LOUDSPEAKERS - World Radio History

LOUDSPEAKERSTHE STATE OF THE ARTHOW TO BUY SPEAKERSPOWERED SPEAKERS

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Stereo ReviewBULLETIN 4 TECHNICAL TALK 24EDITORIAL 8 POPULAR MUSIC 95LETTERS 10 CLASSICAL MUSIC 111AUDIO Q&A 18 THE HIGH END 128

EQUIPMENTCES SHOW STOPPERSSeventeen exciting new products by William Burton

HIRSCH-HOUCK LABS EQUIPMENT TEST REPORTSOnkyo DX -530 CD Player, page 31Boston Acoustics T830 Speaker, page 35Kenwood KA-3300D Integrated Amplifier, page 41dbx DX5 CD Player, page 49Celestion SL700 Speaker, page 51

SPEAKERS: THE STATE OF THE ARTHow much of the "improvement" in new speakerdesigns is genuine, and how much is hype? by Julian Hirsch

THE RIGHT SPEAKERSLoudspeaker shopping simplified

POWERED SPEAKERSThe intriguing options offered by speakers that includetheir own amplifiers by William Wolfe

MUSIC

by Ian G. Masters

12

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OPERA ON CDPart 1 of a basic library, from Beethoven throughRichard Strauss by Robert Ackart

RECORD MAKERSThe latest from Suzanne Vega, Michael Stipe, MurrayPerahia, Fire Town, Marshall Chapman, and moreBEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTHThe White Animals, Semyon Bychkov's Shostakovich,Tom Waits, and Mieczyslaw Horszowski

Cover: clockwise from upper right. the Design Acoustics PS -103. Klipsch kg2. PolkRTA 11t, dbx Model 50, KEF Model 102. and Infinity Kappa 8.

Design by Sue Llewellyn, photo by Roberto Brosan.

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STEREO REVIEW BUYER POLL, SEE PAGE 112Please fill in if you bought equipment in the past thirty days.

READER SERVICE INFORMATION CARD, FACING PAGE 112Circle the items you want to know about.

PAGE 80

COPYRIGHT 1987 BY CBS MAGAZINES, A DIVISION OF CBS INC. All rights reserved. Stereo Review. September 1987. Volume 52, Number 9. Publishedmonthly by CBS Magazines at 3807 Wilshire Boulevard. Los Angeles, CA 90010. Editorial and Executive Offices at 1515 Broadway. New York. NY 10036: Tele-phone (212) 719.6000. Also publishers of Car Stereo Review. Stereo Buyers' Guide, Compact Disc Buyers' Guide, and Video Buyers' Guide. One-year subscriptionrate for the United States and its possessions, $11.97: Canada, $14.97: all other countries. $16.97. cash orders only, payable in U.S. currency. Second-class postagepaid at Los Angeles, CA 90052. and at additional mailing offices. Authorized as second-class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, Canada. and for payment ofpostage in cash. POSTMASTER 'SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: Please send change -of -address forms and all subscription correspondence to Stereo Review. P.O. Box2771, Boulder. CO 80302. Please allow at least eight weeks for the change of address to become effective. Include both your old and your new address, enclosing, ifpossible, an address label from a recent issue. If you have a subscription problem, write to the above address or call (800) 525-0643: in Colorado, call (303) 447-9330.PERMISSIONS: 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.

VoL. 52 No. 9 SEPTEMBER 1987 (ISSN 0039-1220) STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 3

BULLETIN

by Christie Barter andWilliam Burton

THE DAT DEBATERecording artist Stevie Wonder

(Tamla/Motown) has stated hisopposition to legislation now inCongress that would prevent digi-tal audio tape decks from record-ing encoded music. "The encodingprocess has the effect of distort-ing the music," he said in writtentestimony. "The integrity of mymusic will be compromised." Theproposed anti-DAT bills are onhold until government agenciesevaluate the audible effects of theencoding filter and the financialeffects of home taping. In themeantime, record companies arerefraining from encoding masterrecordings.

Speaking at A&M Records'twenty -fifth -anniversary conven-tion in Los Angeles this summer,label artist Joe Jackson told at-tendees that he unqualifiedly fa-vored the digital audio tapeformat: "The thought of peopleborrowing my records from theirfriends and taping them has nev-er bothered me. My concern isthat as many people as possiblehear the music." Tower Recordspresident Russ Solomon, anotherspeaker at the convention, backedJackson's stand on DAT. Solomonalso noted plans to expand thegiant retail chain into variousnew overseas markets, perhapsincluding Moscow.

FREE TAPE WITH CDSelected CD's on the Pro Arte

and ProJazz labels are beingpackaged with prerecorded cas-settes containing the same music.The CD/tape sets carry a sug-gested list price of $16.98, makingthe cassettes virtually "free." Ac-cording to Intersound, the parentcompany of Pro Arte and Pro -Jazz, the sets enable purchasersto play the recordings in their cardecks or on portable tape ma-chines without having to dub theCD's at home.

"STEAL THIS DISC"Rykodisc has released a low-

priced CD sampler ($6.98 list) of-fering "Everything you've always

4 S FERE() R EV If SEPTEMBER 1987

wanted to hear on Compact Discbut were afraid to buy." Titled"Steal This Disc," the CD offersmore than 70 minutes of music intwenty-one tracks by artists rang-ing from Jimi Hendrix and Ma-havishnu John McLaughlin toRichie Havens, Devo, and GeorgeThorogood to Frank Zappa andDoc and Merle Watson. The un-usually low price was made possi-ble because the participating art-ists and their record companieswaived royalties on sales of thesampler disc.

TECH NOTESThe first speaker system from

high -end turntable manufacturerSota Industries is the Panorama,priced from $1,300 to $1,500 apair depending on finish. Match-ing subwoofers are $1,450 to$1,750 a pair. . . . Extra -outputtechnology in Ohm's new X0speaker line has been applied toall Ohm Walsh systems, increas-ing their rated sensitivity to morethan 90 dB. . . . New CD accesso-ries from Discwasher include re-placement jewel boxes and carry-ing cases that hold five or tenboxed discs.... JVC's Super -VHSfull-size camcorder with hi-fisound should be available in theU.S. this fall. Sharp's S -VHS cam-corder and VCR should also be instores soon.

MUSIC NOTESTelarc recorded Liza Minnelli at

New York's Carnegie Hall duringher recent three-week engage-ment there. . . . When WhitneyHouston's new album, "Whitney,"entered Billboard's album chart atNo. 1 this summer, it became thefirst record by a female artist inpop history to do so. The only oth-er artists to go straight to the tophave been Bruce Springsteen, El-ton John, and Stevie Wonder. . . .

August 31 is the in-store date setfor Michael Jackson's first newalbum since the release of "Thrill-er" almost five years ago. . . .

Club Nouveau's Lean on Me, re-cently certified Gold by the RIAA,was the first Gold single since lastyear's On My Own by Patti LaBelleand Michael McDonald. . . .

Prince is reportedly writing and

producing all the songs for Bon-nie Raitt's new album. . . . Clari-netist David Shifrin, whose Delosrecording of Mozart won a STEREOREVIEW 1986 Record of the YearAward, recently received an AveryFisher Career Grant of $10,000,awarded annually to "talentedyoung instrumentalists on thethreshold of major careers."

HOME VIDEOFrank Zappa has formed a com-

pany called Honker Home Videoto produce his own full-length fea-tures. . . . HBO/Cannon haslaunched a special Classical Per-formances promotion to boostsales of its forty opera, concert,and ballet titles on videocassette,each with a suggested list price of$39.95. . . . The CD Video Groupannounced that more than 250CDV titles will be released laterthis year, mostly containing a sin-gle music video of about 5 min-utes and up to 20 additional min-utes of music. The Philips and DuPont Optical Company is pressingabout fifty titles in Blackburn,England, for PolyGram alone. Pio-neer has installed a CDV master-ing machine in Japan and is alsoready to press the new discs.

ROCK-AND-ROLL ARCHITECTThe internationally respected

architect I. M. Pei has been chos-en to design the Rock and RollHall of Fame and Museum indowntown Cleveland. Architect ofthe acclaimed east wing of the Na-tional Gallery in Washington andthe expanded facilities at theLouvre now under construction inParis, Pei is already working onthe new project, to be completedin three or four years' time.

BEYOND CONVENTIONAL SYSTEM CONTROL

THE ONKYO TX -84 AND RC-AV1-Capable of operating anymanufacturer's audio or video components with asingle remote controlToday's audio/video home entertcinmant systems typically incorporate a variety of audio and video componerts, alloperating with their own separate remote controls.

Introducing.... The ONKYO TX-8L-fie first receiver ever offered with a "Universal" Programmable Remote Cbntrol thatcan operate any wireless remote controlled compo cents from any manufacturer. For total control of the TX -84 andeverything else in your audio/video system, ONKYO introduces the "Unifier"-Universal Frogrammable Remote Control.With the RC-AV1, the functions of nani brands of infrared remotes can be memorized into one master urit, elirrinating interbrand remote incompatability forever. The RC-AV1 can be easily programmed to operate over 100 functions, with functionkeys conveniently grouped in three modes-audio, video, and auxiliary. The RC-AV1"Uniiersal" Remote Control is availablefor sale separately or included as an cption with the TX -84.

Designed for the audio/video eithusiast, the ON<YO TX -84 offers outstanding sonic performance in additicx1to full A/Vcapability. The TX -84 delivers 60 watts of FTC ratec power per channel into 8 ohms with no more than .C4% THD. Featuressuch as low impedance drive capability, discrete output stages, Automatic Precision Reception, and Dynamic Bass Expandermake the TX -84 the equal of any comparable audio -only receiver. Its seven inputs(5 audio, 2 video) offer total syste-n versatility, while the Stereo Image Expander Artistry In Soundand Simulated Stereo can optimize ary video or at.dio soundtrack.

Together, the TX -84 and RC-AVIM can form the F eart of your audio/video ONKYO.system. Audition them today at your ONKYO dealer!

200 Williams Dive, Ramsey, NJ. 07446

Matthew Polk's Magnificent Sounding New SDA 2A

SDA 2A$549.00 ea.

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 Polka magnificent sound-ing new 3rd generation SDA 2A

V- incorporates many new advancespioneered 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 $549. each. Stereo Reviewsaid, "listen at your own risk." Once you hearthem you'll never be satisfied with anythingelse!

Polk's Revolutionary trueStereo 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. leftchannel/left 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 2As, like all the current SDAs,incorporate the latest 3rd generation SDAtechnology developed for Matthew Polk's Sig-nature Edition SRS and SRS -2 including 1: 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 $549 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 \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"Higb 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 $1495. 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 'hueStereo SDA technology are available in 5 SDAmodels priced from $395. to $1495 ea.

"You ou'e it to yourself toaudition them" High Fidelity

The experts agree: Polk speakers soundbetter. Ilse the reader's service card or writeto us for more information. Better yet, visityour nearest Polk dealer today. Your earswill thank you.

polkThe Speaker Specialists ®

5601 Metro Drive, Baltimore, Md. 21215

Where to buy Polk Speakers? For your nearest dealer, see page 122. CIRCLE NO 37 ON READER SERVICE CARD

SPEAKING MY PIECE

by Louise Boundas

Luxuries and Bargains

BACK in the Sixties, I was likea lot of other young peopleworking in New York, thenand now: poor. But I also

had a distinct disadvantage when itcame to balancing my budget. I

worked across the street from whatwas then the city's largest recordstore. Who could go into SamGoody without buying at least onerecord? Not me. And who couldpass the store without going into it?Not me.

That was when you paid about$4.99 for a stereo LP, although youcould do better if you waited forsales and shopped from the cut-outbins. You could also eat lunch forabout a dollar and a half, includingtip. So if you skipped lunch for thenext four days . . . .

Then there was the equipment.Just the basics-a turntable, a re-ceiver or an integrated amplifier,and a pair of speakers-could setyou back over a month's salary aftertaxes. If you were lucky, you alreadyhad the equipment. You'd bought itwith the money you earned duringthe summer while you were still inschool or maybe with graduationchecks. But if, like me, you weremaking about $120 a week and pay-ing $120 a month rent, you had toskip lunch and walk to work for along time if you wanted to replaceyour cartridge or your speakers.

Even a new stylus took some plan-ning. Twenty years ago today, hi-fiwas a luxury.

Things have changed since then.The Bureau of Labor Statistics Con-sumer Price Index for all goods andservices in the U.S. has gone from100 in 1967, the CPI base year, toover 330 in 1987. A tunafish sand-wich and a Coke at the coffee shopdown the block will run you around$5 by the time you've left a tip, anda New York City subway token hasgone from two thin dimes to a dol-lar. You may make $350 a week, butyou're probably paying close to athird of it in rent. Although it ismore expensive to live in New Yorkthan in other cities, people acrossthe country find themselves in com-parable situations.

If you're building a record library,though, you don't have to skiplunch but a couple of times to putaside enough to buy a cassette, anLP, or even a "midline" compactdisc. For, while the total U.S. cost ofliving has more than tripled, thecost of a record album has merelydoubled. And there are still the cut-out bins. So if you can't resist stop-ping into Tower Records or J&R onyour way home, it's not going toaffect your diet quite as much as itused to.

You've got even more of an ad-vantage if you're in the market foraudio equipment. According to theElectronic Industries Association, atthe end of 1986, when the total U.S.Consumer Price Index had risensteadily to 328.4 from that 1967base of 100, the index for soundequipment was only 102.3.

Of course, prices have gone upslightly in 1987 because the value ofthe dollar has declined in interna-tional trade, but you can still get abasic stereo system, even with a CDplayer instead of a turntable, forvery little more than you wouldhave had to pay in 1967. You canexpect better sound from a 1987system, too, and if you do decide ona CD player you won't have to bud-get for a new stylus next year. Youcould use that $30 to buy a couple ofCD's-or three CD's if the priceskeep going down. You don't have toskip nearly as many lunches toreplace your speakers, either.

Today, hi-fi is a bargain.

Stereo ReviewLOUISE BOUNDAS

Editor in ChiefMICHAEL SMOLEN

Executive EditorSUE LLEWELLYN

Art DirectorWILLIAM BURTON, WILLIAM WOLFE

Technical EditorsCHRISTIE BARTER

Music EditorDAVID STEIN

Assistant Managing EditorMARGARET BRUEN

Associate Art DirectorELIZABETH COSTELLO

Assistant EditorBARBARA AIKEN, ROCCO MATTERAWENDY SCHAUB, JOHN WEINBERG

Editorial AssistantsHENRY PLEASANTS

London EditorBRYAN HARRELL

Tokyo CorrespondentWILLIAM LIVINGSTONE

Editor at LargeContributing 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. JohnsonADVERTISING

National Manager: Richard J. Halpern(212) 719-6037

Eastern Manager: Charles L. P. Watson(212) 719-6038

Account Representative: Sharon Dube(212) 719-6915

Assistant to the Publisher: Trisha NickelClassified Advertising: (212) 503-5999Midwestern Managers: Arnold S. Hoffman,

Dirk Barenbrugge, (312) 679-1100Western Director: William J. CurtisRegional 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

MhSTEREO 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. GranataSenior Vice President, Manufacturing & Distribution:

Murray M. Romer

Vice President, Finance, Arthur Sukel; Vice President,Subscription Circulation, Bernard B. Lacy; President,CBS Magazine Marketing. Carl Kopf

8 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

le TELEDYNE ACOUSTIC RESEARCH330 Turnp,ke Street. Cant,- MA 02.7,21

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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 are to the ear.

The front fascias are gracefullyangled, so controls fall readily to hand.Behind a hinged panel, infrequently -usedcontrols are ready when you need 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 outputfor outstanding dynamic headroom. Four -times 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 listening. Now it's nolonger necessary to buy without looking.

/IIACOUSTIC

RESEARCH

We speak from experience.

LETTERS

CopycodeAs a filter -design engineer and stereo-

phile, I feel it is my duty to make theaudio community aware of the impactthat the CBS Records Copycode"notch" filter will have on all recorded

demonstration in London in early May,however, he spoke of a notch 112 Hzwide at the -3 -dB points, which is muchnarrower than the 250 Hz CBS had pre-viously mentioned.

The copy -protection scheme pro-

grand piano sounds different from achild's toy piano? Well, not any more itdoesn't.

ROBERT ROWTONAlbuquerque, NM

I wouldn't buy a receiver with a 5 tomusic. It is obvious that a 250 -Hz slice posed by CBS Records is like "protect- 20,000 Hz +0, -90 dB frequencytaken out of everything the recording ing" the Mona Lisa from thieves by cut- response. I won't buy a notched CD forindustry will produce will be audible,but what is not obvious to most people

ting a hole in the middle of the painting.Moreover, any copy -protection scheme

the same reason. When I first heard thesound of a CD, I thought it was too

is the effect on sounds not removed by that prevents legitimate copying for the good to be true. That may yet prove tothe notch. A law of physics requires an purchaser's personal use is wrong. And be the case.increased time delay of any sounds near preventing the introduction of a new PAUL ZUKASthe notch. Because the character of any technology (DAT, in this case) is not a Niantic, CTsound is a function of all of the many proper function of government. Theharmonics and overtones and their tim-ing, the notch filter proposed for the

proper governmental role in this con-flict is enforcement of the existing copy- ceMid Pn CD'S

Copycode process will even distort right laws against the pirates. Several labels are releasing lines ofsounds that contain no overtones that STEPHEN G. PERKINS "mid -price" CD's, which immediatelywould be removed by the notch! Seattle, WA raises the question: What is it about the

AL KLAPPENBERGER "mid -price" CD's that allows their saleSalisbury, MD On June 2, NBC Nightly News aired a at a lower price? Normally, one assumes

report about Copycoding, including a that a lower price means that the mate -At a recent meeting of the Audio Engi- demonstration of music with and with- rials or manufacturing technology areneering Society. David Stebbings, the out encoding. The difference was clearly lower in cost. If this assumption is cor-director of recording research for CBS audible and musically offensive even rect, then the mid -price CD's must beRecords, told us that the Copycode notch within the limitations of the television inferior in some way to the more expen-would be at 3,838 Hz. When he was medium. Direct from a CD through a sive "standard" CD's.asked what the width of the notch would good audio system, the effect can only FRED KORRbe, Stebbings refused to answer. At a be more noticeable. You know how a Los Angeles, CA

LETTERS

There is absolutely no difference in thematerials or technology used to turn outa mid -price CD as opposed to a full -pricedisc. There is often some difference inthe packaging, however: a cardboard

Fleetwood Mac is a big step down theladder.

THOMAS M. FEASTERFishertown, PA

the needs of my customer; my customerhas not come in to wait on me.

Why is it necessary for the consumer,as Mr. Curtis put it, to "earn myrespect"? Why should you hire a baby

"wallet" may be used instead of a "jewel Steve Simels's review in July of Fleet- sitter just to shop for speakers?box." and the inserted annotation may wood Mac's "Tango in the Night" is Several times Mr. Curtis suggests thatbe minimal. Also, the musical contents right on the money. you remind him to ask you questionsof lower -price CD's are in most cases JOHN SCOTT about your room acoustics and the wayreissued recordings that have already New York, NY you use your system or to check anrecouped their original production costs owner's manual about compatibility.from LP and tape versions. Royalties on Bask Mozart

How does Mr. Curtis earn his money?these older recordings are generally low- Is it really true that the sales team iner too, further reducing costs and allow- Richard Freed is to be complemented his store will give up on you if you haveing the CD version to be sold for less. But on an impossible task for "Mozart: The not made a purchase after the secondthe audio quality will rarely be substand- Basic Repertoire on Compact Disc" in visit? My best long-term relationshipsard; in most cases, recordings reissued July. Mozart is the basic repertoire. have stemmed from numerous no -buyon CD sound better than ever. JAMES P. MANNION visits before a decision was made.

Palo Cedro, CA On the subject of profit margin, Mr.

Fleetwood Mac .

Curtis may have a point. I certainlywould not list if I had to do as

Contrary to the July review by Steve S tng Strategte. spay price

much work as Mr. Curtis requires ofSimels, Fleetwood Mac's "Tango in the Charles Curtis's "Strategies for me. You purchase two things at anyNight" proves that Stevie Nicks's inter- Equipment Shopping" in the May issue retail store: the item you are shoppingests would be best served as a solo art- again reminded me of how far the for and the salesperson's expertise andist. Her songwriting talents have provedto be as good as those of any other

majority of audio retailers need to go inthe area of professionalism. After ten

service. If both meet your expectations,then the profit figures quoted in the arti-

female artist, and she has written most years on the sales floor in both specialty de may not be out of line. If not, thenof Fleetwood Mac's biggest hits. I and so-called "supermarket" audio any price paid will be too high.wasn't impressed with "Tango" in the stores, I've learned that I am in the JOHN RAMSAY

least. For Stevie Nicks, returning to "people" business. I am here to serve Cleveland, OH

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mew ...Po

PERFECT MARRIAGENew SA -X3 is TDK's exclusive SA -X formu ation-the world's quietest tape-technomoniously joined tocether with TDK's mpst sophisticated mechanismever-the RS -II.

Our unique 3 -layer RS -II mechanism is specifically designed to st.ppressthe generation of modulation noise. A prec sion d e -cast alloy frame andmolded tape guide block are sandwiched t etween two transparent precision -molded srell halves made of a special hard plastic, which also incorporate4 precisely machined metal g Jide pins. The IRS -It's rigidity of construction,accuracy of fit and superior thermal resistance assure unerring tape travel,optimum tape -to -head contact and reduced modulation noise. The result isvirtually tree -to -source sound quality.

So whether you choose the outstanding SA-XG,or SA -X., with its new vibration -dampeningDual Layer Mechanism(DLM), 10J can beassured cd one thing -An everlasting high 1E7bias holeymoon-till --"."11"""gowni.--decibels do you part e 90

&TDK THE ART OF PERFORMANCE.4

TOK is the world's leading manufacturer at audio/v deo cassettes and floppydisk products1987 TDK Electronics Corp

C

C SSI IOW STOPE) F4 \-S

mazing components usingnew technologies such asCDV, S -VHS, and DATwere demonstrated at theSummer Consumer Elec-tronics Show in June.Manufacturers also dis-played new models ofmore conventionalcomponents to audio/video dealers at the bigtrade show in Chicago.

Marantz was thefirst to announce aDAT deck for Ameri-ca, the DT84; thecompany began tak-

ing orders in June for fall delivery.Many "prototype" DAT deckswere shown by Sony, Onkyo, and

others. But the analog cassettedeck is still going strong: new high-performance models were shown byAiwa, Teac, Technics, and others.

Compact Disc Video combinesthe audio quality of CD's with thevideo abilities of LaserVision. Aflashy audio/video extravaganzamounted by the CDV Group-alarge association of hardware man-ufacturers and recording compa-nies pledged to the new format-attracted big crowds.

Super -VHS machines from JVC,Sharp, and others can produce bet-ter pictures than standard VHSVCR's, but only when they areloaded with the new S -VHS tape.Blank S -VHS cassettes were shownby Scotch, Maxell, Fuji, and JVC.

Other noteworthy products in-cluded advanced -technology CDplayers from Cambridge Audioand Meitner. And Onkyo's TX-SV7M, a true audio/video receiv-er, can decode MTS televisionbroadcasts as well as receive FMand AM radio.

Neither the noisy conventioncenter nor the cramped demorooms had perfect acoustics, butnew speakers from a/d/s/, Mirage,Robertson, Boston Acoustics,Snell, and others were very im-pressive. For more informationabout these and other new compo-nents, check "New Products" andtest reports in upcoming issues.Then see your local dealer for yourown consumer electronics show.

E3-17- WILLIAM BURTON

IIWith a tweeter and a mid-range driver in the topcabinet and two woofers inthe pedestal, B&W's Con-cept 90 CM2 speakershave a rated system fre-quency response of 48 to20,000 Hz ± 1.5 dB. Bothenclosures use B& W's low -resonance Matrix con-struction. List price is$1,650 a pair.

AlkAltec Lansing's Model55 two-way acoustic -suspension speakerscan be used indoorsor outdoors. Price:$250 a pair.

Polk's first SDA (StereoDimension Array) speakersystem for the car includesfront speakers, rear speak-

ers, and a control box(center) with crossover and

sub -bass drive. SDA tech-nology eliminates interau-ral crosstalk for more pre-

cise imaging and abroader sound stage. In

stores late this year, SDAcar systems will be priced

from $500 to $700.

'Live recordings made with the Ma-rantz DT84 digital audio tape deckmay have broader frequency response-with higher highs-than compactdiscs. Subcodes allow quick access toany selection. The deck is scheduled forU.S. sale in October at a suggestedprice of $1,995.

Aidl\The first solid-state com-pact disc player from Cali-fornia Audio Labs, theCD -3, uses "Wave -shap-ing" digital circuits to re-duce odd -order harmonicsand other distortions forimproved sound at lowsignal levels. The remote -controlled CD -3 is pricedat $995.

JVC's HR-S7000U is the first VCRwith the new Super -VHS picture -im-

provement system. Shifting the bright-ness frequencies up and separating

them from the color signals improvesresolution to over 400 lines. Price is $1,200.

NEC's M-50 mono power amplifieris perfect for surround -sound or sub-

woofer systems that need adjustablecrossover networks. The M -50'shigh and low filters each have fivesettings. The 50 -watt amplifier ispriced at $375.

rnpLess than $2,000 a pair, dbx'sModel 50 speakers are designedfor flat frequency response, 34 to20,000 Hz ± 2.5 dB, and a real-istic sound stage from any listen-ing position.

Special equalizationmodules customizeBlaupunkt's PSAautosound systemfor the acoustics of"almost every car made."The PSA 108 four -channel amp(20 watts per channel) is $169.95;the EQ module (right) is $39.95.

C

Canton's modular autosoundsystem is built on a Mainframebase that holds up to five Can-

ton mono power amplifiers.Each 50 -watt amp can he setfor one of three crossover fre-

quencies. The MF-5 Main-frame is $250. and each M50-

VB amp is $200.

A Soundstream's first home audiocomponents include (top to bottom)the T-1 AM/FM tuner ($450), the C -Ipreamplifier (with universal remotecontrol, $1,250). and the 200 -watt -per -channel DA -1 power amplifier($795).

Completelywireless. Koss'sbattery -poweredJCK/5000Kordlesspeakersystem ($350)receives audiosignals byinfrared light.

iUnwanted vibrations in Aris-ton's Q Deck turntable areconverted into heat by visco-elastic damping material in

the base. The belt -drivesemiautomatic is $260without cartridge.

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 15

Spurred by the approach'of DAT, analog cassette

decks are reaching a pin-nacle of performance.

The three -head TechnicsMS -B905 has Dolby B,Dolby C. and dbx noise

reduction, Dolby HX Proheadroom extension,dual capstans, music

search, repeat, and twooc motors. Suggested re-

tail price is $600.

Flip open the a/d/s/ R4receiver's remote control

(not shown), and youcan choose from up tothirty preset radio sta-

tions, switch foursources, and do much

more. The receiver'slarge LED display shows

the station or source youselected. When not inuse, the receiver's sec-

ondary control panel (atlower left) tilts into the

unit and disappears.Rated at 65 watts per

channel, the R4 is pricedat $1,100.

A Sony's TA-377ESD preamplifier in-cludes a digital -to -analog converterthat can handle digital inputs fromCD players (44.1 -kHz sampling rate),DAT decks (48 kHz), and satellitebroadcasts (32 kHz). It also has threevideo inputs, including S -Video for S-

VHS and ED Beta, and a universalremote control. Price: $1,100.

:WI:1611 .

~AA

44.

Compact discs, CDV's(with 5 -minute music videosand 20 more minutes ofmusic), 8 -inch LaserDiscs,and even 12 -inch Laser -Discs with entire moviescan all be played on Pio-neer's CLD-1010 combina-tion machine. Suggested re-tail price is $800, includingremote control.

0 4 4 4 0

.44 ..44

16 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

Stereo Review is written for people who want to makesmart buying decisions. We'll help you find the rightstereo equipment-the first time you buy-and showyou how to use it the right way. Because sound informa-tion is the key to getting an audio system that gives youwhat you really want.

We test over 70 stereo products in all price rangeseach year. Stereo Review's product evaluations tell youhow the components sound... identify unique features...compare models to others in the same price bracket.We warn you about design quirks, distortion, potentialproblems. We make the components suffer-so youdon't have to.

You'll appreciate our straightforward explanationsof audio technology. Telling you how to get more out ofyour equipment. Announcing important breakthroughs.Clueing you in on professional maintenance tips. Thekind of inexpensive know-how that can make a million -dollar difference in how your system sounds.

Even if you already have the perfect system, you'llvalue Stereo Review's record reviews. An average of 30 amonth, in all categories of music. They'll insure thatyour system's power isn't wasted on inferior recordings.Use this coupon to subscribe to Stereo Review atHALF PRICE. It's one of the best sound investmentsyou'll ever make!

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AUDIO O&A

by Ian G. Masters

European Open -ReelQA friend recently gave me an an-

cient Revox F36 open -reel record-er, and I am hoping to incorporate itinto my system. The power plug is Euro-pean style with round pins and "I0A/250V" marked on it, although there is afive -position voltage selector on the unit.Is there anything I can do to make thismachine usable here?

DAVID T. RIEDELProvidence, RI

AThe presence of a voltage selectormeans that you will probably have

no problem using your recorder on thisside of the ocean: simply set the selectorto 110 volts. The European power sys-tems use a different line frequency -50Hz instead of 60 Hz-but Revox ma-chines incorporated a servo speed con-trol even back then, if memory serves,so our 60 -Hz power should pose noproblems. Also, look at the recorder'sregistration plate on its rear and see if itsays "50 Hz" or "50-60 Hz." If you dofind that the unit runs slow, it should bea relatively simple matter for Revox tofix it, although you will have to send itto one of the company's authorized ser-vice facilities.

As for the plug, the 10A/250V mark-ing simply shows its maximum rating.There are adaptors for such plugs, butthey are very hard to find (most suchadaptors allow you to use Americanequipment overseas, but not the otherway around). Your simplest bet is toremove the plug and replace it with aNorth American one.

DustI recently purchased a new receiv-er, and I am concerned about the

dust that is very evident in my apart-ment. Should I cover the unit with acloth, or am I worrying needlessly?

JIM SINGERSterling Heights, MI

AMost electronic components arerelatively immune to dust, but

they can be unforgiving if allowed tooverheat, so restricting air flow by cov-ering your receiver with a cloth-oranything else-could damage it.

If the dust is extremely severe, how-ever, it may eventually work its wayinto switches and volume controls, al-though this usually takes years. Whenlevel controls begin to make noises asyou turn them, or switches make inter-mittent contact, a shot of contact clean-er will usually fix the problem.

Incomplete ErasureQI recently decided to replace themusic on several of my chrome

tapes, but I found that some of the oldmusic could still be heard during thequiet spots in the new recording. Is myerase head not working properly, or is itthe tape? Or am I doing somethingwrong?

RON HERZIGDarien, IL

AThere could be a fault either in theerase head itself or in the circuitry

that drives it, but before sending yourcassette deck back to the shop to findout, you should investigate a couple ofother possibilities.

For instance, the bias may not havebeen set properly when you made yournew recording. If you use your deck pn-manly for playback, you might not bein the habit of routinely checking thiscontrol, as it has no function in play-back, but during recording, chrome andchrome -equivalent tapes require a high-er bias current than "normal" ferric -oxide tapes in order to erase the tapecompletely (and metal tapes need con-siderably more bias). Try recording a bitof silence over a loud portion of theoffending tape, making sure that thebias is correct. If you can no longer hearthe old recording, you've found thecause of the problem and can rerecordthe new music without interference.

If that doesn't work, it may simply bethat your tape heads or guides needcleaning. Oxide from tape can build upover a period of time, and when thebuildup becomes severe, it can hold atape far enough away from the headsthat erasure is incomplete (this is usual-ly accompanied by a reduction of high

frequencies on playback, but not al-ways). A thorough cleaning of every-thing that the tape touches shouldrestore the erase function.

Replacement TonearmsQA friend somehow broke the tone -

arm on his semi -automatic turnta-ble, and I would like to buy him a newone. Will the replacement arm stillreturn and start up the platter in thesame way as the original?

TYRONE HALLU MSRoanoke, VA

Only if the new arm is an exactreplacement of the broken one. It

is very unlikely, however, that you willbe able simply to go out and buy suchan arm. The whole turntable will proba-bly have to be returned to its manufac-turer, or an authorized service facility,to have the new arm installed, andunless the repair is covered by the unit'swarranty, this will probably cost morethan buying a whole new turntable.

There are, of course, separate tone -arms that could be installed instead, butthese tend to be fairly expensive andwould not perform the automatic func-tions that presumably determined yourfriend's choice of turntable in the firstplace.

Measunng Amplifier PowerQI have been given an amplifier, butthere is no indication of its output

power. I don't want to damage myspeakers by underpowering them. Can Iget a fairly accurate assessment by con-necting an ohm/voltmeter across theoutput terminals?

PAUL FOREMANDarien, IL

A No. Even assuming that you canti set your meter to indicate watts,the only thing you will learn is theactual output power at a particular mo-ment. What you want to know, howev-er, is the maximum power your ampli-fier can consistently produce over aperiod of time without distorting oroverheating. For example, the amplifieryou have fallen heir to is rated by itsmanufacturer for a continuous outputof 73 watts per channel into an 8 -ohmload, both channels driven, from 20 to20,000 Hz, with no more than 0.08 per-cent total harmonic distortion (THD).

To arrive at this figure, you wouldhave to drive a stable 8 -ohm load(speakers present complex loads thatvary with frequency and so would beinappropriate for this purpose) at a levelthat produces 0.08 percent THD-whichmeans you would need some way ofmeasuring distortion. The test would

18 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

MagnificentReception.

THE TX -II a COMBINES CARVER'SREVOLUTIONARY ASYMMETRICAL CHARGECOUPLED FM DETECTION CIRCUITS WITH AN

AM STEREO SECTION CAPABLE OFFM -QUALITY RECEPTION.

The Carver TX -11a Stereo AM -FM Tuner is theroost complete high fidelity broadcast receptioncomponent ever offered. It is a technical tour -de -force which further distances Bob Carver's uniaueproducts from traditional electronic componerts.First, by eliminating forms of FM distortion and inter-ference that even the most expensive tuners availa-ble can't correct. And second, with a uniqueadditional tuning section capable of makingAM stereo sound as good as FM!

THE SILENT TREATMENT. While AM stereon your area, you can

receive F M stereo. Including stations so fraughtwithinterference and distortion that you may be temptedto return to mono AM. That's why the TX -11aincludes the first circuitry to remove hiss, "picketfencing" and the myriad other unpredictable noiseswhich often disturb FM listening. Without reducingstereo imaging, frequency response or dynamicrange.

Part of the FM signal, the left minus right por-tion, is extremely prone to "ghosting,' or multipathinterference caused by hills, buildings and otherobstructions. Bob Carver's Asymmetrical ChargeCoupled circuitry cancels distortion -causing "dirtymirror" images before they can reach your ears. Itfilters out noise and restores the part of the signal

needed by our ears and brain to cons:ruct stereoimaging. Reintroduced into the mono (L+ R) signalmatrix, a net reduction of 93% - or better than 20dBof noise reduction - is achieved. All ambient andlocalizing information is recovered. Only hiss and

distortion are left behind. Or, as High Fidelity maga-zine put it '.. clean, noise -free sound out of weakor multipath-ridden signals that would have youlunging for the mono switch on any other tuner"

Ovation magazine observed that the circuit,''.. may well mean the difference between marginalreception of the station signals you've been yearn-ing to hear and truly noise -free reception of thosesame signals."

Audio magazine called it, 'An FM tunerbreakthrough."

THE FIRST AUDIOPHILE AM STEREOCIRCUITRY. Contrary to popular belief, most AMstereo stations have frequency response (20-15kHz),separation (35dB) and signal-to-noise ratios (70dB)audibly indistinguishable from FM stations of equalstrength. But only Carver offers the technology toappreciate this hidden performance.

CL\RVER PO Box 1237, Lynnwood, WA 98046

At a press conference in front of America's topstereo writers, Bob Carver unveiled a low poweredC-QUAM format AM stereo broadcast transmitterwith a Carver Compact Disc Player as a source. TheCD source and the TX -11a were also routed directlyto a preamplifier and speaKers for comparison.

Wien Bob switched back and forth, most listen-ers had difficulty distinguishing between thestraightwire CD player and the TX-11a's over -the -airAM stereo reception! Many could tell no differenceat all!

HUMAN ENGINEERED FEATURES AND CON-VENIENCE. The TX -11a is designed to make enjoy -

I AM easy, not dazzle you with flashinglight and complex programming. Thirteen presets,wide/narrow band selectbn, automatic/manualscanning as well as Multipath and Noise Reductionbuttons are inset into the burnished anthracite metalface. Full instrumentation including digital display,6 -step signal strength LED's and other monitor func-tions are tastefully recessed, visible but not garish.The result is performance without theatricality,access without complicaton.

CLEAR THE AIR by visiting your nearest Carverdealer. Ask to hear the most expensive tuner theysell. (It probably won't be the Carver TX -11a). Tune amuitipath-ravaged, hiss -filed FM station on it, thenthe same station on the TX -11a Stereo AM -FMTurer. Now press the Carver Multipath and NoiseReduction buttons. You'll hear why High FidelityMagazine called it "By fa- the best tuner wehave tested..."

POWERFULCIRCLE NO 49 ON READER SERVICE CARD

MUSICAL ACCURATE

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KENTUCKY Bardstown M. MusicElevAing Green Poston EleClroniCSCorbin'rms Around TownElizabethtown Replay Florence

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LOUISIANA AlexandroaEre . Baton RougeCar son, & I. q. LafayetteDecd., CB & Custom Car Stereo.Ricky Smith Audio Lake ChadorsClassic Aldo Systems MetricAlterman Audio. Mobile One MonroeSound Center New Iberia VillageSound Center Nen Onions Alterman Redo Rude. Music MadShereport Stereo& Record Cent,'ribodaus Mickeys Music PlusMAINE: Bangor Ratio Cry CanselenHarbor Audio 8 Video LewistonRadoO City S. Portland GreatNorthern Sound CoMARYLAND: Annopons SOacewaysSound Ballimore Carsounds.Stansbury Stereo Center BethesdaAuto Sound Systems Columbia CarStereo Systems Prudence Thelectronic Shop Hagerstown Hunt

Audio Associates langley ParkAudio Associates laud AudioAssociates LuthervIlla GraPerry Hall Stansbury Stereo terRodwille Audio Associates. AutoSound Systems. GrNS Auto Sound& Comm. Salisbury Sound StudioTimonium Carsounds Townson

MASSACHUSETTS:Ear Waldorf Car TenA

USETTS: Ashland Creatrue Car Stereo Auburn LeiserSound Billerica Mackenwe MobileSound Systems Boston NantucketSound. Tweeter. Etc BraintreeNantucket Sound. Tweeter. Etc!trodden Soundtrack AudioBurlington Tweeter. Etc CambridgeTweeter. Etc Chestnut NM Tweeter.Etc Demers Rich's Car Tunes.Tweeter. Etc Gedtwn Tweeter. Etc.Fitchburg The Music ForumFraming/sem Natural Sound.Tweeter. Etc . The Auto Stereo Placeilardwer The MUSIC Forum GnawBeer Long Radio. The Music StoreHyannis Nantucket Sound. Tweeter.Etc. N. Attleboro Audio ConceptsN. Urbino= EtIchie' flute RNorthampton Cork:: I NorwoodNortheast Secur 1. '1 . Peabody Nantucket S, . PittsheidTaylord Sound Saugus 'oar' noSound. Northeast Security & StereoSeekonk Leiser Sound. Tweeter EtcShressbury Leser Sound. RaysCar Service Springfield Long 1.

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h. :K1 Systems Concord CarolinaCar Stereo Conover Audohausof GP Sales Durkin DashboardStereo. V, kers Audo FayethwilleCar Stereo unlimited. SoundSystems Wager° Pro SoundOwensboro AudoVideo Concepts.Sound Systems. Stereo S. ...1FlighPoint Audio Vodeo Con .

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Twos &ngsport M. Trace KnoxvilleCartunes. Lindsay Wat McMinnMIN Lindsay Ward Memphis rnmCar Stereo Save A Lot . Mar.towboat AllAltOrndSlerS NeslwilbThe Car Stereo Shop Lindsay WardTEXAS: Milano Bunk im's SoundSystem Addison Earmark Anode*Soundroom Of So Western MusicArur. Hawk Electronics. SoundIdea AuWln Road Sounds BayCity Car Stereo Center BeaumontBrock Audio Brownwille El ArcaElectronics, Panorama bectromcsBryn Road Sands Clebume AudioComp Electronics Collage StationAudio Video Corpus Christi TapeTown Audio Dallas Amerce?, Corp.The Car Stereo Store. Haw* Elec-tronics Del Rio Western Auto FA&Pass Trenno Musa El Paso CasaSoar do Music Systems. The SoundRoom Electronecs Fort Worth HawkElectronics. Sound Idea GrahamLaytreld Music Houston Auto Entertainment. Custom Car Stereo.Gingers ligature. Home Entertainmed. Sheffield Audio HumbleFngers Furniture Hurd Sound IdeaLake Jackson Car Stereo CenterLaredo Audo Systems. Ramirez TireCenter ooz Stereo & RecordCenter Hr Fidelity 01Lubbock Marshall Stereo & RecordCenter McAllen El Arca. ShoweryStereo Midland Electronics ServiceCenter Nacogdoches Sent MusicOdesse Electronics Service CenterPapa Hall's Pasadena Cooper%Custom Audio. Fingers FurniturePlena Hawo,ElectrormsRichndlanEarmark San Awl* Sound BoxSan Antonio BiornS Aldo Video.Mode Hi Fr San Marcos DiscoseryAudio Video Temple Road SoundsTexarkana Texarkana Audio Center

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Virginia Beech AudonCoonection. Go Ho Auto Audio.Videmante Au. Andre WinchesterSound CityWASHINGTON: Bellevue NorthwestAuto Sound Bellingham SoundAdvice Bremerton Esergreen AuchoEverett Sound Advice FederalWay Sound Adoce Gammon SoundAdoce Kent Northwest AutoSound Lacey Desco ElectronicsLengeirm The Sound Authority

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Sound Mt. Vernon Sound AdviceOlympia Desco ElectronicsPnollup Sound Advice Sae=Carlronics. Northwest AutoSound Tacoma Automotive Sound.Sound Management TukwilaNorthwest Audio Vdeo WenatcheePerformance Auto SoundWEST VIRGINIA Barbour.=The Pod Piper Cherleslon ThePled The PiedPicer Sound !meshrnent Mt. Stereo ladedUnlormted Mt Hope The PiedPon Wheeling Wondmill ElectroWISCONSIN: ApOeUs Acme TV.Sound Wald Eau Claire EMEAudio Systems Fond Du Lac Wis-consin Electronic GlendalePnotoScan 01 Wisconsin GwenBey Sound Worn. Moot, Audio,VideoGoma Said WoodMadison American TV MequonRenner and Halsoos MihnulseeFlannel. and Halsoos. GeneralElectronics Nuns American TVOak Creak American TV OshlteelsThe Exclusnoe Company PeerwAftAmerican TV Racine N's Auto StereoWarm Sound World WisconsinRpids Volosconson ElectronicsWYOMING: Cheyenne EketrancsUnlimited Gillette Murphy Sight& Sound Lames The New MusicBox Rock Senna Fanelli Music &APolotrance

f/h7ALPINE.OD 1987 Alpine Electronics of Americo, 19145 Gramercy Ploce, Torrance, CA 90501, 1.800 -ALPINE.'

BULLETIN NO. 1

HOWALPINE RE -ENGINEEREDTHE CD PLAYER AND TUNERSECTION TO SHARE THE SAMEIN -DASH CHASSIS.

has packaged all theseadvances into the firstCD pick-up small enoughto share an in -dashDIN -sized head unit withan equally advancedFM -AM tuner.

GIVING THE MOSTDISTANT STATIONS APOWERFUL RECEPTION.

It began with thegoal of a car audio sys-tem able to do justiceto the most artfullyrecorded music. It led tothe development of aCompact Disc playersmaller and more ad-vanced than any before.And an FM -AM tuner ofastounding capability. Itresulted in Alpine's newModel 7902.The firsttrue single -chassis all -in -one design available in astandard DIN -size unit.

Throughout the7902, Alpine hasblended the digital engi-neering of CD withstate-of-the-art analogcircuitry to preciselycontrol the musical sig-nal at all stages of itsjourney.A double-oversampling linear -phase digital filter eli-minates the distortionyou hear when digitalsignals are convertedinto analog form.Thefilter suppresses ultra-high frequency signalsbefore their conversionto analog, while thedouble -oversamplingprocess improves theupper -band frequencyresponse. The result?Dramatically reducedharmonic distortion inyour music.

Once the music isconverted to analogform, the signal contin-ues to pass through aButterworth analog filter.This rejects the ultra-sonic noise that ischaracteristic of CDs.

own 3 -beam laser pick-up with a series of otheradvances. Together theydeliver exceptional sonicaccuracy while compen-sating on the road for thebumps and jars that can

1

Sr

Silicon oil dampersalso protect the CDmechanism from vibra-tions and outside shocks.And the entire CDassembly is mounted ona rugged zinc die-cast

vibration rs 'effec beefy apsort*/erk) oil dampers isbi log the

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The Model 7902incorporates a tunersection that's alreadylegendary for its per-formance: Alpine's re-markable T-1011 Tuner'

Three Alpine inno-vations contribute to theT-1011 Tuner's ability to

edralitYer Samerasa aSserntay ensuresMier trackihg yea rough roads

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control circuit reducesthe intermodulationdistortion that candegrade your musicalreception.

Throughout theentire 7902, a uniquecircuit topology calledSTAR (Signal Transit forAccurate Response)keeps critical circuitsseparated to avoid inter-ference. Moreover, STARtakes advantage ofcomputer -aided designto engineer the shortestroutes for signals totravel. The result isexceptionally clear repro-duction with greaterdynamic range and atruly linear musicaloutput.

Making the 7902all the more unique is ashielded, pulse -width -modulated power supplydesigned with dual cir-cuitry-two discretepower blocks that elimi-nate high -frequency sig-nal interference. This re-thinking and redesign ofevery aspect of circuitryresults in improvedclarity and definition,and contributes to theexceptional musicalityof the 7902.

A CLOSER LOOK AT TH ALPINE 7902 CD PLAYER/FM-AM TUNER.

ABSORBING THESHOCKS OF THE ROAD

WITHOUT LEAVINGTHE TRACK.

The mechanics ofthe 7902's CD sectionare no less innovativethan its electronics.Alpine has combined its

cause a lesser CD playerto mistrack.

A specially de-signed gear system forthe laser drive preventsbacklash-the loose-ness that degradestracking accuracy. The7902 uses unusual two -layered gears, with aspring placed betweenthem to maintain tension.So the drive operateswith absolute precision.

chassis that's able to ab-sorb shock and vibrationbetter than a commonpressed steel or alumi-num die-cast chassis.

Alpine's 3 -beamlaser pick-up uses a dif-fraction grating to splitthe laser light into a mainbeam and two "sub -beams'? Constant com-parison of the twosub -beams instantlycorrects the main beam'salignment, keeping itright on track. Remark-ably, Alpine engineering

0 1987 Alpine Electronics of Americo, 19145 Gramercy Place, Torrance, CA 90501, I-800-AI PINE

make the mos: of yourfavorite radio stations.A double balancedmixer removes signalsaturation from strongFM broadcasts beforeit reaches the tuningstage, so headroom isincreased. Selecteddual -gate MOSFETSreduce the noise levelin the receiver And adouble automatic gain

rRwr ..

CIRCLE NO. 9 ON READER SE VICE CARD

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Mr Ctit r10 ittOr

0riiosei.

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Ailein4a 141.4 (dkiiii)

High cut, blend and soft -mutecircuits work together to maximizereception of weak FM stations. andnimrze static noise.

It all adds up to atuner with superb clarityand definition. In anincredibly small packagethat, combined withAlpine's equally compactnew CD section, makesthe model 7902 a firstfor Alpine. And a firstfor the mobile audioindustry.

To see and hearAlpine's new 7902 CDPlayer/FM-AM Tuner,visit your local Alpineautosound specialist.

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AUDIO Q&A

have to be repeated at enough discretefrequencies to insure that the amplifierprovides at least this level of perform-ance across the frequency spectrum,which means that you would require atunable frequency generator, and eachof these measurements would have togo on long enough to insure that theamplifier can produce this power levelover an extended period of time ratherthan momentarily. Any amplifier canput out more than its rated power forshort spurts, but the important meas-urement is its continuous output capa-bility.

All in all, a very complicated andtime-consuming procedure. You wouldbe far better off simply to write themanufacturer and ask for the specifica-tions (as I did!). While you are at it,request a copy of the owner's manual,which will not only list the specs butwill also give you operating and mainte-nance instructions.

Hi-Fi Video DubbingQI am about to purchase a VCR with

VHS Hi-Fi sound, and I would liketo copy tapes from it to my existing(non -hi-fi) machine, and vice versa. Willthe copies be in hi-fi, or do I need twomachines with the feature?

CHAR STANLEYPrinceton, MN

With hi-fi VCR's, both the video.31 and hi-fi audio are recorded heli-cally on what used to be the video -onlyportion of the tape, but they are twoseparate signals. To copy both these sig-nals requires two machines with theextra audio capability. Dubbing from ahi-fi VCR to a non -hi-fi VCR, youwould lose the hi-fi audio track andrecord only the standard longitudinalaudio track included on all videocas-settes, hi-fi or otherwise, because themachine you're recording on cannotpick up the hi-fi signals. Trying it theother way around, using the older VCRfor playback, you would still get onlythe non -hi-fi audio track in the dub,because the hi-fi VCR would not bereceiving a hi-fi signal from thesource.

Airline SoundCould you describe the sound sys-tems installed in airliners? They

certainly are not audiophile quality, Irealize, but how do they work?

BRUCE A. HIGHLANDAvondale, AZ

Whether we realized it or not, mostof us were introduced to digital

sound in the air. One of the main goalsof aircraft designers is to reduce weight,

and while an audio distribution systemcould have been devised using individ-ual wires to carry signals to each passen-ger, providing a dozen channels to threehundred or more seats in a wide -bodyjet would require miles of wire. Toavoid this, digital multiplexing is used.

A multichannel tape deck feeds ananalog -to -digital converter that sampleseach signal in turn and sends the com-posite signal to each seat by a single setof wires. A small digital analyzer at eachpassenger location selects only the por-tion of the multiplexed signal that isdesired-if you choose Channel 1, forinstance, only the first, thirteenth, twen-ty-fifth (and so forth) slices of the over-all signal would be accepted and reas-sembled into a single bit stream. This isprocessed by a digital -to -analog con-verter at your set and fed to a transduc-er in the armrest, which in turn is cou-pled to your ears by a pair of hollowtubes.

The fidelity of this system is relativelylow because a lot of information mustbe distributed and sampling rates mustbe kept within reason. The necessarytradeoff between quality and selectionwas decided in favor of a wide choice ofmaterial.

Record CrackleQEvery time I play certain records, I

get an irritating sound that resem-bles static, and the noise gets worse asthe signal level increases. This doesn'toccur with newer records or even with allof my older ones. Nor did it seem to hap-pen with my old cartridge, which Irecently replaced with a better model.What can I do to correct the problem?

LAWRENCE TROSTDuluth, MN

From the sound of it, you are expe-riencing the effects of past car-

tridge mistracking. If the stylus is al-lowed to rattle around in a recordgroove, it not only causes a particularlyirritating sort of distortion-especiallyduring highly modulated passages-butit tends to break off bits of vinyl in theprocess. The damage is permanent, andit usually becomes worse with subse-quent playings. The cumulative natureof this damage may be why you onlyhear it on older records, and probablymostly on the ones that have beenplayed most often.

It is possible that your old cartridgedid not reproduce the distortion as dra-matically because it had poorer high -frequency response (much of the dam-age caused in this fashion is at the upperend of the spectrum) or because theshape of your new stylus is more sensi-tive to the specific physical damagecaused by the old one. El

22 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 19871 ht. -111%1,k \

1. a

RealityRealized.

SONIC HOLOGRAPHY TRANSFORMS EXCITINGNEW PROGAM SOURCES AS WELL AS

FAMILIAR OLD ONES INTO TRULY LIFELIKEMUSIC EXPERIENCES.

Watch a movie on a 13" black and white TV.Now see it in 70 millimeter Technicolor with Sur-round Sound.

Listen to your favorite musicians on a portableradio. Now sit three rows back from the stage at alive concert.

The difference is dimension: Width, depth,breadth and detail that turn flat sensory input intobreathtaking reality. They're the missing ingredientsof live musical performance that Sonic Holographyrestores to records, compact discs and even hi-fimovie soundtracks.

The most experienced and knowledgeableexperts in the audio industry have concurred. JulianHirsch wrote in Stereo Review "The effect strainscredibility - had I not experienced it, I probablywould not believe it"

High Fidelity magazine noted that .. it seems toopen a curtain and reveal a deployment of musicalforces extending behind, between and beyondthe speakers." According to another reviewer, "Itbrings the listener substantially closer to thatelusive sonic illusion of being in the presenceof a live performance."

All this with your existing speakers and musiccollection.

HOW SONIC HOLOGRAPHY WORKS. Unfor-tunately, conventional stereo cannot isolate the out-put of left and right speakers and send their outputonly to your left and right ears. Left and right ver-sions of a sound occurrence also cross in the mid-dle of your listening room, confusing your ears withadditional extra sound arrivals a split second apartStereo imaging and separation suffer because bothspeakers are heard by both ears, confusing yourspatial perception.

The Sonic Hologram Generator in the Carver4000t Preamplifier, C-1 Preamplifier and CarverReceiver 2000 solve this muddling of sound arrivals

by creating a third set of sound arrivals. Thesespecial impulses cancel the objectionable secondsound arrival, leaving only the original sound fromeach loudspeaker.

The result is a vast sound field extending not onlywider than your speakers, but higher than yourspeakers as well. Sounds will occasionally evenseem to come from behind you! It is as if a densefog has lifted and you suddenly find yourself in themidst of the musical experience. Or, as the SeniorEditor of a major electronics magazine put it, "Whenthe lights were turned out, we could almost havesworn we were in the presence of a live orchestra."

IMAGIIE THE POSSIBILITIES. Thanks to VHSand Beta Hi-Fi stereo soundtracks (found even onrental tapes 1, and the increasing number of stereoTV broadcasts, Sonic Holography can put you insidethe video experience, too.

It's a breathtaking experience. Without the needfor additional rear speakers, extra amplifiers ordecoders, the visual experience is psychoacousti-cally expanded by lifelike sound that envelops you,transformirg stereo from monochromatic flatnessinto vibrant three-dimensional reality. Instead ofbeing at arm's length from the action, you areimmersed i a it.

Then the -e are the familiar audio sources whichCarver innovation has further improved upon, eachof which gains character andheightened impactIthroughSonic Holography.

VER. PO. Box 1237, Lynnwood. WA98046CAR

Compact discs, whose potential is still trapped inthe twoAimensionality of conventional stereo, areeven more lifelike with Sonic Holography.

Thanks to the Carver Asymmetrical Charge -Coupled FM Petector, FM stereo broadcasts can bereceived hiss- and iterfere-ice-free, ready to take onan astonishing presence and dimension throughSonic Holography.

Even AM stereo can actually become a three-dimensional phenomenon with Sonic Holographyand the new Carve- TX -11a AM/FM tuner whichdelivers AM stereo broadcasts with the samedynamics and fidel,ty as FM.

ENHANCE YOUR SPATIAL AWARENESSWITH CARVER COMPONENTS. When consider-ing the purchas-_, a new preamplifier or receiver,remember how much more you get from the Carver4000t, C-1 and Receiver 2000. Or add Sonic Holog-raphy to your existing system with the C-9add-on unit

Each can transcend the limits of your listening(and viewing) experiences by adding the breath-taking, spine -tingling excitement that comes frombeing transported directly nto the midst of audio -video reality.

Visit your nearest Carver dealer soon and expandyour range of experiences with Sonic Holography.

fie"els ei 0 S

POWERFULCIRCLE NO. 49 ON READER SERVICE CARD

MUSICAL ACCURATE

evolution)istributed in Canada by. technology

TECHNICAL TALK

by f ulian Hirsch

Clearing the Cobwebs

No, the laboratory is notovergrown with cobwebs,but I have received sev-eral letters indicating

some readers don't understandsome of the terms and conceptsused in our test reports. I would liketo clear up some of these communi-cation gaps at this time-a symboliccobweb removal, if you will.

One correspondent wonders whyit is that the frequency response oftape decks is often measured andrated above 20,000 Hz, but this isnever done in connection with CDplayers. One good reason is thatconsiderable design effort goes intoeach CD player to insure that itsresponse does not extend past20,000 Hz! In the process of decod-ing the recorded signal from digitalto analog form, a spurious, frequen-cy -inverted equivalent of the pro-gram is created that extends upwardfrom about 22,050 Hz (half the44.1 -kHz sampling frequency of theCD format). If these spurious sig-nals were allowed to mix freely withthe decoded original program, a

process called "imaging," the play-back would be very distorted andgarbled.

A low-pass anti -imaging filter isused to remove these spurious sig-nals from the decoded program be-fore it leaves the CD player. It is notpractical simply to cut off the fre-quencies above 22,050 Hz, leavingthe lower ones intact. Real -worldfilters have a finite slope (the rate atwhich unwanted frequencies are at-tenuated), and the cutoff frequencymust be chosen so that the neces-sary attenuation is obtained at thecritical frequency (22,050 Hz) with-out losing any of the main programcontent below 20,000 Hz. Althoughfilters can be made with extremelysteep cutoff slopes, their operationcan introduce large phase shiftswithin the range of the programitself.

Recognizing that there is nomeaningful musical content above20,000 Hz, the designers of the CDformat established its maximumfrequency as 20,000 Hz. The rate ofattenuation above that frequency isnot considered germane to a con-sumer product specification. A fewtest CD's have signals up to 22,050Hz, the ultimate theoretical limit.Since no one specifies the playerresponse above 20,000 Hz, there islittle point in measuring it. Thereare small, but measurable, differ-ences between players in their re-sponse up to that frequency, but thesignificance of these differences is asdebatable as how many angels candance on the head of a pin (which iseven trickier to measure).

One of the most widely used andmost misunderstood terms in theaudio world is the decibel (abbre-viated dB). Lay readers can take

Tested This Month

Onkyo DX -530 CD PlayerBoston Acoustics T830

Speaker SystemKenwood KA-3300D

Integrated Amplerdbx DX5 CD PlayerCelestion SL700

Speaker System

some consolation in the fact thatmany engineers and technicians areequally confused on this matter!The basic unit is the be!, which wasoriginally developed for use in tele-phone systems and was named afterthe telephone's inventor, AlexanderGraham Bell, but it is generallymore convenient to use one -tenth ofa bel, or a decibel.

Fundamentally, the decibel is anexpression of the ratio between twopower levels. By extension, it isoften applied to voltage ratios aswell. Numerically, a figure in deci-bels is ten times the logarithm (base10) of the power ratio. If you arerusty on logarithms, just rememberthat the log of 10 is 1, which meansthat a power ratio of 10:1 corre-sponds to 10 dB. Since the log of100 is 2, a hundredfold power in-crease can be expressed in a muchmore convenient way as 20 dB, andso forth.

Since the decibel represents a ra-tio, its use requires a reference level.In the preceding examples, a power

watts, orfrom .01 watt to 1 watt, would bedescribed as a 10 -dB increase. If thechange is in the opposite direction,a reduction instead of an increase,the number of decibels is the samebut is preceded by a minus sign. Ifthe variable is voltage instead ofpower, the logarithm is multipliedby 20 instead of 10.

I am not going to present a coursein logarithms and decibel notationhere, but I would like to point outthat comparing two widely differingpower levels is much more conven-ient in decibels. Consider the noiselevel in the output of a typical CDplayer, say -90 dB. This figure rep-resents a power range of one billionto one or a voltage ratio of 31,600 toone. The convenience of decibel no-tation in this case is obvious.

Sometimes the reference level isunstated or implicit. The most fa-miliar example of this is in the fieldof acoustics, where a 0 -dB sound -pressure level (sm..) corresponds toan acoustic pressure of 0.0002 dynesper square centimeter. It is vastlymore convenient to deal withsound -pressure or power levels di-rectly, and generally the referencelevel is understood but not stated.We can simply refer to the sound -

24 STEREO REVIEW SFFIEMBER 1987 L II Nis Nolui No umI mi NomNEa

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348979. Tina Turner -Break Every Rule (Capitol)

352633. Dolly Parton/Linda Ronstadt/EmmylouHarris-TriolWorner Bros.)

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

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

324822. Ravel: Bolero;La Volse; RhopsodieEspognole-Moozel, cond.Dgeal-CBS Masterworks)

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349324. South Pacific.K. Te Koncrwo, J Carreras,etc. ID end-CBS(346643. Andreas Vollen-weider -Down To TheMoon. (CBS)

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290916. The Best OfEarth, Wind & Fire,Vol I (Columba/Arc)

343715. Vivaldi: FourSeasons -Moozel cond.)Digitci-CBS Masterworks)

.19

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287003. Eagles GreatestHits 1971-1975 (Asylum)

347492. Glenn MillerOrchestra -In The DigitalMood. (Digitcd-GRR)

319541. Elton John -293597 Led Zeppelin-.Houses Of The Holy.

Greatest Hits. (MCA) (Atlantic)342105. Bangles- 350736. Rolling Stones -Different Light (Columbia) Rewind. (Rolling Stones356279. Gloria Estefan Records)And Miami Sound Machine 138586. Bob Dylan's-Let It Loose. (Epic) Greatest Hits (Columbia)

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If you wish to receive the Selection of theMonth, you need do nothing -it will beshipped automatically. If you prefer an alter-nate selection, or none at all, till in theresponse cord 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

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342097 BarbraStreisand-TheBroadway Album.IColumbal

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219477 Simon &Garfunkel's GreatestHits. (Columbia)

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The CDs you order during yourmembership will be billed at regular Cubprices, which currently are $1498 to$1598 -plus shipping and handling, andsoles tax where apOicable. (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 our money -saving bonusplan. It lets you bJy one CD at half price foreach CD you buy al regular Club prices.10 -Day Free Trial: Well 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 $695It's a chance to get a fourth selection at asuper low pricel

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CBS C011 PCT DISC CII B: TiTre Haute, IN 47811 3SY/C3 j

TECHNICAL TALK

pressure level from a loudspeaker as87 dB instead of 4.47 dynes persquare centimeter.

Decibel notation also makes iteasier to appreciate that increasingthe sound level by, say, 40 dB-thatis, from a moderately loud home lis-tening level (80 dB) to a rock -con-cert level (120 dB)-requires a ten -thousandfold increase in powerfrom the amplifier! It is generallyconsidered that an acoustic leveldifference of 1 dB is barely detecta-ble, and under many conditions a 3 -dB change would be the least per-ceptible sound -level difference.Subjectively, a 10 -dB change is per-ceived as doubling (or halving) thesound volume.

Finally, we come to the very dif-ferent matter of quartz -synthesistuners. What does this feature meanto you as a user? As you know, anonsynthesizing tuner is set to thestation frequency by turning a knobuntil a meter or light indicates cor-rect tuning, or until the backgroundnoise and program distortion areminimized. Some tuning indicatorsare accurate, but many are not, so a

correct tuning indication may beobtained with a slightly mistunedreceiver. The actual tuning is doneby changing the frequency of aninternal oscillator, which is contin-uously (smoothly) adjustable by thetuning knob.

A frequency synthesizer generatesthe same range of local -oscillatorfrequencies required in an analog -tuned receiver (normally, fromabout 99 to 119 MHz), which con-verts the 88- to 108 -MHz FM bandto the receiver's intermediate fre-quency (IF) of 10.7 MHz. The accu-racy and stability of the IF frequen-cy, however, is determined by ahighly stable quartz -crystal oscilla-tor, to which a variable oscillator is"locked" in the widely used phase -locked -loop (PLO system. This lock-ing action takes place at discrete fre-quencies, typically at intervals of100 or 200 kHz for FM reception.

When such a tuner scans the FMband, its synthesized frequency isactually changing in increments of100 or 200 kHz, corresponding tothe standard spacing between FMbroadcasting channels. Some tuner

CHECKROOM

manufacturers imply that the tuneractually locks to the frequency ofthe received station, but that is notthe case, although in stereo recep-tion a PLL oscillator in the tuner'smultiplex decorder does lock to thetransmitted 19 -kHz pilot carrier.The accuracy of the tuner's crystalreference oscillator is comparable tothat of the broadcast station itself,however, and the two should agreeto within a few kilohertz.

On the face of it, the frequency -synthesis system seems ideal, and inmany ways it is, but it is only onepart of the reception system. Re-member, the synthesized local -oscillator frequency converts thesignal to the tuner's 10.7 -MHz in-termediate frequency,. where it isamplified and finally detected andits modulation converted to audiosignals. If the IF section, includingits FM detector, are not tuned exact-ly to 10.7 MHz, or if its selective fil-ters are not centered on 10.7 MHzor have an asymmetrical band-passresponse, the tuner will effectivelyhave a fixed tuning error on everystation it recieves. And even if youhave incredible hearing acuity, or adistortion analyzer, very few syn-thesizing tuners allow you to changethe tuning by the small amountneeded to correct for this error.

This possibility is why we oftencomment in test reports on the tun-ing errors of FM tuners and receiv-ers. Sometimes by slightly shiftingthe frequency of our signal genera-tor, we can substantially reduce themeasured distortion in the tuner'soutput or improve its usable -sensi-tivity measurement. We make men-tion of this fact, and the amount ofthe error (generally 20 to 40 kHz),but since there is nothing a user cando about it, we make our actualmeasurements with the generator(itself a highly accurate synthesizedsource) set to the same indicatedfrequency as the tuner. Fortunately,the effects of these tuning errors arealmost never audible. They usuallyrepresent a slight economy on thepart of the tuner's manufacturer;tuning accuracy can be trimmedvery closely in manufacture, but fewcompanies do so.

Well, so much for those cobwebs.Undoubtedly, more will appearwith the passage of time.

26 STEREo REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

Cantos. sounces significantengineering advances in the scienceof music reproduction.

Motion Feedback:All loudspeaker systems have

an inherent problem. A driver'sdiaphragm is burdened by massand reacts to sound impulses with

of inertia. A timedelay exists between the instan-taneous sonic impulse and theacceleration and decelerationof the diaphragm. This delaytranslates into coloration of thesource material.

Canton's new CA series, inaddition to their advanced pow-er amplifiers, are equipped witha built-in electronic signal correc-tion system which monitors eachspeaker diaphragm, checkingwhether its motion correspondsexactly with the impulses ofthe musical signal at all times.Instantly-within a fraction of aA "sound burst"(upper curve) asseen on the oscillo-scope: fast attack andequally rapid decay ofsonic impulses. Here's

what an uncorrectedspeaker makes of thesignal (center curve):there are distinctdiscrepancies on bothincursion and excur-sion. And here's howthe Canton system cor-rects diaphragm mo-tion Hower curve): tothe exact image of theoriginal sound burst.in all but infinitesimal"afterflash:"

Enlarged detail fromcente of photo: therigid iluninum ringwith cbliquely posi-Ilene.' permanent mag-nets. n Ir ont of it, thesemiconductor sensorwhich is linked via asuppertirg plate withthe diaphragm andmove: to and fromwith k.

m Ilisecond-any discrepanciesare registered, fed back and cor-rected via counteraction of thebuilt-in power amplifiers.

Canton employs a number ofnew patented processes for drivercorrection. In the woofer illus-trated here, the "Hall Effect" isused. A semiconductor elementserving as sensor cuts across thefield of a fixed magnet. This cre-ates an electrical voltage relatedtc depth of insertion. nversely,this "Hall Voltage" is an indica-tor for the position of -he sensor,e.g. the diaphragm. By compar-ing this actual value with the tar-get value of the musical signal,the control circuitry acquires theimpulse needed for any amplifiercounteraction. The diaphragm isaccelerated or braked accordingly.

The top-ol-the lineCA 30 active speakeris a 4 -way systempowered by 7 internalamplifiers lone foreach driver). Thewoofers are poweredby 4x120 Walt ampli-tiers, the midrangesby 2x100 Watt ampli-fiers and the titaniumtweeter by 1x100 Wallamplifier. A total of780 Watts per CA 30speaker.

In addition, problemsnormally associatedwith passive cross-over networks arenon-existent due toCanton's advancedMOS-FET electroniccrossovers.

Each amplifier ismeticulously finetuned to achieveoptimal perfor-mance with itsassociated, com-panion driver.

With these high standards, allcomponents-not just the signalcorrection circuitry-incorporatethe most sophisticated technicaladvances. The entire systemreflects the design approachcustomary in industrial electron-ics like using thick film moduleswith SMD's (Surface MountedDevices), bus interface connec-tions, and plug-in card technol-ogy for high reliability and per-formance capability.

Connecting and con-trol elements on rearpanel of a CA seriesactive speaker. Eachfrequency range canbe Independentlyboosted or attenuatedto compensate forlistening roomidlosyncracies.

TOM

since active speak- I Find out more about the entire Canton producters incorporate their line by visit ng an Authorized Canton Dealer andown built-in power .

picking up Canton's 1986/1987 40 -page Loud -amplifiers. all that'sneeded to drive them speaker Journal.is a pre -amp like thenew EC -P1 troll Can-ton (pictured zbove)

Advanced Technologyfrom

GiNramHigh Fidelity Mode m W Germany,

Canton Norti America, Inc. North Minneapolis, MN 55401CIRCLE NO. 33 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Telephone 1612) 333-1150

Not Evolutionary,

Pioneer's Revolutionary C -90/M-90Elite High -Fidelity Components.Audiophiles, take note: The preamp and ampli-fier you've been waiting for are finally here.

Introducing the Pioneer Elite Hi -Pi C-90Preamp and M-90 Power Amplifier. Together,they combine the finest in both audio andvideo to retrieve every detail and nuance foundin your cherished records, tapes, compact discs,LaserVision" discs and other software. Imaginea soundstage spread throughout your entirelistening room! Stunning, transparent, three-dimensional music, the likes of which you'venever heard, apart from a live performance.

We paid fantastic attention to detail to gainthis level of musical truth. One example: theC-90 volume control is a motorized, high pre-cision rotary potentiometer. This permittedus to create the world's first high -end preampwith a no -compromise hand-beld"SR"'remote -control unit.

The C-90 features three separate powertransformers-two to power left and rightaudio channels for vanishingly low crosstalk,and a third transformer to crive the preamp'sunique video capabilities, relays, display andmicroprocessor. All switching functions areaccomplished by electronic relays. Thus thesignal paths are as short as possible, improvingsignal-to-noise ratio and channel separation.Anti -vibration measures taken to further theC -90's sonic excellence include a solid alumi-num volume control knob, polycarbonatechassis feet, and rubber -cradled PC boards.Soft copper -plated screws insure a snug fitof chassis, transformers, transistors, and helpto dampen vibration.

The C-90Preamp readies youfor the video revo-lution, with six videoinputs, a built-in

video enhancer; and two -buss switching(separate" Record" and "View" selectors). TheC -90's unique system remote -control unitfeatures volume adjustment, input sourceselection, and control of audio and videoinput devices such as Pioneer's"SICcompat-ible VCRs, CDs, LaserVision players andcassette decks.'

The M-90 is a superb high -power stereoamplifier, utilizing dual -mono construction.It is conservatively rated at 200 W/CH into8 ohms' and delivers 800 W/CH of dynamicpower at 2 ohms: The wide dynamic range ofdigital sources can now be reproduced effort-lessly, with any loudspeakers. The M -90's highcurrent capacity of 47 amps can handle thechallenge of the most complex speaker loads.To further enhance S/N ratio and channelseparation, relay -operated electronic switchesand a long shaft volume control keep the lengthof signal paths down to a minimum. Why in-clude a high quality volume control on a poweramp? Simple. To pursue the straight -wire -with -gain philosophy when using a CD playerconnected directly. Pure sound, redefined.

The exquisite finish of the M-90 and C-90reflects their quality. Elegant rosewood sidepanels and front panels with a deep hand-brushed lacquer finish emphasize the care Ofcraftsmanship we've lavished on these twocomponents. The Pioneer C-90 Preamp andM-90 Power Amp. Evolutionary? Hardly.Revolutionary? Most definitely.

For your nearest Pioneer Elite Hi-Fidealer, phone 1-800-421-1404.

©1986 Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc., Long Beach, CA 'Based on I 7C rules regarding measurement of amplifier power ratings.=Measured by EIA method.

CIRCLE NO. 8 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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TEST REPORTS

ONKYO DX -530COMPACT DISC PLAYERJulian Hirsch, Hirsch -Houck Laboratories

0 NKYO was one of the firstaudio manufacturers toapply optical data trans-mission techniques to a

CD player. The aim was to isolatethe player's analog circuits from itsdigital circuits, thereby preventingstray digital pulses from minglingwith the playback signal. The high-speed pulses that form a digitallyencoded signal are difficult to con-fine to a limited area and are easilycoupled into other portions of thecircuitry through stray capacitanceand common ground paths. On-kyo's engineers felt that this effectneedlessly increases the noise levelin the analog audio outputs of a CDplayer.

Their solution was to isolate thesensitive analog and digital circuitsphysically and to transmit the signalthrough critical areas with light

beams. Optical transmission is es-sentially free of undesired cross -coupling effects, and the optical ca-bles can easily accommodate verywide signal bandwidths (includingthose used for television programsand multiple telephone channels).

The DX -530 is the latest OnkyoCD player to employ °plc. -Cou-pling. According to the manufactur-er, the player uses Opto-Couplingmodules for the two most importantsignals and photo -isolators for fiveothers. The DX -530 also has doubleoversampling and digital filtering.The disc -playing mechanism, whichis isolated on four rubber -dampedspring supports, has a three -spot las-er pickup.

In addition to the usual controlfunctions, including fast search withaudible sound and track -stepping,the DX -530 provides direct access

to any numbered track through afront -panel keypad. Its programmemory can store a playing se-quence of up to twenty tracks, andan entire disc or any selected por-tion can be repeated indefinitely.

The DX -530 also has a "shuffleplay" mode, which plays all thetracks on a disc in random order. Atimer switch permits playback, ineither normal or shuffled sequence,to be initiated by an external timer.A small knob on the panel adjuststhe volume from the adjacent head-phone jack and the rear variable -level outputs; a second set of rearoutput jacks carries a fixed -level sig-nal. There is also a pair of digitaloutput jacks on the rear.

The display window of the OnkyoDX -530 is excepticnally informa-tive and easy to read. When a disc isfirst loaded, it shows the total num-ber of tracks and total playing timeof the disc. While it is playing, thedisplay shows the ctrrent track andindex number (if any) and theelapsed time on the track. A buttonchanges the display to show theremaining time on the track and

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 31

TEST REPORTS

disc. A grid displays the numbers ofthe tracks on the disc (up to No. 20)in the order in which they will beplayed, whether in normal, pro-grammed, or shuffle -play mode.

The maximum number of pro-grammed selections is twenty, buthigher -numbered tracks can be in-cluded in the program (they appearon the display as a short dashinstead of a number). Additionaltracks can be added to a full twenty -track memorized program, withoutinterrupting playback, as earliertracks are played and their spacesbecome vacant.

A moment after pressing the shuf-fle -play button, the display grid fillswith the sequence of track numbersthe machine has randomly selected,and playback begins automatically.As the disc is played, the currenttrack and index numbers are shownin their normal place in the window,with the next track at the upper leftcorner of the memory grid. Thearray of numbers advances eachtime a new track is started.

The is supplied with awireless remote control that dupli-cates all its front -panel controls ex-

cept for the disc drawer and power.It even has volume buttons for thevariable line/headphone outputcontrol (the knob is motor drivenwhen operated remotely). Theplayer measures 171/s inches wide.141/4 inches deep, and 3518 incheshigh, and it weighs 12 pounds, 5ounces. Price: $600. Onkyo, Dept.SR, 200 Williams Dr., Ramsey, NJ07446.

Lab TestsThe audio output of the Onkyo

DX -530, from a 0 -dB recorded lev-el, was 2.08 volts into an EIA stan-dard load, with a channel imbalanceof about 0.13 dB. The maximumlevel of the variable output wasidentical to the fixed output. Theplayer's response with a recordedsquare -wave test signal had the ring-ing symmetry typical of digital fil-ters, and the interchannel phaseshift was 35 degrees at 20,000 Hz,indicating the use of a single multi-plexed digital -to -analog (D/A) con-verter in addition to the double-oversampling technique.

The frequency response of theDX -530 measured ±0.1 dB from 20

FEATURES

Optical coupling between digitaland analog circuits

Spring -mounted mechanism forreduced vibration sensitivity

Three -spot laser tracking system Double oversampling with digital

filtering Fixed- and variable -level analog

line outputs Digital audio output in rear Direct track access by keypad Index selection by pushbutton Programming for up to twenty

tracks in any order; programsequence can be edited afterselection

Shuffle play for randomsequence of all tracks on disc

Fluorescent display of completeoperating status of player

Track stepping in eitherdirection

Fast search in either directionwith audible sound

Front -panel headphone jack withvolume control

Full -function wireless remotecontrol

LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS

Maximum output level: 2.08 voltsTotal harmonic distortion at

1,000 Hz: 0.004% referred to 0dB, 0.0018% referred to -10dB, 0.009% referred to -20 dB

Signal-to-noise ratio (A -weighted):96.5 dB

Dynamic range: 101.5 dBChannel separation: 90 dB at

1,000 Hz, 78 dB at 10,000 Hz,77 dB at 20,000 Hz

Frequency response: +0.15,-0.25 dB from 20 to 20,000 Hz

Cueing time: 3.5 secondsCueing accuracy: AImpact resistance: top, B; sides, BDefect tracking: tracked all

maximum -level defects onPhilips TS5A test disc

to 15,000 Hz. From 20 to 20,000Hz, the output variation was +0.15,-0.25 dB. The total harmonic dis-tortion (THD) was 0.004 percent at 0dB, 0.0018 percent at -10 dB, and0.009 percent at -20 dB. The A -weighted signal-to-noise ratio was96.5 dB, and the dynamic range was101.5 dB. Stereo channel separationwas 90 dB at 1,000 Hz, narrowing to77 dB at 20,000 Hz.

The DX -530 had no difficultytracking through the largest cali-brated errors on the Philips TS5Atest disc. The player's cueing accu-racy was excellent even when therewas no silent interval betweentracks. The slewing time was aboutaverage, requiring 3.5 seconds tomove from Track 1 to Track 15 ofthe Philips TS4 test disc. The playerhad fairly good resistance to impact,requiring a fairly hard drummingwith the fingers on its top or side toproduce mistracking. The head-phone volume was good throughmedium -impedance phones.

CammentsWhile we found nothing in the

measured performance of the On-kyo DX -530 that would unambigu-ously distinguish it from a numberof other good CD players that donot use optical coupling, everythingseemed so logically designed andplaced that I found myself believingit sounded better than others in ourinitial listening tests. In an A/Bcomparison with another goodplayer, however, both machinessounded pretty much alike.

But we had no difficulty recogniz-ing the distinctive quality of theDX -530's superbly designed displayand control system. Without look-ing garish or excessively complex,the display manages to convey amaximum of useful information ata glance, and even more at the touchof a button. The memory display isalso superbly logical, and so is themethod of entering tracks into thememory. There is even an EDIT fea-ture that lets you change the select-ed tracks in a program after youhave entered them.

Overall, the Onkyo DX -530 earnshigh marks for its combination ofexcellent human engineering, a top-notch display, versatility, and sim-plicity of operation.

32 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

Introducing the Bose' 401" Direct/Reflecting speaker system:Our most affordable floorstanding speaker

What separates the 401system from other speakers?Direct/Reflecting speaker tech-nology. Taking their cue froma live performance, Direct/Reflecting speakers deliver aprecise combination of directand reflected sound. The resultis a sense of musical realismand impact usually experi-enced only during a liveperformance.

Only Bose makes Direct/Reflecting 'speakers. To thelistener, the benefits are imme-diately obvious:

Full stereo-so you enjoynatural, balanced stereothroughout the listeningarea, no matter where youstand or sit.

Even sound distribution-so you hear the correctblend of instruments andvocals everywhere in theroom, not just betweenthe speakers.

Lifelike spaciousness-your music sounds life-sized, instead of beingconfined to the speakers.

The 401 system draws on thedesign heritage of the world -

Each speaker has two long -excursion 61/2" woofers that operatein a computer -designed portedenclosure, for deep, powerful basswith low distortion. The 2" tweeterdelivers crisp, clean highs.

Sin.3e conventional speakersrad ate primarily arect sound:stereo is heard in only part ofthe room.

The 401 system projects bothdirect and reflected sound,providing full stereo everywhere.

acclaimed Bose 901 D rect/Reflecting speaker system.A resul- of years of ongoingresearch, the 401 system is builtaround the Stared Spac.91'' array,an innovative way to acr ievea sense of musical realismusually heard only during a liveperformance.

Wha: separates the 401system from all other Drect/Reflecting systems is that it'sBose's most affordable floor -standing loucspeaker. I: givesyou trua musical realtsn atless than half the price of a901 system.

The 401 system's spacious-ness, I felike performance andhigh power handling capabilitycombine to b-ing out the bestin today's sot_ rce material-especially digital compact discsand hi-fi video. And like all Boseproducts, it's subjected to theSyncom computer comprehen-sive qt_ality assurance program.

Experience the results ofthe latest acoustic technology.

Aud tion the new Bose 401system soon at your nearestBose cealer. For more informa-tion, write Base Corporation,Dept. SR, The Mountain,Framingham, MA 01701

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You can earn $17,000 for yourVo-Tech schooling with the Army'sspecial Two -Year Enlistment. Or$25,200 if you serve four years.

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TEST REPORTS

BOSTON ACOUSTICS T830SPEAKER SYSTEMJulian Hirsch, Hirsch-Hourk Laboratories

THE Boston Acoustics T830is a three-way tower system321/2 inches high that occu-pies considerably less than a

square foot of floor space (10 x 934inches). The tower format allowsthe tweeter and midrange drivers tobe located near the height of aseated listener's ear, and the woofer,

4111111111111111111111111111111MM

halfway up the front panel, is at anoptimum height from the floor foruniform radiation into the room.

The 8 -inch woofer, which oper-ates in a sealed enclosure, crossesover at 800 Hz to a 31/2 -inch conemidrange driver whose voice coil iscooled and damped by ferrofluid.The second crossover, at 4,000 Hz,

is to a 1 -inch dome tweeter, also fer-rofluid cooled. The tweeter's face-plate and the rim of the midrangedriver's basket are set flush with thefront panel, with recessed screws, toprevent acoustic reflections thatcould interfere with the smoothnessof the system's overall response.The detachable grille, using acousti-cally transparent black cloth, hasalso been designed to minimize dif-fraction effects.

The cones of the woofer and mid-range driver are made of a copoly-mer that was chosen because it isinherently well damped, nonhygro-scopic, and highly consistent fromunit to unit. Special attention waspaid to minimizing woofer distor-tion, including the use of a shorting

The T830's sound had a traceof crispness, but with noapparent emphasis or falloffin any part of the spectrum,and the stereo sound stagewas broad and believable.

ring in the magnetic assembly toreduce flux modulation during largecone excursions.

The T830 has a rated frequencyresponse of 45 to 20,000 Hz ± 3 dBand a sensitivity of 88 dB sound -pressure level (sPL) at 1 meter with1 watt (2.83 volts) into the speaker'snominal 8 -ohm impedance. It isrecommended for use with ampli-fiers delivering between 15 and 100watts per channel. The vinyl -veneercabinet is available either in ebonyor in a dark woodgrain finish, in-cluding the front panel behind thegrille. The twin binding -post termi-nals are located underneath thespeaker. Price: $450 a pair. BostonAcoustics, Dept. SR, 247 LynnfieldSt , Peabody, MA 01960.

Lab TestsThe averaged room response of

the Boston Acoustics T830 was flatwithin ± 1.5 dB from 200 to 12,000Hz. There was a slight peak of 2 dBat 14,000 Hz and a return to the ref-erence level at 20,000 Hz. The com-bined close-miked frequency -re-sponse curves of the woofer and

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 35

TEST REPORTS

midrange driver were flat within± 2.5 dB from 46 to 3,000 Hz andoverlapped the room -responsecurve closely for about four octaves(an unusually close match). The re-sulting composite response curvewas flat within ± 2.5 dB from 43 to20,000 Hz, which would be note-worthy performance for any speakerand is possibly unique for one in theprice range of the T830.

Our quasi-anechoic FFr responsemeasurements confirmed the sal-ient characteristics of the room -response curves, including the rela-tively flat bass response and theslight peak at 14,000 Hz (the latteralso appeared in a response meas-urement made by the manufacturerusing one -third -octave analysis). Inour horizontal -directivity measure-ments, we found that the T830'sfrequency -response curves on -axisand 45 degrees off -axis were essen-tially alike up to about 6,000 Hz andthen diverged, differing by 10 dB atabout 12,000 Hz.

The group delay of the T830 sys-tem was excellent, varying less than0.3 millisecond between 3,000 and29,000 Hz. In the midrange, thegroup delay varied no more than 1.5milliseconds between 200 and 4,000Hz, and in the woofer range itremained within 3 millisecondsfrom 100 to 1,000 Hz. Few otherspeakers in our experience havematched this performance, let alonesurpassed it.

The system's impedance was aminimum of about 4.7 ohms at 130Hz, with a maximum of 17 ohms at53 Hz. Over most of the audiorange, it measured between 6 and 10ohms. The measured sensitivity was86 dB SPL at 1 meter with 2.83 voltsof pink -noise input. We measuredthe bass distortion at a 4.5 -voltdrive level, equivalent to a 90 -dBSPL. The distortion, as claimed, wasvery low, about 0.5 percent from100 to 70 Hz, reaching 1.4 percentat 50 Hz and 3 percent at 40 Hz.

The T830 easily withstood high -power single -cycle tone bursts, withonly a slight audible distortion(principally third -harmonic) ap-pearing in the woofer's output at100 Hz when the power reached 200watts into its 4.9 -ohm impedance.The woofer distortion did not be-come serious until the amplifier

clipped at about 700 watts! At 1,000and 10,000 Hz, the amplifierclipped at 200 and 600 watts, re-spectively, before any significantdistortion appeared in the speaker'sacoustic output.

CommentsIf measurements could adequate-

ly describe the sound of a speaker(which they cannot), we would notneed to go any further in this report.In all measurable respects, the Bos-ton Acoustics T830 delivered out-standing performance. Few speak-ers we have tested have had such aflat frequency response or such lowdistortion, for example, and most ofthose were considerably more ex-pensive.

But the proof of a speaker is in thelistening, and here, too, the T830lived up to its promise. It had atrace of crispness (though we wouldnot call it "bright"), with no appar-ent emphasis or falloff in any part ofthe audio spectrum. It imparted noupper -bass heaviness to humanvoices, and it reproduced the lowerbass (down to the speaker's limits

around 40 Hz) effortlessly andcleanly. The stereo sound stage wasbroad and believable, though it didnot attract attention to itself by anyunusual or spectacular effects.

It is a little difficult to describe aspeaker like the T830 in terms of itsacoustic qualities, which really hadno flaws that we could discern. Amore reasonable approach might beto consider that the T830 retails fora mere $450 a pair, just above thelowest -priced speakers that could becalled "hi-fi," yet it holds its ownvery well in listening comparisonsagainst others selling for manytimes its modest price. Such com-parisons proved to be both illumi-nating and frustrating. The moreexpensive speakers do have specialqualities that, while not necessarilyreadily audible with some programmaterial, justify their higher prices,but, overall, we were enormouslyimpressed with the excellence ofthis new arrival from Boston Acous-tics. Its heritage is unmistakablyevident in its superb sound, practi-cal size and proportions, and afford-able price.

".. . Joe's in training. Next spring he plans to shoplift afour -chassis Julius Futterman tube amplifier."

36 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

"McIntosh . . . no other transistor amplifieris capable of reproducing as well.""All the sounds, even those different one fromanother, remain separated and distinctive. Thereresults a sensation of contrast, precision, and un-common clarity.... A close analysis of different frequenciesreveals an extremely deep bass, very rich inspatial detail ... The upper bass region is verylinear testifying to an extraordinary richness ofinformation. The very structured mid -range con-tributes enormously to listening pleasure.The feeling of power is never refuted and instead,of stunning the listener, the 7270 recreates anaudio environment of a majesty that no othertransistor amplifier is capable of reproducing aswell." Need we say more?

-MrvuI n( SON. foremosl ',reach stereo magazine.

For a copy of the REVUE DU SONand information on the McIntosh MC 7270Amplifier and other Mclntosji products write:McINTOSH LABORATORY INC.P.O. Box 96 EAST SIDE STATION, bEFT. A47BINGHAMTON, NY 1390 -0096

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You get out of our new Sherwood S -2770R CP digital remote -control receiver what you put into it. like ourTV audio. Your VCR audio and video. Your compact disc player. Your turntable. Your tape deck. Your everything. All in

stereo. At 74 watts per channel.

The S -2770R CP even has the ability to synthesize

stereo from monaural sources, such as normal

broadcast and cable TV. Add an extra pair of

speakers in the back of your entertainmentroom and turn it into a theater.

The S -2770R CP can decode rear

channel information present in most stereosound and video programs. Video tapes of

movies you buy or rent are made from films

originally shown in theaters, where rear

channel sound is all part of the experience. The S -2770R CP

lets you recreate that surround -sound experience right in your own home.

You also get full video dubbing capability through permanent rear panel connections, or through conveniently

located jacks on the front for those occasions you need a second VCR There's more:

The wireless remote to control all of your components from across the room. A quartz digital AM/FM tunerwith 16 presets. A digitally controlled seven -band graphic equalizer/spectrum analyzer with five different EQ

memory settings. Auto/manual scan tuning. Loudness and sub -bass EQ. -20dB mute function. An LEDsignal -strength indicator.

All so you can put everything you've got (or intend to get) into it, except a lot ofmoney. Just ask any of the dealers listed below.

They'll prove to you that Sherwood stops atnothing to give you better, more enjoyable, Sherwood®live -performance sound - whatever you're

listening to - at a surprisingly affordable price. LIVE PERFORMANCE SOUND'

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CIRCLE NO 18 ON READER SERVICE CARD

TEST REPORTS

KENWOOD KA-3300DINTEGRATED AMPLIFIERJulian Hirsch, Hirsch -Houck Laboratories

ANY amplifiers are de-scribed as "digital -ready," but the Ken -

AL. wood KA-3300D inte-grated amplifier is one of the fewthat actually contain true digital sig-nal -processing circuits. Although itspowerful amplifier section is purelyanalog in nature, the preamplifier/control section has internal digital -to -analog (D/A) converters designedto operate at sampling rates of 32,44.1, or 48 kHz. These convertersenable the KA-3300D to process thedigital audio signals available frommany CD players and DAT (digitalaudio tape) recorders, bypassing the

D/A converters and analog audiosectior s of the source components.

The Kenwood KA-3300D is alarge, powerful amplifier, rated todeliver up to 150 watts per channelinto 8 -ohm loads from 20 to 20,000Hz with no more than 0.004 percenttotal harmonic distortion. It carriessecondary ratings (at 1,000 Hz) of160 watts continuous output into 8ohms and 220 watts into 4 ohms,and its dynamic power ratings are178, 320, and 460 watts per channelinto loads of 8, 4, and 2 ohms,respectively.

The amplifier has inputs and out-puts for analog tape decks and one

DAT deck, with full recording, play-back, and dubbing connections be-tween the recorders and a selectedprogram source. The normal CDinput accepts a player's analog out-put, but the amplifier also has bothoptical and electrical digital inputsfor a suitably equipped player.There are also analog inputs for atuner and a phono cartridge (switch -able for either an NINA or an tits car-tridge). The headphone jack andone of the two pairs of high-levelauxiliary inputs are located belowthe front panel; the other AUX inputis on the rear apron.

The tone controls. which can bebypassed, provide selectable turn-over frequencies of 200 or 400 Hzfor the bass and 3,000 or 6,000 Hzfor the treble. The loudness -com-pensation circuit, which operatesindependently of the volume settingand can also be bypassed, increases

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 41

TEST REPORTS

the low -frequency response as itscontrol knob is rotated clockwise.Small buttons select the subsonicfilter and mono or stereo mode,switch between the two AUX inputs,and reduce the audio level by 30 dB(MUTE).

A large, square DIGITAL DIRECTbutton switches the amplifier's in-put circuitry from analog to digitaloperation, lighting a green light nextto it. A red LOCK light confirms thata digital signal is being receivedfrom the program source. Otherbuttons turn on the D/A converter,switch between the optical and elec-trical digital inputs in the rear, andconnect the D/A converter to a DATrecorder.

Next to the tape -monitor buttonare three output -selection buttons,one for each of the three taperecorders that can be accommo-dated by the KA-3300D. A knobcontrol connects the signal source toany of the tape machines for record-ing or cross connects any two of

them for dubbing in either direc-tion. It is possible to record one pro-gram source while listening to an-other. Inactive recorders are auto-matically disconnected from the sig-nal path. The speaker switch sendsthe output to either or both of twopairs of speakers or silences thespeakers for headphone listening.

The KA-3300D measures 171/4inches wide, 161/2 inches deep, and614 inches high, and it weighs 42pounds. It is supplied with a fiber-optic cable, for connection to CDplayers having optical outputs, aswell as a conventional stereo cablefitted with phono plugs. Price:$1,199. Kenwood, Dept. SR, 2201E. Dominguez, Carson, CA 90801.

Lab TestsThe standard one -hour precondi-

tioning, with both channels driving8 -ohm loads at a 50 -watt level (one-third power), left the top of theamplifier very hot-uncomfortableto the touch for more than a second

FEATURES

O Internal D/A converters foroptical or electrical digital inputs

O Sampling rates of 32, 44.1, and48 kHz

O Connections and switching fortwo analog tape decks, onedigital tape deck (analog ordigital output), two CD players(one with analog, one withdigital output), three otherhigh-level sources, and phonocartridge (MM or MC)

O Auxiliary inputs in front andrear

0 Selectable tone -control turnoverfrequencies

O Tone -control bypassO Subsonic filterO Continuously adjustable loudness

compensationO Audio muting switch (-30 dB)O Outputs for two pairs of

speakersO Three AC convenience outlets

(two switched)O Ileadphone jack

LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS

1,000 -Hz output power atclipping: 171 watts into 8 ohms,248 watts into 4 ohms, 312 watts(approximately) into 2 ohms

Clipping headroom (relative torated output): 0.57 dB (8 ohms)

Dynamic power output: 138 wattsinto 8 ohms, 253 watts into 4ohms, 460 watts into 2 ohms

Dynamic headroom: -0.36 dB (8ohms-see text)

Harmonic distortion (THDnoise) at 1,000 Hz into 8 ohms:1 watt, 0.018%; 10 watts,0.006%: 150 watts, 0.0026%

Maximum distortion (from 20 to20,000 Hz into 8 ohms):0.0094% at 15 watts (20,000 Hz)

Slew factor: greater than 25

Sensitivity (1 -watt output into 8ohms): phono (MM), 0.2 mV:phono (Mc), about 8 µV;auxiliary/CD/tuner, 12.3 mV

Phono-input overload: 157 to225 mV

A -weighted noise (referred to a1 -watt output): phono (MM),-76 dB; auxiliary/CD/tuner,-77.5 dB

Phono-input impedance (MM):47,000 ohms in parallel with220 pF

RIAA phono-equalization error:± 0.1 dB from 20 to 20,000 Hz

Subsonic filter: -20 dB at 20 HzMaximum tone -control range:

±11 dB at 30 to 50 Hz; ±11 dBat 20,000 Hz

or two-but it did not become anyhotter during our subsequent tests.We later discovered, by removingthe top cover, that the KA-3300Dhas a small cooling fan located en-tirely within its case. The fan was soquiet that we never suspected itspresence (and evidently its coolingability was equally subtle).

With both channels driving 8 -ohm loads at 1,000 Hz, the wave-form clipped at 171 watts (clippingheadroom 0.57 dB). Into 4 ohms,the clipping output was 248 watts.Surprisingly, the dynamic poweroutput, measured with the standard20 -millisecond tone -burst, was only138 watts into 8 ohms, for a dy-namic headroom of -0.36 dB.Longer tone bursts yielded higheroutput powers, reaching the steady-state value of 171 watts at about 300milliseconds on, 200 millisecondsoff. The amplifier's slew factor ex-ceeded 25, although a small "jog"appeared on the waveform at fre-quencies between 70 and 140 kHz.The KA-3300D was stable withcomplex simulated loudspeakerloads and had a reactive -load factorof 0.33 dB.

The 1,000 -Hz distortion wasnearly identical with 8- and 4 -ohmloads. It decreased linearly fromabout 0.02 percent at 1 watt to lessthan 0.003 percent between 50 and150 watts. With 8 -ohm loads thedistortion was a nearly constant0.0025 to 0.003 percent from 20 to7,500 Hz at full power and half pow-er, rising to about 0.005 percent at20,000 Hz. At one -tenth rated pow-er the distortion curve was similar,with readings of about 0.006 percentup to 7,500 Hz and a maximum of0.0094 percent at 20,000 Hz.

The KA-3300D had an input sen-sitivity (for a 1 -watt reference out-put) of 12.3 millivolts (mV) at theAUX input and 0.2 mV (MM) orabout 8 microvolts (MC) at thephono input. The A -weighted noiselevel, referred to 1 watt, was - 77.5dB for the AUX input and - 76 dBfor the MM phono input. The phonopreamplifier overloaded at inputsfrom 157 mV (20,000 Hz) to 225mV (1,000 Hz). The MM phonoimpedance was 47,000 ohms in pa-rallel with a 220-picofarad capaci-tance.

The bass tone -control response

42 STEREO REVIEW Sag -EMBER 1987

Your ears won't believeyour eyes.

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Copy.QM r991 Ro,4,Caprosion All r glPds reserved CIRCLE NO 24 ON READER SERVICE CARD

TEST REPORTS

curves had sliding turnover fre-quencies, varying from 30 to 300 Hzor 60 to 400 Hz depending on theswitch setting. The treble curveswere hinged at 2,300 and 5,500 Hz.The loudness compensation af-fected frequencies below 500 Hz,with a maximum boost of 9.5 dB at50 Hz and below. The RIAA phonoequalization was extremely accu-rate, varying only ± 0.1 dB from 20to 20,000 Hz.

CommentsConsidered merely as a conven-

tional integrated amplifier, the Ken -wood KA-3300D would rank wellabove average in almost every re-spect. It is one of the most powerfulintegrated amplifiers on the market,and it is capable of driving evenlow -impedance speakers to veryhigh volume levels. In spite of itsconsiderable temperature rise dur-ing preconditioning and sustainedhigh -power operation, it never be-came more than faintly warm dur-ing normal use, even at high soundlevels. Perhaps its cooling fan is inpart responsible for this, althoughits massive construction certainlydeserves some credit as well.

We cannot explain the peculiarinverse relationship between tone -burst duration and maximum pow-er output that we measured with theKA-3300D, although we have occa-sionally seen a similar effect withother amplifiers. While it met itsimpressive 460 -watt dynamic pow-er rating into 2 ohms, the amplifierfell short of the corresponding rat-ings for 4- and 8 -ohm loads. Thereis little doubt that it can easily drive2 -ohm loads under dynamic (mu-sic) conditions, but this should notbe attempted with steady-state sig-nals. The result is likely to be ablown line fuse, which cannot bereplaced by the user.

For the most part, the front -panelcontrols of the KA-3300D are self-explanatory and actually easier tounderstand than those of many oth-er amplifiers we have used. A possi-ble exception is the rather complex -looking tape-recording selector, butits use is explained satisfactorily inthe manual. A few other front -panelfeatures also impressed us as ob-scure and possibly confusing: abovethe DIGITAL DIRECT button, which

bypasses the preamplifier stages andderives the signal from the ampli-fier's own D/A converters, a promi-nent illuminated window carries thelegend VOLTAGE INTERFACE GATE,the significance of which was lost onus. Also, the tone -control bypassbutton, usually identified as such onother amplifiers and receivers, iscalled LINE STRAIGHT, and it is illog-ically located far away from the tonecontrols.

These quibbles aside, the Ken -wood KA-3300D is a truly fineproduct. Wondering how much, ifany, difference could be heard be-tween its digital and analog opera-tion, we used it with the only CDplayer we had on hand with a digitaloutput (the Onkyo DX -530). Weconnected the player's analog out-puts to the CD inputs of the KA-3300D and its (electrical) digitaloutput to the corresponding digitalinput of the amplifier.

Comparisons between the twomodes were easy since pressing theDIGITAL DIRECT button toggled be-tween analog and digital operationand the amplifier's D/A converterand other circuits were evidentlydesigned to match the CD standard

of 2 volts output from a 0 -dBrecorded signal. We noticed only abarely discernible level change aswe switched between modes. Itcame as no great surprise to findthat the two modes sounded essen-tially identical. Although at timeswe thought we detected a slight dif-ference in the sound quality, neithermode was in any way superior tothe other, and we suspect that thedistinction resulted from the mi-nute level difference.

Anyone who believes, however,that there are audible differencesbetween CD players not related tomeasurable characteristics will cer-tainly wish to audition this ampli-fier for himself with CD playershaving digital outputs (optical onesif possible). The digital circuits ofthe KA-3300D should replace al-most every part of a CD player thathas ever (to our knowledge) beenclaimed to affect its sound. Regard-less of how you stand on this issue,it is a very fine, highly impressiveamplifier whose ruggedness and ex-ceptional quality of componentsand workmanship are immediatelyapparent.Circle 140 on reader service card

"Larry, when you have a chance, take Ent whistle into the demo room andexplain to him what a male plug is and what a female plug is."

44 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

After 9 years of advancingthe science of radar warning,

we have quite a followingIf imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,then Escort and Passport are easily the world'smost admired radar detectors.

And if imitation were the same as duplica-tion, then there would be other equally capabledetectors. Occasionally you hear of imitations"just as good as" Escort and Passport, usuallyfrom someone trying to sell you somethingcheaper.

The experts are unanimousNo matter what anybody says, there is, in

fact. no detector on the market that's "just asgood as" Escort and Passport. And you needn'ttake our word for it. In 1987, three respectedmagazines have published comparison tests ofradar detectors.

What Car and Driver saysIn April, Car and Driver rated Passport high-

est of nine miniature models, saying. "At $295direct from the factory, it's the most expensivepiece of electronic protection in the group, but it'sworth every nickel in roadgoing peace of mind:'

What Roundel saysIn June, Roundel ranked Passport and

Escort first and second respectively in a com-parison of 14 detectors. About Passport theauthor said, "It remains the State of the Art,a true quality product, American ingenuity atits best:' Regarding Escort, "It is an excellentdetector in its own right and continues as apacesetter in the detector market!'

What Popular Mechanics saysIn July. Popular Mechanics rated Escort

first and Passport second in a group of 11 brands.The magazine concluded, "Clearly, the Escort isthe best radar detector around. The best of theminis was the Passport..:'

Expert Testimony, It's FREE:In every 1987 magazine test of radar detectors. Escort andPassport have been rated highest. See for yourself. For completecopies of the tests (not excerpts or selected quotes). showingranking of all brands, just cat us tot free.

MalleYMAY1987

99 THINGS THAT AMERICANS MAKE BEST

of these widely available t .S. -madego4xls..are clearly superior to their ,werseas com-petitor:, ,werwhelmingly dominate their marketsor are so outstanding or novel that they haveno well-known international counterp.m.le

F.:cort and Passport arc the only radardetectors to make the list.

What we sayEscort and Passport stay at the top of the

experts' ratings year after year because, bydefinition, the imitators are always behind. Ourengineers work constantly to lengthen detectionrange, and when they make a breakthrough, werush that improvement into production.

Still. early warning means nothing if thewarning is false. That's why-a year ago-weadded Alternating Frequency Rejection (AFR'°)circuitry. designed specifically to ignore theRashid VRSS collision warning system.

Said Car and Driver, "While otner makershave spent their energy on funny features orzoomy s:yling, CM has found a way to improvefunction in a quiet and systematic way. Suchinnovation is the mark of a leader, and we ap-plaud Cincinnati Microwave for its eagerness tohead off problems before they become problems:'

Our anti -Rashid circuitry demonstrates ourcommitment to the highest radar warning tech-nology. Ne think the fact that the imitatorsdon't have it demonstrates their commitment too.

Right here In CincinnatiOur attitude is unique in arother way. We

keep all of our engineering, assembly, sales.and service in one location so Mat we canrespond quickly to our customers. If you havequestions, need service, or want to order, justcall toll free.

We sell direct to our customers only. Ordersin by 3:00 pm eastern time go out the same dayby UPS, and we pay for shipping. Overnightdelivery is guaranteed by Federal Express foronly $10 extra.

Satisfaction guaranteedIf you're not entire y satisfied within 30

days. return your purchase. We'll refund all ofyour money and your shipping costs.

For the only radar detectors "just as goodas" Escort and Passport. please call toll free.

Order today

TOLL FREE -800-543-1608(Mon -Fri 8am-11pm, Sat -Sun 9:30-6 EST)

IIS4

By mail send to address below. All ordersprocessed immediately. Prices slightlyhigher for Canadian shipments.

PASSPORT

Pocket -Size Radar Protection $295(Ohio res. add $16.23 tax)

ESCORT11/1 rJA H WARts

The Classic of Radaf Warning $245(Ohio Res. add $13.48 tax)

Cincinnati Microwave Department 68497

One Microwave PlazaCincinnati, Ohio 45249-9502

C 1987 Cincinnati Microwave. Inc

Adecade ago, Concord changedcar stereo forever. In those days,8 -track tape reigned supreme andthe idea of high quality sound in a carwas considered impossible. By chal-lenging that belief, Concord appealedto a select few who demanded thebest. High performance car stereowas born.

In the years that followed,Concord's quest for performancecontinued. Time and time again,Concord led the industry in devel-oping new autosound technology.This drive for perfection established

Concord as the reference standardfor car stereo equipment.

Today Concord's leadership con-tinues with the seven CX series cas-sette/receivers. The flagship CX70incorporates the two most recent

ow VOLUME PmL BAL

t,FA:BASS TREBLE

Concord Firsts -a 3 -Band Bass/3 -Band Treble equalizer and an activepreamp level Subwoofer Crossover.The equalization system providesan extraordinary degee of controlover the unpredictable acoustics of a

CCA.R..) SO WATTS 2/4 WAY1101,11AI A.V.I11111111 livoku

a. FOR*

EJECT prtoc

SEEK PSCAN

T.ER 3K t.K VIM LAUD

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1977First car deck

with apreamp level fader

1977First 50 wattcar amplifier

1977First car deck

with preamp outputs

ION

1977First car deck

with Sen-Alloytape head

1978First in -dash deckwith Dolby B'"noise reduction

1979First car deck

with switchablebass EQ system

1979First car deck

with D.C. Servo Motor

Consider

vehicle's interior. The crossoverallows easy system biamplification.In addition the CX70 has a remov-able chassis that lets you protect yourinvestment in good sound.

The CX70 also incorporates manyother Concord Firsts. FNR - FMnoise reduction, a Matched Phasetape head, dbx tape noise reductionand a DC servo tape drive motor areall included.

Putting all the performance andcontrol features of the CX70 in a carstereo unit could result in a jumble ofindecipherable, hard to use contro.s.

But the large dual function, colorcoded coltrols of the CX units makeit easy to get the most from theirexceptional performance.

The CX70 is just one of seven CXcassette/receivers that incorporate avariety of the Concord Firsts. Whenused in conjunction with Concord'sCS speakers and, for the greatestfidelity at higher volume levels, theConcord CA amplifiers, the CX cas-sette/receivers provide a level ofmusical enjoyment that will haveyou dreaming up reasons to spendmore tirr e in your car.

Consider the Concord Firsts andyou'll consider Concord first.

Concord Systems, Inc.,25 Hale Street,Newburyport, MA 01950

(617) 462-1000 (800) 225-7932

Marketed in Canada by:

PACO Electronics Ltd.20 Steelcase Road W, Unit 10Markham, Ontario DR 1B2

(416) 475 0740

A Harman International CompanyCIRCLE NO. 11 ON READER SERVICE CARD

CONCORD®Anything else is a compromise.

1981First car deck

with auxiliary inputs

1982First dbx- noise

reduction for the car

1983First car deckwith 2/4 way

amplifiers

1982First Nlat:hed rhase

tape head

1984First car deck

with FNIZ- FMnoise reduction

1987First car deckwith 3 -Band

Bass/Treble EQ

1987Firs'. in -dash deck

with subwoofer crossover

Concord Firsts.

SMART SINGLES. MODERN MARRIAGE.

If you're like most people who listen toaudio cassettes, you've probably used a tapehead -cleaner and felt pretty good about yourconscientious attitude toward machine mainte-nance. Unfortunately, most cleaning cassettesallow contaminants to build up on the capstan/pinch roller assembly. It's a situation that, if leftuncorrected, can result in your valuable cassettesbeing "eaten" when they stick to, and wraparound, the pinch roller (a problem that's evenmore common in car systems). Fortunately,Discwasher has a simple solution.

Discwasher's Perfect Path' Cassette HeadCleaner uses a non-abrasive tape to removeoxides from your tape heads. And our C.PR.'Capstan/Pinch Roller Cleaner uses an advance-able fabric and scientifically -formulated cleaningfluid to scrub away stickiness. Used together,they ensure good sound and "healthy" cassettes.

Now our System approach combinesboth technologies in a single cassette, addingconvenience to optimum tape deck performance.With regular use, your equipment (and yourcassettes) will have a fighting chance for a long,happy life together. Isn't that what you'd expectfrom Discwasher?

discwasher®4309 Transworld Road, Schiller Pork, IL 60176

A Division of International Jensen, Inc

The makers of the famous D4+ Record Cleaning System.CIRCLE NO. 10 ON READER SERVICE CARD

TEST REPORTS

DBX DX5 CD PLAYERJulian Hirsch, Hirsch -Houck Laboratories

pROPRIETARY Signal -process-ing circuits have earned dbxa unique reputation amongboth professional and non-

professional users. The company isbest known to audiophiles for itsnoise -reduction systems, whose op-eration is based on stable, lineargain -control elements and signal -level sensors. Perhaps not surpris-ingly, the new DX5 CD playerincorporates some of dbx's specialtechnology to permit a listener tomodify the dynamic characteristicsof a program.

The DX5 is representative of thebest current CD player designs. Ituses a three -spot laser tracking sys-tem, two separate 16 -bit digital -to -analog (D/A) converters, quadrupleoversampling at 176.4 kHz, and acombination of a linear -phase digi-tal filter and a third -order analog fil-ter. Its control functions are similarto those of most other full -featuredCD players, including track skip-ping and fast scanning in both direc-tions with audible sound, pro-grammed play of up to sixteen selec-tions in any order, and repeat playof the programmed tracks, the cur-rent track, or the entire disc. It alsohas a phrase -repeat function that

can repeat any user -defined segmentof a program. Among its other fea-tures are an electronically operatedvolume control and a mute buttonthat drops the volume by 20 dB.

Initially, the front -panel displayshows the number of tracks on adisc and its total playing time.While the disc is playing, the num-ber of the current track and itselapsed playing time are shown.Pressing the TIME REMAINING but-ton changes the display to show theremaining time on the track (pre-ceded by a minus sign); pressing itagain shows the remaining time onthe disc.

When the volume level ischanged, the display information isreplaced by the relative volume set-ting. A smaller display group to theright of the numerical section showsthe current status of all the unit'sbasic operating controls. It even in-cludes an ERROR indication thatflashes when the laser is unable totrack a disc for any reason

The special signal -processing fea-tures of the dbx DX5 are controlledby three small knobs at the lowerright of the panel and the small but-tons with red lights above them. Afourth knob is the volume control

for the adjacent headphone jack.The AMBIENCE control affects thespaciousness of the sound by adjust-ing the amount of midrange and tre-ble difference information in theprogram. At its center (detented)position, the program is unmodi-fied. Turning the knob counter-clockwise blends the midrange andtreble, centering the stereo imageand decreasing its apparent spa-ciousness. A clockwise rotationadds difference (L -R and R - L)information, increasing the sense ofambience and spaciousness andsometimes adding a touch of bright-ness to the sound.

The next control, marked COM-PRESS, reduces the program's dy-namic range as it is turned from itscounterclockwise limit (where it hasno effect on the program). The cir-cuit makes loud passages softer andsoft passages louder, which givesCD's a more comfortable dynamicrange, comparable to that of an LP,for many listening purposes. Thefeature is especially convenient formaking cassette dubs on CD's foruse in a car, where the full dynamicrange of a CD usually cannot beheard (or even recorded on tapeeffectively).

Finally, there is the Digital AudioImpact Recovery control (DAIR),which adds impact to musical tran-sients by increasing the signal levelbriefly at the onset of a suddenchange, at the beginning of a drum -

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 49

TEST REPORTS

beat or the attack of a piano note,for instance. The knob varies theexpansion effect from none to max-imum (at its clockwise limit).

The three signal -modification sys-tems of the DX5 operate entirelyindependently of each other and canbe used in any combination or toany degree that one desires. Theireffects are indicated on a displayabove the controls. Colored lightsshow the instantaneous alteration ofprogram dynamics, from compres-sion to expansion, over a range of±10 dB.

The dbx DX5 comes with a wire-less remote control. Even though itis considerably smaller than mostwe have seen, it not only duplicatesall the front -panel controls exceptthe power switch and the knob -operated functions, but its numeri-cal keypad provides direct access toany numbered track or indexed sec-tion. The DX5 is finished in blackwith clear, legible gold markings. Itmeasures 171/8 inches wide, 111/8

inches deep, and 31/2 inches high andweighs 11 pounds. Price: $700. Dbx,Dept. SR, 71 Chapel St., Newton,MA 02195.

Lab TestsThe dbx DX5 had one of the flat-

test frequency responses we havemeasured from a CD player. From20 to 20,000 Hz the output variedonly +0, -0.1 dB; the only depar-ture from flatness was a slight,smooth drop below about 50 Hz.The output from the 0 -dB levelrecording was 2.06 volts (into anEIA standard load of 10,000 ohmsin parallel with a 1,000-picofaradcapacitor), and the channel levelsdiffered by a mere 0.04 dB. Becauseeach channel has its own D/A con-verter, the phase shift between themwas negligible. It was about 4 de-grees at 100 Hz, but measured 0degree above that frequency exceptfor a barely detectable 0.7 -degreeshift at 20,000 Hz.

The playback distortion at 1,000Hz was 0.0039 percent at 0- and- 10 -dB levels, increasing to 0.008percent at -20 dB. The dynamicrange (relative to the total harmonicdistortion from a -60 -dB 1,000 -Hztest signal) was 99.5 dB, and the A -weighted noise level was -105.5 dBreferred to a 0 -dB output level. The

FEATURES

Three -spot laser tracking system Quadruple oversampling with

digital and analog filters Dual D/A converters Programming for up to sixteen

selections in any order Track stepping in either

direction Fast search in either direction

with audible sound Fluorescent display of player's

complete operating status Repeat mode for entire disc, one

track, or selected portion(phrase)

Electronic volume control Headphone jack with volume

control Full -function wireless remote

control for all basic functionsplus direct access to programs bytrack or index number

Ambience control to increasespaciousness of sound

Compression control to reducedynamic range up to 25 dB

Digital Audio Impact Recoverycontrol to expand programtransients up to 10 dB

LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS

Maximum output level: 2.06 voltsTotal harmonic distortion at

1,000 Hz: 0.0039% referred to0 dB, 0.0039% referred to -10dB, 0.008% referred to -20 dB

Signal-to-noise ratio (A -weighted):105.5 dB

Dynamic range: 99.5 dBChannel separation: 94 dB at

10,000 Hz, 97 dB at 10,000 Hz,91 dB at 20,000 Hz

Frequency response: +0, -0.1 dBfrom 20 to 20,000 Hz

Compressor range: up to 13 dBcompression at 0 dB, 12 dBexpansion at -90 dB

Cueing time: 3 secondsCueing accuracy: AImpact resistance: top, B; sides, BDefect tracking: tracked all

maximum -level defects onPhilips TS5A test disc.

channel separation varied between91 and 97 dB over the range from1,000 to 20,000 Hz. There was atrace of nonlinearity in the D/A con-verters at very low levels; a - 80 -dBsignal was reproduced at - 77 dBand a -90 -dB signal at -85 dB.

The only measurement we madeof the signal -modification systemsof the DX5 was of the compressioncharacteristic. At its maximum set-ting, this circuit compressed a 0 -dBsignal by 13 dB and boosted the lev-el from a -90 -dB signal by 12 dB.The transition from compression toexpansion took place at about -28dB. In effect, the circuit was able totransform a program with a 90 -dBdynamic range to one with a man-ageable 65 -dB range, which is com-parable to that of a very good analogrecording and considerably bettersuited than the full dynamic rangeof a CD to a car stereo system or thecapabilities of a cassette recorder.

The DX5 had no difficulty intracking the highest levels of cali-brated defects on the Philips TS5Atest disc. Its laser slewed from Track1 to Track 15 of the Philips TS4 discin 3 seconds, about average forrecent players, and it made the tran-sition from Track 17 to Track 18,which have no time interval sepa-rating them, without any loss ofprogram from either track. TheDX5 had good isolation from exter-nal shock, requiring fairly vigorousfinger tapping on its top or sides toinduce mistracking.

CommentsConsidering only its CD playing

functions, the dbx DX5 ranksamong the best units we havetested. Its measured performancewas superb in every respect, repre-sentative of the current state of theart in CD player technology. Fur-thermore, its controls, indicators,and markings were notably easy toread, understand, and operate. Andeven the remote control, about halfthe size of those provided with mostplayers, was a pleasure to use (al-though we did find that the infraredsensor window on the front panel ofthe DX5 had a restricted angle ofview and would not respond if thecontroller was more than 45 degreesoff -axis). We also found that theheadphone output was sufficient to

50 Si'ERE0 REV I EW SEP UM MR 1987

TEST REPORTS

drive medium -impedance phonesto very comfortable volume levels.

Altogether, the DX5 rates a hostof superlatives for the way it han-dles the basics of playing CD's. Spe-cial mention is also due the excel-lent manual, which explains theDX5's special features in clear andeasily understandable terms.

It is those special features, howev-er, that really set the DX5 apartfrom all the rest. A purist need notcompromise his standards in theslightest; when the signal -processingcircuits of this player are not used,they are completely removed fromthe signal path. When we did usethem, they performed their in-tended functions well, without audi-ble side effects. Even used togetherand at their maximum settings, thecompression, expansion, and am-bience systems never caused thesound to become unnatural or evenobviously altered. Effective as theyare, none of these modifications areexcessive, and this moderation goesa long way toward making themsuccessful.

The ambience control was strik-ingly effective on programs re-corded in a relatively "dead" acous-tic environment. It added "air" tosuch material and provided an audi-ble increase in the subjective upper -midrange content. Although werarely find a recording that is too"live" sounding, the control shouldalso be beneficial in such a case.

Of course, there is no reason whythe same signal -modification cir-cuits as in the DX5 could not beincorporated in any preamplifier,integrated amplifier, or receiver.From time to time products haveappeared with apparently similarfunctions, but they have never pro-duced the kind of results we experi-enced with the DX5. The probableexplanation is that the specific cir-cuit elements dbx has developedover the years were designed tooperate without audible side effects,and they usually do so, which can-not be said for most others claimingto do the same job.

Even without its special circuits,the dbx DX5 would rank as one ofthe best CD players available. Withthem, it has to be considered a veryimpressive product indeed.Circle 141 on reader service card

CELESTION SL700 SPEAKERJulian Hirsch, Hirsch -Houck Laboratories

THE SL700 is the newest ad-dition to the SL series ofspeakers from Celestion. Itis an evolutionary develop-

ment, incorporating a number ofrelatively minor refinements that incombination give the speaker a dis-tinctive sound character, principallyin respect to the breadth and depthof its subjective sound stage.

Like the SL600 and SL6S fromwhich it was derived, the SL700 is asmall, two-way system whose 61/2 -inch PvC woofer cone is moldedwith an integral surround and

joined to a rubber outer surroundring. Celestion's engineers foundthat this dual -surround design givesthe woofer the desired transient -response capabilities as well as pro-viding true piston action over itsfull operating range. The SL600used a 11/4 -inch copper hard -dometweeter whose voice -coil former anddome were made in one piece. Animproved version of this driver,pressed from aluminum, is used inthe SL6S and SL700 to extend thehigh -frequency response. In theSL700, the crossover takes place at

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 51

TEST REPORTS

3,000 Hz, using a second -order low-pass section and a third -order high-pass section.

The cabinet of the SL700 is madeof Aerolam, a sandwich of alumi-num sheets bonded to a honeycombinternal structure. Developed for

The cabinet of the CelestionSL700 is made of Aerolam, asandwich of aluminum sheetsbonded to a honeycombinternal structure that is thin,light, and very rigid.

use in airplanes, the material is thin,light, and extremely rigid, withbending resonances above the lowand midrange bands where conven-tional wooden cabinets typicallyresonate. The cabinet is stiffenedfurther by an internal crossbrace,and the radiation from the rear ofthe woofer cone is absorbed by anacoustic foam whose absorptivequalities increase closer to the cabi-net wall. The cabinet's exterior isfinished in gray Nextel, a texturedmaterial. Dimensions are 141/4

inches high, 8 inches wide, and 91/2inches deep, weight 133/4 pounds.

The SL700 is designed to be oper-ated on stands, which are includedwith the speakers. The base of eachstand has four adjustable spikes thatmake a firm contact with the floor,and its top surface has three pointedextensions that engage rubber fit-tings on the bottom of the speakercabinet to anchor it firmly. Like thespeaker cabinets, the stands are fin-ished in Nextel, and they are quiteheavy (about 45 pounds), providinga firm, stable foundation for thespeakers.

The SL700 does not have bindingposts or other familiar connectorsfor attaching the cables from theamplifier; instead, it has two pairsof jacks that accept standard (single)banana plugs. One pair leads to thehigh -frequency portion of the inter-nal crossover network, the other tothe low -frequency portion. If a sin-gle pair of wires connects the speak-er to the amplifier, the two inputsmust be paralleled. The speaker canbe used either with separate cables

running from a single amplifier tothe woofer and tweeter sections orwith biamplification (separate am-plifiers for the two sections).

The principal differences betweenthe SL700 and the SL600 are thecrossover design, including its com-ponents (low -loss capacitors and ox-ygen -free copper wire) and layout(the network is supported by theinternal acoustic material instead ofbeing rigidly fastened to the cabinetwall), the internal wire connectionsusing heavy oxygen -free wire, thedual input connections, the cou-pling of the speaker to its stand andthe floor, and the aluminum (in-stead of copper) tweeter dome/voice -coil assembly. Essentially un-changed are the cabinet dimensionsand internal volume (12 liters, or0.4 cubic foot), system impedance(nominally 8 ohms), and sensitivity(82 dB sound -pressure level, or SPL,at 1 meter with a 2.83 -volt input).The low -frequency limit of theSL700 (at the -3 -dB point) is ratedas 63 Hz, compared to 75 Hz for theSL600, and its power -handling ca-pability is rated as 120 watts of pro-gram material, compared to 100watts for the SL600. Price: $2,600 apair, including stands. Celestion,Dept. SR, Box 521, Kuniholm Dr.,Holliston, MA 01746.

Lab TestsThe measured room response of

the Celestion SL700 was generallysimilar to that of the SL600 wetested three years ago, but it wasmarkedly smoother and flatter overthe largest part of the audio range,from approximately 400 Hz tobeyond 20,000 Hz. The total varia-tion between those limits was only3.5 dB. The close-miked woofer re-sponse was also much like that ofthe SL600. The maximum outputwas between 100 and 150 Hz, fallingoff at 12 dB per octave at lower fre-quencies and at 6 dB per octave athigher frequencies. At 400 Hz, thewoofer output leveled off and over-lapped the room curve for the nextcouple of octaves.

The low -frequency portion of thecomposite response curve did notmatch what we heard from theSL700's, however. The shape of thecurve suggests a boomy quality, butthe sound of the SL700 had no trace

of that aberration. Close-mikedmeasurements give a near approxi-mation of the anechoic response ofa woofer, and do not necessarilycorrespond to what might be heardin a normal room, but it is unusualto find a discrepancy of this magni-tude. A clue to the reason for thedifference between what we heardand measured from the SL700 lay inits room response at low frequen-cies. We normally do not use thismeasurement because it is inevita-bly affected by the room's reso-nances and is therefore highly irreg-ular. In this case, the speaker's bassroom response was only about 3 dBabove the midrange level instead ofthe 8 dB that was indicated in ourcomposite curve.

For the close-miked and room -response tests, and all our listening,the stands of the SL700's wereabout 4 feet from the back and sidewalls, and the speakers were angledinward about 20 degrees. Thisplacement provided a minimum ofbass reinforcement from the roomboundaries and optimum listeningquality.

Our quasi-anechoic FFT responsemeasurements, made 1 meter fromthe speaker, were more consistentwith what we heard than the otherresponse tests. On the speaker'saxis, response was flat within ± 2dB from 180 to 14,000 Hz, dippedabout 6 dB at 15,000 Hz, andreturned to its average midrange

When we sat dead center, thesound from the SL700'sseemed to extend well beyondthe speakers. Instrumentaldefinition ofcomplex passageswas outstanding.

level at 20,000 Hz. The tweeter res-onance was at 24,000 Hz, where itsoutput was up about 10 dB.

The phase linearity of the SL700was excellent. The overall group -delay variation from 360 to 23,000Hz was less than 0.5 millisecond,and over most of that range it wasabout 0.1 millisecond. In the wooferrange, where even large amounts ofgroup delay are normal (and not

52 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

There's only one other way toenjoy so many thrills for so little money.

COMPACT DISC

01,0'04READY

c 1987, Interystlional Jensen Inc Jensen'sew registered traders t r k el n(hn.7l 'r

Fast rides. Lots of excitement: A dayat the amusement park is a great wayto get your adrenalin going. For themoney, there's nothing quite like it.

Unless, of course, you're cleverenough to buy Jensen'

Classic car speakersor a JS car receiver.

Classicspeakersgive youbig soundfor alittle price.

All the Jensen Classic speakers arecompact disc ready, a feature you'dnormally expect to find only on higherpriced speakers. Although they're shorton price, they're not short on power.Dynamic cone tweeters, long throwwoofers and 2,/21' dynamic conemidranges (on our 6" x 9" model)give you up to 150 watts peak power.What's more,they're madein the U.S.A.and there's amodel to fitany installation.

JS receivers give youfeatures you can really use.

Any car receiver gives you plentyof features. The Jensen JS receivers havefeatures you'll use plenty. Like AutoReverse. Dolby "B:' Seek. Scan. And40 watts system power.

Two JS receivers even have compactdisc player inputs. So, adding a CD playerto your system is as easy asplugging it in.

If you're ready forthrilling car sound, but notprepared to spend a lot ofmoney, there's only onething to do.

Put a Jensen in yourcar.Turn it up. Then hangon for the ride of your life.

III1111111.- MI MO OM MI

JENSENWe make music a moving experience.CIRCLE NO. 53 ON READER SERVICE CARD

TEST REPORTS

audible), we measured less than 8milliseconds variation from 40 to450 Hz.

From a minimum of about 6ohms at 150 Hz, the system's im-pedance rose to 43 ohms at 68 Hzand 100 ohms at 2,300 Hz. Thespeaker's sensitivity was slightlylow, 81 dB SPL at 1 meter with 2.83volts input, and we had to drive it atan 8 -volt level (equivalent to a 90 -dB SPL) for our bass distortionmeasurements. As might be ex-pected, the SL700's small wooferexhibited moderately high distor-tion with this input, rising from 2.7percent at 100 Hz to 6.3 percent at60 Hz and increasing more rapidlybelow that frequency. Subjectively,the lower limit of the speaker'sresponse was about 50 or 60 Hz,and the distortion, which was al-most entirely second- or third -har-monic, was not audible with mu-sical programs.

The peak power -handling abilityof the SL700 was comfortably high-er than any input it is likely to expe-rience in most installations. Thewoofer started to rattle with a one -cycle input of 65 watts at 100 Hz,

but at 1,000 and 10,000 Hz theamplifier ran out of output (at 140and 225 watts, respectively) beforethe speaker reached its limits.

CommentsWe first heard the Celestion

SL700 at the Summer ConsumerElectronics Show in Chicago lastJune, and we were immediately im-pressed by its seamless sound stageand the lack of any sense that thesesmall speakers were producing theamount of sound we heard. Frankly,we did not expect to hear the sameeffect in our own room, but the spa-tial properties of the system wereapparent from the first hearing.

When we sat dead center, thesound seemed to extend wellbeyond the speakers, which wereless than 8 feet apart-nearly to theside walls, most of the way fromfloor to ceiling, and even beyondthe wall behind the speakers. Listen-ing with closed eyes produced thissensation almost every time, andsoon the speakers became "invisi-ble" (in an auditory sense) evenwith our eyes open.

We spent considerable time mak-

. . Oh, yes, Gus DaRosa the recording engineer. We buried him this morning.He was a very large -framed chap. We had to compress the coffin underpads, boostthe side fabrics to compensate for removal of the satin lid panels, and equalize theheadrest by expanding the cotton batting."

ing A/B comparisons between theSL700's and other speakers, some ofwhich had better measured frequen-cy -response characteristics than thediminutive Celestions. This provedto be a frustrating and confusingexperience; our goal was to establishsome connection between one ormore measured properties of thespeakers and their sound, and inthis we failed utterly.

Constant group delay (a linear -phase -shift characteristic) seemedlike a good explanation of theSL700's sound, and it was certainlyvery good in that respect, but so areother speaker systems that do notshare its spatial properties and clari-ty. The SL700's instrumental defini-tion of complex orchestral passageswas outstanding, and whenever weheard anything similar from anoth-er speaker, it was plainly associatedwith a frequency -response emphasisthat "sharpened" the sound. Maybeit was the stands, we conjectured.But placing the SL700's on top ofother speakers made no significantchange in their sound. As I said,frustrating!

Even though we did not discoverthe reasons for the characteristicsound of these speakers, we are con-vinced that it is something special-if not unique, at least very much outof the ordinary. Once you bringyourself to ignore the size and two-way design of the SL700, you realizethat it has far more apparent bassoutput than the measured responsewould imply and that it can playvery loud without generating un-pleasant sounds. It is truly an excel-lent speaker.

It is also extremely expensive,and that is our major complaint. Ifyou are prepared to spend over$2,500 for a pair of loudspeakers, anumber of other models comparefavorably with the SL700's. Theothers may not sound better, butmost of them are significantly largerand capable of handling greaterpower.

If you are considering speakers inthis price range, however, try toaudition the Celestion SL700 asdemonstrated by a knowledgeabledealer. Be warned-you may be sor-ry you heard them, for then a criti-cal decision faces you!Circle 142 on reader service card

54 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

VANTAGE®

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With a worldwide reputation for sonic excellence, the newLuxman Receivers also deliver more power than ever before.

For over 60 years, Luxman audio compo-nents have been internationally recognizedfor their superb sonic quality.

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With the tremendous dynamic power ofthe new Luxman receivers, our reputationfor "Ultimate Fidelity" is likely to change to"Ultimate Power."

A Division of Alpine Electronics of America, Inc. (213) 326-8000CIRCLE NO 52 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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LUXMAN

THE STATE OF THE ARTBY JULIAN HIRSCH

"Advanced" loudspeakerdesigns are being

introduced at a very

rapid rate, but how do

you separate the hype

from the reality?

58 STEREO REVIEW SFr ['EMBER 1987

LTHOUGH there are prob-ably more loudspeakersin use than any other hi-fi component, thanks to

stereo and, more recently, surroundsound, and although loudspeakerdesign has undergone little funda-mental change in more than half acentury, "new" models continue toappear almost daily. Some of theirnovelty is cosmetic in nature, butmost are claimed to offer a genuinelistening improvement-or at leasta difference-compared with pre-vious models. But how much of thisimprovement is genuine, and howmuch is hype?

Strange as it may seem, there areno standards for defining the trueperformance of a loudspeaker. Thesound we ultimately hear dependsnot only on the speaker's design(and, of course, the program, butlet's ignore that for the present) butalso to a great degree on the dimen-sions and acoustical properties ofthe listening room, as well as thelocations of the speakers and the lis-teners.

That doesn't mean that the speak-er itself is not a vital part of the lis-

tening equation-it is probably themost important part. But the otherfactors influencing what we hearcan severely complicate the task ofjudging speaker quality.

How Do Speakers Work?All speakers create sound by

pushing against the air to produce apressure wave that radiates outwardinto the listening area. The mostwidely used (and most familiar)type of speaker is the magnetic, ordynamic, driver. In its usual form, amagnetic driver consists of a papercone, or diaphragm, suspendedfrom a metal frame, or "basket," bya flexible surround attached to itsrim. A cylinder wound with a coil ofwire, the voice coil, is attached tothe apex of the cone. The voice coil,located in a narrow gap between twoconcentric iron cylinders, is im-mersed in a powerful magneticfield. When a current passesthrough the voice coil, an opposingmagnetic force is generated thatmoves it, and the speaker cone,along its axis.

As the cone moves in and out, fol-lowing the waveform of the driving

1

There can be large

differences in the

sounds of speakers

that appear to be

quite similar.

signal, it pushes air ahead of it toform a positive pressure wave,which is followed by a negativepressure wave as the cone reversesdirection. In most speakers the driv-er is installed in a box, or enclosure,that prevents the wave generated bythe rear of the cone from radiatinginto the room; otherwise, the frontwave would be partially canceled bythe rear wave at low audio frequen-cies. A widely used variation on thebox enclosure is the vented enclo-sure, which has an opening, or port,that allows some of the rear wave toenter the room. The rear wave isvented only at low frequencies, andcorrect venting reinforces the bassresponse down to a predeterminedcutoff frequency, below which thespeaker's output decreases rapidly.A properly designed vented enclo-sure can provide extended bass re-sponse with higher sensitivity (effi-ciency) than a sealed enclosure ofthe same size.

Generating low frequencies canrequire the movement of a consid-erable volume of air. To move allthat air, the speaker cone must becapable of a large movement (excur-sion) or have a large area, or both.But a large, relatively massive conecannot move rapidly enough to gen-erate the higher audio frequencieseffectively, and its response is nei-ther smooth nor uniform at thosefrequencies. That's why the treblerange is normally reproduced bysmaller and lighter drivers called

"tweeters," while larger drivers, or"woofers," are used for the lowerfrequencies.

At high frequencies, where thewavelengths become comparable tothe cone diameter, the sound tendsto "beam," or radiate in a narrowangle, instead of covering a broadlistening area. Beaming, which af-fects the overall character of thesound as well as its spatial proper-ties, can be minimized by using atweeter with a very small radiatingsurface. A popular tweeter designuses a dome (usually convex butsometimes concave) instead of aconical diaphragm. The frequencyresponse of a dome tweeter canextend well above audible limits,with good angular dispersion.

Most modern speaker systems usemultiple drivers in two-way orthree-way configurations. A cross-over network (a specialized form ofelectrical filter) channels low fre-quencies to the woofer and higherfrequencies to the midrange driverand tweeter. The choice of cross-over frequencies and cutoff slopes(the rate at which the input to adriver is decreased outside its oper-ating range) can have a considerableeffect on the ultimate listening qual-ities of the system.

As I mentioned, none of the basicelements of a dynamic speaker sys-tem are actually new, although thetechnology of designing and manu-facturing modern drivers, and thecrossover networks for them, con-tinues to advance rapidly. Both pro-cesses have been greatly facilitatedby the wide use of computers.

Although most of today's speak-ers use conventional box enclosuresand dynamic drivers, there aresome notable departures from therule. A moving cone or dome is notthe only way to move air. One of theearliest variants was the electrostat-ic speaker, which has long been anattractive solution to the knownproblems of dynamic speakers-principally the irregularities of fre-quency and phase response that re-sult from cone resonances and colorthe sound.

An electrostatic speaker movesair with a thin plastic diaphragmcarrying a fixed electric charge. Inone typical configuration, the dia-phragm is suspended betwen twogrids of wire whose open construc-tion allows the sound generated byits movement to escape. The audiosignal is applied to the two metalelectrodes, and the varying electric

field attracts and repels the plasticfilm in accordance with variationsin the signal waveform.

An electrostatic diaphragm is fas-tened to a frame around its edgesand cannot move as far as a typicaldynamic speaker cone, but if it islarge enough it can still moveenough air to generate good bassresponse. Because of the extremelylow mass of the film diaphragm, itcan respond to the highest audio fre-quencies, extending well beyond thelimits of human hearing. A full-range electrostatic speaker requiresan area of at least several square feet(some are as large as 12 to 15 squarefeet) and normally operates as adipole radiator, with equal soundoutput to the front and the rear. Itmust be located several feet fromthe rear wall, which reflects the rearoutput, adding a quality of am-bience that is preferred by manypeople.

Although the sound quality ofelectrostatic speakers is widely ad-mired, this type has several obviousdrawbacks. Such speakers are largeand expensive, and they often placesevere demands on the driving am-plifier. Also, they cannot deliver thesheer volume of sound, especially atlow frequencies, that is possiblewith dynamic systems of compara-ble size or cost.

Dynamic and electrostatic speak-ers account for the vast majority oftoday's speaker systems. There areother types of magnetically drivenspeakers, such as planar diaphragmsor ribbons, that share some of thequalities of both electrostatic anddynamic systems, but they are fewand can be classified as magnetical-ly driven dipole radiators.

What's NewIf all speakers operate by the same

basic principles, what is the justifi-cation for the multitude of newmodels that are announced everyyear? How many of them offer agenuine improvement in soundquality?

Like many other hi-fi compo-nents, speakers are often promotedon the basis of extremely minutesonic differences whose importancemay, to many people, seem highlyexaggerated. Bear in mind that noone has yet been able to determinewhich performance parameters areimportant for the best sound or,indeed, to define quantitativelywhat that "best sound" might be.For every case where someone has

60 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

attempted to establish a relation-ship between measurable perform-ance and sound quality of speakers,on either theoretical or experimen-tal grounds, there has been someoneelse with equally valid credentialsand an opposite opinion.

For example, should a speakerbeam its output toward the listeneror should it have omnidirectionalproperties and "illuminate" allparts of the room with sound?These two contradictory concepts ofdesirable speaker performance havecoexisted for many years, togetherwith an intermediate variant, thecombined Direct/Reflected soundlong espoused by Bose.

One would hardly expect suchdisparate approaches to be equallycorrect, although "correctness" ishardly an appropriate term to applyto such a totally subjective matter asan individual's perception of repro-duced sound. Nevertheless, propo-nents of each approach have madeconvincing arguments for their pref-erences. Even the verdict of thatfinal arbiter, the consumer, hasbeen similarly divided.

Can it be that there is no one the-oretically correct dispersion patternfor a speaker intended to reproducemusic in an arbitrary and undefinedenvironment? Quite possibly, butthat will not stop speaker designersfrom attempting to give their prod-ucts wider consumer acceptance.Let's examine a few of things theyare doing as part of that effort.

Spatial ControlWe may never be able to produce

a fully convincing illusion that theperformance we hear from a record-ing is actually originating in the lis-tening room, and there is good rea-son to believe that this is not adesirable aim in most cases. Buttoday's technology has brought ussurprisingly close to a more practi-cal goal-recorded music whosesound is at least believable.

When we listen to stereo record-ings through a pair of conventionalspeakers located at the front of theroom, the "sound stage" is usuallydefined by the space between them.If the speakers are located well awayfrom any room walls, the apparentwidth of the sound stage may beextended slightly beyond those lim-its, and some speakers can also im-part a sense of depth or height to thesound. Moving close to one of thespeakers will shift the apparentsource of the sound to that side,

however, destroying the spatial illu-sion. In fact, the ideal stereo listen-ing location is along a line betweenthe two speakers, equidistant fromthem, and usually at such a distancethat each speaker forms an angle ofabout 30 to 40 degrees with the lis-tener.

In recent years several speakermanufacturers have conductedstudies to determine how the soundstage can be expanded and, if possi-ble, made relatively independent ofthe listening position. One of thefirst commercially successful resultsof such an investigation that I canrecall was the dbx Soundfield One.Designer Mark Davis used experi-mental studies to establish the crite-ria for the speaker and computers tohelp design the system.

Essentially, the Soundfield One'sdirectivity was designed to compen-sate for the normal effects of gettingclose to one speaker and far off theaxis of the other. The SoundfieldOne used a large number of driversin a phased array. Subsequent dbxSoundfield speakers have been sim-plified without significant loss ofperformance but with a considera-ble reduction in cost.

Another effort to remove the lis-tening room from the equation wasthe Magic Speaker (MGC-1) fromAcoustic Research. This system alsoused controlled directivity, for themain speaker array was designed todeliver a "first -arrival" sound to thelisteners with a minimum of modi-fications from wall, ceilings, or floor

Many of the advances in loud-speaker technology stem frombreakthroughs in the manufac-turing process. The top photo atright shows a Polk tweeter as-sembly line in which steps havebeen consolidated to producemore uniform drivers. The mid-dle photos show Celestion's ex-periments with improved conematerials and voice -coil wind-ings, and the bottom photo illus-trates how Bctw uses laser inter-ferometry to help determine theexact dispersion qualities of itsspeaker drivers.

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 61

Speaker design,

once largely an

art, is now a

well-defined

science.

reflections. The first -arrival soundsare what provide the spatial cues bywhich a listener perceives the place-ment of the sound source(s). In theMGC-1 system, a secondary driverarray provided the room ambience.Under the control of the listener,the secondary array reflected its out-put off a side wall and used a vari-able electronic time delay. The re-sult was that these "late arrivals"provided the sensory effect of aspace much larger than the usual lis-tening room.

The AR MGC-1 was very success-ful in removing the surroundingspace from the listening equation. Itwas also large and expensive, al-though a smaller and less costlymodel has since been developed.

A very different method of en-hancing realism by expanding theapparent sound stage was developedby Polk Audio. It involved cancel-ing the interaural crosstalk that nor-mally restricts the width of the ster-eo stage. In a conventional stereosystem, each ear receives signalsfrom both speakers, differing intheir arrival time by the small inter-val required for the sound to travelaround the listener's head. The PolkStereo Dimension Array (SDA)speakers use separate drivers, a fewinches away from the regular driverarray, to radiate a signal derivedfrom the opposite stereo channel.Under the right conditions, this de-rived signal cancels the equivalentsignal reaching the ear from the

opposite speaker system, which hasthe psychoacoustic effect of expand-ing the sound stage to the sides ofthe room and even along the sidestoward the rear.

The greatest effect from this tech-nique is heard along the ideal stereolistening axis, and it is highly depen-dent on a lack of coherence betweenthe left and right program channels.Strongly separated channels, likethe "two -channel mono" some-times used to exaggerate stereo ef-fects, give the most spectacular re-sults with this type of signal process-ing, while more natural orchestralrecordings made with close -spacedmicrophones receive little enhance-ment (and mono is unaffected).

Conventional SpeakersThe preceding examples illustrate

some of the sonic benefits of sophis-ticated or unconventional designapproaches. Regardless of theirmerits, which are considerable, theymake up only a small percentage ofthe hi-fi speaker systems purchasedby American audiophiles.

Most people choose conventionalenclosed speakers. They may be de-signed to perform at their best on a

pedes-tals, or on the floor, but they are stillbasically two- or three-way systemswith passive crossover networksand dynamic drivers mounted in(usually) simple rectangular wood-en boxes. Surely there cannot bemajor sonic differences betweenthese speakers?

Actually, there can be surprisinglylarge differences in the sounds ofspeakers that may appear to be verysimilar. To be sure, such "differ-ences" are usually little more thanthat, and it may be difficult to proveto anyone's satisfaction that one isbetter than another-although ad-vertising and sales pitches will gen-erally make a strong effort in thatdirection.

It is unusual for any single designfactor to produce a distinctivespeaker. If the difference in itssound is definite and desirable,chances are that several parts of thedesign are contributing to it.

There are many materials andconstruction techniques used in themanufacture of speaker drivers. Ingeneral, the aim is to minimize non -ideal behavior. For example, a coneshould move like a single pistoninstead of having "break-up"modes that create a ragged frequen-cy response. To achieve this effect,

designers use a variety of plasticmaterials for the cones of the betterspeakers, and the plastic is some-times laminated with other materi-als to make the cones stiffer and lessprone to flexing.

The shape of the cone (its in-cluded angle and depth) also differsamong speakers. For woofers in par-ticular, designers use a variety ofsuspensions for the voice coil andthe surround. Their aim is to allowa large linear excursion, directlyproportional to the requirements ofthe electrical driving signal, insteadof one that is restricted by a limitedrange of movement in the driver.

A variation of cone design thathas been used from time to time indynamic speakers is the planar dia-phragm. Provided that it is light andrigid, such a diaphragm simplifieskeeping all the drivers in a systemoperating in phase and without timeerrors since all the radiating sur-faces are in the same plane andtherefore equidistant from a listeneron the forward axis of the speaker.

Magnet design has changed overthe years, reflecting the develop-ment of improved, lighter and morepowerful magnetic materials. Thechanges are less important in homespeakers, where size and weight arenot critical factors, than in the caseof automobile speakers or thoseused in portable radios or tapeplayers. The magnet material itselfhas no effect on the actual perform-ance of a driver provided that thecorrect magnetic field strength ex-ists in the speaker's air gap.

For many years most tweetershave used hard or soft dome dia-phragms. There does not appear tobe a decisive quality difference be-tween the two basic types (althoughI expect to hear strong argumentson that matter from their partisans).Some hard -dome tweeters use "ex-otic" and hard -to -work materials,such as beryllium and titanium,whose low mass and high rigidityare ideally suited to this function.These materials often have a greatlyextended frequency response (wellbeyond audible limits), which is cer-tainly a desirable characteristic ifnot actually a necessary one.

Crossover networks have proba-bly received the most intensivescrutiny by speaker designers. Thetask of these networks is considera-bly more complex than merely dis-tributing the parts of the audible fre-quency band to the correspondingdrivers. The manner in which the

62 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

levels and phase relationships of thenetwork outputs vary in the vicinityof the crossover frequency can havea great effect on the sound-proba-bly more on its spatial characterthan on the frequency balance, butboth are inextricably linked in thestereo process. Years ago crossoverswere very simple circuits, with per-haps one capacitor and one induc-tor (or a pair of each) for each fre-quency separation. Many are stillthat elementary, but the more so-phisticated designs made possibleby computers can be surprisinglycomplex.

For more than twenty-five yearswe have been reaping the benefits ofthe design criteria for vented speak-er enclosures developed by NevilleThiele and later expanded by Rich-ard Small. Perhaps more than any-thing else, these equations led to theelimination of "by -guess -and -by -gosh" or cut -and -try speaker design,making it possible to create speak-ers with almost any combination ofperformance and physical proper-ties as long as drivers with the nec-essary specifications can be manu-factured. The influence of theirwork will continue into the future,and it may well be the single mostimportant speaker development ofthe last couple of decades.

Finally, there is the enclosure it-self. More than just a box to holdthe drivers, it plays a vital role, forbetter or worse, in the system's totalperformance. There has alwaysbeen more to a speaker box thanappears on the surface: interiorbracing to reduce panel vibration,stuffing with sound -absorbent ma-terial to damp volume resonances,and so forth. Enclosure refinementcontinues, but, as always, little ornothing shows externally.

There is no doubt that a perfectlyrigid, nonresonant enclosure is a de-sirable feature for a speaker. Morethan thirty years ago, Wharfedalemade hollow, sand -filled panels,and there were other enclosures us-ing concrete, plaster, slate, concreteblock, and similar rigid and massivematerials. More recently we haveseen the use of honeycomb -alumi-num -sandwich panels (Celestion),an interlocking matrix structure(B&W), and an epoxy -laminatedpaper tube (Focus). Virtually everyone of the speakers using such extra -rigid enclosures has been acclaimedfor its excellent sound comparedwith other systems of the day.

Speaker design, once largely an

art, is now a well-defined science,although it retains some elements ofart in the choice of materials andmanufacturing processes. It shouldsurprise no one that the speakerdesigns that show the greatest con-formity to known theoretical re-quirements almost always soundbetter (and generally measure bet-ter) than others. Bear in mind, how-ever, that designers or manufactur-ers who devise a more ideal con-struction technique are likely toclaim somewhat greater benefitsfrom its use than strict objectivitywould justify.

Continuing EvolutionIt is reasonable to conclude from

examining the past and presentstates of speaker technology that asteady evolutionary process hasbeen going on, and it will probablycontinue in the foreseeable future.

Most speakers will continue to beenclosed box systems, if for no otherreasons than that this format ismost acceptable to the largest partof the buying public and that ityields a high quality -per -dollar ra-tio, at least in the low and moderateprice ranges. Specialized variationson this theme, designed to have dis-tinct spatial properties not readilyavailable from conventional speak-ers, will unquestionably continue toproliferate, but they are not likely tomake great market inroads amongthe general public.

More exotic speakers (planar ordipole radiators, both magnetic andelectrostatic in their operation) willcontinue to hold their place, buttheir size and placement limita-tions, to say nothing of their prices,will probably keep them from cap-turing a much larger share of themarket than they now hold. Exoticmaterials will continue to be used indrivers, especially in the upper partof the price range, but paper andplastics will continue as the main-stay of moderate -priced speakers.

As for the sound, although mycrystal ball is a trifle cloudy on thisquestion, I will venture to say that afew years from now, most of us willagree that speakers sound distinctlybetter than they did back in 1987. Ialso believe that their sound will beno closer to that of "the real thing"than the sound of speakers today,nor is it ever likely to be! But thatwon't stop audiophiles from arguingabout the perceived quality differ-ences and the pros and cons of thelatest startling developments. 0

Behind the scenes in the dbxlaboratories (top photo), testingand retesting, measuring and re -measuring go on constantly inorder to improve the sound ofdbx's Soundfield series speakers.Shown is the new Soundfield 50.

Allison's new IC 20 (lowerphoto) achieves superior imagingthrough an ingenious electronicswitching system. The output ofdifferent panels can be combinedso that the sound stage is cen-tered no matter where you sit ina room.

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 63

6 6

S

THE

Choosing the speakers that are rightfor you is tough but not impossible.

BY IAN G.

first job," an audio engi-neer once told me, "waswith a company that, whilevery successful, was noto-rious for producing speak-ers that had very weak tre-ble response. The chief de-signer held that this charac-

teristic was necessary for the properreproduction of classical music. Itdidn't sound realistic to me, but Iwasn't in a position to argue thepoint.

"Then, one day, I made a remark-able discovery. The designer was anavid music enthusiast and had hadseason tickets at the city's concerthall for many years. I attended regu-larly as well, but normally I couldonly afford the cheap seats in thesecond balcony. On one occasion,however, only expensive ticketswere available for an artist I partic-ularly wanted to see, and I foundmyself sitting right behind my boss.As soon as the concert began, I real-ized that we were located in anacoustic anomaly-the high fre-quencies were severely muted. Thelive music sounded just like ourcompany's speakers!"

The loudspeaker has always beenthe problem child of audio. Othercomponents, for all their complex-ity, have relatively simple aims: tostore, transmit, or amplify an elec-trical audio signal without changingits waveform or adding unwantedsounds. Admittedly, the originalsignal is sometimes flawed (usually

MASTERSbecause of the engineering), butonce an electrical signal is gener-ated, most audio equipment has lit-tle trouble dealing with it. Low dis-tortion and noise, flat frequency re-sponse, and-in mechanical devicessuch as tape decks or turntables-speed stability are generally ac-cepted as being the main require-ments for high -quality reproduc-tion. How low, how flat, and howstable components must be for theirflaws to be inaudible may be dis-puted, but most audio designersagree that there is some level of per-formance beyond which improve-ment would yield no sonic benefit.

TheDifficult ComponentWith speakers, nobody agrees on

anything. For one thing, there is noconsensus about what would consti-tute a perfect speaker. Should it beomnidirectional or carefully fo-cused? Should it have flat responseor a curve tailored to a particulartype of music? Even if there weresuch agreement, there is no stan-dard for measuring speaker per-formance, so it would be very diffi-cult to identify a "perfect" soundreproducer even if one were to exist.Nor is there any way for a designerto predict how a speaker will soundin a particular listening room; notonly are all rooms different, but thepositions of both speakers and lis-teners have profound acoustic ef-fects. And even if all these problemswere solved, speaker designers

The Boston Acoustics A40 is apopular bookshelf system now in itssecond generation. The A40 SeriesII is rated for a frequency response of65 to 20,000 Hz ±3 dB and featuresa ferrofluid-cooled polymer -dometweeter. Available in woodgrain orblack vinyl finish for $220 a pair.

Thiel's Coherent Source CS 2 is afloor -standing ported speaker featur-ing complete time and phase coher-ence achieved by a sloping baffleand a synthesized first -order cross-over network. Frequency response is38 to 20,000 Hz ±2 dB, and thespeakers can handle inputs up to250 watts. Height is 39 inches, andthe base is 12 inches square. Price:$1,550 a pair in teak finish.

64 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

Revox's three-piece system in-cludes a subwoofer measuring 15413x 14416 x 145/s inches and two Pic-

colo satellites measuring 51/2 x 83/4 x53/4 inches. System response is 48 to

22,000 Hz ±3 dB. The satellites,available separately, are $300 a

pair, the subwoofer $350.

The JBL Tiseries speakers,which range inprice from $590to $3,790 a pair,all have ultra -low -mass titanium -dome tweetersand polypropylenemidrange andlow -frequencydrivers.

Standing 253/4inches high, theKEF C40 is asealed -box systemwith third -orderbass loading to ex-tend low -frequencyresponse and in-crease power -han-dling capability.Frequency re-sponse is 68 to20.000 Hz ± 3 dB.Price: $490.

would still have many different con-struction methods to choose from.

For anyone contemplating thepurchase of an audio system for thefirst time, or even upgrading anexisting one, all this confusionmakes choosing speakers very diffi-cult, as it has resulted in a truly stag-gering number of models, no twoalike. And yet, selecting a pair ofspeakers is without a doubt an au-dio buyer's most critical decision-this last vital link in the audio chainwill largely determine the overallsound of a system. Careful shoppingis obviously required, but it's oftenhard for even seasoned audiophilesto know where to start.

Fortunately, of the myriad speak-ers available, only a very smallnumber will exactly fulfill your re-quirements. By eliminating ob-viously unsuitable speakers, youcan make the number of candidatesmore manageable.

Narrowing the FieldFirst, decide on a budget. Speak-

ers are available at a wide range ofprices, but price has very little to dowith their quality. Very good andvery bad speakers (and everythingin between) exist at all price levels,so decide at the outset how muchyou can spend and restrict yourresearch to that range. When youstart making the rounds of the audiostores, you may well be attracted toa more expensive speaker becauseof its looks, its extra features, theappeal of its brand name, or itssound, and you may considerspending more than you had in-tended. By all means do so if youcan afford it, but remember thatblowing your budget is rarely neces-sary. Unless you have extremelyunorthodox requirements, youshould be able to find good soundwithout straining your finances un-duly.

What you will pay for a givenspeaker also has a lot to do withwhere-and when-you buy it.Most audio retailers do have sales,and once you have decided whatspeakers you want, a little patiencewill often let you take advantage ofthe lower prices. Many dealers willalso give you a break if you buyyour whole system from them rath-er than from several different stores.Discount houses can also offer sub-stantial savings, but you may haveto sacrifice service if anything goeswrong, and almost certainly youwill not have the opportunity to

STERFA REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 65

'Nem-"le

exchange the speakers if you are notsatisfied once you set them up athome. But however you achieveprice reductions, they are worthseeking out, for they will enable youeither to buy a more ambitious pairof speakers or to spend more on theother components in your system.

Once you have decided howmuch you can spend, look carefullyat the requirements of the room inwhich your speakers will operate.One obvious factor is space: Youcan safely eliminate any speakerthat simply won't fit in the area youhave available. By the same token,if the only place you can accommo-date your speakers is against a wallor in a corner, don't bother consid-ering speakers designed to be posi-tioned with free air around them.This category includes virtually allomnidirectional and bidirectionalspeakers as well as many conven-tional boxes. You may not be awareof such placement requirementswithout looking at an owner's man-ual, so make sure to check the man-ual before you make a final choice.

While an audio component'slooks rarely have anything to dowith how it performs sonically, it isusually unwise to underestimate theimportance of visual appeal. What-ever speakers you eventually buywill become a prominent feature ofyour listening room. Don't count ontheir being unobtrusive-if youcan't see them, you may not be ableto hear them properly either. With-in reason, choose units that will har-monize with your decor. While youmay be content to have some bi-zarre -looking piece of exotic tech-nology permanently ensconced inyour perfect Georgian living room,other members of your householdmay not be quite so tolerant.

The size of your listening roomhas an important bearing on thespeakers you choose. To achieve thesame apparent listening level, alarge area requires more acousticoutput from a speaker than a smallone does. Similarly, a "dead" roomwith thick carpets and draperies,overstuffed furniture, and so forth,requires more from a speaker than a"live" room with mostly hard sur-faces.

Your listening habits also affectthe amount of output your speakerswill have to produce. High volumelevels obviously need more powerthan background levels, but the typeof music you listen to is equallyimportant. Classical music may

Polk's new RTA 11t is a 39 -inch -high tower system with two 6V2 -inch

bass/midrange drivers symmetri-cally arrayed above and below a 1 -

inch trilaminate-polymer dometweeter. The acoustic center of the

lower -frequency drivers coincides ex-actly with that of the tweeter, giving

almost perfectly coincident radia-tion of the midrange and high fre-

quencies for improved imaging andblending of the drivers' output. Two

8 -inch passive radiators completethe system, which is rated for a re-

sponse from 18 to 26,000 Hz ±3 dB.Recommended amplifier power is10 to 250 watts. Price: $425 each.

All of the speakersin Magnat's MSP se-ries have voice coilsusing the company'spatented Ribbon -Wire, which packs upto 40 percent morecopper windings inthe voice -coil gapthan conventionalround wire. Thebookshelf -size MSP100 (shown) has a fre-quency response of 41to 27,000 Hz ±3 dBand can handle up to100 watts. Price: $890a pair.

Magnepan's Magneplanar MG-lila is a full -range, floor -standingbipolar panel system utilizing bothplanar -magnetic and ribbon drivers.By eliminating the box enclosure,the design is said to produce a moreopen, natural, and dimensionallyaccurate sound. Price: $1,995a pair.

66 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

Canton's full range of speaker systemsrepresents some of the best Europeantechnology and styling available.Prices range from $12.000 a pair forthe floor -standing. quad -amplified CA 30to $275 a pair for the Plus Sminispeaker.

The DCM Time FrameTF500 (above) is a tapered -transmission -line, bass -load-ing system with a 61a -inchcone woofer and a 31/4 -inchsoft -dome tweeter withacoustic lens. Frequency re-sponse is 36 to 20.000 Hz±3 dB, height 41 inches.Price: $549 a pair.

The ADS L series speakers(left) range from $340 to$2,600 a pair. All use high -compliance Stiffliie conewoofers and soft -dometweeters. The top -of -the -lineL1590 features an optionalbiamplifier/crossovermodule.

have extremely high momentarypeaks (particularly if it was recordeddigitally), but rock music makesgreater demands on audio equip-ment because it usually has higheraverage levels and therefore re-quires a system that won't fry whenit's asked to produce sustained highoutput.

One way to obtain the necessaryvolume level is to use a high -poweramplifier, often an attractive solu-tion as watts are relatively cheap.High -wattage amplifiers run the riskof exceeding a speaker's power -han-dling capacity, however, and thatcan cause damage. The alternativeis to choose speakers with relativelyhigh sensitivity-ones that can pro-duce a lot of acoustic output withrelatively few watts from the ampli-fier. Not all speaker manufacturersmeasure sensitivity in the samefashion (or at all), but most nowspecify the acoustic output, in deci-bels of sound -pressure level (sPL) at1 meter, from an amplifier input of1 watt. A typical speaker with lowsensitivity might show a specifica-tion of 84 dB SPL. For every 3 -dBincrease in sensitivity, half the am-plifier power is required to producethe same sound level; anythingabove, say, 92 or 93 dB SPL is usual-ly considered high sensitivity, andsome blockbusters can put out morethan 100 dB.

Sensitivity has very little to dowith a speaker's overall sound qual-ity; it is a measure of quantity for agiven input. Another aspect of aspeaker's design that should be con-sidered even though it has no bear-ing on sonic character is its imped-ance: the electrical load presented toan amplifier's output circuitry,measured in ohms. Most amplifiersare intolerant of speakers whose im-pedance is too low because thatincreases current drain and cancause damage. Every amplifier specsheet indicates the optimal load,just as every speaker has a statednominal impedance.

In normal circumstances, it is un-likely that problems of impedancematching will occur, as the majorityof home speakers have a nominalimpedance of 8 ohms and virtuallyall amplifiers are happy drivingthat. If you intend to drive morethan one pair of speakers from thesame amplifier, however, rememberthat doing so reduces the total im-pedance and may cause trouble.When choosing speakers, therefore,you should limit your selection to

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 67

The pioneering Klipschorn is afolded -horn system designed forcorner placement. A classic refer-ence speaker, it costs about $2,800a pair depending on finish.

Apogee's Scintilla is a full -rangeribbon dipole that stands 57inches high. Each speaker requires100 watts minimumpower. Price: $3,780 a pair.

models that will be compatible withyour amplifier.

Doing Your HomeworkOnce you have identified your

broad requirements, you will haveeliminated the great majority ofspeakers on the market. You willthen be faced with the more man-ageable task of finding a selection ofthe ones that do fit your particularneeds. STEREO REVIEW and otheraudio magazines periodically pub-lish comprehensive directories ofaudio components, with specifica-tions and prices, and these are ex-tremely useful for identifying candi-dates. Simply go through and markthose that match your criteria; in alllikelihood, you will find several, butnot too many. The information inthe directories can often be supple-mented by other published materialsuch as test reports or advertise-ments.

Armed with this basic informa-tion, find out which of the brandsyou're considering are sold locally.While virtually everything is avail-able in the major cities, if you live ina smaller town there is little point inselecting a speaker you'll have to goto another state to obtain. Often thetelephone company's Yellow Pageswill indicate which local dealers car-ry which lines, but a preliminaryvisit to as many of them as possiblewill not only give you an idea ofwhat is available but also providesome sense of what each store islike. You will eventually have tomake a careful choice as to whereyou want to make your purchase,and it is useful to weed out theobvious unsuitables at an earlystage. This step may also narrowyour equipment choices to some ex-tent: You can safely eliminate anybrand that is only available some-where you wouldn't want to shop.While you're visiting the stores,pick up as much literature as youcan. Most dealers can not only sup-ply manufacturers' brochures butalso test -report reprints-all favor-able, of course, but they can stillgive you information about fea-tures, placement requirements, andso on.

Other valuable sources of infor-mation are audiophiles of your ac-quaintance, whether friends, rela-tives, or co-workers. Canvass theiropinions about the brands you areconsidering and, if possible, eventhe specific models. Such unbiasedopinions are worth many sales-

-srmen's pitches or glossy advertise-ments. You may even find thatsomeone you know owns one ofyour candidates. If he is happy withit, try to arrange a listening session(or, better still, borrow the speak-ers). If you like what you hear, youmight even decide to cut short yourquest and buy a known quantity.

Give some thought-but not toomuch-to brand names. No manu-facturer's imprint, however goodthe reputation, is an absolute guar-antee of quality, but buying a speak-er made by a leading company willusually insure a certain level ofworkmanship as well as the likeli-hood that service will be available ifyou have a problem in later years.Generally, you should avoid astore's "house brands," not becausethey are bad speakers-some areexcellent-but because their sourceis usually a mystery and their pricesare often more or less arbitrarily setby the retailer.

The Last RoundHowever much research you

might have done, your final choicecan only be made by listening-lotsof listening. The subject of audition-ing speakers has given birth to avast literature, and no two expertsreally agree on what is the most reli-able method. Even if there weresome agreement, the chances ofyour finding stores with ideal dem-onstration environments are verysmall.

Nevertheless, if your list of final-ists is small enough-half a dozen,say-and you can find a dealer whocarries most of them, direct com-parisons should be possible.

The listening room should ap-proximate the size and arrangementof your own, if possible, and youshould try to persuade the retailer toplace the speakers you are consider-ing in positions roughly equivalentto where they will be in your ownroom. Listen to the speakers two ata time, using familiar material (pref-erably your own records). Bear inmind that the speakers will inevita-bly sound different when you setthem up at home, so make sure thatthe dealer has an exchange policy incase the differences are so great thatyour sound is unacceptable.

Throughout this process, takeyour time. Loudspeakers are themost important component in youraudio system, and only patienceand persistence can insure that theones you buy are right for you.

68 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

POWEREDSPEAKERS

BY WILLIAM WOLFEPOWERED, or active, loudspeak-ers have power amplifiers builtinto them, and because of this theyhave long been regarded as some-thing of an oddity in the audiouniverse. Recently, though, pow-ered speakers have made a dra-matic comeback-especially thecompact models that can be con-nected directly to portable CDplayers, personal cassette players,and stereo video systems.

Today's powered speaker sys-tems come in a variety of sizesand prices, and they can benefithome systems as well as portableones. Though using active speakersat home means you cannot selectyour own power amplifier, they dooffer a number of advantages overpassive systems: the built-in ampli-fier(s) can be matched preciselywith the speaker drivers, activeequalizers can be introduced, andefficient low-level crossovers canbe used. To complete your musicsystem, simply connect a pream-plifier or an individual line -levelsignal source to the speakers. Ifyou are buying a new system orare considering an upgrade, pow-ered speakers are an intriguingoption.

The Merid-ian M30 activespeaker uses apair of 70 -wattClass AA ampli-fiers to drive its5 -inch paper -cone bass/mid-range driverand 10 -inch fer-rofluid-dampedsoft -dome tweeter.A defeatablemusic -sensingcircuit switchesthe systemto standby modeif no signalsare received for10 minutes. Thespeaker measures7x 15 x 12inches. Price:$1,625 a pair.

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 69

Audio Pro's A4-14 system in-cludes an "Ace -Bass" subwoof-er, two rear -mounted, down-ward -firing 5 -inch woofers, a

41/2 -inch cone midrange, and a 1 -inchsoft -dome tweeter. Crossovers are at300 and 2,500 Hz. Dimensions are12 x 201/2 x 101/2 inches. Price: $1,895a pair.

Recoton's F.R.E.D. SP -1 has an efficient bass -reflexdesign, and the 12 -watt -per -channel amplifierpowers a 5 -inch full -range driver in each speaker.The compact enclosures measure 17 x 10 x 7

inches. Price: $169.95 a pair.

The AR PoweredPartners areshielded so thatthey can be used

near video monitorswithout disrupting thepicture. Each triangularspeaker has a 4 -inchlong -throw woofer and aliquid -cooled tweeter. Di-mensions are 6 x 101/2 x73/4 inches. Price: $340a pair.

proton's Model 313 has a 411z -inch passive radiator,a 41/2 -inch woofer powered by a 20 -watt amplifier,and a 13/4 -inch dome tweeter powered by a 5 -wattamplifier. Tweeter output is adjustable. Dimen-

sions are 61/2 x 23 x 11 inches. Price: $300 a pair.

70 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

Available in 6 x 9 x 6 -inchblack or white polypropyleneenclosures, the Bose Room-mates (right) use some of the

same technology found in Bose'spopular Model 901, including activeequalization. Price: $229 a pair.

Bang & Olufsen's Beolab Penta(below) is a five -sided, bass -re-flex tower system finished inbrushed stainless steel. Height

is 65 inches; base is 5 inches on aside. A 150 -watt amplifier powers thenine drivers. Price: $2,999 a pair.

john Bowers's Ac-tive 1 is a com-

pact powerhouse,using a 200 -watt

amplifier to drive itstwo 6 -inch Bextrene-

cone woofers and a 100 -watt amplifier to drive a1 -inch polyamide-dome

tweeter. The speakermeasures 10 x 2454 x

1544 inches, and thestand holding the am-

plifiers raises the top ofthe speaker 3374 inches

from the floor. Price:$2,995 a pair.

The Active Diamondfrom Wharfedale isavailable in red,black, or white lac-

quer finish with remova-ble cloth grilles. Its 20 -watt amplifier drives a41/2 -inch bass/midrangedriver and a 3/4 -inchtweeter. Overall dimen-sions are 70 x 91/2 x 8inches. Optional accesso-ries include shelf and wallmounting brackets, a car-rying case, and adaptorsfor headphone jacks.Price: $200 a pair.

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 71

OPERA, 011 CIA BASIC LIBKARY, PART 1

NCREASING public exposure toopera and wide appreciation offine operatic performanceshave greatly expanded the list

of what might be considered the"basic" operas. At one time such alist might have included simply Laboheme, Tosca, Madama Butterfly,La Traviata, Rigoletto, and, possi-bly, Lohengrin. Those works madeup the repertoire, and they were theoperas that got recorded.

Operatically our lives are im-mensely richer now, and our tastesand knowledge are more schooled.Fortunately, there is much tochoose from on compact disc-

BY ROBERT ACKART

more than we can cover even in atwo-part survey (operas by Verdiand Wagner will be covered in Part2, scheduled for later this year).There are, perforce, omissions, andthere are bound to be new releaseseven of the works discussed by thetime this discography is printed.But operatic recordings do not goout of print quickly, and the ver-sions evaluated here should remainavailable for some time.

Much has been said about thesonic advantages of CD's over LP's.The superiority of the CD is a fact-and a big attraction-for the major-ity of recordings available in both

formats, but it is not invariably thecase. Remastered analog recordings,however, generally gain in qualityon CD. Another attraction, ofcourse, is increased playing time.CD's offer long stretches of uninter-rupted listening-sometimes morethan seventy minutes.

When two or more CD versionsof an opera are available, they arelisted here alphabetically by label(Deutsche Grammophon being ab-breviated to DG). The label name isfollowed by the catalog number andthe number of CD's in the set.Mono recordings are indicated byan 03 symbol.

72 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

BEETHOVEN: Fidelio DG 419 436-2 (two CD's). Janowitz,Kollo, Jungwirth, Fischer-Dieskau, So -tin; Vienna State Opera Chorus; ViennaPhilharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bern-stein cond. Impressively cast and con-ducted with passionate dedication, this1978 recording remains something of alandmark. The musical and dramaticpower of Beethoven's one opera is fullyrealized by the Viennese forces underBernstein's direction, and Gundula Ja-nowitz as Leonore and Rene Kollo asFlorestan have the amplitude of voicetheir roles require. The rest of the cast isexcellent. The Leonore Overture No. 3is played as the introduction to theopera's final scene-and quite a per-formance it is, too! LONDON 410 227-2 (two CD's). Beh-rens, Hofmann, Sotin, Adam, Howell;Chicago Symphony Chorus and Or-chestra, Georg Solti cond. This fineFidelio was recorded in 1979. The cho-ral passages, under Margaret Hillis's di-rection, are thrilling, and each of thesoloists is in top form. Hildegard Beh-rens's voice, though perhaps not aslarge as Janowitz's, is an instrument ofgreater emotional power; Peter Hof-mann performs convincingly as Flores -tan for the most part, but he is not quiteequal to the demands of his big aria.Hans Sotin, Theo Adam, and GwynneHowell are all commendable. TheLeonore No. 3 is here played as anappendix to the opera.

BELLINI: Norma ANGEL te CDCC-47303 (threeCD's). Callas, Stignani, Filippeschi,Rossi-Lemeni; Chorus and Orchestra ofLa Scala, Milan, Tullio Serafin cond.Recorded in 1954 with a now legendarycast, this Norma is the only one avail-able as yet on CD. While other perform-ances might be more beautifully sung,Maria Callas's Norma is the standardfor musical style and dramatic insightin this role. Her colleagues are some-what less spectacular vocally but stillsplendid, and the conducting is authori-tative.

BIZET: Carmen ERA-ro ECD 880373 (three CD's).Migenes-Johnson, Domingo, Raimon-di, Esham; Chorus of Radio France;Orchestre National de France, LorinMaazel cond. The 1984 soundtrack forthe motion picture starring Julia Mi-genes-Johnson and Placido Domingo,this Carmen is as graphic as a recordedperformance can be. "Sexy" is the word!Of the four principal roles, it is Mi-genes-Johnson's characterization ofCarmen that is the most sharpened bycinematic demands. She croons,storms, and whimpers to great effectand generally delivers the role preciselyand expertly. The performances ofDomingo and the others are vocally

praiseworthy but more conventional,though intensified beyond what is cus-tomarily heard in the opera house. Fortheatrical effect, Maazel sometimes al-ters rhythms, purposely slowing orspeeding them, but the chorus andorchestra under his direction performcrisply throughout. DG 410 088-2 (three CD's). Baltsa,Carreras, Van Dam, Ricciarelli; ParisOpera Chorus; Berlin Philharmonic,Herbert von Karajan cond. The originalopera :7omique version, with trained ac-tors supplementing the fine singers toproduce a completely believable Car-men. The sound is gorgeous, and Kara-jan conducts at a leisurely pace that isaltogether revelatory. Agnes Baltsacolors and inflects her voice to bring herCarmen very much to life, and whileshe sings sensually, she also sings verybeautifully. Jose Carreras is generallyfine as Don Jose except when singingforte in the upper register, and Jose vanDam's Escamillo is properly suave anddashing.

DONIZETTI: Lucia di Lammermoor ANGEL CDCB-47440 (two CD's).Callas., Tagliavini, Cappuccilli; Philhar-monia Chorus and Orchestra, TullioSerafin cond. A legendary recordingthat offers four special pleasures: Cal-las's Lucia, interpreted with such in-sight that the voice, though past itsprime, truly becomes an instrument ofdramatic communication; FerruccioTagliavini's Edgardo, a role especiallysuited to the purity of his voice; PieroCappuccilli's Enrico, richly sung and

Facing page:scene fromFrancesco

Rosi's film ofBize's Carmen.

The soundtrack isavailable on an

Erato CD.

At r'ght, Kiri TeKanawa isa childlike

Marguerite andFrancisco Araizaa stylish Faust in

the new Philipsrecording of

Gounod's opera.

menacingly articulated; and Serafin'sconducting, which illuminates Donizet-ti's sometimes shopworn masterpieceso that it emerges like a new and excit-ing creation. The remastered sound ofthis 1959 stereo recording is entirelysatisfactory. LoNooN 410 193-2 (three CD's).Sutherland, Pavarotti. Milnes; Chorusand Orchestra of the Royal OperaHouse, Covent Garden, Richard Bon-ynge cond. A very well remasteredrecording from 1972, when this cast wasunsurpassed for Lucia. The unusuallyexciting performance is well paced forthe high theatricality of the opera.Sometimes Bouynge's tempos are con-siderably faster than we're used to, andat others his purposeful slowing -up isdramatically er hancing. In short, Bon-ynge at his best. The entire cast isstrong, and tl-e three principals, onwhom the success of a Lucia perform-ance depends, sing with the controlledabandon of true virtuosos. This re-corded version is made even moreattractive by the restoration of passagestha: are often cat but help round out thework both as music and as a theaterpiece. Highly recommended.

GOUNOD: Faust PHILIPS 420 164-2 (three CD's).Araiza, Te Kanawa, Nesterenko; Cho-rus and Orchestra of the Bavarian Ra-dio, Colin Davis cond. The reason forthe enduring popularity of Faust isdemonstrated by this performance, me-ticulously prepared ard conducted withthe style necessary to show off the work

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 73

OPEKti ON (CDat its best. As Faust, Francisco Araizasings convincingly and stylishly. Kiri TeKanawa's silvery limpid voice evokesthe childlike innocence of Marguerite,and Yevgeny Nesterenko makes a rich -voiced, vigorous Mephistopheles. Cho-rus and orchestra sing and play expres-sively. This is a well -recorded, effectiveperformance of one of the "grandest" ofgrand operas.

GOUNOD: Romeo et Juliette ANGEL CDCC-47365 (three CD's).Malfitano, Kraus, Van Dam, G. Quili-co, Murray, Bacquier; Chorus and Or-chestra of the Capitole de Toulouse,Michel Plasson cond. "Elegant' is theword for this performance. Plasson'sconducting is sure and sensitive, andwhile his approach to Gounod's score isnever profound, it is theatrically effec-tive and emotionally appealing. AlfredoKraus brings an ardent youthfulness toRomeo, and Catherine Malfitano singsJuliette with a clear, silvery voice and asense of character that complementsKraus's portrayal. Gabriel Bacquier,Jose van Dam, and Gino Quilico arevocally impressive and dramaticallyconvincing as Capulet, Frere Laurent,and Mercutio, respectively, and AnnMurray sings Stephano's aria with pol-ish. Recommended.

LEONCAVALLO: Pagliacci PHILIPS 411 484-2 (one CD). Do-mingo, Stratas, Pons, Andreolli, Rinal-di; Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala,Milan, Georges Pretre cond. Takenfrom the soundtrack of Franco Zeffirel-li's TV film, the recording itself is satis-factory, but the singing is uneven. Placi-do Domingo and Teresa Stratas are wellinto their roles, but their performancesare molded to the visual action of thefilm. As an operatic recording, this Pa-gliacci compares unfavorably with Ric-cardo Muti's on Angel and Nello Santi'son London, neither of which is avail-able yet on CD.

MASCAGNI: Cavalleria rusticana PHILIPS 416 137-2 (one CD). Obrazt-soya, Domingo, Barbieri, Bruson, Gall;Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Mi-lan, Georges Peeve cond. For thesoundtrack of the 1983 Zeffirelli film,Pretre conducts an opulent, hit -'em -between -the -eyes performance that per-haps served its purpose but lacksnuance when heard on its own. Domin-go stands up valiantly to Elena Obrazt-sova's muscular Santuzza-and nearlysucceeds. Fedora Barbieri, long remem-bered with admiration, should want herthin -voiced, rather querulous MammaLucia quickly forgotten. Renato Brusonand Axelle Gall, as Alfio and Lola,come off best.

MUSSORGSKY: Boris Godunov PHILIPS 412 281-2 (three CD's). Ve-dernikov, Arkhipova, Masurok; TV

Maria Callas: legendary asNorma, Lucia, and Tosca

and Radio Chorus and Orchestra of theU.S.S.R., Vladimir Fedoseyev cond.This is a recording of Boris as Mus-sorgsky left it, incorporating the addi-tions and changes he made followingthe opera's initial rejection but notusing the familiar Rimsky-Korsakov re-visions. Some of the voices-such asAlexander Vedernikov in the lead-arenot as big as we are accustomed to hearin this work, and, perhaps for that rea-son, other values come to light. In par-ticular, the score is sung throughout, sowe hear melody where we have come toexpect declamation. The balance be-tween the orchestra and the voices isgood, and the recording itself is techni-cally excellent. Fedoseyev's conductingis clear, clean, and crisp. Recom-mended.

MOZART: Don Giovanni ANGEL. CDCC-47036 (three CD's).Allen, Vaness, Lewis, Ewing, Van Allan,Gale; Glyndebourne Festival Chorus;London Philharmonic Orchestra, Ber-nard Haitink cond. From the first clean,crisp, well -paced bars of the overturethrough the final sextet, musical mat-ters are handled with style and the senseof theater and humor necessary to Mo-zart's dramma giocoso. Thomas Allen'sclear -voiced Don recalls fabled per-formances of the not -too -distant past,and the rest of the cast is strong. Thanksto Haitink especially, this is the bestrecording of Don Giovanni since FritzBusch's in 1936, also derived from aGlyndebourne production. DG 419 179-2 (three CD's). Ramey,Tomowa-Sintow, Winbergh, Burchu-

lathe, Baltsa, Furlanetto, Battle; Chorusof the Deutsche Oper, Berlin; BerlinPhilharmonic, Herbert von Karajancond. The recording is well balanced,clear, sonorous, and "live." The per-formance has several fine qualities:Samuel Ramey's warm voice and re-fined musical style as the Don; thegraceful handling of Ottavio's two ariasby G6sta Winbergh; the enchantingZerlina of Kathleen Battle, who, morethan the others in the cast, creates a liv-ing character; and, throughout, the firmstamp of Karajan's musicianship andimposing authority. But there is, too,some erratic pacing-forte passagesseem to explode, and quiet sections areso relaxed that they tend to lose dramat-ic focus. The performance as a wholelacks excitement. EURODISC 6102-8723 (three CD's).Titus, Varady, Moser, Auger, Panerai,Mathis; Chorus and Orchestra of theBavarian Radio, Rafael Kubelik cond.Kubelik tends toward a "romantic"reading of the score; his tempos aremore relaxed than crisp, more leisurelythan brisk. And Alan Titus is not yet apolished Don, singing the part accurate-ly but without great magnetism. With-out a dominating singer in the title role,Mozart's masterpiece inevitably lacksdramatic focus and tension. The rest ofthe cast is commendable, especially thethree sopranos-Julia Varady, EddaMoser, and Arleen Auger-who con-tribute the most interesting perform-ances.

MOZART: The Marriage of Figaro LONDON 410 150-2 (three CD's). TeKanawa, Popp, Von Stade, Ramey, Al-len, Moll; London Philharmonic Or-chestra, Georg Solti cond. Recorded in1981, this elegant performance has beensuccessfully remastered for CD. Thebest performances are Frederica vonStade's captivating Cherubino, LuciaPopp's silvery Susanna, Thomas Allen'ssuave and clear -voiced Count, and KurtMoll's blustering Bartolo. Te Kanawa,as the Countess, sings beautifully butseems uninvolved, making her charac-terization less than arresting. SamuelRamey has one of the most satisfyingvoices I know-effortlessly produced,big, warm, and mobile-and yet, de-spite the apparent sincerity of his per-formance, his Figaro is unexciting. PHILIPS 416 370-2 (three CD's).Popp, Hendricks, Baltsa, Van Dam,Raimondi, Lloyd; Ambrosian OperaChorus; Academy of St. Martin -in -the -Fields, Neville Marriner cond. We tendto take Figaro for granted until, to ourdelight, we come upon a performancethat fully reveals its genius. This is sucha performance. It is characterized bydelicacy, crispness, accuracy, and fi-nesse-qualities shared by the record-ing itself. Popp is at her stylish best;Barbara Hendricks sings Susanna with apurity of tone and ease of control not

74 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

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OPERA ON CDoften encountered; Jose van Dam is avery winning picaro; Agnes Baltsa usesher limpid mezzo-soprano to fine ad-vantage as Cherubino; and RobertLloyd contributes an endearing fuddy-duddy of a Bartolo. The ensemble sing-ing is of a rare excellence throughout. Inshort, this version has everything thatmakes Figaro the unique achievementit is.

MOZART: The Magic Flute DG 410 967-2 (three CD's). Mathis,Ott, Araiza, Van Dam, Hornik; Chorusof the Deutsche Oper, Berlin; BerlinPhilharmonic Orchestra, Herbert vonKarajan cond. Richly remastered froma 1980 release, this CD version offers atruly stellar cast (including Anna Tomo-wa-Sintow and Agnes Baltsa as the Firstand Second Ladies!), and Karajan's di-rection brings out all the qualities thatare dear to lovers of this most specialSingspiel. PHILIPS 411 459-2 (three CD's). M.Price, Serra, Schreier, Moll, Melbye;Leipzig Radio Chorus; Dresden StateOrchestra, Colin Davis cond. A stronglycast performance is lovingly molded toevoke the warmth, humor, and fairy-tale quality of Mozart's "people'sopera." Margaret Price sings Paminapurely and touchingly, and PeterSchreier, Kurt Moll, and Mikael Melbyerespectively bring affecting ardor, fa-therly warmth, and endearing bump-tiousness to the roles of Pamino, Saras-tro, and Papageno. The orchestral play-ing is especially fine.

OFFENBACH: Tales of Hoffmann LONDON 414 581-2 (two CD's). Su-therland, Domingo, Bacquier, Touran-geau; Suisse Romande Chorus and Or-chestra, Richard Bonynge cond. De-spite Placido Domingo's youthful sing-ing, Gabriel Bacquier's suavely evilcharacterization, and Joan Sutherland'sperformance of all four soprano roles, Ifind this well remastered 1971 record-ing a disappointment. True, Suther-land's Olympia is an incredible accom-plishment, with a more embellishedversion of the Doll's Song than I haveheard from anyone else, but she makeslittle of Giulietta's character beyondsome rather edgy laughter, and it's hardto understand most of what she's sing-ing about as Antonia. Bonynge's con-ducting is spirited, but at times it seemsfrantic. And the affected delivery of thedialogue is irritating.

PUCCINI: La boheme ANGEL 0 CDS-47235 (two CD's).De los Angeles, Bjoerling, Amara, Mer-rill, Reardon, Tozzi, Corena; RCA Vic-tor Chorus and Orchestra, Thomas Bee-cham cond. This 1956 mono recordinghas been beautifully remastered for CD,and while the sound quality does notequal that of newer recordings, the per-formance is wonderful. The now legen-

loan Sutherland: at her most.1 "stupendous" as Turandot

dary singers were at their prime thirtyyears ago, and none of them eversounded better or gave a more tellinginterpretation. Beecham's conductingfully reveals the score's humor andpoignancy.

PHILIPS 416 492-2 (two CD's). Ric-ciarelli, Carreras, Putnam, Wixel, Hage-gaard, Lloyd; Chorus and Orchestra ofthe Royal Opera House, Covent Gar-den, Colin Davis cond. This well re-corded performance, typical of Davis'swork, is musically gratifying, carefullyprepared, and sensitively communi-cated, but it lacks dramatic thrust andimmediacy. Although Katia Ricciarellisings a lovely Mimi, she does not seemto be especially involved in the role.Jose Carreras's performance, sadly, isnot without effort even though it wasrecorded in 1979, before he turned to amore dramatic repertoire. The otherthree "Bohemians" are fine, but AshleyPutnam's Musetta is less an engaginghoyden than a strident shrew. The cho-rus and orchestra deserve high marksfor musical finesse. RCA RCD2-0371 (two CD's). Ca-balle, Domingo, Milnes, Blegen, Rai-mondi, Castel; John Alldis Choir; Lon-don Philharmonic Orchestra, GeorgSolti cond. An especially satisfying per-formance, originally recorded in 1974and remastered to fine sonic effect. Thefour principal artists have rarely sungwith so much freedom or dramaticexpression. The serious moments areaffectingly touching, the comic sceneshave dash and bounce, and the partici-pants communicate their sense of fun tothe listener (a particularly delightful

vignette is Nico Castel's Alcindoro).The chorus and orchestra are in topform. Despite the strength of the com-bined forces, the star may be the con-ductor. This is one of Solti's best operarecordings, theatrically exciting yet freeof his usual driving intensity. Recom-mended.

PUCCINI: Madama Butterfly CBS M2K 35181 (two CD's). Scotto,Domingo, Wixell; Ambrosian OperaChorus; Philharmonia Orchestra, LorinMaazel cond. This 1978 recordingtransfers fairly well to CD, althoughthere is a bit of cloudiness in the soundevery so often. Renata Scotto sings withpassion, power, and, for the most part,unforced tone. Her Butterfly is more"heroic" than I prefer, but you can'tdeny her thorough knowledge of therole's musical and dramatic require-ments. It is a pleasure to hear the impe-tuous, warm -voiced Pinkerton that Pla-cido Domingo creates here, and IngvarWixell is a compassionate and musical-ly accurate Sharpless. Maazel's able di-rection yields lovely orchestral and cho-ral moments, but overall this is the kindof intense reading of the score I find abit tiring. Few will share that reaction,perhaps, given the stellar caliber of theparticipants. HUNGAROTON 12256-57-2 (twoCD's). Kineses, Dvotsky, Miller; Hun-garian State Opera Chamber Chorusand Orchestra, Giuseppe Patane cond.Except for the conductor, this Butterflyis performed by non -Italian artists. It is,however, unusually satisfying. Veroni-ka Kineses and Peter Dvasky havemade several other recordings, and theother principals, though not generallyknown, are very good; they sing clearly,easily, and intelligibly. Patane movesthings along at a pleasant tempo and atthe same time brings out details of themusic that I have not often heard. Therecorded sound is characterized by ex-ceptional clarity. LONDON 417 577-2 (three CD's).Freni, Pavarotti, Kerns; Vienna StateOpera Chorus; Vienna PhilharmonicOrchestra, Herbert von Karajan cond.One of Karajan's best opera recordings,the 1974 original has been particularlywell remastered for CD. The distin-guished cast (Christa Ludwig sings Su-zuki) was dedicated to bringing out mu-sical and theatrical nuances, and boththe singers and the conductor succeededadmirably. The sound is excellent, andthe drama unfolds in a way that wouldbe noteworthy in the most effectivestage performance. Recommended.

PUCCINI: Tosca ANGEL 0 CDCB-47174 (two CD's).Callas, Di Stefano, Gobbi; Chorus andOrchestra of La Scala, Milan, Victor deSabata cond. Recorded in 1953, thisTosca made history. Callas-"La Di-vina"-is simply breathtaking in what

76 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

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OPERA 0111 CDwas perhaps her most completely real-ized role, and she is marvelously sup-ported by Giuseppe di Stefano, in gold-en voice, and Tito Gobbi, whose Scar -pia remains the prototype of aristocraticmalevolence. De Sabata's forceful con-ducting makes one wish he had re-corded more than he did; alas, there wasso little, and only this on CD for themoment.

LONDON 414 597-2 (two CD's). TeKanawa, Aragall, Nucci; Welsh Nation-al Opera Chorus; National Philhar-monic Orchestra, Georg Solti cond. Theorchestra, recorded with vibrancy andexceptional clarity, plays very well, re-sponding deftly to Solti's driven readingof the score. Giacomo Aragall's durable,if not particularly beautiful, voice iscapable of Cavaradossi's outbursts. LeoNucci's Scarpia is unmoving; he singswell and is readily understandable, buthe is not interesting. The same must besaid of Te Kanawa's Tosca, which isneither memorable nor rich. The set isnoteworthy chiefly for its splendidlysumptuous sound. RCA RCD2-0105 (two CD's). L.Price, Domingo, Milnes; John AlldisChoir; New Philharmonia Orchestra,Zubin Mehta cond. Here is a Tosca asalive and immediate as pasta with gar-lic. The performance stays close to whatthe opera is all about, passionate loveand malevolent lust. The 1973 record-

paces the score dramatically but with-out frenzy. Yes, Leontyne Price over-acts at times, but we also have her won-derful smoky voice, which can suddenlyrise in a silvery pianissimo. Yes, SherrillMilnes's Scarpia is stolidly hateful rath-er than smoothly despicable, but hesings with conviction and impressiverichness of tone. And, of course, Dom-ingo sings splendidly.

P UCCINI: Turnandot CBS M2K 39160 (two CD's). Mar-ton, Carreras, Ricciarelli, Bogart; Cho-rus and Orchestra of the Vienna StateOpera, Lorin Maazel cond. Recordedlive in Vienna, this performance growsin intensity as it progresses. The sound,however, varies in quality, as is oftenthe case with live recordings. Eva Mar-ton sings powerfully and is undauntedby Turandot's dangerous tessitura, butthere is little sense of line. She declaimsthe role. Katia Ricciarelli is more suc-cessful with Liu and offers some lovelysinging. Jose Carreras is disappointingas Calaf; his light and once -melting lyricvoice is not suited to the prince's heroicoutbursts. Maazel's pacing is effective,though. DG 410 096-2 (three CD's). Ricciar-elli, Domingo, Hendricks, Raimondi;Vienna State Opera Chorus; ViennaPhilharmonic Orchestra, Herbert vonKarajan cond. Karajan's recent tenden-cy to play in a relaxed manner does notenhance a work as taut as Turandot,

Samuel Ramey: warmth andrefinement as Mozart's Don

though the sound he draws from thechorus and orchestra is full and rich.The chief disappointment of this per-formance, however, is Ricciarelli, who

with allter yet barely makes the grade. Turan-dot is a harrowing if short role; for a lyr-ic soprano to attempt it is foolhardy.The much longer part of Calaf is just asdemanding, and while Placido Domin-go accomplishes it, he does so witheffort. Barbara Hendricks's Liu is mostbeautifully phrased and sung. LONDON 414 272-2 (two CD's). Su-therland, Pavarotti, Caballe, Ghiaurov;John Alldis Choir; London Philhar-monic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta cond.First recorded in 1973 and splendidlyremastered for CD, this Turandot findsJoan Sutherland at her most "stupen-dous," Luciano Pavarotti singing at hisgolden -voiced best, Montserrat Caballedelivering her two arias in celestialvoice, and Nicolai Ghiaurov particu-larly affecting as Timur. (The emperorAltoum is Peter Pears, no less, whobrings a special quality to his lines.) Thechorus is admirable, and the orchestraplays with exceptional precision andfervor. Mehta creates a sumptuous mu-sical setting that you will rarely en-counter elsewhere. Recommended.

ROSSINI: The Barber of SevillePHILIPS 411 058-2 (three CD's). Al-

len, Baltsa, Araiza, Lloyd; AmbrosianOpera Chorus; Academy of St. Martin -in -the -Fields, Neville Marriner cond.This Barber, performed con brio (eamore), is the only one on CD so far.Marriner and the cast seem to be openlyenjoying themselves. His conducting is

crisp, markedly rhythmic, and proper!)bubbly, and the vocal performances areall distinguished by fine diction, accu-rate and sometimes breathtaking flora-tura, and an infectious sense of comedy.The inclusion of Almaviva's Act II aria"Cessa di pia resistere," always omittedin staged performances, comes as a hap-py surprise (its principal melody can berecognized in the Act II finale of Cener-entola, produced some eleven monthsafter the Barber). A fully enjoyablerecording.

R. STRAUSS: Der Rosenkavalier DENON 100C37-7482-4 (three CD's).Pusar-Joric, Walther, Stejskal, Adam;Dresden State Opera Chorus; DresdenState Symphony, Hans Vonk cond.This performance of Der Rosenkavalier,recorded live at the opening of the new-ly reconstructed Semper Opera Housein Dresden in 1985, is musically satisfy-ing, and for those who enjoy realistictouches, there are some audible butunobtrusive stage sounds. Only TheoAdam as Ochs will be familiar to mostlisteners, but all of the cast sing accu-rately, tastefully, and with dramaticconviction. The opening scene is partic-ularly touching; Sophie comes across asa stronger personality than she usuallydoes. Also, Ute Walther sings the Oc-tavian/Mariandel horseplay at the be-ginning of Act III (it is too often whined

performance. DG 413 163-2 (four CD's). Tomo-wa-Sintow, Baltsa, Perry, Moll; ViennaPhilharmonic Orchestra, Herbert vonKarajan cond. Karajan conducts as onewho knows this score as well as any liv-ing exponent of it; the orchestra sim-mers, soars, and sings. Agnes Baltsa'sOctavian is beautifully sung and imagi-natively portrayed. Anna Tomowa-Sin-tow matches her partner vocally, ifwithout great dramatic incisiveness. Ja-net Perry sings prettily but is able to dolittle to make the character of Sophieinteresting. The real "stars" are Karajanand the orchestra. But why four discs?

LONDON 417 293-2 (three CD's).Crespin, Minton, Donath, Jungwirth;Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, GeorgSolti cond. Except for a throbbingsound at the beginning of Act II and afew -out -of -focus notes in the initial Oc-tavian -Sophie duet, the sonics of this1969 recording are entirely satisfying.Regine Crespin, always one of thewarmest, most womanly of Marschal-lins, offers a moving characterizationthat is one of the special pleasures ofthis set. Yvonne Minton sings Octavianwith glowing tone and conviction, Hel-en Donath makes as much of Sophie asanyone could, and Manfred Jungwirthsings more of Ochs's part than we usual-ly hear in the theater-a welcomechange. Solti draws an even richer tonefrom the Vienna Philharmonic thanKarajan does. Recommended.

78 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

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CIRCLE NO. 10 ON READER SERVICE CARD

R

by Christie Barter& Steve Simels

O

Lemper: Weill attraction

ON the basis of whatwe've read in the Euro-

pean press and have heard onher first record, one of thenew season's early delightswill be the American debutof the twenty -three -year -oldsinging actress Ute Lemper. Afeatured attraction in theKurt Weill festival being heldat Merkin Hall in New York,Lemper will sing a cabaret -style program on Saturday,September 26, that will in -

Vega and Sting: hits and heroes

dude most of the material inher album debut, "Ute Lem -per singt Kurt Weill."

Lemper began her profes-sional career in the theatersinging Grizabella in the

D

Viennese produc-tion of Cats and wenton to knock 'em dead in Parisearlier this year appearing asSally Bowles in a productionof Cabaret. For the latter shewon a Moliere, the Frenchequivalent of Broadway'sTony Award.

Lemper's Kurt Weill al-bum, released on the inde-pendent German Bayer label,is distributed here by KochImport Service (95 Eads St.,West Babylon, NY 11704)and should be available in allthree formats at any majorrecord store.

GOOD Things Come toThose Who Wait. Su-

zanne Vega, currently theonly folk singer in the West-ern World enjoying both a hitsingle (Luka) and a hit album("Solitude Standing"), hasmade no secret of her two bigheroes: Marlene Dietrich(whom she wrote a songabout) and Sting (whom shehasn't written about yet).Consequently, since we knowhow much you worry aboutthese things, we are pleased toreport that Vega and the Po-lice star finally met, blondehead to blonde head, after arecent Vega concert in Man-hattan.

That they're both on A&MRecords may have had some-thing to do with it, but we can

all sleep easier knowing thatthis historic confrontationhas taken place. Sting, mean-while, when not hobnobbingbackstage, is hard at work onthe follow-up to his best -sell -

Hugo Largo: dancing to no drummer?

ing album "Dream of theBlue Turtles." 0

0 H, that Michael Stipe,what a nut! The R.E.M.

lead singer gets a chance to dohis first project as an outsideproducer, and who does hepick to work with? HugoLargo, a band with two bassplayers, an electric violin, andno drummer. Who's gonnadance to that, we ask you?

Well, funny thing is, the re-sulting album ("Drum," onRelativity Records) is abso-lutely fascinating, a haunting,dreamlike collage of folk mu-sic, Philip Glassian minimal-ism, and the Lou Reed of"Street Hassle." Despite theinstrumentation and theethereal vocals of MimiGoese, the music is not-we repeat, not-New Age.There's a genuine rock sensi-bility at work here, howevermuted. Stipe, by the way,chimes in on occasionalbacking vocals, but the stuffsounds nothing like R.E.M.,or anything else we've heardlately, which is meant as acompliment. Check it out. 0

NICE Guys Finish First.How's this for a scenar-

io? After years of slogging, anunknown band from thewilds of Wisconsin records analbum in a member's base-ment, gets it mastered andpressed, and sends a copy to amajor hi-fi magazine. Asmart reviewer (whose ini-tials are S.S.) flips over it andwrites a rave. Major recordcompany sees the review, lis-tens to the album, and signsboth band and record imme-diately.

Sound impossible, likesome Frank Capra fairy tale?Well, don't tell that to FireTown, whose home -recorded"In the Heart of the HeartCountry" got a "Best of theMonth" review in these pagesback in March (the band'sfirst national press). For FireTown, the story is honest -to -gosh reality, and the proof isthat Atlantic Records, no less,has just released the albumabsolutely unaltered. As far aswe're concerned, it couldn'thappen to a more deservingband. If you haven't heardthem yet, you could run out

80 S' l'EREO REVIEW SEVI'EM BER 1987

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and get the LP version rightnow. Or you could wait forthe CD version of the record,expected real soon. In anyformat, of course, youshouldn't miss it.

Glaser's poster

AMERICAN artist andgraphic designer Milton

Glaser has created a poster tobenefit the Juilliard School inNew York. While Juilliard isnot the first major musicalinstitution in the city to de-rive funds from a Glaser post-er (Carnegie Hall had one forits ninetieth anniversary in1981), in this case a third par-ty, TDK Electronics, bestknown in the U.S. for its

Fire Town: nice guys finish first

82 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

blank recordingtape, is helping to un-derwrite the costs. In turn,Juilliard will "dedicate" toTDK a series of concerts bythe Juilliard Orchestra at Al-ice Tully Hall during the1987-1988 season.

Glaser's Juilliard poster,which measures 24 x 36inches, sells for $25 ($100signed by the artist) at theJuilliard Bookstore, 144 W.66th St., New York, NY10023, or by mail (add $5 forpostage and handling) fromWhiteprint Editions, 207 E.32nd St., New York, NY10016.

WHERE Are They Now?Several of our readers

have recently asked us aboutthe whereabouts of MarshallChapman, the lanky countryrocker and heartthrob whowon a STEREO REVIEW Rec-ord of the Year Award in1978 and later missed out onbecoming Chrissie Hyndethrough the accident of badtiming. Well, funny theyshould ask, because Chap-man has reappeared aftersomething of a dry spell.First, Jimmy Buffett did threeof her tunes on "Last Mangoin Paris," and then SawyerBrown had a Top 10 countryhit with her cautionary Bet-ty's Being Bad. And nowcomes Chapman's own per-fectly swell new album, "Dir-

Country rocker Chapman.. perfectly swell

ty Linen," available on cas-sette only as an import on theGerman Line label ($10 fromTall Girl Records, 900 19thAve. So., Suite 803, Nash-ville, TN 37212). Fans ofChapman's more rocked -outlive show are advised tocheck out her participation inthe current Buffett tour, "AParrot Looks at Forty." 0

THE Live from LincolnCenter television series

on PBS is inaugurating itsnew season with a directtransmission of the NewYork Philharmonic's openingconcert at Avery Fisher Hallon September 15. The concertwill feature Murray Perahiaas soloist in Beethoven'sPiano Concerto No. 4, withColin Davis conducting, andCBS Masterworks is support-ing the event with a promo-tional blitz spotlighting thecompletion of the pianist'sBeethoven concerto cyclewith Bernard Haitink and theConcertgebouw Orchestra.Perahia's recordings of Con-certos Nos. 1 through 4 havebeen available for a whilenow and have been picking

up all kinds of good press.No. 5, the Emperor Con-certo, takes pride of placeamong CBS Masterworks'September releases.

Perahia has also recordedall of Mozart's piano concer-tos-the first American pia-nist to do so-conducting theEnglish Chamber Orchestrahimself. Those recordings arenow available on CD in twoboxed sets totaling thirteendiscs.

Perahia: Beethoven on PBS

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BEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

Stereo Review'scritics choose the outstandingcurrent releases

WHITE ANIMALS:U P -TO -DATERETRO ROCK

REVIEWING a rock-and-rollalbum is sometimes a bitlike making a public-ser-vice announcement-get-

ting the word out for a good cause.In the case of the White Animals,currently the best -kept secret of re-gional rock-and-roll, I want to getexplicit about it. To paraphrase awell -aired TV spot, a band is a terri-ble thing to waste.

The Animals, who've been tear-ing it up in Nashville and beyondfor nearly eight years, are a classicAmerican band in the great tradi-tion. They deserve a wider au-dience, and with the release of "Inthe Last Days" they may just get it.What's remarkable about these guysis that, unlike a lot of other currentroots -conscious bands, they manageto sound both retro and impeccablyup-to-date. The basic sound, ofcourse, is pure garage, thirty years ofrock history run through a Cuisin-art. You want frat-party stomp? BritInvasion tunefulness and songcraft?Southern r -&-b grit? They're allhere, in more or less equal propor-tions, and without a hint of camp:the stuff is clearly in the Animals'blood. But at the same time, theyalso have an appreciation for thewilder psychedelic overtones of Ja-maican dub music; it colors nearlyeverything they do, and the result isutterly unique.

The Animals' new album may bethe best they've done; certainly it'sthe most assured and the mostdeeply felt. In fact, underneath thegeneral good-time facade, songs likeLast Five Years have a sort of wist-ful melancholy and regret that'sunexpectedly touching, especiallycoming from a bunch of hellraiserslike this lot. Still, the album's cen-terpiece is basically a high-spiritedaural raspberry, a radical decon-struction job on David Essex's

glam-era hit Rock On. The Animalspull out all the stops, and what wasonce a sort of self-consciously mini-mal novelty song turns before yourears into a roiling sea of over -the -top guitars and jungle drums, livingup to its lyrics at last. It's a greatperformance. Steve Simels

THE WHITE ANIMALS: In the LastDays. The White Animals (vocals andinstrumentals). Don't Treat Me like aDog; You Bring Out the Best in Me; LastFive Years; You Don't Know; Rock On;A Lonely View; She's Gonna Break It;Could You Be Loved; I Thought That; APrison Song. DREAD BEAT DBLP 4157$8.98, ©DBLC 4157 $8.98.

BYCHKOV'SSTIRRINGSHOSTAKOVICH

IHAVE been hearing great thingsabout Semyon Bychkov, theyoung conductor from Lenin-grad who is now a U.S. citizen

and music director of the BuffaloPhilharmonic, but I haven't had anopportunity to hear any of his con-certs. His debut recording, the Shos-takovich Fifth Symphony with theBerlin Philharmonic, makes clear atonce what all the fuss is about.

Perhaps any conductor can makea big noise with this Shostakovichsymphony, but few possess the un-derstanding and skill to dig to itscore and bring out both its strictlymusical values and its emotional

intensity for maximum impact onthe very deepest level the way Bych-kov does here. He displays morethan mere virtuosity or showman-ship. You are aware of a profoundand insightful musical mind-prob-ing, clarifying, and refining the fa-miliar score to yield heretofore un-noticed details that make the expe-rience richer and more illuminatingwithout getting in the way. The mo-mentum, in fact, is maintainedthroughout the four movementswith exceptional assurance, and thetempo choices simply couldn't bebetter.

The Berlin Philharmonic alwaysplays creditably, but rarely-in re-cordings, anyway-with the pas-sionate commitment conveyedhere. Bychkov seems to have firedup every member of the orchestra tohis own level of conviction, and theperformance comes off in the natureof a collective testament, a grandaffirmation of musical faith thatanyone whose ears and heart are inworking order should find irresisti-ble. The recording itself is vividenough to project all of Bychkov's(and Shostakovich's) clarifyingpower-with the single exception,perhaps, of the bass drum at thevery end, which might have been alittle more brightly lit.

There have been other fine ac-counts of the Shostakovich Fifth-Rostropovich's on DeutscheGrammophon remains in a class byitself for its raw power and uncom-promising evocation of exposednerves-but Bychkov's is clearly

The White Animals: a classic American band

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 87

BEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

Semyon Bychkov: probing

one of the very best, one that actu-ally adds to our understanding of analready admired work.

Richard Freed

SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 5,in D Major, Op. 47. Berlin Philhar-monic Orchestra, Semyon Bychkovcond. PHILIPS 0 420 069-1 $10.98, ©420 069-4 $10.98, 420 069-2 no listprice.

TOM WAITS:AS RAGGEDAs REALITY

No other musician creates aseparate reality as en-grossing, convincing, orterrifying as the one Tom

Waits invents each time he makes arecord. You don't just "put on" aWaits album. You think about itfirst. Then you pour yourself astrong drink.

While most pop musicians tendto grow softer and make more com-mercial compromises as their ca-reers lengthen, Waits has done justthe opposite. The truck drivers andwaitresses and night hawks of earlyalbums like "Closing Time" and"The Heart of Saturday Night"seemed starkly naturalistic in theirday; now, they're almost romantic.Waits grew harder -edged with thepimps and strippers and two-bithoodlums of "Small Change,""Blue Valentine," and "Foreign Af-fairs," but even these chilling excur-

sions seem glossy and melodramat-ic compared with his recent work.

Waits's latest album, "FranksWild Years," completes a trilogybegun with "Swordfishtrombones"in 1982 and continued by "RainDogs" in 1985. They are recordingsin which Waits abandoned what fewcommercial pretensions he had leftand began to make music of ever-increasing eccentricity and convic-tion. No longer are his charactersromanticized symbols of life on theedges. Now they're real. Nowthey're scary. Like "Swordfish" and"Rain Dogs," "Franks Wild Years"takes some getting used to. And likethose albums, it's worth the effort.

"Franks Wild Years" began as asong from "Swordfishtrombones"about a man who gets drunk onenight after work and sets fire to hishouse with his wife and her Chihua-hua inside. "Frank" then took on alife of his own in a musical playWaits wrote and performed inabout a down-and-out lounge singerwho, sitting on a park bench in EastSt. Louis, is freezing to death andreliving his life in a semi -hallucina-tory state. "Franks Wild Years" in-cludes many of the songs from theplay, but it further develops themusical settings of Frank's reminis-cences.

There's an astonishing variety ofmusical styles and instrumentshere, and the sound is like nothingyou've ever heard. Waits's voicecroaks as though it had marinatedin cigarette smoke and Carstairs fora week. The instruments are woozyand continually out of tune. And theproduction values are what you'dexpect from a bootleg tape of a1950's bop combo playing rhumbasin the basement of an East Villagetenement. But there's a reason forthe disheveled production. This ismusic as ragged and beat up as thelives Waits sings about.

As Frank, Waits traverses a rangeof musical styles, from Afro-Cubanjazz to Irish drinking songs, carnivalmusic to spaghetti -western guitar,Middle Eastern snake charming toFifties rock-and-roll, gypsy tarantel-las to the hopelessly pathetic Sina-tra -style crooning of Straight to theTop and Ill Take New York. Noneof it is played straight. All of it iswonderfully evocative but quite

frightening at the same time. Thelyrics are hilarious, and for a whileyou chuckle at Frank's cornball pos-turing. But as his luck runs dry andhe slides toward drunkenness anddissipation, the reality Waits createsbecomes almost too much to bear.That's when you pour that seconddrink. Mark Peel

TOM WAITS: Franks Wild Years.Tom Waits (vocals, Optigon, pump or-gan, guitar, percussion); instrumentalaccompaniment. Hang On St. Christo-pher; Straight to the Top (Rhumba);Blow Wind Blow; Temptation; InnocentWhen You Dream (Barroom); I'll BeGone; Yesterday Is Here; Please WakeMe Up; Franks Theme; More ThanRain; Way Down in the Hole; Straightto the Top (Vegas); 171 Take New York;Telephone Call from Istanbul; ColdCold Ground; Train Song; InnocentWhen You Dream (78). ISLAND 90572-1$8.98, 90572-4 $8.98, © 90572-2 nolist price.

HORSZOWSKI:HONEST, VITALAUTHORITY

/N June 1986, twelve days beforehis ninety-fifth birthday, Mie-czyslaw Horszowski played asolo recital in London. The

Wigmore Hall advertisement car-ried a marvelous photograph of the

Tom Waits: hard -edged

88 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

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BEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

a

eight- or nine -year -old Horszowskiperforming in 1901 and the state-ment, "Mieczyslaw Horszowski hashad the longest international careerof any major performer in Westernclassical music." I'm sure that'strue, and I would emphasize theword "major," for, while Horszow-ski may not be turning up in adver-tisements for the American Expresscard, he is unquestionably a majorfigure.

What matters now is not thatHorszowski continues to perform inhis mid -nineties but the way he per-forms, the way he has always per-formed: authoritatively, poetically,communicatively, enlivened by themusic and breathing its own lifeback into it. Solo recordings byHorszowski have been all too rare(the only one that comes to mind, infact, is the one he made for Voxsome thirty-five years ago of theChopin Impromptus and the E Mi-nor Concerto). Most of his record-ings have been chamber music, withsuch companions as Casals, Szigeti,and the Budapest Quartet, and inensembles organized by AlexanderSchneider.

Horszowski's new Nonesuch re-cording is especially welcome be-cause it is made up of the sort ofsolo material he has been playing inhis recent recitals: Mozart's D Mi-nor Fantasia (K. 397), two Chopinnocturnes, Debussy's Children'sCorner, and Beethoven's SonataNo. 2. While the playing is anythingbut faceless, Horszowski is contentin each case to allow the composer'sown personality to prevail; he neverthrusts his own at the listener. Theendearing quality of the Debussy,the poetry of the Chopin, the fluentwit of the Beethoven are not inter-pretive overlays, but the qualitiesthe composers themselves wroteinto their music. Here is no arch-priest, no self -exalting "living leg-end," but an honest living musicianwith a loving regard for the beautyof every note and an unerring senseof flow.

When I last heard Horszowski inrecital, at the Kennedy Center inWashington in October 1984, thejewel-like Terrace Theater seemedto be populated mostly by pianists,some of whom had made pilgrim-ages from distant cities. Rudolf Ser-

411

Mieczyslaw Horszowski: unerring

kin was there, and so were EugeneIstomin and Andras Schiff and Sey-mour Lipkin and several others.Some had been his pupils, and all,in a sense, have been his students,as anyone can be who hears theunostentatious yet all -revealing re-alizations of the works in the newNonesuch release. It's Horszowski'spicture, rightly enough, that's on thecover, but one buys the record, andtreasures it, for Beethoven, Mozart,Chopin, and Debussy. It's a lovely,well-balanced program, actuallymuch better for a single sitting thanan hour of Beethoven or Mozart orChopin or Debussy only.

The recording itself, made at theCurtis Institute in Philadelphia(where Horszowski has taught forthe last forty-five years), is as honestand true as the playing. Since themusic is all too familiar for the cus-tomary explication, Nonesuch hassensibly offered instead a charmingpiece on Horszowski by JosephHorowitz.

Now, please, let's not stop withthis one issue. This vital musicianhas a lot more to share with us.

Richard Freed

MOZART: Fantasia in D Minor (K.397). CHOPIN: Nocturne in F -SharpMajor, Op. 15, No. 2; Nocturne in D -fiat Major, Op. 27, No. 2. DEBUSSY:Children's Corner. BEETHOVEN:Piano Sonata No. 2, in A Major, Op. 2,No. 2. Mieczyslaw Horszowski (piano).NONESUCH 0 79160-1 $9.98, © 79160-4$9.98, © 79160-2 no list price.

NOW ON CDCompact Discs ofpreviously released LP's

POPULAR ANATOMY OF A MURDER(Duke Ellington). RYKO RCD 10039.Original -soundtrack recording of 1959,featuring Cat Anderson, Shorty Baker,Clark Terry, others. THE B -52'S. WARNER BROS. 3355-2."The first truly fey punk band"(October 1979). ERIC CLAPTON: Rainbow Concert.RSO 831 320-2. Recorded in 1973 andlong out of print on LP and tape. THE EAGLES: Desperado. ASYLUM5068-2. "Best of the cowboy rockbands" (October 1973).

GORDON LIGHTFOOT:Summertime Dream.REPRISE 2246-2"Running over with poetry" (Best ofMonth, October 1976). ELVIS PRESLEY: The MemphivRecord. RCA 6221-2-R. The NumberOne Hits. 6382-2-R. The Top TenHits. 6383-2-R (two CD's). TheComplete Sun Sessions. 64 I 4-2-R."Commemorative" reissues, digitallyremastered. "Rockabilly mementoes"

SOPH/ST/CA TED LADIES (DukeEllington). RCA 6208 -2 -RC. Original -cast recording, with Gregory Hines andPhyllis Hyman. "Dazzling" (July 1981). SWEETHEARTS OF THERODEO. COLUMBIA CK 40406. "Oneof the most exciting acts to come alongin a coon's age" (Best of Month,December 1986).

CLASSICALBEETHOVEN: Piano Concertos

Nos. 1-5. MOZART: Piano ConcertoNo. 21. Fleisher. Szell. CBS M3K 42445(three CD's). Among "the touchstonesfor stereo -recorded interpretations"(December 1965).

DVO*,AK: Violin Concerto;Romance in F Minor. Perlman,Barenboim. ANGEL CDC -47I68."Luscious" (September 1976).

MASCAGNI: L'amico Fritz. Freni,Pavarotti; Gavazzeni. ANGELCDCB-47905 (two CD's). "Impressiveperformance of a lovable work" (Best ofMonth, July 1969). MOZART: Don Giovanni.Schwarzkopf, Sutherland. Wachter;Giulini. ANGEL CDCC-47260 (threeCD's). Recorded in 1959 and stillunrivaled. PETTEFtSSON: Symphony No. 7.Dorati. SWEDISH SOCIETY DIsconL/IBRSCD 1012. "Mesmerizing" (May 1973). PURCELL: The Fairy Queen.Gardiner. DG ARCHIV 419 221-2 (twoCD's). "A peak in the performance ofEnglish Baroque music" (Best ofMonth, March 1983).

90 STERFO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

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POPULAR MUSIC

Discs and tapes reviewed byChris Albertson, Phyl Garland,Alanna Nash, Mark Peel,Steve Simels

DEBORAH ALLEN: Telepathy. Debo-rah Allen (vocals, keyboard sequencerprograms); Deniece Williams (back-ground vocals); vocal and instrumentalaccompaniment. Telepathy; You Can'tSay No; You're the Kind of Trouble;Don't You Think I Don't Love You; andfive others. RCA 6239-1-R $8.98, 06239-4-R $8.98.

Performance: Full -tiltRecording: Busy

From the first crack out of the box-thetitle song, written and produced by theeternally erotic Prince-Deborah Al-len's "Telepathy" grabs hold of a hotlibido and squeezes it for all it's worth.Yes, in case you were wondering, this isthe same Deborah Allen who initiallymade her mark in country music as partof a ghostly duet with Jim Reeves andwho went on to score a pop hit withBaby, I Lied. But it's clear from the cov-er photo-where she looks like BrendaLee on drugs-that Allen has dramati-cally changed her tune.

"Telepathy" turns out to be moodmusic for the manic depressive and thesexually weird, masquerading as, in thewords of the press release, "serious andsultry" pop. Throughout, aiming tosound both decadent and hot-blooded,Allen caterwauls, purrs, and pouts herway over a driving beat and walls ofsynthesizers. She gets convincing on thePrince number, a funky, throbbingtreatment of sexual abandon (for somereason, Prince has chosen to use theunlikely pseudonym of "Joey Coco"here), and keeps the mood going forseveral tunes before letting up.

Allen isn't really much of a singer-there's something annoying about thethinness of her voice, which even GregMathieson's huge production can't cov-er up-but she is an affecting pop song-writer, as she proves in the eight tunesshe has written in collaboration withher husband, the gifted Rafe Van Hoy.Obviously, "Telepathy" is mostly a col-lection of cheap thrills. But it's a head -turner for a little while, anyway. A.N.

CHET ATKINS: Sails. Chet Atkins(guitar, banjo); Mark Knopfler, EarlKlugh (guitar); instrumental accom-

EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS:

0 = DIGITAL -MASTER LP= TAPE CASSETTE= COMPACT DISC

RANDY TRAVISTHE voice is so nasal as to set

your teeth on edge occasionally,but the singing is as smooth as amint julep on Derby Day, a

seemingly effortless glide from one noteand one emotion to another. After yearsof industry predictions that this one andthat is the new Merle Haggard, or theheir to the throne of George Jones andLefty Frizzell, twenty -eight -year -oldRandy Travis, with only two albums tohis credit, has come along to show hehas not so much aimed for that honor,but that he was born to it.

Granted. Travis has yet to evolve intoa writer of significance, but his new rec-ord, "Always & Forever," shows he ison his way. Good Intentions matchesany of Haggard's songs of waywardyouth and regret, Tonight We're GonnaTear Down the Walls does credit to BobWills, and I Told You So is the kind ofbig, trembly heartbreak song that ElvisPresley spent a lifetime pursuing. Andas a phraser, Travis, who grew up on aNorth Carolina turkey farm, clearly sur-passes most of the old country masters.

His handling of My House, for example,shapes the images with photographicclarity, enough to raise the hair on thearms of his listeners and bring a lump tothe throat of anyone who has ever lovedanother human being.

Recently, when Travis became theall-time youngest member of the GrandOle Opry, Roy Acuff dropped his cur-mudgeonly stance long enough to wel-come the young traditionalist to thecast. "We need you," Acuff supposedlytold him. Anyone who cares anythingabout country music will agree.

Alanna Nash

RANDY TRAVIS: Always & Forever.Randy Travis (vocals); vocal and in-strumental accompaniment. Too GoneToo Long; My House; Good Intentions;What'll You Do About Me; I Won'tNeed You Anymore; Forever and Ever,Amen: I Told You So; Anything; TheTruth Is Lyin' Next to You; TonightWe're Gonna Tear Down the Walls.WARNER BROS. 25568-1 $8.98, 025568-4 $8.98, © 25568-2 no list price.

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 95

paniment. Sails; Why Worry; Up in MyTreehouse; Laffin' at Life; My Song;and five others. COLUMBIA FC 40593,© FCT 40593, 0 CK 40593, no listprice.

Performance: FluidRecording: Lovely

Although he is best known as a Nash-ville guitarist extraordinaire, Chet At-kins is as at home with classical music,blues, flamenco, and jazz as he is withcountry. In 1982, after some twenty-fiveyears of overseeing the Nashville divi-sion of RCA, he moved his affiliation toColumbia and quickly set about record-ing "Stay Tuned," a jazz -fusion effortwith Larry Carlton, Earl Klugh, GeorgeBenson, and Mark Knopfler. Anotherjazz -fusion LP, "Street Dreams," fol-lowed, and now we have "Sails." Aswith its predecessors, "Sails" is a so-phisticated, low-key, and deft perform-ance. Sometimes it gets a bit too quiet,and Bergen White's strings tend to runsappy. But Atkins and company work afine balance. Knopfler adds drive toChet's laid-back approach, and Klughkeeps things properly mellow. Unques-tionably a keeper. A.N.

DAVID BOWIE: Never Let Me Down.David Bowie (vocals, guitar, keyboard,percussion); Carlos Alomar (guitar, gui-tar synthesizer); Erdal Kizilcay (key-boards, drums, bass); Peter Frampton(lead guitar); vocal and instrumentalaccompaniment. Day -In Day -Out;Time Will Crawl; Beat of Your Drum;Never Let Me Down; Zeroes; and sixothers. EMI AMERICA PJ-17267 $9.98,0 4PJ-17267 $9.98, 0 CDP-46677 nolist price.

Performance: Out of shapeRecording: Okay

In the five-year span from 1971 through1975, David Bowie recorded nine al-bums, most regarded today as classics.In the last five years, since 1983, he hasreleased just three new albums. This lit-tle bit of history suggests that DavidBowie has had other things on his mindthan making music. "Never Let MeDown" does nothing to contradict thatimpression. Lazy, amateurish, unfo-cused, and nearly unlistenable, it isundoubtedly Bowie's most brain -fa-tigued record ever.

The first track, Day -In, Day -Out, is anextreme example of the current, mis-guided belief that funk must be discor-dant and played in impossibly convo-luted time signatures to be any good.Bowie's almost mumbled vocal soundsas though he's embarrassed by thesong-and he should be: like much ofpopular culture in the 1980's, it ismeaningless. Bowie clearly has let him-self get so out of shape he can't tell howawful a song like the sluggish Time WillCrawl really is. In Beat of Your Drum,he's reduced to doing a parody ofBowie -the -crooner; in Never Let MeDown, he confuses soul with sleeping

David Bowie: just trying something different

sickness-by now, he's beginning tocome off like Lloyd Price playing a half -empty Myrtle Beach lounge. Every songhas a pieced -together -as -you -go feel.Tempos shift without creating any ten-sion or edge. It's as if Bowie hadn't giv-en any thought to how he wanted a songto sound, so he just kept trying some-thing different hoping it would work. Itnever does. M.P.

JOCELYN BROWN: One from theHeart. Jocelyn Brown (vocals); vocaland instrumental accompaniment. EgoManiac; Love's Gonna Get You; LivingWithout Your Love; I Cry Real Tears:Caught in the Act; and three others. JEL-LYBEAN/WARNER BROS. 25445-1 $8.98,© 25445-4 $8.98, © 25445-2 $15.98.

Performance: PromisingRecording: Very good

"One from the Heart" is an appropriatetitle for this debut album by JocelynBrown, for every note she sings seemsto be part of a heavy personal state-ment. That's not to say she's a down-er-far from it. She comes on like aspitfire when she strikes out at errantlovers in quality dance tunes like EgoManiac and Caught in the Act, but sheis at her best on the gut -tugging torcherLiving Without Your Love. An assort-ment of producers has supplied Brownwith stylishly contemporary songs and

arrangements, though the dominant ele-ment is her own voice. It's an instru-ment that served her well in the pastwhen she worked as a back-up singer forartists like John Lennon, Luther Van -dross, George Benson, and CultureClub. In her rich, throaty sound, you'llhear a touch of Aretha Franklin's earthyreality and a whisper of Randy Craw -ford's trembling anticipation, alongwith a let -it -all -hang-out assertivenessthat is entirely her own.

Although this album is fashioned forthe urban market, Jocelyn Brown's tal-ent is worthy of a broader audience.With performances of this quality, I'mcertain she'll find it. P.G.

JAMES CARR: At the Dark End of theStreet. James Carr (vocals); JimmyJohnson (guitar); Roger Hawkins(drums); David Hood (bass); SpoonerOldham (keyboards); other musicians.(At the) Dark End of the Street; PouringWater (On a Drowning Man); LoveAttack; You've Got My Mind MessedUp; To Love Somebody; and nine oth-ers. BLUE SIDE/UPSIDE BL 60008-1, ©BLC 60008-4, no list price.

Performance: PowerfulRecording: Pretty good

James Carr is one of the genuinelegends of mid -Sixties soul music, a guywho cut a couple of incendiary regional

96 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

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8

STREISAND'S SHOW

13A RBRA STREISAND'S first "full-length" concert in twenty yearsqualified as a genuine event lastSeptember-and so does the al-

bum "One Voice," which documents it.Streisand raised her "one voice" on thegrounds of her California home to bene-fit a group of organizations involved inprotecting human rights and the envi-ronment and in anti-nuclear activities.And what a voice she raised!

This was no grandstanding, tokenbenefit on Streisand's part. She sang herheart out in a way she hasn't done inquite some time, and she reaffirmedthat there's still no one who can top heras a pop vocalist when she's at her best.Mixed in with her inevitable renditionsof People, The Way We Were, Ever-green, and Happy Days Are Here Againare two Harold Arlen songs Streisandhad never before performed publicly:Over the Rainbow (including its seldom -heard verse) and It's a New World (fromthe 1954 A Star Is Born). Contrary toher own brief remarks regarding thesesongs, Streisand need have had no fearsabout singing them because of their

identification with another great singer,Judy Garland (of whom Streisandspeaks touchingly). As with almost anygood song she turns her voice to, Streis-and finds a way to make these two mov-ingly her own.

Barry Gibb joins Streisand for a morecontemporary interlude in Guilty andWhat Kind of Fool, which shows thatimaginative teamings can be a worthybonus for any solo act, including Streis-and's. But it's still Streisand's show allthe way, and she pulls it off as few otherperformers today could-right throughher compelling rendition of America theBeautiful. Roy Hemming

BARBRA STREISAND:: One Voice.Barbra Streisand (vocals); vocal and in-strumental accompaniment. Some-where; Evergreen; Something's Coming;People; Over the Rainbow; Guilty; WhatKind of Fool; Papa, Can You Hear Me?;The Way We Were; It's a New World;Happy Days Are Here Again; Americathe Beautiful. COLUMBIA OC 40788, C)OCT 40788, CK 40788, no listprice.

hits and then more or less disappeared.He is apparently still alive but hasbecome a sort of psychological basketcase on the order of Pink Floyd's SydBarrett. Whether his mental problemshave contributed to his legend, Iwouldn't venture to guess, but on strict-ly musical grounds, as this long -overduecompilation of his best stuff demon-strates, Carr deserves his reputation asone of the greats. Imagine a crossbetween Otis Redding, Percy Sledge,and any number of gospel singers, andyou'll begin to have an inkling of thepower of his performances. There is atonce an almost Olympian repose and asuggestion of darker emotional cur-rents; the combination is quite remark-able. The often -covered title track is themajor stunner here. S.S.

DAVID ALLAN COE: A Matter ofLife . . . and Death. David Allan Coe(vocals); vocal and instrumental accom-paniment. The Ten Commandments ofLove; Jody Like a Melody; Need a LittleTime Off for Bad Behavior; SouthernStar; Child of God; Wild Irish Rose; andfive others. COLUMBIA FC 40571, C)FCT 40571, no list price.

Performance: Good stuffRecording: Fine

It isn't every record that comes com-plete with a photo of the artist's fatherreposing in his casket-wearing hisson's "On Tour" sweater, of course-but then, David Allan Coe could neverbe accused of turning out your averagerecord. This latest one, more autobio-graphical than most, even for Coe, cele-brates the circle of life, stemming fromthe death of the singer's father and thebirth of his daughter in one three-weekperiod last year.

Coe stops just short of going over-board with both his grief and his joy,but he's more effective in chroniclinghis father's passing than his daughter'sarrival. One of the three songs about theelder Coe, Child of God, shows the sing-er at his most powerful and inventive.One of the younger Coe's strong pointsis that, even on record, there's some-thing dangerous about him-you neverknow what he's going to do. In thatrespect, and in most others that count,"A Matter of Life . . . and Death" nev-er lets down for a second. A.N.

CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT:Keep Your Distance. Curiosity Killedthe Cat (vocals and instrumentals). Mis-fit; Down to Earth; Free; Know WhatYou Know; Curiosity Killed the Cat; andfour others. MERCURY CAT LP1$8.98.

Performance: Oh, shut upRecording: Slick

A very wise person once told me neverto trust a band that names a song afteritself or vice versa. I bring this up in thecase of Curiosity Killed the Cat, thelatest contender for the title of Biggest

98 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

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Band in England for the Next Five Min-utes, because side one of their debutalbum closes with a song of the samename, and while listening to it I wasstruck by a nagging worry: Did I leavethe hall light on when I left for work thismorning? Which is to say, this is thekind of album and band that makes themind wander a bit.

Here's yet another collection of Anglopretty faces dispensing a tuneless brandof post -disco dance pop, as utterlyindistinguishable from the ThompsonTwins or the Blow Monkeys as JessicaHahn is from Donna Rice. Comingsoon to better cut-out bins everywhere,I'm sure. S.S.

HEART: Bad Animals. Heart (vocalsand instrumentals); other musicians.Who Will You Run To; Alone; There'sthe Girl; I Want You So Bad; Wait foran Answer; and five others. CAPITOL PJ-12546 $9.98, 4PJ- 12546 $9.98, ©CDP-46676 no list price.

Performance: OverachievementRecording: Excellent

If I were an impresario and wanted toput together the world's greatest rockgroup, I'd take Fleetwood Mac andreplace Stevie Nicks with the Wilsonsisters, Ann and Nancy. These twocould be backed by a couple of Capu-chin monks and an accountant and stillrock the back row at the Rose Bowl.Paired with Lindsay Buckingham's sin-gularly deranged, energized rock, thisgroup would be dangerous.

"Bad Animals" follows up last year'smega -hit comeback album "Heart"with more soaring two-part harmonies,seductive ballad singing, and hard -kick-ing vocal leads wrapped around compe-tent, professional, but uninspiring AORrock. "Animals" is the kind of "classicrock" that gets played on those FM sta-tions that still keep Stairway to Heaven,Free Bird, and Riders on the Storm inheavy rotation. Alone is already a certi-fied "classic," and Who Will You RunTo is bound to join it. They'll get playedon the radio from now until you're col-lecting Social Security, and everyoneyou know will buy the album. Which iswhy you don't have to. M.P.

LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO:Shaka Zulu. Ladysmith Black Mamba-zo (vocals). Unomathemba; Hello MyBaby; At Golgotha; King of Kings; TheEarth Is Never Satisfied; and five oth-ers. WARNER BROS. 25582-1 $8.98, ©25582-4 $8.98, © 25582-2 $15.98.

Performance: SpiritedRecording: Fine

The cultural spotlight in South Africahas increasingly fallen on the creativeexpression of the indigenous blackpeople. A catalyst in the musical move-ment has been Paul Simon, who usedsome of South Africa's finest artists inhis Grammy -winning "Graceland" setand later on his national tour. Foremost

100 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

among them was the a cappella malesinging group Ladysmith Black Mam-bazo, and Simon produced the group'sfirst American album, "Shaka Zulu."

The group's haunting, irresistiblesound is derived from a peculiarlySouth African music sometimes calledNgomabusuki, meaning songs of thenight, because it is sung by black minersfar from the ears of their bosses. Theminers live in single -sex dormitories,near their jobs but far from their fami-lies, which they can visit only a fewtimes during the year. Such musicwould have to be plaintive, and it is.Yet it also contains hope for freedomfrom oppression, usually couched in re-ligious terms.

Under the direction of its founder, asinger -composer named Joseph Shabal-ala, Ladysmith Black Mambazo hasshaped this music into an extraordinaryand unique art form. The uniquenessderives not only from the precision ofthe group's harmonizing and mastery ofshifting rhythms but from the profoundemotion that infuses their sound. Theyalso call upon their own linguistic tradi-tions, with the famous "clicks" and oth-er tongue tricks incorporated into thelyrics. But above all there is in thismusic an indomitable spirit. It is themusic of people who know that someday they will win. P.G.

THE MEKONS: Honky Tonkin. TheMekons (vocals and instrumentals). ICan't Find My Money; Hole in theGround; Sleepless Nights; Keep Hoppin';and nine others. TWIN/TONE TTR87113 $8.98, © TTR 87113C $8.98.

Performance: AmazingRecording: Very good

The Mekons were among the first of theoriginal British punk groups, and now,as the Eighties wind down, they're thelast, although this is not exactly thesame band. In fact, some seventy-fivedifferent folks have been Mekons overthe years: apparently, when punk an-nounced that anybody could (andshould) be in a band, these characterstook it seriously. In any case, the musicthe current Mekons are making is light-years removed from punk thrash. It is,instead, a beer -soaked, politically angryBritish take on hard-core Americancountry, at once hugely ironic and pas-sionately felt.

The songs in "Honky Tonkin' " areabout love, guilt, booze, injustice, tradi-tion, and coping with a world that, inErnie Kovacs's phrase, is essentiallycopeless. There are obvious analogs-the Gram Parsons -era Burrito Broth-ers, even the Band (the Mekons havebeen known to cover Richard Manuel'sThe Shape I'm In)-but mostly this isoriginal stuff, for all its debt to Nash-ville. The Mekons may be the last of adying breed, but there's more life in thisrecord than in a hundred music videoson MTV, and you miss it at yourperil. S.S.

CIRCLE NO. 50 ON READER SERVICE CARD

35 Atlartic Drive, Unit 6, Mississauga, Ontario L4W 1S4 Phone: (416) 673-3777

ANNE MURRAY: Harmony. AnneMurray (vocals); vocal and instrumen-tal accompaniment. Are You Still inLove With Me; Anyone Can Do theHeartbreak; Perfect Strangers; Give MeYour Love; and six others. CAPITOL ST -12562 $8.98, © 4XT-I 2562 $8.98,CDP-46761 no list price.

Performance: StuckRecording: Very good

It's impossible to fault her voice, ofcourse, but Anne Murray has been

mired in adult -contemporary sludge forso long she appears either not to noticeor to be so entrenched that she cannotwork her way out. "Harmony," withvirtually nothing to recommend it, isonly more distressing proof of Murray'ssteady, and tragic, artistic disintegra-tion. Too bad. A.N.

OINGO BOINGO: Boi-Ngo. OingoBoingo (vocals and instrumentals).Home Again; Where Do All My FriendsGo; Elevator Man; New Generation; My

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Enjoy the unparalleled freedomof TK44 Stereophones. Or simplyuse them as a diagnostic tool forbetter sound. Either way SignetTK44 Stereophones can improveyour stereo system...and yourevery listening experience. TK44Stereophones are displayed withconfidence at your nearest Signetshowroom.

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CIRCLE NO. 36 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Life; We Close Our Eyes; Not My Slave;and two others. MCA MCA -5811 $7.98,© MCAC-58 I I $7.98, MCAD-58 I I

no list price.

Performance: Hepped upRecording: Excellent

One look at the cover of "Boi-Ngo" andyou know these guys are hot-anygroup this goofy looking has to be get-ting by on talent. Oingo-Boingo's firstalbum is an eccentric, hyper -charged,and charming record, bouncing withdouble-time, peripatetic arrangements,curious, twisting melodies, and acrobat-ic vocals. For a band with two saxo-phones, a trumpet, and two guitars,Oingo Boingo is strangely dominated bythe vocal work of its members-they'realmost New Wave Doo Wop.

Lead singer and songwriter DannyElfman is smart enough to play to thisstrength. His hook -laden songs all fea-ture outstanding vocal arrangements,from the cascading chorus of HomeAgain to the finger -snapping a cappellaintro on Where Did All My Friends Goto the rich harmony of We Close OurEyes. Although it's a West Coast band,Oingo Boingo is almost British in out-look and energy. Songs like HomeAgain, about the brave front we put onwhen we're out in the world, hiding theoverwhelming urge to crawl up into aball when we get back home, and MyLife, a gem of synth -pop musing, con-vey the same kind of dazed -and -con-fused -but -making -the -best -of -things at-titude that typifies British pop. Quirky,unassuming, and thoroughly engaging.Recommended. M.P.

SLY AND ROBBIE: Rhythm Killers.Sly Dunbar (drums, percussion); Rob-bie Shakespeare (bass); Bootsy Collins(vocals, guitar); Henry Threadgill (saxo-phones, flutes); Bernie Worrell (pre-pared piano); other musicians. Fire;Boops (Here to Go); Let's Rock; Yes WeCan; Rhythm Killer; Bank Job. ISLAND90585-1 $8.98, © 90585-4 $8.98,90585-2 no list price.

Performance: IncendiaryRecording: Excellent

What a wonderful collection of stylesand themes this album hurls at us! Justwhen it seemed that contemporary ur-ban dance music was about to self-destruct under a mountain of monoto-nous beats and retarded raps, Sly Dun-bar and Robbie Shakespeare comealong to demonstrate how the best ofthe past can be combined with currentmodes to produce music that is bothimaginative and readily accessible.

Both of these guys have been aroundfor a while, having started out in Jamai-ca where they anchored Peter Tosh'sbacking groups during the late Seven-ties. For "Rhythm Killers" they collab-orated with veteran funkster BootsyCollins to produce bump -and -grinddance music with all the bumps in theright places. The format is simple. Each

102 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

DynamicallyDifferent.

THE CARVER M -500t MAGNETIC FIELDPOWER AMPLIFIER LEADS AN INDUSTRY

TREND TOWARDS MORE USEFUL DYNAMICPOWER FOR MUSIC...AND YET STAYS WELL

AHEAD OF ITS INSPIRED IMITATORS.

With its astonishingly high voltage/high outpl.tcurrent and exclusive operation features, the M -500tsets standards yet unequaled in the audio commu-nity. A conservative FTC sine wave output of 251watts per channel belies its incredible ability to sat-isfy peak musical transients demanding far morepower. In fact, the M -500t provides more power,more current and more voltage than any compara-bly priced amplifier ever offered.

POWER EXPRESSED BY THE DEMANDS OFMUSIC. I he carver M-Dalt responds to musicaltransients with 600 to 1000 watts of dynamic power,depending on speaker impedance. The gulf betweenFTC and dynamic power ratings reflects Bob Car-ver's insistence that amplifier design should fittheproblem at hand The need to reproduce music withinstantaneous, stunning impact.

The individual leading edge attack of each musi-cal note lasts less than 1/1000 of a second, yelforms the keen edge of musical reality which mustbe present if true high fidelity is to be realized. I: isespecially necessary with the increased dynamiccapabilities of Compact Discs and video Hi-Fi. Inordinary amplifier designs, the vast amounts ofpower required is provided by bulky, expensivepower supplies and huge output transformers.

THE MAGNETIC FIELD AMPLIFIERSOLUTION. Rather than increase cost, size andheat output with massive storage circuits, Magnetic

Field Ampliication delivers instantaneous high peakand long-term power from a six -pound, four -ounceMagnetic F eld Coil. Shown below are the 40 -poundtoroid coils from a pair of $7000 esoteric poweramplifiers. In front of them is the M-500t's Mag-netic Field Coil capable of delivering TWICE theoutput current (±100 amperes at 10% regulation!)for exceptionally precise control of voice coil motion.

Thus Carver's remarkable, patented design notonly lets you enjoy the stunning sonic benefits ofsimultaneous high current and voltage in a com-pact, cool-r_inning component, but enables you toafford audiophile -level power as well.

POWEF: WITH FINESSE. While tne M -500t isn'tthe only an plitier with aggressive output capabilities,it is one of the few that tempers brute power withsophisticated protection circuits beneficial to boththe amplifier and your loudspeaker system. Theseinclude DC offset, short circuit and power interruptsystems, as well as two special computer -controlledspeaker monitor circuits which protect againstexcessive high frequency tweeter input and overallvoice coil thermal overload.

Output is continuously monitored throughdual lighted infinite -resolution VU -ballistic meters

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which can react to musical transients as brief as1 millisecond.

In addition, the M-500t's lack of external fan noiseis complimented by internal circuitry with the bestsignal-to-noise ratio of any production amplifier.Better than 120dB. And, unlike any other amplifierin its price or power ranges, the M -500t is capable ofhandling problematic speaker loads as low as 1 ohm.I: may also be used in a bridged mode as a 700 wattRMS per channel mono amplifier without anyswitching or moditication.

MUSIC IS THE FINAL PROW. Specificationsaside, final judgment of any amplifier must be basedon musicality.

Bob Carver has carefully designed the M -500twith a completely neutral signal path that is utterlytransparent in sonic character, resulting in a totallack of listener fatigue caused by subtle colorationsexhioited by many other amplifiers, regardless of theirpower rating. A veil will be lifted between you andyour musical source as the most detailed nuancesare revealed and delivered with proper impact.

We invite you to audition the M -500t at your near-est Carver dealer soon. Against any and all competi-tion.We believe that you will be pleasantly surprisedat just how affordable this much power, musicalityand accuracy can be.

SPECIFICATIONS POWER, 251 watts/channel into8 ohms 20Hz to 10 kHz, both channels driven withno more than 0.15% THD. Instaneous Peak power,100Crwatts into 2 oh, > 350 watts ,nto 4 ohms. 600 watts into 8 ohmsLong Term Sustained RMS power, 500 into 2 ohms, 450into 4 ohms, 300 into 8 ohms, 1000 watts bridged mono into 4 ohms,00 watts bridged mono into 8 ohms Bridged Mono RMSContinuous Power, 700 watts continuous into 8 ohms. Noise,-120dB IHF A -Weighted. Weight, 251bs

POWERFUL

CIRCLE NO 49 ON READER SERVICE CARD

MUSICAL ACCURATE

evolutionDistributed in Canada by: technoiogy

album side is based on a funk classic ofproven merit. Side one is derived fromthe Ohio Player's incendiary Fire!, sidetwo from Yes We Can, one of the besttunes ever recorded by the Pointer Sis-ters when they dared to be different.These anchoring songs serve as startingpoints for uninterrupted improvisa-tions in rhythin that build to multipleclimaxes while drawing from wildly dis-parate musical styles. Blistering bluesguitar licks are juxtaposed with quota-tions from the Masterpiece Theatre

theme music and Henry Threadgill'sintellectual saxophone commentaries,all interwoven with the thumping rapexclamations. The result is one of thebest dance records I've heard in a verylong time-funk with a fresh twist thatbegs to be heard again and again. P.G.

TOM WAITS: Franks Wild Years (seeBest of the Month, page 88)

THE WHITE ANIMALS: In the LastDays (see Best of the Month, page 87)

M & K asks:How do other companiesknow their speakersaccurately reproducethe sound of live music?

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M & K President and chief speaker designer Ken Kreisel recording the English Chamber Orchestra at London's Abbey Road Studios. using M & K S -1B Satellites and V 18 Subwoofers

We know M & K speakers give you the most realistic reproductionof live music, because we are the only speaker manufacturerthat is also a digital recording label (RealTime and PerpetuaRecords) No other speaker manufacturer constantly referencesthe sound of their speakers to live professional musicians in adigital recording environment. The lifelike superiority of M & KSatellite-Subwoofer Systems is a direct result of this dual heritage.

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10391 Jefferson Boulevard. Culver City CA 90230 USA 213 204 2854CIRCLE NO 46 ON READER SERVICE CARD

JAZZ

THE DUKE ELLINGTON ORCHES-TRA: Digital Duke. The Duke Elling-ton Orchestra, Mercer Ellington cond.Satin Doll; Perdido; Prelude to a Kiss;Cottontail; and four others (four addi-tional selections on the CD). GRP 0GR-1038 $8.98, 0 GRC-l038 $8.98, 0GRD-9548 no list price.

Performance: Kinda DukishRecording: Excellent

The Ellington sound is well preservedon this new release by the current DukeEllington Orchestra, which is led byDuke's son, Mercer; a few members inthe band actually did work for hisfather. Mercer Ellington acted as man-ager and played the trumpet in hisfather's band for nine years before cir-cumstances made him its leader. Whathe inherited was the world's most fa-mous big band, an organization thattime had granted a life of its own. Andyou still hear today echoes of its illus-trious past, the work of men like JohnnyHodges, Billy Strayhorn, Cootie Wil-liams, and Lawrence Brown. But this isnot the Duke Ellington Orchestra fro-zen in time, nor is it really a 1987 -vin-tage Ellington Orchestra. It is an "El-lingtonian" orchestra that captures theessence of early Seventies Duke andadds enough fresh ingredients to makeit tantalizing.

Among the fresh ingredients are someexcellent solos, in Jeep's Blues and Pre-lude to a Kiss, by Ellington alumnusNorris Turney, who replaced Hodgesand follows, stylistically, in his foot-steps. The most stunning moments,however, are provided by guest tenorsaxophonist Branford Marsalis, whosets Cottontail on fire. Overall, a fineproduction. C.A.

LEE KONITZ: Ideal Scene. Lee Konitz(soprano saxophone); Harold Danko(piano); Rufus Reid (bass); Al Hare -wood (drums). Ezz-thetic; If You CouldSee Me Now; Silly Samba; Chick CameAround; and three others. SOUL NOTESN 1119 $9.98, © 1119C $9.98, 01119CD no list price.

Performance: SuperbRecording: Excellent

As Lee Konitz points out in his notes,when his quartet recorded "IdealScene," in Milan last summer, it was afinely tuned working band, having justfinished eight concerts at the North SeaFestival, in the Hague, and playedJapan several months before. It is cer-tainly not just another saxophone -with -rhythm combo. The close rapport Ko-nitz has with the rest of this quartet isevident from the beginning, and I

would expect no less, considering thecast. Three of the seven tunes are bypianist Harold Danko, a prolific com-

104 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

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THE UNTOUCHABLESRILE The Untouchables isclearly the best moviebased on an old TV showever made, it is not quite

the masterpiece some are claiming. De-spite an occasionally well -written sceneby David Mamet, some nice perform-ances (notably by the sublime SeanCannery as the wise old cop), and somewell -staged action sequences, it's basi-cally a live -action cartoon, and a ratherthinly plotted one at that. That peopleare going bonkers over it is, I think,more a comment on the generally pa-thetic state of American filmmaking atthe moment than a reflection of any-thing specifically swell about the filmitself. But, then again, what do I know? Iactually liked Heaven's Gate.

In any case, the one aspect of the filmthat I am unambiguously enthusiasticabout is the score. Ennio Morricone, acomposer much beloved of avant-garderockers because of his penchant for cul-

tural and stylistic cut -and -paste games,weighs in here with an absolutelysmashing effort, in equal parts Italian -ate romanticism, parodistic period pop,and contemporary high-tech. Heady,breathlessly paced, and utterly original,it's an aural collage that works evenwithout the visuals. In an era whenmost film music is either a marketingploy (Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II) ora pale John Williams pastiche (takeyour pick), The Untouchables has ascore that's the work of a genuine talentpushing a medium to its limits. In short,the album is the best thing of its kindsince Randy Newman's soundtrack forThe Natural. Highly recommended.

Steve Simels

THE UNTOUCHABLES (Ennio Mor-ricone). Original -soundtrack recording.Orchestra, Ennio Morricone cond.A&M 0 SP -3909 $8.98, © CS -3909$8.98, © CD -3909 no list price.

poser who has yet to get the attentionthat is his due. It's all high -caliber jazzin that enduring vein we once called"modern." C.A.

MIKE MELILLO/CHET BAKER:Symphonically. Chet Baker (trumpet);Mike Melillo (piano); other musicians.Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana,Mike Melillo cond. Laura: Yesterdays;My Foolish Heart; and two others.Som. NoTE SN 1134 $9.98, © 1134C$9.98, 0 I134CD $9.98 no list price.

Performance: UnevenRecording: Good

The going is a bit rough at times, butthis live set, which for the most part fea-tures Chet Baker's still -mellow trumpetagainst a lush symphonic background,is not an altogether bad bit of jazz -fla-vored mood music. The roughness islargely due to the nature of the record-ing, which was made at a live concertwith an Italian orchestra that sounds asif it would be more at home performingVerdi and Puccini. There was apparent-ly little time for rehearsal, and Bakerdid not always show up-which showsup clearly in the performance. On onlyone track do he and Mike Melillo per-form without the orchestra, and that'sin My Foolish Heart, which Baker singsin the same foggy voice that oncebrought him great popularity outsidethe jazz world. Melillo's arrangementsare pleasant but uneventful. The chartsmight have been more adventuresome,but, given the situation, it would proba-bly have been unwise to aim higher.Don't go away thinking this set is all bad,though. It's just a little uneven. C.A.

MARK MURPHY: Night Mood. MarkMurphy (vocals); vocal and instrumen-tal accompaniment. Sails; Love Dance;Ticket; Dinorah Dinorah; Madalena;and four others. MILESTONE M-9145$9.98, © 5-9145 $9.98, © 9145-2$16.98.

Performance: Right moodRecording: Very good

Since his appearance on the jazz scenein the late Fifties, Mark Murphy hasbeen quietly building up a following. Hehas recorded some thirty albums in asmany years, and his latest, "NightMood," is a well -honed set featuringcompositions by Brazilian songwriterIvan Lins. The years have added a bit ofgravel to Murphy's voice, but it is quitebecoming. As with so many other caba-ret singers, it's the delivery that counts.The accompaniments provided by thegroup Azymuth as well as by alto saxo-phonist Frank Morgan and trumpeterClaudio Roditi add a jazz flavor, butMurphy has always been jazz -oriented.He has also crossed over the border intopop; here he straddles it. I like it. C.A.

BUDDY TATE: The Texas Twister.Buddy Tate (clarinet, tenor saxophone,vocals); Paul Quinichette (tenor saxo-

106 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER1987

SilentRunning.

CARVER'S FAMOUS TUNING TECHNOLOGYTAKES TO THE ROAD WITH THE ONLY AM/FMTUNER CASSETTE DECKS CAPABLE OF arm 4G

MULTIPATH INTERFERENCE UP TO 92.9%!

The new TX -Seven and TX -Nine audiophileautosound decks employ the same AsymmetricalCharge -Coupled FM Stereo Detector circuitry asCarver's revolutionary TX -11a home tuner. They alsoincorporate an ingenious automatic computer logic -controlled antenna switching system that furthervanquishes multipath distortion.

In point of fact, no other autosound decks in theworld - regardless of price - even begin to approachthe TX -Seven and TX -Nine's ability to maintain ahiss -free, glitch -free FM listening environment inyour car

COMPUTER LOGIC -CONTROLLEDDIVERSITY ANTENNA SWITCHING DRIVESAROUND MULTIPATH. One way to get ter ripur3ryrelief from interference at home is to move theantenna around slightly. Instead of physically mov-ing your car antenna, the TX -Seven and TX -Nine usecomputerized circuitry to switch between two sepa-rate antennas, one out -of -phase, and one in -phasewith incoming FM signals.

CARVER

When mutipath occurs, a special "smart" circuitautomatically switches (at the speed of light) to theother antenna, automatically correcting prase andeliminating tie multipath before you ever hear it.What little multipath distortion gets through thissmart antenna system runs headlong into theremarkable Liner innovation High Fidelity Magazinedescribed as .. distinguished (by) its ability to pullclean, noise -free sound out of weak or multipath-ridden signs."

Alone, without antenna diversity swftcring, theTX -Seven and TX -Nine's Asymmetrical Charge -Coupled FM Detector Circuitry delivers a net noiseand distortial reduction of 93.5%! Together, they seta new standard for clear, clean FM autosoundreproduction.

REAL WORLD CONFIRMATION. Both deckswere tested on a torturous 6 -mile course near theCarver factory which could regularly trigger at least287 separate multipath occurrences in conventionalautosound FM tuners.

The TX-Seven-6nd TX -Nine with AsymmetricalCharge Coupled FM Detection and diversity antennasystem, reduced multipath occurrences to an aver-age of two dL ring thesanie_course while listening tothe samestaionsi.-_----

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FACTORY-LOADED WITH EXTRAS. The fifteenrandom presets on the TX -Seven and TX -Nine areincredibly easy to set. Just press the button markedBEST and the logic circuitry automatically selectsthe fifteen strongest signals and locks them in on thepresets. Plus you can select another fifteen on yourown!

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Naturally both decks are metal tape compatiblewith Dolby/' noise reduction and have auto -reversetransports, separate bass, treble, balance andloudness and four-way fader controls. All tuningand transport functions are signalled with a gentle"beep" that keeps your eyes on the road, not on thecompact, ergonomically -styled deck.

There's even a security code system that rendersthe TX -Seven or TX -Nine inoperable to anyone butyou, and a quick removal system so you can slip outyour TX -Seven or TX -Nine in seconds for storage intrunk or house

THE BEGINNING OF THE PERFECT AUTO -SOUND LISTENING ENVIRONMENT. Visit yourCarver dealer soon and experience the TX -Sevenand TX -Nine. Out of hundreds of the only tuner/cassette models available, they are the only oneswhich can truly put you in the driver's seat of aunique, interference -free musical experience.

Dolby is a trademark of Dolby Licensing Corp.

POWERFULCIRCLE NO. 49 ON READER SERVICE CARD

MUSICAL ACCURATE

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Even if you ca )'t s ng a cote, you can still ar preciate greet rnus c.With Toshiba's per:ablz CD Jaye-. The sound is awesome. It pac<sar AM/FM stereo di:: with 12 preset digital tiring, 3 -beam userpickup and 16-prcgrznrancom memory. Thereseven a quick 2rogramkey and a rechargeableNi-Cad battery. In ToLch with TomorrowIt's a high note in portable CD's. TOSHIBA

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CIRCLE NO_ 57 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Headphones that work with your ears,not against them.

DT 990 head -?hones use "diffuse.sound field equalizat.cn,." based on-ww studies of how !kr aumaa ear af--icts sound. This des;Irm produces c flatfrequency response, cccurately recrmting-he experience of the aiskaning envivonment.

I-IostaphanTM diawarcsms cnd Neodyne" magnets are two ni,re reasonsDT 990s have won ffich-.ical end critical acclaim r_ Europe and America.They ". . delivered a superb sound" and were .remarkably c-rmjorta5le`o wear" accordeng!crSt?reo Review.

So if you enjoy -195'v yourself it the music, start by finding the 3.?yerSealer in your area. Call the nader response number below, or write -

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phone); Cliff Smalls (piano); MajorHolley (bass); Jackie Williams (drums).Talk of the Town; Chicago; BoogieWoogie; Topsy; and four others. NEWWORLD NW 352-1 $10.98, ®NW 352-2no list price.

Performance: Gentle swingRecording: Quite good

When tenor saxophonist Buddy Taterecorded this album, a day before hissixty-first birthday in 1975, he hadmore or less withdrawn from the NewYork scene. By the mid -Seventies, hiswarm, at all times robust Texas tenorseemed to find more appreciative earsin Europe. Tate, now seventy-three, isstill summing up his experiences withthe bands of Count Basie, Andy Kirk,Lucky Millinder, and Hot Lips Page,but "The Texas Twister" captures hiswork at a particularly creative timewhen he was able to combine impres-sive experience with strength that hasnow begun to ebb. The presence ofanother of the Count's former tenors,Paul Quinichette, gives these quintettracks a Basie flavor, which Tate furtherenhances by rendering vocals thatevoke Jimmy Rushing's style. Theyrarely make music like this any more, sothis recording (originally released onMaster Jazz) is a particularly welcomeaddition to the growing CD jazz library.Let's hope a similar laser rebirth is instore for the superb Chiaroscuro album"Buddy Tate and His Buddies," whichhe made two years earlier with RoyEldridge, Mary Lou Williams, BuckClayton, and Illinois Jacquet. C.A.

JOSH WHITE, JR., WITH ROBINBATTEAU: Jazz, Ballads & Blues. JoshWhite, Jr. (guitar); Robin Batteau (vio-lin); Jerry Burnham (bass). St. JamesInfirmary; Don't Smoke in Bed; Houseof the Rising Sun; Strange Fruit; CallMe Darling; and five others. RYKORCD 10033 no list price.

Performance: ExcellentRecording: Yodeler's dream

Guitarist Josh White, Jr., plays in astyle that is virtually identical to thestyle that brought his late father suchgreat popularity several decades ago. Ihappen to like this kind of polishedblues guitar, but much of this recordingis marred by a dreadful abuse of theecho chamber. It is as if White and hispartner, violinist Robin Batteau, wereplaying inside a large, empty cave. Engi-neers were fond of using excessive re -verb in the Fifties, and pop producerPhil Spector took it to the max in thefollowing decade, but I thought we hadoutgrown this sort of thing. And thesetwo fine players certainly don't need it.So let's say that I love the picture buthate the frame. This is a wonderful setof familiar material, much of it asso-ciated with White's father, and I will bethe first to recommend it if Rykodiscever remasters it to give these perform-ances the presence they deserve. C.A.

.Catiatia: ELNOVA 41_90 ra- Sen. 3f. Laurent, (2 milky H4T1A6 Tcf (S14)34169 33 Telex .58:4736

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P.O. BOX 688 HOPE, ARKANSAS USA 71801CIRCLE NO. 2 ON READER SERVICE CARD

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Discs and tapes reviewed byRobert Ackart, Richard Freed,David Hall, Stoddard Lincoln

BACH: English Suite No. 2, in A Minor(BWV 807); English Suite No. 3, in GMinor (BWV 808). Ivo Pogorelich(piano). DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON415 480-1 $10.98, C) 415 480-4 $10.98,(D) 415 480-2 no list price.

Performance: GlibRecording: Fine

Many pianists, not realizing (or ignor-ing) that the harpsichord is basically alegato instrument capable of sustainedlines, use a continuous staccato touchwhen playing Bach. Ivo Pogorelich is noexception. Despite his compellingdrive, Pogorelich plays the fast move-ments of these suites in so staccato afashion, and so fast, that you feel amechanical rather than a musical forceis at work. The allemandes, on the otherhand, are slow and gluey. Further mis-understanding of the Baroque style ismanifested in Pogorelich's handling ofthe ornaments and his curious reversalof dynamics in the two bourees of theSecond Suite and the two gavottes of

the second is usually softer and lighter.All in all, this is a disappointing release,not because the pianist plays badly butbecause his style of playing is so inap-propriate to the music. S. L.

BENJAMIN: At First Light; A Mind ofWinter. Penelope Walmsley-Clark (so-prano); London Sinfonietta, GeorgeBenjamin cond. Ringed by the Flat Ho-rizon. BBC Symphony Orchestra, MarkElder cond. NIMBUS NI 5075 no listprice.

Performance: AccessibleRecording: Very good

George Benjamin was born in 1960,which makes him twenty-seven yearsold-long in the tooth for a rock starbut extraordinarily young for a success-ful classical composer these days. Ben-jamin composes in what might now becalled mainstream modernism. Hemakes a big, sure, colorful symphonicsound. The pieces here are tonal pic-tures-the Straussian tone poem up-dated. At First Light was inspired by aTurner painting, Ringed by the FlatHorizon, his best-known work, by aphotograph of a thunderstorm over thedesert and some lines from T. S. Eliot's

EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS:

0 = DIGITAL -MASTER LP= TAPE CASSETTE= COMPACT DISC

Soprano Rosalind Plowright

A NEW "FORZA"VERDI'S La forza del destino isperhaps the most difficult ofhis operas to assess. Its diffuseplot deals with love and ven-

detta, war, and religious commitment.Dramatically, it's virtually impossibleto find a point of focus. Musically, too,it is something of a patchwork, with glo-rious bits next to trite or insipid pas-sages. Finally, the characters seem rath-er remote, not really developed as inother Verdi operas. They are, indeed,pawns of the force of destiny. The operais well titled.

La forza casts its spell nevertheless.Focused or not, it is highly theatrical,and the music is very exciting. Youcan't help being caught up by Verdi'sinvention, passion, and uncanny senseof what will work in the theater.

Giuseppe Sinopoli's new DeutscheGrammophon recording of the operadelivers what we have come to expectfrom his past performances: tautness,musical focus, a strong rhythmic sense,and attention to sometimes overlookedmusical details. The Ambrosian OperaChorus and the Philharmonia Orches-tra perform splendidly under his metic-ulous direction, and the recorded soundis first-rate.

As Leonora, Rosalind Plowright singswith emotional conviction and musicalease; her "Pace, pace" is especiallyrewarding. Jose Carreras strives valiant-ly with Alvaro and brings a sense ofcharacter and dramatic urgency to his

effort; unfortunately, his voice is not ofsufficient weight to support the tessituraof the role, which requires the artist to"sing out" a good deal of the time. Re-nato Bruson fares better as Carlo, sing-ing with the attention to refinements inboth his music and characterizationthat is a hallmark of his recordings.

Agnes Baltsa, the Preziosilla, sings hertwo scenes with ease and disarmingéclat (a normally find the role annoying-ly silly), and Paata Burchuladze andJuan Pons are particularly effective asGuardiano and Melitone, respectively.The other members of the cast fulfilltheir assignments commendably.

Regardless of my feelings about theopera itself, I fully intend to play thisperformance of Forza many times over.It's that kind of opera-and that kind ofperformance. Recommended.

Robert Ackart

VERDI: La forza del destino. RosalindPlowright (soprano), Leonora; Jose Car-reras (tenor), Alvaro; Renato Bruson(baritone), Carlo; Paata Burchuladze(bass), Guardiano; Juan Pons (bari-tone), Melitone; Agnes Baltsa (mezzo-soprano), Preziosilla; John Tomlinson(bass), Marchese di Calatrava. Ambro-sian Opera Chorus; Phi harmonia Or-chestra, Giuseppe Sinopoli cond.DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 0 419 203-Ithree LP's $29.94, © 419 203-4 threecassettes $29.94, © 419 203-2 threeCD's no list price.

STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 I l

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Stereo Review

The Waste Land; A Mind of Winter sets(rather high-handedly) a poem by Wal-lace Stevens.

Benjamin, who is British, is very wellserved by these convincing recordingsand the state-of-the-art performances(something that doesn't happen veryoften with new orchestral music in thiscountry, even with music by establishedcomposers). He is a big talent, no doubtof it, and he writes serious modernmusic in a comfortable mode-pictur-esque, nondogmatic, quite romantic inscope and intention. The old CentralEuropean style has been trimmed andreshaped, the angst taken out. Expres-sionism without fear, modernism with-out tears. Eric Salzman

LISZT: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, inC -sharp Minor; Liebestraum No. 3;Valse oubliee No. 1; Consolation No. 3;Waldesrauschen; Mephisto Waltz No.1; Isoldes Liebestod. Israela Margalit(piano). CHAN DOS 0 ABRD 1197$11.98, 0 ABTD 1197 $11.98.

Performance: Mostly fineRecording: A little clangv

Except for the arrangement, or para-phrase, of the finale of Wagner's Tristanand Isolde, everything in this Lisztpackage is about as basic as one might

imagine --a convenient "starter set,"one might say, for acquainting new lis-teners with this repertoire. Since manybuyers may view it in just that light, it isfortunate that it is all brought off sowell. These tend to be "comfortable"interpretations rather than revelatoryones, but they are none the worse forthat. If lsraela Margalit tells us nothingnew about the music, she does suggestshe cares for it a great deal, and for themost part she has all the technicalresources required to put it over.

Margalit takes the familiar Liebes-traum very slowly, barely maintainingmomentum, and might have broughtmore drive to the Mephisto Waltz, butthe evocative -poetic sections are beauti-fully realized, as are the Valse cuhliee(refreshingly bright-eyed), the well -loved Hungarian Rhapsody, and. espe-cially, both Waldesrauschen and theWagner transcription. The last, a workof such adventurousness that it is betterto think of it as "Liszt, based on Wag-ner," will be a stunning discovery formost listeners, and there can be noquestion of Margalit's understanding ofthe piece or her capacity for conveyingall of its remarkable power. The pianosound is a bit less smooth than we'vecome to expect from Chandos, but it iscertainly vivid enough.

MAHLER: Symphony No. 3, in D Mi-nor. Gwendolyn Killebrew (contralto);Boys' Choir of the Bonn CollegiumJosephinum; Women's Choirs of theBavarian and West German Radio; Co-logne Radio Symphony Orchestra,Gary Bertini cond. DEUTSCHE HAR-MONIA M UN DI/ANGEL c CDS-47568two CD's no list price.

Performance: DistinguishedRecording: Very good

Mahler's gorgeously sprawling ThirdSymphony has been lucky in its re-corded performances. Indeed, I cannotrecall any inferior ones, and the sevenversions currently available on CD allstand up well. Those that have stayed inmy library are the famous LeonardBernstein/New York Philharmonic ver-sion of 1962, now available on CBScompact discs, and the 1970 JaschaHorenstein recording, which I have onan Advent cassette but which first cameout on Nonesuch (neither is still in thecatalog). To my great pleasure, I can saythat this new recording with Gary Ber-tini conducting is almost equally distin-guished.

The kaleidoscopic unfolding of theimmense, half-hour first movementproceeds with a splendidly cumulativeimpact that makes you as fully aware of

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CIRCLE NO. 63 ON READER SERVICE CARD

8TF.RE(.) R FN' SF.PTEmBER 1987 113

Esa-Pekka Salonen: dynamic Nielsen

the music's poetic values as of its elec-trifying sonorities. The huge orchestralforces are beautifully focused, both as awhole and in detail, in somewhat closerperspective than usual without anysense of undue acoustic confinement.The lateral imaging of the stereo soundstage is superbly effective. The minuet -like second movement is imbued withdelicious naivete in its opening pages,and the third movement, with its touch-ingly evocative posthorn solo, is nota-ble for the way an effect of distance isachieved.

The true centerpiece of the work is thegreat contralto solo on the text ofNietzsche's Midnight Song from ThusSpoke Zarathustra. Not only does Ber-tini treat it as the centerpiece, but inGwendolyn Killebrew he has a singerwho goes to the very heart of bothmusic and text. Killebrew's opening isin veiled tones, and as the music arrivesat its point of greatest intensity-"OMankind! Deep is its grief!"-she elicitsa response of profound emotion. A tri-umph.

The delightful "Es sungen drei En-gel" choral movement for boys andwomen, with its pre -echo of the FourthSymphony, comes off beautifully, witha highly effective division between theboys on the left and the women on theright. The great closing "hymn of love"unfolds at the same slow, sustainedtempo as in the Bernstein recording, butit never achieves quite the same vibrantintensity. Even so, this recorded per-formance as a whole has much to rec-ommend it, and I would want it for thesolo -contralto movement alone. D.H.

NIELSEN: Symphony No. 1, in G Mi-nor, Op. 7. Swedish Radio SymphonyOrchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen cond.Little Suite for Strings in A Minor, Op.I. New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra,Esa-Pekka Salonen cond. CBS 0 IM

42321, C) IMT 42321, MK 42321, nolist price.

Performance: ArrestingRecording: Clean and lean

Brahms was still alive in Vienna andDvorak in America had yet to completehis New World Symphony when thetwenty -seven -year -old, budding Danishsymphonist Carl Nielsen put the finaltouches on his first essay in the genre,the Symphony in G Minor. And indeed,there is much more of the dynamism ofBrahms and Dvotak in this music thanthere is of the easygoing lyricism ofNiels Gade, Nielsen's mentor at theKonservatorium in Copenhagen. In ad-dition, we find the beginnings of Niel-sen's innovative treatment of key pro-gression as well as a third movement ofpronounced harmonic originality.

Most previous conductors who haverecorded the First Symphony havetreated the score as something of a pre-paratory essay for greater works tocome. Not so Esa-Pekka Salonen,whose extraordinarily dynamic readingsearches out every last bit of the purelyNielsenesque to be found in the piece,especially in the first and fourth move-ments, where we hear both expositionrepeats. The slow movement has anextra measure of intensity here, and theAllegro commodo, which is often heardas a kind of Brahmsian intermezzo,goes at a faster pace than usual, becom-ing something rather fierce. Nielsen'seven earlier Suite for Strings normallygets the salon treatment, but, again,Salonen seeks out things in the musicthat make it sound somewhat less com-fortable.

Salonen elicits razor-sharp attacksand rhythmic responsiveness from boththe Swedish Radio Symphony and theNew Stockholm Chamber Orchestra.The sound that emerges from Stock-holm's Berwald Hall is clean and a bitcool, but with an almost elemental tran-sient impact. D. H .

SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 5,in D Major, Op. 47 (see Best of theMonth, page 87)

TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6, inB Minor, Op. 74 ("Pathetique"); Polo-naise from "Eugene Onegin."ClevelandOrchestra, Christoph von Dohnanyicond. TELARC CD -80130 no listprice.

Performance: Good and cleanRecording: Very good

TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6, inB Minor, Op. 74 ("Pathetique"). Bos-ton Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawacond. ERATO 0 NUM 75303 $10.98, ©MCE 75303 $10.98, ECD 88242 nolist price.

Performance: GoodRecording: Good

This seems to be open season for theTchaikovsky Pathetique on CD. The

new one by Christoph von Dohnanyiand the Cleveland Orchestra is straight-forward and to the point, with temposthat keep the music flowing-no lachry-mose lingering here. The close attentionDohnanyi gives to coloristic detail isshown by the very opening, which has afine realization of the dark viola timbre.Notable, too, are the clarity, almostnever achieved, in the descending bassfiguration that accompanies the marchtune in the third movement and theintensity and thrust of the central sec-tion of the final movement. Overall,this is a good reading of the "objective"school, enhanced by the splendid acous-tics of Cleveland's Masonic Audiorium,which both contains and projects theorchestral sound to good effect. TheEugene Onegin Polonaise is well done,but I see no reason for it here even as afiller.

Seiji Ozawa's Pathetique is moreemotionally charged and intensely lyri-cal, and he achieves the most tellingresults in the middle movements. Mylong -held view that Ozawa has a flairfor the balletic elements in Tchaikovskyis certainly borne out in this case. Forsheer drama, the central portion of theAdagio lamentoso gets top marks. Thesound is good, if just a shade recessed inthe string department. D.H.

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: SymphonyNo. 2 ("A London Symphony"); TheLark Ascending, for Violin and Orches-

Seiji Ozawa: Tchaikovsky with flair

tra. Barry Griffiths (violin); Royal Phil-harmonic Orchestra, Andre Previncond. TELARC CD -80138 no listprice.

Performance: Exquisite LarkRecording: Lush

It was with eager anticipation that I

loaded my CD player with this first all -digital recording of Vaughan Williams'sevocative symphonic portrait of Brit-ain's "Heart of Empire," but even the

114 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

ONE STEP IN THE MAKING OF A KEF

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At KEF, computerised testingand computer -aided design havechanged all that. For example, KEF'scomputerised modal analysis ena-

CIRCLE NO 69 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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'Wiile computers will never takethe place of innovative engineering,they do enable us to examine andperfect loudspeaker performance asnever before'

`By the time we build the final prototypein wood, we've already"bufft"dozenson computer.'

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As AMERICAN As PITTSBURGHBACK in the old days, when

American writers were trying towrite the Great American Nov-el, American composers simi-

larly became involved with the sym-phony. Could there be an Americansymphony-recognizably in the greattradition but also American in flavorand tone? Copland's Third Symphonyis probably the best-known work of thiskind, but there are others. DuringWorld War II, when Shostakovich's lat-est would arrive from a besieged Lenin-grad, we would send over a Roy Harrisin exchange.

William Schuman's contributions tothe Great American Symphony genrechanged the nature of the discourse.Between his own Symphony No. 2, per-formed by the Boston Symphony in1939, and his No. 7, commissioned bythe same orchestra for its seventy-fifthanniversary and first performed in1960, Schuman introduced a note ofseriousness and introspection. Theseworks retain a spaciousness and gran-deur that seem connected with the workof composers like Harris and Copland,but they are also much more in the gen-eral framework of modernism. Much ofthe Schuman Seventh is made up oflarge-scale dissonant chorales. The in-tensity of this highly emotional music isrelieved only by an optimistic rhythmicscherzo -finale, the most obviouslyAmerican music of the symphony. Agood piece and deserving of revival.

The Schuman Seventh has been new-ly recorded for New World Records bya first -rank American orchestra, thePittsburgh Symphony, under a distin-guished American conductor, LorinMaazel. Maazel comes from a Pitts-burgh family and was brought up there.He is currently the symphony's princi-pal guest conductor and musical advi-

Leonardo Balada

William Schuman

sor, presumably on the way to takingover the post of music director.

Maazel's recording of the SchumanSeventh is coupled with one of the SteelSymphony by Leonardo Balada, a Cata-lan composer (born in Barcelona,Spain, in 1933) who has lived in thiscountry since 1956. Balada has taught atCarnegie-Mellon University in Pitts-burgh since 1970, and his Steel Sympho-ny is an homage to his adopted city-anevocation of the great steel mills thatmade Pittsburgh the extraordinary ifinfernal place it once was. (Today it's abright and cheery and rather pictur-esque place for big corporate headquar-ters; the grime and smoke are gonealong with most of the mills.)

Balada's hymn to industry has its pre-decessors, notably the work of the Ital-ian Futurists, Soviet composer Alexan-der Mossolov's The Iron Foundry, anda lot of the music and ideas of EdgardVarese. There are also perceptible in-fluences from a more recent EasternEuropean school represented byKrzysztof Penderecki and Gyorgy Lige-ti. It is an extremely well -wrought (theright word, I think, for iron and steel)and colorful work, a lot more pictur-esque than the factories that inspired it.It begins with the orchestra tuning upand ends with the tuning A from whichit departed. It is rhythmic but onlyoccasionally uses the big pulses that onemight expect. Balada has romanticizedthose now -gone steel mills from anessentially Old World modernist per-spective. It is a curious epitaph-a Eu-ropean composer's poetic meditationon a giant American industry in itsdeath throes. A strange and quite pow-erful statement. Eric Salzman

SCHUMAN: Symphony No. 7. BA-LADA: Steel Symphony. PittsburghSymphony Orchestra, Lorin Maazelcond. NEW WoRLD 0 NW 348-I, ©NW348-4, © NW 348-2, no list price.

gorgeously lush sonics, with extraordi-narily deep bass tones, cannot save areading that verges on the somnolentfor much of the time. Compared withSir Adrian Boult's two definitive re-cordings (the first done under the com-poser's supervision), Andre Previn'snew one is a minute slower in the firstmovement, two and a half minutesslower in the slow movement, andalmost two minutes slower in the finale.Only the scherzo is reasonably paced.

The prevailing slow tempos deprivethe music of the vivid drama thatmarked Previn's own 1972 version re-corded with the London Symphony inKingsway Hall, issued here on RCA.Also vitiating the dramatic impact ofthis CD is the excessive dominance ofthe bass part of the spectrum, to thepoint where the middle frequencies-especially from the violins-are thrownout of focus relative to the musical tex-ture. I would be inclined to blame therecording locale, Fairfield Hall in Croy-don, except that this very same discoffers the very finest realization of TheLark Ascending that I have heard on oroff discs. Virtually every other record-ing I know of The Lark makes the violinsound decidedly larger than life, butsoloist Barry Griffiths, Previn, and theengineering staff have everything justright here. As in the symphony, the solowind playing too is outstanding in sen-sitivity and warmth. I wish the wholedisc had been as good! D. H.

WEBER: Clarinet Concerto No. 1, in FMinor, Op. 73; Clarinet Concerto No. 2,in E -flat Major, Op. 74; Concertino in CMinor, Op. 26. Sabine Meyer (clarinet);Dresden State Orchestra, HerbertBlomstedt cond. EMI/ANGEL © CDC -47351 no list price.

Performance: MarvelousRecording: Demonstration class

Since the LP edition of this recording,which I've been enjoying for the lastyear or so, was issued in Angel's Emi-nence series, on a superb German press-ing enhanced by DMM, at a list price of$6.98, I was prepared to advise that itwould be foolish to invest nearly threetimes as much for the CD-but I'd havebeen wrong. This release is a stunningdemonstration of the new medium's ca-pacity for surpassing the old. SabineMeyer's clarinet now sounds even juic-ier and more beguiling, and the Dresdenstrings under Herbert Blomstedt takeon a brighter sheen, but with no loss ofthe warmth so impressive on the LP.The gain in all-round vividness bringsout more of the infectious charm inboth the music and the performances,and it would be hard to imagine thismusic (or any music, for that matter)better served. For the record, while theLP was labeled "digitally remastered,"the CD is marked "DDD" (digitallyrecorded), and I'm sure the latter is cor-rect. There is also a different, more elab-orate set of notes with the CD. R.F.

118 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

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COLLECTIONS

VIRGIL FOX: The Digital Fox-Vol-umes 1 and IL Bach: Toccata and Fuguein D Minor (BWV 565); Toccata. Ada-gio, and Fugue in C Major (BWV 564).Jongen: Symphonie concertante: Tocca-ta -Finale. Franck: Pike herolque. Al-ain: Litanies. Widor: Organ SymphonyNo. 5, in F Minor, Op. 42, No. 1: Tocca-ta. Vierne: Organ Symphony No. 6. Op.59: Finale. Dupre: Prelude and Fugue inG Minor. Gigout: Toccata in B Minor.Virgil Fox (organ). BAINBRIDGE 0 BCD8104 $21.98

Performance: SpectacularRecording: Likewise

Remember the palmy days ofthe direct -cut super LP? The general assumptionwas that once the original metal masterhad done its service, that would be theend of production. Well, the team of EdWodenjak and Bert Whyte, who pro-duced these last recordings by organ vir-tuoso Virgil Fox (1912-1980), saw to itthat mastering was also done on analogtape, and, more important, on digitaltape using the then brand-new Sound -stream recording system. The Bain-bridge label has taken over the materialissued on two direct -to -disc LP's byCrystal Clear and has reissued it on asingle CD.

In my 1979 review of the CrystalClear records, I recommended the set toRomantic -organ buffs and subwooferfanatics. On compact disc the sound isno less spectacular, but the balancebetween the various divisions and ranksof the 1977 Ruffati organ (at GardenGrove Community Church in Califor-nia) is decidedly more realistic. Theacoustic surround is fairly close, but thesonics are astonishingly clean.

Virgil Fox might be considered theStokowski of the organ. Fox's techniquewas nonpareil. His musicianship rangedfrom the most scrupulous to what pur-ists considered outrageous, but his con-cert audiences loved every bit of it.

Unquestionably, the most idiosyn-cratic interpretation here is that of theBach Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue, inwhich the adagio is treated as a study indiminuendo rather than working to-ward the usual roof -raising climax fol-lowing the recitative. But it is the Gallicspectaculars that find Fox in his ownelement-the Litanies of Jehan Alainand the fleet Marcel Dupre Prelude andFugue. And it is a pleasure to hear thepopular Franck work handled brisklyrather than in the usual ponderousstyle. The Jongen, which tried my sys-tem sorely back in 1979, posed no prob-lems this time around, although my sys-tem has been upgraded since then. Alltold, this is a highly enjoyable produc-tion. D.H.

MIECZYSLAW HORSZOWSKI: Pi-ano Music of Beethoven, Chopin, De-bussy, and Mozart (see Best of theMonth, page 88)

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EXPERIENCED. FRIENDLY ADVICE! ACOUSTAT, PS.CWD, SONY. HAFLER, THORENS, PROTON, GRADO.FRIED, SAE. MONSTER CABLE. CD PLAYERS, more.Immediate. FREE shipping! READ BROTHERSSTEREO, 593-B King Street, Charleston. South Caro-lina 29403. (803) 723-7276.

EREO REVIEW

CLASSIFIEDReference

Audio SystemsWe believe serious audiophiles deserve seri-ous service. And that's what you'll get atReference Audio Systems. We offer the best inhigh -end audio and the best in friendly ser-vice by our knowledgeable staff. From thelatest CD player to a classic mega -watt ampli-fier, you'll like our surprisingly affordableprices and fast shipping.Counterpoint Perreaux PS Audio Revox HAMAdcom Libman Kyocera Hafler JSE StaxSuperphon Spica Proton Sony SonInfinity dbx Soundfield Onkyo A205

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GET LOW PRICES ON ALL types of audio equip-ment -including high -end and even esoteric prod-ucts not normally discounted! Now we can saveyou money on the equipment you REALLY WANT.Extensive selection -no need to settle for secondchoice. Thousands of satisfied customers na-tionwide. FAST delivery available. All productsfeature USA manufacturer's warranty. Call us forprice quotes or friendly, expert advice. Catalog$1. (616) 451-3868. VISA/MC/AMEX. The AudioAdvisor, Inc., 225 Oakes SW, Grand Rapids, MI49503.

PHILIPS. AUDAX, PEERLESS. FOCAL, AND DYNAU-DIO LOUDSPEAKERS in stock with good prices andcompetent services. Crossover components also.MADISOUND SPEAKER COMPONENTS. 8608 Uni-versity Green. Box 4283. Madison. WI 53711 (608) 831-3433.

CASH FOR ALL TYPES of used Stereo equipment. Webuy by phone. THE STEREO TRADING OUTLET. 320Old York Rd., Jenkintown, PA 19046. (215) 886-1650.

A SINGER'S DREAM!A".

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REMOVES VOCALS FROM RECORDS!Now You can sing with the world's best bands!

The Thompson Vocal Eliminator can removemost or virtually all of a lead vocal from a standardstereo record and leave most of the backgrounduntouched! Record with your voice or perform livewith the backgrounds. Used In Professional Perfor-mance yet connects easily to a home componentstereo system. Not an equalizer! We can prove itworks over the phone. Write or call for a FreeBrochure and Demo Record,LT Sound, Dept.SR-3, 7980 LT ParkwayLithonia, GA 30058 (404) 482-472424 HOUR PHONE DEMO UNE:14041482-2485

EXPERIENCE, INTEGRITY and the lowest price any-where. Authorized dealers for Yamaha. Denon. Mc-Intosh. M&K. Canton, Tandberg. Sumo. Infinity andmany more. AUDIO/VIDEO EXCHANGE. Since 1951. 57Park Place. NY 10007. Call (212) 964-4570.

UNPRESSURED. PERSONALIZED CONSULTATIONand lowest prices on a variety of superb components.COMMUNITY AUDIO, 318 West Duval, Philadelphia. PA19144 (215)843-9918.

LOW PRICES -HIGH END EQUIPMENT!!! Denon, Hal-ler, PS Audio, Acoustat, Harmon Kardorr, Yamaha,Conrad- Johnson, JBL, ADCOM, Boston Acoustics,CARVER, Proton and many others you desire. AUDIOENTERPRISES, (414) 722-8889.

ARE YOU INTERESTED in Quality Preowned AudioEquipment" Subscribe to "The Sound Trek." pub-lished 6x ar nually, your listings of items :or sale orwanted. $10/yr. Call or write: Play It Again Sam. 12611-R Madison Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio 44107.(216) 228-0040. MC/VISA.

WE SELL SECOND HAND high quality audio video withmoney back guarantee! Send your name and addressfor FREE monthly inventory. Ross Stereo 4912 Na-ples Place, San Diego. CA 92110. (619) 560 5500.

HIGH -END LOUDSPEAKER systems. speaker kits andthe widest selection of raw drivers from the world'sfinest manufacturers. For beginners and audiophiles.Free catalog. ASS SPEAKERS, Box 7462-S, Denver.CO 80207. (303) 399-8609.

AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR OVER 50 OF THE BESTMANUFACTURERS INCLUDING:-Perreaux" Celes-tion, Denon. Hafier,"Klipsch S Audio', Signet. Noextra charge for MC/VISA. ELECTRACRAFT, 400 Ce-dar Street. Sandpoint, Idaho 83864, (208)483-9516.CABLE TV CONVERTERS/DESCRAMBLERS Guar-anteed lowest prices in U.S. Jerrold. Hamlir, Zenith -many others! Lowest dealer prices! Orders shippedwithin 24 hours! MasterCard-Visa-C.O.D. ac-cepted. Free catalog -call (800) 345-8927 only! Pa-cific Cable Co., Inc., #1318 Reseda Blvd.. #1310.Reseda, CA 91335. All other information, call (818) 716-5914.

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I.SAVINGS T(I 40%: Nakamichi, Denon, KEF, B&W,Yamaha, Mission, and Meridian. Plus 100 others.1(206) 325-7601.

CALL TOLL cREE! 1 (800) 826-0520 for NAD, Pro-ton, H.K., Hafler, B&W, Tandberg, Audiocontrol, dbx,

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MONSTER CABLE AT LOWEST PRICES INTERLINK

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LOWEST PRICESOn over 150 brandsCar - Home - Video

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HIGH QUALITY BRANDS- Car. Home. Video includ-ing esoteric. Audio Unlimited, 1203D Adams Ave.. LaGrande, Oregon 97850. (503) 963-5731

"STEREO WORLD' IS YOUR DISCOUNT MAIL ORDERSOURCE WITH SUPER DEALS ON AUDIO/VIDEO ANDCAR STEREO. LINES INCLUDING: TECHNICS, PAN-ASONIC. MITSUBISHI. JVC, TEAC, MAGNAVOX,NIKKO, SONY, STANTON, AUDIO TECHNICA, CRAIG,PYLE, PIONEER, PICKERING AND MORE! CALL ORWRITE FOR YOUR FREE CATALOG! FREE UPS IN 48STATES! 48 HOUR SHIPPING MOST ORDERS! DE-DUCT $2.00 FOR PHONE ORDER OVER $25.00! CALLFOR CLOSE OUT SPECIALS! 8:30AM-5PM MON-FRIWEDNESDAY TILL 10PM. $2.50 HANDLING, N.J. ADDTAX. VISA/MC/MO/CK (MUST CLEAR)/COD-EXTRA.P.O. BOX 709, EDISON, N.J. 08818 (201)-494-0099.

IAS LOUDSPEAKERS -European drivers, computertuned enclosures, LC crossovers, 5 year warranty.Brochure V. 3747 Woodcock, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635.

SONY AUDIO, the one and only. Best prices. U.S.warranty, fest shipping. PULSE ELECTRONICS. (305)331-5830.

DAT SONY DTC-1000ES DECK $1990.46,6090,120 minute blanks available. 3 weekdelivety. RTI Sales 486 Dawson Camarillo, CA93010 (805) 484-1819.SPEAKERKIT CATALOG -30 proven designs forhome, cars & (and) pro. JBL, Audax, Haller, polypro-pylene drivers, & crossovers. $2. Gold Sound, Box141SR, Englewood, CO 80151.

PAUL HEATH AUDIO. 217 Alexander, Rochester. NY14607 -for 30 years one of the largest state -of -theart inventories in USA. Your best investment is calling(716) 262-4310

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CARVER, NAKAMICHI, BANG & OLUFSEN, A.D.S.,CROWN, TANDBERG, REVOX, HAFLER, ADCOM,MISSION, MERIDIAN, N.A.D., HARMAN/KARDON,KYOCERA, YAMAHA, LUXMAN, DENON, KLIPSCH,

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BEST PRICES -PROFESSIONAL CONSULTATION.

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CASH PAID FOR Quality Stereo/Video Equipment.BUY. SELLTRADEI STEREO VIDEO EXCHANGE. 485Route 1 Edison, NJ 08817. (201) 985-1616.

SAVE 40% ON HIGH -END home speakers, sub -woofers, amplifiers. FREE CATALOG! RTRD, 3021Sangamon Ave., Springfield, IL 62702. (217) 529 -

High -end and hard -to -find audio components. Low,low prices! AUDIO AMERICA (Virginia). Call 1(804)797-5861.

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SONUS CARTRIDGE OWNERS! Looking for a re-placement stylus! Call 11800) 243-2673. Also com-plete reconditioning of all Sonus cartridges with anew 2 year factory warranty. Ask us about literatureon Audio Pro and Pixoff refills.

UPGRADES FOR THORENS TURNTABLES-GRADO PICK UPS. Corktone Platter Mat, cablesand other products. For information catalog:$3.00 refundable. CHADWICK MODIFICATIONS,Dep. SR, 1925 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140.

(611) 354-8933.BEAT THE PRICE FIXERS with low discount prices on:Carver. ADS, Bang & Olufsen, Revox, Nakamichi, Hal-ler, Kyocera. Tandberg, Luxman, H.K. ManufacturersU.S.A. warranty on all. ISLAND AUDIO, INC., (904) 253-3456.

SAVE UP TO 75%! Esoteric loudspeaker kits, acousticfoam, drivers, enclosures, capacitors etc. Catalog$2.00. Refundable. Audio Concepts, 1631 CaledoniaSt., LaCrosse, Wisconsin 54602. (608) 781-2110.

ORDER:1-800-622-HIFI-ext.206. NAKAMICHI: BX100$279, BX 125 $379, BX 300 $599. RX 202 $549, RX 505$1049. CR 5A $799, CR 7A $1199. DRAGON $1599,OMS 2A $419. OMS 3A $679, OMS 5A11 $1099. OMS7A11 $1479, SR 2A $359. SR 4A $709, TD 400 $399,TD 500 $529, TD 700 $699. PA 400 M $349, PA 350$329. PA 300 MII $ 329, SP 300 $279. SP 80 $189, YA-MAHA: RX 1100 U $769, RX 900U $569.RX 700U $449.Kt 1100 U $499, KX 1200 U $579. AX 900 $549, AX 700$439, CDX 1100 U $899, CDX 900 U $529, CDX 700 U$369,AVC 50 $369. TX 900 U $309, YCT 850 $519, YC DT1000 $559, YCR 950 $479, YPA 800 $309: DENON: DCD900 $389, DCD 1300 $429, DCD 1500 $529, DCD 1700$729, DRM 3HX $399, DRA 95 $499, TU 600 $279:SONY: TCD 5M $599: KYOCERA: R 861 $899, R 661$669, R 461 $509, DA 710 CX $639, DA 610 CX $399.D 811 $599, A 910 $1199: HARMON KARDON: TD 302$339, HD 300 $369. PM 655 $409, PM 665 $609: JBL:L100T $879, L 80 T $659, 18 T1 $399. Manufacturer'sUSA warranty. Factory fresh. VISA, M/C, Discover.AMEX. Diners, COD. Other information. Please call 1(206) 747-9999. TASKAMICHI AUDIO. P.O. Box 25583.Seattle, WA 98125. Prices subject to change.

audio-technica Glace

YOUR SEARCHIS OVER!

1Atuielk- impWe specialize in hard to findphono cartridges and orig-inal replacement styli.

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LYLE CARTRIDGESDept. SR, Box 158

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MISSION, VPI, MONSTER, ADS and Atelier demo sale.The King's Stereo, 1275 Wabash Ave. Springfield, IL62704. (217) 787-5656.

WANTED TO BUYWE NEED QUALITY COLLECTIONS. Top dollar paidfor Lp's, Compact Discs, and Cassettes. Classical,rock, etc. USA's LARGEST used and collector shop.PRINCETON RECORD EXCHANGE, 20 Tulane Street.Princeton, NJ 08542. (609) 921-0881.

RECORDS

COLLECTORS' SOUNDTRACKS. Mint. Top titles.speedy service. List $1.00 (refundable). Jemm's. P.O.Box # 157, Glenview, IL 60025.

RECORD COLLECTORS SUPPLIES. REPLACEMENTJACKETS, inner sleeves, 78 RPM sleeves. operaboxes, etc. COMPLETE CATALOG. Cabco, Box 8212,Room 640, Columbus, Ohio 43201.

FROM EDISON TO ELVIS (AND BEYOND) LP's 78's,45's etc. Visit or mail -in wants. The Olde Tyme MusicScene, 915 Main Street, Boonton, NJ 07005. (201) 335-5040. Tuesday -Sunday.

Rare LP's, 45's, some 78's, CLASSICAL, ROCK (es-pecially 50's),soundtracks, bandstands, country,rhythm & blues, etc ... Inquiries welcome. Samplecatalogs: $2.00. Send long, stamped self-addressedenvelope to: MARA RECORDS, P.O. BOX 1253, Spring,TX 77383. (713)353-6129.

FREE RECORD. CASSETTE AND COMPACT DISCCATALOG: Features a tremendous selection of remaindered LP new releases at discount prices. Manyimports and smaller labels offered. Prompt delivery.Rose Records. Dept S13.214 SO. Wabash Avenue, Chi-cago. IL 60604.

MOBILE FIDELITY AT WHOLESALE! Stone's Collec-tion: $175.00. Sinatra Collection: $200.00. Other titlesand brands available. CHAD, Box 2043, Salina, KS67402, (913) 825-8609.

RARE ROCK -PSYCHEDELIC, PROGRESSIVE &MORE. 60's to now. Two stamps for catalogues. GreggBreth P.O. Box 4364 Burlington, VT 05401.

IN -PRINT & OUT -OF -PRINT RECORDS ALL CATE-GORIES & NOSTALGIA VIDEO TAPES.... SpectacularCatalog!! $2.00 USA/$3.00 Foreign. Serendipity Rec-ords, 4775 Durham Road, Guilford, CT

OPERA -HISTORICAL PERFORMANCES. VIDEO& CDMost comprehensive selection. Catalog $1.00. LYRIC,Box 235. Roslyn Heights, NY 11577.

INSTRUCTION

FREE CATALOG. Institute of Audio/Video Engi-neering. 1831 Hyperion (SR), Hollywood, CA90027. RECORDING SCHOOL. (800) 551-8877,(213) 666-2380. Approved for InternationalStudents.

COMPACT DISCS

COMPACT DISC CENTERPD. Box 616S. Oifton Park, NY 12065

NY (518! 664-2550Outside NY -To Order Only

Cal 1.800-232-3687

STARTING DISCS AT $12.99Quantity Discount Pncing.$2.50 Cont. U.S. Shipping

FREE CATALOGUE

COMPACT DISCS -AT LOW WAREHOUSE PRICES.Now in our fourth year. Over 6.000 titles available. Freecatalog, plus regular updates and monthly specialsstarting at $10.99. OZ WAREHOUSE. 5246 MemorialDrive, Stone Mountain, GA 30083. (404) 292-5451.

CASH FOR CD'S! Send your CD's to us and within 48hours we will send a check up to $6.00 per disc. Discsmust be in good condition only. Defective discs will bereturned. Call (213) 379-3151 for further information.COMPACT DISC SUPERMARKET, 246 Pacific CoastHighway, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

THE AUDIO CATALOG-Todays most complete listingsof CD's records and tapes. LOWEST POSSIBLEPRICES! 8000 TITLES! FREE CATALOG! 17935 NE65th, Redmond, WA 98052. (206) 881-1961, Outside WA(600) 642 -DISC.

OVER 1000 USED CDs $9.49 EACH. NEW CDs $9.99to $13.99. WE BUY USED/NEW! Specialize in pur-chasing complete collections. Audio House CD Club,4304 Brayan, Drive, Swartz Creek, Michigan 48473.(313)655-8639.

ULTRADI 10\COMPACT DISC

TRY UL TRAPHON FOR THE BEST SERVICE AND THERIGHT PRICES THOUSANDS OF CDS AVAILABLESTARTING AT JUST 612 99 CATALOG 51 00 REFUNDABLE WITH FIRST ORDER VISA/MC/CHECK/MONEY ORDER 813.9e51574 11703-D RAINTREEVILLAGE BLVD . TAMPA. FL. 33617

CD'S $6.95, UP. WE PAY $6-$10! 'FREE TRADE"! Au-dio Club, 1105 Webster, Sandy. UT 84070-3151. (801)571-9767.

Low COMPACT DISC prices-Schwann CD andCOLOR CATALOGS $5.00 -Mini -Catalogs $1.00-DUWARS, P.O. BOX 6662-D, GREENVILLE, SC 29606.

SERIOUS ABOUT CLASSICAL MUSIC? ABOUTCOMPACT DISCS? Now in our 5th year. Ethel Enter-prises is serious about both and invites you to sub-scribe to our 150+ page catalog detailing more than2500 titles in stock. Annual subscription $5.00 ob-REFUNDABLE WITH ORDER]. ETHEL ENTER-PRISES, P.O.B. 3301, Dept. SR, Falls Church, VA 22043.

WHY OVERPAY FOR CDs?. Call 7 days. 1(305) 653-5666. M -F 11am-9pm, SAT 9am-2pm, Sun 9am-fpmEASTERN. R & R MUSIC ENTERPRISES. P.O. BOX 69-4681. Miami, F133269. YOU'LL LOVE US!!

Give new life to scratched CD'S. Amazing new prod-uct cures skips and dropouts, guaranteed. Send $8.95+$2.00 S&H to: SYNERGISTIC DATA SYSTEMS INC.Box 127D, Sierra Madre, CA 91024.

USED CD'S! Buy, Sell, Trade. FREE Catalog. MEDIAEXCHANGE, 1-(312) 477-7337. P.O. Box 14778, Chi-cago, IL 60614-0778.

THE CRITERION COLLECTION -landmark series offilms on laser videodisc including CITIZEN KANE andKING KONG -presents the Beetle's movie HELP withdigital stereo soundtrack. Upcoming releases includeGRADUATE, BLADE RUNNER, and HARD DAY'SNIGHT. 2139 Manning. L.A., CA 90025. For orders call(800) 446-2001. (800) 443-2001 CA only.

TAPES

MOOD MUSIC. Now, create the mood that's right forany occasion. Jazz. Pop; Easy Listening. All your fa-vorites. MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! If you like mu-sic, you'll love MOOD MUSIC. Specify Jazz 1, Pop 1or Easy-Listenl. Cassette only. Send $6.95p1$2.00 p/h. NRI, POB 06028, DEPT -SR. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS60606-0028.

AMPEX OPEN REEL TAPE -USED ONCE, 1800' OR2400' IN NEW BOXES- 12 REELS: $25.00 (POST-PAID). SAMPLE: $2.50. NEW, HIGH -BIAS CAS-SETTES: SAMPLE: $1.25 AUDIO TAPES, BOX 9584-T,ALEXANDRIA, VA 22304. (703) 370-5555 VISA/MC.

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MAILORDER OPPORTUNITY! Start profitable homebusiness without experience or capital. InformationFree. Mail Order Associates, Inc., Dept. 76, Montvale,NJ 07645.

YOUR OWN RADIO STATION! AM, FM, cable. li-censed/unlicensed, transmitters! Broadcasting: Box130-R6, Paradise, CA 95969.

START YOUR OWN speaker company in YOUR GA-RAGE. It's easier than you think. advice is free.AMS Enterprises, 1007 Capello Way, Ojai, CA 93023.

$10-$360 WEEKLY/UP. Mailing Circulars! No quotas/bosses. Sincerely Interested RUSH Self -AddressedEnvelope: Headquarters-MGG, POLB464, Wood-stock, Illinois 60098.

CLUBS

PRE -OWNED CD'S! Buy, sell, trade. Free catalog, in- CLASSICAL MUSIC LOVERS EXCHANGE. Nation -formation. THE CD LINK, 410 -SR Weaver Lane, Simp- wide Link between unattached music lovers. Write:sonville, SC 29681-8908. CMLE, Box 31sr, Pelham, NY 10803.

FOR INVENTORS

INVENTORS! Can you patent and profit from your idea?Call AMERICAN INVENTORS CORPORATION for freeinformation. Over a decade of service. 1(800) 338-5656. In Massachusetts or Canada call (413) 568-3753.

INVENTOR!! Call the INNOVATION CENTER in Wash-ington D.C.-- For FREE info call: (800) 257-7880. InCANADA: (800) 443-2806.

LASER VIDEO DISCS

Laser Video DiscsLargest selection In the U.S.. with over 1.400 titles.We STOCK whatolhersiust list. discount on allsties. C.O.D.-personal check. VISA. MASTERCHARGE, and telephone orders accepted. No timelimit on warranty returns. FOR FREE CATALOG.write: Stars/lop Industries. 605 Utlerback StoreRoad. Great Falls, VA 22066 Or call (703)430-8692or (703) 450-5780.

LASER DISC HOTLINERecorded message on new laser disc releasesavailable 24 hours a day. (703) 430-0330.

BOOKS & MAGAZINES

MUSIC & VCR BUYERSWouldn't you love to get a free record, tape or blankvideo tape of your choice every time you purchasedyour favorite recording? You can!! Send for your bookof 20 coupons for only S10.00!! No expiration date oncoupons. C & T Distributors

275 Columbus St., Elyria, OH 44035

AUDIO SPECIALTY SHOPS

AUDIOPHILES/VIDEOPHILESI We have the widestselection of audio/video equipment available. Ad-com, Infinity, Harman Kardon,Canton, Klipsch, Luxman, Sony ES, Yamaha, NEC.Call for information. CONTINENTAL SOUND, 98-77Queens Blvd., Rego Park, NY 11374. (718) 459-7507.Immediate delivery MC/VISA/AMEX/DISCOVER.

FOR SALE

NEW! Now you can personalize and protect your rec-ords, cassettes, and CD'S with IDENTIFICATION DE-CALS from Canfield Enterprises. Get 125 flexible,polyester decals, complete with transparent back-grounds plus your name in sharp black letters for only$4.95. MONEY BACK GUARANTEED, if not satisfied.Send name, address, and $4.95 to:CANFIELD EN-TERPRISES. Box 661, Scott City, Kansas 67871.

VCR OWNERS -Clean video heads the same asprofessionals. Copyrighted instructions and cleaningwand, $6.00, Tunco, P.O. Box 3147C, Shelby. NC 28150

GOVERNMENT SURPLUSIS IT TRUE you can buy Jeeps for $44 through the USgovernment" Get the facts today' Call 1(312) 74 2-114 2.e t 4 670

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISERS:

The CBS CLASSIFIED MAGNET enables you to reach primeprospects for mail order products/services through low-cost

Marketplace advertising

To place an ad. or for further information or assistance callToll Free

(800)4456066In New York State call

(212) 503-5999Ask for Lois Price

HELP US HELP YOU!

THESTEREOREVIEWBUYERPOLLStereo Review wants toknow more about our read-ers. How much equipmentyou buy (and how often),how much you spend on it,what sort of product featuresyou like. And we've createdthe Stereo Review BuyerPoll to gather this importantinformation.

We need your help tomake the Buyer Poll work. Ifyou've bought any audio/video equipment within thepast 30 days, we'd like youto participate.

Simply turn to the ReaderService/Buyer Poll card inthis issue. (You can locate itin the Table of Contents.)You'll find full instructions onthe card.

We hope you'll join us thismonth-and every monthin which you buy audio/video equipment. Your an-swers are important to us-and you'll find the resultingbenefits important to you.

Turn to the Buyer Pollnow --and thanks forhelping us out!

Stereo Review

INDEX To ADVERTISERS

READERSERVICE NO. ADVERTISER NUMBER

PAGE

Acoustic Research 9Acoustic Research 89Adcom 94

9 Alpine Electronics of America 20-2121 Altec Lansing 84-85

51 Beyer Dynamic 10867 Blaupunkt 92-9324 Bose 33

Bose 43

33 Canton 2749 Carver Corporation 1949 Carver Corporation 2349 Carver Corporation 10349 Carver Corporation 107

CBS CD Club 25Cincinnati Microwave 45

11 Concord Electronics 46-4768 Coustic 109

Crutchfield Corporation 22

71 Discount Music Club 12010 Discwasher 48

Ford Audio Systems 8163 Fosgate 113

13 Hitachi 83

Illinois Audio 11958 International Hi-Fi 120

39 Music World 116-117Jensen53 Jensen Sound Labs 53

69 KEF 1152 Klipsch & Associates 110

52 Luxman Home Electronics 56-57

56 Magnat Electronik 9746 M&K Sound 104

Marlboro 38-3922 McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. 3750 Mission Electronics 100, 10166 Mitsubishi Electric C2 -I

19 NEC Electronics 30

Onkyo 5

65 Pioneer Electronics-Car 868 Pioneer Electronics-Home 28-2937 Polk Audio 6-720 Proton Corporation 7535 Pvle Industries 77

Radio Shack 2R. Reynolds-Camel 91R J.. Reynolds-Vantage 55R . Reynolds-Winston C3

18 Sherwood Electronics Lab 4036 Signet 1027 Sony Audio C4

TDK 10-1157 Toshiba America, Inc. 108

U.S. Army 34

25 We "R" Electronics 120Wisconsin Discount Stereo 121

14 Yamaha 79

59 Zenith 99

SEPTEMBER

STEM° REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987 127

THE HIGH END

by Ralph Hodges

The IVeII-Tempered Ear

LL of the mail that has turnedp on my desk recently hashad to do with questions of

the physiology and psy-chology of the human hearingmechanism. I can't imagine whythis should be so, but it's certainly apleasure to see the readers of thiscolumn digging a bit below the sur-face of things.

To those who have suggested thatall manner of phenomena-such asfatigue, tedium, indigestion, generalillness, impatience, alcohol, anddrugs-might have a significant in-fluence on the listening experience,I can cheerfully report much confir-mation in past and present litera-ture. I have seen trained ears be-come remarkably erratic throughannoyance at the presence of tobac-co smoke in a room. I have col-leagues who are uncomfortableevaluating stereo equipment unlessthe music used is of no interest tothem. (I am the opposite; if themusic has no substance to my mind,my attention span shrinks almostinstantly.) There are numerous pub-lished accounts of how people wholisten for a living have been trippedup by uncongenial mental or physi-cal states. Fortunately, the best ofthem quickly realize when they're

impaired and take their conditioninto account.

What has kept this informationfrom wide understanding is, first,that it's obviously unquantifiableand, second, that it tends to appearin technical journals that have theirown, sometimes almost impenetra-ble jargon. Furthermore, many ofthe implications have to be ex-tracted by inference.

So where can an interested partyturn to learn about hearing foiblesand fallibilities? A good startingpoint is one of the classics. Her-mann Helmholtz's On the Sensa-tions of Tone, published well over ahundred years ago, has an astonish-ing amount of information in it thatapplies directly to sound -reproduc-tion devices the author never heardor envisioned. But if this bookproves to be difficult going (as it isfor many), a great deal can bededuced from a much pleasanterexercise: a simple contemplation ofthe equally tempered or well -tem-pered musical scale.

As a term, "equal temperament"would seem to suggest orderlymathematical relationships existingbetween various notes on, for exam-ple, a piano keyboard. Nothingcould be further from the truth.Octave relationships are direct mul-tiples of one another in the well -

All kinds of.phenomena-fatigue, tedium, indigestion,illness, impatience, alcohol,drugs-might significantlyinfluence listening

tempered scale, but within the oc-taves everything is willy-nilly, nonote having any particular bearingon its predecessor or successor.

The well -tempered scale was de-vised empirically, over quite a peri-od of time, in an effort to perfect asystem by which melodies could betransposed from one key to anotherwithout losing their identities-andby which big chords spanning manyoctaves could be sounded withoutuniversal wincing. Except for a fewvisionaries, no one expected it to beeternally enduring, and even todaythere are composers trying to wean

us away from it. And yet it is hard tofind a country that doesn't have thewell -tempered scale at the core of itscontemporary music. It makes nosense to the mathematician, andeven most musicologists tend to be-lieve it is an "impure" constructionthat owes its appreciation to a learn-ing process. Nevertheless, young-sters with very modest musical tal-ents seem to be able to switch keyswithin the system effortlessly andsecurely, even though the tonal rela-tionships are arbitrary. People for-eign to Western music find it re-markably accessible. It works, andthe numbers be damned.

Meanwhile, in the real world, mu-sical instruments continue to formtheir overtones along Pythagorean(that is, strictly mathematical) lines,and many of the most familiarforms of distortion do likewise.There is, in other words, a good dealof conflict built into our systems ofwriting and performing music, andthe tension that results has elevatedsome composers to glory and re-duced others to ignominy. Instru-ments like the pipe organ, naturallyrich in overtones and further en-hanced by the player's ability toselect the harmonic structure ofnotes at the console, entrance somelisteners and drive others half mad.The informed guess is that there isjust too much war going on betweenPythagorean and well -temperedmechanisms for the ear seeking se-renity. Alas, many of those mostupset are faithful churchgoers.

Have we gotten to any big conclu-sions yet? I can think of two that areperhaps worth rattling around men-tally. First, if we had decided on asystem of temperament that moreclosely approached mathematicalideals, distortion might very well beless audible or less objectionable.Second, if Western music lacked itsbuilt-in tensions of pitch and tonali-ty, we might be able to regulate ourperceptions so that a compositionwasn't pleasant one day and irritat-ing the next. If you carry these con-cepts to their logical conclusions,you might discover reason to be-lieve that, given a different sort ofmusic, we'd have much less need ofhi-fi. But what's done is done. Be-sides, I like the well -tempered scale.I whistle it all day long. 0

128 STEREO REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1987

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette

Estoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.

C) 1987 R.1 .IEY4OLOS TOBACCO CO. 11 mg "ter", 0.8 mg. nicotine ay. per cigarere by FTC mEthoi.

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