Consumer ElectronicsShow in Chicago, the singles willcarry about five minutes of videoand some twenty minutes of mu-sic with (according to one an-nouncement) a suggested listprice of between $5 and $6. Thetwelve -inch CDV will be compara-ble to Pioneer's Compact Laser -Discs, which retail for $16.95. Thehardware to play the new CDV'swill be manufactured by Philipsand other companies, under li-cense, and will range from porta-ble singles players to CDV-equipped television monitors.

HONORS AND AWARDSWhitney Houston was the de-

cided front runner at this year'sAmerican Music Awards ceremo-ny in Los Angeles. The twenty-three -year -old singer took prizesfor favorite album (her debut onArista) and favorite female vocal-ist in both the pop/rock and soul/r -&-b categories as well as for fa-vorite r -&-b video single. . . .

Anita Baker has won two NAACPawards, for Best Album ("Rap-ture," her debut on Elektra) andBest Female Artist. . . . JohnDenver has received this year'sYamaha Music Award for his"ongoing dedication to excellencein music."

MUSIC VIDEO FOR EASTERMGM/UA Home Video has re-

leased the Academy Awardwinning Irving Berlin musicalEaster Parade, starring Judy Gar-land and Fred Astaire. With an ap-proximate screening time of anhour and forty-five minutes, and asoundtrack that's been "digitallyenhanced for stereo," it's a bar-gain at the list price of $29.95.

COPY -PROOF MUSIC?A double -ended copy -guard sys-

tem developed by CBS could soonmake it impossible to dub encodedmusic with tape recorders con-taining a complementary detectorchip. The system prevents dupli-cation of encoded sources (suchas the twenty encoded CD's of Bar-bra Streisand's "Broadway Album"pressed for demonstration pur-poses) by any tape deck-analogor digital-that has the detectorchip. CBS expects to distributeninety coding machines to recordcompanies for production runs inJune, so encoded CD's, LP's, andcassettes could be in record storesin July.

The encoding consists of an in-termittent notch centered at3,838 Hz, about 90 dB down and125 Hz wide. CBS claims the ab-sence of these frequencies is notnoticeable. According to Denonengineers, the effects of the pre-production encoder are audible inclassical music but not in popularmusic.

A law now before Congress (S.506) would encourage DAT manu-facturers to build the copy -guardchip into their decks, thus mak-ing them incapable of copying en-coded material. The techniquecould be applied to any formatcontaining audio frequenciesaround 3.838 Hz, including video-tapes and radio and TV broadcasts.

SUPER -VHS DETAILSJVC is claiming that its Super -

VHS system can record and playvideotapes with higher resolutionthan either videodiscs or broad-casts. Demonstration models wererated at 430 lines in sr and EPspeeds. To achieve this sharpness,S -VHS VCR's must use specialblank S -VHS videotapes. An S -VHStape cannot be played on a stan-dard VHS deck, although an S -VHS deck can play standard VHStapes. S -VHS is said to work byseparating the chrominance andluminance signals to reduce videonoise.

78'S LIVE!Rhino Records has revived the

ten -inch 78 -rpm record in a twen-ty -five -disc set of "Jukebox Clas-

sics,"' featuring fifty 1950's hitssuch as Jerry Lee Lewis's WholeLotta Shakin' Goin' On and theChordettes' Mr. Sandman. Accord-ing to Rhino, this is the first timerecords have been released in thisformat since 1959.

MUSIC VIDEO CATALOGPlayings Hard to Get is the

name of a mail-order service de-voted solely to music video. Thecatalog, which is updated irregu-larly during the year, lists music -video software in all categories,from shorts to feature films in allformats. It is available for a one-time fee of $2, payable to PlayingsHard to Get, 580 Old Mine Office, '

Madrid, NM 87010.

DAT DECK ON SALE IN JAPANAs we went to press, Aiwa an-

nounced that it was putting a dig-ital audio tape (DAT) deck on themarket in Japan. See report onpage 18.

KIDDIE KAMCORDERA camcorder capable of record-

ing eleven minutes of black -and -white video with mono sound onC-90 audio cassettes is being in-troduced by toy manufacturerFisher-Price. Weighing less thantwo pounds, the PXL 2000 shouldhave a suggested retail price of$150 or less. For playback, thecamcorder connects directly to aTV set. Instead of using rotatingheads like all other camcorders,the PXL 2000 records the videoand audio signals with a station-ary head as the tape moves at aspeed equivalent to fast forwardin audio use. Each side of a high -bias C-90 can be used for five -and -a -half minutes.

74.

STEREO DEMANDSTHE REAL SOUND

OF AMERICA'SBEST-SELLING SPEAKERS

Realistic® brand speakers from Radio Shackare the choice of music lovers who know uncom-promised sound when they hear it . . . andsolid -value craftsmanship when they see it.From the mighty Mach Two° system to ourwidely acclaimed Minimus® series, each an

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every Reaistic speaker system is engineeredand manufactured to demanding standards.And 13 models, including two of our lowestpriced extension speakers, feature a genuinewalnut veneer finish, not vinyl. For the realso nd of stereo, millions choose Realistic.

Exclusively at Radio Shack'A DIVISION OF TANDY CORPORATION

Stereo ReviewBULLETIN 1 CLASSICAL .MUSIC 93EDITORIAL 6 POPULAR MUSIC 101LETTERS 8 NEW PRODUCTS 122AUDIO Q&A 20 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS .. 123TECHNICAL TALK 23 THE HIGH END 124

EQUIPMENTNEWS FLASH: DAT FINALLY RELEASEDAiwa announces plans to market the first digital audiotape deck in Japan by Bryan HarrellHIRSCH-HOUCK LABS EQUIPMENT TEST REPORTSAkai VS -565U VHS Hi-Fi VCR, page 27Pioneer C-90 Preamplifier, page 35Snell Type C/i Loudspeaker System, page 41Marantz CD50 Compact Disc Player, page 47VIDEOTAPINGHow to get the most out of a VCR by William Wolfe

SURROUND SOUNDIf you want that movie sound at home, try asurround -sound processor by Tom Gillett

THE BOSE AM -5 SPEAKER SYSTEMA special test report by Julian HirschCES SHOW STOPPERSFifteen hot new products from the 1987 WinterConsumer Electronics Show by William BurtonHI-FI VCR's: A BUYING GUIDEFeatures, specs, and prices of videocassette recordersfor audiophiles by William Wolfe and Staff

MUSIC

18

27

50

54

62

66

73

MOVIE MUSIC ON COMPACT DISCFrom King Kong to Miami Vice, music from moviesand TV sounds better than ever on CD by Steve Simels

BEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTHLinda Ronstadt, Jankek's Glagolitic Mass, Los Lobos,Kathleen Battle

RECORD MAKERSThe latest from Ric Ocasek, Natalia Makarova, andHoward the Duck, all-star performances for PBS andthe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and more

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PAGE 73

)110\04 \)\s"1"

N. 1PAGE 90

Cover. The Bose AM -5 satellite/sub-woofer speaker system; see page 62 fora special test report by Julian Hirsch.Design by Sue Llewellyn. photo byRobert Lorenz.

VOL. 52 NO. 4 APRIL 1987 (ISSN 0039-1220)COPYRIGHT 0 1987 BY CBS MAGAZINES, A DIVISION OF CBS INC. All rights reserved. Stereo Review, April 1987, Volume 52, Number 4. Published monthly by CBSMagazines at 3807 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Editorial and Executive Offices at 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036: Telephone (212)719-6000. Also pub-lishers of Stereo Buyers' Guide, Car Stereo Buyers' Guide, Compact Disc Buyers' Guide, and Video Buyers' Guide. One-year subscription rate for the United States and itspossessions, $9.98; Canada, $10.98; all other countries, $14.98, cash orders only, payable in U.S. currency. Second-class postage paid at Los Angeles, CA 90052, and at additionalmailing offices. Authorized as second-class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, Canada, and for payment of postage in cash. POSTMASTER 'SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE:Please send change -of -address forms and all subscription correspondence to Stereo Review, P.O. Box 2771, Boulder, CO 80302. Please allow at least eight weeksfor the change ofaddress to become effective. Include both your old and your new address, enclosing, if possible, an address label from a recent issue. If you have a subscription problem, write to theabove address or call (800) 525-0643; in Colorado, call (303) 447-9330. PER,%IISSIO.VS: Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission.Requests for permission should be directed to William S. Bunchuck, Rights and Permissions, CBS Magazines, One Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016.

STEREO REVIEW APRIL 1987 3

Matthew Polk's Magnificent Sounding New SDA 2A

I

1.001, Man.

SDA 2A$499.00 ea Digital Disc Ready

Matthew Polk stands proudly alongside the latest version of his Audio Video Grand Prix Award Winning SDA 2A

The Magnificent Sound of Matthew Polk'sExtraordinary New SDA 2A

Puts the Competition to Shame!"It has the ability to make your

previous favorite speaker sound almost second rate"

atthew PolkS magnificent sound-ing new 3rd generation SDA /Aincorporates many new advances

pioneered in his top -of -the -line SignatureEdition SRSs. It achieves stunningly life-like musical reproduction which wouldbe remarkable at any price but is simplyextraordinary at $499. each. Stereo Reviewsaid, "listen at your own risk." Once you hearthem you'll never be satisfied with anythingelse!

Polk's RevolutionaryStereo SDA Breakthrough

The magnificent sounding new SDA 2Aincorporates Polk's revolutionary True StereoSDA technology. This patented, critically ac-claimed, Audio Video Grand Prix Award win-ning breakthrough is the most importantfundamental advance in loudspeaker tech-nology since stereo itself In fact, the designprinciples embodied in the SDAs make themthe world's first and only True Stereo speakers.

Why do Polk SDAs always sound better thanconventional speakers? When conventionalloudspeakers are used to reproduce stereoboth speakers are heard by both ears causinga form of acoustic distortion called interauralcrosstalk which cuts down stereo separation,obscures detail and interferes with the properreproduction and perception of imaging, andspaciousness. Polk SDAs are designed to elimi-nate interaural crosstalk so that each speaker isonly heard by the one correct ear (i.e. leftchanneVleft ear, right channel/right ear), likeheadphones. The result is dramatically im-proved stereo separation, detail and three-dimensional imaging. In order to accomplishthis each SDA incorporates a separate set ofdrivers which radiates a special dimensional(difference) signal which cancels the undesir-able interaural crosstalk coming from thewrong speaker to the wrong ear. High Fidelitycalled the results "Mind Boggling".

The Most Extraordinary Valuein High End Audio Today

The new SDA lAs, like all the current SDAs,incorporate the latest 3rd generation SDAtechnology developed for Matthew Polk's Sig-nature Edition SRS and SRS -2 including /: fullcomplement sub -bass drive for deeper, fuller,tighter and more dynamic bass response; 2:phase coherent time -compensated driveralignment for better focus, lower -colorationsmoother, clearer, more coherent midrangeand improved front -to -back depth and; 3:bandwidth -optimized dimensional signal forsmoother high -end and even better soundstageand image. The new SDA 2A is the finestsounding and most technologically advancedspeaker ever produced at its extraordinarilymodest price. It sounds dramatically better thanspeakers from other manufacturers that cost 4times as much and more and is, at $499 ea.,truly the speaker of your dreams at a price youcan afford.

"Breathtaking... a new worldof hifi listening." Stereo Buyers Guide

The spectacular sonic benefits of SDAtechnology are dramatic and easily heard byvirtually anyone. Reviewers, critical listenersand novices alike are overwhelmed by themagnitude of the sonic improvement achievedby Polk's SDA technology. Stereo Review said,"These speakers always sounded differentfrom conventional speakers - and, in our view,better - as a result of their SDA design."

All Polk's SDAs, including the new 2Asproduce a huge lifelike three dimensional sonicimage which will amaze you. You will hear forthe first time instruments, ambience and subtlemusical nuances which are present on yourrecordings but masked by the interaural cross-talk distortion produced by conventional speak-ers. Stereo Review said, "Spectacular...literallya new dimension in the sound...the result is

Stereo Review Magazine

always better than would be achieved by con-ventional speakers". High Fidelity said, "MindBoggling...Astounding ... Flabbergasting...wehave yet to hear any stereo program that doesn'tbenefit". With SDAs every instrument, vocalist

"Mindboggling,Astounding,

Flabbergasting"High Fidelity Magazine

and sound becomes distinct, tangible and alive;allowing you to experience the spine tinglingexcitement, majesty and pleasure of live musicin your own home.

Other Superb Sounding PolksFrom $85. to $1395. each

No matter what your budget is there is asuperb sounding Polk speaker perfect for you.Polk's incredible sounding/affordably pricedMonitor Series loudspeakers utilize the samebasic components as the SDAs and begin aslow as $85. each. The breathtaking sonicbenefits of Matthew Polk's revolutionary TrueStereo SDA technology are available in 5 SDAmodels priced from $395. to $1395 ea.

"You owe it to yourself toaudition them" High 1 Idelal

The experts agree: Polk speakers soundbetter. Use the reader's service card or writeto us for more information. Better vet, visityour Nearest Polk dealer toda. Your earswill thank wu.

PolkThe Speaker Specialists

5601 Metro Drive, Baltimore. Md. 21215

CIRCLE NO. 37 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Where to buy Polk Speakers? For your nearest dealer, se* page 116.

SPEAKING MY PIECE

by William Livingstone

MT Ambition

IKE most people, I never gotto decide what I was goingto be when I grew up. Anenergetic niece of mine used

to say she wanted to be a nurse. Herless energetic younger sister's ambi-tion was to be a patient. Today, thewould-be nurse is an advertisingspace buyer; the would-be patient isa mother and homemaker.

A prominent American operasinger used to suffer so badly fromstage fright that she gave all her bestperformances at rehearsals. She wasso frightened of audiences that hersecretary said the singer's ambitionwas to be a great retired prima don-na and go to the Metropolitan whenother divas were singing.

When I dropped out of graduateschool at the University of Copen-hagen, where I was studying Turkiclinguistics, I didn't know what to donext, so when I got back to NewYork, I took the first job that wasoffered to me: staff editor at theEncyclopedia Americana. I wantedtime to think, and for a while Idined out on the fact that I hadn'tdecided what to be when I grew up.After eight years of editing encyclo-pedias, I came to work for STEREOREVIEW, still undecided.

On December 1, 1986, I cele-

brated the thirtieth anniversary ofmy entry into publishing in NewYork. My decision has been a longtime coming, but I have finallymade up my mind. What I want tobe is a great retired editor and readmagazines produced by others.

Friends ask me how I can think ofgiving up this magazine when it isso successful. It looks great, thereaders seem happy with it, and sodo the advertisers. I reply that it isaxiomatic in show business to leavethe stage while the audience is stillapplauding and calling for encores.

We've never had a better editorialstaff than we do right now, and I canturn the magazine over to themwith confidence and a clear con-science. Louise Boundas, the Man-aging Editor, who has been my closeassociate for nearly fifteen years,will take over as Editor in Chiefwith the May issue, and at that timeSenior Editor Michael Smolen willbecome Executive Editor.

Like older executives in Japanwho move from day-to-day opera-tions to the policy -making level oftheir companies, I will become aconsultant with the title Editor atLarge. That means I will have timeto play a little more with the equip-ment, listen to more records, andwrite more articles. I can comfortthe staff if things go wrong andadvise them if they wish.

Young editors I've trained havetold me that I have all the control-ling, manipulative traits of the stagemother portrayed by Ethel Mermanin Gypsy. As I've grown olderpeople have said I look more andmore like the English character ac-tor Alec Guinness. So I am nowmoving from center stage into thewings, where from time to time, likeMerman, I will be heard to say,"Sing out, Louise!" At other times,like Guinness as Obi -Wan Kenobiin Star Wars, I'll call out, "Use theForce, Michael! Use the Force!"

And now, although our revels arenot ended, I should like to thankyou readers for twenty-two eventfulyears. If you read this magazine,you must be people who, like me,turn to music not just for entertain-ment, but for contact with beauty,for spiritual nourishment from ahigher power. May that Force bewith you always.

Stereo ReviewWILLIAM LIVINGSTONE

Editor in ChiefLOUISE GOOCH BOUNDAS

Managing EditorSUE LLEWELLYN

Art DirectorMICHAEL SMOLEN

Senior EditorWILLIAM BURTON, WILLIAM WOLFE

Technical EditorsCHRISTIE BARTER

Music EditorDAVID STEIN

Assistant Managing EditorMARGARET BRUENAssistant Art Director

BARBARA AIKEN, ROCCO MATTERAELIZABETH COSTELLO, WENDY SCHAUB,

JOHN WEINBERGditorial Assistants

HENRY PLEASANTSLondon Editor

BRYAN HARRELLTokyo Correspondent

Contributing Editors: Robert Ackart,Chris Albertson, Richard Freed, Phyl

Garland, Christopher Greenleaf, DavidHall, Julian D. Hirsch, Ralph Hodges,Stoddard Lincoln, Ian Masters, LouisMeredith, Alanna Nash, Mark Peel,

Charles Rodrigues, Eric Salzman, SteveSimels, Craig Stark, Joel Vance

Production Director: Gerald PalaciosProduction Manager: Laura LaFontaine

ROMAN BEYERVice President and Publisher

Associate Publisher: Winston A. JohnsonAssistant to the Publisher: Trisha Nickel

ADVERTISINGNational Manager: Richard J. Halpern

(212) 719-6037Eastern Manager: Charles L. P. Watson

(212) 719-6038Account Representatives: Anthony F.

Catalano, (212) 719-6037; Sharon Dube,(212) 719-6915

Classified Advertising: (212) 503-5999Midwestern Managers: Arnold S. Hoffman.

Dirk Barenbrugge, (312) 679-1100Western Director: William Curtis

GoldnerRegional

Manager: Jack GoldnerRegional Manager: Meg Roberts

(818) 784-0700Tokyo Office, Iwai Trading Co., Ltd.603 Ginza Sky Heights Building, 18-13,Ginza 7-Chome, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo, Japan 104Account Manager: J. S. Yagi, (03) 545-3908EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS must be accompa-nied by return postage and will be handled with reason-able care, but the publisher assumes no responsibilityfor return or safety of art, photos. or manuscripts.

Member Audit Bureau of Circulations

0 M

STEREO REVIEW IS PUBLISHED BYCBS MAGAZINES, A DIVISION OF CBS INC.President: Peter G. DiamandisVice President, Editorial Director: Carey WinfreySenior Vice President. Publishing: Robert F. SpillaneSenior Vice President, Circulation: Robert AlexanderSenior Vice President, Operations & Administration:

Robert J. GranataVice President, Finance, Arthur Sukel; Vice President.Subscription Circulation, Bernard B. Lacy: Vice Presi-dent, Manufacturing & Distribution, Murray M. Rom-er; President, CBS Magazine Marketing, Carl Kopf

6 STEREO REVIEW APRIL 1987

BEYOND CONVENTIONAL AUDIO

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THE ONKYO INTEGRA TA -2058REAL TIME COUNTER, -IX PRO, 3 HEADS, ACCUBIASPROVIDE PROFESSIONAL QUALITY RECORDINGS

The ONKYO Integra TA -2058 combines the recording quality of a professional deck with an array ofsophisticated control features. Our 3 head record & playback system includes c wide gap recording headfor superior frequency response and increased headroom. The playback head 'eatures a narrower gap,resulting in extended high frequency response, and inproved S/N ratio. The third head enables tapemonitoring, permitting instant comparison of the source material and your recording.

A computer -controlled Real Time tape counter provides a digital read-out that indicates inminutes and seconds the amount of -ape consumed or remaining, eliminating the possibility ofrunning out of tape in the middle of selection.

Freedom from tape saturation, even at the highest -ecording levels, is assured by DolbyI -1X Pro. ONKYO's exclusive Accubics circuit fine tune; recording bias for the flcrtest andwidest response, and an adjustable reset function le -s you customize your recordingsfor playback in other tape machines, like car stereo o- portables.

Professional recording and playback qualities are finally available in anArtistry In Sound

affordable deck-the ONKYO Integra TA -2058. nwlFrvo200 Williams Drive, Ramse.; NJ. 07446

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McIntoshGet all the newest and latest informa-tion on McIntosh stereo equipmentfrom McIntosh Laboratory.

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LETTERS

Amp Tests: More FalloutYou sick Commie, Pinko perverts!

Don't you realize that the very basis ofour free -enterprise system is more prod-uct for more money? Here I am, enjoy-ing my Julius Futterman OTL- l on arainy winter's night (the Futtermankeeps my home a cozy 75° all winter),and you tell me subjects in a double-blind study couldn't discriminate be-tween the audiophile trappings of capi-talistic success and mere proletarian ex-pediency.

What next? Will you prove that aFord Escort can take people the sameplaces a Mercedes 500 SEL can go?Does William Livingstone epitomizemasochistic self -destructiveness, orwhat? Who would want to advertise ahigh -end unit in a magazine that es-pouses product equivalency? Or doesLivingstone want us to forget aboutadvertising entirely and all troop tostate -run hi-fi stores to purchase identi-cal amplifiers? Will the brand name be"Comrade -Johnson"?

Shouldn't certain research be sup-pressed for the sake of what we love andbelieve in? Think about it.

MARTIN H. WILLIAMSSanta Clara, CA

We thought about it. And as the NewYork Times reported on February 1,1987, "Stereo Review published thesefindings without flinching, and audiofans everywhere are bracing for thefallout."

First, let me thank STEREO REVIEWfrom the bottom of my heart and walletfor publishing "Do All AmplifiersSound the Same?" in the January issue.This is just the kind of real, pertinent,useful information we audiophiles need,not the subjective, voodoo babble thatmost audio magazines publish. Thankyou, thank you.

There are, however, two differencesbetween amplifiers that I would beinterested in seeing investigated. Thefirst is power-this definitely makes anaudible difference! There must be somereal way to measure power. A 90 -watt -per -channel Crown amplifier is loud; a200 -watt -per -channel Carver is not.Can't this be quantified?

The second is frequency response. Ibelieve that I can hear a differencebetween systems with responses above20,000 Hz vs. those with lower cutoffs. Ihave three hypotheses for this:

1) I have an auditory system that canhear frequencies greater than 20,000Hz. This makes no sense, as little if anyprogram material has any frequency in-formation above this frequency.

2) I can hear the phase distortion,which becomes substantial well before

the cutoff frequency. This is possible,though experiments tend to indicatethat humans are not sensitive to phaseinformation. But experiments can bemisleading.

3) I am imagining that I hear a differ-ence. Very possible.

ALAN M. COHENBillerica, MA

I couldn't believe my ears, er, ah,eyes! You folks must be gluttons forpunishment, or at least ridicule! Firstthere was the revealing double-blindtest of selected compact disc players andnow the same kind of listening test ofamplifiers. As you know, the results ofthe CD player test were a bitter pill forthe well-heeled golden ears to swallow.The results of the amplifier test may beimpossible for them to accept.

But I am one average audiophile whocertainly appreciates your clarity, objec-tivity, and, dare I suggest, honesty.Thank you for being willing to speak thetruth even when it hurts some ears-and not by distortion, either! (I can'twait for the promised report examiningthe audibility of distortion.)

ROBERT C. OATESBrewton, AL

I found January's "Do All AmplifiersSound the Same?" very interesting.

One question still remains, however.Was the Pioneer receiver used as is, orwas its front end bypassed and the pro-gram passed through the Audio Re-search SP -11 tube preamplifier? If theformer, then the results are even morestartling.

JOE M. HOULAHANAlmonte, Ontario

David L. Clark, who conducted the testson which Ian Masters reported, informsus that the output from the AudioResearch preamplifier was connected tothe auxiliary input of the Pioneer SX-1500 receiver. Although the tone andbalance controls on the Pioneer were sqtto their flat positions, the program sig-nal did, indeed, pass through the receiv-er's preamplifier circuitry.

You are to be commended for "DoAll Amplifiers Sound the Same?" I

think, however, that since electrostaticspeakers are somewhat deficient inbass, Magnepan MG-IIIa's should nothave been the only speakers employedin the test. David L. Clark should haveused another pair of speakers, prefera-bly acoustic -suspension models, whichwould have allowed a comparison ofthe amplifiers in the low -bass region.The use of the Sota Star Sapphire turn-table should have precluded any vibra-tion problems.

In any event, I believe that the pream-

CIRCLE NO 22 ON READER SERVICE CARD 8 STEREO REVIEW APRIL 1987

THE GIANTS OF JAll HAVE NEVERSOUNDED BETTER.

AN IMPORTANT NEW SERIES FOR ANYONE WHO IS

SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR MUSIC.Columbia Records is proud to introduce the first -eleases in a

continuing series of landmark jazz albums digitally remastered for

Compact Disc, [P anc Cassette.

The original album artwork has beer retained. And liner niyies-

documenting the historical importance cf these classic recordings-

are based on both original material and new research.

Columba Jazz Masterpieces. Keeping Jazz History Alive For

Everyone -In State -Of -The -Art Sound.

LOUIS ARMSTRONG THE DAVE BRLBECK QUAFTE- SARAH VAUGHAN

MILES DAVIS COUNT BASIE ERROLL GARNER

BENNY GOODMAN DUKE ELLINGTON CHARLES MINGUS

THELOMOUS MONK BILLIE HOLIDAY LOOK FOR OVER 60 RELEASES

THIS YEAR!

COLUMBIA JAll MASTERPIECES-A CONTINUING SERIES OF DIGITALLY REMASTERED ORIGINAL RECORDINGS.

ON COLUMBIA COMPACT DISCS, RECORDS AND CASSETTES.namarte of CBS Irc ©1967 CBS Inc

CIRCLE NO 5 ON READER SERVICE CARD

A car stereo designedfor people with ears.

And something between them.Odd as it may seem, most

people judge how a car stereosounds by judging how it looks.

Is it loaded with flashinglights? Littered with impressivebuttons?

Then it must be a sterlingexample of modern technology.

This reaction, while some-what understandable, neverceases to amaze the 326 carstereo engineers who work forBlaupunkt in Hildesheim,West Germany.

fiddle with a confusing array ofbuttons and knobs.

Keep this in mind, and it'seasy to appreciate the differencebetween Blaupunkt and otherleading brands.

If we don't engineer it,we don't sell it.

While other car stereomakers are content to purchasetape mechanisms, amplifiers,tuners, speaker components,and other vital equipment fromoutside sources, Blaupunkt

and hybrid chips.To eliminate wow and

flutter in cassette mechanisms,dynamically -balanced heavybrass flywheels are honed towithin tolerances of .005 inch.

To make systems easier tooperate, controls are arrang-ed in logical fashion. Sodrivers can operate themby touch, without takingtheir eyes off the road.

It's a painstaking prcess. And it's repeated for every

product we offer.Cassette receivers. CDplayers. Amplifiers.Equalizers. Speakers.Antennas. Even theconnecting cables.

Few manufac-turers go to all thistrouble. With everyfeature. On everyproduct.

The Blaupunkt Lexington SQR 46. Complex audio technology engineered to le simple. Which makes itThey prefer to take a more engineers do almost everything all the more remarkable that the

intelligent approach.When designing car

stereos, don't forget the car.Blaupunkt might be the

only car stereo company thatthoroughly understands thissimple fact:

A car is a horrible place inwhich to reproduce true high-fidelity sound.

It requires an incredibleeffort to overcome challengeslike road noise and vibration.Shrill glass surfaces. Cushionyseats. Bad reception. Tempera-ture variations. And the ob-vious principle that a driverhas better things to do than to

ino-trM I II I. _I

EJECT

Wm. DOtyy-

ar ILAUPUNKT

DNR CIO MTL AM FM ARI

IONR1

ZONE 0

PROGRAM

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------ a

LEXINGTON SQR 4t:

ME M FR FF

8 all /I 'aBASS THLBLE BALANCE-r - -

a

MB IS1 2 3 4 5 6 < SEEK

from scratch.To pack more tech-

nology into a smallerspace, Blaupunkt en-gineers design theirvery own circuitryControls are designed to

ensure ease of operation evenwhile wearing

racing gloves.

design stage is only the first stepin making a Blaupunkt.

Now comes the hard part.Tuners are taken from

mountain ranges to bustlingurban areas to measure radioreception.

Antennas spend weeks insalt baths in order to measurerust resistance.

Literally hundreds of testsare conducted.

ATo ensure performance

at 160°F above zero.To ensure perform-ance at 5°F belowzero. To ensure per-

formance after 24 hours

The mountains of Europe are just one of the obstacles Blaupunkt engineers have had to overmme to improve radio reception.

punishing vibrations.Last year alone, Blaupunkt

engineers spent hundreds ofthousands of hours testing.

And once a new model isapproved for production, youmight imagine that Blaupunkt

to up to 400 additional tests.Why do we do it?

If you're a rational person,you almost begin to wonder whyon earth Blaupunkt goes to suchincredible lengths.

Perhaps because customers

Standard in VW and BMW /Europe). and worldwide in Ferrari. Porsche, and Audi.

engineers might relax a bit.Wrong.Every individual compo-

nent is tested before assembly.Then tested again during

assembly.Then the finished product

is placed on a computer standand tested before shipping.

But even that isn't enough.Spot checks at random

during assembly subject units

Blaupunkt techniciansin specially equippedvans cover theglobe to testproducts.

have come to expect it.Customers like you.And customers like Lotus.

Porsche. Audi. Rolls-Royce.Aston -Martin. Ferrari. Just toname a few.

But a more importantreason is simply because that'sthe way they do things over in

ildesheim, West Germany.Since 1932, when Blaupunkt

introduced the first car radio toEurope, Blaupunkt has

been obsessedwith automotive

sound.It's hard to

argue with theresults.

Over theyears, Blaupunkthas earned hun-

dreds of patentsin the field of

automotive sound.Example: ARI, a re-

arkable technology thatWhy do Blaupunkt products perform

so superbly? They're designed to worktogether. We engineer everything ourselves.

Most manulacturen don't.CIRCLE NO. 67 ON READER SERVICE CARD

brings you up-to-the-minutetraffic reports in many majorU.S. cities. And it's a standardfeature in most new Blaupunktreceivers.

A thank you.And an invitation.

While we appreciate thisopportunity to explain howwell Blaupunkts are built, weare regretfully unable to demon-strate how good they sound.

For that, we invite you tovisit the independent car stereospecialist near you who sells, serv-ices., and installs our products.

Check your Yellow Pagesunder "Automobile Radios &Stereo Systems7

Or call 1-800-237-7999, andwe'll be happy to direct you.

Because frankly, whileyou may be surprised by howmuch goes into a Blaupunkt,you'll be even more amazedby what comes 011..

BLAUPUNKTBOSCH Group

LETTERS

plifier is the component that makes thereal difference in sound. I wonder if thisis the real basis behind the belief thatamplifiers sound different.

MACON STEPHENSONRichmond, VA

David L. Clark replies: First, the Mag-nepan speakers are not electrostatics but

planar magnetics with ribbon tweeters.Second, in the room we used for the lis-tening tests, I have measured the re-sponse of the Magnepans as flat down to35 Hz, which is hardly "deficient inbass." I find them to be very revealingspeakers.

My reaction to your article "Do All

REACH TIESONIC LIMIT

I* 0

CHARLES DUTOIT

Amplifiers Sound the Same?" is out-rage. For shame!

How could anyone with the slightestunderstanding of amplifier -speaker in-teraction use an OTL-1 with low -impedance speakers like the Magne-pans? The "test" was not about soundquality but rather dealt with amplifierdrive. You cannot just pull a number ofamplifiers off the shelf on the basis ofprice and compare them in a speaker -cable system. If you wanted to comparea tube amplifier suitable for the Mag-gies, then Mono Quicksilvers at about$1,300 a pair should have been used.

No wonder I canceled my subscrip-tion to STEREO REVIEW.

FABIAN SUNBERGMaplewood, NJ

As we said in January, the truth angersthose whom it does not convince. And ifyou canceled your subscription, how didyou find out about this article? -Ed.

Oh, brother! One more time with thegreat debate between the golden earsand the statisticians. The issue is no bet-ter defined with respect to amplifiersthan it was with esoteric loudspeakercable, although speaker cable is infinite-ly easier and cheaper to experimentwith (and I thought the esoteric cablewas worth the forty bucks I spent).

It is helpful to remember, however,the inevitable leaps of (non)logic thatsome folks take. When I managed astereo store several years ago, a youngfellow with car speaker problems camein with his equipment in hand. Notic-ing, among other things, that he hadwired his system with what appeared tobe 28 -gauge single -strand wire, I sug-gested that he switch to 18 -gauge zipcord. He looked at me as if I were cer-tainly the most ignorant man on theplanet and sniffed, "STEREO REVIEWsays it doesn't matter what kind of wireyou use."

GLENN DRINKWATERChattanooga, TN

First it was cables, then CD players,now amplifiers. STEREO REVIEW saysthey all sound the same. I should haveknown-I've been subscribing for fiveyears and never saw a product youdidn't like. Even with my tin ears I cantell the difference between different CDplayers and amplifiers. I know youdon't care, but I'll never subscribeagain. There's no need-everythingsounds the same.

BILL BRENNANAtlantic City, NJ

The Video DebateReader Gerry Smerchanski (February

"Letters") is correct about how good


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LETTERS

music sounds in a dark, noiseless room.I enjoy listening that way also. But avery high -quality video soundtrack isalso very exciting. Doesn't Mr. Smer-chanski go to big, full -sound movie the-aters? They're great! And so can yourhome be now with the latest in sur-round -sound decoders. Keep up the ex-cellent work STEREO REVIEW has beendoing in both audio and video equip-ment reviews.

Mingus's Tzjuana TakesAs the album's producer, I appreciate

Chris Albertson's thoughtful review ofCharles Mingus's "New TijuanaMoods" in the February issue, but Iwould like to correct one important fac-tual error the review suggests. Referringto the LP version's second disc, Mr.Albertson states that what it containsare ". . . perhaps not true alternate

informative, yes, but "fun to read"? Iam surprised that you even admit this.

Please do not try to entertain me. Fartoo much public discourse in NorthAmerica has been subverted by thiscompulsion to entertain. You do a goodjob discussing both the software and thehardware of entertainment. If you arejust trying to be fun, however, nothingyou say is of any more value than a cat-food commercial.

VICTOR HARO takes but rather the same takes with GREGORY A. HILLWestchester, CA cuts restored." In fact, these are entirely

different takes, with wholly differentMontebello, Quebec

You are absolutely correct in includ- solos and ensembles. There is a small We're not JUST trying to be fun, but, asing video coverage in your magazine. I transitional passage, consisting of ap- stated, we try to make the "Letters" col -enjoy opera and have collected forty hi- proximately four and a half bars, that is umn fun to read as well as being variedfi stereo opera videotapes that I play common to both discs, but otherwise and informative. Thanks for helpingthrough my component system. Per- the two are completely different. with your funny letter. -Ed.haps Bach and Sibelius are best listened EDWARD MICHELto with no distractions, but Verdi and Producer, RCA RecordsPuccini are vastly more effective when New York, NY Erratumyou can see the performance. Video In "Twelve Tips on Choosing a Tapemagazines tell you about picture quality That's Entertainment Deck" in the March issue, the price forbut very little about sound, so please Harman Kardon's TD302 cassette deckkeep me informed about new video I was alarmed to read in the January was incorrectly given as $245. The sug-music productions. "Letters" that it is your policy to pro- gested retail price is $435. We regret any

MARY HEALEY duce "a varied, informative column inconvenience this error may haveArlington, VA that will be fun to read." Varied and caused.

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At less than 6 ounces, our new YHD-1stereo headphones won't weigh you down. Plug themin, thou h, and the sound is anything but lightweight

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into, you'll always get heavyweight sound.Yamaha Electronics Corporation, USA, P.O. Box 6660, Buena Park, CA 90622

()YAMAHACIRCLE NO 14 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Find out in Stereo Review.Subscribing to Stereo Review makes sense. Whether you'reshopping for your first stereo system, upgrading yourpresent one, looking for maintenance tips or trying to sortthrough the hundreds of new recordings released everymonth, Stereo Review has answers you can rely on.

Our world-famous Equipment Test Reports help youselect new audio equipment. Explanations of features,laboratory test results and comments from our expert tech-nicians make it easy for you to select components for a greataudio system.

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1

RECOGWhy the Carver M -500t Magnetic Field Power

Amplifier has helped begin an indust trend and howit has stayed aheadof its inspired imitators.

Twice in the last decade, Bob Carver hastaught the high fidelity industry how to makeamplifiers that give you better performanceand value. Both times his bold lead hasattracted followers. Still, as evidenced by thecurrent release of the M -500t, Carver setsstandards yet unequaled in the audiocommunity.

With its astonishingly high voltage/high out-put current and exclusive operation features, itis a prime example of why Carver remains thedesigner to emulate:

Continuous FTC sine -wave output conserva-tively rated at 250 watts per channel.

Produces 600 to 1000 watts per channelof dynamic power for music (depending onimpedance).

Bridging mode delivers 700 watts continu-ous sine -wave output at 8 ohms.

High current Magnetic Field power supplyprovides peak currents up to ± 100 amps forprecise control of voice -coil motion.

Designed to handle unintended 1 ohmspeaker loads without shutting down.

Equipped with infinite resolution VU meters.

. ...Conventional Amplifier Magnetic Field Amplifier

Solid line: audio output signalBroken line: pouvr supply voltage.

Shaded area wasted porturVertical lines: pouer to speakers.

POWER EXPRESSED BY THEDEMANDS OF MUSIC.

The Carver M -500t Power Amplifier respondsto musical transients with better than 600watts per channel of instantaneous peakpower through 8 ohm speakers. Well over 900watts per channel into 4 ohm speakers.

And yet its Federal Trade Commission Con-tinuous Average Power Rating is 250 watts perchannel into 8 ohms.

The gulf between the two power ratings rep-resents Bob Carver's insistence that amplifierdesign should fit the problem at hand. Thatproblem is reproducing music with stunningimpact, not simply satisfying a sine -wave testwhich doesn't even include speakers or soundsources. Hence the seeming gulf between thetwo ratings.

Bob reasoned that since music is composedof three basic types of power waveforms,those types of waveforms are what an ampli-fier should be designed to satisfy.

F.

MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT OF THE M500tINTO A 4 OHM LOAD

900

00

600ROWS U

SOO

R FOP SUST PIED M450 WATTS RMS

POWER FOR TEST TONES360 WATTS MIS

TIME [SECONDS)

The Carver M-5001 delivers massivepout'r at three important output levels.

First there are instantaneous peak transi-ents-the sudden smash of cymbals, drums,or the individual leading edge attack of eachmusical note. While these waveforms last lessthan 1/100 of a second, they form the keenedge of musical reality which must be presentif you are to realize high fidelity. Thoughmomentary, they also demand a tremendousamount of amplifier power.

Directly following instantaneous transientsare combinant musical crests of demand thatcome from multiple instruments and their har-monics. These long term power demands maylast up to several seconds but usually comeand go in less than a second. And yet they cantax anything but an exceptionally powerfulamplifier.

The third type of power demand is repre-sented by the average power contained in themusic, and is approximately one third to onehalf of the FTC continuous power rating.

At extremely high output current levels, theCarver M -500t not only delivers over 700 wattsof instantaneous peak power for instantan-eous transients, but can deliver over 600 watts

RMS of long term power for demands lastingup to several seconds. The M-5001 providesmore power, more current and more voltagethan any comparably priced amplifier everoffered.

THE MAGNETIC FIELD AMPLIFIERVS. CONVENTION.

Audiophiles, critics and ultimately othermanufacturers have each accepted the wis-dom of Bob Carver's fresh approach to deliver-ing power in musical terms. Yet only Carver hasso elegantly translated theory into practice.

Rather than increase cost, size and heatoutput with huge storage circuits, MagneticField Amplification delivers instantaneous highpeak and longterm power from a small butpowerful Magnetic Field Coil. The result is anamplifier capable of simultaneous high cur-rent and high voltage that can do sonic justiceto the dynamics of Compact Discs and audio-phile records in a compact, cool -runningdesign. An amplifier costing considerably lessthan the ultra -esoteric models which figuredsignificantly into the genesis of its circuitry. Fora reprint of the full story of its development aswell as a catalog of Carver high fidelity audiocomponents please call or write to us.

Figure

This $7000 pair of esoteric ampli-fiers figure significantly into the heri-tage of the M-500 "t"version circuitry.

Figure 1 above shows a $7,000 pair of ultra -esoteric mono amplifiers. No expense wasspared on their admittedly magnificent but stillconventional design and construction.

Figure 2 shows the massive toroid outputtransformers contained in these presitgiousaudiophile designs. At 10% regulation, theiroutput current is ± 50 amperes.

All conventional amplifiers are condemnedto using this type of design.

Figure 2 also shows the patented MagneticField Coil employed in the Carver M -500t. Itsoutput current is ± 100 amps at 10%regulation!!!!

Figure 2

Over 40 pounds of toroid coils putout half the current of a single sir poundfour ounce Magnetic Field Coil

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OFTHE CARVER M -500t.

Power is mandatory for dynamic impact andmusical realism. And yet power requires con-trol and finesse. While the Carver M -500t isn'tthe only amplifier to deliver adequate output, itis one of the few that tempers force with pro-tection circuits beneficial to both the amplifierand your loudspeaker system.

These include DC offset, short circuitpouvr interrupt as well as two specialcomputer -controlled speaker monitor cir-cuits which protect against excessive highfrequency tweeter input and an overallthermal overload.

The Carver .V -500t continuously dis-plays power output through dual, lightedinfinite resolution VU -ballistic meters.Meters which can react to musical tran-sients as brief as 1 millisecond.

The M -500t is quiet. Inside and out. Itscircuitry has the best signal-to-noise ratioof any production amplifier. Better than-120dB. And, in spite of its massive out-put capability, the i'1 -500t does not requirea noisy fan to dissipate heat. Thanks tothe cool running Magnetic Field Amplifiercircuitry.

No other amplifier in the M-500t's priceor power ranges is capable of handlingproblematic speaker loads as low as 1ohm. Whether required by certain brandsof speakers, or inadvertently derived bypairing too many low impedance speakers at one set of output terminals, all con-ventional amplifiers simply shut down orblow their fuses when faced with thiscondition.

In stereo use, both channels of theM -500t can actually borrow from eachother during unequal output demands.In addition, Carver amplifiers have pio-neered phase inversion circuitry whichtakes advantage of the in -phase (mono)characteristics of bass to essentially dou-ble available power supply current at lowfrequencies.

Finally, the Carver M -500t can be usedin a bridged mode as a 700 mat RMS perchannel mono amplifier without anyswitching or modification.

MUSIC IS THE FINAL PROOF.Were you to buy a power amplifier solely on

features and performance specifications,painstaking comparison would inevitably leadyou to the Carver M -500t.

/777111111111111

Butwe are sure that your final judgment willbe based on musicality. It is here that theM -500t again distinguishes itself.

Bob Carver has carefully designed theM -500t to have a completely neutral signalpath tnat is utterly transparent in sonic char-acter. The result is more than just musicalaccuracy. It means a total lack of listenerfatigue caused by subtle colorations some-times exhibited by conventional amplifierdesigns, regardless of their power rating.

It means a veil is lifted between you and yourmusical source as the most detailed nuancesore revealed with realism, believability anddelive-ed with stunning impact.

VISIT YOUR CARVER DEALER FOR ASURPRISING AUDITION.

We invite you to audition the Carver M -500tsoon. Against any and all competition. Includ-ing those who are only now embracing theprinciples which Bob Carver has refined overthe last several years.

We doubt that you will be surprised whenthe M -500t lives up to the claims made in thisadvertisement. What will surprise you is justhow affordable this much power, musicalityand accuracy can be.

SPECIFICATIONS: Amur, 251 watts per channel into8 ohms 20Hz to 20kHz, both channels driven with no morethan 0.15% THD. Instantaneous Peak Power, 1000watts irto 2 ohms, 950 watts into 4 ohms, 600 watts into8 ohms. Longterm RMS Power for Music, 500 into2 ohms, 450 into 4 ohms, 300 into 8 ohms, 1000 wattsbridged mono into 4 ohms, 900 watts bridged mono into 8ohms. Bridged Mono RMS Continuous Power, 700watts continuous into 8 ohms. Noise -120dB IHF Weighted.Frequency Response, ± 0-3dB 1Hz- 100kHz. SlewFactor, 200. Weight, 25 lb. Finish, light brushed anthracite,baked enamel, black anodized.

\ \ 1 1 r / / /j

CARVERPOWERFUL

P.O. Box 1237 Lynnwood, WA 98036

MUSICAL


ACCURATE

Distributed in Canada by Evolution Technology

DAT FINALLY RELEASEDREPORTED BY BRYAN HARRELL

TOKYO, Feb. 12-Audio historywas made today at the Tokyo head-quarters of Aiwa Co., Ltd., as itbecame the first manufacturer toofficially announce for sale the con-troversial DAT (digital audio tape)recorder. Aiwa's XD -001 DAT deckwill go on sale in Japan only onMarch 2, at a suggested retail priceof 188,000 yen (about $1,225). Aiwawill also release two lengths of DATblank tape: 120 minutes (2,000 yen,or about $13) and 60 minutes (1,400yen, or about $9). The XD -001 isthe first component in Aiwa's newExcelia series, now being planned,which will consist of digital and dig-ital -compatible audio components.

Several groups of reporters gath-ered on the first floor of Aiwa's newheadquarters, a white building,scarcely open a month, that looksout over Tokyo's Ueno Park. Therewere no surprised looks on the facesof the reporters as they listened tothe XD -001, which looks andsounds nearly identical to a stan-dard home CD player. (Ironically,Aiwa auditioned the XD -001through a pair of U.S.-made West-lake Audio BBSM-12F ReferenceMonitor speakers.) But unlike theusual press conferences of this type,the room came alive as reporterscompeted to ask questions after thedemonstration was over.

In his opening message, Aiwapresident Heitaro Nakajima ac-knowledged the chossaken (copy-right) controversy, but he affirmedthat nothing should keep this newtechnology from users. When hewas asked why other manufacturershave yet to release DAT equipment,Nakajima seemed puzzled, reveal-ing that MITI (the Japanese Minis-try of Trade and Industry) gavemanufacturers the go-ahead for aFebruary release of DAT.

Why Aiwa was first with DAT hasstumped many industry observers,who expected Sony to be the firstwith DAT as it was with CD. ButAiwa and Sony share a relativelyclose relationship. Sony holds a

- - - QOTOTII I.1I +o' I 4 4 . r

Aiwa's Excelia XD -001 DAT (digital audio tape) deck

controlling interest in Aiwa, which,interestingly, carries only 8mm andBeta -format products in its videoline. And Nakajima, a key DAT per-sonality, came to Aiwa four yearsago from Sony. He is chairman ofthe industry -wide DAT standardscommittee, and he was also one ofthe leading figures in the commer-cialization of the compact discformat during the latter part of hislong career with Sony.

In appearance, Aiwa's sleek, black

The DAT cassette is about half the sizeof a conventional analog tape cassette.

XD -001 DAT cassette deck looksmuch like any compact disc player,but it is said to be capable of mar-ginally superior sound reproduc-tion. Aiwa claims a frequency re-sponse up to 22 kHz, a dynamicrange of 99 dB, and instrument -bog-gling figures of 0.005 percent fortotal harmonic distortion and 0.001percent for wow -and -flutter.

Perhaps the most interesting as-pect is the XD -001's capability ofhandling three different digital sam-pling frequencies, a standard featureof the DAT format. Playback is pos-sible not only at the deck's mainsampling frequency of 48 kHz, butalso at 44.1 kHz, the standard for

the compact disc, and at 32 kHz, theanticipated standard for future digi-tal satellite broadcasts.

But the major controversy sur-rounding the release of DAT equip-ment has centered on its recordingcapabilities, especially the possibili-ty that users could make direct digi-tal copies of compact discs that arecurrently without "copy preven-tion" codes. The XD -001 is incapa-ble of dubbing CD's digitally, how-ever, since it cannot record at theCD's 44.1 -kHz sampling frequencyeven if a direct digital output signalfrom a CD player is fed through thedeck's rear -panel digital input. Andfor the future, the XD -001 will alsonot be able to make direct digitalcopies of certain 48 -kHz and 32 -kHz recordings, which are expectedto incorporate copy -preventioncodes. If it detects such a code, thetape will not run and a "copy pro-hibit" LED in the XD -001's displaywill start flashing.

Nevertheless, direct digital -to -dig-ital copying from another DATdeck is possible, resulting in copiesof virtually the same quality as theoriginal. To really drive this pointhome at the demonstration, a250th -generation copy was com-pared with the original DAT tape.Nobody seemed surprised that thecopy was indistinguishable from theoriginal-but some were astonishedthat Aiwa went to the trouble tocopy a tape 250 times!

Other circuit details of the XD -(Continued on page 114)


xs. BULLETIN NO. 2

IT'S NOT HOW EASY ITIS TO TAKE OUTIT'S HOW IT SOUNDSWHEN YOU PUT IT BACK IN.

A few years ago, thecar audio industry sawits first removable radiosystem. And while, sincethen, several autosoundmanufacturers have comealong with their ownversions, Alpine has takenthe slower course ofcareful research anddevelopment.

The result was notone, but three primeexamples of Alpine's me-ticulous problem -solvingapproach to engineering.

In designing the newmodels 7385, 7284 and7283, Alpine began withthe advanced technologyfound already in its proudline of fixed -mount sys-tems. Then it analyzed thespecial demands placedon a unit subjected tothe shocks of repeatedremoval, carry -aroundand installation.

GETTING AHANDLE ON SONIC

SUPERIORITY.

You'll begin to noticethe sophistication of theAlpine Removables evenbefore you hear one. Liftthe handle. You're holdingmuch more than a con-venient grip. It's part of amultifunctional systemthat makes these unitsespecially suited to therigors of transportability.Lifting the handle auto-matically disengages theunit from its mount andshuts off power. (While a10 -year Lithium batterymaintains the memory ofpreset stations.) At thesame time, another mech-anism disengages thepinch rollers and capstan,preventing the roller dis-tortion that can causeaudible dropouts frompoor tape -to -head contact.Finally, Alpine's newDustGuare tape doorclosure seals the unit toprotect its mechanism

and any cassette inside.Constant insertion

and removal also requirea precision guide mecha-nism and electronic inter-face to ensure a perfectmating between the audiounit and the car itself.It's the reason you'll finda special 18 -pin modularconnector on the back ofeach Alpine unit. A con-nector that's been testedto endure 25,000 re-

movals and reinsertions,while allowing no degra-dation in musical signal.

A TAPE TRANSPORTTOUGH ENOUGH

TO BE TRANSPORTABLE.

Nothing degradesthe sound of a cassetteplayer more than a trans-port mechanism that'sout of alignment. Andnothing can knock a trans-port out of alignmentlike the day-to-day shockof insertion and removalfrom a dashboard.

That's why you'llfind Alpine's line ofquick -release head unitsequipped with some ofthe most technologicallyadvanced tape transportsever devised. The model7385, for example, con-tains Alpine's full -logicGZ mechanism. A singlecustom LSI (LargeScale Integrated Circuit)controls all electronicfunctions. So you haveinstant command of truefast -forward and rewind,bidirectional tape scan,and radio monitor, amongother capabilities. The

GZ's computer operatesall functions in logicalsequences. So it mini-mizes stress on the trans-port and protects yourvaluable tapes.

A HEAD FOR MUSIC.

Alpine's new quick -release units also benefitfrom advanced tape head

tan and pinch roller automaticallyPsengage when the'handle lilted,

relieving tape pressure'. . .

including microsemi-conductors that mountdirectly to the circuitboard, further reduce thetuner's size while enhanc-ing its performance.That'swhy you'll hear suchaudible advances as Auto-matic High Cut, Blend andSoft Mute circuits thathelp make even very weaksignals listenable. Plus aNoise Elimination Circuitthat detects and cancelsthe FM noise spikescaused by modern com-

it lasts longer.You'll also find

Alpine's new systemsequipped with specialDolby' B and Dolby' Cnoise reduc:ion ch,pswhose sepa-ate regulatorcircuits minimize the"pumping sound" causedby fluctuations in linevoltage. And you'll findnew Negative Feedbackbass and treble controls.They give you a widerrange of control to matchthe difficult acousticenvironment ofyour car. A basscenter detent of30Hz instead of theusual 100Hz, forexample-with ± 18dB of boost/cut foibass and treble.

To a 25.000 removalinsertion hie expectancy, arugged new 18 pin connectorwa created by Alpine

Paisidg hé ithisrmiltantausbrele the g locmetns n.prg4intaskAtxnuts o t owgr.

INSIDE THE 7385 REMOVABLE FM-AM/CASSETTE PLAYER

desigi, including thesophisticated technologyof HLTAC" This revolutionin materials and construc-tion gives you the bestpossible audio quality. Aprecise tape head gap ofjust one micron, or oneone -millionth of a meter,extends high frequencyresponse from 20Hz to22KHz as well as improv-ing signal strength capa-bility. By using twice asmany metal laminationsof half the usual thick-ness, the head maintainsoptimum magnetic char-acteristics under thetoughest conditions. Soit not only sounds better,

A POWERFULTUNER AND THE BEST

OF CONNECTIONS.

The Alpine Remov-ables are capable ofFM/AM performancethat's every bit as impres-sive as their cassettecapabilities. One reason isAlpine's T-10 IETuner."

A single tiny cnipintegrates a number ofhigh-performance FMcircuits. Computer AidedDesign optimizes the posi-tioning of componentsand the routing of signalswithin the tuner module.Surface Mounted Devices.

puterized ignition systems.And because of its stream-lined design, the T-10 ILhas minimized the fragileconnections that cancause ordinary tunersto fail when subjected tothe shocks of the road, orthe stress of removableinstallations.

The Alpine Remov-ables. Listen to the 7385,7284 or 7283 at anAlpine specialist nearyou. You'll hear the mostmusically refined audiosystems you can put inyour dash. Time aftertime after time.

c 1987 Alpine Electronics of America. 19145 Gramercy Place. Torrance. California 90501 1213) 326-8000 "Dolby: "Dolby B" and "Dolby C" are registered trademarks of DolbyLaboratories. In,


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CRUTCHFIELD

by Ian G. Masters

SsssibilanceQWith certain CD's, and more often

announcers on FM, I am both-ered by what I consider excessive andunnatural sibilance. I have tried to cor-rect it with a parametric equalizer, butthis degrades the clarity and brillance ofthe music. What can I do?

JAMES R. WIRTCotati, CA

A Not a great deal, unfortunately.Pi The problem is one of equaliza-tion, and it varies from disc to disc andstation to station-or even announcerto announcer. It is impossible, there-fore, to set your own equalizer so that itwill be correct for every signal.

In the case of compact discs, a lot ofsource material was originally recordedfor release on conventional vinyl rec-ords, and engineers often attempted tocompensate for the shortcomings ofthat medium by the use of equalizationat the recording or mixdown stage. Suchcorrection is a very subjective matter,depending on the taste and judgment ofthe individual recording engineer, but italmost always shows up as enhancedhigh frequencies. Even original digitalrecordings sometimes suffer from thesame treatment-old habits die hard,and some engineers equalize even whenthe medium doesn't require it.

In the case of FM announcers, theproblem is again one of equalization,but usually this is not electronically gen-erated. Rather, FM announcers tend tospeak very close to their microphones,

and this can have the effect of empha-sizing sibilants-and the lower registeras well, which is one reason they do it.

Another reason for this close mikingis simply that most radio studios arequite small. Not only would it be physi-cally difficult to place the microphonemuch farther away, but it would resultin an unpleasant "off -microphone"sound caused by room reflections, un-less the station owners were willing toturn their studios into virtual anechoicchambers. The louder an announcer'svoice is in relation to reflections andother ambient noises, the less theseunwanted sounds will be picked up. Theunnatural vocal quality that results as abyproduct of the practice is the pricethat the broadcaster has to pay.

Some electronic equalization couldpresumably be added to minimize theeffect of close miking. But, in truth,many listeners-and virtually all an-nouncers-like it, so it's not going todisappear in a hurry.

Active SubwoofersI am considering adding an active

101 subwoofer to my system so that mypresent speakers can handle the criticalmidrange more effectively. But if theelectronic crossover routes all the low -frequency material to the subwoofer,won't the built-in passive -crossover net-works in the satellites prevent their woof-ers from handling the midrange? If thatis so, how can I obtain the improvedmidrange I want?

BRAD SHAWMancos, CO

Typically, subwoofers work onlybelow 100 or 150 Hz. In most full -

range speakers, however, the woofercrosses over to the midrange driver orthe tweeter at a much higher frequency.So even if the bottom couple of octavesare reassigned to the subwoofer, yourconventional woofers will still haveplenty to do.

The advantage of using a subwoofer isthat it operates in the most power-hun-gry part of the audio spectrum. A largeportion of the power an amplifier pro-duces in driving a full -range speaker isoccupied in producing the lowest notes.If this task is left to a separate amplifier,as in an active-subwoofer system, themain system will have a greater reserveof power for the middle and high fre-quencies. Lower distortion is the result(or higher overall levels, if that's whatyou want), although this is largely amatter of speaker efficiency and the sizeof your main power amplifier. If thesystem is not straining in its presentconfiguration, then the benefit will bevery small, at least as far as midrangeperformance is concerned.


J

LIONEL RICHE

DANCING ON THE

344721

BUILD YOUR COMPACT DISCCOLLECTION.

11

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Join theCBS CompactDisc Club andTAKE ANY 3 COMPACTDISCS FOR $1.00 with membership.

MA DON INio%

343624. WyntonMarsolis Plays TrumpetConcertos. Haydn, etc.(Digital -CBS Masterworks)

302570. Mussorgsky:Pictures At An Exhibition;RoveL La Valse-Mehta,cond. (CBS Masterworks)

346015. Handel: RoyalFireworks Music; otherworks-Molgone. cond.(Digital -CBS Masterworks)

336396-396390. BillyJoel's Greatest Hits,Vol. 1 & 2. (Columbia)

328435. Prince and theRevolution -Purple Rain(Warner Bros.)

324822. Ravel: Bolero;La Volse; RhapsodieEspognole-Mocizel, cond.(Digital -CBS Masterworks)

346643. Andreas Vollen-welder -Down To TheMoon. (CBS)

MEM. L.CELLO 1CONCERTO

YO.TO MA

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348458

257279. Bruce Spring-steen-Born to Run(Columba)138586. Bob Dylan'sGreatest Hits (Columbia)

339200. StevieWonder -In SquareGrcle(Tomlo)343715. Vivaldi -FourSeasons. Moozel,members Orch. Notionalde Fronce (Digital -CBSMasterworks)

340323. Sode-Promise.(Portrait)

342105. Bangles -Different light. (Columba)

350736. Rolling Stones -Rewind. (Rolling StonesRecords)

346536. The Monkees-Then And Now.. TheBest Of The Monkees.(Arista)

VINDI LAUPER

1411k4 ITRUE COLORS

347153

We've built-in a wide range ofchoices. You can select from a wide varietyof current hits and classical favorites. Ourgreat introductory offer lets you choose any3 CDs listed in this ad for just $1.00. Fill in andmail the application -we'll send your CDsand bill you for $1. You simply agree to buy 2more CDs (at regular Club prices) in the nextyear -and you may then cancel yourmembership anytime after doing so.How the Club works. About every fourweeks (13 times a year) you'll receive theClubs music magazine, which describes theSelection of the Month for your musicalinterest...plus many exciting alternates. Inaddition, up to six times a year, you may re-ceive offers of Special Selections, usually ata discount off regular Club prices, for a totalof up to 19 buying opportunities.

If you wish to receive the Selection of theMonth, you need do nothing -it will beshipped automatically. If you prefer on alter-nate selection, or none at all, fill in theresponse card always provided and mail itby the date specified. You will always haveat least 10 days in which to make yourdecision. If you ever receive any Selection

346478wialrisar

321570. Beethoven:Symphony No. 5;Schubert: SymphonyNo. 8. (Unfinished)-Moazel, Vienna Philharm(Digital -CBS Masterworks)

348706. WyntonMorsolis -J Mood.(Digital -Columba)347492. Glenn MillerOrchestra -In The DigitalMood. (Digital-GRP)

345785. Top Gun-Soundtrock. (Columbia)

346957 Steve Winwood-Bock In The High Life.(Island)

344622. Anita Boker -Rapture. (Elektro)

319996-399998.Motown's 25 *1 HitsFrom 25 Years. (Motown)

291278. The DoobieBrothers -Best of theDoobies. (Warner Bros.)

347039

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339044. Mozart:Symphony No. 40 & 41Oupiter)-Kubelik,Bovanan Symphony Orch.Digital -CBS Masterworks)

345777 Peter Gabriel -So. (Geffen)

246868. Jim Croce-5hotographs AndMemories -His GreatestHits. (Sala)

334391. WhitneyHouston. (Arista)

333286. Phil Collins -NoJacket Required. (Atlantic)

314443. Neil Diamond's12 Greatest Hits, Vol. 2.;Columba)

308049. CreedenceCleorwater RevivalFeaturing John Fogerty/Chronicle. 20 greotestnits. (Fantasy)

343582. Van Haien-5150. (Warner Bros )

THE BRIDGE

346312

345553. BranfordMarsalis-RomancesFor Saxophone.(Digital -CBS Masterworks)

339226. GershwirkRhapsody In Blue;Second Rhapsody; etc. -M. Tilson Thomas, LosAngeles Phil. (Dgitai-CBS Masterworks)

326629. Bruce Spnng-steen-Born In TheU.S.A. (Columbia)

342097 BorbraStreisand-The3roodway Album.Columbia)

345827 Bob James and)avid Sanborn -DoubleVision. (Warner Bros.)

273409. Horowitz PlaysFavorite BeethovenSonatas: Appossionata,Pothetique, Moonlight.(CBS Masterworks)

AII

INVISIBLETOUCH

without having 10 days to decide, you mayreturn it at our expense.

The CDs you order during yourmembership will be billed at regular Clubprices, which currently are $14.98 to$1598 -plus shipping and handling, andsales tax where applicable. (Multiple -unitsets may be higher.) There will be specialsales throughout your membership. Aftercompleting your enrollment agreement youmay cancel membership at any time.Special Bonus Plan: After you buy 2 CDsat regular Club prices, you can build your col-lection quickly with cur money -saving bonusplan. It lets you buy one CD of half price foreach CD you buy a- regular Club prices.10 -Day Free Trial: We'll send details of theClubs operation with your introductory ship-ment. If you are not satisfied for any reasonwhatsoever, just return everything within 10days and you will have no further obligation.So why not choose 3 CDs for $1 right now?ADVANCE BONUS OFFER: As a specialoffer to new members, take one additionalCompact Disc right now and pay only $6.95.It's a chance to get a fourth selection at a

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343095. Philip Glass-Songs From liquidSays. (CBS)

347054. David Lee Roth-Eat 'Em and Smile.Warner Bros.)

263293. Bolling: Suite'or Flute & Jazz Piano.iampal, Bolling. (CBSMasterworks)

219477. Simon &Garfunkel's Greatest-fits. (Columbia)

316604. Tchaikovsky:.812 Overture; MarcheSlave; Beethoven:Wellington's Victory -Maazel, Vienna Philharm.Digital -CBS Masterworks)

343251. Bach: GoldbergVariations. Glenn Gould.Digital -CBS Masterworks)337519. Heart. (Capitol)

344812. Billy Ocean-, ove Zone (Jive/Arista)

345751

341305. RobertPalmer -Riptide (Island)

349985. JohnnyMathis/HenryMancini -The HollywoodMusicals (Columba)

348979. TinaTurner -Break EveryRule (Capitol)

336222. Dire Straits -Brothers In Arms.(Warner Bros.)

348649. The PochelbelCanon And Other DigitalDelights. The TorontoChamber Orchestra.(Digital -Fanfare)

341073. Steely Dan -A Decode of Steely Don.(MCA)

349373. Beethoven:Symphony No. 9 (Choral)-Bernstein, NY Phil.(CBS Masterworks)

348110. Buddy Holly -From The OriginalMover Topes. (DigitallyRemastered -MCA)

348987-398982. LindaRonstodt-'RoundMidnight (Asylum)

COMPACT

[10 M[-CBS COMPACT DISC CLUB, 1400 N. Fruitrid

PQ Box 1129, Terre Haute, Indiana 47811-11

Please accept my membership application under the terms outlinedin this advertisement. Send me the 3 Compact Discs listed here andbill me only $1.00 for all three. I agree to buy two more selectionsat regular Club prices in the coming year -and may cancel mymembership at any time after doing so.

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ADVANCE BONUS OFFER: Also send mea fourth CD tight now a' the super low priceof lust $6.95, which mill be billed to me.

super low price t Thn offer is not evadable al APO, FPO, Alaska Hawaii, Puerto Roc Reese write for

Selections with two numbers contain 2 CDs and court as 2 -so write in both numbers. © 1987 Columbia House I cle'°45o/oIte:utineofferNoie We reserve the right to request a:kimono( information X 5V/C 2or -elect any application. TAWLQ3CBS COM PV,T MSC Cli B: livre Haute, 1 \ 47811 L

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0 mg. "tar", 0.E mg. n calm ay. per cigarette by FTC method

TECHNICAL TALK

byJulian Hirsch

/j!fr ;,)

,s1)

( //(,)-)

Audio 'Video Synergy

AnLMOST weekly, we receive an-

ouncements of new audio/video (A/v) components,

and we have already testedand reported on a number of them.Although our evaluation has beenmostly limited to their audio quali-ties, we have also attended enoughdemonstrations of high -quality A/Vsystems to have formed some im-pressions of their full potential andlimitations.

Not surprisingly, the most im-pressive A/v performance comesfrom the combination of a large -screen projection TV system and ahi-fi VCR or digital LaserVisionplayer with a rather elaborate audiosystem. Such a choice of compo-nents is analogous to the use of avery high -quality (and usually ex-pensive) amplifier or record playerfor demonstrating speaker perform-ance or to the choice of a high -endspeaker to reveal the qualities of anamplifier. In these situations it maynot be too relevant to a listener ifhis own system falls well short of

the quality of the demonstrationsystem.

When judging A/V systems, thereare some criteria that will not applyto purely audio components. I mustpoint out here that I speak as anaudiophile of long standing whoseinterest in video is secondary. Tome, the content of the program is farmore important than the fine detailsof its picture or sound quality. Nat-urally, I do not like to have the pic-ture obscured by ghosts or snow,nor the sound marred by poor audioresponse, and I can appreciate thecombination of a truly fine picturewith hi-fi sound, but these factorsplay a minor role in my enjoymentof TV.

For more than thirty years, I havebeen listening to TV through anexternal hi-fi amplifier and speak-ers, more as a reaction to the abys-mal quality of the audio sections ofmost TV receivers than a desire toenhance my TV viewing pleasurewith hi-fi sound. In the past, it hasusually been necessary to modifythe TV set to gain access to its audiochannel at line level, an annoyancethat has been eliminated from manyrecent sets, which are equipped withline -output jacks for just such a pur-pose in view of today's higher -qual-ity, stereo broadcasts.

Some so-called "A/V" amplifiersand receivers provide little morethan a video input for introducingthe audio from a video source to thehi-fi system. More often, they alsohave several sets of audio and videoinputs and outputs, along withswitching facilities for recording,viewing, or dubbing video programsfrom VCR's or videodisc players(VDP's). Such a component mayinclude rather complex audio and

Tested This Month

Akai VS -56 5UVHS Hi-FiVCR

Pioneer C-90Preampli

Snell TLoudspeaker

Marantz CD50CD Pla'rr

video switching combinations forthose people who wish to performcertain in -home editing tricks withmultiple audio and video sources.

Signal switching is convenient,but it does nothing to alter the videoprogram, and such products haveonly the usual tone controls and fil-ters to modify the audio content. Anew type of product, the surround -sound processor, has emerged in thelast year or two. Designed to trans-fer as much as possible of the the-ater experience into the home enter-tainment environment, these A/Vprocessors, which are sometimesdescribed by their manufacturers as"expanders" or "enhancers," typi-cally employ Dolby SurroundSound circuitry, and perhaps otheroptional signal modifiers, toachieve their goals.

During the past decade, over 700films have been released with DolbyStereo sound, and many of thesehave been transferred to videocas-settes or videodiscs for home view-ing. A few years ago Dolby Labora-tories announced Dolby Surround,a home version of its theater stereosystem. The theater system uses ma-trixing techniques to record fourprogram channels in the two -trackfilm format and to extract the origi-nal four tracks with an inverse ma-trix during playback. Unlike ma-trixed quadraphonic recordings, theDolby Stereo system decodes intothree front channels-left, center,and right-and an ambience chan-nel that is heard through a numberof loudspeakers mounted on theside and rear walls of the theater. A"steering" logic circuit, in combina-tion with the center front channel,provides a sense of stereo to viewerson the sides of the theater.

In the home, most Dolby Sur-round decoders provide three chan-nels-left, right, and surround.Sometimes a fourth, center channelis also included to anchor the cen-ter -stage sounds (such as dialogue)where the screen is located. A centerchannel is especially useful whenwidely spaced speakers are usedwith a large -screen projection sys-tem or even with a normal -sizedTV. The surround channel is playedback through rear or side speakerswith a time delay to help distinguishit from the program channels,

STEREO REVIEW APRIL. 1987 23

Needle wear...By the timeyou hear it,your recordsare ruined.

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TECHNICAL TALK

which appear to come from thefront of the room.

The high -frequency response ofthe surround channel is also rolledoff above 7,000 Hz, principally toreduce the magnitude of programleakage from the main front chan-nels into the surround channel.Most of the surround program ma-terial, which lacks positive direc-tionality, does not require the fullaudio bandwidth, but it is retainedin the front channels to provide thelistening effect of a full -bandwidthsystem. Finally, a modified form ofDolby B noise reduction is used inthe surround channel (which is Dol-by B -encoded when the film'ssoundtrack is produced) to reducecrosstalk from the front channelseven further.

Adding Dolby Surround to an ex-isting stereo system requires, first, aDolby Surround decoder, whichwill include an input balance con-trol, a surround -matrix stage, a de-lay line with either a 20 -millisecond(ms) fixed delay or a variable delayfrom 15 to 30 ms, a 7,000 -Hz low-pass filter, and a modifieddecoder. In addition, you will needan amplifier for the surround chan-nel, either external or built into thedecoder, and one or more surround -sound speakers. The effect will beenhanced if at least two surroundspeakers are used, one on each sideof the room, although there is con-siderable flexibility in this matter. Ifseveral surround speakers are used,it may be more convenient to use astereo power amplifier with bothchannels fed from the surround -channel output.

Some of the more sophisticatedDolby Surround models includeamplifiers for all of the front andsurround channels-usually four,with convenient four-way balanceadjustments and the usual audiotone controls and filters. Ratherthan being an adjunct to a stereomusic system, this sort of compo-nent can serve as the sole amplify-ing and switching center for a com-plete audio/video system, and it in-cludes phono-input amplificationand equalization. The electricalspecifications are generally consist-ent with good hi-fi practice, al-though the most avid high -end au-diophiles might not be impressed.

Since not every owner will wish towatch a steady diet of Dolby Sur-round video programs, such com-ponents usually have other meansas well for deriving surround soundfrom stereo (or even mono) pro-grams. The judicious use of matrixcircuits to extract ambience from astereo program, combined with asuitable amount of time delay,makes it possible to enhance theprogram's sound without unpleas-ant side effects. In the case of monoprograms, the usual technique is touse comb filters to generate two dis-similar channels, which may also beprocessed with varying degrees oftime delay before reaching the sur-round speakers.

All of which brings us to the ques-tion of what some sort of surround -sound processor can do for you, theviewer/listener. I have seen andheard enough of this kind of pro-cessing to appreciate that even a"normal -sized" TV image ,(19- to26 -inch diagonal) can benefit fromthe right sound treatment, if theprogram is scaled for it. Obviously,

would be a waste for a talk showor news broadcast, but applied to amovie with a broad scale of actionand a soundtrack to match, sur-round sound can be a tremendousimprovement. At its best, with agood projection TV system, such anaudio/video system can equal al-most any theater presentation in itsimpact.

At this writing, Superbowl XXIhas just become history, in moreways than one. It was telecast overmuch of the nation with stereosound and Dolby Surround. Itdoesn't take much imagination toappreciate the enhanced impact ithad for viewers equipped to decodethe audio, especially if they saw theNew York Giants win the game on alarge -screen set.

I have long felt that while videoand audio programs are perceivedvery differently by the viewer/lis-tener, and in many respects pose an"apples and oranges" comparisonproblem, when mixed in the rightproportions they can provide verytasty entertainment. The means arenow at hand to bring audio and vid-eo together comfortably in yourhome, and with a minimum ofexpense and complication.



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TEST REPORTS

AKA' VS -565U VHS Hi-FI VCRJulian Hirsch, Hirsch Houck Laboratories

THE Akai VS -565U VHS Hi-Fi videocassette recorderfeatures MTS (multichan-nel television sound) decod-

ing for stereo or SAP (separate au-dio program) broadcasts and abuilt-in amplifier, which is rated todeliver 10 watts per channel into 8 -ohm loads from 90 to 20,000 Hzwith no more than 0.9 percent totalharmonic distortion. With the addi-tion of a monitor or TV set and apair of speakers, you can have acomplete video system with stereosound capability.

The rotary head drum of the VS -565U has six heads: the normal pairof video recording/playback heads,a second pair for improved videoquality at slow tape speeds or forspecial effects such as slow motionor freeze-frame, and a third pair forthe hi-fi sound channels. The re-corder also contains VHS HQ cir-

cuitry to enhance picture quality.In the VHS Hi-Fi system, the hi-fi

audio channels are recorded justahead of the video information ontwo separate frequency -modulatedsubcarriers. Video information isrecorded closer to the surface of thetape than the audio program, whichit partially erases but leaves mostlyintact. The audio and video headsare mounted on the rotating drumat different azimuth angles, effec-tively isolating the audio and videosignals during playback.

The low noise level of the fre-quency -modulation system used forthe hi-fi audio recording and play-back is further reduced by a propri-etary companding system. The fre-quency response, flutter, and distor-tion characteristics of VHS Hi-Firecordings are far superior to thoseof conventional analog tape record-ings and are comparable to those of

digital recordings. For compatibilitywith ordinary (non -hi-fi) VCR's, astandard longitudinal mono sound-track is simultaneously recorded onthe tape by a nonrotating audiohead.

The Akai VS -565U can be tunedto any of 107 channels, including allthe VHF and UHF broadcast chan-

The audio performance ofthe AkaiVS-565U cameremarkably close to matchingthe qualities of digital media-wide, flat response, lownoise, and negligible flutter.

nels plus a number of cable chan-nels. As delivered, it is set to receiveChannels 2 to 13, and up to twentyadditional channels can be enteredinto the tuner's memory for instantaccess. The VS -565U can be pro-grammed to record up to six differ-ent broadcasts over a two-week pe-


TEST REPORTS

nod. Like most of the VCR's othersetup adjustments, programmingcan be done very conveniently us-ing a display on the TV screen, butsince the same information is pre-sented simultaneously on the frontdisplay panel of the VCR, there isno need to turn on the TV set inorder to enter your programminginstructions.

Most of the controls of the VS-565U-including the tape -transportcontrols, channel selection, and au-dio volume-are large, soft -touchbuttons. Smaller buttons set the

time and date on its internal clock/calendar and operate its pause andrecording functions. Small slideswitches along the bottom of thefront panel select the input source,audio output mode (stereo ormono), tape speed, and either thenormal (longitudinal) audio sound-track or automatic switching to thehi-fi soundtracks when they arepresent on a tape.

Rotary controls adjust tracking (aspeed vernier for playing tapesmade on other machines) and pic-ture sharpness. There is a miniature

FEATURES

Receives, decodes, and recordsMTS stereo and SAPtransmissions

O Records audio from any externalhigh-level source, including FMtuner for simulcasts

D SP and SLP record speeds; SP, LP,SLP playback speeds

O Can tune 107 channels; can bepreset for up to 32 channels

Receives cable channelsO Programmable for unattended

recording of up to six eventsover fourteen days

Built-in 10 -watt -per -channelamplifier

Audio output switchable forstereo, left channel, rightchannel, mono, or SAP

El Front -panel headphone jackO High-speed "Return to Zero"

rewindO Multiple slow -speed playbackEl Single -frame picture advanceO Picture sharpness control Twin -slider record -level controls

(hi-fi mode) with limiter Fluorescent peak -reading/

peak -hold audio level indicatorsfor each channel, marked from-50 to +10 dB (red above0 dB)

El One -touch recording Preset "sleep turnoff." in either

record or playback mode Wireless infrared remote control

LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS

Cl Recording SectionRecord -playback frequency

response (referred to 1,000 -Hzlevel): hi-fi mode, 20 to 20,000Hz ± 1 dB; normal mode, 39 to11,500 Hz +0.8, -6 dB at SPspeed, 30 to 3,500 Hz +3, -6dB at SLP speed

Harmonic distortion (THD + noise)at 1,000 Hz: hi-fi mode, 0.26% at0 dB, 0.18% at +10 dB; normalmode, 3.2% at +6 dB in SPspeed, 2.9% at 0 dB in SLP speed

Signal-to-noise ratio: hi-fi mode(A -weighted, referred to + 19 -dBsignal level), 96.5 dB; normalmode (A -weighted, referred to 3%distortion signal level), 53.3 dBat SP speed, 45.2 dB at SLP speed

Record -playback flutter (DIN -weighted peak): hi-fi mode,±0.01%; normal mode, ±0.17%at SP speed, ± 0.25% at SLP speed

Input sensitivity for 0 -dB recordedlevel: 50 mV with maximumrecord -level setting, 315 mV withcontrols at center detents

Input overload level: 2.65 voltsPlayback level at 1,000 Hz from

0 -dB signal: 0.37 voltVolume -control steps: 2 dB

Power -Amplifier Section

Clipping power output at 1,000 Hz:11.8 watts into 8 ohms, 14.8watts into 4 ohms

Input sensitivity for 1 -watt output:62 mV

Noise (referred to 1 -watt output,A -weighted): -82 dB

Harmonic distortion (THD + noiseat 1,000 Hz): 0.033% at I wattoutput, 0.44% at 10 watts output

171 MTS (stereo sound) Decoder

Frequency response: 20 to 16,000Hz +1.3, -2.5 dB

Distortion (at 300 Hz, 9 -kHzdeviation): 0.32%

(1/8 -inch) stereo phone jack on thepanel. Two horizontal sliders adjustthe hi-fi recording level; the normalrecording level is set automatically.

The tape -loading slot is coveredby a hinged transparent -plasticwindow, so that a loaded cassettecan be seen (the interior of the com-partment is illuminated when theVCR is in operation). The displaywindow, at the upper right corner ofthe panel, contains bright, multicol-ored indications of virtually everyaspect of the recorder's operation.These include audio level (two hori-zontal rows of small fluorescentsquares, with a peak -hold feature),tape speed, hi-fi or normal audio,the presence of stereo or SAP sub -carriers, the channel number, calen-dar and clock information, and un-attended -recording information. Inaddition, a number of symbolsshow the status of the tape transport(play, record, fast forward, reverse,pause, slow or freeze-frame, etc.).

The rear panel contains the usualinput connectors for VHF and UHFantennas, an RF output to the TV set(switchable between Channels 3 and4), and video and audio inputs andoutputs for connection to a videomonitor and external amplifier. Inaddition, there are spring -loadedspeaker outputs for the built-inpower amplifier.

The VS -565U is supplied with awireless remote control that oper-ates most of its normal functions,including channel selection, timerprogramming, transport operation,volume, and power switching. Therecorder, which is finished in black,measures 171/4 inches wide, 15inches deep, and 41/4 inches high,and it weighs just under 20 pounds.Price: $880. Akai, Dept. SR, 225Old New Brunswick Rd., Piscata-way, NJ 08854.

Lab TestsWe did not formally test any of

the video features or performanceof the Akai VS -565U, although arunthrough of its video capabilitiesrevealed excellent picture qualityand very useful and functional spe-cial effects. Following the illustratedprogramming and operating in-structions in the manual made thesetup of the machine a simple andstraightforward process.

28 S i ERE0 REA' iEw APRIL 1987

Sounds For The

Power Hungry.

Admit it. You're into

power. I don't blame

you. I'm as power

cared as you. After all,

l'tt Pioneer's powerful

new 50 -watt ETR

FM/AM cassette car

s-ereo. And I'll gm you

four times the power

of standard systems.

New Supertuner

Of course! Dolby '

B 8 C? Yes! Separate

hiss and treble

controls'? Absolutely!

Crie. Play with power.

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411R1 I'mnflor I lor trunks (USA) Inc . Long Bosch. CABol iv a o logotiotod trotter talk of Dolby loborolevlosI ice nsiog Corp CIRCLE NO 65 ON READER SERVICE CARD

PIONEER'CATCH THE SPIRIT OF A TRUE 310NEER.

If you have ever heard music live, you can appreci-ate what's behind the Bose 901 Series V Direct/Reflecting ° speaker system.

Live music is the complex it teraction of direct anoreflected sound. Most speakers, however, are notdesigned with this in mind-which is why they sound morelike speakers and less like MU 3IC.

This was the conclusion reached years ago by a Massa-chusetts Institute of Technology research team led by Dr.Amar G. Bose. Through extersive research, his team discov-ered the secret of live music: tlat it is the precise balance ofdirect and reflected sound heard during live performancesthat makes live music sound live. Finally, they designed aproduct that could put this discovery to work in the livingroom: the Bose 901 Direct/Relecting system.

The Bose 901 Series V speaker:a system of audio innovations.

The introduction of the revo utionary Bose 901 system in1968 redefined the phrase "high fidelity." For the first time, aspeaker was capable of reproducing music with much of theimpact, clarity and spaciousness of a live performance. The901 system's concert hall sound and compact size made it aninstant success with both and o critics and audio enthusiasts.Today's 901 Series V system incorporates some 350 improve -

The Bose 901 system's Direct/Reflecting speaker design turns your listeningroom into part of your stereo system. You'll hear full stereo throughout thelistening environment-no matter where you sit or stand.

The 901 system's nine fu I -rangeHVC drivers are preciselyarranged to re-create livemusic's natural balance of directand reflected sound. Each driveris matched and tested by theBose Syncom ' II computer.

The Bose -built HVC driver is made out of someof the strongest advanced composite materials

available. The heart of the driver is the HelicalVoice Coil, which handles instar taneous peaksof up to 4,000 watts! Multiple HVC drivers give

the 901 system unlimited power handling inhome applications.

9,

The AcoLstic Matrix"' enclosi. rehelps the 901 system cont-ol

so .ind by precisely contrc li -1gair. Made up of 14 separEte

acoustic regions, it isolates tiedrives and regulates internal airflow, resulting in increased bass

and lower distorttcn

The Bose 9C1 active equalizer uses low -distortion electronics :o control the system'stotal frequercy response, allowing a compactsystem to pr)duce full -frequency sound.Digital Dynamic Range' circuitry maces :heentire systen ideal for use with the bestsources available

%/Irlirr7S\- a. s

/In the concert hall (above left), listeners hear a complex mixture of direct and reflectedsounds, arriving from different directions and at different times. Bose Direct/Reflectingspeakers (center) are designed to reproduce music in much the same mainer, allowinglisteners to hear greater realism anc impact. Conventional speakers (above right), onthe other hand, reproduce primarily direct sound, causing listeners to miss many of thecritical acoustic cues that make live music sound live.

ments over the original. TI -e speaker's innovative audiotechrology turns your listening room into an essential partof your stereo system. The 901 system works by reflectingmost of its sound, instead of aiming all the sound towa-d youlike a conventional speaker. So, anything you listen to over a

901 system picks up a strong sense of concert hall realism,because the system is capable of reproducing the concerthall's natural balance of direct and reflected sound.

The right speaker for the best in audio: digital.The 901 system's ultra -high efficiency and unlimited power

handNng in home applications make it an ideal speaker to usewith almost any stereo system. It will help you get the mostout of the best sources of sound available as well. For exam-ple, you'll hear digital compact discs sound as close tc live aspossible, because the Bose 901 system has been specificallyengineered to take full advantage of their superior sou -id.Digital Dynamic Range circuitry and Direct/Reflectingspeaker design allow the 931 system to accurately reproducelive music's impact, clarity and spaciousness.

The right speaker for your entire system.Whether you're listening to digital audio or hi-fi video, the

Bose 301 Series V system will let you get the most out of yourentire equipment and software investment-because t willlet you hear all of the realism that a truly good audio/viceosystem is capable of producing. Audition the Bose 901 Direct/Reflecting speaker system at your authorized Bose dealer,and judge for yourself. Thei take the next step-and invite alegend home.

There is an entire line of Bose speakers that incorporatesmuch of the advanced technology developed for the 9C1 sys-tem. For more information and an all -product brochure, writeBose Corporation, Dept. SR, 10 Speen Street, Framingham,MA 01701.

When you write for information, be sure to request a copy ofDr. Amar Bose's Sound Recording and Reproduction. Thispaper describes the research effort beh'nd the original Bose901 system.

Ird Ipor frarkcrs.xse D.rer.tRe.ctor, iy"rom 3r41:7,,tal ar^. vcr

DOSEBetter sound through research.

TEST REPORTS

We measured audio recordingand playback performance in the hi-fi mode and at both speeds in thelongitudinal mode (the speed has noeffect on the quality of a hi-firecording). The hi-fi frequency re-sponse was very good and virtuallyidentical at recording levels of 0 and-20 dB (referred to the fluorescentlevel -indicator markings), ± 1 dBfrom 20 to 20,000 Hz.

The playback distortion was 0.26percent at 0 dB. Although it rose atlower recording levels, that merelyreflected the increased contributionof the noise level to the THDnoise measurement. The recordingcircuits overloaded abruptly at +19dB, well off -scale on the indicators,which have a range of -40 to +10dB. The A -weighted noise, referredto + 19 dB, was - 96.5 dB. A char-acteristic of VHS Hi-Fi VCR's islow flutter, which in this case meas-ured only ± 0.01 percent (DIN -weighted peak).

At the faster standard -play (sP)speed, the longitudinal track's fre-quency response at both 0 and -20dB was +0.8, -6 dB from 39 to11,500 Hz. At the slower (sLP)speed, the playback output was at amaximum at 200 Hz, falling off atboth lower and higher frequencies.The distortion was 2 to 3 percent atrecording levels of 0 to +6 dB. The

A -weighted noise was - 53.3 dB atthe sP speed and -45.2 dB at theSLP speed, referred to the 3 percentdistortion signal level. The respec-tive flutter measurements were±0.17 and ± 0.25 percent (bothDIN -weighted peak readings).

We also measured the frequencyresponse and distortion of the MTS(stereo) circuits of the VS -565U.The frequency response varied overa range of +1.3, -2.5 dB from 20to 16,000 Hz (referred to the 1,000 -Hz level), and the 300 -Hz distortionwas 0.32 percent.

The audio power amplifier's per-formance was measured from itsline inputs to its speaker outputs.Into 8 -ohm loads, the 1,000 -Hz out-put clipped at 11.8 watts, and with4 -ohm loads it clipped at 14.8 watts.The digitally controlled volumevaried in 2 -dB steps, and the inputstage overloaded at 2.65 volts(which is more than sufficient tohandle the maximum signal from aCD player, for example). The 1,000 -Hz distortion. (8 ohms) was 0.033percent at 1 watt and 0.44 percent at10 watts output.

CommentsThe audio performance of the

Akai VS -565U was at least as goodas we have seen from any VHS Hi-Fi VCR, which is to say very good

"Well, goodnight Leo, goodnight Florence. According tothe tape counter, this is where you came in."

indeed. As our measurements show,it came remarkably close to match-ing the qualities-wide, flat re-sponse, low noise, negligible flut-ter-of digital media, and it easilyexceeded the performance of analogcassette decks. Of course, a video-cassette cannot be edited by physi-cal cutting and splicing, and editingby dubbing is not only cumbersomebut nearly impossible to do withany degree of precision.

Still, for recording long programswithout interruption at a nearlynegligible tape cost, a hi-fi VCR isdifficult to match. And, as we saidearlier, the video performance ofthe VS -565U was subjectively excel-lent. Copying a videodisc test rec-ord at both sP and SLP speeds, wewere impressed by the minimal deg-radation in picture quality, even atthe lower speed.

The VS -565U is also easy to oper-ate and program (although it is nec-essary to study the manual first).We appreciated the duplication ofstatus displays on the VCR paneland the TV screen, since we usuallyprogram a VCR for future unat-tended recording without turningon the TV. The remote controlworked flawlessly, and the internalmechanical noise of the VS -565Uwhile its transport modes were be-ing changed was very low.

It was clear from our measure-ments that the MTS reception wasdefinitely of "hi-fi" caliber, eventhough the available broadcast ma-terial did not afford any very im-pressive demonstrations in this re-spect. This situation should im-prove with time.

The built-in amplifiers were per-fectly adequate for their purpose.With speakers of moderately highefficiency, both the volume andsound quality were first-rate-andconsiderably superior to most of thesound we have heard coming direct-ly from TV speakers. The soundquality of tapes dubbed from CD'swas excellent, certainly close to thatof the originals.

Overall, the Akai VS -565U im-pressed us as an unusually full -fea-tured and thoughtfully designedVCR. Its performance was fullycommensurate with its position asone of Akai's top models.Circle 140 on reader service card


0,

13 mg. ta ' 1.0 mg. nicotine av per cigarette Dv F7C

SURGEON GENERA_'S WARNING: Cigarette

Sri oke Contains Carbon Monoxide.

ILTERSLDS TOBACCO C

Bass vs. SpaceIt's an old dilemma:To tolerate those large, room-dominating loudspeakers for thesake of true bass. Or sacrifice bassfor the sake of more living space?

The classic solution tothis problem-a solution thatallows even efficiency -dwellersample bass ondspace-is thesatellite/subwoofer speakersystem. Simply put, the mid-range and high frequenciesare delegated to a pair ofsmall satellite loudspeakers,placed for optimum stereoimaging. The bass is handledby a single large subwooferunit, which can be hiddenvirtually anywhere in a room.(How? Frequencies under100 hz are nondirectional;

Don't have a preamp?No problem, yourreceiver can drive thePlus Beta too. Theamplified power fromyour receiver is droppeddown to preamp linelevel and the Plus Betaamplifies this signalthrough its own threeamplifiers.

Canton has a varietyof satellites to choosefrom: minis, indoor/outdoor, ultra -thinspeakers orbookshelf units.

Featured at right arethe Plus S minispeakers. Like mostCanton products, theyare available In black,white or walnut.

the ears can't tell wherethey're coming from. Soone subwoofer suffices.)

The most common kind ofsatellite/subwoofer systemis "passive" (externallypowered), such as theCanton Plus C.

Active AdvantagesThe Canton Plus Beta sub -

woofer looks much like thePlus C, but does the job quitedifferently. That's because it's"active" (internally powered).

Canton's Plus Betaactive subwoofer

Three advanced power ampli-fiers are built in, one custom -designed for the subwooferand one each for the satel-lites. The active crossovernetwork has three selectablecrossover frequencies, allow-ing unparalleled flexibility inmatching the Plus Beta withsatellites. There is also aninput sensitivity control and abass level control.

Consequently, the PlusBeta can be used with a wide

00

or

The Plus Beta canaccommodate an extrapair of satellites, either

A Plus Beta subwoolerlsatellite system can bedriven by any preamp,such as Canton's EC-Pl.

00

0000

In the same room or asextension speakers inanother room

70 9() 140

AI;

Crossover Hi

2 4. .

2 ri

Boss dB

4. .

le , 41IP. e

Senavity V

The Plus Beta containsthree discrete poweramps with digitally con-trolled active filters.They are frequency -

driven and providedynamic soft clippingfor overload protec-tion. The bass ampli-fier Is rated at 100watts RMS power; thesatellite amps at 80watts RMS per channel.THD is less than 0.31%.

The Plus Beta's controlpanel allows adjust-ment of: crossoverpoint, for perfectmatching with anysatellite loudspeakers;Input sensitivity, tooptimize preamp com-patibility: and basslevel control to adaptfor room characteristics.

variety of satellites. For exam-ple, Canton's affordable andvery compact Plus S or thehigh-performance Karat 100.If desired, the Plus Beta canaccommodate two pairs ofsatellites. By way of drivingthe Plus Beta, virtually anypreamp or receiver willwhether a high -end unit suchas the Canton EC -P1 or amore modest design.

Where space is at apremium, but the awesomedynamic range of digitalprogram sources can't bemissed, there's no betteroption than an active sub -woofer such as the CantonPlus Beta.

Find out more aboutproduct line by visitingDealer and picking up40 -page Loudspeaker

Leading Edge Technology + Esthetics

from

GiNroti

the entire Cantonan Authorized CantonCanton's 1986/1987Journal.

dgh Fidelity Made in W Germany

Canton North America, Inc. 254 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 Telephone 16121333-1150


TEST REPORTS

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PIONEER C-90 PREAMPLIFIERJulian Hirsch, Hirsch -Houck Laboratories

HE C-90 remote -controlledpreamplifier is one of Pio-neer's Elite series of hi-ficomponents, which also in-

ludes a tuner, amplifiers, cassetteecks, and speakers. As their name

implies, the Elite components arerelatively free of the compromisesand economic constraints typical ofmost consumer audio products.

For example, the chassis and allthe screws used in the C-90 are cop-per -plated. In addition to its electri-cal benefits, such as reduced stray -signal coupling and noise, the cop-per plating is said to help dampunwanted mechanical vibrations.Similarly, the large volume -controlknob is made of solid aluminum toreduce vibrations of the controlshaft caused by sound waves in thelistening room, and the entire am-plifier is supported on polycarbon-ate isolating feet. All signal switch-ing is done by relays controlled byDC switches on the front panel.

The C-90 is not only an audio

control center, it is designed to con-trol and modify video signals aswell. It can select incoming signalsfrom five video sources and channelthe video and audio outputs forrecording on up to three VCR's. Ithas adjustable video -enhancing cir-cuits to sharpen image contours,improve detail, and reduce visiblevideo noise. The video and audiocontrol functions of the preamplifi-er are essentially separate, so thatthe video recording or playback canbe from a different source than theaccompanying audio program.

The wireless remote control of theC-90 is actually a system controlthat can control most of the func-tions of a compatible Pioneer AM/FM tuner, TV set, turntable, CDplayer, VCR, or cassette deck. Theremote adjusts volume through asmall motor attached to the pream-plifier's volume -control potentiom-eter, thus avoiding the distortionand limited dynamic range typicalof the voltage -controlled amplifiers

C-90 mnwon,cvn

that are often used for that purpose.Most unusual for a preamplifier,

the C-90 has three separate powersupplies (including their powertransformers). Two are for the leftand right channels, and the thirdoperates the video circuits, relays,and display panel. This featureserves to reduce intermodulationbetween the left and right channelsas well as to prevent any video sig-nals from interfering with the audioprogram.

Normally, the large volume knobis the only rotary control visible onthe front panel of the C-90. Push-buttons select the audio signalsource (CD, phono, or tuner) or themonitor playback from either oftwo tape decks. Another row of but-tons is used to select the video inputfrom a videodisc player, threeVCR's (one of them connectedthrough front -panel jacks), and aTV tuner. Small red lights on thevideo buttons show which is sup-plying an audio signal, and greenlights indicate the video sourcewhen the two sources are different.A small brass button sequentiallyselects the various video sources. Asimilar button is the audio muting


TEST REPORTS

control, which reduces the level by20 dB.

A silver -colored strip across theblack panel of the C-90, below theinput -selector buttons, containscolored lights that show the full sta-tus of the unit's audio and videocontrols at all times. The lights arevery small (perhaps 1116 inch indiameter) and are visible only atclose range.

The lower part of the panel swingsdown to reveal a number of less -often -used controls, including thebass and treble tone controls, thebalance control, and the three videoenhancement controls, all operatedby small knobs. Pushbuttonswitches bypass the tone controlsand activate the subsonic and high -cut filters. A tape -copy switch al-lows copying in either direction be-tween two audio decks, and anotherswitch selects either mono or stereooperation.

Also behind the swing -down pan-el is a switch to select the operatingconditions for the type of phonocartridge used: moving -magnet(MM) or moving -coil (Mc) with ter-

mination resistances of either 3 or40 ohms. A hybrid step-up trans-former is used for Mc cartridge play-back, and its lower resistance andcapacitance compared with conven-tional step-up transformers are saidto provide improved frequency re-sponse.

The Pioneer C-90 is a fairly largepreamplifier, measuring 18 incheswide, 16 inches deep, and 5 incheshigh. It is equipped with wood sidepanels in a glossy, dark finish. Thephono and CD input jacks and theaudio output jacks are gold plated.In addition to the various audio andvideo input, output, monitor, andcontrol jacks, the rear apron con-tains three AC outlets, two of themswitched. Price: $800. Pioneer Elec-tronics, Dept. SR, 5000 Airport Pla-za Dr., Long Beach, CA 90815.

Lab TestsThe clipping level of the C -90's

audio outputs (terminated in theEIA standard load of 10,000 ohmsin parallel with 1,000 picofarads ca-pacitance) was 11 volts, comforta-bly exceeding the rated 8 volts.

FEATURESO Input selection and switching of

up to five audio sources (CD,phono, tuner, two tape decks)and up to five video sources(three VCR's, videodisc player,TV set)

O Connections for dubbing audioand video independently ineither direction between any twoVCR's or audio tape decks

O Video -enhancing circuits toadjust sharpness, detail, andvideo noise reduction inrecording or playback

O Front -panel audio/video inputsand outputs for one VCR

O Audio muting (20 dB)

O Bass and treble tone controls,tone -defeat button

O Phono preamplifier switchablefor moving -magnet (MM)cartridge or moving -coil (Mc)cartridge with either 3- or40 -ohm input

O Colored LED status indicators forall controls

O Three AC convenience outlets(two switched)

O Wireless remote control for allpreamplifier functions (withmotor -driven volume control),can also control entire system ofcompatible Pioneer A/Vcomponents


Frequency response (through Cl)input, EIA standard load): 20 to20,000 Hz ±0.2 dB

Voltage output at clipping: 11 voltsHarmonic distortion (THD + noise

at 1,000 Hz): 0.0076% at 0.1volt, 0.0017% at 1 volt, 0.002%at 2 volts, 0.0063% at 10 volts

Sensitivity (for a 0.5 -volt output):CD input, 83 mV; MM phono,1.35 mV; MC phono (40 ohms),0.13 mV

A -weighted noise (referred to a0.5 -volt output): CD, -101 dB;

80phono, -86 dB; MC phono,- dB

Phono-input overload level (MM):170 to 185 mV, depending onfrequency

Phono-input impedance: 50,000ohms and 260 picofarads

RIAA phono-equalization error:+0.1, -0.2 dB from 20 to20,000 Hz

Since the rated output was at leastfour times as high as any poweramplifier will require in order todevelop its rated output, the conser-vative design of the C-90 pream-plifier was apparent from the begin-ning of our measurements.

The distortion specification of theC-90 is 0.002 percent, and at mostusable output levels and frequen-cies, that was about what we meas-ured. At 1,000 Hz, the distortionwas 0.003 percent or less for outputsfrom 0.3 to 4.5 volts, rising to amere 0.0063 percent at 10 volts. At2 volts output (a more reasonablemaximum value for any preampli-fier), the distortion was 0.001 per-cent at 20 Hz, rising smoothly to0.0016 percent at 1,000 Hz and0.003 percent at 20,000 Hz.

The RIAA phono equalizationwas one of the most accurate wehave ever measured (comparable tothe tolerances of the pre -equaliza-tion network we use for this meas-urement). It was flat within +0.1,-0.2 dB from 20 to 20,000 Hz. Thefrequency response of the pream-plifier was comparably flat, and theresponse with its high filter engagedwas 3 dB down at 11,500 Hz. Thesubsonic filter dropped the responseby only 0.5 dB at 20 Hz (it is ratedto have a 6 -dB -per -octave slope be-low 7 Hz).

The bass tone control had anunusual boost response, peaking atabout 100 Hz with a 9 -dB rise andfalling off to the midrange level at27 Hz (the full boost actually re-duced the output below 27 Hz). Inits full -cut mode, the control re-duced the output to -12 dB at 50Hz. The high -frequency tone -con-trol curves were hinged at about3,500 Hz. We did not test the videocharacteristics of the C-90.

CommentsLike some other audio compo-

nents we have seen recently, thePioneer C-90 is offered as a "digital -compatible" product. In this case,unlike most, that is a perfectly accu-rate description of the component'sperformance.

For one thing, the C -90's frequen-cy response (including the RIAAequalization accuracy) is as flat asthat of the finest CD players, andbetter than most. For another, its


An open-and-shut case for great music.Don't let its unassuming dimensions fool you. True,

the new Sony Discman" D-10 is the smallest and lightestCD player you can find. But surprisingly, it comespacked with features you d expect to find

only in full-sized models. In fact,with 21 -track selection pro-grammability 4 repeat modesand optional remote control,the D-10 performs splendidlyas the centerpiece of yourhome stereo system.

But when you're as port-able as a Discman, it's tough to

stay put for long. Which is why it comes with a

The rightchoice athome.

rechargeable battery for upto 41/2 hours of digital musicon the go. There are evenoptional accessories thatcan make Discman an in-tegral part of your car stereosystem.

Whether you choosethe D-10 or any new Sony Discman, o ie thing is certain.You get the most advanced CD playertechnologyavailable today. For at Sony, we not only created theworld of Compact Disc, we keep making it bigger andbetter. Even when we make it smaller.

Discman S ONY

D;SCMANON

3DARD7

Right at homein your car.

THE LEADER FA DIGITAL AUDIO

'Z.,' 3 02:1.5 .uses

REMAIN PLAY KEY

EWER MODE -1

Never has a compact disc player withso much going for it

kept such a low profile.

c 1987 Sony Corporation of America Sony. Discman and The Leader In Digital Audio are trademarks of Sony.


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EVEN THE FINEST LOUDSPEAKERSSIFT OUT SOME OF

THE MID -RANGE DETAIL.WHY?

Polyimide/TitaniumMid -range have ever heard before... instrumental

sections are suddenly resolved into many individualinstruments rather than a mass of instruments," andthey compelled him to add that Altec Lansing'sspeakers have "high end sweetness and openness...with astounding inner detail."

What's more, our woofers provide unparalleledlow frequency definition that beautifully comple-ments the flawless performance of our mid and highfrequency drivers. How? With woven carbon fibercones that are rigid yet lighter than paper or

Many of today's more expensive loudspeakershave impressive specifications that may look great onpaper, but do not necessarily sound great in yourhome. For instance, they boast frequency ranges thatextend well beyond the limits of human hearing. Butwhile these loudspeakers may be senstive to the mus-ical extremes of the spectrum they are often insensitive

to the subtle details in between. Details that create thefiner musical nuances within the mid -range.

At Altec Lansing° on the other band, we'vedesigned our new line of loudspeakers to recreateevery subtlety of recorded music. -o give not onlythe highs and lows but everything in between.

The secret of Altec Lansing's extraordinarytimbre, texture and detail? A polyimide mid -rangethat produces an expansive stereo image to give

you pure uncolored sound. In fact,Altec Lansing loudspeakers are souncompromising, so revealing, theyprompted J. Gordon Holt of Stereo-phile magazine to write. "I have beenhearing more going on in (the mid-range of) old, familiar recordings than I

polypropylene to virtuallyeliminate breakup, flexingand distortion.

The unique featureslike these, that make ourhome loudspeakers so Carbon Fibers in Woofer Cone

impressive, also extend into our automotive loud-speakers. In addition, our automotive loudspeakershave features like Thermoisolate'' construction andhigh temperature resistant materials to assure last-ing performance even in the extremes of a demand-ing auto environment. As a result, you'll capture thesame deta Is in your car as you do at home.

Listen to Altec Lansing loudspeakers for your-self and hear how much detail you've been missing.Call I-800-ALTEC88 for information and the Altecdealer nearest you (in Pennsylvania 717-296-HIFI). In

Canada call 416-496-0587 or write 265 Hood Road,Markham, Ontario L3R 4N3, Canada.

ALTECNSING

ALTEC LANSING.LOUDSPEAKERS FOR

THE WELLTRAINED EAR.CIRCLE NO. 20 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Altec Lansing Consume Products Mtford.PA 19337

A New Standard:THE NAD 7220PE.

Our goal was to design a receiver in the NAD tradition, with true state-of-the-art performance . . . but for under $300! The NAD 722C PE represents theculmination of our most intensive engineering effort ever.

We started with NAD's most advanced amplifier technology- the "PowerEnvelope." This circuitry provides extra reserves of tone -burst power formusic-nearly triple the rated continuous power! Then we added an outstand-ing FM section with three stages of I.F. filtering for freedom from noise andinterference, and a dual -gate MOSFET front-end for superb sensitivity. But wedidn't stop there. The finishing touch is our unmatched discrete phono pre -amp with a dynamic range over 100dB, more than enough for the demands oftoday's (and tomorrow's) digital recordings. The 7220PE sets new standardsby which other receivers, costing much more, will now be measured.

We invite you to audition this truly remarkable product.

NAD

For more information on the NAD 7220PE and a list of dealers, send us the coupon below.

NAME

ADDRESS

CITy

NAD (USA), INC., 675 Canton Street, Norwood, MA. 02062

TEST REPORTS

signal-to-noise ratio is considerablybetter (especially when referred to 2volts output) than that of any CDplayer, to say nothing of the CD'sthemselves. By our standards, thatmakes the Pioneer C-90 the truepeer of any digital sound source-the only preamplifier we have testedthat can make that claim.

To be fair, we must point out thatwhile this performance on the testbench is a technical achievement ofconsiderable magnitude, it doesn'tnecessarily mean that the C-90 willsound any better than other top-quality preamplifiers. I think it issafe to say, however, that the C-90at least ranks with the best in thefield.

The C-90 has all the other vir-tues-great flexibility, attractivestyling, solid construction, etc.-and none of the common faults ofaudio components. You won't heara click or thump from it when pow-er is switched on or off or when youswitch inputs. You won't find anycrosstalk signals from unused in-puts (such as the tuner when you arelistening to a low -output MC car-tridge), even at maximum volumesettings. We "looked" down about130 dB without finding a trace ofcrosstalk! In fact, at maximum vol-ume you will not hear any soundfrom the speakers when an MM car-tridge is connected, and only a fainthiss (within inches of the speaker) inthe case of an Mc cartridge. That isnearly unique performance in ourexperience.

We do have one criticism of theC-90, and for some people it mightprove to be serious. The only visibleindications of most of the controlsettings are the tiny colored lightson the front panel. In addition tothe small size of the lights-and, insome cases, of their labels-manyof the lights are recessed and can beseen only from directly in front ofthe preamplifier. In order for a userto know which input has been se-lected, for example, the preamplifiermust be at eye level. Aside from thehard -to -see indicator lights, the Pio-neer C-90 is one terrific audiopreamplifier. If you wish to controlvideo signals as well, it is hard toimagine how you could make a bet-ter choice.Circle 141 on reader service card

SNELL TYPE C/I LOUDSPEAKERJulian Hirsch, Hirsch -Houck Laboratories

THE Snell Type C/i loud-speaker, though very simi-lar in concept to the compa-ny's flagship speaker, the

Type A/III, is less than half its priceand considerably smaller. Both sys-tems were designed to have a flatearly -arrival frequency responseand a flat power response.

The first sounds to arrive at a lis-tener's ears-normally the directsound from the speaker's driversand the first reflections from thefloor-provide the localization in-

formation that is basic to stereoreproduction. A speaker's power re-sponse, on the other hand, is thetotal sound energy from the speak-er, at each frequency, that reachesthe listener. It includes a near -infi-nite number of reflections fromevery room -boundary, surface, all ofwhich arrive later than the directsound. This later -arrival compo-nent of the sound contributes to theoverall tonal balance and adds thesense of space and ambience thatare so necessary for realistic sound.


TEST REPORTS

The Snell Type C/i is manufac-tured with heavy internal wiring,polypropylene capacitors, and air -core inductors. Another Snell fea-ture is the close matching of driversand crossover components. Thecrossover components are trimmedby hand to match the characteristicsof the drivers with which they willbe used, so that each speaker systemmade matches the response of a ref-erence speaker within 0.5 dB overits operating frequency range.

The Type C/i is a floor -standing,three-way speaker system whose 10 -inch long -throw acoustic -suspen-sion woofer has a 54 -ounce magnetand a mass -loaded cone. The firstcrossover, at 275 Hz, is to a 4 -inchmidrange cone driver. At 3,500 Hzthere is a second crossover to a 3/4 -inch dome tweeter. The rated sys-tem impedance is 4 ohms.

The woofer is located near thebottom of the front panel, with themidrange and high -frequency driv-ers close to each other and horizon-tally aligned on a backward -slopingupper panel (the drivers are aimedslightly upward to minimize floorreflections). The left and rightspeakers are constructed as mirror -image pairs, with the tweeter to theoutside of the midrange driver.

A second 414 -inch dome tweeter,mounted on the rear panel of thecabinet, serves as a "supertweeter"to reinforce the response above15,000 Hz. It contributes nothing tothe direct, or first -arrival, sound ofthe speaker.

The input binding posts of theSnell Type C/i are recessed into therear of the cabinet. There are twopairs of binding posts, normallyconnected by wire jumpers. Sepa-rating them provides access,through the crossover sections, tothe woofer and midrange/trebledrivers. This arrangement simpli-fies biamplification, with or withoutan external electronic crossover(such as Snell's Model EC -2). It alsomakes possible "bi-wiring" (run-ning separate cables from the low -and high -frequency sections of thespeaker to the amplifier), which isthought by some to improve soundquality.

The Snell Type C/i's cabinet,which is handsomely finished inhand -rubbed, matched oak or wal-

nut wood veneers, measures 44inches high, 14 inches wide, and1244 inches deep. Each speakerweighs 80 pounds. The chocolate -colored grille cloth is retained byVelcro strips around its edges and iseasily removable. Price: $1,800 apair in oak, $1,890 a pair in walnut.Snell Acoustics, Dept. SR, 143 Es-sex St., Haverhill, MA 01830.

Lab TestsWe placed the speakers about 2

feet from the front wall and 5 feetfrom the side walls of the room.Their combined, averaged room re-sponse was very flat from 500 to20,000 Hz, varying about ± 2.5 dBover that range. The close-mikedwoofer response was flat within ± 1dB from 45 to 200 Hz, falling to -6dB at 26 Hz.

Splicing the woofer curve to theroom curve revealed a hole of about3 or 4 dB centered at 300 Hz. Thesame effect was visible in a response

The Snell Type Cli soundedsmooth and quite uncolored,with an obviously extendedfrequency response at bothends of tiw audio range.

curve Snell ran on our test speakersusing the same techniques. Our qua-si-anechoic FFT frequency -responsemeasurements, at a 1 -meter dis-tance from the speaker, could notreveal this hole because of their lim-ited low -frequency resolution. Athigher frequencies. however, theFFT response was generally similarto the room -response curves.

The excellent phase linearity ofthe Type C/i system was evidencedby its group -delay variation of only±0.2 millisecond from 1,000 to20,000 Hz. The minimum imped-ance of the system was about 3.8ohms at 250 Hz, with its maximumof 25 ohms occurring at 28 Hz. Itaveraged 6 to 8 ohms over most ofthe audio range above 300 Hz.

The speaker's sensitivity meas-ured 83 dB sound -pressure level(SPL) at 1 meter with an input of2.83 volts of pink noise. At a con-stant input voltage of 6.3 volts, cor-responding to a 90 -dB SPL, the

woofer's distortion was less than 0.5percent from 100 Hz down to 55Hz, rising to 6.4 percent at 20 Hz.

Peak -power tests showed that theSnell Type C/i has an enormouspower -handling ability. Our ampli-fier clipped before the speaker's out-put distorted significantly, at inputsof 655 watts at 100 Hz (into 5.5ohms), 1,230 watts at 1,000 Hz (5.6ohms), and 810 watts at 10,000 Hz(8.5 ohms).

CommentsThe Snell Type C/i sounded very

much the way its response measure-ments suggested-smooth, quiteuncolored, and with an obviouslyextended frequency response atboth ends of the audio range. Itssound quality was completely com-parable with that of other speakersof the same price or higher. Itappeared to impart an enhancedsense of ambience, or depth, to thesound when compared with con-ventional forward -facing systems.In part, the enhanced depth mayhave been an effect of the rearsupertweeter. Whatever the expla-nation, it helped make this a verypleasant and listenable speaker.

The Type C/i's midrange andtweeter are approximately at earlevel for seated listeners, but theirupward slant makes the system'ssound essentially independent oflistening height. The 300 -Hz hole inthe measured response was not evi-dent in listening, except in compari-son with other speakers that (moretypically) have a slightly elevatedoutput in that range. Since anyspeaker's response at this frequencyis affected considerably by roomresonances, it is impossible to makea real assessment of the significance,if any, of this anomaly. Our impres-sion is that it is no more than aminor response aberration of thesort that is present in the output ofany speaker, usually to a muchgreater degree.

The Snell C/i is a fine speaker,very competitive in its price range.It has exceptional dispersion andoverall response flatness, as well asa notably extended bass, with somevery low distortion readings in therange below 100 Hz. And it looks asgood as it sounds!Circle 142 on reader service card


Digital Direct.anotpoC ot_. ro xo.

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The digital accuracy of a compact disc...directly coupled to the world's finest integrated amplifier.

With Luxman's new D -I09 Compac: DiscPlayer and LV-109 Integrated Amplifier, thedigital signal is transferred directly from theD -109's digital output to the digital -to -analog

converter in the CV -109. There is no analogconversion prior to the transfer.

It's simply the best way to mair.tain thesonic integrity of a compact disc.

A Division of Alpine Electronics of America, Inc. (213) 326-8000

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EVOLUTIONThe Model 2220 Power Amplifier

from ZAPCO

The mostsignificant advancein amplifier technologysince the advent of car audioZAPCO was developing high qualitypower amplifiers, equalizers and crossoverswhen car audio was in its infancy. Continuousimprovement in our products has resulted inperformance unapproachable by others. Twelveyears of experience with Product Development hasproduced the latest and most highly evolvedaddition to our car audio line, the Model Z220.

For a full line brochure or technical support write orcall (209) 577-4268. FAX: (209) 577-8548.In California call toll free: 1 (800) 25 -POWER.

FEATURES 220w into 4 ohms, 275 monaural

Less than .01% T.H.D., 10-20kHz @220w 65 Volts/µS slew rate, 130 monaural

Damping factor better than 500 @ 10kHz Ultra high efficiency power supply, better than

90% D.C. offset and short circuit protection Twoyear limited warranty, parts & labor Made in California

Zeff Advanced Products Company2549 Yosemite Boulevard, Suite E, Modesto, California 95334


TFST REPORTS

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MARANTZ CD50COMPACT DISC PLAYERJulian Hirsch, Hirsch -Houck Laboratories

THE Marantz CD50 compactdisc player features doubleoversampling (at 88.2 kHz),digital filtering, and true 16 -

bit digital -to -analog (D/A) conver-sion. With one of the most sensiblyarranged and easy -to -use controlpanels we've seen, the CD50 can beprogrammed to play up to twenty-nine selections in any order, and ithas both fast search (with audiblesound) and track -skipping capabili-ty. The repeat mode allows either asingle selection, any memorized se-quence, or the entire disc to berepeated indefinitely.

The CD5O's display, with large,pale -green numerals, initially showsthe total number of tracks on thedisc. In a few seconds it changes to"0" readings for its TRACK andMEMORY indications. When PLAY ispressed, the CD50 plays the loaded

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disc from its beginning, and theindicators show the current trackand index numbers. In programmedplayback, the display changes toshow the current track number andits position in the memorized se-quence. Toggling the display buttonswitches the readout between track/index numbers, track/memorynumbers, and a display of elapsedminutes and seconds in the currenttrack.

Any track can be accessed byrepeatedly pressing either the for-ward or backward SKIP button. Al-though there is no direct access toindexed portions of a recording, thefast -search mode can be used tomove the laser pickup to the desiredindex point, which is shown on thedisplay, and normal play can beresumed from there.

The rear apron of the Marantz

CD50 contains a subcode-outputsocket for use with future digitalaccessories, one of which might in-tegrate video displays with thesound program. The rear panel alsohas two pairs of output jacks, onecarrying fixed -level and the othervariable -level audio signals. Al-though there is no front -panel levelcontrol, the CD50 is furnished witha wireless remote control that in-cludes buttons for adjusting the lev-el through the variable outputs. Inaddition to duplicating all of theplayer's front -panel controls exceptfor the disc -drawer and power -switching buttons, the remote con-trol also has a numerical keypad fordirect access to any numbered track(up to No. 99) for immediate play-back or programming into a memo-rized sequence.

The Marantz CD50, which is fin-ished in black with gold markings,measures 161/2 inches wide, IONinches deep, and only 31/4 incheshigh. It weighs 81/4 pounds. Price:$400. Marantz, Dept. SR, 20525Nordhoff St., Chatsworth, CA93111.


TEST REPORTS

Lab TestsThe output voltage of the Ma-

rantz CD50 was somewhat lowerthan its rated 2 volts. Driving anEIA standard load of 10,000 ohmsin parallel with 1,000 picofarads, itdelivered 1.65 volts from a 0 -dB(maximum -level) 1,000 -Hz test sig-nal. The fixed output and the maxi-mum variable output levels wereidentical, and the variable outputcould be reduced in 2 -dB steps toessentially a zero level.

The A -weighted signal-to-noiseratio of 110 dB was among the bestwe have measured from a CDplayer. The dynamic range, relativeto the total harmonic distortion(THD) from a -60 -dB signal, was 96dB. The harmonic distortion at1,000 Hz was a bit higher thanrated. The THD (excluding noise,which was negligible) was 0.046 per-cent at 0 dB, 0.089 percent at -10dB, and 0.078 percent at -20 dB. Itcontained harmonics as high as theseventh order.

Channel separation was 87 dB atthe low and middle frequencies,narrowing to 70 dB at 10,000 Hzand 64 dB at 20,000 Hz. The fre-quency response was flat within±0.1 dB from 20 to 7,000 Hz, with a

rise to a maximum of +0.5 dB at16,000 Hz and a sharp drop to -1.2dB at 20,000 Hz. Both channels hadidentical frequency responses andoutput levels.

The square -wave response of theCD50 was typical of machines usingdigital filtering. Although the manu-facturer claims only 3 degrees ofphase shift, this rating appears toapply only to the phase shift withinone channel as a function of fre-quency. The interchannel phaseshift rose from 2 to 4 degrees at lowand middle frequencies to 39 de-grees at 18,000 Hz, results consist-ent with the player's use of an 88.2 -kHz sampling rate and a single D/Aconverter multiplexed between thetwo channels.

In our standard test of track ac-cess time, the Marantz CD50 took 7seconds for the transition fromTrack 1 to Track 15 of the PhilipsTS4 test disc. This is relatively slowby current standards, with 2 to 4seconds being a more typical transi-tion time. The track cueing wasexcellent, even in cases where therewas no silent interval between thetracks.

The defect -tracking performanceof the CD50 was not quite up to thestandard of most of today's CD

FEATURES

Double oversampling (88.2 kHz) Digital filtering 16 -bit D/A conversion Programmable for up to

twenty-nine selections in anyorder

Repeat track, program, or entiredisc

Track skip in both directions High-speed scan in both

directions with audible programDigital-subcode output on rear

Fluorescent display of number oftracks on disc, current track andindex numbers, current trackand program numbers, orelapsed time on current track

Wireless remote control for allplayer functions with directaccess to any track (up to No.99)

Variable output level adjustablefrom remote control


Maximum output level: 1.65 voltsTotal harmonic distortion at

1,000 Hz: 0.046% referred to 0dB, 0.089% referred to -10 dB,0.076% referred to -20 dB

Signal-to-noise ratio (A -weighted):110 dB

Channel separation: 87 dB at1,000 Hz, 64 dB at 20,000 Hz

Frequency response: +0.5, -1.2dB from 20 to 20,000 Hz

Cueing time: 7 secondsCueing accuracy: AImpact resistance: top, C; sides, ADefect tracking: tracked

700 -micrometer defect oninformation layer,600 -micrometer defect (blackdot) on surface of Philips TS5Atest disc

players. It could not track the high-est level of the surface errors (blackdots) or the two highest levels ofinformation -layer damage on thePhilips TS5A test disc. This doesnot mean that the CD50 cannotcope with normal CD's-we neverexperienced mistracking in playingany of our everyday CD's on thismachine. It suggests, however, thatslightly damaged discs, which mightbe playable on other machines,could be a problem on the CD50.

The resistance of the CD50 tophysical shock was good on itssides, but tapping the top of thecase, especially right above thetransport mechanism, easily in-duced mistracking. We heard somemechanical sounds as the laser pick-up slewed to the next selected track,but they were not objectionable,and the player was totally silent dur-ing actual playback.

CommentsAlthough we could not identify

any obvious cause for the CD5O'shigher -than -usual (for a CD player)distortion readings, we are not tooconcerned about them. The meas-ured levels were so insignificantcompared with the characteristics ofanalog records and cartridges, to saynothing of typical distortion -audi-bility thresholds, that they shouldnot be a major consideration whenevaluating the CDR/.

The sonic advantage of 16 -bit CDplayers over 14 -bit CD players hasbeen highly touted in high -end au-dio circles. We were unable to dis-cover any audible benefit from the16 -bit conversion of the CD50,however, and we consider the mat-ter to be far from settled.

Despite the few respects in whichthe Marantz CD50 failed to matchthe measured characteristics ofsome other CD players we havetested recently, its actual perform-ance in our music system was per-fectly fine. Unless you have the hab-it of keeping time with the music bytapping the top of the player's caseor own a collection of scratched,dirty, or damaged discs, it is unlike-ly that you would be able to distin-guish the listening and operatingqualities of this machine from thoseof most others.Circle 143 on reader service card


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IDEOTAPIHOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF A VCR

IF you're like most people,chances are that you use yourvideocassette recorder solely forplaying back movies that you've

rented at a local video store. ButVCR's are much more than movie -playback machines. Imagine build-ing your own library of audio/video"Great Performances" dubbed fromPBS specials or editing togetherrock videos from MTV to make agreat dance tape for your next party.You could make your own wildlifevideo by taping PBS's Nature or aNational Geographic special anddubbing in your own music. Andyou can dub soundtracks or narra-tion onto the home movies you'vemade with a camcorder or videocamera and portable VCR combina-tion. These are just a few of the pos-sibilities offered by today's feature -packed VCR's.

You can get such features in bothVHS- and Beta -format VCR's aswell as the three table -top VCR's inthe 8mm format. All three formatshave hi-fi audio systems-VHS Hi-Fi, Beta Hi-Fi, and 8mm digitalPCM (pulse code modulation)-and all three formats include mod-els with built-in MTS/SAP decodersfor listening to stereo TV.

The ubiquitous VHS format haslong since asserted its dominance in

America, and it remains the formatof choice for video enthusiasts whowant editing capabilities, top-quali-ty audio recording, and easy accessto prerecorded movies. Beta and8mm VCR's actually offer more so-phisticated editing features than anyconsumer VHS deck, but the scarci-ty of Beta and 8mm software-espe-cially prerecorded Hollywood mov-ies-means that Beta will be ofinterest mainly to hardcore video-philes and that 8mm's fate is stillhanging in the balance.

Ritual RecordingYou can use a VCR in any of the

three formats simply to record a TVshow, of course, and the process isactually easier than using an audiocassette deck. After turning on theVCR, you need only insert a blanktape, select the desired channel andthe tape speed, choose the audiosystem you wish to record with(mono, plain stereo, or hi-fi stereo),and hit the record button just beforethe show begins. Some VCR's makethis even easier by turning on auto-matically whenever you insert avideotape.

There are no record levels to set-unless your VCR has hi-fi circuitry,an override switch for its AutomaticGain Control (AGO, and manual



level controls. If it does, you'll wantto set the level controls manuallywhen you record music alone, with-out a video program, or a music -oriented TV show like Friday NightVideos. To set the record levelsyourself, adjust the level controls-just as you would with an audio cas-sette deck-until the level indica-tors peak at the position recom-mended in your VCR's instructionmanual.

Also, follow common sense whenselecting which audio system to use.News shows and soap operas can berecorded adequately with the mostbasic audio system, but you shouldalways record shows that have top-quality soundtracks, such as MiamiVice, with the best system yourVCR has.

Tape speed is another importantconsideration. As with open -reel au-dio decks, a faster recording speedresults in a higher -quality productbut less program time per tape. Ex-perimentation is your ally here. Youmay feel that the quality of tapesrecorded at the slower speeds-EP(extended or economy play) or SLP(super long play) for VHS, BM forBeta, EP for 8mm-is intolerablypoor. On the other hand, you mayfind the slower recording speedsquite acceptable for everyday useand choose to use the faster speedsonly for special programs.

Hands -Off RecordingA VCR can also be programmed

for "time shifting," or unattendedrecording. The programming pro-cess may seem complicated at first,but it's really no more difficult thanprogramming a CD player to playback several tracks in random or-der. First, assign a number to theshow that you want to record. Thenset the date on which the show airs,the time you want the VCR to beginand end recording, and the correctchannel.

All this is usually accomplishedby manipulating four buttons: PRO-GRAM or PGM activates the programtimer and summons the programreadout to the VCR's front -paneldisplay. The second and third but-tons, usually labeled + and -change the information on the dis-play-you can change the programnumber from 1 to 2, for example, orthe start time from 11:59 to 11:55.The fourth button is usually labeled

hink of thewords you canliterally put

into the mouthsof annoyingcelebrities.

SET or ENTER; pushing it enters theinformation you have selected intothe VCR's memory. Most VCR'scan also be programmed to recordat a set time every day of the weekor a set time once every week.

The programming process hasbeen simplified on high -end VCR'sthat have an On -Screen Program-ming feature, which displays pro-gramming information on thescreen of a connected TV set or vid-eo monitor. The VCR nudges youto make the required programmingchoices with on -screen prompts.The only thing you have to do is hitthe right buttons on the VCR's wire-less remote control.

Note that some VCR's will re-main in the TIMER (off) mode-andcannot be used-from the momentyou set the timer until the last pro-grammed recording concludes; thenthe VCR will again be ready for nor-mal operation. It is also wise to setthe timer to turn the VCR on fiveminutes before the show you want

to record begins and to turn it offfive minutes after the show is sched-uled to conclude, in case the VCR'sclock is set slightly fast or slow orthe preceding show is running late.

Many VCR's are also equippedwith a feature called One -Touch Re-cord (OTR) or Segment Record,which allows you to start recordingwith a minimal amount of buttonpushing-provided the VCR's pow-er is on and a tape has been inserted.Your first push on the OTR buttontells the VCR that you wish to makea one -touch recording; pushing it asecond time instructs the VCR torecord for thirty minutes and thenshut off, and each subsequent pushon the OTR button adds anotherthirty minutes to the recordingtime.

Audio OptionsHi-fi VCR's make wonderful au-

dio recorders. Both VHS Hi-Fi andBeta Hi-Fi have a frequency re-sponse of 20 to 20,000 Hz and adynamic range that peaks as high as90 dB. In addition, both VHS andBeta VCR's can record up to eighthours of music on a single tapewhen set to record at their slowestspeeds. The frequency response of8mm VCR's with PCM audio isonly 20 to 15,000 Hz, but you canuse one to record up to 24 hours ofdigital audio on a single tape.

Using a VCR to record music isno harder than basic video record-ing, with two differences: an audiosignal source must be connected tothe VCR, and the VCR's inputselector must be set to LINE. Makesure that the hi-fi recording circuitryis activated. If your VCR has anAGC override, you may want to setthe input levels manually in orderto capture the full dynamics of thesource recording.

Some music programs and con-certs broadcast on TV, and somemovies or music programs suppliedon cable networks, are accompaniedby audio broadcasts on FM radio-though FM simulcasts, as thesebroadcasts are called, are becomingless common with the advent ofstereo TV. A VCR equipped with anFM SIMULCAST feature can recordthe higher -quality FM signals. Theprocedure is a sort of hybrid of basicvideo and audio -only recordingtechniques.

First, connect the audio outputs


of an FM tuner or AM/FM receiver tothe audio -input jacks on the back ofyour stereo VCR and hit the SIMUL-CAST (or SC) button on its front pan-el. The VCR will record the videotracks from its own tuner and takethe audio signals from the connect-ed stereo component.

The only way to alter the audiotracks after completing a video re-cording is with a feature called Au-dio Dub, which is fairly rare evenon high -end VCR's. An audio dubrecords over the non -hi-fi, longitu-dinal mono soundtrack that is re-corded at the same time as the hi-fisoundtracks (though with lower fi-delity), but it leaves the hi-fi tracksintact. A front -panel switch allowsyou to select either hi-fi or monosound when you play back a video-tape.

You can use an Audio Dub fea-ture to spice up tapes of baby's firststeps or the cat's monthly bath byadding music, narration, or dia-logue. You can also add new musicto a tape that relies mostly onvisuals. A friend of mine made anhour-long tape of highlights fromthe World Series and the SuperBowl, dubbing in such music asQueen's We Are the Champions.(Yes, he is a Mets and Giants fan.)

Audio Dub can also be somethingof a toy-or an essential tool-inthe hands of aspiring video produc-ers. Movies, news programs, musicvideos, or a montage of all three canbe dubbed with new soundtracks.The possibilities are endless whenyou think of the words you canquite literally put into the mouths ofannoying celebrities.

To make an audio dub, connectthe audio source for the new sound-tracks to the audio inputs on theback panel of your VCR. Rewindthe videotape to the beginning ofthe section you wish to dub. Push-ing the AUDIO DUB button will in-struct the VCR to engage only thenon -hi-fi audio head when you be-gin recording. Timing is the mostimportant aspect when you are dub-bing audio, and-as you'd expect-synchronizing dialogue is especiallytricky. Special editing consoles areavailable, though they are usuallytoo bothersome for most casual us-ers. You can get around the dia-logue quagmire when taping with acamcorder or a video camera by set-ting external microphones at strate-

VCR can bethe essentiallink for

combining a love ofmusic, movies, andhomemade tapes.

gic places and recording good -quali-ty sound to begin with.

Making Edit PointsThe video editing features found

on most high -end VCR's allow youto compile entire programs orchoice segments from any numberof separate tapes-though any vid-eo editing of this kind requires thatyou have two VCR's, one to pro-vide the source signals and one torecord the dubbed material.

Editing a video track is just astricky as dubbing dialogue onto anexisting videotape, but the reasonhas less to do with timing and moreto do with the capabilities of thetypical half -inch -format VCR. MostVHS models are equipped with afeature called Assemble Edit orBackspace Edit, electronic circuitsthat can back up the tape a shortamount at the end of an old record-ing and start taping the new materi-al only when they sense the cleanend of the last video frame.

Some VCR's also have an InsertEdit feature, which uses similar cir-cuitry to insert new material withinan older recording, not just at itsend. The problem with both fea-tures is that there is often a flash oreven a few seconds of video noisebetween the edit points. Only "fly-ing" erase heads-found on oneSony Beta VCR, one Sony 8mmVCR, and most 8mm camcorders-can erase the old video tracks at theprecise instant that you are record-ing the new material, doing awaywith the gap between the old record-ing and the new one that you see asvideo noise.

To dub video footage from onetape to another, first connect thevideo and audio outputs of the play-back VCR to the video and audioinputs of the recording VCR. Re-wind the tape in the recording deckto the point where you want the newmaterial to go and the tape in theplayback deck to the beginning ofthe segment you wish to dub in.When you're ready to start, hit theappropriate edit switch on the re-cording deck and the play button onthe playback deck.

Tales on TapeRegardless of format, the brand

and type of tape you put into yourVCR is also important. The generalrules of thumb for selecting a goodaudio tape apply to videotape aswell. If you normally use Type Iaudio tape, you will probably findthat "standard grade" videotapeswill do just fine. If you favor Type IIor Type IV audio tapes, try some ofthe "high grade" videotapes on themarket.

Be warned, however, that the la-beling on many videotape packagesis confusing. Some manufacturershave half a dozen separate grades,and qualitative differences can beelusive. Your best bet is to grouptapes in competitive price catego-ries within your budget, buy a fewsamples of brand names you trust,and compare recordings made onthem at home.

Your VCR can be more than apassive movie -playback machine. Itis the essential link for combining alove of music, movies, and home-made tapes into an enjoyable andexciting hobby. The only limit-besides your budget, perhaps-isyour imagination.


IF YOU WANT

TO GET THAT

MOVIE SOUND AT

HOME, TODAY'S

SURROUND -SOUND

PROCESSORS

WILL PUT YOU IN

THE PICTURE.

SHRUB

160

REMEMBER Cinerama? Inthe early 1950's, televisionkept moviegoers away in

.... droves. So, along with in-novations like 3-D, Hollywoodcame up with Cinerama. Three pro-jectors provided a wraparoundimage that extended to the au-dience's peripheral vision. Mean-while, seven soundtracks, two off -screen, surrounded the audiencewith sound. Later, on a more mod-est scale, CinemaScope and Todd -AO combined single -projection,wide-screen images with three up-front sound channels and a singlesurround -sound channel. Movieslike El Cid, Exodus, and LawrenceofArabia were filmed with surroundsound. But by the early 1960's, Hol-lywood, and the public, had lostinterest.

Ten years later, in the early1970's, it was the audio industry'sturn to discover surround sound. Itwas called quadraphonic sound, orquad, and it never caught on. Threecompeting quadraphonic systemsconfused consumers, demonstra-tions and many recordings weregimmicky, and the quad decoders ofthe day were easily overloaded, re-sulting in distortion and diminisheddynamic range. The so-called"logic" circuitry that made the de-coders work also introduced audibleanomalies such as "pumping" and"breathing" (when soft passages get

BY TOM GILLETT

louder, background noise and all).Audio purists tuned out.

But there were confirmed quadra-philes who grasped the proper func-tion of quad: to provide ambience.They stuck with the system, usingdecoders to synthesize four chan-nels from two. Time -delay units be-came, briefly, the rage-providinganother way to synthesize surroundsound, by delaying the front chan-nels for a few milliseconds beforesending them to the rear. Mean-while, Hollywood hadn't forgottenCinerama.

Enter Dolby LabsAbout fifteen years ago, Dolby

Laboratories and Hollywoodteamed up, and the studios began touse Dolby A noise reduction for(mostly mono) film tracks. With aHollywood connection established,Dolby turned to the development ofsurround sound. The first majormovie to use what is now calledDolby Stereo or Dolby Surroundwas Star Wars in 1976. To date,nearly a thousand movies havebeen made in Dolby Stereo, and sel-dom, now, is a major motion pic-ture made without some form ofsurround sound.

At roughly the same time that 'z

Dolby and Hollywood were pio-neering movie surround sound,home videotaping was starting to ncatch on, although stereo sound for


SURROUND SOUND, INC.'S MODELSSI-36011 IS A DOLBY SURROUNDPROCESSOR OFFERING THREE FRONTCHANNELS, TWO REAR CHANNELS,AND A SUBWOOFER OUTPUT. ITSDELAY TIME IS VARIABLE FROM 10 TO30 MILLISECONDS, AND IT ALSOOFFERS STEREO SIMULATION FORMONO PROGRAMS. PRICE: $379.95.

THE SHURE HTS-5000DECODES DOLBYSURROUNDINFORMATION ANDPRODUCES SIMULATEDSURROUND SOUNDFROM BOTH MONO ANDSTEREO SOURCESWHILE PROVIDING UPTO SIX CHANNELS OFAUDIO OUTPUT. ITALSO FEATURESREMOTE CONTROL.PRICE: $749.

Si RR) 121,VIEW APRIL 1987 55

A

DDING

SURROUND

SOUND

TO YOUR

AUDIO/VIDEO

SYSTEM CAN

BE VERY EASY

AND EVEN

RELATIVELY

INEXPENSIVE.

the home video formats was slow toarrive. Owners of quadraphonic de-coders quickly discovered that thesame Dolby Surround channel thatis optically encoded on motion -pic-ture prints is transferred to stereovideocassettes and videodiscs. Allyou needed was a stereo VCR orvideodisc player, a quad decoder,an extra stereo amplifier, and an-other pair of speakers.

Equipment manufacturers alsowere quick to see the light. New sur-round -sound processors were devel-oped specifically for Dolby Sur-round. Now, there is quite an arrayof surround -sound decoders andsimulators available, and addingone to your existing system can bevery easy and even relatively inex-pensive.

Not the Same Four ChannelsThe quadraphonic sound of the

1970's had four channels: two infront, two in back. Dolby Surround,however, has three channels infront-left, center, and right-andone mono channel in back, the sur-round channel, which in home in-stallations is typically sent to tworear speakers.

Dolby Stereo (Surround) is nowthe de facto standard for the movieindustry. In its most common form,four channels are matrixed into twostereo channels. The center frontchannel is derived from the sum ofthe left and right front channels.The surround channel is the differ-ence between the left and rightchannels (L - R). Modified DolbyB noise reduction is applied to thesurround channel, which is delayed20 milliseconds or more, cut offabove 7,000 Hz (to avoid the"splash" of high -frequency sibi-lants), and sent to the surroundspeakers.

A surround -sound processor li-censed by Dolby carries the double -D trademark. Other units, not li-censed, have circuits marked "sur-round" or "cinema surround" thatmore or less decode Dolby Sur-round. Results are generally okay, ifthere's time delay. Lack of timedelay makes the old quadraphonicdecoders less than ideal.

Theaters need a center channel infront to localize dialogue for theaudience sitting on the sidelines.Bob Schulein, chief developmentengineer of Shure Brothers, Inc.,makes a strong case for three frontchannels at home, too. "There ismore information in the center

front channel than in any otherchannel," says Schulein. "If the ideais to duplicate the theater experi-ence at home as closely as possible,you need the center channel."

As in theaters, a center frontchannel at home helps localize dia-logue, particularly for those who aresitting off to the sides. But if youdon't sit too far off -center, you maynot need a center front channel-the left and right front speakers willfill in the information.

Many manufacturers' modelshave a center -front -channel output,but most people find it awkwardand inconvenient to utilize. Wheredo you find the third front speakerand the amplifier to power it?Speakers are usually sold in pairs,and most amps are two -channelstereo. A self -powered speaker likeAR's Powered Partner would beperfect, but these, too, are sold onlyin pairs at present.

Surround Sound fromNon -Dolby Sources

All surround -sound processorshave circuits that can synthesize asingle surround channel from non-matrixed stereo sources. These cir-cuits usually work like Dolby Sur-round. Ambience information, de-rived by subtracting the right chan-nel from the left, is delayed and sentto the rear speakers. You can usethis kind of ambience synthesis toderive surround sound from stereoTV programs or from CD's, cas-settes, and LP's.

Most processors also enable youto synthesize surround sound frommono sources. The button is usuallylabeled "simulated." With this set-ting, some delayed mono signal isadded in phase to one front channeland out of phase to the other. Thedelayed signal is also sent to the sur-round speakers. The resulting soundhas plenty of spaciousness but nolocalization. Surprisingly, however,your eyes do a lot of localizing.

Add-Ons and Built -InsYou don't have to run right out

and buy a center front speaker, butit's nice to know the capability isthere. The same goes for a subwoof-er, which can also add to the fun,especially with action movies likeIndiana Jones and the Temple ofDoom.

Many subwoofers are self -pow-ered, so all you will need is a centerchannel and a line -level output on


F...FOSGATE3600 DIGITAL SPACE MATRIX

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amps= 20 I.- 25.5.-

-4111,1RIS 11111VM

WM. OM. 1110.

THE NEC AV -350 IS A 60 -WATTINTEGRATED AMPLIFIER WITHDO_BY SURROUND, MATRIXSURROUND, AND HALLSURROUND MODES. AT THEUSER'S COMMAND, THE AV -350'S16 -BIT DIGITAL CIRCUITRYDELAYS THE REAR CHANNELS BY15, 20, OR 30 MILLISECONDS.PRICE: $579.

THE FOSGATE DSM 3602 360DEGREE DIGITAL SPACE MATRIXSURROUND PROCESSOR OFFERSTWO 40 -WATT CLASS A DOLBYSURROUND AMPLIFIERS, AWIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL,AUDIO/VIDEO SWITCHINGFUNCTIONS, AND A BASSEQUALIZER. PRICE: $995.

THE LUXMAN F-105 PROVIDESREMOTE -CONTROL FUNCTIONSFOR YOUR ENTIRE ASV SYSTEM.IT OFFERS FOUR SURROUNDOPTIONS, INCLUDING DOLBYSURROUND, AND IT HAS ABUILT-IN 25 -WATT AMPLIFIER.PRICE: $550.

PIONEER'S SP -101 RE-CREATESSOUND AS IT NATURALLYOCCURS IN THREE VENUES-ASTADIUM, A THEATER, OR ASTJDIO, WITH SIMULATEDSTEREO FOR MONO SOURCES.PRICE: $350.

SONY'S SDP-505ES IS A FULLYDIGITAL SURROUND PROCESSORFEATURING FIVE DELAY TIMES,THREE MEMORY PRESETS, AND ABUILT-IN 15 -WATT AMPLIFIER.LIKE A CD PLAYER, IT OPERATESAT 44.1 KHZ. PRICE: $700.

STEREO R FyiEW APRIL 1987 57

your surround decoder. Remember,though, that some surround proces-sors have just one mono output. Inthis situation you'll have to chooseeither a center front speaker or asubwoofer.

Many, but not all, surround de-coders come with a built-in stereopower amp for the surround speak-ers. Power usually ranges from 10 to20 watts per channel (W/ch), whichis generally enough. Buying a sur-round unit with a built-in amp forthe rear will cut down on yourequipment costs and interconnect -cable clutter.

You might, however, gain extrafeatures, such as remote control, bychoosing a surround processor with-out a rear -channel amp. As always,features vary from model to model,which makes it important to decidewhat you want before you buy.

Anyone for Quad?Don't expect record manufactur-

ers to rush back into quadraphonicsound, although it could eventuallyhappen. Shure's Bob Schuleinthinks it could happen where noone's looking-through the backdoor, with music videos. Mean-while, you might have more quadra-phonic -encoded records in your col-lection than you think. Check yourAngel and Columbia discs from the1970's for SQ encoding, your Voxand Turnabouts for QS.

All surround processors extractand use some of the informationencoded for quad's two rear chan-nels, but some work better than oth-ers. Fosgate Research's Models3601 ($549) and DSM 3602 ($995)do the job particularly well. In the"panorama" mode, with either QSor SQ sources, both processors willgive you two rear channels, andboth include a stereo power amprated at 40 W/ch into 4 ohms.

Sansui's DS -77 ($400) offers QSdecoding-not surprising, sinceSansui developed QS. The QS set-ting also does a fair job of decodingtwo rear channels with SQ sourcesas well. The DS -77 does not have aDolby Surround setting per se, butits "cinema surround," with a fixed20 -millisecond delay, works verywell. There's a 10-W/ch stereo ampfor the rear speakers.

You can spend as little as$199.95, for the Sanyo SA 100, toadd surround sound to your hi-fisystem. You'll get Dolby Surroundwith adjustable delay (15 to 30 mil-liseconds) and a 20-W/ch power

amp for the surround speakers. An-other economical model is the Au-dioSource SS -One at $290; it hasDolby Surround, adjustable timedelay, and a 15-W/ch stereo amp.For $50 more, you can get a pair ofmatching AudioSource LS -Ten two-way speakers for the surround chan-nels-a very cost-effective package.

Digital Surround ProcessorsAmong the more expensive digi-

tal surround processors, standoutsinclude the Sony SDP-505ES ($700)and the NEC AVD-700E ($729).The Sony has a 16-W/ch stereoamp; the NEC has none. Digitalprocessors instantly convert the in-coming analog signal to 16 -bit bina-ry numbers, with a 44.1 -kHz sam-pling rate, just like a compact disc.The bit stream goes to an integratedcircuit that performs all signal -pro-cessing functions. The processedoutput is then converted back toanalog.

"A few years ago, 16 -bit digitalaudio would have been a phenom-enally expensive solution," saysTony Mirabelli, marketing vicepresident of NEC Home Electron-ics. "But digital uses [large-scale in-tegrated circuits] have made it anaffordable reality."

The Yamaha DSP-1 Sound FieldProcessor ($849) uses digital tech-nology to create a multitude ofacoustic environments. Fully de-ployed, the DSP-1 requires sixspeakers: two main (front) and fourprocessed (two front, two rear). TheDSP-1 has no built-in amp, but Ya-maha's matching M-35 power am-plifier ($249) can supply two 40 -watt channels or four 20 -watt chan-nels. (See Julian Hirsch's test reportin the September 1986 issue.)

The Fosgate DSM 3602 men-tioned earlier differs from other dig-ital processors. To decode DolbySurround, these other units operatein a simple matrix mode-a front -channel L - R signal is derived,subjected to digitally processed timedelay, and sent to the rear speakers.In the Fosgate DSM 3602, a digital

detector monitors the incoming leftand right audio channels for differ-ences in phase and amplitude, andthe processor generates control sig-nals to reduce crosstalk between thefront and rear channels.

Fully deployed, the Fosgate DSM3602 calls for left, center, and rightfront speakers, two rear speakers,two side speakers, and a subwoofer.Fosgate says that the DSM 3602 isfor "the serious videophile" whowants to "bring a system to an ulti-mate conclusion."

Surround sound can be achievedwith other kinds of hi-fi products aswell. There are receivers with built-in surround circuitry and surroundamplification-Akai has a line ofthem. There are surround proces-sors that combine the source -con-trol flexibility of a preamplifier withsurround -channel amplification.The Luxman F-105 ($550), for in-stance, could almost be called anintegrated amplifier. It provides allthe input flexibility you could want,and it has a built-in 25-W/ch ampli-fier for the surround speakers and aremote control. Similar in conceptare the NEC AV -350 ($579) and theShure AVC-20 ($599); with thesemodels, the built-in power amp canbe used to drive the front channels,the rear channels, or both. TheAVC-20 also has a built-in phonopreamp and a remote control.

Whichever surround -sound pro-cessor you decide to purchase, add-ing surround sound will make a dra-matic difference. If you already owna LaserDisc player or hi-fi VCR-orplan to buy one-your plans shouldinclude surround sound for the totalaudio/video experience.

Surround sound today does justwhat it did during that famous roll-er -coaster ride in Cinerama; it helpscreate the illusion of being there.Surround sound generates aural en-vironments, sometimes quite sub-tle, that draw you into a film. Thesound of wind in the trees. Trafficor crowd noise. Music in the dis-tance. Used properly, surroundsound fills a room, naturally, withsound-so naturally that you maynot be conscious of it until you turnoff the surround effect and hear howthe sound collapses back against thewall. A moment ago, the sound washere; now it's there. You were partof an aural environment, almost aparticipant; now you're an observer.That's the difference surroundsound makes. And I, for one,wouldn't want to be without it.


From King Kong

and King's Row

to Miami Vice,

music from the

movies and TV

sounds better

than ever on CD.

BYSTEVE

SIMELS

Young post -moderns, defined hereas anybody who came of age afterthe hit recording I Want to HoldYour Hand but before PresidentReagan's assertion that ketchup is avegetable, may find it hard to be-lieve, but the idea that a moviesoundtrack might make a commer-cially successful recording is a rela-tively recent one. These days, ofcourse, suitable -for -MTV rocktunes are being shoehorned intoevery conceivable film package aspart of the so-called "high concept"school of movie marketing, andfilm soundtracks are major money-makers-sometimes more so thanthe films themselves (consider FM,for example).

But it was not always thus. In the

old days, to be sure, an occasionalexception like the Richard RodgersTV score for Victory at Sea mightsell more than a few albums, andMax Steiner's Gone with the Windmusic would win fans in various LPincarnations, but by and largesoundtrack recordings were rele-gated to a ghetto inhabited by filmbuffs and camp cultists.

Since the 1968 release of Simonand Garfunkel's score for The Grad-uate, however, all that has changed,and throughout the Seventies andEighties there has been a majorrenaissance in soundtrack record-ings, with numerous megabuck hits.Among the most celebrated areJohn Williams's Star Wars trilogy,the Bee Gees' chipmunk disco Sat-

urday Night Fever, the Fifties revi-sionism of Grease, the country revi-sionism of Urban Cowboy, thecountry -rock revisionism of Foot-loose, the designer -jeans revision-ism of Flashdance, and the currentchamp, the war -is -fun revisionismof Top Gun.

Given the flourishing market forsoundtracks, however, there arefewer available as yet on CD thanyou might imagine. The followingsampler, then, is an admittedly in-complete guide to some of the bettercurrent entries, selected alternatelyfor contemporary hip-and-groovie-ness, historic importance, soundquality, intrinsic musical interest,or simply because I like the cut oftheir jib. See you at the movies.


PRETTY IN PINK. A&M CD -5113 (65:54).

As of this writing there are cur-rently five hit films out with titlesbased on old rock-and-roll songs,but Pretty in Pink, the best-knownof writer -director John Hughes'sseemingly endless attempts to cata-log the adolescent insecurities of to-day's teens, is perhaps the master-piece of its kind. The title song, ofcourse, is courtesy of the Psychedel-ic Furs, those angst -ridden darlingsof the college -radio set, but theirversion here, sad to say, lacks theironic nastiness of the original. TheCD's big hit comes from OrchestralManoeuvres in the Dark, whose IfYou Leave is slightly sappier thananyone would expect from thoseusually austere synth-popsters.

The crucial track, on the otherhand, comes from neo-folkie Su-zanne Vega. Left of Center, featur-ing Joe Jackson on piano, is by farthe best thing Vega has ever done, aglacially eerie electronic rocker thatbrings her Joni Mitchell -for -the -Eighties shtick into far clearer focusthan anything on her otherwise es-timable debut album. And thewhole CD is a nice sonic show-piece.

Director Alfred Hitchcock often workedwith composer Bernard Herrmann.

KING KONG (Max Steiner).SOUTHERN CROSS SCCD 901(48:00).

The poignant saga of an ape andhis girl, King Kong is the kind offilm that drives auteurist criticsnuts: it is, after all, a sterling exam-ple of the kind of collaborative filmmaking that exemplifies the old stu-dio system at its best and one thathas long since passed from being amere classic and moved directly

into our collective unconscious.Oddly, though, it is only in recentyears that large numbers of peoplehave acknowledged that one of thefilm's most crucial elements is thesplendid music by Max Steiner. Avirtuoso mishmash of the late -nine-teenth- and early twentieth-centurystyles, Kong was one of the first

Berlin's Terri Nunn stands tall in war -is -fun film hit Top Gun.

movie scores in which the composerwas given the freedom to influencethe film's visual components (ratherthan the other way around). OscarLevant once observed that the filmshould have been advertised as aconcert of Steiner's music with ac-companying pictures, and he wasnot being ironic. Fifty years later,the music still packs a wallop. Andthis great -sounding mid -Seventiesanalog recording, conducted by thecomposer's son, serves it very well.

SISTERS (Bernard Herrmann).SOUTHERN CROSS SCCD 903(42:39). ALFRED HITCHCOCK'SFILM MUSIC (Bernard Herr-mann). MILAN CD 022 (48:38).

The late Bernard Herrmann wasprobably the most innovative andoriginal of all the old-time Holly-wood composers, and his credits in-clude some of cinema's most mem-orable scores-Citizen Kane, TheDevil and Daniel Webster, The Daythe Earth Stood Still, and a host ofothers. Surprisingly, he is somewhatunderrepresented on CD, especiallyhis bone -chilling output for AlfredHitchcock. The Hitchcock CD herefeatures a composer -conductedsuite from Psycho coupled witha slightly undernourished run-through of excerpts from North byNorthwest conducted by Laurie

Johnson. It's good, but it will most-ly whet your appetite for lengthiershots of the real stuff. Better is theCD derived from Brian DePalma'shomage to Hitchcock, Sisters. Herr-mann's music added a much -needed credibility to DePalma'ssomewhat contrived thriller, andthe score, as unconventionally or-chestrated as usual for him, isamong the composer's best.

MISHIMA (Philip Glass). NONE-SUCH 79113-2 (46:07).

I happen to be one of those mal-contents who think that writer -director Paul Schrader is, despitehis impressive résumé-Taxi Driv-er, American Gigolo, Raging Bull-a cinematic half-wit who couldn'ttell a coherent story if his lifedepended on it. Nevertheless, forhis artsy bio-pic of the controversialJapanese novelist and ritual suicideYukio Mishima, Schrader did avery smart thing: he commissioneda score that doesn't sound remotelyJapanese. Instead, he turned to Phil-ip Glass, who responded with musicin which he reintroduces, howevertentatively, a lot of the elements(melody, harmonic development,drama) that he usually leaves out.The result is undeniably powerful,and it's stunningly engineered andplayed. This CD might be describedas the Philip Glass album for peoplewho hate Philip Glass.

Elsa Lanchester played the bride ofFrankenstein to music by FranzWaxman.

EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS.SCOTTI BROTHERS/CBS ZK 38929(39:20).

Probably the only rock -orientedfilm in memory whose songs are

Suzanne Vega's Left of Center is ahighlight of Pretty in Pink.

integrated in a manner that makesdramatic sense, Eddie and theCruisers mixes an attractive bunchof Springsteen-derived tunes with awell-done rock-noir story, in theprocess becoming a genuinely poi-gnant meditation on lost innocence.A major bomb when first released,the film attracted a totally unex-pected audience when it played onHBO, belatedly pushing the sound-track to the top of the charts andmaking stars of its songwriter -per-formers, John Cafferty and the Bea-ver Brown Band. Yes, it's derivativeas hell, but it evokes its early -Sixtiesera with a lot of flair, and it hangstogether as an album surprisinglywell. A great party CD.

KING'S ROW (Erich WolfgangKorngold). VARESE SARABANDEVDC 47203 (48:11).

According to reliable sources, oneof the reasons for the breakup ofRonald Reagan and Jane Wyman'smarriage was the former's penchantfor screening King's Row wheneverthey had company over. In fairnessto the President, however, it shouldbe said that he can be justifiablyproud of his performance in thisahead -of -its -time look at the darkunderside of small-town Americanlife. It should also be said that thescore by Erich Korngold is one ofthe glories of old -school Hollywoodfilm composing-gorgeously me-lodic, luxuriantly orchestrated, anda magnificent romantic wallow.John Williams pilfered from it liber-ally for both his Star Wars andSuperman music, but the original-especially in this stunning all -digitalCD by the National Philharmonic

under Charles Gerhardt-is still thegreatest. A must have.

STAR TREK, ORIGINAL TELE-VISION SOUNDTRACKS (Alex-ander Courage). GNP/CREscENDOGNPD 8006 (43:40).

And they really mean the originaltelevision soundtracks. For the firsttime ever, complete and uneditedfrom the tapes made at Desilu Stu-dios in 1965, here are the scores ofthe two celebrated pilot episodes ofthe galaxy's longest -running spaceopera. Composed by AlexanderCourage, the man responsible forthe familiar Star Trek theme song,the music may lack the symphonicsweep that Jerry Goldsmith andJames Homer provided for themore recent Trek feature films, butCourage's canny orientalisms andnear -subliminal use of electronicshave a naïve flair that is irresistible.If, as one critic observed, the mainvirtue of the TV show was its"charming fatuousness," then thismusic certainly has the same attrac-tion. The remastered recordings notsurprisingly betray a certain amountof tape hiss and distortion, but giv-en the way we originally heard thismusic-on a five -inch televisionspeaker-that only adds to the au-thenticity of the home -listening ex-perience. Tons of fun.

show is one of the few oases of highstyle currently available on the tube,and who among us can resist aseries with the chutzpah to cast G.Gordon Liddy, Charles Ludlam,and Iggy Pop in supporting roles?Not I. And I love the show's use ofmusic, which is perhaps the loudeston television to date. The Vice CDoffers generous helpings of JanHammer's ultra -hyper synthesizerinstrumentals and plenty of sun-baked hits by Phil Collins, GlennFrey, and Tina Turner. It's all asflashy, melodramatic, and ultimate-ly insubstantial as the show itself,but if it's realism you want, watchCrime Story (which, come to thinkof it, is produced by the samepeople). In any case, the MiamiVice CD is the very model of a mod-em soundtrack album.

SUNSET BOULEVARD: THECLASSIC FILM SCORES OFFRANZ WAXMAN. RCA RCD1-7017 (68:51).

Franz Waxman, a European emi-gre like Max Steiner and ErichKorngold, was one of the most ver-satile composers during Holly-wood's Golden Age, a man whoscored horror pictures, soap operas,historical epics, films noirs, and so-phisticated comedies with equal fa-cility. Perhaps his best-known mu -

Cheap trick (from left. Jon Brant, Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, and Bun E. Carlos)contributes a track to rock-and-roll recruitment film Top Gun.

MIAMI VICE. MCA MCAD-6150(43:14).

It says a great deal about the waythe TV business operates that theentire phenomenon of Miami Vicewas initially brainstormed aroundthe two -word concept, MTV cops-but what it says is perhaps too terri-ble to contemplate. No matter. The

sic was written for James Whale'smasterly black comedy The Bride ofFrankenstein-in part because Uni-versal lifted it intact for a number ofits serials, including Flash Gor-don-but he got his name on quite afew classic pictures, among themBilly Wilder's brilliant Sunset Bou-

(Continued on page 114)

A SPECIAL TEST REPORT

II

u3E AIV-ESPEAKER SVSTEVSuperb sound and virtual invisibility characterize a three

piece system designed for today's living spaces.

HEN Dr. Amar Bose introduced the originalBose 901 Direct/Reflecting speaker in 1968,he sent shock waves rippling through theaudio industry. The speaker challenged allthe laws of conventional speaker design atthe time by emitting sound from the back as

well as the front-and it went on to become one of thebest-selling loudspeakers ever. Around the same timeBose also introduced his "audio magic act," his way ofdemonstrating a new product by first letting you hear its"magical" sonic abilities, then giving you the cold, hardacoustical facts behind the design.

Nineteen years and three major performances later,Bose has done it again by introducing the AM -5 (the AMstands for Acoustimass), his first subwoofer/satellite sys-tem. Like his three interim projects-the Acoustic WaveMusic System, the Delco-GM/Bose automotive system,and the recent Zenith/Sound by Bose television sets-the AM -5 performs some truly amazing sonic feats,offering a novel technological approach to an old audiodesign problem.

The old problem here is how to get realistic bassresponse from a speaker system without using large,visually obtrusive enclosures. One solution is to use apair of small speakers, called "satellites," along with aseparate bass module located nearby. We have testedand reported on a number of such three-piece systemsover the years. As a class, they usually deliver a soundquality well beyond what their size and price would sug-gest, and the new Bose AM -5, with a suggested list priceof $699, is certainly in that tradition.

For some reason, however, satellite/subwoofer sys-tems have never attained the popularity of conventionalstereo speaker pairs. In part, this may be because thebass module in most such systems, often styled and fin-ished to resemble a small table or similar piece of furni-ture, is still too visible. When stereo was introducedtwenty-five years ago, many people found it hard toadapt their homes to a two -speaker arrangement, andthere can be similar resistance to the idea of accommo-dating a third speaker, however unobtrusive the first twomay be.

The new Bose system recalls the first three-piece sys-tem I can remember hearing, the Weathers company's"Harmony" of 1960, which had satellite speakers aboutthe size and shape of a hardcover book and a "hide-away" bass module that was meant to be placed behindor beneath a piece of furniture. With a crossover in the70- to 100 -Hz range, the bass module usually could notbe sensed as a distinct sound source, nor was its out-of-the-way location obvious to a listener. The BoseAcoustimass bass module goes much further: it can beplaced anywhere in the room and will defy you to locateit by ear alone.

DirectlReflecting "CubesIf

The satellites in the Bose AM -5 system are called"cubes," and with good reason. Each consists of twosmall, black cubical enclosures, which are normallymounted one above the other but are separable forinstallations where that might be desirable. Each cubeweighs only 11/4 pounds and measures 31/2 inches on a

62 STEREO Review APRIL 1987

side, with an additional 1 -inch extension for the grille.The rear of the lower cube of each pair has spring -

loaded connectors that accept the stripped ends of thespeaker wires and a slide switch marked DIRECT/REFLECTING. The upper cube rotates freely through 360degrees, pivoting on an integral 1/4 -inch phone plug thatfits into a jack on the top of the lower cube. When thecubes are unplugged from each other, an extension cableallows them to be placed as much as 4 feet apart.

Each cube contains a single 21/2 -inch cone driverwhose shielded magnet permits the cube to be placed onor adjacent to a TV set without affecting the picture. Thenominal system impedance is 4 ohms. Since the ratedcrossover frequency to the bass module is 150 Hz, thefour tiny cubes actually generate most of the audibleprogram sound. The slide switches on the two lowercubes slightly alter the level balance between the cubesin each pair to maintain a uniform room response whenthe top cube is turned away from the front axis for the"reflecting" mode of operation.

Acoustimass Bass ModuleThe bass module, which also contains the crossover

network and the system's protective devices, is a 20 -pound box finished in flat black that measures 20 incheslong, 12 inches wide, and 8 inches high. It is basically atwo -chamber Helmholtz resonator, with each chambertuned to a different resonant frequency. The front andrear sides of a pair of 642 -inch cone drivers excite the tworesonators, which are ported to the room through indi-vidual 21/2 -inch -diameter openings on one of the smallends of the box. The drivers are completely enclosedwithin the bass module and are not visible.

The resonant frequencies of the two volumes withinthe bass box are approximately 45 and 90 Hz, and their"Q" values were selected to provide a relatively uniformoutput over that range. Although the propagation ofthese low frequencies depends somewhat on the listen-ing room's dimensions and the exact placement of thebass module, the system is designed to give best resultswith the bass box along a floor/wall junction.

The protective system of the Bose AM -5 consists of acombination of bistable resistors and positive -tempera-ture -coefficient thermistors that instantly reduce thepower delivered to the drivers when the input levelbecomes excessive. Although the system is rated at 165watts maximum, we heard a convincing demonstrationthat it could tolerate short-term inputs of manyhundreds of watts without damage and without unrea-sonably high distortion levels.

The cases of the bass module and the cubes are tappedfor mounting screws and brackets (not furnished), andthe system is furnished with all necessary interconnect-ing cables.

The MeasurementsFor most of our measurements, as well as for listening,

we placed the Bose AM -5 satellites 6 feet apart, about 4feet from the floor, and 2 feet in front of the wall behindthem. The bottom cubes faced forward, and the topcubes were angled outward and back about 45 degrees toprovide the greatest spread of the stereo sound stage.

We also took advantage of the small size of the cubesby placing them in a variety of possible locations, as wellas by experimenting with fully direct and partiallyreflected sound. The bass module was placed on thefloor under a table about 3 feet to the right and slightlyforward of the right speaker cubes (its ports were approx-imately in the same vertical plane as the cubes).

The averaged room response of the complete systemvaried only ± 3 dB from 250 to 16,000 Hz. There werethe usual response irregularities at lower frequenciesbecause of standing -wave patterns in the room. The bassmodule's output was measured with the microphoneclose to the box and midway between the two ports. Theresulting response curve peaked at 66 Hz and variedwithin +5, -0 dB from 55 to 150 Hz. It fell off at 24 dBper octave above and below those frequencies. A close-miked response measurement of one of the cubesshowed moderate irregularities, about ±4 dB, up to10,000 Hz and a very sharp drop in output (about 30 dBper octave) below 300 Hz.

When we attempted to splice the room curve to theclose-miked bass curve, it was apparent that there was a"hole" at about 200 Hz in the upper -bass (or lower -midrange) response. The response in this region, howev-er, is normally highly dependent on room characteristicsand speaker placement, and some rough checks in ourroom indicated that it could vary considerably with dif-ferent placements of the cubes and the bass module.

The system's sensitivity, measured at 1 meter fromone of the satellites, was 87 dB sound -pressure level(sPL) with an input of 2.83 volts, about average for smallspeaker systems. Achieving the reference 90 -dB SPL thatwe use for bass -distortion measurements required a 4 -volt drive signal. The distortion measured between 1

and 1.5 percent from 55 to 150 Hz, rising to 5 percent at45 Hz and 10 percent at 41 Hz. Although these resultsare roughly comparable to what we have measured onother systems of similar size, they are not unusually low

fHow does Bose work themagic of making the bassmodule invisible? Well, ofcourse, it is not magical atall, although it mightseem that way. Accordingto Dr. Amar Bose, studieshave shown that the locali-zation of bass sounds (un-desirable in three-piece

lik....systemsor those using a

subwoofer to provide bass

INVISIBLE BASSextension) occurs principally throughharmonics of the bass fundamental. Apure bass note, especially in the rangebelow 100 Hz, is very difficult to local-ize. If, however, the note has any sig-nificant harmonic content (at frequen-cies up to several hundred hertz), thiswill provide the clues a listener needsin order to detect the direction of itssource.

One way to minimize a woofer's har-monic output is to use a bass system

whose distortion is inherently very low.This is the approach used in somelarge, expensive subwoofer designs. An-other approach-the one taken byBose-is to use a less expensive acous-tic design that simply doesn't radiatethe undesired harmonics. Because ofthe AM -5's low crossover frequency tothe satellites, the middle- and high -fre-quency components of a complex mu-sical sound invariably localize the en-tire sound source at the satellite posi-

compared with the bass distortion of larger conventionalspeakers. On the other hand, unlike three-piece systems,conventional stereo speakers have no special require-ments for avoiding bass localization-in fact, such local-ization may be a desirable quality in them.

The system's impedance was a minimum of 4.5 ohmsat 180 Hz and averaged 6 to 9 ohms over most of theaudio frequency range. Its maximum of 25 ohmsoccurred at 40 Hz. Recalling how easily the speakersseemed to deal with huge peak inputs when we firstheard them, we anticipated excellent results from ourpulse -power tests. And we got them: the Bose AM -5 sys-tem did not show audible distress at any of the three testfrequencies (100, 1,000, and 10,000 Hz) until the ampli-fier clipped-at outputs of 1,150, 930, and 880 watts!

The Sound StageTo us, the two most noteworthy features of the Bose

AM -5 are its superb sound and its virtual invisibility-which, with a little ingenuity, can be total. We wereintroduced to the AM -5 at the Bose plant in a typicallistening -room environment, but with no visible signs ofany speakers. The sound we heard was silky smooth andfull -range, with a strong and room -filling bass, airyhighs, well-balanced overall response, and an impres-sively integrated overall quality.

Recalling the Weathers system, my first thought wasthat small speakers were concealed in the bookcases thatfaced the listening position. The books proved to be gen-uine, but the mystery was solved when a couple of pot-ted plants were removed to reveal the two tiny satelliteshidden behind their leaves!

The bass module turned out to be behind a sofa alongthe side of the room, well removed from the satellitespeakers and completely to one side of them. Had itslocation not been revealed to us, a thorough searchwould have been required to locate it. Unlike mostthree-piece systems we have heard (including the onethat has been part of my own home music system for anumber of years), the Bose AM -5 bass module simplycould not be localized by listening-except by placing anear near one of its ports!

We confirmed our impressions from the factory dem-onstration in our own tests of the system. We held thebass module in our hands and walked around the roomwhile listening to the system. The bass sound remainedfirmly "up front," integrated with the rest of the spec-trum and audibly appearing to come from the satellitecubes. When the cubes were not visible, as in the Bosedemonstration, the sound stage was just "there" across

the appropriate wall of the room. It was an extremelyuncanny sensation.

No one in our acquaintance who has heard thesespeakers has failed to be amazed and even awed by theirperformance. No, the Bose AM -5 is probably not "bet-ter" than a number of far larger and more expensivespeakers one might name, but it is certainly competitivewith most of them, and for many people it might well bethe speaker of choice. In our listening room, side by sidewith speakers costing three to five times as much, theAM -5 consistently produced the more exciting and lis-tenable sound in A/B tests.

Heanng Is BeheznngThe AM -5's sound has an openness and breadth that

must be heard to be believed. Switching to any conven-tional forward -radiating speaker system collapses thewall-to-wall sound stage in a most discouraging manner.Although we used the reflecting mode for the satellitecubes most of the time, the system also sounded excel-lent when they were all facing forward. The speaker'ssubjective frequency response also sounded unlike oth-ers we are used to, probably because of the upper -bass"hole" in a region where many speakers have a peak.

But we cannot think of the AM -5 solely in terms offrequency response, distortion, or any other measurableparameter. More than almost any other speaker inrecent memory, it has been sheer fun to listen to, by vir-tue of its wide sound stage and room -filling bass, whichmanages to sound so much deeper than it can possiblybe coming from a system of its size!

Perhaps a part of the system's charm is the obviousdichotomy between what we see and what we hear.Everyone "knows" that four 21/2 -inch speakers can't fill aroom with superb full -range sound (probably for thesame kind of reasons that someone once "knew" a bum-blebee couldn't possibly fly, given its ratio of wingspanto mass). And it matters not a whit that you can look atthe bass module, pick it up, walk around the room withit, and so on. Other than an occasional slight vibrationin your fingers, you still won't have a clue that the bassyou hear is not coming from those tiny cubes up front,impossible as you know that to be.

Anyone who has had to compromise in speaker selec-tion because of aesthetic considerations should hear theBose AM -5. It is hard to imagine a room that could notaccommodate it, and you'll never have to apologize forthe sound. In fact, you may wonder why you everwanted one of the other, more "ordinary" two-pieceloudspeaker systems.

Lions and (as with any stereo speakersystem) through the region betweenthem. In addition, when the top cubesare aimed toward the wall behindthem. the sound stage becomes deep aswell as wide.

To understand how all this is done,you must realize that the double -reso-nator bass module of the AM -S is anal-ogous to a double -tuned transformerlike those used in the IF stages of tun-ers and receivers. Such transformers

provide a bandwidth wide enough topass the desired signal components aswell as the selectivity needed to rejectunwanted signals. The Bose bass mod-ule uses the same operating principle.

No matter how steep the cutoff slopeof the woofer's crossover network mightbe, it can have no effect on its radiatedharmonics, which are created in thespeaker drivers. But the bass module'sdual -resonator design inherently atten-uates the radiated acoustic output

above a certain frequency,so that distortion gener-ated in the speaker driverswill not emerge from theoutput ports-more accu-rately, it will be radiatedat a much lower level thanotherwise. According toBase, it is this quality ofthe AM -S's bass modulethat endows it with itsacoustic "invisibility."

n

JSHOW STCDF)11-1Just as you shop for exciting newcomponents in retail stores, audioand video dealers shop for hot newproducts from manufacturers at thetwice -yearly Consumer ElectronicsShows. Journalists also get pre-views of things to come, and welook-and listen-for new and ex-ceptional audio and video products.

The CES in Las Vegas this pastJanuary was an audiophile'sdream, with everything from tapeto speakers on display. Sorting outthe treasures, we found fifteen"show stoppers," new audio prod-ucts that are truly outstanding inthe areas of technology and design.Other noteworthy components soonto appear on dealers' shelves will becovered in our "New Products" sec-tion and in test reports.

Many manufacturers were show-ing "prototype" DAT (digital audiotape) recorders, and rumors aboutplans to market these machineswere spreading like wildfire. Atpress time, they had just been in-troduced in Japan, and Americansales cannot be far behind.

The products shown here, specialas they are, illustrate current trendsin audio and video. Compact discchangers were led by a Sanyo pro-totype (the CPMI000) that playsten discs without a special maga-zine. Other players had innovativefeatures at lower prices than ever.

Sound for video continues to im-prove, and there were more audio/video receivers at the show than inprevious years. A new Nikko receiv-er even had a built-in video tunerwith MTS decoder. And whole newlines of electronic components werepreviewed by both Acoustic Re-search and Dual.

CES is not always the best placeto listen, but we heard musicalsounds from new speakers by Alli-son, Boston Acoustics, ClementsAudio, Genesis, and Infinity as wellas the mountainous Everest speak-ers from JBL. Subwoofers old andnew were booming out from atleast twelve manufacturers, amongthem Martin -Logan and AmericanAcoustics.

Denon, Blaupunkt, and othersshowed new, different, and well -de-signed car stereo components,while Sony introduced a "MegaBass" CD boombox.

The biggest news in video wasJVC's announcement of Super -VHS, a picture -enhancement tech-nique for VCR's said to producebetter resolution than broadcasts.Video trends were toward camcord-ers, especially VHS -C, and moredigital VCR's with more and betterspecial effects. Take a look-and alisten-at your local consumerelectronics store for the latest andthe greatest in audio and video.

by WILLIAM BURTON

Wth digital audio and laser -sharp resolution, Pioneer'sLD-S 1 LaserDisc player (facing page, top) can create soundand pictures so good you might think they're real. Picturequality is enhanced by fully floating disc rotation and Accu-Focus to reduce RF distortion, yielding 420 -line resolutionand low noise. Digital video effects include freeze-frame withsound and fast scan with no picture interference. Retail priceof the remote -controlled LD-S1 will be around $2,000.

Sony's unique CDP-CSF CD changer (facing page, bot-tom) holds five compact discs on its rotating carousel. WhileCD changers were all over Las Vegas, the Sony player is eas-ier to load than those requiring disc magazines. Betweenplayings, you store the discs in their protective jewel boxes.Suggested retail price is $450.

66 STEREO REvIEw APRIL 1987

C


The SAE A502 stereo poweramplifier is rated for 200 wattsper channel into 8 ohms, but flip-ping a rear -panel switch bridgesthe channels so that it can deliver600 watts in mono. A front -panelswitch changes the response timeof the power -output display fromfast to slow. Switching is providedfor two pairs of speakers. Thehigh -current A502 is designed tohandle low -impedance loads andis said to be able to drive anyspeaker system available today.Price: $699.

s part of its move toward of-fering a full line of audio compo-nents, NEC showed the AVR-1000audio/video receiver. It combinesfour channels of amplification(100 watts each for two frontspeakers, 50 watts each for tworear ones), Dolby Surround andmatrix decoding, and a remotecontrol that can also work withother NEC components. Relativevolume of the four speakers is setwith a single four-part control.The AM/FM receiver can switchCD, phono, audio tape, video, andauxiliary sources. Price: $869.

The Model 201 preamplifier(center top. $900) is the heart ofMeridian's remote -controlled au-dio system, which can be extendedto play different music in differentrooms. It has a sixty-four positionelectronic volume control that canbe programmed to match the lev-els of various sources. The remotecontrol (right. $110) is the samewidth as Meridian's other 200 se-ries components, such as the two-piece Model 207 CD player (trans-port section at left, electronics sec-tion at center under the preamp)and the Model 204 tuner/timerand Model 205 power amplifier(not shown). The remote controlcan switch up to eight inputsources, operate tuning and CDprogramming functions, and ad-just volume.


Each Design Acoustics PS -103speaker (above, far left) has two sepa-rate enclosures. The upper enclosurehouses a 3/4 -inch dome tweeter and a 6 -inch midrange mounted in a low -dif-fraction baffle that is said to create un-usually precise stereo imaging. The 10 -inch woofer in the bottom enclosurefires down and radiates from a slot allaround the bottom. Price: $900 per pair.

A new line of Yamaha speakers de-signed to measure well and to satisfycritical listeners includes the NS -A-7.2bookshelf model (abc ve, center), with a7 -inch polypropylene woofer and a 3/4 -inch soft -dome tweeter. The woofer istuned for a resonance of 37 Hz to ex-tend the bass response, and the tweeteris designed to avoid shrillness and re-sulting listener fatigue. Price: $218per pair.

Two video trends-hi-fi sound andcamcorders-finally came together inthe Zenith VM7100 (above). It uses afull-size VHS cassette, for up to 8hours of recording, and weighs only 51/4pounds without its battery pack. It canplay and record in hi-fi stereo and re-cord stereo TV broadcasts from anyTV set equipped with an MTS decoder.Price is approximately $1,795.

The .7 High Definition Monitorsfrom Focus (left) are said to re-createthe recorded three-dimensional soundstage with "uncanny" precision. To re-duce cabinet coloration, the enclosuresare made of a seamless tube of braced"Pox Pulp." Each ported speaker has a1 -inch dome tweeter time -aligned withan 8 -inch woofer. Price: $995 per pair;optional stands, $195 per pair.


C

' rrrlrPower Plate Syslum

Toshiba's DX -900 videocassette re-corder has digital audio, digital video,and on -screen light -pen programming.It can handle five different audio chan-nels-two PCM digital, two VHS Hi-Fi, and one longitudinal ("normal").Digital picture processing enables view-ers to freeze up to four images on thescreen at the same time. To programthe VCR to record in your absence,you simply touch the fiber-optic lightpen to colored graphics of calendarsand clocks on the screen. Tentativeprice is $1,399.

The NAD 6300 cassette deck hasfour signal -processing circuits and afull -function remote control. Dolby HXPro and Dyneq headroom -extensioncircuits improve high -frequency re-sponse at high levels, while Play Trimcorrects losses of highs from any tape.A "CAR" processor compresses dy-namic range for mobile listening,boosting low-level signals by approxi-mately 20 dB. Price: $798.

Just slip five compact discs into thefive thin trays in Fisher's DAC-205 CDchanger and you're set for an entireevening of music. You can hear eachtrack of each disc in sequential order,or you can program up to thirty-twotracks in any order you want, or youcan press "Random Play" and let themachine do the programming. The re-mote -controlled changer is $499.95.

T he four -channel PQ10 car stereoamplifier from ADS can be treated astwo stereo power amps put together. Inits four -channel mode, it delivers 30watts into four speakers; with one of itsstereo amps bridged, it will power twosatellites (30 watts each) and a sub -woofer (80 watts); and with both ampsbridged, it provides 80 watts apiece fortwo speakers. The compact amplifier isdesigned to work with virtually anyhead unit. Price: $410.

Also in car stereo, Proton's 214CDautoreverse cassette receiver is notewor-thy for having inputs for a CD playeron both the front and rear panels.Scholz circuitry in the tuner section issaid to improve FM sensitivity and re-duce overload, distortion, and static.Price: $349.

Separates in the high -end Citationline from Harman Kardon-consistingof a preamplifier, two power amps, andthe Model twenty-three tuner at left-are finished in blue -black anodizedbrushed aluminum with molded rubbertrim. The remote -controlled tuner hasa patented Active Tracking system thatis said to give it high selectivity in bothmono and stereo. Price: $650.


ir TELEDYNE ACOUSTIC RESEARCH. , .

Se."1

w.erseArn.

LI

quN

Once again, AR reshapes the future of high fidelity.No longer do you need to live with

components that look more at home in apower station than in your home. No longerneed you sacrifice sound quality for somesemblance of sound design.

AR, the company that revolutionizedloudspeakers with the Acoustic Suspensiondesign, now changes the face of stereocomponents forever. By combining world -class industrial and electronic design, ARhas produced the first audio componentsas pleasing to the eye as they we to the ear.

The front fascias are gracefullyangled, so controls fall readily hand.Behind a hinged panel, infrequently -usedcontrols are ready when you ni.d them. outof sight when you don't.

AR has reexamined the factors that

really matter to sound quality. That's whyAR amplifiers produce high current outputfcr outstanding dynamic headroom. Four-ti-nes oversampling gives the AR CompactDisc player absolute phase linearity. AndAR's unified remote control adds a finaltouch of elegance.

No one serious about stereo would buyequipment without listen ng. Now it's noIcriger necessary to buy without looking.

AlRESEARCH

We speak from experimm.

BREAKS THE SOUND BARRIERIN YOUR LIVING ROOM

TURN YOUR ORDINARY TY INTO ANMTS STEREO-SONICSUPERSYSTEMNow that the

networks-NBC, ABC. CBS anc evenCable-are broadcasting dozens of programs indynamic stereo soundyou can change yoLr home TVviewing from dull to dynamic with one of Recoton'sF F ED

Family of MT3Decoders. Ease to install.

each FREDDecoder thrusts the sound and action

beyond your TVscreei, delivering

theater -like soundthat's purer and cleaner than the best 'Stereo -V orthe market. Leading authority on

audioJuilian Hirschcommented in STEREO

REVIEW Magazine."F R E.D is a dramatic

improvement in the qualityof -V sound can justify its addition to a home enter-tainment system." VIDEO and VIDEO REVIEWMagazines also agree the FRED family of decoderstransforms your ordinary TV into ln up-to-date stereo

center at a traction of the cost of a new NAT3 StereoTV And FR.E D also synthesizes dynamic stereosound from non -stereo

broadcasts. Available in ampli-fied and non -amplified

versions for use w th a homeaudio system or self-powe-ed

speakers. Somemodels with SAP bt-linguaprogramming' capability.

Soexperience the F. R E.D. jamily-the greatestbreakthrough in MTS Sterec

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RECCITEINITHE PROVENPERFORMERSAudio/Video Accessory Specialists46-23 CRANE

STREET LONG ISLAND CI-Y. NY 111C11-800-RECOTON.CIFCLE NO 38 ON

READER SERVICE CAD

BY WILLIAM WOLFE AND STAFF

VHS TABLE-TOP VCR'S

AKAIVS -565U Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features built-in 10-W/ch amplifier withelectronic volume control; HQ circuitry; MIS -SAP stereo tuner; four heads; 6 -event, 14 -dayon -screen programming; 107 -channel cable -ready tuner; 32 station presets; wireless remotecontrol with direct access; variable slow motion;programmable from remote; child lock system;comb filter for high -definition picture; autopower -on, rewind and editing $749VS -555U. Similar to VS -565U except does notinclude amplifier and volume control .. S699

VS -525U Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features built-in 10-W/ch amplifier withelectronic volume control; HQ circuitry; MTS-SAP stereo tuner; two heads; 6 -event, 14 -dayon -screen programming; 107 -channel cable -ready tuner; 32 station presets; wireless remotecontrol with direct access; slow motion; child -lock system; comb filter; automatic power on,rewind, and editing functions $629VS -515U. Similar to VS -525U except does notinclude amplifier and volume control . $579

CANONVR-HF720 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decod-er; 4 video heads; 30-day/8-event on -screen pro-gramming; 107 -channel cable -ready tuner; 3 -speed playback; slow-motion playback variablefrom one -fifth to one -thirtieth normal speed;one -touch recording; 4 audio outputs; FM si-mulcast; index search; auto power on and play;power -off eject; edit switch; headphone jackwith volume control; picture -sharpness control;double -speed silent playback; wireless remotecontrol. Audio dynamic range 90 dB in hi-fimode. 16.9' W x 3.8" H x 14.7" D $1,050VR-HF710. Similar to the VR-HF720 but with-out on -screen programming S950

GE9-7400 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format front -loading table -top VCR withbuilt-in MTS decoder, hi-fi sound, HQ circuitry,and 4 heads. Features dbx noise reduction;record level meters; noiseless special effects;headphone jack; sound level and L/R balancecontrols; 40 -function remote control; on -screenprogramming from remote; 21 -day, 8 -event pro-gramming with one -hour memory backup anddaily and weekly repeat; one -touch recordingwith standby; slanted control keyboard with il-luminated graphics; see-through cassette door;top cassette window; switchable AC outlet: tape -remaining indicator; digital electronic tapecounter; fine editing; up to 8 hours of recording

Akai VS -565U

HI-FIVCR'SBUYING Gi'l DE

IHERE are more hi-fi VCR's thanever this year, and a quick scanof the listings in this guidereveals that features oncelimited to the more expensivemodels-such as built-in

MTS/SAP stereo -TV decoders andVHS HQ picture -enhancementcircuitry-have now becomestandard equipment. The listingsalso reflect the state of the VCRformat wars: There are now onlytwo hi-fi models in the Betaformat and two in 8mm.

The process of implementingnew technologies and updating oldones continues apace. Toshiba,NEC, and JVC have introduceddigital VCR's that use computermemory chips to reduce videonoise, improve such existingspecial effects as freeze frame andslow motion, or create new specialeffects, such as off -the -air freezeframe and electronic paintbrush.

Toshiba's newest digital VCR,the DX -900 (to be available in fall1987) uses built-in PCM(pulse -code -modulation) circuitryfor recording video soundtrackswith CD -quality sound. AndZenith's new full-size VHScamcorder has hi-fi sound, so youcan record high -quality audio foryour home movies and enjoyprerecorded VHS Hi-Fi moviesusing the same VCR.

The information in this guidewas provided by the manufacturersand does not represent the resultsof tests by STEREO REVIEW. Thesuggested retail prices given werecorrect at press time. A directoryof manufacturers is on page 82.

or playback; SP, LP, EP play and record speeds;video sharpness control. Includes VHF connect-ing cable; UHF twin lead wire; vertical locktool: one pair audio cables. 17' W x H x 14.2"D; 15.4 lbs $1,000

9-7391 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format front -loading table -top VCR withMTS adaptor input, hi-fi sound, HQ circuitry,and 4 heads. Features dbx noise reduction;record level meters; noiseless special effects;heacphone jack; sound level and L/R balancecontrols; 35 -function remote control; program-ming from remote; I4-day/4-event program-ming with memory backup; voltage -synthesizedtuning; 93 -channel VHF, UHF, CATV connec-tion capacity; one -touch recording with standby;slanted control keyboard with illuminatedgraphics; see-through cassette door; digital elec-tronic tape counter with memory; fine editing;normal- and slow -speed tracking control; up to8 hours of recording or playback; SP, LP, EPplay and record speeds; video sharpness control.Includes VHF connecting cable; UHF twin -leadwire; 300- to 75 -ohm transformer; vertical locktool, one pair audio cables. 17" W x H x11.62' D; 13.9 lbs $750

9-730 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format front -loading table -top VCR withMTS adaptor input, hi-fi sound, and HQ cir-cuitry. Features dbx noise reduction; record lev-el meters; headphone jack; sound level and L/Rbalance controls; 35 -function remote control;programming from remote; 14 -day, 4 -event pro-grarnming with memory backup; voltage -syn-thesized tuning; 93 -channel VHF, UHF, CATVconnection capacity; one -touch recording withstandby; slanted control keyboard with illumi-nated graphics; see-through cassette door; digi-tal electronic tape counter with memory; fineediting; normal- and slow -speed tracking con-trol; up to 8 hours of recording or playback; SP,LP, EP play and record speeds; video sharpnesscontrol. Includes VHF connecting cable, UHFtwin -lead wire, 300- to 75 -ohm transformer. 17-w x 4' H x 11.62' D; 13.6 lbs $720

111111111Canon VR-11F710

GOLDSTARGHV-8200M Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound and built-in MTS/SAP decoder. FeaturesSP, LP, SLP play and record speeds; 14 -day, 8 -event timer; remote control; frame advance; re-mote pause; still frame; auto rewind; auto finetuning; one -touch recording with standby; HQcircuitry; 110 -channel cable -ready tuner with 80presets; direct -access tuning; battery programbackup; simulcast jack. Horizontal resolution240 lines; video S/N 46 dB; audio FR 20-20,000Hz ±3 dB in hi-fi mode, 80-8,000 Hz ±3 dBnormal mode; power requirements 120 V, 28W. I6.V W x 3.9" H x D; 18 lbs . 1700

HARMAN KARDONVCD4000 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereo


HI-FI VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDERS

Harman Kardon VCD4000sound and HQ circuitry. Features MTS decod-er; digital servo -controlled transport; SP, LP, EPplay and record speeds; 21 -day, 8 -event timer;linear stereo; Dolby NR; remote control; frameadvance; noiseless special effects; cable -readytuner; still frame; auto fine tuning; audio dub-bing; video dubbing; one -touch recording; time -remaining display; on -screen programming;variable slow motion; auto on; 2 -speed search;detail control; hi-fi tracking control; slow-mo-tion tracking control; program search; memoryrewind; 30-s skip/search; headphone jack withvolume control. Audio FR 20-20,000 Hz ±3 dBin hi-fi mode; 100-10,000 Hz ±3 dB in normalmode; audio distortion 0.2% in hi-fi mode; au-dio S/N 80 dB in hi-fi mode, 48 dB in normalmode. 17.36' W x 4.62' H x 15.62' D $1,195

VCD2000 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound and HQ circuitry. Features MTS decod-er; digital servo -controlled transport; SP, LP, EPplay and record speeds; 21 -day, 4 -event timer;linear stereo; Dolby NR; remote control; cable -ready tuner; still frame; auto fine tuning; audiodubbing; video dubbing; one -touch recording.Audio FR 20-20,000 Hz ±3 dB in hi-fi mode;100-10,000 Hz ±3 dB in normal mode; audiodistortion 0.2% in hi-fi mode; audio S/N 80 dBin hi-fi mode, 48 dB in normal mode. 17.36' Wx 4.62' H x 15.62' D $895

Hitachi VT -1720

HITACHIVT -1800 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format VCR with hi-fi stereo sound andbuilt-in MTS decoder. Features HQ circuitry;SP, LP, SLP play and record speeds; 365 -day, 8 -event timer; on -screen display; remote control;cable -ready tuner; noiseless special effects;freeze frame; frame advance; audio dubbing;one -touch recording; time -remaining display.17.12' W x 3.88' H x 13.5' D; 16.5 lbs $999

VT -1720 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format VCR with hi-fi stereo sound andbuilt-in MTS decoder. Features HQ circuitry;SP, LP, SLP play and record speeds; 14 -day, 4 -event timer; remote control with LCD for pro-gramming; cable -ready tuner; noiseless specialeffects; freeze frame; frame advance; audio dub-bing; one -touch recording. 17.12' W x 3.88' H x13.5' D; 16.5 lbs $799

INSTANT REPLAY530IT3 Hi-Fi VCRVHS -format table -model VCR with hi-fi stereosound and the ability to translate internationalvideo transmission systems. (Based on a

Magnavox, Panasonic, or Quasar VCR.) Playsall PAL video tapes in color, including PAL B(Western Europe, India, Africa, Far East, Aus-tralia, Scandinavia), PAL N (Argentina, Peru,Paraguay), PAL I (UK, South Africa, Ireland),PAL M (Brazil). Plays SECAM B, G, V (EasternEurope), SECAM D (Russia), SECAM H (Mid-dle East), SECAM L (France) in monochrome.Compatible with most regular television sets ormonitors. Features front -loading cassette mech-anism; 14 -day, 8 -event timer; Dolby stereo;variable -speed slow motion; 139 -channel cable -ready tuner; video peaking sharpness control;four heads; fast -scan forward and reverse; stillframe; pushbutton electronic tuning; fulltrack/audio track erase; 26 -function remote con-trol; one -touch recording; auto stop; built-in RFmodulator for channels 3 and 4; multi -functiondisplay. $1,795618IT3. Similar to the 5301T3 but with HQ cir-cuitry; MTS/SAP decoder; simulcast switch; 2sets of audio outputs; auto index; audio andvideo editing; 27 -function infrared dual -modewireless remote control; automatic programfinder; 107 -channel direct -tuning cable -readytuner; 30 -day, 8 -event on -screen programmingwith daily repeat, memory back-up . . . $1,7956151T3. Similar to 6181T3 but without MTSdecoder $1,495

618IT4RGB Hi-Fi VCRVHS -format table -model VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Plays PAL or NTSC tapes on RGB mon-itor. Features built-in MTS/SAP decoder; on-screen programming; remote control; frame ad-vance; noiseless special effects (SP, EP); cable -ready tuner; still frame; auto rewind; channellock; auto fine tuning; audio dubbing; one -touchrecording; time -remaining display; auto index;edit switch $1,895

JVCHR-D756U Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decod-er; I4-day/8-event on -screen programming; 181 -channel cable -ready tuner; 4 -head, double -azi-muth design; 2 -speed recording and playback;variable slow-motion playback; selectable stereoaudio dubbing; insert edit; picture -sharpnesscontrol; wireless remote control. Audio dynam-ic range >90 dB in hi-fi mode. 17.8' W x 3.75'H x 14.8' D $1,295

HR -S2000 Convertible Hi-Fi VCRVHS -format convertible table -top VCR with hi-fi stereo sound. The 5.5 -lb recorder separatesfrom the tuner for use with a video camera. Fea-tures MTS/SAP decoder; I4-day/8-event on-screen programming; 181 -channel cable -readytuner; 4 -head, double -azimuth design; 2 -speedrecording and playback; audio dub; insert edit;wireless remote control. Audio dynamic range>80 dB in hi-fi mode. Power consumption(with camera) 18.5 watts. 8.1' W x 3.25' H x9.1' D (recorder); 8.8' W x 3.1' H x 10.4' D(tuner) $1,195

HR-D570U Digital Hi-Fi VCRVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound and digital special effects. Features Digi-tal Freeze, Digital Strobe, three -position DigitalSolarization, digitally enhanced still frame andplayback at one -eighth, one-fourth, and doublenormal speed; HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decoder;I4-day/8-event programming; 181 -channel ca-ble -ready tuner with 10 -key random-accesschannel selection; 4 -head, double -azimuth de-sign; luminance -signal comb filter; peak -hold

meters; manual audio -recording level controlswith Automatic Level Control override; 9 -selec-tion, forward and reverse music scan; automaticplayback; play memory; switchable AC outlet;FM simulcast; record mute; 60 -minute memorybackup; audio limiter; one -touch recording;tape -remaining indicator; picture -sharpnesscontrol; headphone jack with adjustable volumecontrol; wireless remote control. Audio dynam-ic range >90 dB in hi-fi mode. 17.2' W x 3.75'H x 13.75' D $1,050

JVC HR-D570U

HR-D470U Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decod-er; 14-day/8-event programming; 181 -channelcable -ready tuner; 4 -head, double -azimuth de-sign; 2 -speed recording and playback; lumi-nance -signal comb filter; 9 -selection, forwardand reverse music scan; automatic playback;picture -sharpness control; wireless remote con-trol. Audio dynamic range >90 dB in hi-fimode. 12.4' W x 3.5' H x 14.5" D $849

HR-D370U Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decod-er; 14-day/4-event programming with repeat;11 I -channel cable -ready tuner; 2 video heads; 2 -speed recording and playback; luminance -signalcomb filter; nine -selection, forward and reversemusic scan; picture -sharpness control; wirelessremote control. Audio dynamic range >90 dBin hi-fi mode. 17.8' W x 3.75' H x 13.75'D $749

Ken wood KV-926HF

KENWOODKVR-926HF Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features HQ circuitry; I4-day/4-eventprogramming; 181 -channel cable -ready tuner; 4 -head, double -azimuth design; FM simulcast;Auto Incremental Recording (one -touch record-ing); assemble edit; wireless remote control.Available in fall 1987 $830

MAGNAVOXVR9565AT Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format VCR with built-in MTS/SAP de-coder. Features hi-fi stereo sound; 41 -functionwireless remote control with on -screen pro -


HI-FI VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDERSgramming; 4 -head system; 21 -day, 8 -event pro-gramming; 155 -channel cable -ready tuner withrandom access; auto index search (uses silentcue for rapidly locating desired recording); 5 -min backup timer; 3 record/playback speeds;one -touch recording; channel lock; audio dub-bing/mix; auto fine tuning; transition editing;CATV adaptor jack; auto pause; auto rewind;tracking controls; tape -remaining indicator;forward/reverse search at 5X normal play speed(in SP mode) and 9X normal (in SLP mode).Audio FR 20-20,000 Hz; audio distortion<0.47 %; audio S/N >60 dB. 17' W x 4' H x11.5' D $1,249

VR9558AT Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format VCR with 4 video heads. Featureson -screen programming; hi-fi stereo sound; 93 -channel random access tuner; MTS/SAP jack(for optional external decoder); 14 -day, 4 -eventprogramming; 5 -min backup timer; one -touchrecord with standby. Special effects includeforward/reverse search (5X normal playingspeed in SP, 9X normal in SLP mode), stillframe, frame advance, and slow motion. 37 -function wireless remote includes 2X play andon -screen programming (help, OTR, OTRstandby). Audio FR 20-20,000 Hz; audio distor-tion <0.47 %; audio S/N >60 dB. 17' W x 4' Hx 11.5' D $949

Magnavox VR9565AT

VR9560AT Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -model VCR with hi-fi stereo.Features HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decoder; 21-day/8-event on -screen programming; 93 -chan-nel cable -ready tuner; 4 video heads; 3 -speed re-cording and playback; one -touch recording withstandby; automatic gain control; assemble edit;frame advance; slow motion; lighted cassettedoor; 60 -minute battery backup; tape -remainingindicator, camera -remote -pause jack; head-phone jack with adjustable volume control; autorewind; power -off eject; picture -sharpness con-trol; 39 -function wireless remote control. Audiodynamic range >80 dB in hi-fi mode. 17' W x4' H x 11.5' D $849

VR9540AT Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format VCR with hi-fi stereo sound and 2heads. Features 93 -channel random-access tun-er; I4 -day, 4 -event programming; 5 -min backuptimer; 27 -function wireless remote control;MTS/SAP jack; one -touch record with standby;auto fine tuning; channel lock; transitionediting; auto rewind; auto still/pause release;camera -remote pause jack; still frame; frame ad-vance; slow motion; three play/record speeds;forward/reverse search. Audio FR 20-20,000Hz; audio distortion <0.47 %; audio S/N >60dB. 17° W x 4' H x 11.5'D $849

MARANTZVR560HQ Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with MTS/SAP de-coder. Features 3 record/play speeds; slow mo-tion; hi-fi sound; linear stereo; Dolby NR; re-mote control; frame advance; noiseless specialeffects; remote pause; 140 -channel random-ac-cess cable -ready tuner; auto rewind; audio andvideo dubbing; one -touch recording; time -re-maining display; 4 heads; sharpness control; VU

meters; serial recording; on -screen program-ming; 21 -day, 8 -event timer. Horizontal resolu-tion 230 lines; video S/N 42 dB; audio FR 20-20,000 Hz ±3 dB in hi-fi mode, audiodistortion 0.3% in hi-fi; audio S/N 80 dB in hi-fimode. 17' W x 4.12' H x 14.36' D; 17.6lbs $1,000

VR465HQ Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with MTS/SAP de-coder. Features 3 record/play speeds; slow mo-tion; hi-fi sound; remote control; frame ad-vance; noiseless special effects; remote pause;110 -channel cable -ready tuner; auto rewind; au-dio and video dubbing; one -touch recording; 4heads; sharpness control; serial recording; 21 -day, 4 -event timer. Horizontal resolution 230lines; video S/N 42 dB; audio FR 20-20,000 Hz±3 dB in hi-fi mode; audio distortion 0.3% inhi-fi; audio S/N 80 dB in hi-fi mode. 17' W x4.12' H x 14.36' D; 17.6 lbs $800

VR460HQ Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with MTS/SAP de-coder. Features 3 record/play speeds; hi-fisound; remote control; remote pause; 110 chan-nel cable -ready tuner, auto rewind; audio andvideo dubbing; one -touch recording; 2 heads;serial recording; 21 -day, 4 -event timer. Hori-zontal resolution 230 lines; video S/N 42 dB;audio FR 20-20,000 Hz ±3 dB in hi-fi mode,audio distortion 0.3% in hi-fi; audio S/N 80 dBin hi-fi. 17' W x 4.12' H x 14.36' D; 17.6lbs $700

MINOLTAMV -60S Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decod-er; I4-day/4-event LCD -remote programming;119 -channel cable -ready tuner; 3 video heads; 3 -speed recording and playback; frame advance;5 -min battery backup; one -touch recording;auto power on, rewind, and shutoff; 30 -functionwireless remote control $860

MITSUBISHIHS-421UR Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS Hi-Fi stereo VCR with HQ circuitry. Fea-tures detail switch; FX-4 head design; program-mable AC outlet; programmable from remote;scan; comb filter; edit switch; SP, LP, EPplay/record speeds; 14 -day, 8 -event timer;frame advance; remote control; remote pause;cable ready; still frame; auto rewind; channellock; automatic fine tuning; level control withLED meters; slow tracking; fine edit; auto re-wind; sharpness control; counter memory; on-screen programming; headphone jack with levelcontrol; TV/VCR switching. Horizontal resolu-tion 240 lines; audio FR 20-20,000 Hz ±3 dB inhi-fi mode, 50-10,000 Hz ±3 dB normal mode;audio distortion 0.3% in hi-fi mode, audio S/N90 dB in hi-fi mode, 40 dB in normal mode;power consumption 36 W. 16.06' W x 3.44' H x14.94' D: 20 lbs $850

HS-411UR Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS Hi-Fi stereo VCR with Hc. circuitry. Fea-tures FX 4 -head design; slow tracking; fine edit;TV/VCR switching; auto rewind; multi-OTR;picture control; counter memory; auto poweron; SP, LP, EP play/record speeds; 14 -day, 8 -event timer; frame advance; noiseless special ef-fects; remote control; remote pause; cable ready;auto rewind; channel lock; automatic fine tun-ing; scan and auto play; comb filter, auto poweron; auto play; auto rewind. Horizontal resolu-tion 240 lines; audio FR 20-20,000 Hz ±3 dB in

hi-fi mode, 50-10,000 Hz ±3 dB normal mode;audio distortion 0.3% in hi-fi mode; audio S/N90 dB in hi-fi mode, 40 dB in normal mode;power consumption 36 W. 16.81' W x 37.44' Hx 14.94' D; 20 lbs $700

NEC DX -2000U

NECN -965V Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with 4 dual -azi-muth video heads and built-in MTS/SAP de-coder. Features 140 -channel cable -ready tunerwith digital display; hi-fi sound; remote controlwith on -screen display of timer/programmingmenu; remote pause; frame advance; noiselessspecial effects; still frame; auto rewind; channellock; auto fine-tuning; one -touch recording;time -remaining display; HQ circuitry; linearstereo record/playback compatibility withDolby noise reduction; 3 play/record speeds; 21 -day. 8 -event timer. Horizontal resolution morethan 230 lines; video S/N >43 dB; audio FR20-20,000 Hz ±3 dB in normal audio mode; au-dio distortion 0.005% in hi-fi mode; audio S/N48 dB in normal mode (Dolby on). Power re-quirements 120 V AC ± 10%, 60 Hz, 41 watts.17' W x 4.12' H x 14.75' D; 19.2 lbs $1,149

DX -2000U Digital Hi-Fi VCRVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound and digital picture processing. Featuresdigital video noise reduction; digital still frameand slow motion; Digital Memory TV freezeframe; HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decoder; 21-day/4-event on -screen programming; 110 -chan-nel cable -ready tuner with 40 channel presets; 2 -head, slanted -azimuth design; 3 -speed recordingand playback; one -touch recording; 3 -speed, for-ward and reverse picture search; auto power on;power -off eject; 10 -min battery backup; lightedcassette well; picture -sharpness control; wirelessremote control (also operates selected NEC TVsets). Audio dynamic range >90 dB in hi-fimode. 17' W x 4.15' H x 14.75' D $850

-r

Panasonic PV1462

PANASONICPV1742 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top videocassette recorderwith hi-fi sound and built-in MTS/SAP decod-er. Features 4 heads; 155 -channel frequency -synthesized tuner; SP, LP, SLP play speeds; SP,LP, SLP record speeds; 21 -day, 8 -event timer;remote control; frame advance; noiseless specialeffects; cable ready; still frame; auto rewind; au-dio dubbing; one -touch recording with standby;


HI-FI VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDERStime -remaining display; HQ circuitry; autoin/out eject; on -screen help, remote program-ming; multi -function on -screen display ofmode, date, time, and channel; video search.Power requirements 120 V AC, 60 Hz, 32 W.17' W x 4' H x 14' D; 16 lbs SI,250

PV1642 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top videocassette recorderwith hi-fi sound and built-in MTS/SAP decod-er. Features 4 heads; cable -ready frequency -syn-thesized tuner; SP, LP, SLP play speeds; SP, LP,SLP record speeds; 2I -day, 8 -event timer; re-mote control; frame advance; still frame; noise-less special effects; auto rewind; one -touch re-cording with standby; HQ circuitry; auto in/outeject; on -screen help, remote programming;multi -function on -screen display of mode, date,time, and channel. Power requirements 120 VAC, 60 Hz, 32 W. 17' W x 4' H x 14' D; 15.6lbs $1,000

Pioneer VH-900

PV1564 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top videocassette recorderwith hi-fi sound and input for optional MTS de-coder. Features 4 heads; cable -ready voltage -synthesized tuner; SP, LP, SLP play speeds; SP,LP, SLP record speeds; I4 -day, 4 -event timer,remote control; frame advance; noiseless specialeffects; still frame; auto rewind; one -touch re-cording with standby; HQ circuitry; auto in/outeject; on -screen help, remote programming;multi -function on -screen display of mode, date,time, and channel. Power requirements 120 VAC. 17" W x 4' H x 11.5" D $850

PV1462 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top videocassette recorderwith hi-fi sound and input for optional MTS de-coder. Features cable -ready voltage -synthesizedtuner; SP, LP, SLP play speeds; SP, LP, SLPrecord speeds; I4-day/4-event timer; remotecontrol; frame advance; still frame; auto rewind;one -touch recording with standby; HQ circuitry;omnisearch still/slow/2X play (SLP mode);auto in/out eject; on -screen help, remote pro-gramming; multi -function on -screen display ofmode, date, time, and channel. Power require-ments 120 V AC, 60 Hz, 29 W. 17' W x 4' H x11.5' D; 13.2 lbs $750

PENTA XPV-T150A Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decod-er; I4-day/4-event LCD -remote programming;119 -channel cable -ready tuner; 3 video heads; 3 -speed recording and playback; manual audio -re-cording level controls; FM simulcast; visualsearch; frame advance; repeat; slow motion; In-stant Recording Timer; one -touch recording;auto power on, rewind, and shutoff; AC outlet;35 -function wireless remote control. 17.1' W x3.75' H x 13.5" D $890

PHILCOV1670WSL Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS Hi-Fi videocassette recorder. FeaturesSP/LP/SLP play, record, and rapid -searchspeeds; SP/SLP slow-motion speeds; I4-day/4-event timer; frame advance; noiseless special ef-fects; remote control; remote pause; cable -ready;still frame; automatic rewind; channel lock;automatic fine tuning; audio dubbing; VS tuner;2 heads. Horizontal resolution 230 lines; videosignal-to-noise >40 dB; audio frequency re-sponse 20-20,000 Hz ±3 dB in hi-fi mode; au-dio distortion <0.47% in hi-fi mode; audio sig-nal-to-noise >60 dB in hi-fi mode; powerconsumption 29 watts. 17' W x 4" H x 11.5' D;14.5 lbs $700

PIONEERVH-900 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -model VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decod-er; I4-day/4-event LCD -remote programming;119 -channel cable -ready tuner; 5 video heads; 3 -speed recording and playback; one -touch re-cording; line -type comb filter; program scan;auto video -gain control; 35 -function wireless re-mote control. Audio dynamic range >80 dB inhi-fi mode $999

QUASARVH5865 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderFront -loading VHS -format videocassette re-corder with built-in MTS stereo decoder. Fea-tures hi-fi stereo sound; HQ; 4 heads; noise -freestill frame; frame advance; variable slow mo-tion; fast -motion playback; high-speed picturesearch; 21 -day, 8 -event program timer; pro-grammable one -touch recording; frequency -syn-thesis tuner; 42 -function wireless remote con-trol; auto power/eject; multi -function on -screendisplay; tape -remaining indicator; auto indexsearch; timer back-up system; auto stop and re-wind; picture sharpness control; direct -drivecylinder motor; direct -drive capstan motor,diecast aluminum chassis. 16.94' W x H14.19' D; 16.1 lbs $1,070

VH5665 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderFront -loading VHS -format videocassette re-corder with built-in MTS stereo decoder. Fea-tures hi-fi stereo sound; HQ; 4 -head video sys-tem; noise -free still frame; frame advance;variable slow motion; fast -motion playback;high-speed picture search; 2I -day, 8 -event pro-gram timer; programmable one -touch record-ing; frequency -synthesis tuner; 40 -functionwireless remote control; auto power/eject;multi -function on -screen display; timer back-upsystem; auto stop and rewind; picture -sharpnesscontrol; direct -drive cylinder motor; direct -drive capstan motor; diecast aluminum chassis.16.94' W x 4' H x 14.19' D; 15.7 lbs . $670

RCAVMT670HF Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS Hi-Fi VCR with built-in MTS/SAP decod-er. Features HQ circuitry; 169 -channel cable -ready frequency -synthesis tuner; simulcast capa-

Pentax PV-T/50A

bility; auto -programming tuner; SP, LP, SLPplay/record speeds; high-speed search; freezeframe; frame advance; variable slow motion(SP, SIP); I -year, 8 -event program timer; de-layed -start express recording; wireless remotecontrol; remote programming with on -screendisplay; digital command center compatibility;5 video, 2 audio heads; headphone jack; auto re -

Realistic Model 42

wind. Hi-fi audio FR 20-20,000 Hz; dynamicrange >80 dB; THD 0.4%; W&F <0.005%; chsep >60 dB. 3.88' H x 17.12' W x 13.5' D; 19.1lbs $899

VMT630HF Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS Hi-Fi VCR with built-in MTS/SAP decod-er. Features HQ circuitry; 119 -channel cable -ready frequency -synthesis tuner; simulcast capa-bility; auto -programming tuner; SP, LP, SLPplay/record speeds; high-speed search; freezeframe; frame advance;.fixed slow motion (SLP);I -year, 4 -event program timer; delayed -start ex-press recording; infrared wireless remote con-trol; remote programming with on -screen dis-play; digital command center compatibility; 3video, 2 audio heads; headphone jack; auto re-wind. Hi-fi audio FR 20-20,000 Hz; dynamicrange >80 dB; THD 0.4%; W&F <0.005%; chsep >60 dB. 3.88' H x 17.12' W x 13.88' D;16.1 lbs S699

Sansui SV-R9500HF

REALISTICModel 42 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -model VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decod-er, I4-day/4-event programming; 110 -channelcable -ready tuner with 32 presets; 2 videoheads; 3 -speed recording and playback; 4 -digitelectronic tape counter; 2 -speed visual search;one -touch recording; auto power on, play, re-wind, and eject; wireless remote control. 16.9'W x 3.7' H x 13.5' D $600

SAMSUNGVR-6600F Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -model VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decod-er; I4-day/6-event programming; 110 -channelcable -ready tuner; 2 video heads; picture search;electronic tape counter with counter memory;one -touch recording; auto play and rewind; 23 -function wireless remote control. 16.5" W x3.7" Ha 13.5" D $650

VT -226T Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound, slow motion, frame advance, and elec-

1=111111111111M76 STEREO REVIEW APRIL 1987

Pioneer Revolutionary Audio/Video ReceiverTh:s is all you need to turn your existing electronic confused by what others may promise, because thisequipment into a superior AN system. Because this trachine delivers Dolly Surround' Sound, the finestrevolutionary invention not cnly makes all of your in the -world.aucio and video components work better. I: makes Yet even with all :hese dramatic Improvements,them work better...together. your iidividual components have never been easier

For example, you'll see a better picture, due to tic cperate. The reason: Pioneer's ultra -sophisticateda one -of -a -kind spit -screen video enhancer that 59 -function system remote contraactually sharpens and focuses every video image. Pioreer's Revolutionary Audio/Video Receiver.You'll hear a better sound too, due to three iurround k makes all the components you already own, allsotrld listening environments. And please, don't be together better.

ern( rioneer Electronics :USA) Inc., Lon4 Beach, CA "Pioneer's NSX 5000 !motet: mtrols all Ponce- Slr components. Dolb), is a trademark of Dolby Labs, Inc.CIRCLE NO. 55 ON REACT SERVICE CARD

HI-FI VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDERStronic counter. Features 3 play speeds; 3 recordspeeds; 14 -day, 6 -event timer; remote control;remote pause; cable ready; auto rewind; channellock; 4 heads. Horizontal resolution >210 lines;audio S/N 40 dB in hi-fi mode. 17' W x 4' H x15' D; 18.7 lbs $440

SANSUISV-R9500HF Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with HQ circuitry.Features SP, EP record speeds; still frame; one -touch recording; backspace edit; counter memo-ry; hi-fi sound; linear stereo; auto rewind; autofine tuning; audio and video dubbing; auto pow-er on; remote pause; cable -ready tuner, auto finetuning. 17" W x H x 13' D $900

SANYOVHR1900 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features built-in MTS/SAP decoder; HQcircuitry; wireless remote control; SP, LP, EPplay and record speeds; 4 heads; noise -free spe-cial effects; variable slow motion; high-speedsearch; freeze frame with frame advance; 107 -channel cable -ready tuner; direct -access tuning;8 -event, I4 -day timer; one -touch recording; pic-ture detail and sharpness adjustment; auto re -

Scott SVR-5045

wind, memory rewind; auto playback; autopower on; power failure backup. Horizontal res-olution 240 lines; video S/N 45 dB; audio FR20-20,000 Hz ±3 dB in hi-fi mode. 16.5" W x3.88" H x 14.75" D; 19 lbs $750

VHR2900 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features built-in MTS/SAP decoder; de-tail -enhancement circuit; sharpness control;wireless remote; 365-day/8-event timer; on-screen display of timer program, channel, tapecounter, time and date, tape transport modeand tracking; one -touch recording; linear stereowith Dolby NR playback only; SP, LP, EP playand record speeds; I 1 1 -channel cable -ready tun-er; auto rewind, memory rewind; auto playback;auto power on. Horizontal resolution 240 lines:video S/N 45 dB; audio FR 20-20,000 Hz ± 3dBhi-fi mode. 16.5' W x 3.88' H x 14.75" D; 19lbs $650

ScarrSVR-504S Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with built-inMTS/SAP stereo decoder. Features HQ circuit-ry; hi-fi sound; remote control; 3 play speeds, 2record speeds; 14 -day, 8 -event timer; noiselessspecial effects; remote pause; still frame; autofine-tuning; audio dubbing; one -touch record-ing; 4 video heads; 16 -channel presets; LEDrecord -level indicators; headphone jack; 139 -channel cable -ready tuner; simulcast switch.Horizontal resolution 240 lines. 17" W x 4.36"

Sharp VC-H6SU

H x 13" D; 21 lbs $850SVR-330S. Similar to the SVR-504S but withl4-day/4-event programming and 2 videoheads $580

SHARPVC-H65U Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top front -loading videocas-sette recorder with built-in MTS decoder. Fea-tures HQ circuitry with double comb filter; 14 -day, 6 -event daily/weekly repeat programmabletimer; 110 -channel cable -ready PLL-synthesizedtuner; 23 -function wireless remote control; autopower on/playback/repeat function; one -touchrecording; 15 X search; automatic programsearch system (APSS); still function in EPmode; fluorescent dual -time display; electronic4 -digit tape counter; 8 -hour recording and play-back; microcomputer -controlled power -assistdrive; tuner/simulcast/AUX input selector;auto TV/VCR output selector; headphone jackwith adjustable level; dew sensor and warningindicator; built-in RF converter; program mem-ory backup system $820

VC-H64U Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top front -loading videocas-sette recorder with hi-fi sound. Features HQ cir-cuitry with double comb filter; input for option-al MTS decoder; 14-day/4-event daily/weeklyrepeat programmable timer; 110 -channel cable -ready voltage -synthesized tuner with 16 memo-ry presets; 13 -function wireless remote control;auto power on/playback/repeat function; one -touch recording; 15 X search; still function inEP mode; fluorescent time display; electronic 4 -digit tape counter; 8 -hour recording and play-back; microcomputer -controlled power -assistdrive; tuner/simulcast/auxiliary input selector;auto TV/VCR output selector; headphone jackwith adjustable level; dew sensor and warningindicator; built-in RF converter; program mem-ory backup system $700

SYLVANIAVC8970 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with MTS/SAP de-coder. Features hi-fi stereo sound; 4 -head sys-tem; 93 -channel random-access tuner; 39 -func-tion wireless remote control; 21 -day, 8 -eventprogramming; 60 -minute backup timer;forward/reverse high-speed search; still frame;frame advance; slow motion; one -touch recordwith standby; on -screen programming; autofine-tuning; vertical lock; channel lock; transi-tion editing; CATV adaptor jack. FR 20-20,000Hz; THD <0.47%; S/N >60 dB. 17' W x 4" Hx 11.5" D; $1,049

TEACMV -800 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top videocassette recorderwith hi-fi sound. Features SP, EP play/record

speeds; counter -search mechanism; selectableaudio monitoring (hi-fi stereo or longitudinalaudio track or both mixed); fluorescent display;shuttle search at 7X normal speed in either di-rection; double -flap motorized front cassetteloading system; auto -power; automatic dubbingon longitudinal audio track; multi -LED level in-dicators for L+ R channels for hi-fi stereo re-cording; 14-day/8-event programmable timerwith 60 -minute memory backup time; full -func-tion infrared remote control; headphone andmicrophone jacks; four heads; 178 -channel ca-ble -ready frequency -synthesis tuner; 10 -key di-rect -access channel selection; automatic rewind.Audio FR 20-20,000 Hz in hi-fi mode, 70-10,000 Hz in normal mode; audio S/N greaterthan 40 dB in normal mode; dynamic rangegreater than 80 dB in hi-fi mode; wow -and -flut-ter less than 0.005% in hi-fi mode. 17.1" W x3.7' H x 14.9' D; 19.1 lbs $1,400

MV -900 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features digital -memory function andeffects (E -E still frame, Interval Play, and Solar-ization); DA -4 heads; SP, EP, LP play speeds;SP, EP record speeds; remote control withframe advance; cable ready; still frame. Powerrequirements 120 V AC, 38 W. 17.19' W x 3.75'H x 13.25" D; 22.2 lbs $999

MV -600 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with 108 -channelquartz -locking digital tuner. Features hi-fi stereosound; MTS decoder, simulcast record capable;selectable audio monitoring; HQ circuitry; vid-eo NR; sharpness control; music scan; backspace assemble edit; remote control; one -touchrecording. Audio FR 20-20,000 Hz ± 3 dB in hi-fi mode, 100-10,000 Hz ±3 dB in normalmode. $699

TOSHIBADX -7 Digital Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -model VCR with hi-fi stereosound and digital special effects. Features digi-tally enhanced still -frame, slow-motion, anddouble -speed playback; HQ circuitry; MTS/SAPdecoder; 7-day/4-event programming; I17 -channel cable -ready tuner; 4 -head, double -azi-muth design; auto visual indexing; 2 -speed pic-ture search; auto power on; picture -sharpnesscontrol; 19 -function wireless remotecontrol $1,296

DX -900 PCM Digital Hi-Fi VCRVHS -format table -top VCR with pulse -code -modulation stereo sound, hi-fi stereo sound,and digital special effects. Features Multi -Quad-rant Freeze of 4 pictures from I video sourceor 1 picture from each of 4 video sources; Multi -Quadrant Frame Advance; digital slow motion,reverse slow motion, freeze frame, and off -airfreeze frame; HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decoder;I 4-day/4-event fiber-optic on -screen program-ming with light pen; 139 -channel cable -readytuner; wireless remote control. Available in fall1987 Price to be announced.

M-5900 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS Hi-Fi table -top videocassette recorder withbuilt-in MTS decoder. Features SP, EP play,record, slow-motion and rapid -search speeds; 7-day/4-event timer; 4 heads (double azimuth);117 -channel capability; frame advance; 20 -func-tion remote control; noiseless special effects; re-mote pause; Dolby noise reduction; cable ready;video dubbing; still frame; automatic rewind;automatic fine tuning; audio dubbing; programindexing $749


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GETA FREE COMPACT DISC.If you haven't listened to the

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Buy one CDX-II tape and if youdolt like it fir any reason, said it bad:to us. We'll refund the purchase price

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HI-FI VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDERSM-2700 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -model VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decod-er; 7-day/4-event programming; 105 -channel ca-ble -ready tuner; 2 video heads; auto power on;I5 -function wireless remote control. 16.9' W x3.75' H x 14.75' D $730

VECTOR RESEARCHV-5040 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top remote -controlled VCRwith hi-fi stereo sound; MTS/SAP decoder; 28 -day, 3 -event timer. Features SP, LP, SLP playand record speeds; linear stereo; Dolby NR;frame advance; noiseless special effects; remotepause; still frame; auto rewind; channel lock;auto fine tuning; one -touch recording; time -re-maining display; 4 double -azimuth heads; HQ;21 X picture search; 140 -channel cable -readytuner with direct access; on -screen program-ming; audio level controls with level meter.Horizontal resolution 230 lines; video S/N 47dB; audio FR 20-20,000 Hz ±3 dB in hi-fimode; audio distortion 0.5% in hi-fi mode; au-dio S/N 90 dB in hi-fi mode; power require-ments 120 V AC, 60 Hz, 41 W. 17' W x 4' H x15' D; 18 lbs $1,099

Vector Research V-5040

V-4040 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top videocassette recorderwith hi-fi stereo sound. Features 4 heads (dou-ble azimuth); SP, LP, SLP play and recordspeeds; remote control; frame advance; noise-less special effects; remote pause; still frame;auto rewind; channel lock; auto fine tuning; 21 -day, 4 -event timer; cable ready. Horizontal reso-lution 230 lines; video S/N 47 dB; audio FR 20-20,000 Hz ±3 dB in hi-fi mode; audiodistortion 0.5% in hi-fi mode; audio S/N 90 dBin hi-fi mode; power requirements 120 V AC, 60Hz, 35 W. 17" W x 4' H x 15' D $849V-4020. 2 -head version of V-4040 withoutnoiseless special effects $749

YAMAHAYV-700 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format table -top VCR with hi-fi stereosound. Features HQ circuitry; MTS/SAP decod-er; 4 video heads; 14-day/4-event programming;III -channel cable -ready tuner; 2 -speed record-ing and playback; manual audio recording -levelcontrols; instant recording; auto -back -space re-cording; record mute; high-speed tape search;

Yamaha YV-700

Zenith VR3300

selectable switched/unswitched AC outlet; FMsimulcast; headphone jack with adjustable vol-ume control; picture -sharpness control; wirelessremote control. Audio dynamic range >90 dBin hi-fi mode. 17.25' W x 3.75' H x 13.25'D $749

ZENITHVR4100 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format hi-fi stereo VCR with built-inMTS/SAP decoder. Features linear stereo soundwith Dolby NR; wireless 18 -function TV/VCRremote control; remote programming with on-screen display; 14 -day, 8 -event timer with sim-plified direct -input programming; HQ circuitrywith video noise reduction; 4 video, 2 audioheads; 178 -channel quartz tuning with direct ac-cess and up/down scan; noiseless forward andreverse, variable -speed slow and fast action andframe -by -frame special effects; SP, SLP record;SP, LP, SLP playback speeds; I -hr power back-up; synchronized "Clean Edit" video insert;auto rewind; time -remaining and program -loca-tion indicators; prerecorded VCR operatingguide. 17.25' W x 3.88' H x 14.88' D; 19.7lbs $1,100VR4100Y. Similar to the VR4100 except fin-ished in black $1,100

VRS100 Convertible Hi-Fi VCRVHS -format convertible table -top VCR with hi-fi stereo sound. The 5.6 -pound recorder sepa-rates from the tuner for use with a video cam-era. Features MTS/SAP decoder; I4-day/8-event programming; 178 -channel cable -readytuner; 2 -head, slant -azimuth design; 2 -speed re-cording and playback; forward and reverse pic-ture search; 3 -way power capability; auto bat-tery charger; low -battery indicator, direct video -camera input; audio dub; insert edit; tapememory counter; 60 -min battery backup; 14 -function wireless remote control (also operatesZenith remote -control TV sets). Audio dynamicrange >80 dB in hi-fi mode. 8.2' W x 3.2' H x9.1' D (recorder); 8.75' W x 3.1' H x 10.8' D(tuner) $1,000

VR3300 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format hi-fi stereo VCR with built-inMTS/SAP decoder. Midi -design cabinet loadscassettes end first. Features 29 -function wirelessremote control with 10 TV and 19 VCR func-tions; remote programming with on -screen dis-play; 14 -day, 8 -event timer with simplified di-rect -input programming; HQ circuitry withvideo noise reduction and comb filter; 4 video,2 audio heads; 178 -channel quartz tuning withdirect access and up/down scan; noiselesspause/still frame and slow motion; SP, SLPrecord; SP, LP, SLP playback speeds; 1 -hr pow-er backup; audio dubbing capability; auto poweron; auto play; play memory; auto rewind; musicscan; go to locates and plays pre -selected tapeseiments; instant record button; auto hi-

fi/linear switching during playback; time -re-maining indicator, prerecorded VCR operatingguide. Black finish. 13.44' W x 4.19' H x 14.81'D; 17 lbs $999VR2300. Similar to the VR3300 except 4 -eventtimer, brown finish $899

VR3220 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format hi-fi stereo VCR with built-inMTS/SAP decoder. Features 24 -function wire-less TV/VCR remote control; remote program-ming with on -screen display; I4 -day, 8 -eventtimer with simplified direct -input program-ming; HQ circuitry with comb filter, 4 video, 2audio heads; 178 -channel quartz tuning with di-rect access and up/down scan; noiselesspause/still-frame and slow-motion picture; SP,SLP record; SP, LP, SLP playback speeds; 1 -hrpower backup; audio dubbing capability; vol-ume control; auto power on; auto rewind; time -remaining indicator; one -button instant record;prerecorded operating guide. 17.19' W x 3.75'H x 14.88' D; 17.9 lbs $849

VR2220 Hi-Fi Videocassette RecorderVHS -format hi-fi stereo VCR with built-inMTS/SAP decoder. Features 17 -function wire-less TV/VCR remote control; remote program-ming with on -screen display; 14 -day, 4 -eventtimer with simplified direct -input program-ming; HQ circuitry with comb filter; 2 video, 2audio heads; 108 -channel quartz tuning with di-rect access and up/down scan; pause/still frame;SP, SLP record; SP, LP, SLP playback speeds; 1 -hr power back up; audio dubbing capability;volume control; auto power on; auto rewind;time -remaining indicator, one -button instantrecord; prerecorded VCR operating guide.17.19' W x 3.75' H x 14.88' D; 17.9 lbs . $699

BETA TABLE-TOP VCR'S

Sony SL-HF450

SONYSL-HF1000 SuperBeta Hi-Fi VCRBeta -format table -model VCR with hi-fi stereosound, SuperBeta picture -enhancement circuit-ry, and advanced editing. Features MTS/SAPdecoder; 21-day/8-event on -screen program-ming; 181 -channel cable -ready tuner; 4 -head,double -azimuth design; Beta Is record speed;dual flying erase heads; I -segment audio/videoinsert edit; audio dub; frame recording; pre -rollediting with linear time and frame counter, 8 -segment programmable assemble edit; built-incharacter generator with 8 -page titling memory;variable -speed search by jog/shuttle dial (alsoon remote); 12 -segment LED peak -level meter;manual audio recording -level controls; FM si-mulcast; Linear Time Counter; Quick Timer;electronic tab marker; index scan and indexsearch; 10 -min battery backup; headphone jackwith adjustable volume control; SuperBetaoverride; auto power on, play, stop, and rewind;power -off eject; wireless remote control (alsooperates Sony Trinitron TV sets). PCM adapt -


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llision of audio and video technologiesdealt the home entertainment revolution amixed hand. AMOYrISPOA-kk

There's the promise; quality homeentertain-ment. Then, there's the reality; lots of 41111:'

components that just don't deliv4.Audio/video receivers, for example: Most are

merely audio receivers with VCR inputs at best.Suddenly, out of the rubble, a new tee ogy

is emerging; Nikko Video Technology:Our AVR-65 Remote Audio/Video St

Or Receiver has built-in MTS/SAP, and deliversdirect remote access to 139 channels, in audio

The power of technology

AV/ f3!)

Twee VOLK, fIrCAJP mxt22,

and in stereo and second languageprogramming; even if your TV doesn't itselfhave remote.

And, our NA -1050 Audio/Video ControlCenter ets yiOu grcup mix audio and videosignals from VCRs 1 and 2, L/R. Mic Lines,Tapes 1 and 2, Tuner, Photio, Auxiliary,or CD sourcing, with features like a 6 -channelaudio n-ixer, a 4 -band EQ, and Nikko'sexclusive Dual Line Switching System.

So, if the technological rubble is leadingyou down the cluttered path of false promises,come by and talk to us. Nikko has made anew commitment in your behalf: To NikkoVideo Technology...and, oh yes, to deliveringwhat we promise.

Asti Nikko Technology Corporation 01Ainerica 5830 South Triangle Dric Commerce, CA 90040 (213) 721-1168Nikko Audai asienis and component. are oadahle exclus.o:1) inough Authiwited Nikko Audio Maier. CIRCLE NO 17 ON READER SERVICE CARD

HI-FI VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDERSable. Audio dynamic range >80 dB (Beta H or111), >86 dB (Is) in hi-fi mode. 17' W x 4.9' H x16.2' D $1,700

SL-HF450 SuperBeta Hi-Fi VCRBeta -format table -model VCR with hi-fi stereosound and SuperBeta picture -enhancement cir-cuitry. Features MTS/SAP decoder; 7-day/6-event programming; cable -ready tuner; 2 videoheads; 2 -speed recording and 4 -speed playback;Synchro Edit; 12 -segment LED peak level me-ters; manual audio recording -level controls;frame -by -frame advance; slow motion; LinearTime Counter; auto power on and rewind; wire-less remote control. Audio dynamic range >80dB in hi-fi mode. 17' W x 3.75' H x 14.5'D $750

8MM TABLE-TOP VCR'S

Sony EV-S7000

KODAKMVS-5380 PCM Digital 8mm VCR8mm-format table -top videocassette recorderwith PCM digital stereo sound. Features SP, LPplay speeds; SP, LP record speeds, rapid -searchspeeds; hi-fi sound; stereo; frame advance;noiseless special effects; remote control; remote

automatic rewind; channel lock; automatic finetuning; audio dubbing; 21-day/8-event on-screen programming; 169 -channel; records up to6 tracks of audio. Battery optional; batterycharge lasts for 45 minutes to one hour. 6.5' Wx 2.6' H x 5.3' D $1,600

SONYEV-S700U PCM Digital 8mm VCR8mm-format table -top VCR with PCM digitalstereo sound. Can record up to 24 hours ofPCM digital audio on a single P6-120 8mm tape(music only). Features MTS/SAP decoder; 21-day/6-event programming; 181 -channel cable -ready tuner; 2 -speed recording and playback forup to 4 hours of programming on a single tape;16 -segment LED peak level meters; FM simul-cast; flying erase head; digital audio dub; frame -by -frame advance; slow motion; Quick Timer;auto play, rewind, and stop; wireless remotecontrol. Audio dynamic range 70 dB (monoAFM), >88 dB (stereo PCM). 14' W x 3.25' Hx 13.25' D $1,395

PORTABLE VCR'SHITACHIVT -98A Portable Hi-Fi VCRFront -loading portable VHS -format video-cassette recorder with 5 + 2 heads. Features 8 -program, 1 -year timer; noise -free fine editing;MTS/SAP decoder; on -screen programming;dual -function VCR/TV wireless remote control;video dubbing; automatic audio level control;automatic rewind and shut-off; Video S/N 45dB in SP mode; horizontal resolution 240 lines;audio FR 20-20,000 Hz. 17.12' W x 4.5' H x10.12' D; 7 lbs $1450

Kodak M VS -5380

PANASONICPV -9600A Portable Hi-Fi VCRPortable VHS -format videocassette recorderwith hi-fi sound. Features 139 -channel cable -ready tuner; 14 -day, 8 -event timer; 4 videoheads; 2 audio heads; SP, LP, SLP play speeds;SP, LP, SLP record speeds; SP and SLP variableslow-motion speeds; SP, SLP rapid -searchspeeds. Includes top -loading design; noiselessspecial effects; wireless remote control; remotepause; still frame; frame advance; automaticfine tuning; automatic search $1,450

ZENITHVM7I00 Hi-Fi CamcorderVHS -format camcorder with hi-fi stereo sound.Can be connected to any TV set to play backhomemade or prerecorded movies. FeaturesHQ circuitry; 4 video heads; autofocus; autowhite balance; auto iris; electronic viewfinder;6:1 power -zoom lens; 8 -lux low -light rating; 8 -hour recording; built-in stereo microphone; au-dio dub; fade; zoom; pause; speed search; slowmotion; 5.3 lbs $1,795

DIRECTORY OF MANUFACTURERSAkai, 225 Old New Brunswick Rd.,

Piscataway, NJ 08854.(201) 807-1400.

Canon, One Canon Plaza, LakeSuccess, NY 11042. (516) 488-6700.

GE, 600 N. Sherman Dr.,Indianapolis, IN 46206.(317) 267-5000.

GoldStar, 1050 Wall St. W.,Lyndhurst, NJ 07071.(201) 460-8870.

Harman Kardon, 240 Crossways ParkW., Woodbury, NY 11797.(516) 496-3400.

Hitachi, 401 W. Artesia Blvd.,Compton, CA 90220.(213) 537-8383.

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BEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

Stereo Review'scritics choose the outstandingcurrent releases

THE MAGIC OFRONSTADT ANDRIDDLE

BACK in the Fifties, some-thing happened to popularmusic: a generation of vo-calists went from hot to

warm. When singers like Frank Si-natra, Peggy Lee, and Ella Fitzger-ald did swing, they did it withsophistication. It was an era of greatarrangers working with the tools ofboth the jazz band and the stringorchestra-arrangers like GordonJenkins and Billy May. But thewarmest, most sophisticated ro-mantic of all was Nelson Riddle.Riddle's arrangements for Sinatra,Judy Garland, Nat "King" Cole,and Fitzgerald were breathtakinglysensuous, yet they were models oftaste, elegance, and subtlety. Hisstring arrangements are still legen-dary, and his classic albums withSinatra ("Only the Lonely," "ForSwinging Lovers") and other greatvocalists of the time are archetypesof American music as important asjazz or the Broadway musical. Likeall good things, this golden era even-tually ended. Romance turned tomush as the Bert Kaempferts andRay Conniffs made "orchestra" sy-nonymous with "mood music."Suddenly, warm wasn't cool.

That's why we owe a debt to Lin-da Ronstadt. "For Sentimental Rea-sons" is the last-and, I think, thebest-of three albums Ronstadt re-corded with the late Nelson Riddle.In 1983 she lured Riddle out ofsemi -retirement to record "What'sNew," which was in part a tribute tohis classic Sinatra arrangements butalso a standard -setting session in itsown right. They liked working to-gether so much that they recorded asecond album, "Lush Life," whichpicked up the tempo; if anything,they got better. Their third record-ing was Nelson Riddle's last.

In its range of moods and tempos,

"For Sentimental Reasons" is thebest balanced of the three records.More than that, though, Ronstadtand Riddle seem to find the trueemotional center of these songs-exactly the right sound, right pace,right inflection. Not that "What'sNew" and "Lush Life" were eververy far from the heart, but in thelast set Riddle's fabled strings andwoodwinds achieve even greaterdelicacy and depth of feeling, ifthat's possible. And Ronstadt's sat-iny soprano gives every note itsemotional due: hope and innocencein When You Wish Upon a Star (asong that always seemed silly to me

whole new set of definitive perform-ances, and for reawakening our earsto a rich era in American popularmusic. Mark Peel

LINDA RONSTADT: For SentimentalReasons. Linda Ronstadt (vocals); Nel-son Riddle and His Orchestra; othermusicians. When You Wish Upon aStar; Bewitched, Bothered and Bewil-dered You Go to My Head; But Not forMe; My Funny Valentine; I Get AlongWithout You Very Well; Am I Blue; ILove You for Sentimental Reasons;Straighten Up and Fly Right; Little GirlBlue; 'Round Midnight. ASYLUM60474-1 $8.98, © 60474-4 $8.98, ©60474-2 $15.98.

Nelson Riddle and Linda Ronstadt: finding the emotional center

until I heard this version-now Ibelieve it), dreamy vexation in Be-witched, Bothered and Bewildered, abrave front in I Get Along WithoutYou Very Well, playfulness inStraighten Up and Fly Right. Andthen there's Round Midnight, themost powerful song in the album:how Riddle got so much sadnessinto those strings without seemingmaudlin or melodramatic was partof his magic.

What could have been merely afling with swing turned into a com-mitment for Ronstadt-perhaps arisky one, coming at a time whenshe was the reigning queen of rock.So if this review comes off soundinglike a thank -you note, it is: thankyou, Linda Ronstadt, for getting apop -music giant to lay down someof his best work when there wasn'tmuch demand for it, for giving us a

MACKERRAS'SBLAZINGJANACEK MASS

EoS JANACEK's extraordinarysetting of the GlagoliticMass has until now beenbest served by Rafael Kube-

lik's impassioned Deutsche Gram-mophon recording with the Bavar-ian Radio Symphony Orchestra andChorus (available on LP only). Butthat reading has finally beenmatched, and then some, by a newdigital recording done in Prague forSupraphon under the baton of SirCharles Mackerras.

Using an edition based on thelatest research into the autographmaterials, Mackerras and his top -



second in his trumpet -like procla-mations in the Gloria and Credo.

At forty minutes of running time,the CD offers somewhat shortmeasure. Also, I wish that the noteswere more detailed, and that En-glish texts had been provided inaddition to the Slavonic, Latin, andJapanese. But I would not let suchconsiderations keep me fromprompt purchase of this disc. Itsmusical satisfactions will surely belasting ones. David Hall

JANAtEK: Glagolitic Mass. ElisabethSOderstrOm (soprano); DrahomfraDrobkova (mezzo-soprano); FrantigekLivora (tenor); Richard Novak (bass);Jan Hora (organ); Prague PhilharmonicChorus; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra,Charles Mackerras cond. SUPRAPHON/DENON 33C37-7448 no list price.

Elisabeth Soderstram: soaring

notch forces-the Prague Philhar-monic Chorus and the Czech Phil-harmonic Orchestra, together with afine team of soloists-give us a real-ization that blazes with commit-ment. Indeed, the fervor of theecstatic choral outbursts and solointerjections, such as those for thetenor toward the end of the Gloria,are startlingly reminiscent of a blackgospel service at full tilt!

The purely instrumental writingis equally extraordinary, whether inthe intense orchestral interlude thatprecedes the section of the Credodescribing the Passion, the celestialintroduction to the Sanctus, or thevery last portion of the work, a tur-bulent and virtuosic organ solo fol-lowed by a festive fanfare for fullorchestra. The timpani and trum-pets at the top of the register createat this point an almost neo-paganatmosphere.

On CD, the recording's sound canonly be described as ideal-wonder-fully spacious without a trace ofmuzziness, with fine localization ofthe major sections of the chorus andflawlessly defined lower -registertransients, particularly in the tim-pani passages.

Of the four solo singers, it is theredoubtable Elisabeth Stiderstrdmwho stands out most, with her soar-ing opening to the Gloria. TenorFranti§ek Livora runs her a close


Los LOBOS:HONESTY ANDMATURITY

Av

s last glimpsed, in 1985's"How Will the Wolf Sur-

ive," Los Lobos seemedthe unlikeliest of candi-

dates for pop stardom. A bunch ofpaunchy, goateed, unsuitable -for -MTV types, they made music thatcombined in equal measure the Chi-cano and Tex-Mex rock of RichieValens and Freddy Fender, authen-tic Latino folk, the anthemic pop -rock of Who'll Stop the Rain Creed-ence, and the deepest kind of Chica-

Los Lobos's Cesar Rosas: unruffled

go Blues. In their wonderful newalbum, "By the Light of the Moon,"Los Lobos continue to do all that(though they go a little lighter on thefolk stuff), but they're also ontosomething more serious. Whereonce they sounded like merely thesmartest bar band of all time, LosLobos now sound suspiciously likeStuds Terkel with a good beat.

In fact, the best songs in thealbum-One Time One Night, TheHardest Time, Is This All ThereIs?-are in a real sense poetic repor-tage, aural snapshots of moments inthe lives of recognizably real peoplewhose options have been foreclosedyet who can still view the AmericanDream as more of a black comedythan a tragedy. There are, of course,less weighty concerns addressedhere too. Shakin' Shakin' Shakes,for example, is content with beingone of the sexiest, rock -the -house -down blues workouts ever commit-ted to vinyl-it features a shudder-ing guitar duel between the band'sprincipals, David Hidalgo and Ce-sar Rosas. And Set Me Free (RosaLee), in which old Motown groovesare enlivened with a sort of barrioromanticism, is the kind of just -for -fun pop number that could givethese guys the hit single they so rich-ly deserve.

More to the point is the band'sunruffled dignity. The more ambi-tious songs, which in less capablehands could devolve into cheapsentiment, ring unerringly truethroughout. The delicacy and un-derstatement of the performances-the clear -as -a -mountain -stream gui-tar that punctuates One Time OneNight, the worldly-wise Hank Wil-liams -like cry that informs everynote Hidalgo sings-undercut anyhint of soap -opera bathos.

There is, of course, a precedentfor the maturity of Los Lobos'sbrand of rock-and-roll: the Band.Like the four Canadians and the oneunrepentant Arkansas cracker whomade up that bunch of bar -warsveterans, the guys in Los Loboshave musical roots that run deeperthan those of the careerists who glutour airwaves, as well as a kind ofrueful, outsiders' take on the Ameri-can experience that gives their workan astonishing poignance. "By theLight of the Moon," like the very

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best of the Band, and like preciouslittle else around right now, is thekind of music that seems destinedto last. That is, it's the sort of hon-est, unadorned expression that incomparison with the Bon Jovis ofthis world seems almost cleansing.

So trust me when I tell you to grabthis album. Not only will it makeyou want to dance, but in the bar-gain it will make you feel like a bet-ter person. Steve Simels

LOS LOBOS: By the Light of theMoon. Los Lobos (vocals and instru-mentals); other musicians. One TimeOne Night; Shakin' Shakin' Shakes; IsThis All There Is?; Prenda del Alma; AllI Wanted to Do Was Dance; Set MeFree (Rosa Lee); The Hardest Time; MyBaby's Gone; River of Fools; The MessWe're In; Tears of God. SLASH/WARNERBROS. 1-25523 $8.98, © 4-25523 $8.98,

2-25523 no list price.

THE ENCHANTINGKATHLEENBATTLE

KATHLEEN BATTLE has beenheard to advantage on sev-eral labels and in a broadrange of repertoire, but no

single recording, perhaps, makes herown artistic personality quite as ra-diantly vivid as the new DeutscheGrammophon recording of the songrecital she gave in Salzburg in Au-gust 1984 with James Levine as hersuperb associate at the piano. Theprogram ranges from English songsby Purcell and Handel to Germanones by Mendelssohn and Strauss,Mozart in German and Italian,French songs by Faure, and a smallgroup of spirituals.

Battle's way with Purcell andHandel is thoroughly of our time, incontrast to the vocal counterpart ofthe "original instruments" ap-proach, and she does not attempt tovary her color much from one songor one group to another until shereaches the Faure and the spirituals.But all of it is enchanting singingnonetheless, a radiant and joyousexperience for performers and lis-teners alike. The Faure songs are soseductively colored, and the spiri-

Battle and associate James Levine

tuals convey at once such anima-tion and so much unassuming dig-nity. And Levine's partnership-needless to say, his contribution isno mere "accompaniment"-is soutterly attuned and complete. Andthe sound itself is so wide open andclear-and rather miraculously freeof audience noises.

The accompanying booklet givesnot a word of annotation, only a fewparagraphs of biographical back-ground pointing out the long andproductive series of collaborationsbetween the two performers and, ofcourse, full texts and translationsfor all the songs. It's all we reallyneed. Why it has taken two and ahalf years for Deutsche Grammo-phon to get this into circulation, Iwouldn't attempt to guess, but whata lovely release it is! Richard Freed

KATHLEEN BATTLE: Salzburg Reci-tal. Purcell: Come All Ye Songsters;Music for a While; Sweeter Than Roses.Handel: 0 Had I Jubal's Lyre. Men-delssohn: Bei der Wiege, Op. 47, No. 6;Neue Liebe, Op. 19a, No. 4. R. Strauss:Schlagende Herzen, Op. 29, No. 2; Ichwont' ein Strausslein binden, Op. 68,No. 2; Sausle, Liebe Myrte, Op. 68, No. 3.Mozart: Ridente la calma (K. 152/210a); Das Veilchen (K. 476); Un motodi gioia (K. 579). Faure: Mandoline, Op.58, No. 1; Les Roses d'Ispahan. Op. 39,No. 4; En priere; Notre amour, Op. 23,No. 2. Anon.: Honor, Honor; His NameSo Sweet; Witness; He's Got the WholeWorld in His Hand. Kathleen Battle(soprano); James Levine (piano).DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON GI 415 361-1$10.98, ©415 361-4 $10.98, CI 415 361-2 no list price.

NOW ON CDCompact Discs ofpreviously released LP's

POPULAR GEORGE ADAMS AND DONPULLEN: Breakthrough. BLUE NOTECDP-463I4. "Dynamic energy,dedication, and creativity" (December1986). CULTURE CLUB: Colour byNumbers. VIRGIN/EPIC EK 39107. "Alight, soulful mix of funk, synth, andLatin influences" (January 1984). FREDDIE HUBBARD ANDWOODY SHAW: Double Take. BLUENOTE CDP-46294. "Provocative"(August 1986). SUSANNAH MCCORKLE: HowDo You Keep the Musk Playing?PAUSA PCD-7195. "The finestinterpreter of sophisticated songs wehave today" (Record of the Year,February 1987). BOBBY MCFERRIN: SpontaneousInventions. BLUE NOTE CDP-46298."Thoroughly delightful" (September1986). QUEEN: A Kind of Magic. CAPITOLCDP-46267. "Vintage Queen"(December 1986). SPYRO GYRA: Catching the Sun.MCA MCAD-1487. Freetime.MCAD-1468. City Kids. MCAD-1445."Varied terrain covered with assurance,polish, and irresistible charm"(December 1981).

CLASSICAL BACH: The Well -Tempered Clavier;French Suites; English Suites. Gould.CBS M3K 42266 (three CD's); MK42267; M2K 42268 (two CD's)."Totally astonishing-pianistically,musically, intellectually" (March 1973). BERLIOZ: Harold in Italy; Tristia;Les Troyens >r Carthage: Prelude.C. Davis. PHILIPS 416 431-2."Outstanding" (September 1976). GOUNOD: Romeo et Juliette.Kraus, Malfitano; Plasson. EMI/ANGELCDCC-47365 (three CD's). "Elegant"(July 1985). SULLIVAN: H.M.S. Pinafore; Trialby Jury. D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.ARABESQUE Z8052-2 (two CD's).Recorded 1927-30 and, rightly,treasured by Savoyards. VERDI: Aida. Caball6, Domingo;Muti. EMI/ANGEL CDCC-47271 (threeCD's). "Resplendent" (January 1975). VIVALDI: The Four Seasons. Stern,Zukerman, Mintz, Perlman; Mehta. DG419 214-2. "Exceptionally beautiful"(January 1984).


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AUDIO SYSTEMS

R E C

by Christie Barter& Steve Simels

THE second annual Rockand Roll Hall of Fame in-

duction dinner was held atthe Waldorf-Astoria in NewYork because the Hall'sCleveland accommodationsstill aren't ready. It was, asexpected, a dazzling all-staraffair, culminating with a ce-lebrity jam featuring BruceSpringsteen, Chuck Berry,Keith Richards, Sting, RoyOrbison, Ruth Brown, JohnFogerty, Chubby Checker,Carl Perkins, Peter Wolf, andPaul Butterfield. The entireshow was videotaped for theHall's archives like last year'sjam, but there are no plans tomarket it for home viewing.According to our spy who'sseen the raw footage (includ-ing a Springsteen-Orbisonduet on Oh, Pretty Woman),the performances are spectac-ular, and we say it's a shamethe rest of us can't get a look.Dare we suggest a write-incampaign? Address the Rockand Roll Hall of Fame, 526Superior, Suite 705, Cleve-land, OH 44114. 0

HE COWBOY AND THEI MONSTER! Good news forfilm buffs and LaserDisc fans:

M A

All-stars at the Waldorf from left, Carl Perkins,Roy Orbison, Chubby Checker, Ruth Brown, Bo Diddley

MCA has just released disc -only versions of two classicfilms, each with a little some-thing extra to take advantageof the format. The first isWinchester 73, a brilliantJimmy Stewart vehicle (withan evocative score by JosephGershenson) that's generallyagreed to have kicked off theso-called "adult western"genre of the Fifties and earlySixties. For this new version,Stewart and an interviewerprovide a running commen-tary on the disc's second au-dio track (the first time a ma-jor star has provided such aservice for a home-vid ver-sion of his own film).

Also out is a restored ver-sion of the original Franken-stein, including the famouscensored scene where Boris

Stewart: a little something extra on videodisc

K

news, look for the band's nextstudio album in late 1987, aswell as an Ocasek-producedrecording by Suicide, the pio-neer New York City mini-malist duo. 0

ON March 22 PBS airs itsannual gala, this year

called A Musical Toast: TheStars Shine on Public Televi-sion and hosted by ItzhakPerlman. The stars in ques-tion, representing a healthycross section of the perform -

Orr (foreground) and Ocasek of the Cars: solos hit the charts

Karloff, as the monster,drowns a little girl, as well asa file of stills (lobby cards,behind the scenes photos,etc.) at the film's conclusion.Both discs list for $29.95, andthe films are presented, ofcourse, in glorious, uncolo-rized black -and -white. 0

THIS YEAR'S MODELS! Asfans of the Cars are

doubtless aware, both of thegroup's principal singer -song-writers are currently on thecharts with solo hits: BenOrr's Stay the Night, RicOcasek's True to You. Butwhat you might not know isthat Orr's tune is an unher-alded breakthrough of sorts-the first -ever Top 40 hit co -written by a TV game -showhostess, in this case DianePage, who hosted Boston'sBig Money Lottery back inthe Seventies. (Trivia note:The last time a game -showhost had a Top 40 hit was in1962, when Chuck Barriswrote Palisades Park, immor-talized by Freddy Cannon.)

Meanwhile, in related Cars

ing arts, include Broadway'sBernadette Peters, operasingers Marilyn Horne, Ro-berta Peters, and SherrillMilnes, concert pianist Aliciade Larrocha, and cabaretsinger -pianist Michael Fein-stein, as well as the guitar -playing Romeros and theModern Jazz Quartet.Among the highlights: Leon-ard Bernstein accompanyingsoprano Eileen Farrell in aselection of his own songsand songs by Harold Arlen.

The man behind all this isAmerican conductor JohnMauceri, the show's musicaldirector. He's worked with anumber of the participatingartists before, notably-ondiscs-Bernadette Peters,with whom he recorded Songand Dance, her hit musical oflast season, for RCA.

Mauceri also conducted theaward -winning New Worldrecording of Bernstein's Can-dide and is currently workingon a studio recording of MyFair Lady, with Kiri Te Ka-nawa as Eliza Doolittle, Jere-my Irons as Prof. Higgins,

CO R D

Mauceri and Peters: the stars shine on public television

John Gielgud as Pickering,and Peter Ustinov as Doolit-tle pere. The orchestra in thisLondon Records revival isthe London Symphony,which Mauceri will also con-duct in concert betweencording sessions duringmonth of April.

Makarova at the barre

z

0

cc

re -the

UST ahead of PBS's mu-iff sical toast, the network isoffering Mancini & Friends, atwo-hour salute to the Oscarand Grammy Award -winningcomposer -conductor HenryMancini. Among the friendsappearing on the March 21program is Johnny Mathis,with whom Mancini recentlyrecorded an album of songswritten for the movies, "TheHollywood Musical."

ONE of the Russian art-ists -in -exile who have

been invited to perform againin the Soviet Union is balleri-na Natalia Makarova, thesubject of a couple of recentlyreleased home videos.

From Kultur (and on Pio-neer LaserDisc) comes "Na-tasha," voted Best Arts Pro-gram of the Year in England,in which the celebrated danc-er is featured as soloist andwith well-known partners in anumber of ballet excerpts, in-cluding scenes from Romeoand Juliet, Manon, Carmen,and On Your Toes. Makarovastarred in On Your Toes onBroadway (with John Mau-ceri in the pit).

A tape from Video Arts In-ternational, "Natalia Maka-rova-In a Class of HerOwn," takes the viewer back-stage to show the ballerinapracticing at the barre, in con-versation with choreographerRoland Petit, and in rehears-als of Petit's ballet The BlueAngel.

THE DUCK THAT WOULDNOT DIE! Look out, Don-

ald and Daffy. MCA HomeVideo is trying to resurrectHoward the Duck, widely re -

M A

garded as the dumbestmovie of 1986. The $30 -

million George Lucas mega -flop about an intelligent fowlfrom another dimension, fea-turing music by synth -wizardThomas Dolby (who shouldhave known better), is wadingits way into your home -videostore at this very moment.Among the gimmicks thatMCA is using to pitch theflick: a Win a Dream Datewith Howard contest inwhich some lucky couple willbe treated to an all -expenses -paid trip to the Duck's land-ing spot on Earth-Cleve-land, Ohio. We are not mak-ing this up.

GRACENOTES: StrangeRumblings in Opryland:

Nashville record execs arelosing sleep trying to come upwith a generic tag for the newcrossover country music ex-emplified by Dwight Yoakumand Steve Earle. Leading con-tenders are said to be "MuttMusic" and "New Edge."Personally, we always liked"Cowpunk." . . . Dune, theDavid Lynch sci-fi epic withmusic by Toto, was a flop inits 140 -minute theatrical ver-sion, but plans are afoot torerelease it in a four-hourhome -video version similarto the treatment afforded Ser-

K E R

gio Leone's Once Upon aTime in America. . . . Goodnews from Minneapolis:Twin/Tone Records hassigned NRBQ guitarist Big AlAnderson, whose first solo LPin more than a decade, "PartyFavors," is due out momen-tarily. Even better, the Re -

Duck redux

placements have recordedtwenty-two tracks for theirnext Sire LP. It was producedby Jim Dickinson, bestknown for his work with theByrds, the Flying BurritoBrothers, and Alex Chilton'sBig Star.

Mancini, Mathis: together on TV and an album of movie hits

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CLASSICAL MUSIC

Discs and tapes reviewed byRobert Ackart, Richard Freed,David Hall, Stoddard Lincoln

BRAHMS: Piano Quintet in F Minor,Op. 34. Emanuel Ax (piano); ClevelandString Quartet. RCA 0 ARCI-4954$12.98, © ARE1-4954 $12.98, 0 RCD1-4954 no list price.

Performance: LushRecording: Very good

Pianist Emanuel Ax and the ClevelandQuartet make an excellent team. Equal-ly at home in the late -Romantic idiom,they feel this music as one, bringing to ita richness of tone and expressive power.Their passionate performance reachesemotional heights and plumbs emotion-al depths to capture the essence of thissmoldering Brahms work. Good record-ing, too. S. L.

JANACEK: Glagolitic Mass (see Bestof the Month, page 85)

LISZT: Don Sanche, or the Castle ofLove. Gtrard Garino (tenor), DonSanche; Julia Hamari (mezzo-soprano),Elzire; Ildik6 Komlosi (mezzo-sopra-no), Zelis; Istvan Gati (baritone), Ali-dor; others. Hungarian Radio and Tele-vision Chorus; Hungarian State OperaOrchestra, Tamas Pal cond. HUNGARO-TON 0 SLPD 12744/45 two LP's$21.96, © MK 12744/45 two cassettes$21.96, 0 HCD 12744/45-2 two CD'sno list price.

Performance: SpiritedRecording: Bright

That the pianistic giant Franz Lisztshould have written any opera comes asa surprise. That his single venture inthis genre was undertaken when he wasa lad of thirteen and was produced inParis in 1825 when he was barely four-teen is indeed noteworthy. While DonSanche, which bears no imprint of earlynineteenth-century operatic trends, en-joys even less popularity today thanMozart's Bastien and Bastienne, com-posed when Wolfgang was twelve, it isnonetheless delightful by virtue of itsmelodic invention. The pleasant -enough orchestration is not Liszt's butby Ferdinando Paer, young Franz'steacher at the time. Overall, the musicfits the personalities and situations ofthe libretto, a medieval romance re-vised by two insignificant French writ-ers of Liszt's time.

EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS:

0 = DIGITAL -MASTER LP= TAPE. CAssETTE= COMPACT DISC

Sviatoslav Richter joins the Borodin Quartet (above) for the Piano Quintet

COMPELLING SHOSTAKOVICHBefore considering the new EMI/Angel CD in which the BorodinQuartet performs Shostako-vich's String Quartets Nos. 7

and 8 and Sviatoslav Richter joins thegroup for the same composer's PianoQuintet, there is some sorting out to do.The Borodin Quartet's personnel waschanged since its recordings of theseworks were issued here on the Melo-diya/Seraphim label in the late Sixties.(Some of those recordings have beenreissued by the Musical Heritage Socie-ty.) The violinists Rostislav Dubinskyand Yaroslav Alexandrov left the quar-tet in 1976 and were replaced by theviolinists Mikhail Kopelman and An-drei Abramenkov, who joined the vio-list Dmitri Shebalin and the cellist Val-entin Berlinsky. It is this Borodin Quar-tet that is heard on the new CD. TheSeventh Quartet was recorded in a stu-dio in 1981, the Eighth in 1978, and thePiano Quintet with Richter was tapedduring live performances in the GreatHall of the Moscow Conservatory inDecember 1983. The new CD, then,represents neither a reissue of oldermaterial nor remakes by the same en-semble.

The five -movement Eighth Quartet isnot only the numerical centerpiece ofShostakovich's cycle of fifteen quartets,it is probably the best known and mostwidely admired, both in its originalform and in its various arrangementsfor string orchestra. It is in large part awork of lamentation. Its immediate pre-decessor, which takes only a little morethan twelve minutes to play, is a stillmore personal expression of loss, com-posed shortly after the death of thecomposer's first wife and dedicated toher memory. Both works are Incredibly

compelling as performed here. All theirintensity and poignancy are brought outwithout the slightest hint of excess or asingle unconvincing phrase. Musicallyas well as sonically, these versions areclearly superior to those in the previousBorodin Quartet recordings.

I've left the quintet for last, notbecause it comes last on the disc but -because the performance is more diffi-cult to describe than those of the twoquartets. Since its premiere in 1940, thequintet has been acknowledged as oneof the glories of Russian chamber mu-sic, and virtually every performance hassustained that impression. This one ismore sober, more "inward," than any Ihave heard before, on records or other-wise. What is involved here is morethan polish or precision or even "com-mitment." It is nothing less than utterabsorption in and identification withthe essential character of the music-the sort of thing that makes live record-ing worthwhile.

The recorded sound itself has lesswarmth than that of the studio -recordedquartets, but it is perfectly adequate,and the people lucky enough to havebeen in the audience must have beencaught up in the music as fully as theplayers were, for there's not a peep outof them till the applause at the end.With a playing time of over seventyminutes, this CD is an outstanding val-ue in every respect. Richard Freed

SHOSTAKOVICH: Piano Quintet inG Minor, Op. 57; String Quartet No. 7,

in F -sharp Minor, Op. 108; StringQuartet No. 8, in C Minor, Op. 110.Sviatoslav Richter (piano); BorodinString Quartet. EMI/ANGEL 0 CDC -47507 no list price.

STEREO REvIEw APRIL 1987 93

The over -long overture, with its hintsof Liszt's later fervor and energy, raisesthe curtain on a moon -drenched Gothic"castle of love" into which Don Sanchecannot enter because Elzire, his inamo-rata, does not return his affection-orso he thinks. Of course, by the conclu-sion of part two of this long one -actopera, Don Sanche has recovered froma mortal wound, Elzire has surrenderedto his ardor, and all are happy. Mean-while, soldiers march, peasants dance,and young lovers sing merry songs-something for everybody!

While dramatically the opera is pretty

naïve stuff; on this recording the verylistenable and theatrical, if transparent,music is performed stylishly, with com-mendable suspension of disbelief, by anenthusiastic cast under an energeticconductor, Minas Pal. Hungaroton isto be thanked for coming up with arecording that will be welcomed byLiszt enthusiasts and, as a delightfulcuriosity, by all opera buffs. R.A.

MOZART: Piano Quartet No. 1, in GMinor (K. 478); Piano Quartet No. A inE -!/at Major (K. 493). Georg Solti (pi-ano); Melos String Quartet. LONDON 0

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LORIN AALELCompact Disc, LP and Chrome Cassette (420 342)

417 190-1 $10.98, C) 417 190-4 $10.98,417 190-2 no list price.

Performance: GoodRecording: Piano spotlighted

Mozart's piano quartets, the first signif-icant works of their kind, seem to havebeen especially enticing to conductorswho occasionally lay their batons asidein favor of the keyboard. Many of usfirst heard these marvelous works someforty years ago in the recordings GeorgSzell made with members of the Buda-pest Quartet (still circulating on Odys-sey), and more recently Andr6 Previnrecorded them with members of theMusikverein Quartet in Vienna. Nowthere's a new set with Sir Georg Solti.

Like Szell and Previn, Solti has madeother recordings as a pianist, but unlessI'm mistaken, they must have beenmade a bit before we began to hear ofhim as a conductor: those I recall werealso of Mozart-violin sonatas withGeorg Kulenkampff. Yet it sounds hereas if Solti never gave up the piano.These are lovely, stylish performances,with beautifully integrated keyboardand string elements. Unfortunately theyare less than ideally balanced in therecording. Apparently it was deemedappropriate to emphasize Solti's starbilling by placing his piano so far for-ward that much of the strings' contribu-tion is obscured. This factor serves tostrengthen my own loyalty to the superbrecording of these two works by theBeaux Arts Trio with the violist BrunoGiuranna on Philips, one of the gems ofthe CD catalog. Philips has the instru-mental balance just right, and the per-formances are even more fetching. TheBeaux Arts' Menahem Pressler is possi-bly the most persuasive of all pianists inMozart's chamber music, and every bigline and little aside for his string col-leagues makes its point with matchingunforced eloquence. (For the record,both teams take the first -movement re-peats in both works.) R. F.

PURCELL: Ode on St. Cecilia's Day1692 ("Hail! Bright Cecilia '). TavernerConsort, Choir, and Players, AndrewParrott cond. ANGEL 0 DS -38282$11.98, © 4DS-38282 $11.98, CDC -47490 no list price.

Performance: SuperbRecording: Excellent

Purcell's 1692 Ode on St. Cecilia's Dayis perhaps one of the greatest pieces ofEnglish music ever written. It may be,in fact, one of the greatest odes everwritten. Singing the praises of music canbe pompous, but in setting Brady's textPurcell struck a remarkable balance be-tween the witty descriptions of the vari-ous instruments and the Handelian sub-limity of the final encomium to thepatron saint of music.

Andrew Parrott's reading with thevarious Taverner forces is by far thebest that has been recorded. The thir-teen soloists are excellent in their dic-

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Lion and precise renditions of Purcell'sintricate coloratura. Their ensemblework is spot on, the chorus is clarionclear in its contrapuntal work andsumptuous in massed passages, and theorchestra of early instruments bringsbrilliance to the various obbligato partsand blends beautifully with the vocalforces. In short, this is a terrific per-formance of an inspired work. S.L.

RODRIGO: Concierto de Aranjuez;Fantasia para un gentilhombre. CAS-TELNUOVO-TEDESCO: Guitar Con-certo No. 1, in D Major, Op. 99. Eduar-do Fernandez (guitar); English Cham-ber Orchestra, Miguel Gomez Martinezcond. LONDON 0 417 199-1 $10.98, ©417 199-4 $10.98, 0 417 199-2 no listprice.

Performance: GoodRecording: Intimate

A particular attraction of this package isthat it offers on one disc three of themost popular and engaging concertedpieces for guitar in the modern reper-toire. Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuezhas virtually achieved pop status sinceits premiere in 1940, and its Bach -styleslow movement is one of the gems ofthe literature. The Fantasia para ungentilhombre, based on melodies by theseventeenth -century guitarist -composerGaspar Sanz, was composed for AndresSegovia in 1954, and the elegant andeclectic Castelnuovo-Tedesco guitarconcerto is marvelously effective vir-tuoso stuff

Soloist Eduardo Fernandez shows upto particular advantage in the Fantasiaand the Castelnuovo-Tedesco concerto,displaying both agility and subtlety.There are other performances of theRodrigo concerto that match or surpassthis one, but they are paired less gener-ously. The recorded sound here is de-cidedly close, with a slight bass over-emphasis in the Rodrigo concerto. Al-though I found the solo -orchestra bal-ances as such satisfactory, I would haveliked a bit more sense of space in thesonic surround. It does help to play thisdisc back at a slightly lower than normalvolume level. D.H.

SCHUBERT: Die schtine MUllerin.Hermann Prey (baritone); PhilippeBianconi (piano). DENON 33C0 1072no list price.

Performance: ExcellentRecording: Clear, present

"Excellent" is such a meaningless wordto describe any performance, but it nev-ertheless frequently encapsulates thequality of a recording in which the vir-tues are many. The work here of Her-mann Prey and Philippe Bianconi is acase in point. Theirs is a joint presenta-tion that closely weaves the musical tex-tures of voice and piano into a singleexpression. That is virtue number one.Virtue number two is the forceful waythat Prey communicates the essence of


Wilhelm MUller's texts, and the thirdvirtue is the singing itself, clear andeasy. Prey uses his voice effectively as amedium of expression, not as a virtuosoinstrument. Virtue four lies in Bian-coni's careful attention to the delicatetracery of Schubert's piano writing. Fi-nally, of course, there is the great meritof the CD format itself in allowing a lis-tener the pleasure of enjoying the com-plete cycle without interruption. That iswhat CD's are all about-or should be.Warmly recommended. R.A.

SCHUMANN: Cello Concerto in A Mi-nor, Op. 129; Konzertstlick for FourHorns and Orchestra, Op. 86; Introduc-tion and Allegro in D Minor for Pianoand Orchestra, Op. 134. FredericLodeon (cello); Pascal Devoyon (pi-ano); Jean -Jacques Justafre, Jean -PaulGantiez, Jean-Claude Barro, AlainCourtois (horn); Nouvel Orchestre Phil-harmonique, Theodor Guschlbauercond. ERATO/RCA 0 NUM 75126$10.98, © MCE 75126 $10.98, 0 ECD88212 no list price.

Performance: Very goodRecording: Excellent

The soloists in this Schumann packageare all new to me, but they surely knowtheir stuff, and Theodor Guschlbauerand the Nouvel Orchestre Philharmoni-que provide able collaborationsthroughout. I particularly like the CelloConcerto because Guschlbauer andFrederic Lodeon emphasize its lyricalcontent rather than trying to make thework seem bigger than it really is. TheKonzertstuck for Four Horns is largelyextroverted in mood and gives the solohorns a real workout.

In the Introduction and Allegro, pian-ist Pascal Devoyon plays capably butsucceeds no better than Vladimir Ash-kenazy, in his London recording, whenit comes to imbuing the piece with innervitality. It starts out bravely enough,but after the halfway mark it becomes amere exercise in note -spinning. Thewhole recording, however, is marked bygood balances and altogether pleasingsound. D.H.

R. STRAUSS: Lieder. Jessye Norman(soprano); Geoffrey Parsons (piano).PHILIPS 0 416 298-1 $10.98, 0416 298-4 $10.98, 0 416 298-2 no list price.

Performance: BeautifulRecording: Excellent

This collection of twenty songs, selectedfor their contrasts in musical and poeticcontent, includes the short, recently dis-covered Malven (or Mallows), Strauss'svery last song, which he dedicated tothe Czech soprano Maria Jeritza. It is anice song, but far from the most impor-tant in the program. What is mostimportant is the unity of effect achievedby Jessye Norman and her accompan-ist, Geoffrey Parsons. These two artistsapproach the music and poetry as onesingle expression, combining voice and

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piano as one single instrument. More-over, there is a joyousness in their per-formances that shines through even theserious pieces-the joyousness of mak-ing music together. The songs calling fora freely expressive treatment are han-dled with an almost rapturous abandon;the more introspective ones are pre-sented with affecting simplicity. Thedelicately balanced recording, too, con-tributes to making this an unusuallyrewarding concert album. R.A.

VIVALDI: L 'incoronazione di Dario.John Elwes (tenor), Dario; Isabelle Pou-

lenard (soprano), Alinda and Arpago;Agnes Mellon (soprano), Oronte; HenriLedroit (countertenor), Argene; GerardLesne (countertenor), Statira; MichelVerschaeve (baritone), Niceno; others.Ensemble Baroque de Nice, GilbertBezzina cond. HARMONIA MUNDI1235/37 three LP's $35.94, © 401235/37 three cassettes $35.94, © 901235/37three CD's no list price.

Performance: SplendidRecording: Excellent

Here's the situation: After Ciro's death,the next king of Persia will be whoever

Claudio Abbado

Vienna Philharmonic

Beethoven Symphonies

Claudio Abbado is recordinghis first Beethoven Sym-

phonies cycle for DeutscheGrammophon with the ViennaPhilharmonic. The debut of theseries features Symphonies Nos.3 and 9, simultaneously releasedon imported Compact Disc, LPand chrome -cassette.

Abbado and the Vienna Phil-harmonic perform the completecycles of the Beethoven Sym-phonies and Piano Concertos(with Maurizio Pollini) in theUnited States this spring.

'41 Photo Fayer

BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY No. 9Benarkcoa Lipovaek WInhergh PreyAMAMI VIENNA PHILHARMONIC

BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY No. 3 "Eroica"Coriolan (Tenure

ABRAM/ VIENNA PHILHARMONIC

at]DIGITAL AUDIO

C 1987 Deutsche Grammophon PolyGram Records, Inc.

wins the hand of his daughter, Statira.The three contenders are Dario, of no-ble birth; Oronte, who has the supportof the people; and Arpago, who controlsthe military. As full of intrigues as anyancient Oriental succession, this one isparticularly messy because Statira's sis-ter, Argene, is out to do Statira in andmarry Dario herself, and Statira, de-spite her love for Dario, is not really alltogether and adds to the confusion byoffering her hand to both Oronte andArpago. Throw in Alinda, who is en-gaged to Oronte, and Niceno, a sche-ming tutor, and Adriano Morselli'scomplicated libretto is ready for Vival-di's superb music.

Although L'incoronazione was one ofVivaldi's first operas, he was thirty-fivewhen he wrote it and had developed amature style. All the hallmarks of thatstyle are present: strong melodies,colorful orchestrations with concerto -like bravura, richly expressive recita-tives, and an animal excitement thatkeeps the action moving at all times.

The singers are superb, particularlyJohn Elwes as Dario. His full-throatedtenor is virile and flexible at the sametime, and he offers us some of the finestBaroque singing of this generation. Thetwo countertenors who portray the sis-ters have rich alto voices and sing withsubtlety and finesse. Isabelle Poulenard,as both Arpago and Alinda, sings harsh-ly and without vibrato when calledupon to do so, while Agnes Mellon singsnaturally, bringing an aluring humanityto Oronte. And Michael Verschaeveplays Niceno's role to the hilt.

There are, however, two disturbingthings about this production. First,there's the distribution of the cast: threeof the women's parts are sung by coun-tertenors, and two of the male roles aretaken by women. Even in an age whenthe castrato reigned supreme, such cast-ing would have been considered unbal-anced. After all, the original cast in 1717used women for the two sisters, not cas-trati. As a result, many of the scenesthat involve three women played bymen and two men played by womencome off a little like the Ballets Trock-adero de Monte Carlo-no matter howperfect the point work and the port debras, there is always a bit more sweatand five o'clock shadow showing thanthere ought to be.

Second, and less forgivable, is theentirely inadequate annotation. Eventhe LP set offers only the five -inch -square booklet designed for the CDjewel box, and the libretto it includes isa reduced reprint of the original Italian,so small and unclear that a magnifyingglass is required to read it. There is notranslation, only the briefest condensa-tions in the form of puzzling one-liners.Pages and scenes go by with no Englishcommentary at all.

Casting and notes aside, though, thisis a wonderful performance of a fasci-nating work, and the recording itself isfirst-rate. S.L.


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POPULAR MUSIC

Discs and tapes reviewed byChris Albertson, Phyl Garland,Alanna Nash, Mark Peel,Steve Simels

ALABAMA: The Touch. Alabama (vo-cals and instrumentals); instrumentalaccompaniment. You've Got the Touch;Vacation; Is This How Love Begins;Touch Me When We're Dancing; It's AllComin' Back to Me Now; and five oth-ers. RCA 5649-1 $8.98, C) 5649-4 $8.98

5649-2 no list price.

Performance: Improved, but . . .

Recording: Very good

Since Alabama now waits about a yearand a half to put out a new studioalbum, listeners are justified in expect-ing marked improvement each timeout. By that criterion, "The Touch"both succeeds and fails. On the plusside, the group has dropped the formu-laic odes to the working class that dom-inated its last few efforts, as well asthose tiresome Confederate flag-wavingditties, and concentrated on more pop -flavored songs, mostly standard fareabout dating and falling in love.

On the other hand, there is some trulydreadful songwriting here, mostly inlead singer Randy Owen's Vacation,with lyrics too insipid to quote, and hisobligatory True, True Housewife. Tobalance those songs-and guitarist JeffCook's routine Cruisin'-bassist TeddyGentry contributes two respectabletunes, I Taught Her Everything SheKnows and Pony Express, the latter animaginative and well -crafted song thatchallenges the arrogance of technology.

Overall, this set is vastly more tolera-ble than Alabama's other efforts, withengaging vocal harmonies and first-rateinstrumentals. The boys in the bandactually played very little on their ownpast albums, and this one too has beenbeefed up by Nashville's finest studiopickers. If it worked for the Monkees,why not for Alabama? A.N.

BEN BAGLEY'S CONTEMPORARYBROADWAY REVISITED. KatharineHepburn, Alan Arkin, Kaye Ballard,Helen Gallagher, Anthony Perkins,John Reardon, Diane Carnevale, FayDe Witt, Judy Gilmer, Mark Sendroff,Margaret Whiting (vocals); instrumen-tal accompaniment. The Kid HerselfPlease Sir; Merry Little Minuet; WhoWould Have Dreamed?; Sweet River; I

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DAVE EDMUNDSDAVE EDMUNDS'S new live al-bum, "I Hear You Rockin',"has the sound and feel of a con-tractual throwaway-rush-job

cover art, incomplete credits, and be-tween -song patter that's all but inaudi-ble. It just may be the cheesiest liverecord from a major artist since theRolling Stones' "Got Live! If You WantIt." That said, it is also an unalloyeddelight, for the simple reason that, un-like most other contemporary concertalbums, it refuses to take itself evenremotely seriously.

Not that it's musically sloppy, ofcourse. Unlike Rockpile, Edmunds'sprevious band, this lot has more ontheir minds than merely bashing out afew good tunes between beers. Actually,there's not an ill-considered note in thisset. Edmunds's famous penchant fornailing down the perfect lick for eventhe briefest musical moment has clearlyrubbed off on his collaborators, anddespite the seeming simplicity of muchof the material (the famous three or fourchords that have sustained rock-and-roll since the beginning), the band'sarrangements are remarkably sophisti-cated. In fact, they're identical, in mostcases, to those on Edmunds's studiorecords. But, miraculously, for all thenit -picky attention to detail, you still getthe feeling that these guys are just bash-ing out a few good tunes between beers.The combination of world -class musi-

cianship and bar -band spirit make theperformances here nothing short of irre-sistible.

The album is prograrr med as a sort ofDave Edmunds Greatest (Almost) Hitspackage, and it has almost everythingyou'd want (a notable exception is thebizarre version of Khachaturian's SabreDance he did back in 1968), from a de-finitive version of Elvis Costello's GirlsTalk to Nick Lowe's I Knew the Bride(ditto). Rounding out the program aretwo oldies: Dion's hilarious macho clas-sic, The Wanderer, and the other Elvis'sParalyzed.

By the time you get to the end of sidetwo, you'll doubtless head back to sideone to listen to "I Hear You Rockin' "all over again. In short, if this is, indeed,a contractual throwaway, it's the mostentertaining one of 1987, and as theyused to say on American Bandstand,you should buy it for your personal col-lection. Steve Simels

THE DAVE EDMUNDS BAND: IHear You Rockin. The Dave EdmundsBand (vocals and instrumentals). GirlsTalk; Here Comes the Weekend; Queenof Hearts; Paralyzed; The Wanderer;Crawling from the Wreckage; SlippingAway; Information; I Hear You Knock-ing; I Knew the Bride (When She Usedto Rock and Roll); Ju Ju Man. COLUM-BIA FC 40603, FCT 40603, no listprice.


Hate Spring; and twelve others.PAINTED SMILES PS 1381 $10.98.

Performance: Mostly highsRecording: Very good

Ben Bagley, that redoubtable chroniclerof forgotten show music, has misnamedhis latest album: contemporary Broad-way isn't half this good! Actually, onlyfive of the eighteen songs here are "con-temporary"-from the Eighties, that is.Most were cut from Sixties and Seven-ties shows (and some go back even fur-ther) by Jerry Herman, Sheldon Har-nick, Nancy Hamilton, John Kander

and Fred Ebb, and Harvey Schmidt andTom Jones. All but a couple of thesongs deserve the salvage job that Ba-gley and his impressive list of collabora-tors have done, even if some of the sing-ers (Kaye Ballard and Helen Gallagher)are not at their best, and one, KatharineHepburn, is only a bit better than BetteDavis at carrying a tune.

The highlights here are Judy Gilmerin Kander and Ebb's The Kid Herselffrom Flora the Red Menace, Susan Stro-man and Jan Newberger in the sameteam's Loopin' the Loop from Chicago,Margaret Whiting's plaintive Sweet Riv-

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er from the Schmidt -Jones 110 in theShade, John Reardon's romantic TheRoom Is Filled with You from the ill-fated Schmidt -Jones Colette, Alan Ar-kin's wry What a Wonderful Way to Diefrom an unproduced Schmidt -Jonesscore, and Judy Gilmer's The OnlyGame in Town from Kander and Ebb'sThe Act. And they're all greatly helpedby the lively Broadway sound of DennisDeal's arrangements. Roy Hemming

HAROLD BUDD: Lovely Thunder.Harold Budd (piano, violin). The Gun-fighter; Sandtreader; Ice Floes in Eden;Olancha Farewell; and two others. EDI-TIONS EG/JEM EGED 46 $8.98, CoEEGCD 46 no list price.

Performance: OtherworldlyRecording: Excellent

When trying to describe the music ofHarold Budd, writers usually end upcomparing it to the sounds of placesthey've never been-the ocean depths,the night desert, deep space. That's lessa reflection on their powers of descrip-tion than it is a tribute to the music'spower to lift a person out of the present.Labels such as avant-garde, minimalist,or New Age might help you find "Love-ly Thunder" in your local record shop,but they're of little use in explainingBudd's singular brand of composition.

Using prepared piano, synthesizer,and, on the side -long Gypsy Violin, elec-tric violin, Budd creates music that is atonce enormous and intimate, calm anddisquieting, relaxing and stressful. It ismusic based on what Budd freely ad-mits is his limited keyboard technique.A short work may consist of no morethan five chords, but, floating in a vastsea of undulating synthesizer, those fivechords will creep, rumble, and reverber-ate with stunning effect. In Ice Floes inEden, huge chordal chunks break offand crumble into swelling synthesizeddepths. In Flowered Knife Shadows, thehammering echo of prepared pianochops notes from an Eastern scale intosplinters of quivering sound. In GypsyViolin, a plaintive violin melody strug-gles to rise above a shimmering,Vaughan Williams -like string surface.

Budd seems to defy the very defini-tion of music-notes in space overtime-by suspending time and space.When one of his songs is over, you'renot sure whether you've been listeningfor two minutes or ten. It's an experi-ence you shouldn't miss. M.P.

DEAD OR ALIVE: Mad, Bad, andDangerous to Know. Dead or Alive (vo-cals and instrumentals). Brand NewLover; I'll Save You All My Kisses; Sonof a Gun; Then There Was You; andfive others. EPIC FE 40572, © FET40572, EK 40572, no list price.

Performance: RivetingRecording: Excellent

If the club scene were healthier, Dead orAlive would be the next big thing. One,


New Music on ECM

Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy 829 5E3AVANT POPAvant Pop is a fresh. upbeat recording tea-tunr g Lester Bowie's characteristic witalong with Brass Fantasy's diverse mate-rial.

Jon HassellPOWER SPOTAcclaimed for his highly influential music 31conception, Jon Hassell's ECM debut,Power Spot. pulsates in a primal yet con-temporary manner.

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Miroslav VitousEMERGENCEBass virtuoso Miroslav Vitous digitally re-corded solo tour -de -force. Emergence, dis-plays his improvisational prowess as well ashis talents as a composer.

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Keith Jarrett

Keith Jarrett 82c. 46, -SPIRITSOn SPIRITS. Keith Jarrett explores Dureand unadorned song forms with some uncommonly vibrant performances on a number of instruments that he is not wrielyassociated with -Pakistani Flute. Tablas.Recorders. Soprano Saxophone and per-cussion, among others. His piano workplays a supportive role on these largelyoverdubbed perfomances recorded in hishome studio

Available on Compact DiscLP and Cassette

STEVE TIBEETTS

Steve TibbettsEXPLODED V EWRack. folk. ethilc musics and sounds fromeveryday life .3ome together in GuitaristComposer Steve Tibbett music. ExplodedVIEW is his most raucous & assertive albumto date

831 109

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Click Corea 827 769TRIO MUSIC LIVE IN EUROPEThese musicens are not only virtuosos.

but they represent some of the most chal-lenging individual achiev-aments on their re-spective iistruments together the music isinsoired -Farlare

JOHN SURMANBILL FRISELLCAUL MOT IAN

Pail Bley 829 280FRAGMENTSFragments finds Paul Bley in a unique andstiriulatirg musical context -with Bill Frisell.John Surman and Paul Motian yet the mu-sic retains the approac-1 to improvisationand space that has long been associatedMI his work.

ECM Distributed by PolyGram Classics 810 Seventt- Avenue, New York. N" 100191987 ECM PolyGramClassws

"Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know" isa dance -or -die party album. High-speedand high -intensity, it weds grand, gal-loping rhythms with slicing guitar,hard-headed drumming, steely horncharts, a hundred or so wonderfullygimmicky sound tricks, and that bitchy,know-it-all swagger that makes even themost obvious observations seem likethe latest inside stuff. Two, Dead orAlive is tantalizingly mysterious. Thealbum's cover, with a nightmarish in-digo portrait of, I assume, two of thegroup's members posed against a sur-realist dreamscape, is deliberately ob-

scure-no lyrics, no instrument credits,not even names.

If the cover raises questions, the mu-sic inside just adds to them. It combinesthe fanzine sexiness of Wham!, theromanticism of ABC, and the unfet-tered rhythmic drive of Frankie Goes toHollywood with the sinister motives ofthe Dead Kennedys. The lyrics to songslike I'll Save You All My Kisses areinnocent and guileless, but somehowyou imagine the guy singing them withzombie -like eyes agog, his hand clutch-ing a cleaver. It's like having Bela Lugo-si whisper sweet nothings in your ear.

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Dead or Alive will make your nextparty, guaranteed. But don't play itwhen you're alone. M.P.

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACK -HEARTS: Good Music. Joan Jett andthe Blackhearts (vocals and instrumen-tals); Carl Wilson, Mike Love, BruceJohnston, Al Jardine, Darlene Love(backing vocals); other musicians. GoodMusic; This Means War; Fun, Fun,Fun; Black Leather; and five others.BLACKHEART/CBS BFZ 40544, © BZT40544, ZK 40544 no list price.

Performance: Good trashRecording: Excellent

Joan Jett, who is to flat -chested girls inleather jackets what Elvis Costello is toskinny guys with glasses-that is, some-where between a role model and a cul-tural icon-returns in "Good Music"with another of her inimitable amal-gams of early -Seventies glitter rock,heavy-metal aggression, and old-fash-ioned junk pop. And, as usual, yourreaction to it, at least if you're not amember of her target demographicgroup, will probably depend on yourtolerance for loud noises.

The new songs are generally formula-ic Jett, but the revived oldies are inter-esting even when they don't work. Bestof the bunch is Jonathan Richman'sRoadrunner, which Jett approacheswith a nicely ironic insouciance. Leastimpressive is Fun, Fun, Fun, whichdelivers considerably less of same thanthe Beach Boys' original (oddly, thealbum's title track, with several of theBoys chiming in, has considerably morespirit). Also noteworthy is Jett's versionofJimi Hendrix's You Got Me Floating,which would sound very nice in a seguefrom the Pretenders' recent cover ofRoom Full of Mirrors. Perhaps a revivalin interest in Hendrix as a songwriter isbrewing under our very noses.

The recording is excellent. I heard theCD, which somehow seems inappro-priate for an album best appreciated ona car stereo after a six-pack of beer, butit's impressive nonetheless. S.S.

LOS LOBOS: By the Light of theMoon (see Best of the Month, page86)

EDDY RAVEN: Right Hand Man.Eddy Raven (vocals); vocal and instru-mental accompaniment. Shine, Shine,Shine; The Best of Them; Sometimes aLady; Right Hand Man; You're NeverToo Old for Young Love; and five oth-ers. RCA 5728-1 $8.98, © 5728-4$8.98.

Performance: New approachRecording: Good

Eddy Raven is one of those second -string Nashville singer -songwriters whogets mentioned occasionally but notnearly enough. Yes, he's been known towrite songs that are so sugary they'd gagMary Poppins (Thank God for Kids),

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THE EYE OF DAVID OLNEYATRIP through David Olney's new

recording, "Eye of the Storm,"is something like sneaking apeek at all eight features at

the neighborhood shopping -mall moviecomplex. Behind door No. 1, there'sintrigue and terror, behind No. 2, ac-tion -adventure, and behind the third,romance-tinted, perhaps, with thefaintest streak of sadism. At the moviehouse, of course, when things get un-comfortable, you can always get up andleave. But with Olney, once you'vestopped to look, the chairs grow impris-oning arms, and the windows board upand shut tight: Olney's got you where hewants you.

On the surface, the rough -voiced Ol-ney seems a pleasant enough fellow-asinger -songwriter with a little bit of apitch problem, passing the time with aguitar and a stool. But in the Hitchcockthrillers, it was the choirboy killers whostabbed the deepest wounds. And Ol-ney, the "dangerous man" of one of hiscompositions, wields a mean knife.

For example, one of his edgier songs,I Keep My Fingers Crossed, finds anaspiring actor writing a letter to a friend,imparting the news that he's up for apart as a hired killer. The friendly mis-sive turns brooding, however, as thewriter drifts off and assumes the person-ality of a man who kills for a living-and decides he's not such a bad guyafter all. Trust me-it gets downrightspooky. And so does Olney's tracing ofthe voyage of the Titanic, told from the

viewpoint "of this bitter, Northern sea/I've waited in the dark/For near eterni-ty/ . . . My frozen arms are reaching/. . . Come to me."

For those who prefer a lighter touch,however, there's always a lyrical changeof scene, the sweet embracing ofTheresa Maria, for instance, or thiswhimsical thought: "If I were Saturdaynight/And you were Sunday morning/For a fleeting moment/We could touchat midnight."

Dave Olney isn't a kid. He's kickedaround Nashville in one incarnation oranother for fifteen years or so. But likethe other writers in town he started outwith-Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, andTownes Van Zandt among them-he isdestined to see his day. And like thecharacters in his best songs-or in clas-sic Hollywood film noir-Olney seemssomehow ambiguous, stronger of moodthan of intent. But you'll know himwhen he walks into the room. He'll bethe one in the raincoat. Alanna Nash

DAVID OLNEY: Eye of the Storm.David Olney (vocals, guitar, harmoni-ca); Thomas Goldsmith (guitar); RoyHusky, Jr. (bass); other musicians. Sat-urday Night and Sunday Morning; IKeep My Fingers Crossed; Theresa Ma-ria; A Dangerous Man; If It Wasn't forthe Wind; Who Knows Better Than I;Queen Anne's Lace; Titanic; Eye of theStorm; Steal My Thunder; My Baby'sGone; Ain't It That Way. ROUNDER3099 $8.98.

but he's also capable of turning outsnappy little finger -poppers that some-how bore to the heart.

Like so many other singer -songwrit-ers in Nashville, however, Raven hashad more success writing hits for othersthan he's had singing those songs him-self, and few people know who he is.For his new album, producer DonGant, who came out of retirement toman the control board, concentrated onpresenting Raven the singer instead ofRaven the writer. So we get a smorgas-bord of material, most of it comingdown squarely on the pop side of coun-try -pop (with some r -&-b thrown in),and only two of the tunes are Ravenoriginals.

Raven does a credible job on all of it,even the schmaltzy But She Loves Me.But he really shines on The Best ofThem, a through -a -glass -darkly gemthat may or may not be about a man'sobsession with a Chinatown prostitute.On this particular cut, the mix tends toswallow Raven's delivery, but it can'tobscure the fact that this song alone isworth the price of the album. As for therest of it-well, you'll hear it on theradio. A. N.

LINDA RONSTADT: For SentimentalReasons (see Best of the Month, page85)

SYLVESTER: Mutual Attraction. Syl-vester (vocals); vocal and instrumentalaccompaniment. Someone Like You;Living for the City; Summertime; Mu-tual Attraction; and four others. WAR-NER BROS. 25527-1 $8.98, © 25527-4$8.98.

Performance: Plenty of powerRecording: Very good

Long before Boy George, there was Syl-vester. A powerhouse performer, hebelts out songs in a muscular falsetto,blending traces of gospel with rhythm-and-blues and a touch of rockish sass."Mutual Attraction" presents him inpeak form-boldly assertive, with a fe-male chorus shouting out behind him.Just listen to what he does with StevieWonder's Living for the City! It packssuch a wallop you feel you could walkall the way from New York to L.A. ifyou could just keep on hearing it. Thisis a vigorously executed album withfirst-rate background vocals and high-energy instrumentals that perfectlycomplement Sylvester's strutting style.Power to Sylvester! P.C.

TESLA: Mechanical Resonance. Tesla(vocals and instrumentals). EZ ComeEZ Go; Cumin' Atcha Live; Gettin' Bet-ter; 2 Late 4 Love; Rock Me to the Top;and seven others. GEFFEN GHS-24120$8.98, 0 M5G-24120 $8.98.

Performance: ElectrifyingRecording: Very good

The band's name says everything youneed to know about their music. Nikola


Tesla (1856-1943) was a brilliantthough eccentric scientist, a pioneer inhigh-tension electricity and a rival ofThomas Edison. His inventions in-cluded alternating -current (Ac) trans-mission and a system for transmittingpower without wires-which it wasfeared at the time would electrify theearth's entire atmosphere. WhetherTesla would appreciate his namesakes'music is a matter of some doubt, but hecertainly would have been gratified bytheir studious application of electricalcurrent.

Tesla's "Mechanical Resonance" iswhat heavy-metal should be-not a fo-rum for satanic death rites or an incite-ment to rebel against authority (whichfor the average heavy-metal listenerisn't the military -industrial complexbut mom and homework), just a simpledemonstration of concentrated electric -guitar power. And it's a good one.

Tesla's make-up is by the book: duallead guitarists, both advocates of theslash and burn school, mega -steroiddrumming, and that sneering, whimper-ing vocal style pioneered by RobertPlant and taken up, no questions asked,by just about every heavy-metal bandever since. The songs, which have gen-eric metallic titles like EZ Come EZ Go,Cumin' Atcha Live, and 2 Late 4 Love,are entirely forgettable, but the per-formances are sure to inspire virtuosodisplays by air guitarists around thecountry. M.P.

LUTHER VANDROSS: Give Me theReason. Luther Vandross (vocals); vo-cal and instrumental accompaniment.Stop to Love; See Me; I Gave It Up(When I Fell in Love); So Amazing;Give Me the Reason; There's NothingBetter Than Love; and three others.EPIC FE 40415, C) FET 40415, EK40415, no list price.

Performance: One of his bestRecording: Excellent

Luther Vandross may have shed morethan a hundred pounds, but his hand-some new image in the cover photo ofthis album is not accompanied by anyslimming of his vocal presence. "GiveMe the Reason," in fact, is one of hisbest recordings, brimming with the sortof romantic ballads Vandross has al-ways sung so well. He also wrote or co -wrote all but one of the songs here. Thebest of his originals is So Amazing,which starts out sounding like Just theWay You Are but soon finds its owndirection. On a comparable level is thetenderly interpreted Because It's ReallyYou. As usual, though, the most memo-rable selection is a pop classic he'sreworked to suit his style. Here it's theBacharach-David evergreen AnyoneWho Had a Heart, which Vandrossserves up in a haunting, sensuouslyslow arrangement. If this album is rep-resentative of what we can expect fromVandross in the future, we're in forsome real delights. P.G.

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"THE BIRTH OF RHAPSODY IN BLUE"ANimportant Latin American

critic and musical sociologistwhose name, alas, escapes mecoined the term mesomusica

for that huge, fascinating gray world oflight commercial music that lies be-tween true folk and popular music onthe one hand and classical high art onthe other. The Paul Whiteman Orches-tra's famous Aeolian Hall concert of1924, the one that introduced GeorgeGershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, was akind of apotheosis of mesomusica. Andconductor Maurice Peress's extraordi-nary re-creation of that event in a won-derful new recording on the MusicMas-ters label has elevated Whiteman's ver-sion of mesomusica to the status of anart form.

Whiteman was not, repeat not, thefirst to treat jazz seriously in symphonicform in a concert hall. James ReeseEurope's Clef Club Symphony at-tempted to make "a lady out of jazz"before World War I. But Reese Europewas a black man, and in one of thosewonderful ironies of history, it was leftto Whiteman and his all -white orches-tra to accomplish the miracle.

Whiteman, though a much -admiredand successful band leader, did not real-ly understand jazz or play it. AndGershwin, who besides Duke Ellingtonwas the most gifted American composerof his generation, was scoffed at for hispretensions to being a jazz composer. Itain't jazz, the critics scoffed, and theywere not wrong.

But if it ain't jazz, what is it? Meso-musica is just a way of putting a nameon it. In fact, as this recording clearlydemonstrates, Whiteman knew quitewell what he was doing. He wasn't try-ing to create jazz, and he wasn't evenreally trying to make jazz respectable.He was trying to fuse the serious, high-minded respectability of classical musicWith the vitality of "modern music," bywhich he meant his dance band with itsinclusion of jazz instrumentation andits complement of clever arrangers likeFerde Grof6.

Can we take the Whiteman/Grofemesomusica-light music, kitschmusik,the early version of easy listening-seri-ously? Yes, because Gershwin validatedit. And we can enjoy it for what it is inthis admirable, sparkling restoration.

Whiteman organized his concert in asurprisingly didactic way. He called it"an experiment in modern music" andfilled the printed program (and thenewspapers) with elaborate notes, ex-planations, justifications, theories, andapologias. The concert was divided upinto sections such as "True Form ofJazz," "Legitimate Scoring vs. Jazzing,"and "Adaptation of Standard Selectionsto Dance Rhythm."

In the end, the program turned out toconsist mostly of elegant dance -band

Paul Whiteman: It ain't jazz, the crit-ics scoffed, and they were not wrong.

arrangements of popular songs andsemi -classics, but Peress tries to showthat some of the jazzy rough-and-tum-ble of Nick LaRocca's Livery StableBlues, which opened the concert, per-sists in A Rhapsody in Blue, whichclosed it. And his performance of theGershwin piece here proves that it'smade of sterner stuff than the rest.

Until relatively recently, the Rhapso-dy was only known in Grofe's later sym-phonic orchestration-what Peress callsthe "Hollywood Bowl" version. Peresstakes the problems of the work's orches-tration as seriously as any classical mu-sicologist working on Bach: Gershwin'soriginal two -piano score, the originalGrof6 score and parts, and the original1924 recording by Gershwin and White-man are Peress's sources. He has actual-ly restored some music and some scor-ing, fixed a few errors, and re-estab-lished what Baroque scholars call auth-entic performance practice. And he haspianist Ivan Davis and an orchestra ofcrackerjack musicians who specialize inold jazz and dance -band styles.

Davis plays with flair but also withsurprising freedom; it's just right. Musi-cology aside, the music really jumps.The Rhapsody has an etched qualityhere-a bite, a clarity, and a decisive-ness that have long disappeared fromconcert performances. In my opinion itwill be as hard to listen to the usualsymphonic Rhapsody after this per-formance as it is to hear symphonicHandel after an original -instrumentsreading led by Christopher Hogwood orJohn Eliot Gardiner.

Gershwin, of course, was not the onlycomposer commissioned by Whitemanfor the occasion. Victor Herbert's Suiteof Serenades-his last composition-seems like an anachronism next toGershwin; the commission was, in fact,a tasteful tribute to the leading mesomu-sica composer of an earlier day. White-

man was proving his modest point byhaving a popular light -music composerof unquestionable taste and repute vali-date his dance band by writing for it.

Neither Herbert's contribution northe shallow cleverness of Zez Confrey(Nickel in the Slot, not Kitten on theKeys, is the fun piece) can hold a candleto Gershwin, but it is delightful to hearthe music played in style. The real starafter Gershwin was not Confrey but therelatively unsung Ferde Grofe, the manwho actually set down the largest num-ber of the notes played at the concert.Grofe was the real mesomusica man, apositive genius at blending jazzy hornsections with dance -band rhythm andclassical strings. Although his horn scor-ing is rarely really hot, it had a sound ofits own and was certainly one of theingredients that later went into thedevelopment of big -band arranging.

What makes this recording worth-while beyond the flagship Rhapsody isthe band. Dick Hyman impersonatesZez Confrey at the keys-more of a ti-ger than a kitten. The tuba and bass -saxophone player is Vince Giordano,founder and leader of the Nighthawks, aband specializing in playing old dance -band arrangements. Lamar Alsop is theconcertmaster of the New York CityBallet and founder of the CarnegieString Quartet; in his spare time heplays saxophone for Vince Giordano!The list of players goes on like that. Theissue is style. The modern term mightbe crossover. The results are, as in mostclassical music, re -creative rather thantruly creative, but the re-creation isvital and alive, not stuffy and musico-logical. If early jazz and dance -bandmusic turns into American classicalmusic, let's at least hope that we alwayskeep it alive and re-created with asmuch pizzazz as it gets here!

Eric Salzman

THE BIRTH OF RHAPSODY INBLUE: Paul Whiteman's Historic Aeo-lian Hall Concert of 1924. LaRocca:Livery Stable Blues. Baer: Mama LovesPapa. Thomas: So This Is Venice. Sil-ver: Yes We Have No Bananas. Shoen-berger: Whispering. Braham: Lime -house Blues. Rose: Linger Awhile. Kern:Raggedy Ann. Confrey: Kitten on theKeys; Three Little Oddities; Nickel inthe Slot. Berlin: Orange Blossoms inCalifornia; A Pretty Girl Is like a Melo-dy; Alexander's Ragtime Band. Elgar:Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1.Grofe/De Rose: Russian Rose. Logan:Pale Moon. MacDowell: To a WildRose. Friml: Chansonette. Herbert: ASuite of Serenades. Gershwin: Rhapsodyin Blue. Ivan Davis, Dick Hyman(piano); orchestra, Maurice Peresscond. MUSICMASTERS 0 20113/4 twoLP's $21.96, © 40113/4 two cassettes$21.96, 60113T two CD's $25.98.


JAZZ

ART BLAKEY: Feeling Good. ArtBlakey and the Jazz Messengers (instru-mentals). On the Ginza; Crooked Smile;Obsession; Caravan; One by One; andthree others. DELOS 0 D/CD 4007 nolist price.

Performance: SuccinctRecording: Very good

Like the Modern Jazz Quartet and the

phonist Kenny Garrett, tenor saxo-phonist Jean Toussaint, and trombonistTim Williams. Toussaint, who also con -tributed Crooked Smile, a compositionreminiscent of Blues March, is almost aveteran Messenger at this point. Roneyis an agile, imaginative trumpeterwhose tune Obsession reveals complexmusical thinking that augurs well forthe future. Garrett contributes superb,

Gratitude; 111-44. DENON 0 33CY-1316 no list price.

Performance: Spirited bopRecording: Good

Phil Woods has always been an elo-quent player, and though he has notmade stylistic strides since first emerg-ing as a Parker -inspired altoist, he haskept the flame of bop flickering. His

Duke Ellington Orchestra, most suc- well -constructed alto solos, and there is new CD, "Gratitude," features thecessful enduring jazz aggregations have abundant promise in Williams's trom- quintet Woods formed in 1984 withowed a good measure of their longevity bone. By adding the trombone, Blakey trumpeter Tom Harrell and a rhythmto their consistent personnel, but Art has given "Feeling Good" a fuller, section led by pianist Hal Galper.Blakey's Jazz Messengers have re- almost big -band sound, which the group I would have preferred closer mikingmained center stage for over three wears well. This is a thoroughly enjoy- on Galper's piano during some of thedecades with only one constant: Blakey able, worthy addition to the awesome solos (in Times Mirror, for instance)himself. Still, consistency does play a Messenger library, now approaching a and, assuming that it is artificial, a littlerole in the Messengers' success, for the staggering ninety albums-a collection less echo on the horns would havesixty -seven -year -old drummer has that could serve as a Who's Who of enhanced the overall sound, but thesemaintained an uncanny ability to dis- modern jazz. C.A. are minor gripes. In the main, this is acover new talent and provide fertile satisfying album full of excellent indi-ground for it to grow. PHIL WOODS QUINTET: Gratitude. vidual and ensemble performances.

"Feeling Good" features over seventy Phil Woods (clarinet, alto saxophone); Amon the highlights are Woods's de -minutes of music by the latest edition of Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn); Hal scent into his solo on Ya Know and histhe Messengers, digitally recorded di- Galper (piano); Steve Gilmore (bass); more pensive statement on Glenn Mill-rectly to two tracks for release on corn- Bill Goodwin (drums). Tenor of the er's Serenade in Blue, as well as every -pact disc. The front line consists of Times; Ya Know; Serenade in Blue; My body's raised spirit on Tenor of thetrumpeter Wallace Roney, alto saxo- Azure; Times Mirror; Another Jones; Times. C.A.

ACOUSTIC TECHNIQUESFor Home & Studio

AN ESSENTIAL SOURCEBOOK FOR EVERYDEDICATED AUDIO ENTHUSIAST!

Every audio enthusiast who's inter-ested in enjoying the truest possi-ble fidelity in his sound recordings

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Author E Alton Everest is a registered consulting engineerinvolved in designing and installing sound systems.

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Publishers Choice GuaranteeIf you are dissatisfied with your purchase in any way, you mayreturn it for a prompt and full refund. All orders are processedpromptly and notification will be sent in case of delay. Shipment

is guaranteed within 60 days.-- General Offices: 37 11th Ave., Huntington Station, NY 11746. -

1986 National Syndications Inc.

TO ORDER. Send your name, address, zip code and check or money order

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DAT FINALLY RELEASED(Continued from page 18)

001 include a quadruple-oversam-pling digital filter, dual D/A (digital -to -analog) converters, and indepen-dent left/right A/D (analog -to -digi-tal) converters. Two sets of analoginputs are also provided, with afront -panel selector switch, presum-ably to enable direct connection to asource component, along with apreamplifier -out jack.

The Aiwa XD -001 isincapable of dubbing CD'sdigitally, since it cannot recordat the CD's 44. 1 -kHzsampling rate. But it can

direct digital diesfrom another DATdeck

Because of the DAT format'slarge subcode capacity (four timesthat of CD), the XD -001 has thecapability to generate one graphicimage every 30 seconds in additionto its audio output. Moreover, itoffers a variety of subcode-drivenplayback functions, including musicsearch, ten -key direct selection ac-cess (considerably slower than thatof a CD player, as the demonstra-tion showed), and user -defined startand skip ID location marking thattells the player where to start play-back or skip forward.

Several reporters asked whenAiwa plans to sell the DAT deck inEurope and North America. Presi-dent Nakajima said he wished tooffer it as soon as possible butadmitted that concepts of copyrightand relationships with record man-ufacturers in other areas differ fromthose in Japan.

That very point may be the key tothe early release of DAT in Japan, acountry where the perceived valueof software of all types is compara-tively low. Japanese musicians re-ceive very small royalties for theirrecorded work (which has a shortmarketable "shelf life"), and mostmusicians are on salary from theirrespective production and record-ing companies. In Japan, rentals ofrecorded music, videos, and evencomputer software are big business,with most outlets offering on -the -spot copying services. An under-standing of such factors makes itclear why DAT has now become areality in this part of the world.


MOVIE MUSIC ON CD(Continued from page 61)

levard and the forever fabulousPhiladelphiaStory. RCA's WaxmanCD, gorgeously rerecorded byCharles Gerhardt and the NationalPhilharmonic Orchestra, includesexcerpts from all of those as well asbits and pieces from To Have andHave Not, Rebecca, and A Place inthe Sun. It's also about twenty min-utes longer than the correspondingLP version and one of the mostentertaining film albums around.

SOPHIE'S CHOICE (MarvinHamlisch). SOUTHERN CROSSSCCD 902 (31:39).

Marvin Hamlisch has scored a lotof interesting films over the years(The Swimmer, Bananas, OrdinaryPeople, the TV version of A Street-car Named Desire), and when he'sin the mood he can turn out a me-lodically graceful, elegaic, Copland-esque American score with the bestof them. This one for Alan Pakula'sdeft version of the William Styronnovel is particularly charming-understated, sensitive, and beauti-fully attuned to the mournful moodof the film. And to think it's by thesame guy who wrote Sunshine, Lol-lipops and Rainbows for LesleyGore.

TOP GUN. COLUMBIA CK 40323(38:46).

Top Gun, the biggest -grossingfilm of 1986, is so utterly shamelessa piece of jingoistic claptrap that itmakes An Officer and a Gentlemanlook like All Quiet on the WesternFront, but this is the Eighties, andAmerica is "standing tall again."The film's questionable politicsaside, however, one can only standin awe of its soundtrack, as cannilyassembled a piece of pop product ashas ever been marketed. Featuringsongs by such AOR luminaries asCheap Trick and Loverboy as wellas major hits by Kenny Loggins andBerlin, the Top Gun score is alter-nately martial, languid, and dance-able, the kind of ear candy that pro-duces an almost Pavlovian responsein its teenage audience, most ofwhom (according to demographicsurveys) have seen the film morethan once, as often for the songs asfor the film's admittedly flimsy dra-ma. Think of this as history's firstrock-and-roll recruitment film ifyou must, as long as you acknow-ledge that it's one of the most high-powered CD's around. 0


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M85 759 T420 159

M65 539 T320 99M45 349 C85 589A1020 469 C65 409A720 379 C45 289

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KXT1625 99 IKT300 67

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KXT3815 79 8050 135

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SANYO 9750 185

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TAS355 98

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NEW PRODUCTS

American AcousticsThe American Acoustics PSW200 is a

glass -topped, vented subwoofer with abuilt-in 200 -watt -per -channel amplifier.It has controls for matching the sub-woofer's output to that of the audio sys-tem's main speakers, for selecting andboosting bass frequencies from 30 to100 Hz by up to 12 dB, and for revers-ing the phasing polarity between thesubwoofer and the main speakers. Theheat sink for the amplifier section is

strategically located within the enclo-sure's vent.

The PSW200 has a 15 -inch long -throw woofer with a 2 -inch voice coiland a 38 -ounce barium -ferrite magnet.Nominal impedance is 2 ohms, and thecrossover frequency is 80 Hz. The sub -woofer measures 221/2 inches wide, 191/2inches high, and 18N inches deep. Price:$699.95. American Acoustics, Dept.SR, One Mitek Plaza, Winslow, IL61089-0038.Circle 120 on reader service card

RCAThe CD180 is RCA's first nonsystem

compact disc player. It features a three -spot laser, fifteen -track programming,two -speed audible search, and a two-year warranty on parts and labor. Therepeat function replays an entire disc,all the programmed tracks, or every-thing between two user -defined pointson the disc. The fluorescent displayindicates total playing time, the current

track number, elapsed time in the trackbeing played, the track number beingentered into memory during program-ming, and the current track/index num-bers during search. Rated frequency re-sponse is 5 to 20,000 Hz, dynamic rangeand signal-to-noise ratio are both 90 dB,and total harmonic distortion is 0.005percent at 1,000 Hz. Price: $199. RCA,Dept. SR, 600 N. Sherman Dr., Indian-apolis, IN 46201.Circle 121 on reader service card

MagnatMagnat has added the three-way MSP

110 to its MSP line of loudspeakers.The proprietary 1 -inch Soft MetalDome tweeter, the 4 -inch cone/domemidrange, and the 8 -inch woofer all useMagnat's patented ribbon -wire voice -coil technology. The MSP 110 is 12inches wide, 32 inches tall, and 12inches deep, and the top panel has aneight -layer, hand -finished black -lacquertop. Price: $990 per pair. Magnat Amer-ica, Dept. SR, 70 Atlantic St., Marble-head, MA 01945-3038.Circle 122 on reader service card

ARCThe cylindrical enclosure used for

ARC's floor -standing CS7 speaker issaid to reduce the coloration of bass andmidbass frequencies produced by the"ping-pong effect" of sound wavestransmitted from the rear of the driversand trapped inside a conventionalsquare or rectangular enclosure. TheCS7 has two 61/2 -inch extended -low -range woofers, a 41/2 -inch polycarbonatemidrange, and a 1 -inch fabric -dometweeter. It can be driven by amplifiersthat provide a power output of 10 to350 watts per channel. Frequency re-sponse is rated as 35 to 20,000 Hz ± 3dB. Nominal impedance is 8 ohms. TheCS7 measures 48 inches high and 12inches in diameter (not counting theflattened front panel). Price: $1,400 perpair. ARC, Dept. SR, 2510 N. 47th St.,Suite HH, Boulder, CO 80301.Circle 123 on reader service card

NEW PRODUCTS

ARThe clean, angled faceplate of the AR

X-06 AM/FM receiver has knob controlsfor power and volume and eight push-buttons that function either as tunerpresets (eight AM and eight FM) or forinput selection, tuner memory, and vol-ume mute. All the remaining controlsare concealed behind a flip -down panel.The X-06 has connections for fourspeakers and two VCR's, gold-platedinputs for moving -magnet and moving -coil phono cartridges, and bass, mid-range, and treble tone controls. Thesupplied wireless remote control can

select inputs, scan for AM and FM sta-tions, adjust the volume, activate thevolume mute, and turn the receiver onand off.

The amplifier section's steady-stateoutput is rated as 60 watts per channelinto an. 8 -ohm load or 90 watts perchannel into a 4 -ohm load, with 2 dB ofdynamic headroom. Stereo 50 -dB quiet-ing sensitivity is 37.2 dBf (4.0 µV), A -weighted FM -stereo signal-to-noise ratiois 75 dB at 65 dBf, and capture ratio is1.0 dB. Price: $599.95. AR/AcousticResearch, Dept. SR, 330 Turnpike St.,Canton, MA 02021-2300.Circle 124 on reader service card

OnEach of the two tape transports in

Onkyo's TA -W460 double cassette deckare controlled electronically by a built-in computer chip. The Tape I transport,for playback only, has an AutomaticMusic Control System, which plays thefirst 5 seconds of each selection. TheTape 2 transport has both recording andplayback capability and a Record Mute/Auto Space feature, which mutes theincoming audio signal for 5 seconds andthen puts the deck into pause.

Cassettes can be dubbed in real timeor at twice normal speed, and the dub-bing process is initiated by the touch ofa single function control. The TA -W460has Dolby B and Dolby C noise reduc-tion, and it automatically adjusts biasand equalization. It is the first Onkyodouble cassette deck that can be oper-ated by the wireless remote controlssupplied with Onkyo AM/FM receiversand preamplifiers when it is connectedvia a back -panel jack. Price: $349.95.Onkyo, Dept. SR, 200 Williams Dr.,Ramsey, NJ 07446.

INDEX To ADVERTISERSREADER PAGE

SERVICE NO. ADVERTISER NUMBERAcoustic Research 71

9 Alpine Electronics of America 1920 Altec-Lansing 38-3957 Azden 111

67 Blaupunkt 10-11Bose Corporation 30-31

33 Canton 3449 Carver Corporation 16-175 CBS Records 9

Columbia House CD Club 2168 Coustic 105

Crutchfield Corporation 20

Deutsche Grammophon 9871 Discount Music Club 107

ECM Records 100,103

70 Ford Audio Systems 8921 Fujitsu Ten C4

63 GE Audio 49

Harman Kardon 9213 Hitachi C3

Illinois Audio 115

39 j8cR Music World 108-109JBL 26

2 Klipsch and Associates 95

40 LaserDisc Corp. of America 107

52 Luxman Home Electronics 43

58 Magnavox 2546 M & K Sound 104

Marlboro 44-45Maxell C2

22 McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. 8Memtek 79

50 Mission Electronics 96, 97Mitsubishi 83

NAD USA 4074 Nakamichi 1317 Nikko Audio 81

Onkyo 7Onkyo 84

Philips Classics 9465 Pioneer Electronics 2955 Pioneer Electronics 7737 Polk Audio 4-5

Radio Shack 238 Recoton 72

R. J. Reynolds-Camel 33R. J. Reynolds-Winston 22

42 Shure Brothers 2436 Signet 1027 Sony Corporation 37

48 TDK Electronics 8766 Teac Corporation of America 99

25 We "R" Electronics 114Wisconsin Discount Stereo 112-113

14 Yamaha 14

29 Zapco 46

APRIL


THE HIGH END

by Ralph Hodges

;21

Sleuthing Sonic Differences

/N the January issue, STEREOREVIEW presented test resultsthat strengthened the case formost good amplifiers sounding

alike. I have my own views on thismatter, of course, but it occurs tome that many readers would preferto convince themselves, by them-selves. If so, the situation seems tocall for a little at-home foray intodifferential -signal testing.

The essence of such testing is tobranch an audio signal into twopaths, sending one through a refer-ence device and the other throughsome device under test, then recom-bining the paths at their respectiveoutputs out of phase. If, at the pointof recombination, the levels of thetwo components of the signal aremade precisely identical, the com-ponents will cancel each other intoutter nothingness-provided thatthe two devices they have passedthrough are precisely identical intheir electrical characteristics.

If the test and reference devicesare not identical, the sought -for con-dition of absolute silence (except fora trickle of hiss, which this test pro-cedure cannot normally avoid) willnot be obtainable. Something of theoriginal signal will always be heard,and that something represents nomore or less than the difference

between the two devices under test.The test has several beauties. First

and foremost, the audio signal usedcan be anything, including music-the more complex and demandingto reproduce the better. Second, allforms of signal alteration and dis-tortion, well-known and as yet un-known, are represented, althoughthere is no quantifiable discrimina-tion between types. Third, the to -be -tested "device" can be almost any-thing, including just a piece of cable(please don't ask me what brand ofcable). And, finally, the test asks thelistener to identify nothing morethan silence or the lack of it, andthere's little arguing with that sort ofjudgment.

This type of test has been aroundfor ages, and some ten years ago Iworked out a version for preamplifi-er and signal -processor testing thatis conceptually simple and quickand easy to experiment with. It isalso conceptually flawed, but nev-ertheless . . . .

To verify your ability to carry outthe test, and to gain some prelimi-nary experience, begin by connect-ing one of your loudspeakers differ-entially (the other will not be used).To do this, connect the plus ( + ) ter-minal of one amplifier channel toeither speaker terminal and the plusterminal of the second amp channelto the other speaker terminal, dis-connecting everything else from theamplifier's speaker outputs (unlessthe amp's manufacturer forbids thissort of operation, in which case, gono further).

Switch the preamplifier to mono(or hook one channel of the in-tended program source to both itsinputs using a Y -connector), defeatthe tone controls, and turn up thegain cautiously. Any sound youhear should not be there. To get ridof it, manipulate the balance controlin search of a null in the signal.You'll be surprised at how sensitivean adjustment this is; often I've hadto fit a larger knob on the controlshaft temporarily to keep my fingersfrom overshooting or undershoot-ing the mark.

If the null is unattainable, the twoelectronic channels of your systemare not performing identically,which information may be of someinterest. If you can get the null, the

knob's position represents the "elec-tronic center" of your system andshould be marked for future refer-ence, even though it may bear littlerelation to the system's "acousticalcenter."

Once you are satisfied the null ispossible (and give up here if it isn't),you may proceed to comparativetesting. Leaving the amp -speakerconnections as they are, use Y -con-nectors to send a signal from theprogram source, feeding one branchto your preamp input, just the sameway as before, and the other to thedevice to be tested.

Unplug one channel of thepreamp's output from the poweramp and connect instead the outputfrom the device under test. Then,again cautiously, turn up the vol-ume and go for the null by adjustingthe level controls of both the systempreamp and the device under test.What you hear when you've doneyour best is the difference betweenthe two-and the "listenability" ofthat difference can be as importantas its existence.

Note especially that there must besome way of limiting the level of thesignal passing through the device -under -test branch. If the device isan ordinary preamp, its own vol-ume control will do. Otherwise, anyoutput -level control on the programsource-tuner, tape deck, CD play-er-will serve, as will attenuatorson the power -amp inputs; it doesn'tmatter for the validity of the test.But something must be used, or yourisk holocaust.

The conceptual flaws referred toearlier? Well, considering the num-ber of attenuators, etc., that mightget involved, it's unlikely that theloading on both signal branches willbe equivalent, and this will affectthe behavior of some components.But serious thought about the theo-ry of the test will get many experi-menters around most of the conse-quences.

Otherwise? Well, if you decide totest your preamp against, say, a sim-ple length of cable and can't get anull, you'll have no way of tellingwhere the difference -causing mech-anism lies. The probability, howev-er, is still that the cable, whether it isinexpensive 16 -gauge wire or Mon-ster Cable, is the one that's right. 0


MASTERPIECE:A work of notable excellet ce.

Hitachi introdtKVSso technologically refined,they offer something remark-able. Reality. Sound so tnte,wtill ncwr missa note.like our IRAN' CD player withbuilt-in (It ial cassette (k'( k andAN1/1-7\1 I )igitiii Receiver. (.:ompactdisc performance and tape wrsatility.together at last. TV monitors with


broi-cicast stereo receiniollthat -rival the fin st highfide lit syse_sms. And I ii -FitIQ video recorders so

incredibly edvancec I. thcy'llshock your senses.If ycxere reac ly to appreciate

the fine art of home entertain-ment, make a sound investment in

quality. Slake it a maskiviecc.

`ITACFA World Leader in Technology

INTRODUCING THE FUJITSU TEN DUAL AZIMUTH.

roppi.44 ,40,10dowl 40 41 40-#1" aid Auto -Reverse never sounded better. Only a

AZIMUTH re -calibrated tape head permits perfect soundreproduction in Forward and Reverse. Fujitsu Ten's unique Dual Azimuth System automatically

adjusts the tape head, realigning it with the tape. The result: an enhanced Dolbyand the full rangy of frequency -espouse in both cirEctions.

FROM $250 TO $2000

The Dual Azimuth Adjusting System introduced inFujitsu Ten's incredible $2000 Compo is now aN.ailablein the new "M" Series. Features of the M3 auto -reversecassette receiver include electronic tuning, pre-setscan, Ultra Tuner (for superior FM reception), DolbyNR, automatic tape program search, high power (56Watts total output), 4 channels amplified, soft greenfully illuminated controls and, of course, the expensiveDual Azimuth System. Like all Fujitsu Ten caraudio products, the "M" Series offers you high -endperformance at a reasonable price: $250-$350

canl "DIU TEN

51 MILLION UNITS... 34 YEARS EXPERIENCEWrite: Fujitsu Ten, 19281 Pacifi 2 Gateway Driv., Dept 321, Totralce, California 90502.

C.. 1986 Fujitsu Ten Corp of America. In Canada: Noresco Canada Inc Toronto. Cmtano Marufac urec bvFupts J Ten Ltd.CIRC_E NO. 21 ON REALER SERV CE CARD

HiFi-Stereo-Review-1987-04.pdf - World Radio History

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