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"THE SINGLE MOST IMPRESSIVE COMPONENT I'VE HEARD IN

THE LAST DECADE . . .

". . . it blew me away to a point I thought I was too jaded

to experience." Frank Doris, The Absolute Sound, Issue 1001-

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AS

Thirty-five years ago this month, the first issue of a new audio magazine— cover price 50 cents—cautiously

made its way out of a Philadelphia suburb. Its black'n'white cover featured a chess-board adorned with tubes and XLR plugs. Its 20 advertising-free pages included a feature on how to write an ad for an audio product, which had been penned by one Lucius Wordburger, a footnote helpfully pointing out that this was the nom de plume for one J. Gordon Holt, "who wishes to remain anonymous." Gordon was a refugee from mainstream

audio publishing —he had been technical editor at High Fidelity magazine in the '50s — and was tired of being asked to pander to the demands of advertisers. "I watched, first with incredulity and then with grow-ing disgust, how the purchase of a year's advertising contract could virtually insure a manufacturer against publication of an un-favorable report," he said in a 1974 article raging about those dark times. And if a company didn't buy advertising, then they didn't get reviewed at all: "Not only were the Big Advertisers' products immune from serious criticism, they were also shielded from the threat of comparison with compet-ing products that were better but were not so heavily advertised." THE STEREOPHILE, as it was then called, was Gordon's answer to audiophiles' need for an honest, reliable source of information. "Okay, if no one else will publish a magazine that calls the shots as it sees them, I'll do it myself," he later wrote, adding, "I must have been out of my mind!" The fundamental policy of "honesty,

integrity, and all that," as JGH described it in that September/October 1962 issue's "As We See It," has been a major factor in Stereophile's 35 years of growth. Now, as then, we don't hold back from giving a bad review to a company that advertises, or a good review to one that doesn't We call 'em as we hear 'em. But to my mind, as important a factor is a philosophy Gordon mentioned in a throwaway remark at the end of that first editorial leader: "Other things that need looking into are ... equip-ment-testing standards [andl subjective cri-teria for evaluating fidelity." [JGH's italics]. This, of course, was the small rock on which first this magazine, then the entire high-end audio industry was founded: the optimum way in which to judge the per-formance of an audio component is to lis-ten to it. How could it be any other way?

However, to judge from recent discus-

WYSEE

John Atkinson

sions on the Internet newsgroups rec. audio.high-end and rec.audio.opinion, it seems that many people do want it anoth-er way. To loosely paraphrase their posi-

The veuy first issue of Stereophile appeared Ill

September/October 1962. It was 20 pages long, advertising-free, and cost 50 cents.

non, revealed by various postings over the past few months and by articles in other magazines: a) measured performance fully characterizes how a component will sound; b) listening is unreliable unless performed using a double-blind protocol called ABX (see, for example, Jeff Ryan's communica-tion in this month's "Letters," p.15); c) audi-ble differences between components of all kinds except loudspeakers tend to be nonexistent, as "proved" by ABX tests; d) even if loudspeakers do sound different, most of that difference is due to the room; and e) as a result of the above, shouldn't audiophiles be turning their attention to home theater; say, or to multimedia? "At the very least they shouldn't be wasting their money on high-end audio components" seems to be the overriding sentiment on the audio newsgroups. I admit that characterizing the sounds

of components by listening is not a trivial pursuit. "All lies and jest/still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest," Paul Simon sang not long after this magazine's birth. But it is a necessary pur-suit — someone who listens will be open to new experiences. No matter how much they know, they can still be surprised, both

IT

at the sonic importance of what they hith-erto felt to be a small, unimportant differ-ence and the subjective unimportance of an enormous measured difference. I am presenting a paper in New York on

September 29 to the Audio Engineering Society on the correlation between the measured performance of loudspeakers and what is heard. Immediately after I sent my preprint text to the AES, I measured the Artemis and Eggleston Works speakers reviewed in this issue. Had I not listened to these speakers, their measured perfor-mance would have put me off recom-mending either model. But I did listen. And as much as I thought I knew about assessing loudspeakers, it became appar-ent that there is still a lot I don't know. Which is how it should be. Education is a lifelong process — but only if you can keep your ears unblocked by dogma.

This 292-page issue of Stereophile — No213 — includes our latest "Recom-mended Components" listing, fully re-vised. Based on the original review audi-tioning and on the continuing experience of the magazine's 25 editors and hardware reviewers, "Recommended Components" distills that collective wisdom into 30 pages of tiny type. The first "Recommended Components" appeared in issue No.5 of THE STEREOPHILE, cover-dated May-June 1963, and introduced audiophiles to our Class A through Class D rating system. Fifty products were featured then, in a list that took up less than one page, whereas there are well over 300 in this 1997 list. (One product appears in both "Recommended Components" — the Maranta 7 control preamplifier, though it is the 1997 reissue that is -listed currently.)

If you want to know what the best-sounding D/A converter is for under $1000, you'll find the answer in "Recom-mended Components." If you want to put together a shortlist of loudspeakers to audi-tion in the $2000-$3000 region, this is where you'll find pocket descriptions of contenders. But don't blindly take what we write as gospel. You must listen for your-selves, just as Gordon told the nascent high-end community 35 years ago. And J. Gordon Holt? I'm proud to note

that he is still associated with the magazine he founded in 1962. He still believes in lis-tening to components, and he still opposes prevailing orthodoxy in that he now pas-sionately advocates surround-sound play-back for music. Here's to the next 35 years JGH. Keep raging against the machine! S

Stereophiie, October 1997 3

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October 1997

VoI.20 No.10

Features

70 Friends, Audiophiles, Music Lovers ... Lend Us Your Ears Lonnie Brownell and Rid rard J. Rosen witness HI-FI '97 through the eyes and ears of visitors to the Sham

88

105

166

174

Loudspeakers Are Different NHTs Ken Kantor and PSB's Paul Barton discuss the art and science of speaker design with Wes Phillips and John Atkinson.

Recommended Components 'I lie distilled and_lrilly updated wisdom ofStereophiles writers and editors, with over 300 of the best components described and rated.

Rick Visits Eddie Kramer The legendary engineer of the Hendrix albums (as well as Woodstock and Led Zeppelin) talks audio with Richard J. Rosen.

Full Circle: Pat Metheny's Adventures in Modern Audio MI) Stern gets the »dives iqtiehoughts on music,history, audio, and Jame.

• :

Equipment Reports 191 EgglestonWorks Andra loudspeaker

(Wes Phillips) 199 PSB Stratus Gold i loudspeaker

(John Atkinson) 209 NHT 2.5i loudspeaker

(Lonnie Brownell) 218 Artemis Eos Signature loudspeaker

(Kalman Rubinson) 218 Artemis Eos Base Module subwoofer

(Kalman Rubinson) 231 B&W DM302 loudspeaker

(Wes Phillips) 237 Muse 160 power amplifier

(Michael Fremer)

J. - Hz

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Stereophile, October 1997

Staff

Columns 3 As We See It

join, iltkinson ruminates on Stercophile's 35th Anniversary

11 Letters •ii,pits this month: upcomingTE'bsites, covers, pesky pronouns, music manili.stoes, blind testing (continued), fitter, bits and samples, insensitivity and bigotry, high-end car stereo, high-end retailine speakers to the wall, audio-tolerance levels, and product price raises.

25 Industry Update High-end news, inchrdiree dealer-promoted seminars, plus: leaders in music sales world-wide; compression and DVD; new DVD recorders fmon Hitachi; copy protection/or data tran..sfirs;Dshiba's GilorStrearn Gmgronent Video, Spatiafizer 3-D Stereo; and Picture Zoom; Good Rockin' 7imighes rare record auction; the latest fiom Iii-fi pioneer Stanley Kelly; a report Ann The AES's 14th International Gneference; Sonic Frontier's new booklet on tubes, and the Classic Albums video series _lion, the BBC.

47 Sam's Space Sam Tellig listens to small, inexpensive speakers, specifically the Mordaunt-Short 10i Pearl and the KET Monitor RDM Two.

56 Analog Corner lije intrepid Michael Freiner visits the Record Club glAmerica's knee-sealed warehouse

67 Astor Place Lisa Astor confronts the audiophile' obstacles to hittine the open road.

245 Aural Robert Robert Baird ponders the possible' connection &invert atonality and the seeiree interest in classical music.

249 Building a Library Paul L. /Weems(' rounds up the best recordings e!/ Schubert's Syneony No. 5, and points out some al- the worst as welt

257 Record Reviews Postcards from Along the Way, by the brothers Del,': 'tunic; is September's "Recordiree of the Month." Among our other music ea* are classical cover-*. Danielpour, 14..racini, Wagner, and—at last—Zappa; reviews ef Louis Armstroree reissues and Blue Note's Jazz Profile Series; and comments on The Cicadasjim Campihneeo, and Capercailhe

277 Manufacturers' Comments Tales of budget, bases, ‘nrel blocks.

290 The Final Word Publisher Lany Archibald re/leas on "Recommended Components"—what it covets and 'ilia( it could cover.

Information 279 282 289 112 190

198 288 289

Where to Buy Stereophile

Audio Mart

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Editor john Atkinson Founder & Chief Tester J Gordon Holt Publisher Larry Archibald Assistant Publisher Gretchen Grogan Managing Editor Deborah Starr Music Editor Robert Baird Equipment Reports Editor Wes Phillips Consulting Technical Editor Thomas J. Notion Senior Contributing Editors Martin Collor's.%

Midtael Fremerfonathatt Sad Copy Editor Richard Lehnert

Contributing Editors (Hardware) Lisa Asher, Lonnie Bundled', Robert Deutsch, Shannon I)ickson, Larry GreenhilI Jon Iverson, Muse Kastanovich, Paul Messerer, Roberti. Reina, Richard J. Rosen, Kalman Rubinson, Martens Sauer, Don A. Scott, Chip Suns, Steven Stone, Sam Tellig, Ban)' Willis

Philosopher in Residence George Reirdi

Contributing Editors (Music) Bred L. Alehouse, Gui E. Rueter, Leslie S. Berkley. Lany Itinebaum, am Buckley, Andrew Colton, Thomas Conrad, Mortimer Ft Frank, Bob Guild, Robert Hewn:, Robert Levine, Sarah Bquee !tidier. Keith »Orr, Dan Ouellette, Rideanl Schneider, David Sokol, David liztrick Stearns, Chip Stern, Zan Stewart, Steve Stolder,fohn Swerwm, Michael Ullman, Stephen Francis Meta, David kineier,JJ? Waring

Overseas operations (UK)/Subscriptions Nick Kin,' (44) 181-289-1571

fax (44) 181-289-1572

Chief Executive Officer Larry Archibald President Ralph Johnson Vice President/Editorial Director John Atkinson Director of Finance & Admin. JerryJones Credit Manager Steven Stoner Circulation Director Mary Olivera Promotions Director 'Kim Gillen Fulfillment Manager Katrina Bard, Promotions Manager Gayle McGreineu Customer Service Manager Molly Crenshaw Marketing Manager Steven R. airier HI-F1 Show Director Mauro Rieland Show Coordinator/Exhibitor Logistics Kathy Hull Show Coordinator/Promotions & Collateral... Lynn 'Emile Production Director Martha Payne Production Manager lemora Fenstermaker Production Phil Baca, Anne Peewee, Laura Ratddle,

_pupil Wares Ad Copy Manager Pip Tannenbaum Art Director Hilary iiiiihree Cover Photo Fric Suureson Support Staff John Beh411111ter. T ,111 BIlblfk,likil MR COh'ille,

an id Hendrick, Mary Plarejameter S'e'Lear, Bill Sinadinos

Advertising Representatives East of the Mississippi 8, Foreign Ken Nelson • Nelson & Associates. Inc. 62 Wredover Rd. • linekers, NY 10705 (914) 476-3157 • fast (914) 969-2746

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Subscriptions: Inquiries, missing issues, address changes, problems, LIS& Canada... Kim-43(1prii [tit 00)444-8908 By Internet ......103230.635ei 5 Business (505) 9te-2366 Business fax Editorial Editorial fax Thomas J. Norton Wes Phillips Robert Baird MCI Mail Internet

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L E E R

1Afish list Editor: I am lending my support and wish for Stereophik to go online. More especially, I would like to see Stereophile Guide to Home Theater become a monthly publication. I want more info from you guys'n'girls, and going online would certainly help me become a bigger fan and a more involved reader! Justin Northcutt

justinadcont

I am sure Mr. Northcutt will be pleased to learn that Stereophile Guide to Home Theater will be published 10 times a year from its January 1998 issue. And plans for Websites for both SGHT and Stereophile, as well as for HI-FI 98, are well advanced. Watch tisis space —JA

10 years! Editor: I am proud to say that, as of the July 1997 issue, I have been reading Stereo-phile for 10 straight years! Through all of its incarnations and changes, the maga-zine has remained informative, well laid-out, and just plain fun to read!

Here's looking forward to another 10 years! Kevin R. Tarske

Bowie MD [email protected]

ft ain't so Editor: I gotta say, Stereophile is still an enjoyable read. Your features are a must-read, as well as the columns... oh yes, the Equipment Reports are fine as well. But you notice the listed order of things: my priorities arc people and music, then the hardware. I notice at the newsstand that the cov-

ers of some of the other audio journals are not always photos of equipment: designers, composers, performing artists, and shaded dogs have graced their covers. Why the obvious difference? From what I can see, these magazines place a similar emphasis on music and the equipment as Stereophile, yet their covers demonstrate their dual commitment.

In the very competitive world of print journalism, the cover sells issues, but it also markets a magazine's unique identity, does it not? Please don't tell me

you sell your covers or negotiate them! Say it ain't so! Carl Dais

Oklahoma City. C8404652@acetcom

Mile we choose to put hardware on the cover ofStereophile, no, our covers are not sold and never be. Each month ive have an editori-al production meetiv to decide which of the components reviewed in the forthcoming issue will make the best cover. The company that makes that component doesn't find out until the issue appears on the newsstands. —JA

Oh, that 10%! Editor: Bravo for printing the letter from Mt Schen in the July 1997 Stereophile regard-ing the immense quantity of low-quality recordings (p.17). 90% crap and 10% beauty is about right! But Oh, that 10%!

Wynn Aker Manorville, NY

waker@knet

It's the music, stupid Editor: People who write in and say, "It's the music, stupid" can stop now. The earth is round too, but we don't keep men-tioning it. Which leads me to: • "It's the music" whether I am at home, in the car, or in the office. Yes —1 have a cool system in my car (horrors!). I even have a Bose Wave Radio in the bedroom... sounds 100 times better than a typical clock radio! Wherever I

Letters to the Editor should be sent to The Editor, Stereophile, P.O. Box 5529, Santa Fe, NM 87502-5529. Fax: (505) 983-6327. E-mail: John Atkinson, [email protected] or "Stereophile,” [email protected] .

If you have problems with your subscription, address your e-mail to Molly Crenshaw at [email protected] . We regret that resources do not permit us to reply individually to letters, particularly those requesting advice about specific equipment purchases. We are also unable to take telephone calls regarding equipment pur-chases. Were we to do this, a significant service charge would have to be assessed—and we don't have time to do it anyway! Although all letters are read and noted, only those of general interest are selected for publication. Please note, however, that published letters are subject to editing, particular-ly if they are very long or address more than one topic. All coitespondents should include their name, addrcss, and a daytime telephone number

am, I want the best sound practicable. • "It's the music" whether it's SE or push-pull, analog or digital, solid-state or tube. Let's get on with it. Why do so many see it as black and white?

Michael Auriemma Plandonk NY

Don't go there ... Editor: Whilst reading your magazine's equip-ment reviews, the thought keeps running through my mind: "Yes, but how does it sound when reproducing real music?" Music by Brahms, Beethoven, Schubert, Delius, Sibelius... Terry Robinson

Woodend, Viaoria, Australia

Serious stuff? Editor: As the "reviewer... for an erstwhile competitor" who studies each Stereophile so closely that he even comments on the pronouns, I'd like to respond to Wes Phillips' "As We See It" remarks in the August issue (Vo120 No.8, p.3). The "erstwhile competitor" is, of course, lise Abso!ute Sound, but the news of its de-mise may be premature. Harry Pearson is determined to keep it going, and I wish him every success. On to those pesky li'l pronouns. I

hate to see this language of ours bent to the purposes and agenda of identity pol-itics. My objections look to the use of the feminine she, her, or hers for the gen-derless third-person; viz, "When the subscriber receives her August issue, she will notice..." I wish I'd saved the per-haps half-dozen examples I've seen in these pages over the months. In general, it would be absurd to deny that lan-guage reflects the human condition, the customary use of the masculine third-person singular pronoun for men and women ("When the subscriber receives his August issue, he will notice..."). This patriarchal contempt is widespread: Take, for examples, the female of animal species applied to women: bitch, vixen, cow. We speak of man and mankind still; viz, the public-television series and the book that followed it, The Ascent of Man. Should that have been The Ascent of Humankind? Of Humanity? Of Man and Wonsan? Does the reader find mailperson

Stereophile, October 1997 11

The horse, the automobile. The typewriter, the computer. The cassette tape, the Digital Recordable MiniDisc. i'-iecord music on your home deck ana play it back anywhere. Just like tape. Digital sound and instant access to any song. Just like a CD. Record or mix up to 74 minutes from your CDs. All on one 2.5-inch MiniDisc. Then take it anywhere you go, and play it back on your car deck or portable player. Now that's progress.

SONIM

L E T E R S

as ungainly a formation as I do? Wouldn't congresswoman be more to the point than congressperson? We could carry on like this for 500

pages. It will do to observe that women aren't language's sole victims. Social sta-tus and minority practice provoke their share of pejoratives. Sinister and villain trace respectively to left-handedness and those whose station is beneath that of the gentry. A bend sinister in the family crest hints at bastardy somewhere along the line. A village, kin to a villain, doffs his hat to the local squire. We dine on pork, beef, mutton, and poultry, French words all in origin, presumably because we are of Norman French extraction and therefore upper-class; the Anglo-Saxon peasantry raises these edibles as pigs, cows, sheep, and chickens. We don't call a slob a pork, or a coward a poultry.

Look, this is all great fun, but really, has anyone suggested replacing sinister or villain or dozens of similar words because they tee off on some blameless group? Hey, why not? In a nation in which the president (properly expressed in lower case) proposes apologizing for slavery, anything's possible. And rela-tive: In my part of the country, "inner-city youths" address each other in terms that, if I expressed myself thus, I'd soon be outlined in chalk. On to the serious stuff. Wes remarks

my objections to the "paroxysm[s] of self regard" accompanying the release of Stereophile recordings. Briefly, these cele-brations strike me as disproportionate and provincial —"Look, ma, no hands!" The repertoire is neither especially novel nor definitively performed nor unusually well recorded. I have long since lost count of the superbly pro-duced discs of stimulating, mind-ex-panding music I've had the pleasure of hearing and, in certain particularly de-lightful circumstances, of writing about. Good recordings exist as rather more than the fuel that gets one's hardware to fly. A sound system is an engine of dis-- covery; the higher its quality —reso-lution, arency, dynamics, sound-staging trCaeility — the better to per-ceive a work of aural art. While Stereo-phile strikes (to my mind an entirely appropriate) elitist posture with regard to the hardware it writes about, it strikes a commensurately lowbrow posture with regard to the fare that hardware plays.

Wes's objections notwithstanding, discophiles require another Rhapsody in Blue about as urgently as an extra toe. Further, with regard to the recordings that Stereophile covers, matters have gone

from inadequate to grim. Not only is Mort Frank's illuminating role dimi-nished; in the August "Aural Robert" column, the music editor (and that's expressed in the lower case too) dis-parages the critic's role. Critics must not in their arrogant elitism damn the banal or meretricious. Nor should we pro-mote anything that might strike Kenny G's fans as hoity-toity.

In Joe Sixpack's deathless words, Gimme a fuckin' break! As well as your-selves: You cover with great success hardware at a wide range of price points. Would that your music coverage were equally well balanced. Mike Silverton

Brooklyn, NY [email protected]

Serious concerns? Editor: The music section of Stereophile is near and dear to my heart. Whenever there is change in management, one always hopes for improvement and worries over degeneration. There arc a few con-cerns over inconsistencies and mistakes that have come to mind over the last several issues that I would like to share in a constructive manner.

In his manifesto of what the music section will be, Robert Baird made bold statements that I heartily approve of. For instance, in the August issue (p.141), he stated, "You've got to serve your reader-ship. If the artist is too big... then that artist must be uncool, and so is ignored. ... The problem is, the majority of lis-teners feel exactly the opposite." He fur-ther stated that, rather than writing for other music writers, you should be writ-ing for a wider audience. Agreed. But then, in August's reviews section, there is no proof of the point. The Classical section features a 10-CD set of EMI his-toric stuff (a $60 set available only at a single mail-order outlet), Clara Schu-mann Lieder, a 3-CD French Baroque opera, and, oh yes, some Sibelius sym-phonies. The Rock section includes four obscure, albeit occasionally wonderful bands, and a 6-CD set of historic record-ings. The Jazz section has nine reviews, two of which the reviewers proudly pro-claim are obscure and sure to upset "out-raged listeners longing for soothing background dinner music." Do you communicate your manifestoes with your writers, Mr. Baird? The next point he made was that

"The only difference between music writers and music lovers is the know-ledge that comes from listening to music as a job." I would hope this im-plies accuracy and research. In his article

on Thelonious Monk in August, Dan Ouellette did a good job of covering an interesting career. But then a boner showed up. "Especially noteworthy is the juxtaposing of a 1957 studio quartet take starring Coleman Hawkins with a live quartet version a couple of months later featuring Coltrane. ... Trane, whose career was about to soar (he joined Miles Davis' band shortly after the date), opens in a pensive mood..." The peo-ple at Prestige records are sure going to be surprised all those 1955, 1956, and 1957 Miles recordings don't have Col-trane on them. Coltrane, in fact, joined Miles in 1955, and only went with Monk for several months in 1957 while Miles was on one of his many "rest" periods. Then, in August's "Recording of the Month," Baird discussed Blue Train and the "unassailable rhythm section of Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers (both of whom played with Coltrane in Miles' quintet) ..." Chambers, obviously. Drew? Could Baird tell me where or when? I've checked all my sources and can't find this ever happening.

Finally, while I can't objectively re-fute a qualitative judgment, I find the following statement hard to fathom: "But, like Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool or Louis Armstrong's recordings with King Oliver, this is Coltrane to be loved for its brawn rather than its finesse, for its sweeping searches rather than minute observations..." Point taken on Blue Train and regarding Mr. Armstrong. But Birth of the Glol? This was one of the most subtle, preplanned, and finesseftil things Miles ever did. Minute ob-servations abound!

Robert Baird's declarations of what he wants to do are right on the target. I just hope he starts doing them.

Wes Marshall marshall@onrcom

Thanks for your close reading Mr. Marshall, but fin a bit confused. First, you complain that h,: being too obscure in the records I'm assign-itwfiv review Then you want to get down and detailed about the personnel on jazz records. Obviously, you're a collector who knows his stiff Collectors buy lots e records (discs), which explains why we'd review something like the EMI set. Since you didn't make any specific suggestions about the mainstream records I've missed reviewing, please e-mail me your list.

Asfizr as my "manyi•sto".(roes, I said I would broaden the horizons ethe music section with-in the space I'm allotted. I think that haç hap-pened. And yes, the writers are we'll aware of my plans. I think f you look at the last yeai's worth ef Stereophile 11111Sk seaions, you


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.find a ,rood mix between mainstream and obscure While in true that OM strorrdy about not ignoriv artists just because they are big names (or big sales), this magazine will ahvays _limes on what's best and what's important. 1 simply don't have space/or everythire I checked with Dan Ouellette; and to our

dismay he does indeed have egez on his face: John Cdtrane joined Miles Davis in 1955. Dan apologizes prolirsely. And concerning my error over Kenny Drew playing on Oltrane's Blue Train, he's clearly listed as the piano player on these sessions in the liner notes and personnel list that comes with the CD.

Finally subjectiv e judgments are subjective judgments. As one ef the first things Miles ever recorded, Birth of the -Cool is a great disc, but in terms of both ideas and chops, he still had a lot to leans and transmute and develop.

—Robert Baird

Job wanted Editor: I would like to be a Stereophile equip-ment or music reviewer. I am a maso-chist. Are there any other requirements?

P Roberts Canyon, CA

proberts@rocketmaitcom

Not getting the point? Editor: I'm really glad my original letter about blind testing (March '97, p.16) has attracted some sympathetic response from other readers. But I'm really dis-mayed that you're still not getting the point.

Note that nobody — certainly not nie — has sung the praises of ABXing. Note that nobody has said all amplifiers sound the sanie. What we are saying is that we'd feel a lot better if the visual stimulus was removed from the re-viewing process, because we feel in-stinctively that it muddies the waters by introducing expectations of one kind or another. Maybe we'd be smarter to call it "unsighted" testing, to sidestep the old arguments we probably all agree with anyway.

Jerry Landis (August '97, p.20) hits the nail right on the head. His idea of uniform ventilated metal boxes con-cealing the identities of the amplifiers under test answers our concerns per-fectly. Okay, I accept your response that it might be beyond your real-world re-sources, but at least use it as the starting point for a "thought experiment." Or try this thought experiment: Suppose I had a physically small amplifier, medi-um-powered, rather lightweight in con-struction, which liad a very pleasant if somewhat lightweight sound, slightly

loose, slightly lacking in bass drive. Suppose I went out and bought a sec-ond, identical sample. Suppose I built that second sample into an empty cas-ing from a Krell or some other behe-moth — great big heatsinks, massive faceplate, lead shot packed all around the tiny amp inside. Suppose I then sent both items to every reviewer on your staff— and every other high-end reviewer in the world. A year later, suppose I read and analyzed all the reviews. My guess is there would be a fairly

narrow spread of opinion, but that the amp disguised as the heavyweight would have received less negative com-ment for its lack of power delivery and lightness and looseness and lack of drive in the bass. A fairly narrow spread, not chalk-and-cheese, but an identifiable and consistent trend nevertheless.

So, John, you need either to tell us, hand-on-heart, that we're wrong and you're absolutely sure a trend would not emerge; or you must tell us it probably would, and that we're right: precon-ceptions are influential and unsighted testing would be preferable —in which case you need to explain exactly why you still hold it to be essential, despite the dangers, that reviewers must be able to see what they're listening to. Lee Child

Cumbria, England

Common sense? Editor: Common sense is called common be-cause it's so rare. No better proof of this is Paul Szabady's letter in the September Stereophile (p.14). I consider it the epitome of audiophile ostrich-think — a com-bination of desperate rationalization, misinformation, and wishful thinking.

First, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle does not state that "the design and setting up of an experiment will, to some degree, predetermine that experi-ment's outcome." Not even close. Per-haps Szabady thinks that if he uses so academic-sounding a phrase that no one will call him on it. Well, too bad. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle is a concept of quantum mechanics con-cerning the prediction of movements of particles such as electrons. It is confined to the microscopic, as opposed to the macroscopic, world. It has nothing to do with the construction of scientific tests (beyond its limited area of quantum mechanics), nor does it concern "sub-jective" vs "objective" testing methods.

Having misdefined the principle, Szabady purports to apply it to the methodology of objective testing. Might as well use it to diagnose my Aunt Tillie's

lumbago, for all the applicability it has. Garbage in, garbage out.

Next, Szabady apparently assumes that all double-blind or ABX testing must be conducted under stressful, brief (and assumedly concentration-camp— like) conditions. No proponent of ABX I've ever heard of requires a time limit. Tom Nousaine has conducted a test involving two sets of CDs: one set was "clean," the other set contained added distortion. The subjects (many of them audiophiles) were allowed to take the CDs home for testing. I believe the longest a subject took for testing was three weeks, using his own system. How much stress could there be? Yet the results indicated no improved ability to distinguish due to the longer testing time. (In fact, tests have shown that peo-ple are far more able to distinguish between audio sources when the lis-tening sessions are short, not long.)

Szabady frets that these tests are invalid because they are stressful. By all means, let's abandon SATs, GMATs, and LSATs. They don't mean anything because the subjects were stressed! Puh-leeeze!

In an ABX test the subject is asked to listen to component A and to listen to component B. This listening may take as long as the subject likes, with whatever program material the subject prefers. The subject is then asked to listen to component X and answer whether X is really component A or component B (it must be one or the other). This Szabady labels "triply stressful and disorienting." Perhaps it is, to a common house cat. Seems rather simple to me (and every-one I've described it to). After all, it's not like the subject is being tested on quan-tum mechanics or something. By invoking such drivel as "reality

testing," "phenomenology," and "Wes-tern" culture, Szabady joins the ranks of snake oil salesmen who implore us to ignore common sense ("Does it sound the same or not?") and instead enlist in the ranks of the touchy-feelies who just know that there is a higher truth than simple scientific method. Bollocks. And all so this pompous ignoramus can convince himself that his $10,000 monoblocks really do sound better than that $800 solid-state amplifier he could have bought. Shame on you for contributing to the

perpetuation of this fraud. Je Ryan Breckenndge CO

[email protected]

In response to Mr. Child, I have taken part in well over 100 single- and double-blind tests of


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audio components (almost all under severe time constraints, Mr. Ryan), and it is that experience that leads me to doubt their efficacy. Yes, sighted listening has its own set of pifalls, but I believe that it is more useful in the real-world conditions of magazine reviewing.

To examine Mr. Ryan's points, the stress of blind testing is real, and has to do with both the subject's mindset and with the test condi-tions. Mr. Ryan mentioned SATs, GMATs, and LSATs. I am sure he would agree that knowing a subject in detail is no guarantee of getting a high score in an examination in that subject. The examinee must both adapt his or her mindset to the conditions of the specific exam, and adopt strategies that are peculiar to examinations in general. Coping with and adapting to this stress is a skill that, in my teaching days, I used to try to impart to my stu-dents. It is no deerent with blind testing of audio components: The conditions of the test are an interfering variable that cannot be elim-inated. And this was the point in bringing the name

of Heisenberg into the argument. Yes, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle does involve the arcane world of quantum mechanics. But from it follows the realization that the results of any test depend on the nature and conditions of the test and, by extension, the preconceptions of those designing the test. Set up an experiment to demonstrate the particle nature of light and the results "prove" that, indeed, light behaves as tiny particles. Set up an experiment to demon-strate that light is instead a wave phenomenon and the results show that light behaves in man-ner that would be completely impossible were it to consist of parades.

Thus has been my experience with blind lis-tening tests. Experimenters who strongly believe that there is no audible deerence between com-ponents end up with test results that neatly "prove" their preconceived ideas.

Jitter rears its head Editor: I can appreciate leaving out a little infor-mation in order to streamline an expla-nation. I do it all the time. But Richard Powers' helpful, important, and appreci-ated letter ("Manufacturers' Comments," August'97, p.180) leaves me with a ques-tion. He compared the performance of var-

ious resolutions of digital data to jitter performance. Now, since bit size defines amplitude resolution and jitter defines time resolution, they don't directly com-pare unless bonded by some per-formance standard —accurate replication of some particular slew or something like that. (I'm leaving stuff out.) What standard does Mr. Powers use

here? Hilary Paprocki Rochester, NY

In effect, any data-word jitter manfiests itself as a rise in the system's noise floor, reducing the effective dynamic range Mt Powers' point is that the greater the number of bits, the lower the theoretical noise floor and the smaller the amount ofjitter that can be tolerated f that noise performance is not to be compromised. And f it is compromised by jitter, then a manufacturer's claims for resolution can not be justified. —JA

Greater word lengths? Editor: With all this talk about 24-bit/961cHz for the next high-quality digital speci-fications for recorded music, why not go further, to 32 or even 64 bits? Let's do the same as the software industry did. MS Windows 3.0 was 16 bits. MS Windows NT 4.0 is 32 bits. And soft-ware written for Digital's Alpha chip is 64 bits. Why not, then, record music using

64-bit words at a 1921cHz sampling rate? I am sure that it would sound better than 24-bits/96kHz. I also understand that the DVD media has a high capacity of up to 9Gb per side. That should be enough to hold 74 minutes of 64-bit/1921cHz music. Philippe Charlier

Loerrach, Germany [email protected]

Dffierent situations, Mr. Charlier. In the world of computing longer words give you more e dent handling of data and greater addressing possibilities, with no tradeoff needing to be made when the word length is increased. With digitally encoded audio, however, you run up against the Law of Diminishing Returns. Each bit of a digital word used to describe a music sig-nal is equivalent to 6dB or so of dynamic range meaning that 16-bit digital words (as used on CDs) can therore be used to fully describe an analog signal with a noiselloor 96dB below peak level. This is not sufficient to guarantee sonic transparency. However, the 144dB dynamic range of a 24-bit digital system is so far in excess of the characteristics of real-world sounds that it will be sonically transparent with all kinds of music to all listeners under all con-ditions. More than 24 bits would just increase the costs of data storage or decrease media play-ing time for no increase in sound quality. —JA

'Thoughtful comments Ediroi: Mr. Archibald's comment on Name Withheld's letter in the August '97 issue (p.194 and p.19, respectively) was thoughtful and sensitive, and I appre-ciated it. I am a closeted gay, also an audio-

phile. In my experience, many homo-phobes find it easy to target gays because they don't think they know any.

When they find out that someone they have known well and for a long time is gay, they may not know how to react. Their conflict arises out of the fact that they genuinely like the person and now have a difficult time reconciling their friendship with their undifferentiated hatred for nameless, faceless "fags." Some will set aside their general big-

otry, others will rationalize by deciding that their particular friend is not like "other" gays, others will strike out against that individual or other gays to prove to themselves that their bigotry is justified.

It may be that NW's coworker was simply too embarrassed at having his bigotry highlighted in such a way. While not in a context of audio, I

have been in situations similar to NW's from time to time. I, of course, did not respond in the courageous and dignified way that he did. I may have gotten quiet. Or, in cases where I've known that the individual has gay friends who are "out," I simply ask why gays he doesn't know are different from his gay friends. But I usually deny my own orientation. The saddest part is that bigoted

straights seem to think that we have somehow chosen our orientation. If they would only stop to consider how ridi-culous it is to think that someone would choose a life almost certain to lead to dis-crimination, vilification, and loneliness, not to mention physical violence.

Again, thanks, LA, for your sensitive comments. I only hope that your reader-ship does not suffer as a result.

Name and address withheld by request

Insensitivity and bigotry Editor: Mt "Name Withheld" from Kansas City (Stereophile, Vo120 No.8, p.19), acts as if he was the first person to ever ex-perience prejudice. It is a fact of life that insensitivity and bigotry are a part of the human condition. When we allow our-selves to be hurt by what others think and say about us, we are in essence say-ing that we value their opinions of us above our own. NW would do well to realize that, in

all probability, he will never be able to change the attitudes of his colleagues. He can, however, change how he reacts to those attitudes. Ed Ting

Amherst NH

We've seen the last of his wealth Editor: There are a couple of references in the August issue of Stereophile to the topic of homosexuality, first in a reader's letter,


L E T TER S

then in an editorial response near the end of the magazine.

It has been a joy at times to read each issue of Stereophile, and I have looked for-ward to the next issue in the mailbox each month. At times some of the articles are an irritant because my technical back-ground is in apparent contrast to an author's views. But such is life when we don't agree on the technical aspects of some tubed or transistorized piece of gear. Stereophile's niche in life is that of providing entertainment, and some edu-cation. Life isn't driven by relatively triv-ial matters, and it will continue, with or without tubes and blue lasers. When the magazine takes on a role of

actively endorsing homosexuality, it begs for indignant response because you've stepped over the line encompas-sing the trivial. What makes an in-dividual a homosexual is their willful engagement in sodomy. This is a crime within any society, especially America's, where our heritage depends so much on Biblical foundations. This assessment is often met in media circles by ill-intentioned claims of some nebulous malady going by the name of "homo-phobia," but the assessment stands on its own, rooted in historical fact. I have to call it like I see it. It is sin.

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Do you really expect me to send in a part of my finances each year so that you can use your resources to promote sodomy? So that you can reach out and touch someone, and share your sin with them? Nay, I think not. Count me out, bubba. This is where

we part company. You've seen the last of my wealth. Victor Cozart

Fort Collins, CO (The land of Amendment 2)

victorc@ficZaeicom

Misguided and repugnant? Editor: Larry Archibald's open and flagrant endorsement of the perverted and ab-horrent homosexual lifestyle in the August'97 Stereophile (p.194) is extremely misguided and repugnant to me. I will not be renewing my sub-

scription. Gene Lake Virden, IL

Saddened Editor: I just read "The Final Word" in the August edition of Stereophile. I, too, was saddened by "Name Withheld" 's letter, but also by Larry Archibald's comments. Life is not easy. Love is tougher still. I believe today there is a misconception

regarding tolerance and love. If the long-term effect of what you tolerate is greater destruction, then that is not love. A good analogy might be a person who has a communicable disease but doesn't want to be quarantined. No one enjoys being restricted, nor do most enjoy restricting others... but in this case, tolerating the sick person's desire to roam freely would expose many innocent people to the dis-ease. So the greater love would be to restrict rather than to tolerate the desire of the afflicted. I am aware that this analogy may well

be offensive to you. There are many who do not understand, or will not ac-cept that homosexuality is wrong. Many are being led to believe in man's opinion rather than in God's truth. This is the true disease, and it is spreading.

LA's "Final Word" saddened me be-cause it is this acceptance of sin that will ultimately bring greater destruction. Don't misunderstand me. I love sinners, those who err in the truth. I love them enough to disagree with them, to reach out to them with the truth, to try to help them understand. In the process I suffer consequences like being rejected, hated, seen as narrow-minded, etc. This isn't easy love. Easy would be to accept their position and walk away. Knowing the

L Eli ER S

truth, though, does not allow me to do so. I think of the children of today who are being led to believe that homo-sexuality is normal. How many will per-ish because of their believing a lie? I may love the homosexual, but I

know that his or her lifestyle will ulti-mately bring death, and to all who reject the truth and believe the lie.

Christopher J. Coury Camarillo, CA

Not acceptable Editor: In response to 'Audio and Sensitivity" ("Letters," August 1997, p.19), I felt com-pelled to respond to not only that letter's content, but to the actual printing of it in the pages of Stereophile By doing so, you have given over the pages of Stereophile to every possible political, religious, or mili-tant agenda, as long as the clever letter writer is able to relate his/her message to some audio topic. I am concerned what this might do to an otherwise excellent publication. For example, I am against the merciless killing of millions of unborn American babies every year. Does this mean that I should voice this viewpoint in the pages of Stereophile by somehow camouflaging my strong belief on this subject in a cleverly written letter to the

editor? I think not. Suffice it to say that not everyone

thinks that sensitivity to the homosexual agenda is in order. I think you should stick to controversial topics like whether or not analog or digital is the better medium, not whether or not homo-sexuality is an acceptable behavior. I per-sonally believe that it is not acceptable, and would rather not read about it in Stereophile. Bryan Nelson

Phoenix, AZ

Other than to point out that I completely agree with what Larry Archibald wrote' in his August "The Final Word," this correspondence is now closed. —JA

Goofy? Editor: Does Sam Tellig still wear those goofy leather "elephant ears" when he attends concerts? An inquiring mind wants to know! Kevin R. Torske

Bowie; MD [email protected]

High-end car stereo Editor: I read with interest Wes Phillips' article about the level of performance he ex-perienced in Dynaudio's GMC Jimmy

("Car Tunes," August '97, pp.69-75), but — surprise —I'm not writing to argue or disagree with what he wrote. However, I am a little disappointed that his column seems to target middle-aged guys with high-paying jobs in corporate America and BMWs in the garage. I'm only 16, but the idea of getting good sound in my truck is appealing — as long as I can afford it. That pretty much means that I either have to buy mid-fi components and have them installed at Circuit City, or buy high-end stuff and give the instal-lation a go myself. Maybe in the future Wes could write

a column or two on good, affordable car stereo components, and how to put them together for good sound. But please don't change anything else! Y'all put out a great magazine. Michael Nance

Inance@vax traingen.mo.res

High-end retailing Editor: The July '97 "As We See It," brilliantly written by Barry Willis, was the best arfi-de I have read in Stereophile. I can assure you that the situation in

Germany is exactly the same as that described by Mr. Willis for the US. There are also too many discounters who do not care about the real needs of

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their customers. On the other hand, there are audio specialists who are not able to get in touch with nonaucliophiles, but can discuss expensive high-end acces-sories for hours. Dealers who try to serve "music-lovers" are a small minority.

Keep up this level of writing and I will remain a subscriber, as long as your magazine exists. Matthias Baumgarten

Nurnberg Germany

Reality check Editor: Years ago Stereophile used to talk about Wife Acceptance Factor. While many manufacturers produce great speakers with beautifiil sound, these will not be acceptable in most homes because of the obtrusiveness of their aesthetics. While my Martin-Logan CLSes are acknowl-edged to look and sound gorgeous, they have to reside with their Genesis sub-woofers in my dungeon listening room, where they can have full rein in terms of placement. However, the system that everyone sees and hears in the family room — NHT SuperZ,eros with an Audio Pro B2-50 subwoofer and MB Quart surrounds — was purchased pri-marily for how it looked, and only sec-ondarily for sound quality.

Other speakers are also not accept-able domestically because of the need to place them out into the room. The High End needs more speaker systems that can be used near the wall. If speaker engineers would design for real-world interiors, the High End would get more converts. Danny Williams

Richboro, PA dannyhv@concentrienet

Off the scale? Editor: I wish to compliment Lisa Astor for her "Astor Place" in the August '97 Stereo-phile. It's her finest writing yet. Coin-cidentally, the day I first read the piece was also the day I determined that my own spouse's "Audio Tolerance Level" was off the scale. • The previous week —with the expert assistance of analog maven Michael Fremer, his wife, and dual-mono Ber-nese Mountain Hounds — I had in-stalled and tweaked my new reference analog front-end of the VP! TNT Mk.IV, Immedia tonearm, Koetsu Urushi car-tridge, and Sound Anchor stand, which outclassed its Goldmund-based prede-cessor by a wide margin. As the reso-lution of the system, even pre-break-in, had now climbed a notch or two, I took the opportunity to rethink fine-tuning some room anomalies (a slight 80Hz ele-

vation and some near-wall reflections from one speaker). The question was: How to experi-

ment with room treatments with the approval of the wife? I chose the sneaky coward's way out: I'd go on my merry way without her approval, hope she did-n't notice, and if she did, well, I'd deal with that at the time. No sooner had I begun tweaking when my wife caught me in the act of nailing her good bath towels to the living-room wall. Her mouth agape, she exclaimed, "What the hell are you doing? You'll wake the baby with that hammering!" As she left the room, I hammered more softly.

As I said, off the scale. Robert.) Reina [email protected]

He doesn't understand Editor: I don't understand why some readers complain about Stereophile publishing reviews of products that are out of their price range.

First, such products provide an idea of what the future may hold at a lower price point, either because the techno-logy simply becomes cheaper or because they inspire innovative engineers and entrepreneurs.

Second, they are a reference for choos-ing "distinctively pre-owned" audio equipment, because in a few years' (weeks'?) time there will be something newer more exotic, and more expensive. Audiophiles with unlimited resources will buy it, and as they don't want to throw last year's exotica out with the trash, this creates bargains for more humble folks.

Third, why do they want to censor the magazine's content, reducing it to a glorified mid-fi catalog? Peter Stockwell

Peter_Stockwell@gtsner

Getting fat on expensive digital? Edit r: Stereophile appears to get many letters complaining about the cost of state-of-the-art, high-end digital audio... and good digital audio has not evolved into a reasonably priced medium. Audio com-panies are getting fat because reviewers praise the big-bucks, high-dollar audio corporations like Mark Levinson and Krell, etc. You guys pat these companies on the back for selling digital com-ponents that sell for more than $6000. This is plain crazy!

Don't you think it's time for Stereo-phile to take responsibility for its readers and the rest of the audio community? You should let these companies know that although they may have a very

good-sounding D/A converter, trans-port, or CD player, the cost of admission is unacceptable. These companies need to be pushed by the media to rethink high-end audio. They need to find inno-vative ways to effectively reduce the cost of their products without compromising the high performance levels.

For example, if a manufacturer could design a $1000 D/A that would out-perform other companies' $6000 mod-els, not only would it benefit from the increased sales — it would probably monopolize the market—but most im-portant, the consumer would be the winner because he would be getting his money's worth!! That's all that really matters. Tell me I'm wrong. C. Burns

Omaha, NE cburns@topmet

Mc Burns, you're wrong. The financial rewards awaiting the first company that can bring $6000 sound to the marketplacefor $1000 are so great that jj someone could have done it, tiny would have However, I must say as the owner of a megabuck Made Levinson processor, the current performance of affordable deal gear is signeantly closer to that Iqfiy standard than it used to be Yes, my No30.5 sounds better than my $599 Assemblage DAC-2. But not by much in absolute terms. —JA

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can be affected by sources of RFI and EMI in your home.

Don't shielded interconnects eliminate this probleri..

No. Conventional shields are quite ineffective at preventing RF/EMI intermodulation of the audio signal.

Because they are connected to the cable, and therefore to the components, the energy they absorb modu-

lates the audio signal.

The Isolated Floating Shield is not attached at either end of the cable. The energy it absorbs is transferred to

a remote component called a Ground Station , where it is grounded outside the signal path.

If I don't hear a hum or any noise in my system I don't have a problem with RFI/EMI. right?

Wrong. You have been listening to RF intermodulation in your audio signal from the beginning. We all have, because until now there has been no technology to eliminate it. Therefore we accept a certain level of RF

obscuration as "normal."

Is there a difference between Ground Stations and the boxes on those other cables?

Yes. The other boxes rely on a filtered signal path. The musical signal is passed through a filter network.

These filters limit the bandwidth and remove the higher order harmonics of the music along with RF energy.

Filtering results in slower rise time and rippling, which are heard as a dulling of transient information and a

variety of amplitude versus frequency shifts.

Conversely, the Isolated Shield Matrix removes RFI and EMI outside the signal path. This technology maintains

the integrity of the natural signal path within the cable and leaves the higher order harmonics of the music intact.

The audio signal within the cable is unimpeded and unaltered between the components.

What can t expect to hear with ISM

A silent, black background. Musical notes fade with an effortless and natural decay. Micro-dynamics that were

lost in the noise floor become audible for the first time. It's a difference you must experience to fully appreciate.

Which cables can be used with a Ground Station?

At present there are a range of cables from TARA Labs which are ISM -ready, starting at $595/meter pair. In

addition, there is a variety of other ISM components which work with cables and Ground Stations to eliminate

the negative effects of RF/EMI.

For more information please request tii TARA labs White Papers "New Technology from TARA Labs: the Isolated Shield Matrix," and "The One Series Cables," from TARA Labs or your local dealer. TARA LL‘BS

541/488-6465 www.taralabs.com

Home Th

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Audio:

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National Broadcast Series 1996 Grammy nomination. Married. Two Sons.

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Knows a pure note when he hears it

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INTERNATIONAL Barry Willis Significant numbers: Last year, world-wide sales of recorded music grossed $39.8 billion, according to the London-based International Federation of Phono-graphic Industries. The oil-rich nation of Norway was the world's leader in per-person purchases, with an average outlay of $61. Denmark was a close second: The average Dane spent $59 on music in 1996. Third-place finisher Switzerland's average was $57. Overall, Europe and North America accounted for 67% of the planet's total sales.

Japanese music lovers —who placed fourth in the expenditure competition— spent $54 each on music last year, 8% more than their Austrian counterparts, who dropped 50 clams apiece. The US was in sixth place, a pathetic showing for the world's leader in consumer spending. The average American spent only $47 on music last year, the equivalent of three CI)s at full retail.

Americans! It's not too late for us to regain the lead. Rush out today and buy more tunes! You'll be glad you did. Your friendly unemployed neighborhood Music Business Executive will be, too. The August issue of Smart Monty

reports that the number of US house-holds wired for cable increased to 65.4 million in 1996, up from 17.5 million in 1980. By comparison, only 4.3 million households were equipped for Direct Satellite Broadcasts. Between 1985 and 1995 the average cable bill increased by 121%—roughly three times faster than

the Consumer Price Index, which grew by 42%. Monopoly? Never heard of it. There are 165 cable networks in the US; their combined revenue in 1994 was $30.6 billion. Installation fees that year pulled in $469 million. Public television subscribers gave PBS $420 million in the same period.

UNITED STATES John Atkinson In his report from HI-FI '97 (September '97, p.81), Steven Stone mentioned a home-theater system that used a Faroud-ja "interpolator." While the Faroucba pro-ducts do perform interpolation, they are called "Line Doubler" and "Line Quad-rupler," and are not to be confined with the Interpolator made by the UK com-pany Snell & Wilcox.

UNITED STATES Thomas J. Norton In our report from HI-FI '97 in Sep-tember, Martin Colloms reported that the video clip in the DTS booth was a special uncompressed DVD (p.85). I heard the same story repeated in another Show demo from another exhibitor using the same disc; possibly some uninformed representative of DTS was spreading this around, or the presenters misunderstood. At any rate, it wasn't true. The correct information is that the

DTS DVD used a lower rate of com-pression than does a typical DVD. The audio was mastered using the DTS algo-rithm operating at the same data rate used for DTS CDs and laserdiscs: just

over lAMbits/s total for the 5.1 channels of encoded audio. This is considerably higher than the Dolby Digital rate of 384kb/s for the same data, but the DTS still uses compression. On the video side, according to what

DTS told me at last January's CES about this same disc (where it first made its appearance), the video was mastered at a fixed 8.5Mb/s. But according to the engineer who actually mastered the disc at Sunset Post, the data rate ranged from about 5Mb/s to 7.5Mbs/s. This is still considerably higher than the typical data rate of a commercial DVD (typically around 3.5Mb/s average), but is none-theless still highly compressed — as it must be for the DVD format to function at all. The data rate for an uncompressed D1

video master, without overhead, is 167Mb/s. Since a single-sided DV1) (like the DTS DVD) has a maximum capacity of 4.7 gigabytes, or 38.5 gigabits, it would hold just under four minutes of uncompressed program material (com-pletely ignoring, for simplification, audio or overhead requirements). A two-sided, two-layer disc will hold 17 gigabytes, and thus have a capacity ofjust under 14 minutes of uncompressed video. In the former case, a 133-minute movie would require 35 discs; in the latter, about 10.

'This is hardly a recipe for a practical format, which is why compression is essential in a DVD. And the uncom-pressed examples cited assume, for the sake of argument, that DVD can even operate at such high data rates. In fact, it

CALENDAR

Dealers promoting manufacturer and designer seminars should fax (do not call) Debbie Starr the when, wher and who at (505) 983-6327, at least eight weeks bd-ore the month of the event —ie, ¡fyou're putting on something in December 1997, you should get the information to Debbie no later than October 1. Mark the fax cover sheet "For the attention of Debbie Starr—Dealer Bulletin Board." Promoters of hi-fi shows and audio societies promoting manufacturer visits should also fax Debbie the details as soon as possible

ARIZONA

• Wednesday, September 24, 6:30pm: Arizona Tube Audio in Tempe will host Dennis Had, president of Cary Audio Design for a seminar and demonstra-tion of the new CAD-50 series of ampli-fiers, preamplifiers, and D/A converter. A drawing for a free Cary SLA-70 amplifier will be held at the end of the session. Call (602) 921-9961 for reserva-tions, or visit www.tubeauclio.com • Tuesday, October 28, 7-9pm: Show-

case-Home Entertainment (15672 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale) will host a meet-ing of the Arizona Audiophile Society featuring a seminar on high-end audio and home theater with Robert Harley of R. He will also be signing copies of his books, Home Theater For Everyone and The Complete Guide to High-End Audio. Call (602) 905-5555 for information and reservations.


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is technically incapable of doing so; the maximum data rate of DVD software and hardware is about 10Mb/s (audio and video combined). The fact that DVD looks as good as it does is a tribute to the design effort that went into both the format itself and into its MPEG-2 video encoding.

JAPAN Jon Iverson DVD recorders from Hitachi America Ltd. will likely be shipping with select computers by fourth quarter this year, or early in 1998. They're relatively cheap, and even more enticing are Hitachi's predictions of progressively larger stor-age capacities, reaching 180 gigabytes per disk by 2005111ns is roughly equivalent to the data stored on 277 audio CDs, or 38 single-sided DVDs of 4.7GB each. What this means to the extreme audio crowd remains to be seen, but the lure of multi-GB storage for any digital audio or video format should prove irresistible.

Hitachi calls the new recorders "DVD RAM" Drives, and has endowed them with the ability to not only record on special DVD discs, but to read standard DVDs as well as any audio Cl), CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, etc. This is be-cause Hitachi uses two laser mecha-nisms; these are standard in all versions of the DVD RAM Drive being released at this time. The initial DVD RAM Drives will

be able to re-record 2.6GB of data on each side of a one- or two-sided disc, up to at least 1000 times. That's correct— these things re-record on the same disc over and over. 'They use a special amor-phous surface layer that melts when heated up by a laser. This "phase change inedia" then records a magnetic polari-ty that can be remelted and reversed. Because of this melting process, the recordable DVDs are extremely sensi-tive to dust and scratches of any kind;

they come in a cartridge that is used while recording. If you're going to con-tinue re-recording the disc, as in a data backup system or "optical storage Jukebox" (their name, not mine), you'll likely keep the disc in the special con-tainer. But once recorded on, the DVD can be removed and dropped into just about any DVD player.

Just about... I pressed the Hitachi spokesman,

Matthew Schmidt, for the scoop on consumer applications of this stuff— especially in audio. He pointed out that current consumer DVD players are not compatible with the new DVD RAM discs, but that starting sometime next year they will be. Hitachi DVD players will of course be compatible, but what about the others, such as from Toshiba and Sony? According to Matthew, "Compatibility in 1998 is expected. All standards for DVDs including the DVD RAM arc defined by the same group, the DVD Forum. If all of the companies don't get on the bandwagon and agree, they arc shooting themselves in the foot."

In other words, there is still some action left in this drama. Some more interesting information: DVD RAM drives will be WU 1394 (FireWire)-ready by mid-1998. What this means is that a standalone unit could be put into any computer or audio/video network that had the proper drivers for encoding and decoding the various A/V formats, such as MPEG-2 or higher resolutions of dig-ital audio or video. Any number of audio channels, and any data rates desired, arc possible —as long as your other hard-ware/software supports it. So if you want to archive some analog or hi-res digital recordings at better than "Cl) quality," here is your medium. We just need some brave high-end-audio-savvy company to make the front-end and distribution channel (satellite internet?) of this recording system for us before the com-

puter guys do. Or maybe, by then, they'll be the same people. Which is something to think about.

Your average consumer computer is notorious for mucking up the sound of audio once it gets inside the noisy PC environment. That is, unless someone takes the trouble to clean up the path, as in the pro audio digital mastering busi-ness. And so, if someone created a com-ponent that allows people • to record at various resolutions (nice fit resolutions — why stop at 96kHz when, in five years, you'll have 180GB to play with?) directly to the DVD RAM without loss of quality.— Just imagine.

Other concerns: Just what kinds of copy protection are going to chop our data transfers down to size? This thought alone took a week of phone calls and pointed questions repeated several times before an answer began .to emerge. Facts agreed all around: There is a copy-protection code built into the hand-shake routine when the DVD RAM connects with an incoming datastream. Three codes arc possible: 00 (no res-trictions), 01 (only one copy allowed), and the dreaded 11 — no way, nohow, not in this lifetime. You can bet that those movie studios

will be encoding 01 s and Ils on their film DVDs, especially when we can start to doivnload them off of a digital satellite feed and stick them on a hard drive to watch later (see "Industry Up-date," July '97, p.45). But what I wanted to know was, how about recording non-DVD digital stuff, like CDs or DATs (for private, legal use, of course), and lots of 'cm, onto this DVD RAM thing? Here's where everyone gave me a blank stare. Old-fashioned CDs don't have one of die three codes on them that tells the DVD recorders what to do, so what hap-pens when nothing comes in? 'What's the default copy-protection setting?

After some shuffling of feet, an an-

CAL END A

CALIFORNIA

Century Stereo 620 S. Bascom Avenue, San Jose) is hosting a series of Wed-nesday evening seminars featuring visi-ting manufacturers. A light supper will be served. Topics are listed below; for reservations, call (408) 998-7474 or visit www.centurystereo.com • October 15, 7:30pm: Representatives from Rotel will discuss "New Audio Technologies." • October 29, 7:30pm: Representatives

from Proton will discuss "What's New in Direct-View TV?" • Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28: Pro Home Systems (383 40th Street, Oaldand) is continuing its series of New Technology Seminars with Robb Kistner of Lucasfihn, Norm Steinke of Meridian, ICert McCandless of Pioneer Elite, and David Nelson of Triad, who will present and discuss their newest products and technologies. Call (510) 653-4300 to make a reservation and

enter the drawing for a door prize. • Sunday, September 28, 4pm: Music Lover's Audio (1995 Eldorado Avenue, Berkeley) is hosting an open Bay Area Audio Society meeting featuring Garth Leerer of Musical Surround-ings Garth will discuss the new phono cartridges from Benz Micro Switzer-land, demonstrate the Graham tone-arm for the Linn LP12, and have other analog products on hand. Call (510) 558-1000 for more information.


N9380 & N93805 Preamplifiers

When Madrigal introduced the Mark Levinson N°38 preamplifier in 1993 and the N°38S a year later, we built in a level of quality and refinement backed by the leading-edge tech-

nology of the day. We listened to seemingly infinite combinations of pads during product develop-

ment. The resulting preamplifiers have since been recognized for their outstanding performance and

craftsmanship with numerous awards, and are enjoyed by thousands of music lovers, the world over.

Since then we have identified many new devices, using previously unavailable technologies. In some cases, these new devices proved sonically superior to those avail-

able during development of the N°38 and N°385. Armed with these powerful new technologies, we decided to reevaluate both preamplifiers. So, we did some more listening.

A careful design review revealed that, while the basic topology of the original preamplifiers was still the most desirable, these designs could significantly benefit from a host

of new devices. In all, a total of 84 changes to the N°38 and 106 to the N°385 result in sonic improve-

ments that affect virtually all areas. An audition of the new Mark Levinson N'380 and N°380$

preamplifiers will reveal improved low end authority and impact, cleaner, more natural high frequen-

cy performance, finer detail and improved dynamics, imaging focus and soundstaging reproduction.

Upgrade options are available to owners of the N°38 and N°38S through authorized Mark Levinson dealers. Visit one soon and discover how the way we listen at Madrigal can enhance the way you listen to music in your home.

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It you would like to add your name to our mailing list, Please write or fax us at the address above or visit us on the Internet at httlri iwwW.ioadrigal.onnt/

A donation to support MOS research will be made for every name added lo our mailinn fl A Harman International Company

swer slowly appeared: Apparently noth-ing happens; you can record at will. Whew! I was starting to get nervous. Now thty're starting to get nervous...

Back to earth. How much is this thing going to set us back? How does starting at under $1000 US grab you? And my sources tell me it can only get better from there. The recordable DVD discs (two-sided) arc expected to sell for about $75 each when introduced, drop-ping rapidly to about $25 as the market takes hold.

After all the hard questions were answered, we relaxed a bit (ha ha) by talking about every computer company's current favorite topic: the "C" word, Convergence. According to Matthew, "Hitachi's business focus is computer data storage. The 'convergence' market is, of course, quite interesting, and will have great impact on what data storage actually means in the next few years."

That an understatement.

UNITED STATES Jonathan Scull Press events — I just love 'em. They pro-vide a chance to catch up with friend and foe alike, to find out who's doing what to whom. So Kathleen and I ac-cepted an invitation to (yet another) Toshiba DVI ) event tendered by the ever-debonair Peter Dobbin of Dob-bin/Bolgla Public Relations. The oc-casion was the introduction of two new second-generation DVD video players (what happened to the first generation?), along with ColorStreamTM Component Video, Spatializer 3-D Stereo, and Pic-ture Zoom.

Late, late, late. Hot, hot, hot. We arrived at the UN Plaza Hotel just as the speechifying began. As usual, Steve Nickerson (VP, Video Marketing) and Craig Eggers (director, New Product Development) manned the mikes and did the honors. Anticipating the Raised

Eyebrow Effect, Craig emphasized that Toshiba was introducing second-gen-eration players "Because we can. We're raising the bar in DVD." We heard about the new top-of-the-

line SD-3107 ($799) and the entry-level SD-2107 ($599) players, which join the company's "renowned" SD-3006 ($699). The 3107 also features "Toshiba's gold-plated C,olorStreamn component video outputs, which route DVD's component video signal directly to any of Toshiba's 10 ColorStreamTu input-equipped dis-play devices, including the new 71" Model TP71G90 Projection TV and 36" Model CN36G97 direct-view set." Briefly, ColorStreanC takes advantage of the deafly mastered DVD signal by bypassing both the comb filter and the NTSC decoder in found in most TVs. (Log on to http://www.toshiba.com for the colorful details.)

Craig wowed the assembled jour-nalists with the many features on these new players. The four-power Picture Zoom function allows the viewer to zero-in on any of 25 quadrants of the video image. Craig demonstrated this effect on The Mask —what can I say? He did mention that the zoom feature might be invaluable for "instructional videos." Smokid!!! For even more accu-rate scene location (important in such seminal works as 7he Mask), there's a Time Search function on both players for direct access via the remote control.

"Finally, for the ultimate in DVI) fun, a Vocal ICaraoke feature on both players allows users to sing along, with or without lead vocal accompaniment, on specially encoded DVD Karaoke discs." Fortun-ately, both Craig and Steve were dis-inclined to demonstrate this hot feature.

Journalists were then herded into a

1 in big trouble. We don't have home theater yet. and Kathleen, ex-Lshion photographer/visual person evraonlinain., absolutely flipped over the image on the huge 61" monitor used at the demo.

home-theater room to experience Spa-tializer 3-1) Stereo, as included in the SD-3107. From the Spatializer Audio Labo-ratories press release: "Spatializer 3-1) Stereo technology delivers 3-D surround sound from as few as two speakers! This unique technology requires no propri-etary encoding of the source material and increases the depth and spa-ciousness of all recordings, without dis-torting or 'coloring' the sound. Our patented Double Detect and Protect' circuitry prevents overprocessing, mak-ing Spatializer 3-1) Stereo a set-and-forget feature." The Spatializer circuit plays with

Interaural Time Delay (ITD) and Interaural Intensity Difference (IID) to widen the soundstage and broaden the sweet spot. Toshiba is fond of this tech-nology because, while working its magic, the Spatializer circuitry "...pro-vides a solid center image, so that the vocals and dialog remain crisp, clear, and firmly in the center."

Let me tell you that it works, and very well at that. You can use it with the crummy speakers in your TV, with an external pair of speakers, or with a full Dolby Pro-Logic Surround rig. With Pro-Logic, "Spatializer 3-D Stereo fills in the gaps in the sound field, making a seamless transition between the front 'point-source' speakers and the rear 'ambient effect' speakers." In stereo-only, "it provides an immersive, sur-round-sound effect."

Spatializer Audio Labs posit that their process enhances existing CD collec-tions, offering a more dramatic, impres-sive sound when customers play their audio CDs through Toshiba's DVD play-er. (At last —something about music.) I have to admit, I was impressed; it sound-ed very, very good. For more details, check out their Website at http://www. spatializer.com. The SD-3107 and SD-2107 players

C AL END A

GEORGIA

• Sunday, September 21, 1pm: Audio Alternative (895 Indian Trail Road, Lil-burn) is hosting an afternoon with Pat McGinty of Meadowlark Audio, who will demonstrate its "first-order transmis-sion line" speakers and discuss "What the Specs Don't Tell You." Srajan Ebolen of Mesa Engineering will also be on hand to introduce the Tigris dan-A integrated and headphone amplifier. Call (770) 931-0606 to make reservations.

• Sunday, October 19, 2-5:30pm: The Atlanta Audio Society and Audio Solu-tions Shop are hosting a seminar featur-ing designer Jim White and Ed Deiter-meier of Theta Digital at 5576 Cham-blee-Dunwoody Road NE, Dunwoody. Contact Ed Scruss at (770) 804-8977 or www.audiosolutions.com or Chuck Bruce at (404) 876-5659 or www.rnind-spring.com/-chucksaudio for more information.

ILLINOIS

e Tuesday, September 23, 7-9pm: Charles Hansen of Ayre Acoustics will discuss Ayre product design at Audio Consul-tants in Evanston. For reservations, call (847) 864-9565. • Wednesday, September 24, 7-9pm: Charles Hansen of Ayre Acoustics will discuss Ayre product design at Audio Consultants in Hinsdale. For reserva-tions, call (630) 789-1990.

Stereo/Attie, October 1997 29

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also offer upgraded digital audio cir-cuitry. Both new players feature 20-bit/96kHz audio resolution for repro-duction of appropriately encoded soft-ware. In addition, software-selectable AC-3/PCM digital audio outputs on both players offer users maximum con-venience when switching between DVD and CD playback. The new SD-3107 also features an optical digital audio output for added versatility and high-quality connections."

So, on the audio side it's 20-bit/ 96kHz for "appropriately encoded soft-ware" (wherever or whatever that is). We've read in the pages of Stereophik about the wonders of high-bit, high-sampling-rate audio. I've heard it myself chez Chesky, and it was magnificent. We've also been informed that sales of high-end D/A converters have fallen off a cliff. Apparently audiophiles are stand-ing around transfixed like deer in DVD's headlights, waiting for this latest technological marvel to fix everything up. From where I'm sitting, it looks like a pointless, lunatic rescue fantasy.

While still upstairs during the Ques-tion and (no) Answer period, 'This In-trepid Reporter tried to find out what giant Toshiba has in mind for audio-philes. If anything. The answer was a resounding "Thank you, next question." It's not as if they harbor any sort of omi-nous agenda regarding high-end audio, it's that they have no agenda whatsoever. We arc, evidently, merely a pimple somewhere on the vast, juicy butt of Consumer Electronics.

Nuzzling a decent glass of Press Event Chardonnay while waiting for our Spatialized DVD demo, a colleague asked me what I was worried about. He felt that 20 bits at 96kHz would be just fine for audio. I wonder. I've heard that MPEG-2 — a "lossy algorithm" — is heavy with jitter. And how good is the sound coming off DVD, even at 20/96?

What DACs are they using, how do they "sound," what about the filters? And how about High-Definition TV? I'm told DVD's data capacity, massive as it can be, won't be sufficient to hold a com-plete movie on a single side, double-lay-ered or not. So you'll have to turn the disc over, my leetle couch potato. But... don't laserdiscs do that automatically now? I understand. The numbers just aren't

there. Or are they? I think audiophiles should vote with their billfolds and pocketbooks now. (Don't be shocked — female audiophiles are out there. Deal with it) I suspect it'll be a while before high-end audio revolves around the DVD format. (Movie-wise, bless you, Toshiba.) In the meantime, readers should get out there and support their local DAC maker. He (or she) is usually a high-end crazy, devoted to excellence, who cares about you and what you listen to. If enough of you get back in the groove (ouff!), maybe Toshiba and the other giants will listen.

Don't think the irony of ddending the current standard as a viable music-deli-very system escapes me. Remember, res ipsa loquitur the thing speaks for itself:

UNITED STATES Barry Willis Do you have a basement full of old vinyl? Or even better, old shellac? There may be gold in your musty old record collection. In late July, a telephone auc-tion of 522 lots of old and rare records conducted by Good Rocicin' Tonight in Newport Beach, California, prompted over 2300 bids and netted almost a quar-ter-million dollars. Top bids of $9600 each were taken for two first-edition copies of Introducing the Beatles from 1963. From the sanie year, an unreleased ver-sion of The Freeivheelin' Bob Dylan, con-taining four cuts deleted from the com-mercial disc, fetched $8140. The rarest record sold at the auction

was the first known recording by Muddy Waters: "Mean Red Spider," a 78rpm piano blues by James "Sweet Lucy" Carter on the 20th Century label, with Waters on guitar and vocals. Col-lectors believe there are only three or four copies of the recording in existence. Another 78, featuring both Waters and Little Walter as sidemen, was Baby Face Leroy's "Rollin' and Tumblin'," which sold for $8140. Robert Johnson's 1936 recording of "Come On In My Kitchen" went for $5500. Good Rocicin' Tonight plans another

rare-records auction October 22-23. More Robert Joluison discs are listed for that one, as are some early Elvis Presley recordings. For more information, call (714) 833-1899.

UNITED KINGDOM Paul Messenger Legendary hi-fi pioneer Stanley Kelly— one of the founding fathers of UK mag-azine Hi-Fi News & Record Review, and well known for his ribbon treble trans-ducer —is now living in retirement in Thanet, England, but has sold his com-pany to British amplifier specialist Musical Fidelity. An exquisitely retro Kelly Transducers badge is now making its debut on the first of what promises to be an exceptionally interesting and un-usual range of loudspeakers.

Stan might be most closely linked to his legendary 1950s ribbons, but in more recent years he was much more closely associated with high-power/-sensitivity theory and practice. That perspective is very much the inspiration behind the Kelly Transducers range and its debut KT3 model. High sensitivity is the ICT3's raison d'être—second only, of course, to due consideration of commercial reality and domestic harmony. The result is a speaker of relatively modest dimensions (10" W by 28" H by 14.5" D) and price (£1200), alongside an exceptionally high

C AL END A

• Tuesday, October 7, 7-9pm: John Hunter and Stirling Trayle of Sumiko will discuss the latest in high-end home-theater setup techniques featuring Sonus Faber loudspeakers and REL subwoof-ers at Audio Consultants in Evanston. For reservations, call (847) 864-9565. • Wednesday, September 24, 7-9pm: John Hunter and Stirling Trayle of Surniko will discuss the latest in high-end home-theater setup techniques fea-turing Sonus Faber loudspeakers and

REL subwoofers at Audio Consultants in Hinsdale. For reservations, call (847) 362-5594. • Thursday, October 16, 6:30pm: Holm Audio (450 Ogden Avenue, Lisle) will host Dennis Had of Cary Audio Design and Carl and Marilyn Marchi-sotto of Acarian Systems for demon-strations of new equipment from both companies. A drawing will be held at the end of the session for a Cary SLA-70 stereo amplifier and a pair of Alón

Petite loudspeakers. For reservations, call Mike or Albert at (630) 663-1298.

IOWA

• Tuesday, October 7, 7pm: Audio Video Logic (3702 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines) is hosting Scott Novak of Synergistic Research for a demonstra-tion of how to use Synergisties system-dependent cable technology to match cables for your system. Call (515) 255-2134 for more information.


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95dB/W sensitivity rating and in-room bass extension down to 25Hz. Sounds to me like just what the affordable-SET (single-ended triode) set might be look-ing for. Though not (yeti) a member of that

particular club, the last 10 years spent mainly reviewing loudspeakers have left me with a powerful addiction to high sensitivity for its own sake —it seems the only way to achieve serious dynamic ten-sion and expression. At least to my ears and prejudices, 95dB/W is just about the acceptable minimum; yet imposing such a criterion severely limits my choice of commercially available options to a mere handful, all of which are very large and expensive, and decidedly idiosyncratic to boot. The arrival of something as lounge-friendly and affordable as the KT3 is therefore news indeed. I don't take manufacturers' sensitivity

claims too seriously, preferring to make my own less orthodox (but arguably more relevant to the real world) and usually less optimistic assessment. On that basis, the KT3 hits a very creditable 93dB. In the context of several hundred models measured under similar condi-tions, that's about 4dB less than my reg-ular Rehdeko RK175s, and 10dB below what the classic Klipschorn three-way corner horn delivers. But it's also 5-6dB better than all the KT3's size/price com-petition I've encountered recently — effectively the same as quadrupling the available amplifier power.

This is therefore a genuine high-sensi-tivity design (albeit of the 4 ohm load per-suasion) achieved by using a simple two-way configuration: twin main drivers with ultralight 120min (4.7") Acrogel cones mounted above and below a tweet-er with some horn assistance. A twin-ported enclosure still supplies adequate bass of the deep'n'dry variety.

If MFs Anthony Michaelson and I agree on one thing, it's that high sen-

sitivity means a high fun factor. His avowed intention is to use the Kelly Transducers brand to bring the fun back into affordable hi-fi. The KT3's type number implies two smaller, cheaper models in due course: a £700 KT2 is scheduled for next February, promising a similar performance envelope with a less substantial build from a 20% smaller box.

UNITED STATES Barry Willis Zoran Corporation of Santa Clara, Cali-fornia, which markets digital video and audio software and integrated circuits (the first Dolby AC-3 chip was from Z,oran), was awarded a license June 2 by Matsushita to distribute DVD software with embedded copy protection. The company plans to ship decryption and authentication software late this year.

Also in early June, Electronics manu-facturer Harris Corporation of Mel-bourne, Florida purchased Innovative Telecommunications & Sound (ITIS), a French maker of digital broadcasting gear. The deal was valued at between $10 and $20 million. The acquisition will enable Harris to provide digital TV and radio products for both the European and North American markets. ITIS will continue to operate from its base in Rennes, France. Harris exec Van Cullens said the European TV and radio market is several times larger than its North American counterpart.

It looks like HDTV will be up and running in less than a year. Home Box Office will begin distributing high-defi-nition digital programs next summer, according to an announcement made June 10. HBO was among the first cable companies to commit to the new for-mat. The company's statement refuted anti-HDTV comments made by one of its top guns just a few weeks earlier. In the wake of the HBO announcement, Cablevision Systems said it would begin

including HDTV programming at about the same time. Joe Collins, Chairman of Time Warner Cable, said that his com-pany would also accommodate digital programming. "Very much on the hori-zon," was how he described TWC's view of HDTV. A public commitment to the new for-

mat by cable providers puts increased pressure on traditional over-the-air broadcasters, who are widely believed to want to use their allocated HDTV band-width for multiple channels instead. Using extreme digital compression, 12 low-rez channels can be squeezed into the bandwidth otherwise required for one. Quantity or quality? In TV land, the answer to that old question will probably always be the same.

UNITED STATES Jon Iverson At the beginning of Internetaudio. aes.org, the Audio Engineering Society's 14th International Conference in Seattle, AES President Elizabeth Cohen held up a plastic straw and implored the audience not to think of our audio connections to the Internet solely in terms of a little pipe. "What I would like you to con-centrate on, so we do not have to deal with the straws of the future, is turning the art of the possible into the actual." The analogy is apt, not only because

electricity (and data) is often compared to water flowing through a hose, but also because of the shift in bandwidth avail-ability taking place all over the world. At present we are drinking our information through a delicate tube from a vast reser-voir hidden deep underground. Think Road Warrior, where the world is a desert and water is accessed rarely at best. But around the corner, bandwidth futurists have been predicting that we'll float in a virtual Waterworid of information, this cyberliquidity made possible by such technologies as cable modems, direct

CAL

LOUISIANA • Thursday to Saturday, October 16 to 18: Wilson Audio (3120 Severn Ave-nue, Metairie) will host the official launch of Crescendo, an interconnect developed jointly by Straight Wire and Doug Wilson, an established New Orleans 1il-fi dealer. In addition, the store's grand opening is the occasion for seminars, demonstrations, and the opportunity to meet various designers of highly recognized audio brands. For

ENDAR

reservations, call (504) 888-8851.

MAINE

• Thursday, September 25: Hi Fi Exchange and Custom Electronics (202 US Route 1, Falmouth) is sponsoring a seminar with Steve Palmieri of Musical Arts and Juergen Reis of MBL on MBL speakers and electronics. Call Ken Smith at (207) 874-1988 for informa-tion and reservations.

MICHIGAN

• Saturday, October 4: Almas Hi Fi, in Detroit, will host a seminar with Brian Hefley, sales manager of Martin-Logan, on electrostatic technology and Martin-Logan's new products. For more information, call (313) 584-1860.

MINNESOTA

• Thursday, October 23, 6pm: Repre-sentatives from Sonic Frontiers will be on hand at HiFi Sound (1226 Har-


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satellite Internet (DirecPC), the Local Multipoint )istribution System(LMDS), and the Multichannel Multipoint Distri-bution Service (MMDS). The challenge here is to learn to swim gracefully with-out drowning in the process.

In this context, the choice of venue could not have been more appropriate: The futuristic Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle, Washington. Here one is ensconced in the best high-tech facili-ties available while being surrounded by water. And, of course, Microsoft's prox-imity was a constant reminder of where the action in consumer electronics con-vergence is quickly heating up.

But before we get started, let's admit that sound quality over the Internet today suffers from a variety of ills. Which isn't to say that this matters eight bits (okay, bad joke) to all the kids who love being able to spend 20 minutes downloading a three-minute M P3 sound file over the Web. But to be real-ly useful to the hordes of consumers, especially Stereophlle readers, indubitable audio quality has to be available.

This is what Elizabeth Cohen is try-ing to focus us on. "We have a chance now to specify the protocol enabling high-quality multichannel audio online. We can develop the architecture that will allow us to communicate from one device to another the best that we have to offer: [the creative work of] the artists whom we work for."

These conferences usually focus on hard-core technical issues, but Cohen did not want anyone to ignore the political implications of what is now being devel-oped in the lab: "We as engineers arc social architects. The tools that we design to enable security for artists' rights are the same tools that could inhibit those voic-es. So as we design these protocols, we need to be aware that we do not exist in a vacuum." (A subtle hint about the speaker to follow.)

At first I thought it strange that the Plenary Speaker at an Audio Engi-neering conference was to be John Perry Barlow —sometime lyricist for the Grateful Dead, an ex-cattle ranch-er, and recently known for his work as co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). I read Wired maga-zine, so I know that the guy is a legend to a lot of people —but this was an AES gathering, not a Deadhead/crypto sum-mit. It soon became clear that Barlow's interest in maintaining a free audio Internet meant talking directly to the people who would be building it. And what thornier issue than evolving infor-mation copyrights in a soon-to-be-free-flowing digital audio sea?

Barlow has a friendly midwestern de-meanor; when you first meet him, you think teddy bear with a beard. But inside is one of the sharpest minds known to the digerati. First, Barlow set us on edge by stating: "One of the missions in my life is to eliminate broadcast media." HA, HA, HA. But after explaining that he merely wanted two-way communi-cation with the audience, he dove into the heart of his subject: "We are in an era where the technical architecture is poli-tics. You arc making it possible to easily reproduce a lot of the material that is presently considered to be property. The reason that [copyright] works is that it was hard to make copies. It was damn near impossible to make a [vinyl] record. Things have started to break apart rather rapidly. It is now easily possible for any-one to reproduce practically anything that the human mind can create, and dis-tribute it infinitely at zero cost. And this changes everything."

Barlow then asked for a show of hands from anyone in the audience (several hundred strong) who did not have any pirated software on their hard drives. Two hands went up. "Well, that's what I usually get. Now, any time

Further Info on Internet Audio

AES Conference info: hup://www. Internetaudio.aes.om AT&T Labs —Research: hap:// www.researckatt.cont/Mfolsrq Cooper Bauck Corporation: (602) 839-3708 Electronic Frontier Foundation: http://www.eiforg Harman online: http://www.hatm an.wm 1ETF: http://www.ietforg Internet 2: http://www.Internet2.edu Liquid Audio: http://www.liquid audio.com Microsoft: http://www.microsofi.com Progressive Networks: http://www. realaudio.wm —Jon Iverson

you have the majority of society turning into thieves according to existing law, you've got a wide chasm between accepted social practice and the law. And it is usually the law that changes, not social practice. But the problem is that behind the law in this case arc huge enti-ties that have made a quite profitable business for a long time, [and] that will be made obsolete by the very tech-nology you are designing. This industry takes the work that human beings did with their minds and embeds it in some physical object and ships that physical object around as any other appliance or good. These companies — movie distri-bution companies, publishers, record companies —do not need to exist any more, and they arc going to try very hard to exist."

Barlow went on to explain his view that we are moving from a physical econ-omy to an information economy —a shift that a lot of folks are finding hard to

CALENDAR

mon Place, Minneapolis) to present, dis-cuss, and demonstrate the newest prod-ucts from their Sonic Frontiers and Anthem product lines. For more infor-mation, call (612) 339-6351. • Thursday, October 30: HiFi Sound Electronics (1226 Harmon Place, Min-neapolis) will host a seminar by Carl Mar-chisotto, president of Acarian Systems, on speaker design and the new Alón Lotus and Adriana speaker systems. For more information, call (612) 339-6351.

NEBRASKA

• Friday and Saturday, October 10 and 11, 10am to 6pm: The Sound Envi-ronment (Rocicbrook Village, 108th and West Center Road, Omaha) is hosting Luke Manley, president of Vacuum Tube Logic, for a seminar and demon-stration of the new VTL TL2.5 and TL5.5 tube preamplifiers with the VII Signature Monoblock amplifiet For more information, call (402) 391-3842 or e-mail [email protected]

NEW JERSEY

• Thursday, October 16, 6pin: Repre-sentatives from Sonic Frontiers will be on hand at Audio Connection (615 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona) to present, discuss, and demonstrate the newest pro-ducts from their Sonic Frontiers and Anthem product lines. For more infor-mation, call (201) 239-1799. • Thursday, October 23, 6:30pm: Audio Connection (615 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona), is presenting Dennis Had, pres-


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swallow. "If I sell you a toaster, I no longer have it or the resources that went into making it. If I sell you an idea, I con-tinue to have that idea and pit have it, and because we both have it, it becomes more powerful. This is very hard for the industrial mindset to accept." He believes that "we don't want to regulate toward scarcity, as in the physical economy, but toward abundance."

As an example, Barlow reminded the audience how the movie industry fought VCRs, which were supposed to kill the motion picture and theater busi-nesses. Yet video rentals eventually increased studio income immensely, and theaters experience record attendance figures year after year. He pointed out that media companies' recent resistance to DVD and the Internet shows that this lesson has not been learned. He further stated that DVD "will be an obsolete standard before it gets used."

Barlow then related his experience with the Grateful Dead and the "tapers" —fans who would sneak recorders into the concerts and trade the tapes among themselves. At first the Dead booted tapers for ripping them off. Then, when they realized that this created bad karma, a special area was set aside to facilitate the phenomenon, which Barlow partly credits for the amazing popularity and success of the band as the number-one grossing live act up until their breakup. "What we were getting paid for was not what we had done, but what we hadn't done yet... There is something more incentivizing about getting paid for not the thought you have had, but the thought you haven't had yet."

Barlow noted the recent moves by the RIAA to stop unauthorized trans-mission of MP3 audio files over the Internet. (MP3 is one of the first suc-cessful codec technologies allowing an entire CD to be compressed with "rea-sonable" fidelity and streamed through

the little 28.8kb/s modem straw.) He suggested that the people in the room were probably going to be employed to find ways to restrict the flow of in-fonnation, and that, when wielding tech-nical power, engineers "should be making that choice on behalf of humanity and not on behalf of the record companies."

"Reality is analog, we're

stuck with that...

Information is alienated

experience, and in its usual

form bears as much

relation to experience as

beef jerky does to

a live cow."

There was one irony about Barlow's talk that fleshed out this touchy issue: His speech was recorded for Internet audio streaming from the AES Website. If you were lucky enough to access the site in real time, as the talks took place, you could hear it for free. So far, so good. But to access the recordings later, one must register and either pay $20 as an AES member, or $40 as an outsider. The AES press materials also expressly forbade any recording devices at the conference. (I recorded it anyway to get the quotes right.) Maybe I'm a little dense, but explain to me why it makes sense that there were taping restrictions on the talk about the benefits of tap-ing/information freedom.

Back to the show. Pointing out that the nature of Internet transmission is the TCP/IP packet standard, which is dis-continuous, Barlow reminded us that there are many challenges involved in

bringing continuous high-quality audio streaming to the system. "Reality is ana-log, we're stuck with that... Information is alienated experience, and in its usual form bears as much relation to experi-ence as beef jerky does to a live cow. Information is like live jerky, and I want to see the cow come through the wire." To which Elizabeth Cohen gamely responded: "So that's the question I want answered: Where's the beef?"

Barlow told us the story of a re-searcher at Xerox PARC who had creat-ed a virtual conferencing system that connected two rooms of people in all manners audio, video, and data. But the scientist still considered it a failure. Why? Because it lacked pram, the Hindu term for breath and spirit. Barlow then finished his talk with: "I think that even though this is not a group that spends a lot of time thinking about issues like prana, this should be the one that you should focus on. I think the most interesting challenge that we face as a species is whether or not we can get pram through the wire."

Spoken like a true audiophile! Next was Philip Rossdale from Pro-

gressive Networks, a company develop-ing key audio and video streaming tech-nology for the Web. He described how much more important it is for him to get decent-sounding audio going over the Internet than quality video. He appeared truly excited about the thought of high-quality sound from "anywhere to any-where": databases of music that we would tap into at will, streaming songs or albums to our systems. He also pointed out the rapid growth this form of audio distribution was experiencing: active users of Realaudio are now in the mil-lions —larger numbers, at times, than the average cable network.

However, Rossdale sees plenty of work to be done. The challenge remains to "close the gap" between what we can

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ident of Cary Audio Designs, for a seminar and demonstration of new equipment from Cary, including the CAD-572-SE single-ended monoblock amplifiet A drawing for a free Cary SLA-70 amplifier will be held at the end of the session. Call (201) 239-1799 for information and reservations, or visit www.audioconnect.com • Thursday, October 30, 5pm: Audio Connection (615 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona), is presenting Charles Hansen

of Ayre Acoustics, for a seminar and demonstration. Call (201) 239-1799 for information and reservations, or visit www.audioconnec-t.com

NEW YORK

• Each month: For information on the monthly meetings of the Musical-audiophile Society, The Audiophile Society, and the Gotham Audio Society, call David Nemzer at (718) 237-1094. • Friday, September 26, 7-9pm: Lyric

Hi-Fi (1221 Lexington Avenue, New York) is hosting Robert Harley for a seminar on high-end audio and home theater. He will also be signing copies of his books, Home Theater For Everyone and The Complete Guide to High-End Audio. Call (212) 439-1900 for information and reservations. • Saturday, September 27, 5-7pm: Stereo Exchange (627 Broadway, New York) is hosting Robert Harley of FY for a seminar on high-end audio and home


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stand as audiophiles and what the Web delivers today. He also stresses the importance of the "portability" issue to consumers who desire the freedom of "taking stuff off the Net and taking it with you." And on drowning in a sea of digital audio data, he asked: "What hap-pens when you can listen to every record ever recorded?" It's a K-Tel nightmare come true.

At the conference were folks from Sun Microsystems, Microsoft, Emu Systems, Progressive Networks, Liquid Audio, and even Disney, but I saw no one from the high-end audio com-munity. The closest thing to a high-end audio concern were a couple of people from the original convergence com-pany, Harman. Where were the for-ward-looking, cutting-edge designers who show up in droves at the CES and HI-FI Shows? When I asked Elizabeth Cohen if she'd spotted any high-enders, she lamented, "I wish Bob Stuart could have come. Did you see the guys from Hannan... ?"

Will history repeat itself? Will the extreme audio crowd wait for the mass market to set standards first, only to complain about them later? Several times during this conference comments were made about also pleasing the "golden ears"— as if we were a foreign species that required periodic care and feeding, if only to keep our howls down. Let's not make it that easy. Tweak audio on the Internet looks

grim right now, but there is a chance. Members of the Internet 2 (12) com-mittee were in attendance, actively seek-ing input from the audio community regarding new applications and possible standards for their proposed second-generation Internet. Ted Hanss, Applications Lead for the 12, presented background information detailing the organization's history and goals, and also

chaired a Discovery Session seeking ideas for its audio uses. Why should we care about any of

this? Because even though the 12 has been started as an organization of over 100 universities looking for fatter data pipes between themselves, Ted em-phasized several times that once it gets up and running, it will be turned over to the world at large for commercial uses. With data speeds predicted to be 100 to 1000 times faster than those on the pre-

Will history repeat itself?

Will the extreme audio

crowd wait for the mass

market to set standards

first, only to complain

about them later?

sent Internet, one can sec the potential for multichannel high-end audio. A quote from the conference catalog: "Internet 2's focus is on end-to-end applications that take advantage of such quality-of-service guarantees as band-width reservation, latency, loss rate, packet priority, jitter, etc." Go to the 12 Website and read the material, then e-mail them with suggestions for creating a better-sounding Internet. They want to know how you might want to use more bandwidth, so tell them: better than "CD-quality" sound.

Following the 12 talk was Jonathan Lennox from Columbia University, who's been researching protocols for real-time transmission of "music-grade" audio over networks. In particular, he pointed out that the RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) being reviewed by

the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is of great significance to the audio industry. Lennox described the RTSP as an "Internet remote control for media servers" that is suitable for live concert feeds as well as professional audio applications such as editing.

Other interesting presentations in-volved new research simulating 3D sound using the two speakers generally found in computer environments. Whether this is an area with a rich future, or if it will simply be a dead end when the computer finally lands in the sur-round-sound family room, is up for con-jecture. But the amount of research and investment devoted to creating credible holographic imaging is increasing. Harman Interactive Group was at the

conference promoting their VMAx (Virtual Multi Axis) 3D audio tech-nology. They promise that, through two speakers, "sounds appear to come from any point in three-dimensional space surrounding the listener." VMAx 3D VirtualTheater is the edition of VMAx used for decoding Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby 1)igital AC-3 programs with simulation of left, center, right, left rear, and right rear images from two speak-ers placed in front of the listener. VMAx 3d Interactive is the version aimed at computer garners; Harman also has a VMAx Stereo Enhancement mode, which adds width and depth to images in a stereo recording. VMAx is rooted in a set of intense

HRTF (Head Related Transfer Function) equations called the Cooper-Bauck trans-fer function; Harman hopes VMAx will not only spark a surround-sound revolu-tion in computer gaming, but will also provide a solution for home-theater sys-tems in which properly placed surround speakers are out of the question.

In a related presentation, Jerry Bauck of Cooper Bauck Corporation demon-

CALEN D A

theatet He will also be signing copies of his books, Home Theater For Everyone and The Complete Guide to High-End Audio. Call (212) 505-1111 for information and reservations. • Tuesday, October 21, 7pm: Audio Video Salon (1553 Second Avenue, Manhattan) is hosting Richard Segal of Synergistic Research for a demon-stration of how to use Synergisties sys-tem-dependent cable technology to match cables for your system. Call (212)

249-4104 for more details. • Thursday, October 23: The Musical-audiophile Society of New York City will host Paul Marks, owner and design-er of Thor Audio, who will present his company's product line. Ted Lindblad of Audible Difference will assist. As always, the meeting will be preceded by a banquet in Chinatown. For informa-tion and reservations, call David Nem-zer at (718) 237-1094. • Thursday, November 13: The Musi-

calaudiophile Society of New York City will host David Carpe, vice president of information and technology at Melos Audio, for a demonstration of the new Max 3R DAC and the High Current SE-75s mono blocks. As always, the meeting will be preceded by a banquet in Chinatown. For information and reservations, call David Nemzer at (718) 237-1094. • Wednesday, November 19, 5pm: Audio Oudet (69 South Moger Avenue,


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strated the thinking behind their 3D imaging technique. Essentially, Bauck feels that a major problem with any audio system is the relatively small "sweet spot" constraining the listener to a particular place for optimum sound. He described CBC's method of mani-pulating the signal using a 3D imaging system that he feels not only works for two-channel TV or computer systems, but enhances conventional stereo as well.

It should be noted that CBCs tech-nique apparently creates a fairly wide image when the drivers for the left and right channels, especially the tweeters, are physically close to each other. As the listener moves about in the room, the image should remain fairly stable. Bauck's talk provided a thorough tech-nical explanation for how they applied HRTFs, frequency filters, and related mathematics to solve imaging problems in 3D soundfields. This is just a taste of what's involved; a more complete ex-planation is available in a white paper from CBC. It's now time for the rest of us to listen and evaluate the success of this approach.

Also being demoed was the audio portion of Sun Microsystem's Java 3D API specification. Once a visual object is tagged in the Java applet, the sound assigned to that image will appear to fol-low it, moving around the listener as the object moves around the screen. Because of the noise in the room, we couldn't hear exactly how it worked, but this seems a very intriguing concept. A highlight of the gathering was

when Schuyler Quackenbush, Teduii-cal Staff Member of AT&T Labs, in-troduced the ISOIIEC MPEG-2 Ad-vanced Audio Coding (AAC) tech-nology being developed for future net-working environments. AAC is a "very flexible bitstream syntax that supports multiple audio channels, subwoofer channels, and embedded data channels."

Schuyler explained that a variety of quan-tization rates and sampling rates up to 96kHz could be accommodated using the system. Combining a variety of cod-ing strategies and scalability, this is an interesting approach to improving the quality of audio over the Internet, and is one to watch.

Advanced Audio Coding

is an interesting approach

to improving the quality

of audio over the Internet,

and it's one to watch.

And now for my favorite part of the entire event. Brian McDowell, an audio engineer from Microsoft, stepped up to do his presentation with a Windows 95-endowed laptop hooked up to a really nice video projector. He turned on his computer and... it crashed. He turned it on again and... after the Microsoft logo loaded, it almost crashed again. But this time he saved it with a couple of quick keystrokes. We laughed. He, of course, blamed the hardware and threat-ened to toss it at the audience "if it did-n't behave." (I'm sure he meant if the computer didn't behave.) Once McDowell got the presentation

going, he explained Microsoft's plans for DirectSound, which supports 3D and multichannel audio in new operating system versions (Windows NC and "Memphis") slated for release in the coming months. Also discussed was an enhanced pre-installed sound library and MIDI playback system called DirectMusic. Someone in the audience asked if 3D

sound is being aimed at game users and multichannel audio at the living-room

PC. The answer proved a little complex: "Yes and No. Historically, our 3D approach has been targeted toward games, but we definitely see this mov-ing into the TV market in a lot of forms. The whole industry has got to be think-ing this way. The industry needs to move into the living room. Multi-channel support is for everything. We want to focus on the larger picture, not just the game market." On top of all of this activity, there

were several more presentations on and discussions of topics including Internet copyright issues, Internet broadcast and audio preparation techniques, more 3D audio technologies, and compression strategies. Watch for a special report on LiquidAudio and their "CD-quality" Internet solution; coming soon.

UNITED STATES Wes Phillips Sonic Frontiers has recently published a A Taste of Tubes, a booklet devoted to tube technology, history, and arcana. It's a treat, filled with easy-to-understand text and diagrams. If you've ever been interested in tube technology — and what audiophile hasn't at least been interested? —you should take a look. Call, fax, or write Sonic Frontiers for your free copy:

Sonic Frontiers, 2790 Brighton Road, Oakville, Ontario, Canada L6H 5T4. Tel: (905) 829-3838. Fax: (905) 829-3033. E-mail: SF Isonicfrontiers.com . Or download it from SFs improved Website: www.sonicfrontiers.com

UNITED KINGDOM Paul Messenger We bought them on vinyl. We home-taped them on our Dolby decks for drive-time entertainment. Then, 10 or 20 years later, we went out and bought them again on CD. I'm talking about the Classic Albums — those milestones of

CALEN

Mt. Kisco), is hosting Bob Graham of Graham Engineering A.J. Conti of Basis Audio, and Garth Leerer of Musical Surroundings for a discus-sion and demonstration of analog de-sign concepts and products. Call Jen-nifer at (914) 666-0550 for information and reservations.

NORTH CAROLINA

• Thursday, October 23, 6-8pm: Audio Advice (6701-101 Glenwood, Raleigh) is

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hosting an open house with Garth Leerer of Musical Surroundings. Garth will discuss the new phono car-tridges from Benz Micro Switzerland, demonstrate the Graham tonearm for the Linn LP-12, and have other analog products on hand. Call (919) 881-2005 for reservations.

OHIO

• Thursday, October 23: Progressive Audio (1764 North High Street, Col-

umbus) is presenting an evening with Richard Fryer, president of Spectral, and engineer Keith Johnson of Ref-erence Recordings, co-inventor of HDCD. Call (614) 299-0565 for times and reservations.

OKLAHOMA

• Wednesday, October 15, 7-9pm: Audio Dimensions (10407 North May Avenue, Oklahoma City) is holding a seminar with Brad O'Toole of Transparent


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popular culture that, over the past decade, have proved such a re-release gold mine for a creatively impoverished music biz. Now we're on the threshold of a new

format that, even in its initial phase of development, offers vastly greater data-storage capacity than Cl). DVD em-braces all manner of multimedia options, some of which haven't been invented yet. Some software is already available for the movie dimension, whose specifica-tions incorporate a high-quality stereo digital audio option. Other variations will cater to computer data and games, while the precise format options for DVI) Audio are still being debated.

While Sterivphik readers can hope and pray for the high-band/-resolution for-mat to satisfy the most ardent CD-phobc, I suspect the music-biz moguls are much less confident that this is the right added-value strategy needed to per-suade a mass market to buy new copies of those ageing classics for a third rime. Just what sort of stimuli will tempt us back to the record shops to pick up third-generation DVD versions of the Sergeant Pippin, Let It Bleeds, Pet Sounds, and so on? A new BBC TV documentary series,

logically if unimaginatively entitled Classic Albums [broadcast in the US on the VI-I-1 cable channel — Ed.], supplies at least two interesting possible answers. The programs themselves arc an ab-solute delight for anyone seriously in-terested in the albums concerned. Four have been transmitted so far, featuring Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland, Paul Simon's Grace/amid, Fleetwood Mac's Rumors, and the Grateful 1)ead's American Beauty. Each has run for a full 65 minutes, and been so engrossing it was difficult to leave the room for fear of missing some new nugget. (It being the BBC, there were no convenient commercial breaks!)

Electric Ladyland, the first to screen, was probably the most difficult to make

— its main man has been dead for almost 30 years. But what might have turned out to be little more than an extended sleeve-note with AV decor-ation brought a whole new perspective to my enjoyment of an album that's been a fixture in my personal Top Thirty for nigh on 30 years. Always an im-perfect agglomeration of tracks, the pro-gram showed how that was the in-evitable consequence of squeezing rec-ording sessions on both sides of the At-

The new BBC TV

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lantic into a ludicrously stressful touring schedule, all of which was taking the Jinri Hendrix Experience to the brink of breakup. The other key people all made major contributions, explaining every-thing from the inspirations of individual tracks to the social context of the time. (Both Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated that summer.) The other programs were equally

engrossing. Grace/and stays most memor-ably in the mind for Paul Simon's insight into the subtle processes of massaging a song and arrangement toward its ulti-mate version, while American Beauty was a hoot from beginning to end —much of the program was devoted to the far more interesting Anthem (y. the Sun album, and also to scrutinizing the chasm of mis-understanding between Warner Bros. Records and the psychedelic subculture. To add such a documentary to a new

multimedia DVD release of a classic album — along with a mixture of interviews, outtakes, and film/video clips — would certainly be one way of

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March '97 Stereophile, p.43.) Call (519) 673-1780 for more information.

CZECHOSLAVAK1A

• Thursday to Saturday, November 13 to 15: The Czech Audio Engineering Society is sponsoring Prague's third annual Top Audio Praha 97 high-end audio show. For more informa-tion, call 00420-602-374222, fax 00420-2-24256-844, or e-mail http: //plzen.eunet.cz.topaudio.

tempting us to buy yet another version of an old favorite. There must be several hundred albums out there deserving of such treatment.

But the BBC programs also threw up another, potentially even more in-teresting possibility. The most fascinating parts of the program were those at the mixing desk, with engineer Eddie Kramer bringing the faders up and down to reveal the various layers of the multi-track Electric Lady/and mix. My first reac-tion was "I'd like to be able to do that." My second was whether there was any chance of using DVI) to release these classic albums in a multitrack (say, eight tracks) format derived from the original multitrack master, and allowing us all to play around at being recording engineers and so get even deeper into our favorite albums. I don't know whether this is a technically feasible DVD Audio option, and expect it would require some pretty fancy control software in the players. But it does offer the listener a potentially much more active and creative role in the experience, and is very much in the modern idiom, in which tracks are regu-larly remixed in different versions by key Dis and engineers. It is, at the very least, another possibility that deserves to be added to the debate. S

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I is a rugisicrrd tradrinitil it 1›,11"ey Libor

Maim Sam Tellig

you know how it is at hi-fi shows. The biggest systems and

speakers take up the most space, look the most impressive, make the most noise, draw the biggest crowds. But, in my opinion, these systems don't necessarily make the best music.

Smaller speakers and smaller systems, on the other hand, don't play so well at shows, don't draw the big crowds or generate the same buzz. Too bad, because these are exactly the kinds of systems that might play better in your living room (particularly if it's small), and better suit your budget (ditto).

Unfortunately, music lovers who purchase small systems are sometimes made to feel bad — by audiophile "friends," by dealers, and even by those hi-fi writers who validate their own importance by reviewing only the most high-priced gear. (If the equipment's so expensive, the writers must be worth more too.) On the other hand, those who own

an inexpensive system that happens to make music are made to feel inade-quate. Not ready to play with the big boys. And people wonder why the appeal of high-end audio is so limited, especially among women. Me? I don't like big systems. On the

other hand, I don't like crap either. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be assaulted by my hi-fi system — "blown away," as (male) audiophiles like to say. I'd rather be drawn into the music. For me, one of the best sounds at HI-FI '97 was at Roy Hall's Music Hall exhibit: a $599 Creek 4330 integrated amp driving a pair of $1095 Epos ES12 speakers. The sound was immediate, alive, tight, tuneful — harmonically pleasing, too. This was very good sound, just not a lot of it.

But I have to give Hall a hard time — he thrives on it — so I'll turn my atten-tion instead to another, even less expen-sive speaker, this one from Epos's sister company, Mordaunt-Short. Both com-panies are owned by TGI, Ltd., and the speakers are made in the same factory.

Mordaunt-Short 10i Pearl The Mordaunt-Short 10i ($319/pair) was on static display at HI-FI '97 — Daniel Jacques had other, larger fish to

fry. Who could blame him? He showed up at the Waldorf=Astoria for HI-FI '96, made excellent sound with a sys-tem based around the YBA Integré, and got ignored.

Meanwhile, I met up wits Steve Harris from Mordaunt-Short at Roy Hall's room, and he told me about the Pearl version of the 10i, which retails for just $30 more: $349/pain For that $30 you get two pairs of gold-plated speaker binding posts for bi-wiring, a new and improved surround material for the woofer cone, and a new dual-capacitor high-frequency filter. Don't cheap out. Go dive for the Pearl. The idea behind bi-wirable is to help

hi-fi dealers sell more wire. (Heh-heh. Just kidding.) No, the idea is to allow your amp to see each drive-unit as a separate entity. This is supposed to improve soundstaging, imaging, and overall control by reducing distortion. To put it another way, bi-wiring is sup-posed to make things easier on the amplifier —this can be especially critical if the amp is a little British integrated. The Mordaunt-

Short 10i Pearl is a minimonitor intended for stand-mounting — a 24" stand is about right—and measures 12" high by 7le wide by 81/4 deep. The cabinet is black or simulated-rosewood, vinyl-clad particle-board, and the speak-er is not magnetically shielded. Sensitivity is specified as 88dB for 1W input, and the impedance is given as 8 ohms. The speaker is recommended for use with amplifiers that put out between 15 and 60Wpc —your typical Britegrated.

Don't let the specs fool you, though. Sen-sitivity is not every-thing. I found that the 10i Pearl is very easy to drive — a 9Wpc single-ended triode

amp did it quite nicely in my listening room, making the Pearl a possible speaker for use with, say, the Audio Electronics SE-1, 300B-based amp ($899 kit, $1099 assembled). You could do a single-ended triode system — 300Bs — for under $2k. The drivers are male in-house: a 5"

polypropylene-cone woofer and a 1" liquid-cooled, aluminum-dome tweet-er. The crossover point is 5kHz, mean-ing that the woofer is really a bass/ midrange driver. A magnetically sec-ured protective wire mesh covers the tweeter. If you have suitably long fin-gernails, you can pull the mesh loose for better sound, leaving the tweeter unprotected. You can also remove the grille, if you like. Mordaunt-Short sug-gests that you don't. I suggest that you do. (If you're worried about the exposed tweeter, remove the grille but leave the wire mesh in place.)

As I learned when I visited a couple of hi-fi manufacturers in Britain last yea4 the secret to producing these inexpensive speakers is to bang 'em out fast. Epos and

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Mordaunt-Short are particularly inge-nious when it comes to making good speakers on the fly and on the cheap. With the 10i Pearl, the front baffle

and chassis are molded together as one part. The front baffle is what holds the tweeter in place; the chassis is what holds the woofer assembly in place. Having the front baffle and chassis all of a piece avoids any interaction between the two, and what speaker designers sometimes call "chassis creep." The woofer cone is injection-mold-

ed, a computer-controlled process that results in the cone being thicker at the neck than at the surrounds. This is said to make the driver more pistonic. The woofer cone is put into a special tool and the spongy surround material, also polypropylene, is molded to it, eliminat-ing any need for a glue joint. Why is this important? The production is automated, eco-

nomical, tightly controlled for consis-tency —and the high-frequency rolloff characteristics of the woofer can be designed so that Mordaunt-Short can get away with using that minimalist first-order crossover, which makes the speaker easy to drive and probably makes it sound as good as it does, too. As with so many things in hi-fi (and in life), simpler is better.

So what do you get with the 10i Pearl? An Epos ES12 for less than a third of the price? Not quite. But anyone on a tight bud-

get who likes the sound of the Epos might very well consider the Mordaunt-Short. Like the ES12, the Pearl is a very fast, clear, crisp, clean-sounding speaker. It lets go of the notes. It plays tunes. The Epos differs in being more refined — there's more resolution, more fullness to the harmonic presentation. More sweet-ness in the treble, too. The Epos can probably play a good deal louder and fill a larger room with bigger sound. It's also got more extended bass, although the Pearl's bass response extends down to around 60Hz. • But the Mordaunt-Short 10i Pearl is amazingly good for what it is —a bud-get speaker. If it lacks resolution, if it does sound a tad bright in the treble, the faults aren't fatal or even serious. You get very good clarity: a seamless mid-range (the high crossover point helps), a clean, crisp treble, and, above all, a speaker that communicates very well the expressive power of the music. This little baby boogies.

Did I tell you there's a port on the back of the speaker? I guess not. Well, anyway, this is not a constipated sealed

box. The rear-firing port probably means that you can't place the speaker inches from a rear wall, but you would-n't do that anyway. (Would you?) I used the speakers spread 7' apart about 4' out from the wall (a third of the way into the room).

True, I could have used a little rear-wall bass reinforcement. But I was will-ing to sacrifice that for the excellent (for the money) soundstaging and imaging. By soundstaging, I mean the width and depth of the sound. Soundspread would

As with so many things

in hi-fi (and in life),

simpler is better.

probably be a better term — I think I'll invent it. By imaging, I mean the preci-sion and palpability with which vocalists and instrumentalists are depicted within the soundstage. Compared to the very-best-imaging

speakers, the 10i Pearls' imaging could be a little vague —something that goes along with the lack of ultimate resolution, I suppose. The Epos ES12 images quite a bit better —for three times the money.

"God, what bullshit!" said Roy Hall when I read him this passage. "Tell your readers to buy an Epos."

"I'd love to review Epos," I cheer-fully replied, "but all of our readers know we're close friends. And you've plied me with single-malt Scotch — conflict of interest. I'll review Mor-daunt-Short instead."

"Fine," said Roy in disgust. "Don't expect the Creek then."

It's so much fun to give Hall a hard time —it's just what he does to every-one else.

rd never say this to Roy, but if you have the money, the Epos ES12 is a bigger, bet-ter speaker. It looks much nicer, too— with a real wood veneer. But for the money, the Mottlaunt-Short 10i Pearl is just that—a pearl I plan to keep it around as a budget minimonitor reference.

Unfortunately, the speakers aren't magnetically shielded, which may limit their use in video systems — if you place them a couple of feet away from your TV or monitor, you should have no problem. These would be great video speakers because of their crisp, clean treble — good for dialog. You may want to pick up a pair of these as inexpensive, easy-to-drive surrounds (where shielding isn't an issue).

Actually, it's the music lover on a

tight budget who will like these speak-ers most. Get them together with a Creek 4330 or a Musical Fidelity A-2 ($699 from Audio Advisor), and for around $1000 you've got yourself the basis of a decent system. The Musical Fidelity A-2, with its harmonically rich, tubelike sound, may be an ideal match, especially for lovers of classical music looking to tame the just-slightly-bright sound of the Mordaunt-Shorts.

Did I say bright? Look, what do you want —dull? You can't bring a dull speaker to life —nothing really works — but you can tune a slightly bright speak-er with the right amplifier, interconnects, speaker cables, etc. Better to have the sound a little lighenlively, as with the 10i Pearl, than heavy'n'deadly. The music practically jumped out of these little boxes—much the same way it does, to an even greater extent, with the Eposcs. You won't be bored listening to these.

Did I tell you about my listening system? Amps included the Cary 805C

monoblocks fitted with new Western Electric 300B tubes —finally, and well worth the wait! Also, a pair of Cary SE-300B monoblocks, the Conrad-Johnson MV55, Pass Aleph 5, and Electrocom-paniet AW-60. "Preamp" was the Purest Sound Systems Model 500 —no pre-amp at all (heh-heh). CD player was the Rotel RCD-990.

Analog was provided by a Shure Ultra SOO — no fremering around for me! — mounted in an SME 309 tonearm on a modified AR 'table equipped with a Ringmat. Interconnects included the

Manufacturer Addresses

Mordaunt-Short, 3 Ridgway, Hav-ant, Hampshire P09 1JS, UK. Tel: (44) 1705-407722. Fax: (44) 1705-400099. US distributor: Audio Plus Services, P.O. Box 3047, Plattsburgh, NY 12901. Tel: (800) 663-9352. Fax: (514) 493-4547. Canadian distribu-tor: Plurison, C.P. 537, Station Your-ville, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2P 2W1. Tel: (514) 493-9352. Fax: (514) 493-4547. KEF Audio (UK) Ltd., Eccleston Road, Tovil, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6QP, UK. Tel: (44) 1622-67261. Fax: (44) 1622-750653. US distributor: KEF America, Division of Adcom, 11 Elkins Road, East Brunswick, NJ 08816. Tel: (732) 390-1130. Fax: (732) 390-5657. -Sam Tellig


SAM S SPACE

usual ICimber Silver Streak as well as WireWorld Atlantis. Speaker cables were WireWorld Atlantis and TARA RSC Prime 100. Stop press! As they like to say in Britain.

I've had another 10 days of listening to the Pearl, this time with a pair of Cary SE 300B single-ended triode amps in the living room. I squeezed them in between Marina's pair of Aerius i speakers. If you want to tame the tweet-er, maybe you should run these speakers with the grilles in place, leaving the tweeters' mesh covers off. Also, placing the speakers close to a wall—say, two feet—can warm up the tonal balance nicely. Hey, 1 can listen to chamber music with these, especially driven by a single-ended triode amp. And yes, these speakers can get it up pretty well on 9 watts per channel or so. I'll bet the little Audio Electronic SE-1 is a killer combi-nation with these speakers, and my sus-picion is that this amp with the 2M out-put tube instead of the 300B may tame the top and warm things up below.

KEF Monitor Series RDM Two Talk about cheeky ...

... the new KEF Monitor Series RDM speakers come with wood-veneered side

KEF RDM Two loudspeaker

panels called "cheeks." These are available in lacquered red, and charcoal, or in a cherrywood veneer. Beneath the veneered "cheeks" is the MDF cabinet, which is clad in gray vinyl top and bot-tom. The cabinet is quite dead. The ruddy-checked RDM Two is

particularly striking — a welcome relief

from the usual boring box. These speak-ers will stand up and get noticed— preferably on stands 20"-24" high. The speakers are ported in the front, so they can be placed on a shelf, close to a wall (imaging and soundstaging will likely suffer, though). You can even lay these speakers on their cheeks (sides) by affix-

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ing sticky little plastic feet I heard the RDM Twos at HI-FI '97

while they were still being distributed by KH America, then the distributors of KEF, Celestion, and NAD. That distrib-ution company is now defunct. KEF and Celestion are now distributed by divi-sions of Adcom — good news, because Adcom is one of the most widely dis-tributed high-end brands in America. The visual elegance of these speakers

caught my eye, but the sound was exceptional too. I thought they'd be priced somewhere close to $2000/pair. When I heard they were $1200/pair — the price still holds with the new dis-tributor — I asked to have a pair sent. They sent me the very same pair of speakers displayed at the Show.

Let's clear some of the basics out of the way. At 13" H by 9" W by 10" D, the RDM Two is not the smallest of minimonitors. Impedance is given as 6 ohms, and sensitivity (2.83V/1m) is stated as 90dB. The speakers are mag-netically shielded. There arc two sets of gold-plated speaker connectors for bi-wiring — a British article of faith.

Considering the high sensitivity, these speakers should be easy to drive. But I notice from a photograph in the

product literature that the crossover, which features "audiophile grade" poly-propylene capacitors in the signal path, is not exactly a minimalist job. A

The big deal about

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Conrad-Johnson MV55, rated at 45Wpc and optimized for a 5 ohm load, was up to driving the RDM Twos, but an older pair of 9Wpc Cary SE 300B triode monoblocks was definitely not— too much loss of dynamics. These speak-ers can use a fair ration of power —the Pass Aleph 5 was superb, and the Aleph 3 would likely be excellent too. (KEF recommends a minimum of 30Wpc. Take them at their word.) The big deal about these speakers is

KEF's so-called Uni-Q technology, which places the 1" fabric-dome tweet-er bulls-eye in the center of the woofer. The idea is to avoid the phase problems that arise when there's a distance sepa-rating woofer and tweeter. The concen-

tric driver arrangement should result in a more coherent, seamless sound — fewer phase anomalies, better focus. The 5" woofer is polypropylene with a rubber butyl rubber suspension, and the crossover frequency is 2.1kHz. The tweeter stays fixed —it doesn't wiggle when the woofer woofs.

Uni-Q makes for persuasive advertis-ing copy and adds visual intrigue to the speaker — unless, of course, you cover the drivers with the grille cover assem-bly. (These speakers, like most, sound better with the grilles off.) But I've heard so many great speakers without concentric drivers—including . the superb Atelier de Synergie Acoustique Baby Monitors I hope to tell you about next month —that not sure that Uni-Q helps the RDM Two to "set new standards of audio clarity." On the other hand, the concentric

driver arrangement doesn't seem to hurt. The focus of these speakers is excellent —especially considering the price. The overall resolution is quite good too. When you add the fact that the speakers can play reasonably loud and fill a room with sound — the way that mini-minimonitors usually can't — you have an impressive speaker at an

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affordable price. When I say "focus," by the way,

I mean a combination of overall clarity and the ability of the speakers to place soloists and their instruments precisely within the soundstage — the imaging. I've heard speakers that image more uncanni-ly than the RDM Twos, but they've usu-ally been more expensive. And more than a few of these super-high-resolution speakers have sounds bordering on the sterile. The KEF RDM Two manages to not steer in that direction.

While I'm not sure that the RDM Two offers the ultimate resolution or the most refined harmonic presentation, you should remember that the ultimate price tag is missing too. Another thing you won't find is ultimate bass. The bass starts to roll off below 80Hz, and is pret-ty much gone below 60Hz. A sub-woofer would be appropriate, especially in a video system. The RDM Two doesn't seem to be

voiced in the traditional BBC style of, say, the LS3/5A, the Harbeth Compact 7, and the older Spendor models and their current derivatives. I don't imagine that those who voiced this speaker spend their evenings at home listening to opera recitals or chamber music.

Interestingly for what my daughter calls old fartknockers (like me), KEF produces a version of the LS3/5A under license from the BBC. While Spendor, Harbeth, and Rogers also offer the LS3/5A, I hope Adcom decides to import KEF's version so that more cus-tomers can compare the RDM Two with this much older speaker design. I'll bet that the LS3/5A sounds somewhat polite by comparison, maybe even a lit-tle muffled. The LS3/5A will certainly sound warmer, with its elevated bass at around 80Hz. (The RDM Two sounds quite neutral.) The RDM Two is definitely NOT

an LS3/5A, nor is there any reason why it should be, especially with the LS3/5A in the KEF model line. The older speaker is exquisite. It's delicate, refined, -restrained. The new speaker is altogeth-er more outgoing, with pizzazz, focus, and clarity. The red cheeks are quite stunning—not at all garish, as you might expect, but rich-looking. Of course, when you add a good

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Our intrepid reporter had no idea why 650,000 records were in a warehouse in York, or who owned them, but he took the bait nevertheless.

IIheard this story from a manufacturer whose car broke down somewhere in a rundown Queens neighborhood

one afternoon: He went into a bodega to make a phone call and struck up a con-versation with the owner. Their talk led to audio, then to a trip to the basement of the former record store, where thousands of Living Stereos and other audiophile treasures had been sitting for decades, gathering dust and value. The manufac-turer would visit each week and walk out with a few hundred unplayed gems, for which he'd pay a few bucks each.

True story? Audiophile wet dream? Who knows? Who cares? We love this stuff. So when I got a call from Rick Flynn (proprietor of Quality Vmyl, a mail-order, audiophile-oriented record dealer) about 650,000 records —every one of them stone-cold mint — locked in a warehouse in York, Pennsylvania since 1973, and would I like to have a look ...1 bit.

To York, you dork The two-and-a-half-hour springtime drive to York was pleasant enough; I

I felt as if I'd entered a

time warp: Weeds were

eating away at the

foundation of the giant

warehouse, sprouting up

through cracks in the

parking lot's asphalt. The

placed looked and smelled

as if no one had been

there for years.

passed Dorney Park Amusement Cen-ter and skirted temptingly close to a lit-eral drive up the Hershey Highway. But with visions of 650,000 LPs dancing in my head, I passed on the sweets and made my way to York. Flynn hadn't filled me in on the details. I had no idea why 650,000 records were in a ware-house in York, or who owned them.

When I pulled up to the '60s-style building, located in a semi-rural area strip-zoned for industrial growth, I felt as if I'd entered a time warp: Weeds were eating away at the foundation of the giant, one-floor warehouse, and sprout-ing up through cracks in the parking lot's asphalt. I walked through the open front door. The placed looked and smelled as if no one had been there for years. I heard voices, followed them past a rack of ancient, cobweb-encrusted tape-duplication machinery, and found myself in an office. The last time I'd been in an office like

this had been in 1973. It was a place called Music Merchants in Woburn, Massachusetts, a record "one-stop" owned by the late Howie Ring, who also owned New England Music City and Cheap Thrills, a chain of Boston-area record stores for which I created radio commercials that announced new releases while politically satirizing Watergate, the war in Vietnam, and the likes of Anita Bryant and Jesse Helms. Ring was thrown from his Mercedes in a traffic accident. No seat belt.

56 Stereophile, October 1997

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Anyway, this office had the same shag rug, the same orange-and-brown "earth tone" decorating scheme, the same wood-paneled walls, the same all-mechanical office equipment. There wasn't a computer in sight. You could almost smell the cigar of the balding, rotund, bespectacled accountant who must have operated the forbidding-looking adding machine in the adjoin-ing room. What a memory rush!

In the office were Rick Flynn and the man whose office it was: Sig Friedman, a well-maintained, late-50s—looking kind of guy, and president and founder of RCOA, The Record Club of America. Remember RCOA? Well, the Club has been inactive since 1973, but it still has inventory: those 650,000 mint unplayed LPs, the last of which entered the warehouse in the early '70s. You know what that means: not a single "DIGITALLY REMASTERED FOR BETTER

SOUND" record among them. Friedman, a lifelong record fanatic,

attended Brown University in Provi-dence, Rhode Island during the late 1950s. Very few record stores at the time had "deep" catalog, and none of them were in Providence. So Friedman made weekly trips to Boston for his vinyl fix. Friends would ask him to pick up records for them. It got so big, he began buying from distributors and turning it into a little side business. Soon he was posting flyers at colleges all over New England offering any record in the Schwann catalog. Kids bit.

That graduated into campus reps handling the business. Friedman would batch the orders and every few weeks visit Boston, where not only Capitol, Columbia, and Decca had factory branches, but also where large, indepen-dent distributors like Music Suppliers of New England would fill the more eso-teric requests. When Friedman was drafted, his brother filled in, in what was still a very small business. When Friedman got his discharge he

began growing the business, using direct mail —unusual and innovative at the time — to add membership to his "record club." Soon he began advertis-ing in magazines, eventually building up a business that, by 1972, did a total of almost $30 million, with a pre-tax prof-it of almost $3 million. Three mil in 1972 dollars? Not had for an individual-ly owned business, eh?

Show us the money! The huge cash flow thrown off by the business allowed Friedman to buy 60 acres of prime real estate in York, then a

pretty sleepy place, and build his ware-house, which he owned outright — it never had a mortgage. Life was sweet. Meanwhile, executives at the major labels who'd signed licensing deals with RCOA were watching this little pftzeia rake in the cash. The majors decided they could do record clubs too. And they did, cutting off RCOA. RCOA declared bankruptcy in 1974 and sued the labels for breach of contract. It was, according to Friedman, "the longest successful Chapter 11 proceedings in modern American bankruptcy law, last-ing nine years."

RCOA declared

bankruptcy in 1974 and

sued the major labels for

breach of contract in "the

longest successful Chapter

11 proceedings in modern

American bankruptcy

law"—nine years.

According to Friedman, RCOA won a number of the suits, and ended up set-tling some others for "very substantial amounts, plus interest." Friedman leased the warehouse space out to a direct marketer and made even more money that way. Meanwhile, the 650,000-record inventory sat while the protracted litigation was settled. By the early '80s the compact disc was starting to happen, and Friedman figured the records were worth more as landfill

Mikey makes a rare find: unplayed second-pressing Mercuries of Balalaika Favorites.

than as anything else. Luckily no swamps near York needed filling, and Friedman had no incentive to do any-thing with the vinyl but let it sit. About a year ago, Friedman started

doing some research: Records were coming back. Records were collectible. "I never dreamed Mercury Living Presence records would have value," he told me. "I was shocked." The 650,000 records comprise about 8500 different titles, with about 3000 titles accounting for "a large share" of the discs. The records arc, according to Friedman, from "the middle to late '60s up to '73." "How many other places arc there

like this?" I asked. "I don't think there's any like this in

the world," he replied. "No business person in their right mind would have held on."

"So, you're not in your right mind ... ?"

Show me the records! All talk and no records makes Mikey a dull boy, so I axed for the guided tour. What's there? Well, first, if you're a savvy record buyer who's thinking, "Ah, record-club records, they never sound as good as the commercial releases," you're right. But not to worry: While major-label record-club releases licens-ed from other companies were almost always mediocre remasterings from tape copies, done by faceless, uncaring technohacks and usually featuring nonauthentic paper stock and bad printing, not to mention ground-up BIC-pen pressings, all of the RCOAs are identical in every way to the actual label release except for a small dis-claimer printed inconspicuously on the jacket. Why? Because all were pressed by the original label.

So the copies of The Allman Brothers Band I examined were identical to the Atco/Capricorn original (SD 33-308): same textured gatefold paper stock, same fine printing job, same thick, beautifully pressed pre-WEA vinyl (mastered, I believe, by the great George Piros), and unplayed! Untouched by a Sears-Roebuck pull-down changer, flip-out speaker, tote-to-a-party "stereo." Untouched by hemp-stained hands. Stone mint Of course, in the nonaudio-phile "collector's" marketplace, some-times record-club issues arc more valu-able because they're rarer. Go figure.

Yes, the story was truc: There were 650,000 unplayed records in this York warehouse, and there were multiple copies —dozens of copies —of records you might want. Lenny Bruce's Canicie Hall Omen in the original fill-color

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How about a wall—a whole wall —of Chess and Checker pre-digital unplayed LPs, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, and Chuck Berry among them? There was a Berlin Wall's worth of DGs too, including a few dozen copies of the much-sought Carmen with Bernstein conducting.

three-panel UA pressing? Two-and-a-half boxes of those. Bonzo Dog Band albums? Lots of 'cm. The Stax original of Albert King's I'll Play the Blues for You, recently reissued by Analog Productions. Sure, you can find used copies of Stevie Wonder's Talking Book at a used-record store or garage sale, but where else are you going to find boxes of unplayed original pressings? Maybe you'd like a copy of the spectacular-sounding Them Feat:trite Van Morrison, a two-LP set on Parrot records. I counted more than 20 copies; there probably were more. How about a wall —a whole wall—

of Chess and Checker pre-digital unplayed LPs, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, and Chuck Berry among them? There's a Berlin Wall's worth of DGs too, including a few dozen copies of the much-sought Carmen with Bernstein conducting. Maybe your taste has final-ly matured to where you can hear the beauty in the avant-garde blues of Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica. ("It's the blimp Franklin' 'The mother-ship!!!") Boxes of Beefheart originals on Straight Records. And multiple copies of The GTO's Permanent Damage. Where ya gonna find that, bunky? I saw boxes of Roy Orbison albums

I'd never heard of— like Milestones and Roy Orbison Sites. Sure, not peak Roy, but when you gotta fill out a collection, who you gonna call? Where else can you find multiples of unplayed second-pressing Mercurys, including Balalaika Favorites? Or half a wall of Verve jazz? Or a box of mint, unplayed copies of The Who Sell Out —with uncut corners? Now that's a sight worth driving all the way to York to see.

The thin end of the wedge Of course, there's a downside to all this. For one thing, there's a lot of junk too. Want to buy a few hundred copies of

Sonny and Citer Live? I didn't think so. Well, maybe to throw at Sonny. Need a Lawrence Welk fix? And about those Chess and Checkers — unfortunately, many are Dynaflex-thin and electroni-cally reprocessed for stereo. Think about it: the late '60s to early '70s. That era was, for many labels, the nadir, the pits of record production. And then there's what's not there at all: no Columbias, no RCAs, few if any Blue Notes or Prestiges, not many Capitols, no Impulses —and, overall, not a great deal of truly collectible, much-sought-after vinyl ... though there is some. The collection took a year to catalog

and assess. The valuables were removed to a smaller room, where they take up two long walls and a set of floor-to-ceil-ing stacks in between —probably about 25,000 in all, by my guesstimate. The really rare stuff fit easily on Friedman's desk: a mint, unpeeled Velvet Under-ground "banana" cover, a few copies of Introducing the Beatles on VeeJay — unplayed and not bootlegs. (I forget which song selection and back cover.) Where can you find that? But even of those culled from the collectibles, none were the big prizes —though a full box of sealed, original Let It Bes in the original Capitol pressing plant mailing carton will probably be a big auction item.

The plan Did I say "auction"? Don't worry, only a few hundred items are really auction-able, though Friedman told me that if he's got only two or three of an item — whatever it is —he's consider-ing auctioning it. Most of the records will be sold in a set sale catalog being readied as I write

A full box of sealed, original Let it Bes in the original Capitol pressing plant mailing carton.

this, and probably available as you read this. And don't let my negative assess-ment give you the wrong idea —that was just to keep your pants from catch-ing fire. There are a lot of great records in this inventory, something for every-one —except digiheads, of course.

Friedman sees the market for his records consisting of audiophiles, the Goldmine crowd, and foreign music buyers interested in anything American made by American artists. Friedman plans to issue "certificates of authentic-ity" with the collectibles, though I'm not sure most buyers really need that kind of assurance: They'll know they've got the real thing by touching, smelling, and looking at it. How much will your average, run-of-the-mill record like Talking Book sell for? How much would you be willing to pay? I figure you can go to a used-record store and find a nice original copy for under five bucks. The CD buyer will pay about $12 for a poorly packaged, glassy-sounding repli-ca, so would you spend $15 for an


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unplayed original? I would. How many records did I go home

with? None, of course. How many will I buy? I'll be checking the catalog along with you. Friedman's done direct-mail; he knows what to expect when the cat-alog hits the public. The plan is to advertise the collection in all of the usual suspects, and it's very possible consumers will be able to drive to York and buy "factory direct" for the same price less postage. But don't drive down yet—at press time that hadn't been decided.

Meanwhile, if you want a catalog you can order one from Quality Vinyl and CD Outlet, 25272 Riplcys Field Drive, South Riding, VA 20152-4441; or call (703) 327-4809; or e-mail qvinyl@aol. corn . Tell 'cm Mikey sent you.

Online vinyl Lurking on the Internet is not my idea of a good time, so I can't say I've spent many hours looking for vinyl buying sites. But a few have popped up that arc worth a look. One, run by Timcwarp Records (httpJ/www.vintage.conilmallirecord), gives each record its own page. The records arc carefully graded, cleaned on a VPI cleaning machine, and come with

a money-back guaranty. Owner Howard Rogers told me he's about to acquire a huge jazz collection from a radio per-sonality; if you're into jazz, you ought to stay on top of this site.

Another site I've tried is run by Vinyl Tap Records in Leeds, UK (www.vinyl tap.co.uk). It's a well-organized site,

How many records

did I go home with?

None, of course. How

many will I buy? I'll be

checking the catalog

along with you.

and, whaddaya know, most of the records are "imports." As a birthday pre-sent to myself I ordered an original Parlophonc yellow-and-black-label mono pressing of Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, listed as absolutely mint. By the time I was finished with shipping, it set me back about $100. But hey, you don't turn 50 every day.

When the record arrived, it was any-thing but mint. It had been cleaned, but, held up to the light, I could see it had been around the platter many times. With mono records you can usu-ally get away with more plays — there's no vertical modulation — but a quick spin revealed lots of audible wear. I e-mailed Vinyl Tap, got an apology, and after they'd received the record back I also got a full refund, plus another e-mail acknowledging their mistake. To err is human. I will definitely try Vinyl Tap again. And there's a great piece on the vinyl

resurgence, by Jody Rosen on the MSNBC Web site. I don't know how long they'll keep it posted, but check out msnbc.com/news/73112.asp — you'll like it!

Finally, yesterday's New York Times carried Joel Brinkley's front-page story about the new proposed DVD audio format. It began, "Now that most Americans have stashed their turntables in the attic..." You'd think a guy who writes for Stereophile Guide to Home Theater would know better, but n0000000000. I fired off a letter to The Times citing statis-tics that prove otherwise. We'll sec if they publish it.

ILVLE Ma,

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perhaps it's the long days of sum-mer. Perhaps memories of care-free childhood vacations in the

family station wagon. Or perhaps it's a restlessness brought on by hearing Springsteen's Greetings from Asbury Park one too many times. I long for the open road. But how to rip my audiophile

from his beloved sweet spot? Last time it took a blow-out of our amp for us to hit the road — a fun-filled adventure to Con-rad-Johnson for re-pairs. (What did you expect? The Grand Canyon?)

Promises o t record-filled Church fairs and back-road yard sales evoke some movement from my audiophile. But summer is quickly flee-ing, and the closest I've gotten to a road trip was a venture to Princeton Record Exchange.

Depressed, I stare my audiophile's extra cables, draped over a Room Tune, and imagine they're sow, exotic waterfall, the Roonifunes a jungle forest. Suddenly, I hear a voice in the distance. It's Wes Phillips re-peating the mantra Car Time... Car Tunes... Car Tunes...

High-end audio in our car? Yes, I know Wes has taken the White Rhino through many moltings of systems. Sure, Wes, you go right ahead —but have you considered the far-reaching ramifica-tions of transforming the last bastion of wild, unbridled romance into a high-end tweak-fest?

Sitting, gazing into the stars on a summer night with one's beloved would be replaced by "Can you move a little to the left so I can sit in the sweet spot?" The romantic strains of Phil Collins coming from the radio would be replaced by such audiophile favorites as Music for Bang BaaarOOM and Harp.

Does it matter what

equipment my audiophile

installs in our car? He'll

want to replace it every

100 miles anyway.

The family vacation would be left in shambles. No more strains of "A Hundred Bottles of Beer on the Wall" and "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore" filling the car. No, everyone would be absolutely quiet as they're asked by AudioDad to "listen for the bass player moving his chair." And when asked, "Are we almost there?" AudioDad would respond, "just as soon as I hear one more CD..." And we know what

that really means. The thought of a car and audio brings

back memories of when my hubby and I bought our car about five years ago — still the early days of digital. A fellow audiophile arranged for us to buy the car from a friend of his. While dis-cussing the options, the salesman winked at me, then looked at my audio-phile: "Your friend tells me you're an audiophile, so, of course, you'll want the CD player."

A notorious analog devo-tee, my audiophile ranted and raved for at least 20 minutes about the fatiguing sound of the new digital technology Finally, the salesman couldn't help laughing. "Yup, your friend said you'd flip out if I mentioned the CD player."

But the road does call to me. And the thought of hours of sports-talk radio (the only acceptable alternative to high-end audio) is more than I can bear. So, if we must go car audio, I say let's do it right.

Why spend days trying to configure the spea-kers so the sweet spot appears to move to the driver's seat? I say splurge a little (say, $1 million) for the McLaren—which

conveniently has the driver's seat in the

middle. Of course, along with the leather interior,

we should opt for Shun-Mooked ebony walls. And per-

haps a few RoomTunes to cover such hard surfaces as the windshield. (Well, maybe not all of the windshield.) The dog with the head that goes up

and down, and that usually sits in the back window, would be great for mea-suring vibrations. What? A little tacky for your new million-dollar car? Okay, make the dog a Nipper. What equipment should my audio-

phile install? Does it matter? He'll want to replace it every 100 miles anyway. Of course, the tubes may run a little hot, so careful planning of vacations will be


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best car-audiophiles: They spend lots of time listening while stuck in traffic jams, and they're adept at talking on the phone, faxing, and listening to music while driving. What better than a drive-by shooting to punctuate your opinion about some less-than-perfect sound you may hear from other cars? And LA is now experimenting with moveable roads — cars transported down the highway via electromagnets in road and car. Now you're really able to tweak.

Let me be the first to stop any chau-vinistic rumblings — women, too, can be car audiophiles. After all, haven't we perfected the art of putting on makeup using the rearview mirror while talking to our friends and driving?

If we ran a stop sign,

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I wonder what the formula is for CDs needed per listening mile. Hmmm ... at an average speed of 75mph (oops, I mean 55mph — about a one-minute mile), with an audiophile listening to 30 seconds of any one disc before needing to change it. ... Well, that's easy: two CDs per mile, or 12,000 for a cross-country road trip. Talk about culture bias. If audiophiles had a few more ques-tions like this on the SATs, they all would have aced admission to Harvard.

Before venturing out with my audio-phile in our new, mobile high-end lis-tening room, I'd like some advice from police officers. If we ran a stop sign, -would "Sorry, Officer, I had a suckout in the midrange and was adjusting the angle of my speakers" get us off?

12,000 CDs, tube amps, tools (no, not the car jack, I mean real audio tools like tweezers and soldering irons)... looks like no room in the trunk for such extras as luggage. And once the car is filled with the required number of audiobuddies to help my audiophile listen, there would be little room left for one. I don't know, Wes... I'm thinking I

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Show Report: HI-FI '97

\ Lonnie

Brownell

Richard J Rosen ,vi

HI-FI '9

through th eyes and e

of visitors the Show

HI-FI '97 blew into the Westin St. Francis hotel in San Francisco at the end of May, where it hovered, like the city's famous fog, for five days. The first two

days were open to the trade only, but the last three were for The Public — you, the readers of Stereophile, the ones who are always right because you're our customers. We thought it would be entertaining and educational to see the Show through the eyes of a handful of hi-fi fans, so we sidled up to randomly selected Showgoers, deputized them as tempo-rary contributing editors, and tagged along to see what's up froin their —your—point of view.

I got the dry runs! (Charlie) We weren't sure how the mechanics of reporting this way were going to work, so we decided to do a dry run on Thursday, the second of the two Trade Days. As our subject we used our friend Charlie, a San Francisco local, music lover, and all-around Renaissance man —but not an audio-phile. We told him he might want to bring some demo material, and when we met he had some CDs with him. So far, so good; off we went.

After a couple quick peeks into various rooms, we settled into the Electrocompaniet/Sundance room, where they were showing off the Sundance Model 10 speakers. After hearing about the speakers from designer John Kukulka, Charlie took a closer look at the novel swiveling ribbon-tweeter assembly. "I like that tweeter thing, that was cool!" We'd have to agree, Charles.

Charlie found his way into the JMIab/YBA room, where the big, but not lively big, JMIab Utopia speakers were going at it. After hearing Jim Campilongo and the Ten Gallon Cats tear through "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" (from the album Loost), Charlie pulled out one of his demo CDs, Freestylin' by Greyboy. He flipped through a few cuts because, after all, it was a new album and he didn't know what was what. I guess we'd neglected to emphasize that any CDs used for demo material should be ones that he's jantiliar with. "Those speakers are HUGE," said Charlie. "They'd never fit into my house. I liked how they sounded, but they're ugly ugly UGLY!" We assured Charlie that there were even bigger speakers out there, and noted silently that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. (They are striking, or a strikeout, depending on your taste.) The room featuring big Dutdavy SC-V speakers (yes,

much bigger than the JMIab Utopias; in fact, hugely big) and B.A.T. electronics also held the mesmerizing SpJ ann and nirntable. This vinyl-spinning wonder seemed to beckon to

Diane and Geoff listen to Cello's Don Bouchard explain the virtues of his new speaker, while Rick (left) and Lonnie (behind Geoff) silently take note.

Stereophile. October 1997 71

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our man Charlie, drawing him like a moth to the glow of a 211 power tube —in fact,

we thought we'd lost him. The SpJ 'table, with its thick, clear acrylic platter, metal cylinders embedded within it like stacks of quarters, was a hypnotic sight. Eventually Charlie stopped staring and staggered, still stunned, out. The Hales Design Group were our next hosts. "Now

these arc more realistic, size-wise," said Charlie of the new Revelation 3 speakers. After listening, he claimed he liked them almost as much as the JMlab Utopias, and liked their price much better. "But I want those C.A.T. amps!" That is, until he heard how much they cost. "Oh. Well, maybe not. But I liked that room. Nice people." A search for more down-to-earth High End led us to

Music Hall, where Epos speakers were being driven by Creek electronics. Charlie offered up a jazzy CD. Our host Roy Hall inquired, "Which cut?"

"I don't know!" said Charlie, "Why does everyone keep asking me that?

"That system was more real," Charlie said afterwards. "I mean, more real-world, like it would actually fit in my home, and maybe I could afford it, too." He felt similarly about the Odyssey system from

Symphonic Line. This too was real-world stuff, with the Stratus preamp, Tempest amp, and Mystique, all offered as a package for $3k. Our friend thought the system sounded good, but that the Mystique speakers — which, it must be said, are simple (but elegant) boxes —were less than attrac-tive, physically. We thought they looked fine. Then again, we're audiophiles. Our time with Charlie was full of the vicarious thrills of

listening through the cars of someone else having a good time discovering high-end audio, and it gave us some ideas about how to go about this project. We guessed that hang-'ing with seasoned audiophiles and Stereophile readers would be very different. We resolved to keep to the sidelines, sec what we could learn —and, above all, have some fun.

Now what do we do? (Kristina, Peter, Gretchen, and Michael) Yikes! It's Opening Day, and there are teeming masses of audiophiles working their way into the Show. Who should we pick as our first reporters? We singled out a couple of audiophiles, Peter and Michael. They seemed enthusiastic: studying their Show guides, deciding what to see first —our kind of people. When we started talking with them, we found out that they were with their significant others, Kristina (with Peter) and Gretchen (with Michael). All were

a

from Seattle except Gretchen, who'd come all the way from Hawaii. Much to our surprise and delight, they agreed to help us out.

As we began to make our way toward our first stop, Michael asked, "Why'd you pick us? We're not typi-cal audiophiles, are we? Isn't the typ-ical audiophile a white guy, mid- to late 40s, with an above-average income?" This crew surely did not fit

that demographic: two Asian Americans, one African American, two women, all young —but it

seemed obvious that they were wholeheartedly into the audio thing, giving us hope that the stereotypes about stereo types are due for some tweaking. Peter and Michael let us know right away that Tina has the golden ear of the group, and that Gretchen is a better listener than the guys. We started into the Georgian room, where several booth

exhibits were located. However, we spilled the beans about the cool NHT demo, and everyone agreed we should "Hear This Now." We sped ein that direction. NHT's Ken Kantor was running a unique demonstration

involving a musician playing in one room, while next door you could listen to the live mike feed of the same event over a pair of their 3.3 speakers. Eclectic electric guitarist extraor-dinare Jim Campilongo was playing "Stairway to Heaven" when we arrived; when he finished, it was harpsichordist Katherine Shao's turn. After comparing the two rooms, Peter said, "The levels weren't matched well, and the sense of the room, the ambience, is missing from the reproduc-tion, but the reproduction has more detail." Gretchen also thought that "the room with the sound system sounded cleaner and sharper," and went so far as to say, "The speak-ers are better; definitely with the harpsichord. But the live

Michael and Gretchen look over the Hi I i1 '1110


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"You mean you're going to follow us aroundr Lonnie tells Peter and Tina the plan

guitar had a fuller sound than the reproduced one." We noted that, in the reproduced room, you couldn't hear the sound of the guitar itself—you heard only what came out of the guitar amp. The demo raised more questions than it answered concerning the profound effects miking has on live music, as well as just how much the musical signal is affected by the recording and playback chains, conspicuous in their absence. The room shared by Bryston and PMC beckoned.

Everyone knew Bryston, but PMC (Professional Monitor Corporation) was new to all. Gretchen and Tina hung back while Peter and Michael listened intently to the infospiel. After what seemed like a long time, they all settled in to lis-ten to their demo cuts, a handful of selections from the Rob Roy soundtrack. This illustrated one difference between how Showgoers and we paid professionals "do" a Show: The guy who buys the ticket can sec things at whatever pace he wants to. We're usually under the gun to get into and out of as many rooms as possible, which is a drag—especially when we've found a room we'd like to linger in for a cou-ple of sides.

After listening, Peter offered that the Bryston/PMC setup had "a warm sound, surprisingly so for solid-state, but with less impact than we're used to, but with better depth —good sound considering Show conditions." Ah, sounds like some-thing ive might say. Michael explained that "we compare the sound to our own reference systems. We know them. We can't spend much, so I'm interested in things like Bryston, that offer good value. As for the sound, I listen for bass. The PMC speakers didn't hit me." Gretchen picked up here, saying, "The Vandersteens [Michael's speakers] you can feel in your gut. We know how much we've spent, and what kind of per-fonnance we get, so that gives us a basis of comparison." Thus we see that our Showgoing friends treat their sys-

tems at home as the reference against which they judge what they're hearing at the Show. And why not? After all, if they've assembled systems that make them happy, that excel at those performance parameters most important to them, then, by cracky, that's what any other system has to beat. Besides, it's the one system that they hear most of the time. This is somewhat different from the way we, as reviewers, approach Show listening: We hear lots of systems besides our own, and ours tend to be in flux as well, so we have a wider frame of reference. We try hard not to value one aspect of a system's performance more highly than others, because we need to be as objective as possible. We don't

Jim Campilongo provides NHT with an electrifying acoustic source.

have the luxury of judging on personal preference, because we have to listen for you, and for thousands of others. What Michael and Gretchen had come to sec, really, was

anything Vandersteen. Michael has a pair of 2Ce's and loves them. Arca dealer Performance Audio had a room set up with Vandersteen's Model 5s for the main speakers, a VCC-1 center, and VSM-1 surrounds, with which they did both a home-theater and a multichannel vs two-channel stereo demo for our crew. Peter: "The change in the spatial thing, going from two channels to five, was illuminating. It was def-initely a good thing. And during the home-theater part, the dialog was very coherent through the center channel. It irri-tates me when the picture and the dialog are slightly off. It's good when I don't think about it, and I didn't here."

"Yeah, they did a great job in such a small room," said Michael, "and all the speakers matched gloriously. I was impressed with the Model 5s. Their warm bass penetrates the room."

Making our way back into the hall, we couldn't help but point out we'd just walked past the man himself, Richard Vandersteen. Michael was stoked at the opportunity to meet his speakers' maker, and he put his time to good use, asking questions —and trying to squeeze some inside information —about what associated equipment works well ("Most"), what they use at the factory ("All kinds"), and if a new cen-ter-channel speaker was in the works ("Yes, suited for use with the Model 5s, but I don't recommend it for the 2Ce's; stick with a VCC-1 and save some money"). After a final bit of homage-paying, we moved on.

"Well, that was the major reason I came to the Show. I'm happy," said Michael.

"It was like you were in church," chided Gretchen. "You got to see Vandersteen," replied Peter, "I get to go to

mine now ... " Peter descended on the Parasound room like a locust

hungry for information about their belt-drive CD trans-ports, which he thinks may be just what his system needs. We listened to Rob Roy again, via Parasound electronics and Mirage 0M-6 speakers. Peter: "There was no glare; it was very easy to listen to. Perhaps it's that transport? Very ana-log-sounding, maybe even a little bland. I want an analog-like sound, but I want dynamics and detail, too. Then again, I'm not a big fan of the Mirage sound. I've got Magnepans at home, which sound very different." Our crack listeners also noted that the channels appeared to be reversed. Obviously, they really know their demo material!


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Show Report: HI-Fl '97

The time had come for us to part ways with Tina, Peter, Michael, and Gretchen, and it seemed to have come awful-ly soon. In our normal Show-coverage mode, we would've covered a lot more ground in the same time, but these peo-ple acted as if they were on vacation —as if they were there to have fun. We gave them the obligatory taste of the Rick'n'Lonnie exhibit, our fabulous hotel-room system (see sidebar), bade them tearful goodbyes, thanked them for playing our game, and gave them copies of Stereophile's Rhapsody CD so they could play along at home.

Bass-is for comparison (John and Anne) In the Wilson Audio room, high up on the 31st floor of the St. Francis's tower, the charismatic David Wilson was run-ning the X-1/Grand SLAMM Series 2s through their paces. We pulled John and Anne aside as they were filing out with the rest of the crowd and asked them what they thought. John said, "The drum dynamics were good. The Lyle Lovett piece was a little bright, but that's the recording." Obviously, we'd found our next co-authors. John's into the audio thing in a fairly serious way. Anne isn't so much, but she does enjoy her favorite tunes over a good system; even so, she has a hard time listening to music she isn't into, which can sure-ly happen at a Show like this. They've got Thiel 3.6s and some high-quality components at home, and are looking for an upgrade/lifestyle modification path to transform their stereo rig into a home-theater getup. We wandered into the Meridian suite, but there was too

much activity going on for John or Anne to get any impres-sion. Ah, the dreaded Show Conditions! We found the NAD room, where their new computer-controlled room-correction system was being shown. "We want to check out the NAD stuff," said Anne, "but there's no one around where we live who carries it, so this should be a good oppor-tunity." We spent an inordinate length of time being shown several (but by no means all) of the intricate ways in which one can tweak room response. John was handed a switch that allowed him to turn the equalization on or off. A red light on the wall indicated if the system was engaged (or engaging, if it worked correctly). John thought that the NAD system "definitely improved the focus and stage depth, but I'm a little unsure about what's what, given all the unfamil-iar aspects —the room, the system, and the music are all so different from what I usually listen to."

This couple, like our first group, are used to and have a strong preference for their reference sound, especially the bass they get. (John admits to being something of a bass freak.) Even so, they agreed that a Show like this was quite valuable: "There's a lot of stuff here we can't afford, but it's nice to know what exists in the High End, to know what the limits are," said Anne. "It helps us when we're setting up our own system," said John. J&A's demo cut, "Waiting for Columbus" by Mary Black,

was played in the Reference Line room. John likes it loud, but they didn't turn it up all that high. John thought it was "very listenable, but there seemed to be a hole in the center that was dependent on the material. It could have had some-thing to do with the room acoustics. Also, the bottom end just wasn't there to the degree I like, some of the subsonic stuff on that track just wasn't there, but otherwise it was tonally good. I'd like to listen to this system some more." John sounds suspiciously like a reviewer, wouldn't you say?

John and Anne, as well as our previous quartet of co-reporters, impressed us with their ability to listen intently

and then describe, succinctly and eloquently, what they'd heard. Though in most cases we agreed with their assess-ments, we're not quite as bass-needy as our friends, which made us wonder: Is this a trend that will continue —that everyone coming to the Show needs and wants gut-thump-ing bass? If so, it was a tough Show for those exhibiting minimonitors. The howl of the big dinosaurs rocked the hallway. No, it

wasn't Led Zeppelin, but T Roc from Jurassic Park on Apogee monitors, Runco video projected onto a big screen, and EAD electronics. An impressive display, but Anne thought the audio didn't blend well. Elsewhere, the selfsame celluloid carnivores were marching off of a Pioneer laserdisc player, being decoded by an Angstrom processor, and causing much ground-shaking thanks to a Stmfire subwoofer. And we do mean to say it was loud— loud enough even for John: "That could be good — it

0 ur room system this time consisted almost entirely of borrowed equipment: Paradigm Reference Active/20 powered monitors, a trio

of Musical Fidelity's cylinders-on-their-sides compo-nents for X-Philes (the X-DAC digital processor, the X-PRE tubed line-stage preamp, and the X-PSU power supply), all supplied by Audio Advisor; a Power Pack from Audio Power Industries, a longer run of Kimber 'Cable PBJ from X-PRE to monitors, and a short chunk of 'Umber's new Hero interconnect from X-DAC to X-PRE. The only items we brought were an Ilhuninati D-60 digital interconnect and the venerable RadioShack CD-3400 "portable transport" We experimented with a number of speaker positions

before settling on the final unorthodox arrangement. Unlike the real exhibit rooms, we didn't have the luxury of removing the furniture. The unusual setup, with the speakers actually toed out at and not parallel with any wall, worked surprisingly well, offering a deep sound-stage, smooth tonal balance, and more bass than you'd think possible from such small speakers. All of the com-ponents magically complemented each other with a nat-ural synergy.

Anyway, that's what we thought What did the real reporters think?

Michael, Peter, ICristina, and Gretchen listened to the Rob Roy soundtrack. "That's a nice real-world setup," said Peter. For Pat and Ray we played "Dance of the Tumblers" off Reference Recordings' Exotic Dances from the Opera. They told us they were impressed by the imaging, and asked if we had any literature or manuals they could see. D'ohhhh! We'd thought we had a hard time of it being Show reviewers, but we began to appre-ciate the real difficulties and complexities of running a demonstration room. As for Ted and Marie-Pierre, the Paradigm speakers allowed us to meet all Canadian Content requirements, and the system received a hearty thumbs-up for musicality. We liked it a lot, too; after a day of running around,

hearing all kinds of state-of-the-art equipment, it never failed to deliver the musical and emotional goods — which is what our frayed, Showgoing nerves needed. A big HI-FI '97 thanks to all who graciously supplied us with the parts of our happenin' Show setup.

— Lonnie Brownell and Richard J. Rosen

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The Best Sound at Hi-Fi '97: The TARA Labs chamber music series.

wasn't well integrated, but wow, what bass! I think it was a little too corner-loaded." A potential good choice for the home-theater-minded

and bass-loving duo was the video speaker system from Infinity, wherein each speaker, even the surrounds, had its own powered (sub)woofer. Using the popular Lexicon DC-1 processor, the feeling was that the Pro Logic steering on Crimson Tide was "excellent, the rain and thunder travel-ing around the room nicely, with a good 'rumble,' but there was no real bass. Having amps for the rear speakers is a nice idea; we don't have enough power in the rear," mused John.

Bay arca retailer dB Audio was featuring Golden Tube electronics, a California Audio Labs multidisc CD player, and Thiel CS1.5 speakers. The Showbiquitous Holly Cole Trio was playing, and John and Anne waited patiently for their turn for seats. John offered, "That was very musical. I'd like to hear the bigger Thiels here." John was brand-loyal, like the rest of the Showgoers we'd accompanied. We stopped into the Hales Design Group room again,

where the Mary Black and a Diana Krall track were played. John thought that "on the Mary Black cut the bass was a little weak, but on the Diana Krall cut everything was much better— including the bass! The focus seemed to wander a bit, but it was tonally fine. Very impressive, especially for the price." Our first day of ghost-reporting ended as the whistle

blew, and what a great day it had been. We'd found six artic-ulate, opinionated, and enjoyable audiophiles who enjoyed their own home systems immensely. What were the odds on that? A hard act to beat, or an ongoing trend? Tomorrow would tell.

Everything new is old again (Ray and Pat) Back into the jungle of hallways, we stalked the tall carpet-ing in search of living prey and fresh cars. The TARA Labs room had one of the more convincing setups — live cham-ber music —and seemed like a suitable hunting ground. With the help of fellow audiocat K-10, we spotted a likely pair. We'd had such good fortune with couples and found their interplay so enlightening that we decided to stick with the concept.

Ray and Pat had been hi-fi enthusiasts in the 1960s, but they'd shifted their priorities away from audio when they'd had kids. Now that Ray's retired, they're back on track, eager to see what's changed. Back home in Livermore, California, they have a Marantz 7 and 8B, modified Klipschorns, and a vintage Thorens turntable. Ray is heavily into analog, so he doesn't listen to their Cl) player much. He's amassed a

Loudspeaker designers Siegfried Linkwitz, Richard Vandersteen, Albert Von Schweikert, and Jim Thiel face the music.

collection of thousands of LPs — including an all but com-plete set of original Mercury Living Presence —which he continues to add to by shopping at garage and estate sales on weekends. After which he goes to dB Audio to use their Keith Monks record-cleaning machine. R&P were on their way to the "Meet the Loudspeaker

Designers" panel when we met, so we joined them there. The "Ask the Editors" and Designers sessions were particu-lar highlights for our newfound friends. Ray appreciates the opportunity to put faces with the names he reads in Stereophile, while Pat just enjoys and learns more from the discussions than from the exhibit rooms. The first room we hit was one of VTL's, and if we'd left

any quicker, we'd have passed ourselves coming in. This was a little foreign to us, and we were whisked away in mid-handshake. "We tend to eliminate rooms more than any-thing," was Ray's explanation. Well, it is a big Show, and you can't reasonably listen to every system, unless of course you're a journalist with the advantage of the extra Trade Days, or some other form of tireless masochist. It's the flip side of the phenomenon, we suppose, that, once they begin listening, the Showgoers we've met tend to linger relatively longer than we do. Those are two luxuries we don't have. We did do some actual listening in an adjacent VTL room with the B&W Silver Signature Model 30 speakers (the only pair in the country), VTL MB 175 amps and VTL TL 2.5 preamp with phono section, Well Tempered Record Player, and Grado Platinum cartridge, which they enjoyed quite a bit.

According to our Prime Directive, we would do our level best not to influence or interfere with the choices of rooms our victims cared to visit. There seemed to be a handful of exhibits most of our guests wanted to investigate on our watch. We found ourselves revisiting the Hales room —no problem, it was one of our favorites—where we listened to some Richard Thompson, then to "So What" from Classic Records' new Kind 9.1 Blue LP. Ray: "Miles' trumpet and the sax sounded right, but a little polite. Maybe more oomph. The bass didn't have as much impact as I'd have expected. In the long run, I'd feel that something was missing." Oddly enough, this was just the kind of system we could imagine wanting to listen to long-term. This could be one of those cases where personal taste comes into play. Pat: "I have dif-ficulty judging in this environment—everything is so dif-ferent from what I'm used to. But I liked this room!"

Next stop was dB Audio's room, where we bumped into our friends John and Anne, whose chance had finally come to hear the hit' Thiel CS6's, powered by a small Golden


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'Aren't those .1As speakers? Ray and Pat admire the B8W Silver Signatures in one of the VII. rooms.

Tube Si50 50Wpc integrated. The selection playing was a Corelli Concerto Grosso. Ray felt the sound was opposite to the Hales system: "very forward-sounding." He felt that this system, too, lacked impact, and that he'd like to hear the speakers with a bigger amplifier. Pat's impressions: "Very clear, but the bass wasn't as full as I'd want." This had been one of the rooms in which Ray had been able to secure a center listening seat. He felt that made a big difference: "It was much better." When we entered the Audio Physic room, with CAT

amplification and an Inunedia RPM 'table, Pat was obvi-ously pleased, exclaiming, "A lot of people are playing records!" After three decades of falling behind the times, these two had resurfaced in audio to find they were on the cutting edge. We heard more of Kind ofBlue, as well as a clas-sical piece. According to Ray, the system worked well with the orchestral selection, but once again was not fulfilling bass-wise. "This is a very different setup than we're used to," he said, referring to the nearfield orientation, "but it imaged well, was very transparent, but not harsh or polite —just about right where it should be."

Since they'd already toured the Show for a day and a half, we asked them what had been highlights for them. They especially enjoyed the opportunity to hear the more expen-sive equipment, "the stuff we can't afford." The Wilson Grand SLAMMs had impressed them. What's not to impress? "We liked the impact of those big speakers. They had no room treatment, and a good, large, dynamic sound." They were also delighted with the little Cellos. According to Ray, "I'd rate them higher than anything we've heard so far. I loved the Max Roach piece." Pat had more to say about the live performances: "I liked the live sound at TARA. It was sweet, real, transparent. It was better than Arturo Delmont and Tiger Okoshi was a little harsh-sounding."

Ding! The end of another round. Ray and Pat had offered us a very different point of view — that of audiophiles who had put aside audiophile-ish things for some time, but who have since returned to the fold.

The French-Canadian Connection (Ted and Marie-Pierre) We thought we'd try finding some upscale audiophiles, so one of us kept my eyes out for well-heeled shoes while the other watched wristwatch-es. Snooping around with our heads down, we bumped right into what turned out to be a likely-looking cou-ple. We couldn't exactly peg them as zillionaire professionals, but they looked like they'd be fun to follow around, so we were more than satis-fied. Ted and Marie-Pierre hailed from Montreal, which is in Canada. They were looking to update their audio-only system to audio and video, and to integrate the system into their brand-new home. Our first stop was the Cello

home-theater room, where M-P immediately gravitated to the stain-less-steel Lovan racks, which fit in with their home decor. Cello had horn prototype speakers set up, and a big screen on which we watched a laserdisc cut from Army of Darkness, a

special Watetworld DVD with no compression, Casper in DTS, and the "Cuban Pete" number from The Mask on DVD (with compression) in Dolby Digital. Marie's words: "Very accurate, like being there. Almost 3-D, and sounded fabulous, perfect. It was more like being a participant than an observer." We guess she liked it. We did, too. The Army of Darkness cut was especially smooth and vivid on top of just plain entertaining, and mercifully different from the usual demo fare. T&M-P really dug the little Cello speakers, too.

"Beautiful finish, beautiful speaker;" and "bass is amazing for such a small speaker" were their comments. I thought they should call the unnamed little devils the Cherubs, as small-er siblings of the Seraphim. Marie-Pierre suggested to Cello's Don Bouchard that they call them "The Marks," as in Mark Levinson, or "Mark I, Mark II," and also to suggest he's leaving his "mark." Quite an impressive multifaceted concept right off the cuff, eh? Don was betting Mark would like it. We asked then about their sonic preferences, and M-P

volunteered that she likes tube amps, for the sound. "For the looks," Ted added as an aside. "Tubes are too much trouble," says he. Ted prefers solid-state electronics, and was especial-ly interested in seeing, and in showing us, various Canadian products. "The Bryston folks are nice, and the Paradigm stuff seemed to be good value for the money, and offers a realistic sound." They brought us to the Bryston/PMC room. While Ted

was glued to the listening chair; Marie-Pierre retired to the hallway. "The sound of Stevie Ray Vaughan is better in my car than here! Too much white noise. I've heard Bryston equipment elsewhere and liked it, though. Ted is in love with Bryston, so he's biased. Me, if it bothers me, it bothers me physically. Ted will give something more of a chance." Marie-Pierre surprises herself in the way she can hear the differences in audio equipment. When she first met Ted, she thought audio was "a boy thing." It seemed to her he was "from another planet" when he was talking high-end. She


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'Now that's soundstaging!" UK visitor Malcolm Omar Hawksford on Audio Physic's wide speaker placement

thought lie was nuts. She apparently no longer completely thinks so. "Once you hear the good clear sound, you can't go back. It's really improved my lifer Ted was more enthusiastic about the Bryston room than

was his better half. "I like the sound —especially the bass. And the music, Stevie Ray Vaughan, is one of my favorites." They hadn't brought any demo material on the long trip, and Ted was missing his music. He felt he should mention that the Bryston amps come with a 20-year guarantee. Marie-Pierre just had to ask him, "What about the white noise? Didn't it bother you?" He didn't hear it. We're not sure we did, either, perhaps it lost something in the translation.

Next on the Canadian audio tour was SimAudio/ Gershrnan Acoustics, where we heard a classical piece on LP. Ted liked the sound, but he wasn't going into much detail except that he's a fan of SimAudio's Celeste Moon components, and, again, he likes Canadian products and doesn't like tubes. He later told me he'd read us in Stereophi/e, and had decided to play it safe by keeping his mouth shut. Fortunately for us, his charming, outspoken wife offered enough opinion for the both of them. "It sounded good, but I'm skeptical about LPs. I like a clear sound, and for our budget, you can't get it with LP. It's a mellow sound. Rock'n'roll will cramp it. And you can't just hook up a turntable to any system. You have to be a pro to appreciate it." Ted interjected, "Hey, I'm the reader of the magazine in the family!" She replied, "He goes along with all he reads, I go with what I feel. I don't analyze it—analysis sort of ruins the experience, you know?" We talked some more about what we felt were some of

their misconceptions about tubes and analog. They request-ed we end the day with a Cl) vs LP comparison. Joseph Audio was well stocked for such a comparison, with com-ponents all proudly made in America: VP! TNT 3 'table with Grado The Reference cartridge, Classé CDT-I trans-port —made, according to Jeff Joseph, "by those great Americans up in the fine state of Canada" (Oops. That one didn't go over with our northern neighbors.) —a Genesis Digital Time Lens, Manley DAC and amplification, with Joseph Audio RM-22si Signature speakers, all wired up with Cardas Golden Cross and Iluminad Orchid Digital cables. No one gives better demo than Jeff Joseph. We heard

various selections on both formats as a wannup, then Jeff level-matched and cued up LP and CD editions of Classic Records' Songs for Distingué Lovers by Billie Holiday. After several minutes of A-ing and B-ing, hemming and hawing, Marie-Pierre picked which she liked best. "This one." Jeff lifted the tonearm and... Voi/à! The music stopped. HA!

The Joseph RM221 speakers benefttted from strategic use of Shun Mook discs.

Marie-Pierre was suitably embarrassed: "I guess you can see how good I am to put my foot in my mouth. There's usu-ally too much white stuff with LPs," she continued, "but that sounded very good." Jeff was on a roll, so he closed by wowing the crowd with a Shun Mook "moveable sound-stage" demo. "Good sound for the price," commented Ted after the

Joseph Experience. "I prefer solid-state, but the tubes seemed to sound very good here. My favorite overall was probably the little Cellos. Were those tube amps? No? Good. Tubes sound better for classical, but for solid bass, solid-state is the way to go." Well, there you have it.

Before we bade the happy couple adieu, we had to present them with the usual present, a copy of the hot-selling Rhapsody CD it sold out at the Show). We thanked them for providing one of the most illuminating and entertaining sessions of the Show.

Sandpiper audiophiles (Seth and Suzanne) Seth and Suzanne were from just across the bay in Oakland, looking for reason-ably priced amplifiers. Suzanne summed themselves up this way: "I know what I like when I hear it, and he's into the technical stuff." That sure sounds familiar. It would seem that the typical split between the couples we walked those halls with was that "he's" the one who reads the magazines and is interested in the equipment, while "she's" more concerned with how the music comes out. It would seem to be a very balanced approach. S&S have quite an eclectic mix of equipment at home: two Naka-michi cassette decks, an NAD Cl) player, and a Pierre Lurné turntable —"a huge brass-and-lacquer thing, but it's out in one channel." They have a receiver, but they wanted to look into a separate pre- and power amp

"I like a clear sound," said Ted of the Gershman speakers.


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combo. They went to rooms they were interested in, gather-ing data and literature. It was the last day of the Show, and they'd spent the previous ones popping into and out of rooms without a clear plan of attack. Realizing that time was grow-ing short, and that they hadn't found exactly what they were looking for yet, they were "trying to get more focused." Parasound proved disappointing to them, because they

didn't have prices posted on anything. They made a brief stop in the Mordaunt-Short/YBA demo room, but then spent much more time in the static display room, turning knobs and pushing buttons, checking out cone materials and kicking tires. The exhibit won points for having prices dis-played, but after all that time, they concluded that the prod-ucts were too expensive to fit their budget. They led us back to dB Audio again, but we barely

breezed through. Then they noticed it was time for them to. go off and see Doug MacLeod. While we would've liked to take in the performance, we felt we needed to do some more active Showgoing in the remaining hours. We thanked them, gave them a lovely parting gift — the Rhapsody CD — and moved on.

Big spenders of tomorrow (Geoff and Diana) flic Von Schweikert/B.A.T. room was the first we'd vis-ited all weekend that had people milling around the speak-ers, bending down, hands on hips, or kneeling to micro-inspect the drivers on the mighty VR-8s while others attempted to listen. It just doesn't feel like a consumer Show without witnessing this classic ritual. We stopped Geoff and Diana as they were leaving. They were just out of school for a four-day weekend, and had popped down from Vancouver, Washington. They'd jumped at the chance to come to the Show and hear all the best equipment in one convenient location. Geoff had stumbled across Stereophile while at U of W in Seattle, when, by happenstance, he saw Mark Levinson gear at a dealer's and felt strangely attract-ed. "We drove down here to come live the experience! My friends think I'm crazy."

Diana added, "Don't mess with his Stereophiles. He bags them! God forbid someone should try to put a drink on top of one on the coffee table ..." Diana admitted that she used to listen to off-the-rack (or is that in-the-rack?) Sony equip-ment before Geoff showed her the light. They don't have near the income for what they'd want right now, but Geoff has carefully chosen some good small-scale equipment, including Grado HP-1 headphones with Denon and Harrnan/Kardon gear. He's biding his time. We asked for their impressions of what we'd just heard.

"Experiential. It overwhelmed me," was Diana's take.

Geoff said, "I never listened to the VR8s before. It's great to have a chance to hear all these things. I heard a tube amp today, and it floored me." They were eager to check out more tubes — they don't have much oppor-tunity to hear them back home. If only they'd talked to our friend Ted, they'd know that tubes are good only for classical. It's a pleasure to see folks having so much fun, and with such hungry ears. Here's hoping they

Yes Diana, we'd worry about Geoff too, if we hadn't been assured that speaker petting is not a punishable offense in any of the contiguous 48 states.

acquire the system of their dreams soon, and continue to enjoy the journey.

Let's call it a Show (Rick and Lonnie) It seemed like it had only gotten started, and the Show was already over. Our time spent with our newfound audio comrades illustrated the similarities and differences of how they and we see (and hear) a Show. We'd found their pacing very different from ours, and that once in a room, they did-n't necessarily push for the catbird "sweet spot" seat in order to make their appraisals of a system's sound.

But one thing that we all had in common was enthusi-asm, and we found it was contagious. Whether it was seeing an exciting new product, or hearing a system that really did something right, or meeting the people who build the mag-ical products that make it all happen, we were like kids in a huge candy store disguised as a hotel. We'll be back —and we're willing to bet that they will, too.

—Lonnie Brownell and Richard J. Rosen

y favorite part of HI-FI '97? That's easy. I loved the live music, I was excited by some promising products, but for me, the high point

was meeting all the folks who attended. As a reviewer, I spend an awful lot of time listening to my system alone. As a writer, I spend most of my time behind my key-board —again, alone. In my darkest hours, I wonder what kind of person could obsess about some of the stuff I devote hours to pondering. Who cares if the midrange is glassy?

HI-FI Shows provide my answer: intelligent, thought-ful, creative people who are interesting to talk to (and can they ever talk!) and who are passionate about music. People a lot like me. (I flatter myself.) Well, why not? Long before I ever worked for Larry Archibald or John Atkinson, I pored over Stereophile convinced that, if I ever met them, we'd have s000 much in common that we'd talk long into the night. Years later, when I did finally meet them, that's exactly what we did. At HI-FI '97, I met hundreds of people who gave me

that same "separated-at-birth" vibe. Like the man who caught me in the corridor after one of Hyperion Knight's concerts, and who had a bone to pick with me over my Martin-Logan SL3 review in the July 1997 issue. My methodology was faulty, he explained. I was hungry and

tired, so I asked if he'd join me for lunch, where we talked about the review, impres-sive rooms at the Show, and our favorite music. I still think my review was accurate, and he still objects to it. But I liked him. He was good company. If we lived in the same city, Fm sure we'd get together for some lis-tening, whether in our homes or in a club or concert hall.

For three days last spring, I was sur-rounded by 11,000 people just like me. Short of a cloning accident that would make Multiplicity look tame, that's as close as I'm likely to come to a true family reunion. Thanks! Let's do it again next year, in LA. / wouldn't miss it for the world.

—Wes Phillips

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Stereophife, October 1997 85

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In the GFA-5802 we chose a classically simple circuit topology. Two high capacity transformers provide superb isolation between sensitive input stages and high current output sections. A massive tumid transformer with dual secondary windings, high current regulators, and enormous quick response storage capacitors provide all the current necessary for unparalleled clarity even under the most difficult operating conditions. MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) devices are widely praised by knowledgeable audiophiles for their unique combination of solid state dependability, dynamic capability. and tube-like smoothness. Each channel uses eight carefully matched pairs to produce 300 watts

per channel into 8 ohms and 450 watts per channel into 4 ohms. The GFA-5802 also includes switchable balanced (XI,R) and unbalanced (RCA) inputs and dual sets of heavy duty, gold plated, five way binding posts ideal for biwiring.

The GFP--50 is a purely passive attenuator/switcher or, at your option. an active preamplifier. In passive mode, the signal sees only input switching and the high resolution attenuator. In typical Admit kishic in. the GFP-750's massive high current power supply features a large toroid transformer with multiple secondary windings for each channel. Specially chosen storage capacitors insure responsive voltage supply to all active elements. For active gain functions. it offers true differential balanced audio signal paths, with NIOSFET devices. The GFP-750 features remote control, balanced (XI.R) and single ended (RCA) inputs for CD as well as single ended inputs for four additional line level analog sources. Independent balanced and single ended outputs allow easy interface with almost any amplifier.

We've achieved something that you can appreciate even without a technical background. Value. Adcom components provide real value by raising the performance level our customers can expect from their investment. We don't subtract quality for convenience, we add performance to build value.

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II Min. • La,' Tel: 732-390-1130 • Fax 732-390-507 • \\ell: ‘‘‘‘‘

Interview

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RENT NHT's Ken Kantor &

PSB's Paul Barton

discuss the art & science of speaker

design

-30

esigning loudspeakers is not a task for the faint of heart But that doesn't stop liter-ally thousands of would-be speaker

builders each yearfrom messing around with drive-units, sheets of wood, dud electronic components to produce a sound that they hope will be more musi-cal, more accurate and more affordable than that of any other loudspeaker out there. And of those thousands, tens are sufficiently encouraged by the sound they produce to form companies to manu-facture and market their designs. And of those tens, perhaps one each year finds his or her fortune

To look at what makes such people tick Wes Phillips and I talked with two of the industry's more successlu•I speaker engineers: Ken Kantor of NHT and Paul Barton of PSB. Each has been in the industry for about 25 years; each has a design reviewed in this issue; neither believes in magic when it conies to speaker design; both are musi-cians as well as engineers; and both specialize in offering their customers high performance at an affordable price There the resemblance ends. -JA

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Now H EAR THIS: Wes Phillips Interviews Ken Kantor of NHT

Stereophile EditorJohn Atkinson walked into our office bran-dishing a CD.1 "Guess tvhat Ken Kantor did? He took a year qfffrom running NHT to make this disc"

"Thaes really cool," I responded, drifting into afantasy about what I'd do with a year off "I'd like to meet a guy who'd do that."

"lint could go visit NHT's factory when you're in San Francisco for HI-FI '97"

So I did. It wasn't a typical manufacturing plant, but NI-IT— like its founder— doesn't aim for the typical. It revels in its quirkiness. As I was shown around the factory, I observed an unusual number of musical-instrument cases in evidence. Kantor explained that NI-IT seemed to attract working musicians, and enthusiastic semi-pros, as employees. "Sometimes we feel we should consciously hire peo-ple who aren't musicians— but why wouldn't a musician want a job like this?"

That's certainly the impression I got from the folks I met there— they liked working for a com-pany that produced high-quality loudspeakers. They understood how important listening to musk could be to their customers.

Kantor and I talked for several hours, discussing everythingfrom his °tot art which festooned the walls of his office, to the evolution o the corn flake (A shadow-box illustrating the development of di cent commercial flake shapes hangs over Kantor's desk) But like all audio-philes, we mostly obsessed over music and Iii-fi.

Ken Kantor: Until I was in college, I never really thought of myself as an "audio" person, even though I had built my

own preamp. I just built my own because it was cheaper than

buying one. Then I was assigned a lab bench at college and I found my-self in the real hotbed of audio research of that era —perceptual research. This was the C.J. Lebel Lab at MIT, where we were actually

researching what com-prised audible differences —what could you hear and what couldn't you, and what made the differ-

ence? Compared to

Incoherent, Kantor's debut CD

Ken Kantor

that, my E.E. project just didn't seem all that interesting. I'd start to work on it, but I'd look over at the guy at the next bench, and his stuff was just much more fun. Finally, my advisor suggested I switch if I was that fascinated. My under-graduate electrical-engineering thesis focused on loudspeak-ers and perception — I had some ideas about why loud-

speakers sounded the way they did that weren't coming out under the measure-ment methodologies of the time. Wes Phillips: If you met that undergraduate version of yourseff now —25 years later— would you still think his ideas were on the right track? Kantor: Absolutely! I think I know a little more now; my ideas then, like most undergraduate thinking, were a little black and white, but I don't think they were fun-damentally flawed. After all, they've influ-enced my thinking to this day. Boston was the nexus of the audio universe back then, both academically and commercially. My advisor informed me that the school did not fund undergraduate research, and sug-

gested I contact some of the local companies about under-writing my thesis. Acoustic Research responded, saying. "Here's a check for $200, and we'll also supply all of the cab-inets and drivers you want." Two hundred bucks represent-ed almost six months of living expenses at that time, plus all the drivers I wanted —it was like manna from heaven! Of course, AR granted my request because, in real terms.

I was asking for nothing. But it established my first relation-ship with the company. I traveled out to the factory and saw piles of speakers and other stuff. That really hooked me! This was clearly a business that I could love. Because they'd funded my thesis, I had an entry into AR. When they need-ed something built for an experiment, or prototyped, I was there to do the grunt work. They always had stuff that need-ed doing and I always needed tuition money, so it was a nat-ural development. And because of people I met there, I also got to work for Boston Acoustics, Bose, Sound Concepts... I was getting lots of experience. I probably shouldn't admit this, but, after all, it was more

than 20 years ago: Tech Hi-Fi educated an awful lot of engi-neers with its return policy. Whenever I would get an assignment like, say, prototyping a power amp, I would go down the block to Tech Hi-Fi and buy a bunch of equip-ment, stay up late tracing the circuits, and return the whole deal the next morning. I would intellectually vandalize everything I could get my hands on. "Where do they buy their drivers? Which output devices do they use?" I tested everything I could get my hands on. Phillips: Wilson Mizner said, "Ifyou steal from one author, it's pla-giarism; if you steal from many, it's research." Kantor: Exactly. After I graduated, I decided to study per-formance art and theater. But I eventually ran out of ideas for projects, and I also realized that I wasn't Ph.D. material. That's when the folks at NAD called me and proposed that I join their research department. I explained that I wasn't interested in doing research full-time; I was more interested

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in playing music than in audio design. So they proposed that I work three days a week, they'd move me to London, and they'd set me up with a small studio. I was gomme. It was my first real

job. I'd done piecework for AR and Boston Acoustics, but now I was sitting down with distributors and learning what they wanted, then meeting with circuit engi-neers and discussing new parts and design considerations. It was a real education. Originally, NAD want-ed me to design loudspeakers and develop a program for testing speakers, but that wasn't how I ended up spending most of my time. I designed tone-control cir-cuits for the 3020 series, I designed test and measurement equipment for them, and I also worked on their turntable. I wasn't a team leader, so I worked on any project they handed me. Phillips: W,u were more interested in speaker design than circuit desio? Kantor: Yeah! I'm going to get in trouble for saying this, no matter how carefully I put it, but circuit design is the much more analytic process. If a circuit operates correctly, it should be inaudible — you have a signal, and while you might make it larger, you also need to preserve it. There isn't a lot of psy-chology to that. If you find errors, you need to determine how to trade one element against the other. The circuit designer's goal is fixed, and the degree that a circuit deviates from that goal is quite straightforward.

Loudspeakers are different. Think about the recording process, which converts an event taking place in four dimen-sions to an electrical signal. That's data compression —Iossy data compression. And what uncompresses that information is the loudspeaker. That's a psychological process. Something is missing from the datastream —a whole roomful of infor-mation, in fact —and you must fool the perceptual mecha-nism into believing it's there. You can measure a speaker, and that will tell you if it has too much treble, or too much low-frequency information, or if there is distortion, but none of that gets to the real meat of the matter: Did it fool you into thinking there's a real soundfield? I find that fascinating. It in-corporates so much that you don't get as an amplifi-er designer: psychology, information theory —essen-tially everything we know about how humans res-pond to music. I left NAI) because I was

homesick, and wound up working for AR —on elec-tronic design, strangely enough. I was fortunate to work at AR when I did. I

WAS MORE

INTERESTED IN

PLAYING MUSIC THAN

IN AUDIO DESIGN, SD

NAD PROPOSED TO

MOVE ME TO

LONDON, WHERE

THEY'D SET ME UP

:140 WITH A SMALL

STUDIO. WOULD

WORK THREE DAYS

WEEK. I WAS GONE.


tee learned a lot from mentors within the firm: how the industry work-

• • •••

cd, and how goods went from the ; design stage to being a successful i'„*..,7*;1 product. By the time I left, most of ;::• those people were gone and, in a bizarre proof of the Peter Principle. I found myself in a position to do whatever I wanted. My fiancée at the time — my wife now —got a job offer in California. She's in a field where there just aren't that many opportunities, so it was my turn to follow her. Since I couldn't land a job with any of the local companies, I started my own consulting company. I worked for companies ranging from Monster Cable to Faroudja Labs, to Goldstar in Korea, to Hewlett-Packard. If anybody need-ed audio work, I was there saying, "Please?"

Phillips: Have 'scope, will travel? Kantor: Exactly. NHT was the next logical step after that. I had met Chris [Byrne] through my consulting work. We saw things similarly, in terms of what the market needed, and we made good complements to one another—we were very different, but we each had skills the other needed. Chris came from Pioneer, Akai — he'd been Pacific Stereo's buyer. And, of course, I'd been in the design section of all kinds of companies. Phillips: Did you have a clear idea ql.what you wanted to do with your own company? Kantor: I knew what I didn't want. I didn't want to make a mediocre product. On the other hand, I didn't want to make a boutique product. It's not in my nature to say, "I've made the world's greatest loudspeaker. I've used the best drivers and the best crossover materials —now how many can I make in a year, and how much do I need to sell them for to make a living?" Phillips: Do you think that's time equation some companies • operate on?

Ken Kantor and the NH7 engineering gang

Kantor: Absolutely —and not just in hi-fi, either. A lot of sports-car companies calculate price that way. Restaurants too. They don't sit there and say, "We used $18 worth of garlic and $2 worth of saffron on this meal... " They calculate how many people they can get through the door and what they'd have to pay to keep the place running — it's an overhead-driven price equation, not one based on the parts cost. I wanted to offer value-driv-en products. We had to find a balance between our need to bring enough cus-tomers in to make it worthwhile, and our desire

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to make really good products. That's basically all we did for our first few years: hone that equation. We spent a lot of time trying to

figure out how to use the tech-niques of the really huge compa-nies to produce a new kind of mass-market product — one with the design ethos of the High End. We didn't see these two goals as being contradictory. At least, they don't need to be. If you don't think Bose could produce any-thing they wanted to, you're kid-ding yourself. They have the resources, we have the resources. It all comes down to who designs a product — what they're willing to accept, how long they're will-ing to let the design process go on, how many samples they're willing to throw away before they have the product they want. That's what makes a product great. It has nothing to do with its price. Other companies may argue with that, but I think they're wrong. Either they don't know how to purchase or they're trying to create a mys-tique around themselves.

For example, I can't think of a better tweet-er than the one in the NHT 3.3 —there were no cost guidelines involved in choosing it. That tweeter costs me about $14. Of course, if you just wanted to buy one, it would cost upwards of $50 — maybe as much as $80. But because we can sell a lot of loudspeakers, we can buy cheaper than a smaller company. We decided to combine our music-loving mentality with big-business practices in order to produce a really high-quality product. This is nothing new. The history of hi-fi is dominated by com-panies that shared the same attitude. Maranta, AR, KLH, and JBL didn't try to produce the ultimate products on earth —all they wanted to do was give the consumer something of real value. Those guys are my heroes. I think a lot of people are afraid of high-

quality stereo. They've been convinced — by snobby fans or snobby dealers —that they can't even hear differences, much less afford the good stuff. Phillips: Unlike high-end watches or cars,for instance Kantor: Cars are a good analogy. Let's say you have a budget for buying a car somewhere between $30,000 and $50,000. You're going to get something pretty good. Maybe it won't be a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, but you can buy a Lexus or a BMW or a Mercedes. There are two kinds of customers who buy cars like that. One kind doesn't want to feel the road at all— everything should be smoothed out and easy to take. The other kind wants to feel every

M Y SABBATICAL WAS

EQUAL PARTS

PSYCHOTIC EPISODE

. AND THE BRAVEST

THING I'VE EVER

DONE. I BUILT A GOOD

HOME STUDIO AND •

SET OUT TO MAKE MY tio CD WITH NO TIME

' LIMITS. THE COMPANY

Sit WAS QUITE GOOD .

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ISUSPECT, BECAUSE THEY SAW A BENEFIT

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I i

NHT 3.3 loudspeaker (See Vol.16 No.12)

Stereophrie, October 1997

• '> ree

bump, to sense the texture be- ;_ ,»

tween a smooth pavement and the • I s • • ••._11

rough stuff—that customer buys a got •:•".«7: • • •

sports car. , „ ••• It's the same with speakers.

Some customers just want every CD they have to sound musical, and that's certainly a valid engi-neering goal. It's just not what I'm interested in doing. I want to design speakers that tell you what's on the disc. Some people will hear them and say, "That's not very musical." That's okay. As far as I'm concerned, I did the best I could at giving you everything on that CD. If you don't like that, I'm not going to argue with you. It's as silly as arguing to a potential Lexus buyer that what they really want is a Ferrari or an NSX. That's not what they want. The owner of each would be disappointed with the other. Phillips: Tell me about your sabbatical. Kantor: Well, it was equal parts psychotic episode and the bravest thing I've ever done. Starting NHT was hard — anybody who's built a

successful business can tell you it's like having a child. You can't just walk away when you want, you have to nurture it all the time. At one point, I just looked around and said, "I've built what I wanted to and I've got good peo-ple working here. The company's future is assured. But I need something more — what do I want in my life?" I realized that, of all the things I'd left

undone in my life, the one I could do some-thing about was to return to music and see if I still had something to say. Maybe I couldn't go back and love all the people rd run away from, and I sure couldn't go back and buy all the stock that I now know would be worth something —but I could go back and devote myself to my music. And I thought, in addi-tion to exorcizing those "shoulda coulda woulda" demons, that it would be good for what I do here to see what it was like on the other side of the recording console —and not just learn it from a book, either. How does something sound playing back over my speakers when I know how it was created in the first place?

So I built a good home studio and set out to make the CD with no time limits. The

company was quite good about it mostly, I suspect, because they saw a benefit to my remaining sane. Phillips: There's a lot of emotion evident in the CD. It's heartfelt. Kantor: I didn't know if I'd ever get a chance to do a second, so I put everything I had into this one. east like when we start-ed NHT.

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siastic about finding out what our little company was all about. He told me that I should go and talk to Dr. Floyd Toole at the NRC.

Floyd was involved in the Acoustics Division of the NRC, which is part of the Physics Department. And as I found out very quickly, Floyd was a music lover and an audiophile. I visited Ottawa, he was enthusiastic about my enthusiasm, and I reciprocated. Pretty much the rest is history. I think in those early days, between 1974 and '82, PSB was the only speaker manufacturer using the facility and its anechoic chamber —and its listening room. Because Audio Scene was doing measure-ments and ended up doing some listening, a room evolved at NRC that is now cited in many articles as the prototype for the IEC-recom-mended listening room. Atkinson: When I visited the NRC a few years back, I was sur-prised that that room was smaller than I had anticipated. Barton: Yes. But other than having a high ceiling, about 9', it's typical of rooms in normal houses. The NRC room was also treated with damping materials, curtains, shelving, bookshelves, etc. — to try to "neutralize" the room. By that I mean you could put four loudspeakers in the center of the room and sit two to three listeners in the listening area, and the transfer function was very similar. The room doesn't add a lot of positioning characteristics. The tradeoff, of course, is that you end up with a room that has little room gain at low frequencies. Atkinson: And, I assume, you also benefited from the research Floyd was doing into loudspeaker performance Barton: Yes, Floyd generated a huge database of listening experiences. There is [a series of] Journal of the Audio Enginee-ring Society papers that cover that era of the NRC, between 1974 and 1982.2 For the sake of simplicity, that research boils down to three things, the first of which was that most of the people, most of the time, agree on the relative qualities of a group of loudspeakers. That was a revelation, because back in those days you had all these audio people who spoke about "east coast sound" and "west coast" sound.

Second, musical appreciation and experience and taste don't seem to be a prerequisite for someone being a good judge of sound. That should be a revelation to the guy who thinks he can't appreciate quality. Most people, when asked to do it, can fairly quickly learn what the ropes are and appreciate what it is they're hearing, even if they've never done it before. The hard part is to give listeners some way to

THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN AN

EXPERIENCED

11 LISTENER

WHO REALLY HASN'T

PAID ANY ATTENTION

TO EVALUATION OF

SOUND IS HOW LONG

MeIT TAKES THEM TO

eS. i MAKE A JUDGMENT.

BUT THEY TEND TO

COME UP WITH THE

SAME A NSWER .

2 "Listening Tests—Turning Opinion into Fact," presented at the 69th Convention of the Audio Engineering Society (1981 May). Preprint 1766. JAES, Vo133, pp.439-440 (1982 June). "Subjective Measurements of Loudspeaker Sound Quality and Listener Performance," JAES, Vo133, pp.9-12 (1985 January/Febniary). "Loudspeaker Measurements and their Relationship to Listener Preferences: Part 1," JAES Vol.34, p231 (1986 April). "Loudspeaker Measurements and their Relationship to Listener Preferences: Part 2," JAES, Vol.34, pp335-336 (1986 May). All by Floyd E. Took. "The Perception of Sound Coloration Due to Resonances in Loudspeakers and Other Audio Components," presented at the 81st Convention of the Audio Engineering Society (1986 November). Preprint 2406. "The Modification of Timbre by Resonances: Perception and Measurement," presented at the 83rd Convention of the Audio Engineering Society (1987 October). Preprint 2487. Both by Floyd E. Toole and Scan E. Olive, both of whom are now at Hannan International. —JA


communicate what it is they're hearing. The difference between • .‘,1.1.

an experienced listener and one .......,:r who really hasn't paid any atten- e..... don to evaluation of sound is how long it takes them to make a judg- :•'' ment. But they tend to come up with the same answer. Atkinson: If you think about it, unless our hearing has been damaged in some way, we all have the same basi. equipment. The thing that distinguishes audiophiles is not that we hear better, but that we care that there's a difference. Barton: The final thing that you could say came out of Floyd's work at the NRC—and it's still ongoing research: that a properly interpret-ed set of loudspeaker measure-ments correlates very strongly with listener preferences. Atkinson: Out of all the passible mea-surements for a loudspeaker, what are the important ones? Or is there a hierarchy?

Barton: There is a hierarchy —at least I think there is. Each designer has his priorities. Certainly if you don't have the frequency response in conjunction with the sound power intact, you can't win. The on-axis response and the sound power work in tandem with each other: You can have a c; speaker with flat sound power but that doesn't have flat fre- è.• quency response; and you can have a speaker with flat on- axis response that doesn't have anything that resembles 0. equal energy over the 360° of sound power. They're not ese • mutually exclusive, but you can't have both — unless it's an omnidirectional loudspeaker! 1 • ... Atkinson: There was a fashion in Germany some 20 years ago for ; .. traditional moving-coil loudspeakers to be designed to haveflat sound : power. But fi the speaker is directiona4 which almost all designs are, fi e you want a flat power response you're going to have to... ;09

•

4.* a

•.

•

• • -

• • , • .,„ • • .9 • e e

rir

Barton: ... beef up the tweeter... Atkinson: ... which means the speaker is going to shriek at you. Barton: Because the first-arrival sound is predominant. 1,

P Sound power power compiles a lot of measurements to give you a picture of what the speaker's total energy output is. Picture et.' the speaker in the middle of a sphere and microphone mea-surements being made all over the surface of that sphere. In a room, in varying degrees depending on how well the room is damped, some of the energy from all of the direc-tions around the loudspeaker will eventually reach the lis-tener at some point in time. The intensity of that will be very much determined by the surface of the room itself and the directivity of the speaker in that room. So it's not enough to just look at "frequency response." You have to tie it into sound power. Atkinson: Floyd Toole's work showed that listeners prderred speak-ers that have a flat frequency response and a well-controlled off-axis dispersion. While some listeners might like loudspeakers that depart radically from either of those two paradigms, most people don't. Barton: When we say "flat frequency response," it's not enough. We also should define the bandwidth of the system. Certainly, the wider the bandwidth, the more transparent the speaker becomes. It's my preference to keep the on-axis response flat without compromising the power response, which may not necessarily be flat —in fact, it has a tilt —but has a very smooth transition.

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Atkinson: Many two-way speakers have an off:axis valley at the top of the woofer rare but an off-axis mountain at the bottom ef the tweeter range. Barton: Right. That's the chal-lenge, to get the tweeter —whose directivity at its lowest frequencies is very good — low enough so that doesn't happen. And you don't want the midrange driver or woofer to be pushed [high enough in frequency] that it becomes very directional. Atkinson: This is why lye laughed when you said yourfirst PSB design was a 12" two-svay. lins just really can't take a iikklir that big much higher than 600 or 7001-1z. Barton: I would have had to cross that 1" tweeter over at about 500Hz to match up the woofer's and tweeter's dispersions. And then I would have had a power-handling problem! [laughs] The speaker would probably play with 1 watt for maybe an hour. And 5 watts for maybe a minute!

Directivity and frequency response are so important. Other things have to fall into line —like power handling, which relates to distortion, and power compression —all those characteristics. But one thing I've learned over the years is how to make good tradeoffs when I don't have the freedom to just throw anything that's needed at the speaker because price is of no consequence, or less of a consequence. As you get into smaller and smaller budgets on a loudspeaker, that's where the challenge is, in making the right tradeoffs.

I'll give you an example. If you're sitting in a typical room, listening to a pair of loudspeakers, the first sound you hear comes directly from the loudspeaker. What is the second sound you hear? In a typical room? Atkinson: The reflection from the floor? Barton: Typically the floor has some treatment, so it's not as good a reflector, and because the tweeter and woofer aren't coincident in traditional two-way systems, you tend to get a lot of interference when you're that far off-axis. The path lengths arc so different, the reflection is not as aggres-sive. The most aggressive second sound you hear, in my experience, is off the side wall, both because it's normally fairly reflective and because, with a vertically oriented speak-er, the horizontal dispersion is usually pretty good over a wide frequency range.

If a loudspeaker's response 60 to 75° off-axis looks good, but 30° is terrible, I'm not as concerned as I would be if 30° was nice and 60 to 75° was terrible. Because the coloration of the off-axis sound comes soon enough after the first sound that you tend to integrate the two. And it's the sum of the first and second arrivals that gives you the sonic sig-nature. Not just the first sound. That's something I pay an awful lot of attention to. Atkinson: I'm reminded of loudspeaker some years ago that mea-sured fiat on-axis. In a blind listening test I was involved its, the lis-teners all marked the speaker down as being horribly bet. If you looked at the /J-axis response, the speakerfeatured big "horns" around 2 or 3kHz. Exactly as you say, the reflections of the sound from the side walls were as bright as all get-out. Even though the first-arrival sound was flat, what we were hearing was the integration of the first mural sound and the second, much brighter reflected sound. And

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that's what we all marked down oil our score sheets. Barton: Exactly. It must have been a strange configuration, as you don't often get off-axis peaks at high frequencies as much as you get a bad blend between the direc-tivity of the larger driver crossing over to a much smaller driver. Atkinson: The speaker that has beets my famrite for a while, the Wie Silver Senature, is a two-way with an 8" woefer. So what you have is a little bit of offaxisflare at the bottons of the tweeter passband. But the wo47 appears to be rolled off a little early to give a shallots, depression in the on-axis response' in exactly the same region where the power response has a little' too much elletV So ivhen you read about loudspeaker designers "voicire their speakers, I think that what they're doing is playing

around with the on-axis response to compossate for discontinuities in the dispersion. Barton: Yes. I would definitely agree with that. Can I talk about other speakers? It's one that no longer exists, but the original KEF R104aB was very flat on-axis. But they crossed the tweeter over way too high. If you put a pair in a room that had reflec-tions, it was a very laid-back speaker. Very distant-sounding. Very pleasant. Atkinson: Because of the lack ql.pres-ence-region ewe its the room? Barton: Because the total energy wasn't there. The 104 was a very well-respected loudspeaker, and quite fraddy worked well in a dead-end/live-end situation, which was at that time the way KEF designed loudspeakers. But it was very room-and placement-sensitive.

Take a speaker that has smooth sound, power, good off-axis re-sponse, good on-axis response. When you think about it, it's probably the most for-giving speaker in any kind of environment. Because when the room is dead, all you hear is the on-axis sound, and it's okay! And when it's in a live room, you hear the sound power, or the reverberant energy, and that's okay! Atkinson: A subject we haven't touched on yet is crossovers. Some people' have this almost mystical belief in one kind of crossover vs another, whether it be first-order or fourth-order or whatever. Is that misguided? Barton: Well, there are tradeoffs. On the Stratus Gold i and the other Stratus models, I use a fourth-order Linkwitz-Riley cross-over between the tweeter and the driver it crosses over from. Now these filters I'm talking about are acoustic filters. If you opened up

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the speaker and counted the com-ponents in the topology, it wouldn't add up to a fourth-order Linlcwitz-Riley. You have to look at the trans-fer function of the drivers as well as that of the electrical filters. I get a kick out of seeing schematics in articles written about different types of topology. It doesn't matter. The driver has its own natural rolloff. And if you take advantage of that, you can save components. You want the acoustic transfer function. You don't want the electrical one. I use a third-order crossover

between the woofer and the mid-range driver. And of course, on the Stratus Gold, the drive-units are quite far apart. That's by virtue of the fact that at 250Hz, which is where the woofer crosses over to the midrange driver, the wave-lengths are still fairly large. In terms of path length, they're still acoustically in a very similar place. However, the 6" mid-bass/midrange driver and the tweeter are as close together as they can be. At the 221cHz crossover frequency, a few inches make a difference. Of course, the tweeter and the midrange driver in the

Stratus Gold i are not coincident. So you run into a problem in the vertical plane: moving from a seated position to a higher or lower one will result in interference because the drivers aren't acoustically in the same place. A lot of people ask me why the Stratus Gold's midbass unit and tweeter are inverted, in that the tweeter is below the midrange. Take a Linkwitz-Riley crossover at 2.1 or 221cHz, and measure this loudspeaker with the tweeter on top, and look at the region where the drivers are acoustically in-phase so that they sum accordingly. The Linkwitz-Riley adds in phase and ampli-tude — the drive-units are in-phase and down 6dB at the crossover point, whereas a Butterworth is down 3dB. When you put all of those in the same pot and stir it up... Atkinson: In front of the speaker it adds, and you get a smooth transition. Barton: But just by virtue of the size of the drivers, the dis-tance they are apart, and the crossover frequency, the inter-ference between the drive-units means that [the main lobe] is actually tilted downward.— The reason we put the tweet-er below the midrange is that with that configuration with a Linkwitz-Riley crossover, the lobe tends to tilt up in the direction that people would be in from the seated to the 'standing position. In that respect, I like to think of the speak-er as being somewhat social as opposed to anti-social. Atkinson: If you look at the measurements of speakers in Stereo-phile, so many two-ways will have a big crossover notch for a stand-ing listener. Barton: Absolutely! You know, you've just got to sit down, listen, then stand up. It's one of the greatest subjective speak-er tests you can do. If the speaker sounds very similar in both cases, either the gods were in favor or the engineer was con-scious of that. And that people's ears dominate the room from the seated position to the standing position, not from the seated position to the floor Atkinson: I was somewhat surprised to see that the Gold's woofer is in the exact center of its volume its subendosure. Intuitively,

THE REASON WE PU IrTHE TWEETER BELOW ,. THE MIDRANGE IS

' THAT WITH THA

_ CONFIGURATION WIT IA LINKvviTz-RILEY ' CROSSOVER, THE

"LOBE TENDS TO TILT

UP IN THE DIRECTIO

. THAT PEOPLE WOULD

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that doesn't seem right. Barton: That was to locate the air inside the box as a lumped element so that the half-length from any high-pressure point—the bound-aries of the enclosure — would be pretty much the same distance when the woofer is pressurizing or de-pressurizing the air. The port is located at the bottom of the enclo-sure, which is a high-pressure point as opposed to high-velocity. The two [factors] in combination result in a speaker that exhibits very little of the problems you usually get with slim enclosures, where two dimensions are much smaller than a third, defining a pipe of some kind.

Another factor in locating the port does not so much concern the lumped-element phenomenon that goes on inside the cabinet, but is a function of the higher frequencies that can escape through the port.

And differences of inches in the position of that port with respect to the driver in that air space can change that dra-matically. So, with all my designs, I experiment with reflec-tions that occur inside the loudspeaker to try to minimize that phenomenon. The other alternative, of course, is to put the port on the back of the speaker, which attenuates it even more. In the case of the Gold i, the port is a big opening on the front of the box but it's optimally placed. Atkinson: Perhaps you should explain that it actually doesn't mat-ter where on the box you put the port or even the woofer, because they're so small compared to the wavelength of the sound they produce. Barton: As we discussed earlier, at higher frequencies, when [the wavelength of the sound approaches] the size of the source of the energy, that sound source becomes very directional. The inverse is also true. When the wavelength is substantially larger than the driver, it tends to radiate omni-directionally. So at the frequencies that the port covers, which are typically 50Hz and below, it doesn't matter what direction it's facing. The wavelength at 100Hz is 10', at 50Hz it's 20'. So when you have a port that's 4" in diameter [and] radiating wavelengths that are 20' long, it really does-n't matter where it is on the speaker. Atkinson: The sound wraps around the box Barton: It just pumps up the power and energy around the speaker; just a little explosion going on. Atkinson: The i is the first change in the Stratus Gold in seven years. And it's 10 years since you launched the Stratus series. What were you trying to achieve 10 years ago with the Stratus speakers that you hadn't yet achieved with the regular PSB brand? Barton: Well, maybe I can go back and outline PSB's approach to design and what we wanted to present to the market: affordable, entry-level, and mid-fi, that was our cor-orate policy. But we wanted to have something we could hang our hat on; to say, "We're serious about this." When the relationship between myself and Lenbrook occurred, it was the first chance I had to develop a flagship. That's how the Stratus series came about. Since that first speaker, Stratus has evolved into a series that includes five models — soon to be six. The five models are the Stratus Gold i, the Stratus Silver, the New Stratus Mini, the Stratus C-5 center-channel loudspeaker, the C-6, which is a larger center-channel, and

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the Stratus Subsonic 4, which you saw at the WCES as a prototype. This will be a remote-controlled, high-powered 15" subwoofer built in the Stratus tradition. Atkinson: Unusually, all the sub-woofi.es manipulation of the signal is done with DSP Barton: All of the filtering, com-pression, protection, position infor-mation, thermal information —all of those things are done in the dig-ital domain. The Stratus subwoofer can have a 30-button remote con-trol so you can control pretty much every parameter you can imagine from your listening seat. I think that what will probably end up happening is that we supply two different remotes: one with basic features, and one with all the ability to do anything the customer wants. Atkinson: The Stratus Cold i is a stereo loudspeaker, yet as with every other speaker company, home theater is obviously having an impact on your product mix. Do you see surround systems ultimately replacing two-channel stereo? And i f so, do you have to design speak-ers somewhat diffirently? Barton: Well, you have to create an SKU that offers a wider variety of applications now because of home theater. I don't think the stereo business is growing, but I don't think it's diminishing. But PSB's growth, as is the case with all speak-er companies, is driven by home theater right now. And answering your question, yes, you can achieve very similar performance levels with different combinations: sub-woofers, small satellites, large front speakers, large center channel... the sky's the limit. The challenge for PSB was to try to quickly adapt to all these different product categories being demanded because of home theater. Atkinson: Where are we going with loudspeaker design? Barton: The NRC, in conjunction with a consortium of Canadian companies —PSB, Paradigm, all the API group, and a small, high-powered studio monitor manufacturer cen-tered in Ottawa called State-of-the-Art Electronics, better known as SOTA (not to be confused with the turntable com-pany) —organized research in pursuit of adaptive loudspeak-ers, what we coined "smart loudspeakers." This Athena pro-ject was a 3'i-year project, and I think approximately $1 mil-lion was spent doing the research. That's not a lot of money for big companies, but there aren't too many loudspeaker companies that can throw $1 million at pure research. A lot was learned through that project. When you were

in Ottawa, you were witness to some of the final results. Atkinson: To sum up my reaction and that of Tom Norton, what 1Ve heard was the digital correction of a pair of original Stratus Golds in the newer L-shaped room at NRC When the speakers were put in obviously suboptimal positions, the improvement in their sound was remarkable But when the speakers were placed where an audiophile would intuitively put them in the room, while there was still an improvement, particularly in imaging, it was actually quite subtle. Barton: I'm glad that you noticed the [improvement in the] bad position, because there are some lifestyle restrictions that people place on systems in homes, and benefits could be achieved by DSP. But I think the consensus is that you have to throw a huge amount of money at the problem, but the result is currently beyond the point of diminishing returns. But we're looking at possibly taking that kind of technology

410 AS WE BECOME MORE

IIAND MORE CRITICAL ' THE POWER OF THE:

MAGNIFYING GLASS

GETS STRONGER AND

I: STRONGER SO THA ,

i

PERCEIVED AS BEING

MUCH LARGER.

MUCH SMALLE

DIFFERENCES ARE

into a very affordable range. What the future holds is little black boxes ; that can enhance loudspeakers and 1 do some DSP things that will improve the performance of the loudspeaker for both home-theater and stereo applications. It is possi-ble that we will integrate [the DSP] with full-range powered speakers that really need just a digital source, not unlike what Meridian does in some of their products. I think that's becoming feasible in an affordable range of speakers cost-ing, say, under $4000 for a system.

There's another area that I'd like to develop, working in conjunction with some research going on at NRC that involves active noise

control. How that translates to hi-fi reproduction is active absorption, which is the opposite of an adaptive loudspeak-er. It sort of "anti-adapts" to the acoustic environment. At low frequencies, I think this could be very effective. I remember years ago there was a tall, slim column called the Black Shadow. Who made that? Atkinson: Nelson Pass designed it for Threshold at the end of the '80s. The time I heard it, it certainly seemed to kill the low-frequency room resonances... Barton: You put it in the corner and pump up the opposite modes, right? Atkinson: Yeah, Barton: So anyway, as far as the future is concerned, even though you haven't heard a lot from the Canadian contin-gent or any of the specific Athena companies about DSP, you can bet that it's actively on the table. Atkinson: What about the fiat speakers that have been promoted by NXT in England and NCI'' in America? Or the so-called "HyperSonic Sound" being promoted by American Technology Corporation and Carver in the US? In 20 years' timt, will audio-philes still be listening to a much-refined version of Rice and Kellogg's moving-coil drive-unit? Barton: I don't think things are going to change that much. As far as flat speakers are concerned, they have technical hurdles that I can't think of ways to overcome. I think when it comes to customers being able to afford it and appreciate good sound, the conventional box loudspeaker is pretty hard to beat. This may sound a little egotistical, I don't know, but it doesn't get much better than that. Atkinson: Paul is pointing to the Gold i. [laughter] Barton: I mean, yes, it does get better, but as you described when hearing the DSP enhancement of a system, improve-ments beyond that are described as being more subtle than dramatic. The late Peter Mitchell probably said it best: As we become more and more critical, the power of the mag-nifying glass gets stronger and stronger so that much small-er differences are perceived as being much larger. I think we're going through that phase in loudspeakers right now. Atkinson: Here at the magazin it's quite a rare event when we get a loudspeaker that has an obviously identifiable midrange coloration. In fact, we tend to call each other up and say, "Come and listen to this." You get so used to loudspeakers conforming to a basic level of neutrality. Barton: I'm just taking a snapshot in time and I'm saying it doesn't get much better than that —right now. Five years from now, I may point to a speaker that is much better than [the Gold i] and say, "It doesn't get much better than that." S


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RECOI‘ENIENDED

COM0011011tS

Components listed here are ones that have been formally reviewed in Stereophile and have been found to

be among the best available in each of four or five quality classes. Whether a component is listed in Class A or Class E, we highly recommend its purchase.

Each listing —in alphabetical order within classes —is followed by a brief description of the product's sonic char-acteristics and a code indicating the Stereophile Volume and Issue in which that product's report appeared. Relevant reviews that appeared in our companion Stereophile Guide to Home Theater are indi-cated by "SGHT.1 No.1"; le, the compo-nent was reviewed in the Stereophile Guide to Home Theater, Volume 1 Num-ber 1, which was published in December 1994. (Vol.1 No2 of the Guide was pub-lished in September '95; Vol2 Nos.1-4 in 1996, Vol3 Nos.1-4 in 1997.) Please note that dedicated home-theater prod-ucts are no longer included in this listing but are part of Stereophile Guide to Home Theatees "Recommended Components,"

the most recent version of which was published in that magazine's Spring 1997 edition (Vol.3 No.1). Some products listed have not yet

been reported on; these are marked (NR), for "Not Reviewed." We rec-ommend that any product's entire review be read before purchase is seri-ously contemplated (products without reviews should therefore be treated with more caution) — many salient characteristics, peculiarities, and caveats appear in the reviews, but not here. To obtain back issues of the mag-azine, see the advertisement in this issue. (We regret that we cannot sup-ply photocopies or e-mail copies of individual reviews.)

Components, in general, do not remain listed for more than three years unless at least one of the magazine's writers and editors has had continued experience with them. Discontinuation of a model also precludes its appearance. In addition, though professional compo-nents —recorders, amplifiers, monitor


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speaker systems — can be obtained secondhand and can sometimes offer performance that would otherwise guaran-tee inclusion, we do not generally include such components. Apart from that exception, Stereophile's "Recommended Components" listing is almost exclusively concerned with products currently available in the US through the usual hi-fi retail outlets.

How recommendations are determined The ratings given components included in this listing are predicated entirely on performance — ie, accuracy of repro-duction — and are biased to an extent by our feeling that things added to reproduced sound (eg, flutter, distortion, col-orations of various kinds) are of more concern to the musi-cally oriented listener than are things subtracted from the sound (eg, deep bass or extreme treble). On the other hand, components markedly deficient in one or more respects are downrated to the extent that their deficiencies interfere with the full realization of the program material. We try to include in "Recommended Components"

every product that we have found to be truly excellent or that we feel represents good value for money. Bear in mind that many different tastes are represented. The listing is compiled after extensive consultation among Stereophile's reviewing staff editors, and publisher, and takes into account continued experience of a product after the formal review has been published. In particular, we take account of unreli-ability and defects that show up after extended auditioning. The fact that a product received a favorable review cannot therefore be regarded as a guarantee that it will continue to appear in this listing. The prices indicated are those current at the time the list-

ing was compiled (August 1997). We make no guarantee that any of these prices will not have changed by the time this issue of Stereophile appears in print.

Where we have found a product to perform much better than might be expected from its price, we have drawn atten-tion to it with a special symbol next to its listing: $$S. We also indicate with a e. products that have been on this list in one incarnation or another since the "Recommended Components" listing in Vol.17 No.10 (October 1994). Longevity in a hi-fi component is rare enough that we think it worth indicating (although it can also indicate that the attention of design engineers has moved elsewhere). A note on editorial style is in order. When a passage is

quoted from the original review, the past tense is used. But when the comment is taken from a more recent private communication from a reviewer, the present tense is used, For example: "Sounded so good I had to cry," said JA of the original version of the Symphonic Bombast A-123 in his review. ST demurs, however, saying that the current Mk.VIa makes his reference speakers "sound like the woofers are disconnectedr We are not sympathetic toward letters complaining that

the Symphonic Bombast A-123 Mk.Vla, which we recom-mended heartily two years ago, no longer makes it into "Recommended Components" at alL Where deletions are made, we endeavor to give reasons (there are always rea-sons). But remember: Deletion of a component from this list does not invalidate a buying decision you have made.

Individual reviewers mentioned by their initials are: Larry Archibald, John Atkinson, Lonnie Brownell, Martin Colloms, Anthony H. Cordesman, Robert Deutsch, Shannon Dickson, Jack English, Michael Fremer, Corey Greenberg, Larry Greenhill, Robert Harley, J. Gordon Holt, Muse Kastanovich, Ken Kessler, Guy Lemcoe, Lewis Lipnick, Peter W Mitchell, Thomas J. Norton, Russell Novak, Dick Olsher, Wes Phillips, Robert J. Reina, Kalman Rubinson, Markus Saueg Donald A. Scott, Jonathan Scull, Chip Stern, Steven Stone, Sam Tellig, Stephen W. Waticinson, Peter van Willenswaard, and Barry Willis.

HOW TO USE THE LISTINGS Read carefully our descriptions here, the original reviews, and (heaven forbid) reviews in other magazines to put togeth-er a short list of components to choose from. Carefully evaluate your room, your source material and front end(s), your speakers, and your tastes. With luck, you may come up with a selection to audition at your favorite dealer(s). 'Recommended Components" will not tell you just what to buy any more than Consumer Reports would presume to tell you whom to many!

Class A Best attainable sound for a component of its kind, without any practical consid-erations; "the least musical compro-mise." A Class A system is one for which you don't have to make a leap of faith to believe that you're hearing the real thing.

Class B The next best thing to the very best sound reproduction; Class B compo-nents generally cost less than Class A ones, but most Class B components are still quite expensive.

C Somewhat lower-ft sound, but far more musically natural than average home-component high fidelity; pro-ducts in this class are of high quality but still affordable.


Class D Satisfying musical sound, but these components are either of significantly lower fidelity than the best available, or exhibit major compromises in perfor-mance —limited dynamic range, for example. Bear in mind that appearance in Class D still means that we recom-mend this product —it's possible to put together a musically satisfying system exclusively from Class D components.

Class E Applying only to loudspeakers and phono cartridges, this "Entry Level" classification includes products that may have obvious defects, but are both inexpensive and much better than most products in their mid-fi price category.

Class II "Keep your eye on this product." Class K is for components that we have not tested (or have not finished testing), but that we have reason to believe may be excellent performers. We are not actually recommending these compo-nents, only suggesting you give them a listen. Though the report has yet to be published in certain cases, the reviewer and editor sometimes feel confident enough that the reviewer's opinion is sufficiently well-formed to include what otherwise would be a Class K entry in one of the other classes, marked (NR).

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turntables A Forsell Air Force One Mk.II: $29,000 1^.• Sophisticated two-chassis, air-bearing Swedish 'table with thread drive and parallel-tracking, air-bearing ton-earn. JS enthused over its 3-D image solidity, tight, deep bass, super-plush midrange, and "enormous palpa-bility factor." Very similar Forsell Air Reference ($14,500) lacks the air-bearing Flywheel drive system, uses an internal motor and a silicone-rubber belt (Vol.17 No.1) Immedia RPM-2: $4995 "This 'table has a way with rhythm and pace that is impos-sible not to notice," observed WE "Images are incredibly stable, which does indeed mean that the soundstagc is huge -not to mention filled with detail....Bass was deep and dynamics were spectacular... As I listened I kept muttering. 'It's so big, it's s000 bide' And it was." Turntable must be ordered for a specific toneami. Price is with acrylic base; upgraded metallic base adds $1000. (Vo120 No.5) Linn Sondek LPI2 with Lingo power supply: $3045 $$$ Compared with the Valhalla model, the Lingo-equipped version minimizes the LP12's propensity for a slightly fat midbass, subjectively extending the low frequencies by another octave. The Lingo upgrade alone costs $1450. The Trampolin suspension reduces the effect of the support. Cirkus bearing/subchassis, now fitted as standard, costs $595 including labor as upgrade kit, and further extends and tightens the turntable's bass, leading to a Class A rating, according to MC, JA, and LG (as long as a good support is used, adds MC). Though CG feels that the LP12/Cirkus loses a certain something compared with the original version, he still concluded that "the LP12 ranks as one of the finest high-end audio products on the market today." "A deeper, more profound silence," enthuses WP over the Cirkus mod, adding that what stunned him was "the extent to which surface noise receded into insignificance." Superbly low measured rumble and excellent speed stability reinforce the feeling of maximum musical involvement offered by this classic belt-drive turntable. Good isolation from shock and vibration. While the felt mat doesn't offer the greatest degree of vibration suppression within the vinyl disc, what absorption it does offer is uniform with frequen-cy. Despite flirtations with other decks, JA remains true to the basic design he has used now kit more than 18 years. (Vol.14 No.1, VoL16 No.12, Vol.17 No.5, Vol.19 No2) Nairn Armageddon 1212 turntable power supply: $1200 A 430VA, low-impedance transformer designed to drive the Linn LP12 Basic turntable while isolating it from powerline noise. WP was enthused, citing the improved pace and energetic presentation of the music over his Valhalla'd LP12. "The snap and surge of the rhythms that propel the song along were better served," he asserted. However, this carne at the cost of ultimate bass extension -a tradeoff that many would not under-take willingly (JA, for one). Highly recommended-MC agrees with WP that the LP12/Armageddon is a Class A turntable -but audition before committing your Linn to surgery. (Vol.19 No2) VPI TNT Mk.3: $5000 MFs reference. Modular design allows owners of older models to upgrade easily and inexpensively, or lets the impecunious start with the TNT Jr. and upgrade as finances allow. Slightly on the warm side of neutrality, asserted MF, but "big, full, weighty and rich." The massive table's speed stability and ultra-low noise floor "'floated' the sound so far beyond the reality of a stylus in a groove, it liberated it from the mechanical world to the living, breathing, real musi-cal world." WP, a long-time Linnie, feels the cur-rent iteration finally swings realistically and concurs with MF: Definite Class A. Flywheel adds $1000. (Vol.19 No.11)


Kuzma Stab!: $2400 GL is quite enamored of this turntable when it's fitted with the Stogi tonearm, proclaiming, "I know of no better way to take advantage of this vinyl renaissance than ... with this superior-sounding, no-nonsense turntable willing and able to convey all of the dynam-ics, dynamic range, rhythm and pace, nuance and finesse that are the stuff of music. And, it's built to last into the next ice age." (Vol.18 No.5) Rep Planar 9: $2595 Refitted improvement rung upon the Planar 3. MF praised its lively, exciting presentation, finding it supe-rior to the Planar 3 in terms of focus, bass extension, and neutrality. Lack of sprung suspension dictates the use of sonic sort of anti-resonant base. MF was most impressed with the Planar 9 as a system incorporating Rega's 15,13900 toncarm and Exact cartridge. Those looking to mix'n'match, he felt, might be better served elsewhere. (Vo120 No.8) VPI TNT Jr.: $3000 Capable of being upgraded in easy stages, the high-mass Jr. uses a simple Navcom suspension and, accord-ing to SS, is "absurdly simple to set up." A "blacker soundstage" than VPI's popular HW-19, he found, commenting that it had excellent low-bass extension and definition. Tripod pulley system, PLC (power-line conditioner), and new drive-belts kir the TNT Jr. take it most of the way toward full TNT Mk.III Plus status. (That would require replacing the suspension -an $800 option.) SS found the changes "subtle but perva-sive," particularly lauding the improved soundstaging. Knocking on the door of Class A. West Coast price is $3100. (Vol.18 Nos.1 & 11) Well Tempered Classic Turntable: $2795 (inc. carbon-fiber arm and Black Damped Platter) sr RH's long-term reference, this integrated belt-drive turntable/tonearm combination features an acrylic platter and a unique four-point wobble-free bearing. Lacks a suspension, but is designed with attention to detail, particularly concerning the maximizing of speed stability and the rejection of motor noise. Most obvious sonic characteristic is stability, both in speed and harmonic structure, coupled with cleaned-up sound quality: "The quiet between the notes is sud-denly more silent," said AB in his review. In addition, dynamics seem to be enhanced, though the sound is more lightweight than that of, say, the VPI. The Black Damped Platter is now standard, and is also available for $395-$495, depending on the vintage of turntable. GL feels that the new platter will go a long way toward alleviating the WTT's lightweight balance. RH recommends the various Marigo Audio Labs modifi-cations for both arm and turntable: Well Damped Arm Clamp ($299), Micro Suspension System and Motor Terminator Kit ($239, now height-adjustable), and, for those with the old platter, the Reference Interface Mat System ($239), which can also be used on other turntables -see RI-i's review in VoL16 No.4. (Vol.11 No3, VoL16 No.4; see also GL's review of the $2000 Fountainhead turntable base in Vol.17 No.10.)

Linn Sondek 1212 Valhalla: $2045 er The standard against which newer turntable deigns have been measured for almost two decades, the Linn is felt by some to be more colored than the other Class C 'tables, particularly in the upper bass. Latest version has a laminated armboard and Cirkus bearing/subchassis ($595 inc. labor as upgrade kit), which result in a con-siderably more neutral sound. Certainly it's harder to set up and is more likely to go out of adjustment, though with the latest springs, Trampolin suspension, glued subchassis, and Cirkus mod, it's now much better in this respect (Low-bass extension suffers when the LP12 is not set up correctly.) Still sets a high performance stan-dard, found WP -although it can certainly be bettered in one area or another its balance of virtues is hard (but not impossible) to improve upon. A version with a Basik power supply is available for $1690. (Vol.7 No2, Vol.13 No3, VoL16 No.12, Vol.19 No2)

VPI IIW-19 IV: $1850 tr The Mk.111 version of the VPI 'table (still available for $1250) was cosmetically more elegant than the origi-nal, and achieved a standard of sonic neutrality that put it dose to the SOTA Star Sapphire -and at a signifi-cantly lower price. Borderline Class B. The Mk.IV ver-ion is better still, the music arising from a velvet-black background, thought GL, with significant improve-ments in soundstaging and resolution. "Detailed, neu-tral, easy to set up, and a bargain," enthuses RJR. An upgrade with a standard Mk.IV platter from older HW-19s costs $800; with a TNT Series 2 planet the upgrade gm costs $900; an acrylic armboard for the ET 2 costs $50, a while the special 1"-thick armboard for the ET 2 when the TNT platter is used costs $120. The MW-19 readi- ‘115 ly accommodates a wide range of tonearms and is very stable. The $450 Power Line Conditioner (see Vol.12 No2) is an essential accessory. The '19 can be upgraded to TNT status. (Vol.8 No.4, Vol.9 NosA & 9, Vol.12 No.11, Vol.15 No.8; see also VoL13 No.7, p.112, and GUs ET 2 report in Vol.14 No.10.)

D Regs Planar 3: $693 $$$ kegs Planar 2: $495 Two synergistic nixes of no-nonsense deck with superb arm (included). Lack of environmental isolation may be problematic (see "Letters" in Vol.16 No.10). However, "outstanding performance," MF crowed about the Planar 3. "It's quiet, dynamic... fire of obvi-ous tracking distortion or other supposed analog prob-lems, extremely well-balanced top to bottom, offers very deep and reasonably tight bass, and will do no damage to your precious records." Then he threw down his analog gaundet: "If you're an all-CD kind of audiophile, here's the kicker: I think the Rep 3 will blow your mind, even if you have a very-high-priced spread." MF found the very similar Regs 2 an "incred-ible bargain," proclaiming it to have speed stability and an arm far better than the 'table's price should allow. Planar 3 can be obtained in a dedicated version for playing 78s. (Vol.7 No.1, Vol.8 No.6, Vol.19 No.12, Planar 3; Vol.19 No.12, Planar 2) Rotel RP-900: $499.90 (inc. arm) Budget deck based on Regs parts, induding glass plat-ter/felt mat and robust variant on the Regs RB-200 arm, offers surprising detail, says MF. Spring-mounted feet offer moderate isolation. Check speed accuracy before purchase. MF feels the extra bucks for the Rep Planar 3 are worth it, however. (Vol.18 No.8) Thorens TD 320 Mk.III: $1080 While praising its build quality and value per dollar, MF lamented the 320 mklirs lack of rhythmic excitement and punch, as well as its loss of inner detail and lack of focus. (Vol.19 No.12)

Rockport Technologies Sirius II, SME Model 20, VPI TNT Mk.IV, Wilson Benesch.

tonearms A Clearaudio/SoutherlIi-Quartz Improved: $2500 SS felt that the TQEs assets -elegant design, longevity, resolution, low-level detail, superb soundisge delin-eation, top-end air, and accurate midrange re-creation -far outweigh its relatively minor shortcomings of a reticence in the bass and a daunting setup procedure. "Mates synergistically with Clcaraudio S-type car-tridges," SS opines. Not an MF fave. Clearaudio offers an upgrade for older arms to TQi status for $600. (Vol.18 No.4) Graham Model 13-T/C: $1996-$2750 Beautifully engineered tmipivot design using an SME-type armboard cutout that offers interchangeable armwands, a refined counterweight-decoupling mechanism, and easy adjustment of VTA, azimuth,

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and geometry. Superb bass definition, though not as much ultimate weight as the SME; but astonishingly good retrieval of midband information due to a very low resonant signature, exceeding even the perfor-mance of the SME in this area. Standard finishes arc gold matte and chrome matte. Basic 13 costs $1996. The "t" version costs $2500 and includes T-2 tungsten-steel side weights to replace standard brass ones ($250 as upgrade) and AZ-1 Azimuth Alignment Box ($150 as upgrade). As well as tungsten-steel counterweights, improved T/C version ($2750) offers progressional-cast SW-3 ceramic anntube ($800 as upgrade). SS admires its balance of sonic attributes, its ease of setup and adjustment, and its neutrality. Class A. pure and simple -and the only toneann for audiophiles who love (and own) more than one cartridge. Version with armboard now available for the Linn Sondek LP12. (Vol.14 Nos3 & 8, Vol.18 No.6; see also TJN's SOTA Jewel review in Vol.15 No.4 and MFs review of the Rockport Series 6000 toneamt in Vol.19 No.5.) Immedia RPM2: $2495 luis medium/high-mass damped unipivot tonearm is, for now. MFs favorite; WP, too, is a big admirer. Sez Mike. "It is...brilliantly designed and executed, and it sounds bitchin'r Not for everyone, however. It must be mounted on a well-isolated armboard. Some will find the RPM2's "just the facts" delivery lean, but WP thinks ies just reporting what's there, adding next to nothing of its own. Others may find it a bit too "fiddly" -chang-ing VTA also involves changing VTF and damping. (Vo120 No.9) Linn Ekos: $2595 * Cleaner-sounding than the Ittok (upon which its loose-ly based), the Ekos rivals the SME in overall neutrality while offering a somewhat brighter, more energetic pre-sentation of the music. The treble is nevertheless superbly transparent. The Ekos also provides a much better match with the Linn L1'12 than the English anis, which loses control of the bass when mounted on the Scottish turntable. MC also found the Ekos's bass to be more tuneful and "open" than that of the original Wok. Azimuth adjustinent is not possible. Some users have reported long-term problems with the bearings; the sample JA bought has been okay in this respect. (Vol.12 Nas3 & 4, Vol.13 No3, Vol.16 No.6) Nalin ARO: $2150 * "An inner balance and harmony consistent with the musical message," says MC of this unipivot design. MS found the ARO to offer superb timbral accuracy, soundstaging, dynamics, and rhythmic integrity. He also found it less bright than the Linn Ekos, and better balanced in the bass than the SME V. WP concurs, ranking it high among the anus he's auditioned, but cautions that the lack of any overhang adjusment dic-tates careful cartridge matching, or the ability to drill new annboards with different radii from the spindle for each new transducer. Additional anis tops cost $1200. (Vol.16 No.6, Vol.19 No.2) Regs RB900: $995 $$$ Upscale version of the RB300 with superior bearings and mounting scheme. MF felt the '900 performed as well as toneanns costing twice the price, when mated to the right cartridge -said mating being constrained by the Rega's lack of provision for VTA adjustment, which MF considers a major flaw. Rega's own Exact is designed to mate with the arm, thus benefiting from the arm's added rigidity. (Vo120 No.8) Rockport Series 6000: $4500 MF -obviously discomfited by this air-bearing, lin-ear-tracking toneann's price tag -nonetheless con-chided that "its awesome sonic performance, explosive dynamics, gigantic soundstage, exquisite foctis... tonal neutrality ... and its surefooted ability to hang the car-tridge where it can retrieve the most information... make it a true (dare I say it?) bargain." However, he now notes that the Rockport does not have as deep a bass as the Graham 2.0 and Immedia anus. Product will be revised to Series 7000 status in November, with a concomitant price increase to $6750. (Vol.19 No.5) SME Series V: $2550 * This beautifully constructed pivoted toneann has an extraordinarily neutral midrange, with one of the low-

est resonant signatures in this region (though 1)0 feels the Graham offers slightly more midrange detail). Easy to set up. VTA and overhang are adjustable during play, but there's no azimuth adjustment -something that 1)0 feels to be a significant drawback. "The best bass perfomunce on the market," said SWW. LA con-curs, using the V on a VPI TNT, but JGH, JA, DO, and LL feel that the whole bass range is somewhat exaggerated. Not recommended with the LP12. Some compatibility problems with cartridges having low height. A less versatile version, the 1V.Vi (which uses Series V bearings and Magnan Vi wiring), appears to offer the V's sonic virtues and more at a lower cost ($1995 $$$). (Vol.9 No.6, Vol.14 No.8, Vol.16 No.6) Wheaton Triplanar IV Ultimate: 52495-$2850, depending on termination, finish, and wiring options Superbly finished, handmade pivoted toncann allows for VTA adjustment during play, and comes with Cardas internal wiring, decoupled counterweights, and silicone cartridge damping. A "robust, rollicking, Rabelaisian" sound, found SS, who also commented on its dynamics and drive. A richer balance than the Clearaudio-Souther Tri-Quartz Improved, but less well-defined imaging than the Graham, felt SS. MF is working on a Follow-Up. (Vol.18 No.2) VPI JMW Memorial Tonearm: $2300 Unipivot toneams features vestigial anti-slcating, which disconcerted MF. Nonetheless, he enthused over its lush midrange, ultra-smooth top end, and rock-solid imaging and soundstaging. "Subjectively," he observed, "it seemed to have lower distortion than any other piv-oted ami I've heard, but part of that might be the result of its sm000th frequency balance. Inner detail was out-standing." However, he added, "I think there's a slight midbass exaggeration that may be part of the spreading warmth above this range, and which gives this arm its inviting midrange." WP admires the ami, but suspects we have not seen its ultimate incarnation yet. Additional ami assemblies cost $900. (Vo120 No.1)

Kuzma Stogi: $1200 A GL favorite when used on the Stahl turntable (see "Timitables"). (Vol.18 No.5) Regs RB300: $425 $$$ The Regis offers very good detail, depth, midrange neu-trality, ambience, and precision of imaging, almost creep-ing into Class B. Works well with the Regs and Roban 'tables. The Audio Advisor also offers it as a package with the VPI 1{W-19 Mk.111 and Jr. and SOTA Sapphire turntables. Lacks any form of height adjustment, howev-er -VTA can only be adjusted by adding spacers wider the base. (Vol.7 No.7, Voll0 No.1, Vol.19 No.12) Well Tempered Classic Arm: $1095 $5$ One of the most neutral-soluiding arms, according to JGH, the odd-looking Classic is hard to fault on any count. Superb highs, stereo soundstaging, and midrange, plus excellent compatibility with MC car-tridges that put a lot of energy back into the arm. Some deficiency/softness in the low bass -and, according to sonic listeners, an undynamic sound - keep it from Class A, but there are virtually no other problems. Good value for money. The Black Classic carbon-fiber amstube, which is currently being sup-plied with new Well Tempered Classic Turntables, is available as an upgrade for $595. Removing the arm-rest, which adds a thickening in the lower midrange when the ami is mounted on the Well Tempered Turntable (see Vol.11 No.6), further improves the sound, as does replacing the standard counterweight with one of more mass nearer the pivot. RH recom-mends the LP Lab carbon-fiber amitube modification for the WTA (Vol.15 No.1), which costs $395 includ-ing UPS return shipping, as well as the Mango Audio Labs Well Damped Ann Clamp ($299). (Vol.8 Nos.4 & 7, Vol.9 Nos3 & 5, Vol.16 No.4)

Wilson Benesch A.C.T. One, Graham 2.0.

phono cartridges A AudioQuest 7000 Fe: $2750 More expensive replacement-with boron cantilever and nonremovable body - for the excellent-sounding 7000n.sx is less dry-sounding and not quite as "razor- sharp," notes MF. He enthused over the remarkable low-end oomph, richness, and sonic luxury. "Big, gen- cab emus, and easy-sounding," and possessed of a gener-ous 0.4mV output, "while maintaining ... resolution of inner detail." However, he cautions, "greater midrange liquidity and sense of 'quiet' background lis availablel from other (more expensive) cartridges." Correct VTA critical for optimum performance. (Vol.14 No.6, VoL15 No.1, original version; Vol.19 No.4) 11=1 Benz-Micro Ruby: $3000 Some disagreement between JS and JE over this 0 European wooden-bodied MC, which has an unusual-ly low output. With a high-gain preamplifier that allows its dynamics to fully develop, the Ruby favors accuracy C"a over the spectacular, neutrality over immediacy, but 0 might be considered too self-effacing overall. Tracking ability was excellent. Price with qualifying trade-in car- midge is $2000; retipping costs $500. (Vol.18 No.1) Clearaudio Insider: $7500 81=I JS fell hard for this pricey low-output moving-coiL 92, "Perfectly transparent, neutral, and supremely musical.. . always pulled the best out of the vinyl it traced." .1 He went on to praise the "quick and sure hand it dis-played with transients and dynamics, the colorful , palette, and the ease with which it threw up a sound-stage," concluding that it's "the best cartridge in the world." SI) harmonizes: "Still the king." (Vol.19 No.5) Crown Jewel Reference: $2650 Beautifully built low-output moving-coil cartridge that MF deemed "one of the most seductive and lush-sounding ... I've heard in my system." He further elab-orated: "while its tonal balance leans slightly toward the warm, liquid, lush side of the spectrum, the Jewel offers a reasonably neutral overall frequency balance, combined with smooth high-frequency extension on top and solid, authoritative bass respome on the bot-tom." Perhaps likely to present an excessively warn portrayal if teamed with gear already headed in that direction, he warned, but overall "an extremely attrac-tive combination of refined attributes aimed at the sophisticated listener." (Vo120 No.4) Linn Arkiv: $2200 ir This Scan-Tech-sourced, tonally neutral, three-point-mounting MC cartridge has a less incisive, more soft-sounding presentation than the Troika it replaced, but excels in its feeling of musical communication. Some sample inconsistency, however. A version with a boron cantilever should be available by the time you read these words. (Vol.16 No.11) Lyra Clavis Da Capo: $1895 Sit "Demands precise setup," cautioned MF, but offers superb focus, three-dimensional solidity, spatiality, detail, and air. However, he asserts, "Some will find the highs too forward and 'zingy,' the balance too lean and detailed, the bass too taut and not sufficiently luxuri-ous sounding." Dynamic balance a touch "reserved" - due, possibly, to its 250µV output. Even so, "I loved it!" he concluded. (Vol.19 No.4) Lyra Parnassus: $3495 Though neither JS nor JE felt the Parnassus was a champ at detail retrieval or dynamics, they both unhesitatingly gave this Scan-Tech-sourced low-out-put MC a Class A rating. "A music-lover's cartridge ... immediately musically satisfying but never offensive sounding," was Mr. E's conclusion; "delightful midrange textures," and "it conveys emotion," summed up the sanguine Mr. S. (Vol.18 No.2) Symphonic Line RG-8 Gold: $5000 tr What's so endearing about the handmade RG-8, according to DO, is its rare mastery over music's finesse and brawn: the effortless detailing, the smooth-ness of expression, and the purity of texture are com-bined with the bass impact and dynamic power of a

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BACK ISSUES WHILE THEY LAST! ISSUE(' EACH

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steam locomotive. Works best into high-impedance loads. JE and JS were also mightily impressed, the lat-ter with die precise delineation of images, the former with its pace, drive, slam, and rhythmic integrity. Not kind to sizzly recordings, however. (Vol.16 No2, Vol.18 No2) Transfiguration Temper: $3800 MF and WP consider this the best they've heard yet. although 25011V output dictates quiet systems with lotsa gain. "Liquid and luxurious from the very highest to the very lowest frequencies," declared MF. "Relaxed detail dut never overwhelms the musical integrity," WP counters. They could probably go on for hours. Now distribulcil by Graham Engineering. (Vol.19 No.7) van den Hul Frog: $2500 "Morel expensive cartridges arc going to be hard put to justify their cost with the Frog around," proclaimed WP of this moderate-output (650uV) moving-coil. "A healthy output can be a seductive thing ... I was able to turn down my preamp substantially while main-taining high output levels, and crescendos and other climaxes gained considerable heft. The lower noise floor meant I could hear further into the recordings as well." vdH estimates stylus life at 3000 hours -as much as twice the norm -and also offers retipping for $500. (Vo120 No.7) van den Hul Grasshopper IV: $5000 Now distributed in the US by Stanalog Imports, the lund-built Grasshopper IV differs significantly from earlier 'hoppers and incorporates AJ van den Hul's lat-est thoughts on cartridge design. Changes significantly during break-in, after which it is not as analytical-sounding as the Symphonic Line RG-8 but "balanced more toward the relaxed, rich, and cal," decided is. The vdH also features a "very wide and envelop-ingly deep soundstagc." (Vol.18 No.7) Wilson Benesch Carbon: $2800 Low-output moving-coil cartridge uses a carbon-fiber shell. MF found the Carbon "a fast, very detailed transducer offering superb extension at the frequency extremes and outstanding linearity in between." He also loved its "image focus, speed, and control throughout the audio band." Yet he wasn't comfort-able with its (perhaps overly) vivid tonal color or ultra-fast perspective - features that, he allows, make for exciting listening. A careful audition is recommended. (Vol.19 No.12)

Blue Oasis: $1650 Though its top end is a little softened in absolute terms, JE liked the Oasis more than is did, the latter finding it sounded too mellow. Needs to be used with a high-gain, low-noise phono preamp, with which its retrieval of detail cari be heard to be excellent. The bass is extended, right, and powerful. (Vol.18 No.1) Clearaudio Signature: $2300 While both JE and JS liked the neutral sound of this high-output German MC, neither felt it to quite scale the heights of Class A performance. The highs are extended and open. but this may have contributed to a sensitivity to disc surface noise. "An immediate, vibrant perspective," commented JS, who, like JE, pre-ferred the Signature loaded with 47k ohms. JE felt it sounded not quite as lush in the midrange as he would have liked, but also commented favorably on the sense of air and space it produced. (Vol.18 No.1) London (Decca) Jubilee: $1750 MC claims that "when it's good, the Jubilee is very, very good; but when it's wrong, it an be horrid." It sets the standard, he feels, for dynamic expression and rhythm. But, he notes, it does not track the typical range of groove modulations cleanly or convincingly. When the going gets toughs (le, loud), the Jubilee loses clarity and detail -and causes excessive groove wear to boot. (Vol.18 No.6) Sumiko SHO Reference High-Output: $1800 WP feels this high-output MC has body, presence, and rhythin - and a purity in the highs frequencies that causes overtones to float forever. "It sounds like m u sic." he pronounces. Well-built, reliable, and extremely musia, he says, with an uncanny knack for

sorting out audible details in the quietest passages. (Vol.18 NoA)

Audio-Techrtica AT-ML 150/OCC: $400 $$4 Snappy presentation enables the 150 to do "an out-standing job of delineating boundaries between images." claimed MF. "Transient attack throughout the spectrum was taut, with well-articulated bass and crisp yet natural-sounding high frequencies. Yet," quoth the maven, "despite its superior information retrieval, [the 150) began to sound thin and gray, as though the music were corning through a salin that wasn't ktring all the colors through." "Faster and more detailed than the Shure, the AT has plenty of snap, but it lacks dse Shure's richness and harmonic completeness," he sums up. (Vo120 No.7) Benz-Micro Glider: $750 $$$ "'Ilse aural pictures the Glider paints." LB effused, "are so good they really give you a glimpse into the origi-nal event" Citing the cartridge's presentation of detail, pinpoint imaging, and almost physical presence, he did cavil that some may find the rnidbass on the soft side of accurate. "Powerful stuff," he said of one night's audition; "magic, in fact." Retipping costs $400. Borderline Class B. (Vol.19 No.8) Benz MC Gold: $350 SSS "A real smoothy," MF proclaimed. A luxurious top end and a great sense of liquidity were compromised some-what, he felt, by compressed dynamics. (Vol.19 No.12) Ortofon MC-I5 Super $250 $ii "A real sleeper," according to MF, "offering very neu-tral tonal balance -a bit lean, if anything-good ambience retrieval, fine extension on top without grain or glare, good control below, and impressive overall dynamics." For his taste, it tracked a tad heavi-ly at 22 grams, "but it provided a quiet background from which the music emerged." (Vol.19 No.12) Regs Exact: $595 Hand-built MM widwur a removable stylus, that MF claimed "will get your heart racing, that's for sure." The Analog Kid was knocked out by its explosive, energetic sound, breathtaking midrange purity, and transient snap. He was less fond of its "aggressive" top end and abundant low-frequency and tnidbass energy. Even so, he recommended auditioning the Planar 9 as a system incorporating this cartridge and concludes that "the Exact could bring a somewhat reticent sys-tem to life." (Vo120 No.8) Shure VI5VxMR: $300 While the latest version of this venerable design did-n't offer MF "all the air and space present on live recordings, or the kind of front-to-back layering of perfectly focused images I hear from the top-shelf moving-coils, and it didn't recover the small microbursts of energy that make music sound live," Milsey nevertheless concluded that, "if you're looking for music with a reasonably honest portrayal of the harmonic structure of the real thing, you'll get it from the V15." (Vo120 No.7)

Ortofon XI-MC: $125 High-output MC that MF praised for its "surprising-ly good low-level resolution." Despite some graini-ness on top, "a very good performer for the money." (Vol.19 No.12) Regs Elys: $225 This MM cartridge, MF discovered, "offered high out-put, tonal balance, and good extension top and bot-tom." On the downside, "it accentuated surface noise and was less than exemplary at the very bottons." (Vol.19 No.12) Sumiko Blue Point: $195 tr Rather a woolly bass, due to the P-Mount/adaptor configuration, but a sweet balance lacking any nasality, thought CG of this high-output MC. (Vol.16 No.4, Vol.18 No.8)

Grado ZTE+I: $30 * Ilse best buy in a really cheap cartridge, this MM has

excellent trackability and sounds rather like a good MC. Stereophile readers should consider spending more than $30 on a cartridge, but when asked by friends what they would recommend for an old Dual or Garrard, this "system saver" is the one to mention. Will hum if used with older AR decks; lack of sus-pension damping can lead to woofer pumping, even flutter, with high- or even medium-mass arms. (Vol.7 No.8; actual review was of the earlier GTE+1.)

ClearAudio Gamma S Gold, Cardas Ruby, AudioQuest MC-200, Dynavector XX-II, Denon SI, Benz-Micro MO.9, Blue Oasis Signature, Wilson Benesch Analog 1, Grado Reference and Signature Jr., Lyra Parnassus De Capo MC, Goldring Excel, van den Hul Black Beauty.

Deletions Sumiko Blue Point Special not auditioned in a long time.

phono accessories record cleaners Allsop Orbitrac 2 record cleaner: $34.99 MF considers this indispensible for optimum vinyl hygiene -he uses it to preclean records before using a vacuum-operated cleaning machine. Otherwise, he maintains, the machine's intake pads become contam-inated and, in turn, contaminate every future record cleaned upon it. (Vo120 Nos.! & 4) Audio Physic cartridge demagnetizer: $399 MF found this expensive device most effective in nuintaining that "like-new" quality of his MC car-tridge. He recommends placing the stylus in the groove of a stationary record when using in order to center the coils in the magnetic field. (Vol.18 No.12) CA 22D2 record brush "When used in a conscientiously applied program of reg-ular vinyl hygiene," MF asserted, "these brushes. ..are very useful for manicuring loose, dry dust from already cleaned records. I recommend giving even the cleanest record in your collection a once-over." (Vol.19 No.11) The Cardas Sweep Record: $16 Inexpensive degaussing aid for cartridges that also, it is claimed, ultrasonically cleans stylus. Record also fea-tures blank, ungrooved areas that facilitate anti-skating adjustments-or, for linear-tracking arms, level. MF found it effective, especially when considering its price. "Wouldn't be without id" enthuses JS. (Vol.18 No.12) DB Systems DBP-10 Protractor: $39.95 it Fiddly but accurate guide for setting cartridge tangency. JA's and JGH's preferred alignment protractor. (NR) Decca, Hunt-EDA, Goldring, or Statibrush car-bon-fiber record brushes * Properly used (held with the bristles at a low angle against the approaching grooves and slowly slid off the record), these are the most effective dry record-clean-ers available. UGH disagrees, feeling that they leave the dust on the record.) No substitute for an occasion-al wet wash. (Vail) No.8) Discwasher record brush ir If you don't have a record-cleaning machine, the DW system will do an adequate job on relatively dean records, but won't get out the deep grungc, wrote JGH. If you begin to accumulate lots of gunk on your stylus after cleaning your record with an older DW brush, the bristles are wons our, send it back for resurfacing, or buy a new one. A high-torque turntable is required. (NR) Express Machining "The Lift": $99.95 (chrome), $119.95 gold-plated Pricey mcdunical device that lifts manual tonearms at record's end. "Once I had all of the parameters paper-ly adjusted, it worked flawlessly and reliably," MF reports. Ali, there's the nib -getting it properly adjusted may well provide some heart-stopping moments as your tonearm goes flying through the air. Instructions are inadequate. (Vo120 No.5)

Stereophile, October 1997 113 '•

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1 14 Stereophile, October 1997

Gruv-Glide $23.95 Record de-staticizing agent that ST found to give bet-ter sound. Apparently doesn't gninge-up the stylus or leave a thin. (Vol.9 No.8) Hi-Fi News & Record Review Test LP: $25 Although MF was frustrated by the enigmatic instruc-tions, he deems this an essential tool for analog set-up. Available front Acoustic Sounds. (Vo120 No.1) K-A-B SpeedStrobe Digital Phonograph Speed Readout: $89.95 inc. Seal Easy-to-use strobe disc simplifies precision adjustment of turntable speeds from 33'i to all of the variations on "78." "It's just fantastic," effined JS. "It looks cool, and it's a snap to perfectly set the speed." (Vol.19 No2) LAST Power LP Cleaner: $32.50/half-oz bottle * This small bottle of Freon-free cleaner is enough to treat 75 LPs. JE found just three drops sufficient to remove dirt, dust, and gtime from garage-sale records, though he found that a subsequent wash with his VP1 HW- 17 was still required to reduce groove noise to acceptable levels. "A worthwhile companion to LAST's wonderlitl Record Preservative." (Vol.17 No.5) LAST Record Preservative: $32.50/2-oz bottle * Significantly improves the sound of even new records, and is claimed to make them last longer. A 2-oz bottle contains 60 treannents. (Vol.5 No.3) LAST STYLAST Stylus Treatment: $27/quarter-oz bottle * Stylus treannent desiped to reduce friction between groove and phono cartridge. Sottie manufacturers cau-tion against it, claiming it !ingrates up the cantilever and attracts dust-thus clogging the armature. One reader suggests applying treannent to brush rather than stylus, which would reduce the possibility of over-applying. MF has found STYLAST effective, but expresses concern over possible damage to cartridge. (Vol.18 No.I2) Lyle Cartridges Alignment Tool: $15.95 Inexpensive but invaluable -this sliver of mirror has alignment markings and a spindle cutout. Slip it into place on your platter and use the classic two-point grid system to make sure everything's aligned. The mirror is the trick - it allows you to sight the cartridge's posi-tion against the markings themselves. "An essential tool" declares WP. (NR) Nitty Gritty Mini Pro 2 record-cleaning machine: $809 .-Nitty Gritty 2.5Fi record-cleaning machine: $579 Nitty Gritty 1.5Fi Mk.I1 record-cleaning machine: $509 The Mien PrO is a semiautomatic machine that cleans both disc sides simultaneously. The 1.5 is identical to the 2.5 but substitutes vinyl for the Litter's genuine oak side panels. Instead of a vacuuming "tonearm," as on the professional Keith Monks machine, the NG clean-er uses a vacuum slot. Cleaning is efficient and as good as Nitty Gritty's Pro, at a significantly lower price, though it takes twice as long, cleaning each side of an LP in turn. While the vacuum-cleaning Nitty Gritty does a similar job on dusty albums as the similarly priced VP1 HW-16.5, CG felt that the VP1's hard-bris-tled brush did better with really dirty LPs than did NG's velvet one. He found the effect of both was to produce a less colored, more detailed midband sound from LPs, as well as provide the expected reduction in surface noise. (Mini Pro, VoL8 Nol; 2.5Fi, Vol.7 No.5, Vol.8 No.1; 1.5Fi, Vol.17 No.5) Nitty Gritty Model 1.0 record-cleaning machine: $259 $$$ Audio Advisor Record Doctor II: $200 SU er Both of these machines (the latter is manufactured for Audio Advisor by Nitty Gritty) are manual units that offer the least-expensive way to effectively clean LPs. Record Doctor II differs from the original in that it has a roller bearing to make turning the LP easier when the vacuum-cleaning motor is on. The earlier model can be fitted with a roller-bearing accessory -avail-able for $17 inc. S&H from K-A-B Electro-Acoustics, P.O. Box 2922, Plainfield, NJ 07062-2922-which tits beneath the existing platter. The Nifty Gritty 1.0 is also available as the oak-finished 2.0 for $305. (NR)

Stereophite, October 1997

QR/DNM Design Ftingmat Mk.fl XLR turntable mat: $90 * RI) found this paper/cork mat (available in three thicknesses) to both reduce groove noise and increase detail resolution when used on his Lingo'd Linn. ST had some initial difficulties with the cork rings detach-ing, but he found the Ringmat to turn his AR into a more detailed, more neutral-sounding 'table. Changes in the cork rings and their spacing result in "greater clarity, focus, slightly righter bacs, and a wider, deeper soundstage," according to ST. who proclaimed it "The only mat that matters." MF points out that, while it changes the sound of glass-plattered tables, such as the Rega, not everyone will find the change an improve-ment. Now distributed in the US by Music Hall. (Vol.17 No.5, Vol.18 Nol, Vol.19 Nos.6 & 11) Regs cartridge torque wrench: $125 Expensive, but a must, MF felt "for serious analog addicts and professional installers." Agreed, scz ST: but "for God's sake be carefial with this thing, especially with the new Grado wooden-bodied cartridges... best used with very strong bodied cattridges- such as Rega's." (V01.19 No.11) Shun Mook record weight: $1200 * The best record weight JS has used on his Forscll turntable, "bar none." Ridiculously expensive, howev-er. (Vol.17 No2) 'The Disc Doctor's Miracle Record Cleaner: $19.95/pint plus $5 S&H MPs fiworite LP cleaning stuff, in combination with the Orbitrac and the VP1 HW-16.5. A quart of fluid costs $30.95 plus $7.50 S&H; a gallon costs $64.95/ $14.50. LP brushes cost $24.95. (Vo120 No3) VPI FIW-17 record-cleaning machine: $1000 * VPI HW-16.5 record-cleaning machine: $485 er Clearly an industrial-quality machine of reassuring quality, the VPI '17 cleans one side at a time, semiau-tomatically, and is slower than the Nitty Gritty. "Best I've used," says LA. "A highly functional and conve-nient luxury," said AHC. Latest version has a heavier-duty vacuum system. The '16.5 is a manually operated version with a noisier motor. Adjusts automatically to thickness of record; gets hot quickly. (HW-17, Vol.8 No.1, Vol.19 No.6; original HW-16, Vol.5 Nos.7 & 9; HW-16.5, VoL17 No.5, Vol.19 No.6) Winds ALM-1 stylus downforce gauge: $599-$799 There are two models of this electronic stylus-pressure gauge: one measures in tenths of gams; the other in hundredths. Built-in spirit-level a plus. "Absurdly expensive, but the last word in accuracy-especially the model that measures to the hundredth of a gram," MF sin. "If you can afford either, get one." (Vo120 No.1)

A.R.T. Graphite Record Clamp, Hannonix TU-812 Tuning Record Clamp.

Deletions Nestorovic Labs Moving-Coil Cartridge Network not auditioned for a long time.

cd lmers Editor's Note: The class ratings are a little different in this and the following two sections. Whereas the phrase "state of the art" can be interpreted literally for other categories, here it means the best CD sound available as of the nine of writing. With every advance in digital replay, we realize that the goal still seems to be just as far away in that the analog LP continues to get closer to the real thing. As with computers, a CD-replay system becomes effectively obsolete as you drive it home from the store.

A Accuphase DP-65: $5750 er "The natural warmth of recording after recording shone throne, suffusing the sound with an expansive glow and bloom," enthused IIN about the relaxed

tonal balance of this Japanese player, which uses Burr-Brown PCM1702 DACs in a balanced configuration. "Musically complete." (Vol.17 No.10) Linn Karik CD transport & Linn Numerik DIA processor: $6190 Two-box system in which the DAC clocks the trans-port via a separate link. Current version of the Karik transport ($3595 if bought separately) incorporates a Crystal DIA section to enable it to be used as a stand-alone Cl) player. Thou igh each on its own is a high Class B contender, the Kink forum a synergistic match with the Numerik to give nue Class A sound. MC finds its laid-back presentation offputting, but WP enthuses over its excellent truth of timbre and improved sense of pace and timing. The latest version of the $2595 Numerik has a switch-mode power supply that RH felt give a significant improvement in sound quality, and Burr-Brown PCM1702 DACs that give a better sense of LF pace. (Vol.15 No.1, Vol.17 No.10) Meridian 508-20: $2995 $U "Detail, air, more of a sense of musicians' palpable presence," coupled with "crystalline clarity" and "har-monic richness," was how ST summed up this English player's sound. This latest version uses Crystal's 4329 DAC chip, running four 1)ACs operating in dual-dif-ferential mode to offer true 20-bit resolution, and also boasts unproved noise-shaping. ST praised its rock-sta-ble images and analoglike sense of ease -"everything sounded so natural... harmonically right, tonally rich." He added, "the 'new' 508 is so strong, it belongs in Class A... with players selling for three times the price." A basic remote control is supplied; Meridian's System Remote COSt3 $99. (Vol.17 No.12, Vol.19 No.6) Nairn CD2: $4150 Analog-loving MF was impressed by the CD2, most particularly by its bass power and "its almost totalitari-an control and rhytlunic thrust.- Smooth, but not soft, and - though it lacked sparkle and air -not dull," although he did feel that other players bettered it in regard to low-level resolution. Lack of FIDCI) decoding may be an issue for some. (Vo120 No2) Sonic Frontiers SPCD-1: $3795 RH boldly declared that "the SPCD-1 outperformed Sonic Frontiers' excellent separate transport and processors, and at a much lower price." Smooth, involving, and highly musical, "its musicality sneaks up on you." The player does not offer digital inputs or outputs, which makes upgrading a single element of the digital front-end problematic. Nonetheless, he counseled, it "is the best $3500 digital front-end rye heard." JA is also impressed. (Vol.19 Nos.6 & Sony CDP-XA7ES: $3000 liN was quite taken by this player, because it "contin-ued to sound better the miser I listened to it It's not per-fect, but its strengths-a smoodt sweet, detailed sound with natural warmth and a fine, palpable presence - make such a strong statement that searching for flaws is a lot of work with little reruns." Well-built, too, he asserted, and "the equal of any player-separates or one-piece units-at any price." (Vol.19 Noll Vo120 No.1) YBA CD I Blue Laser: $6000 Unusual two-chassis integrated player houses the ana-log power supply in a separate enclosure from the dig-ital circuitry and, like the Cl) 3, employs a blue LED to bathe the CD in blue light. JS deemed it "a player of subtlety and nuance," singling out its "velvety midrange textures land] a special kind of palpability." He concluded that it was "a little more easy to live with than I might ultimately prefer." RH noted that the unit was riddled with ergonomic idiosyncrasies and exhibited "poor bench perfomunce, with severe de-emphasis errors, low channel separation, high noise levels, and an alarming amount of intemodulation distortion." (Vo120 No2)

California Audio Labs CL-10: $1975 This five-CD changer with HDCI) decoding impressed the heck out of RH with its "warm mid- and upper bacs, laid-back presentation, and spacious sound-stage." lie also praised "the smooth mechanism, which performed flawlessly.... If your idea of fini is loading a

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player with six hours of music and letting the good times roll, the CL-10 is just the ticket." (VoL19 No.11) California Audio Labs Icon Mk.11 HDCD: $1445 US RJR proclaimed the Icon Mk.11 HDCD his" 'afford-able- reference player, finding it remarkably fire from sonic flaws. He lauded its neutrality, excellent reproduc-tion of inner detail and ambience, extremely wide dynamic range, and natural articulation of HF tran-sients. At $450, he adds, the Power Boss upgrade is highly recommended to all owners of older units. KR counts excellent image dimensionality and souncLuag-ing among the CAL:s virtues, especially at the price.(Vol.19 No.6) Rega Planet: $795 $$$ ST is transported by the simple pleasure of using "such a beautifully mechanically engineered product. Sounds damned good, too." "'The Planet," Sam avers, "pro-duces a rich, full-bodied, dynamic (but not overdy-namic) sound." Less adept at the presentation of ambi-ent information than the very finest (and more expen-sive) players. Dital out allows for use as a transport. (VoI20 No.6) YBA CD 3: $3400 1)espite some quirks -phase inversion, eccentric ergonomics, unit doesn't automatically initialize discs-ST was taken by this top-loading Cl) player's "excel-lent detail and stupendous spatial resolution." "Blue laser" is somewhat of a misnomer, as the unit uses a blue LED to (it is said) produce the optical equivalent of dither. (VoL19 No.12)

Marantz CD-67: $400 $$$ ir The identical but cosmetically different CD-63 reviewed is Sr's budget reference: astonishingly detailed, smooth, clean, clear, sweet, nonfatiguing. Lacks dynamic drive, however, as well as ultimate bass extension and resolution. But "a bit special," confirms MC. Marantz CD-67 Special Edition costs $500; ST decided of the '63 Special Edition that it was worth the extra 100 bucks for its smooth, sweet balance and greater openness and resolution. Sounds more airy than the Quad 67, but has a leaner balance overall. "A killer $500 player," he concluded. (Vol.17 Nos.1 8c 8, Vol.17 No.12) Rotel RCD-950: $449.90 MK found the RCD-950 "wonderful sounding...and a bargain at $450," although he judged both its bass response and its ability to portray depth to be somewhat weak. On the plus side, however, he praised its "extra-ordinary detail" and "lively, involving presentation." Superior-sounding digital output a plus for those who wish to upgrade to a separate DAC. (VoL19 Nos.6 &

Denon DCM-360: $320 "Tints of detail for an affordable machine," MK opined. He was also impressed with its transient speed and living presence. Tradeoffs included some hash in the top end, slightly recessed midrange, and slightly boomy bass. Neither the digital volume control nor the headphone output pleased him -both added grain. (Vo120 No.9) NAD 510: $249 MK was surprised that the 510 "didn't hurt my cars with bucketsful of excess treble stuff... This forgiving sound was nice -the player wasn't trying to do things it couldn't do." Lower bass MIA, and some rough-grained texture hinted at digititis, "but overall, I was in disbelief at the very good sound that NAD has man-aged to build into a $250 player." (Vo120 No.9) NAD 515: $499 This affordable five-disc changer exceeded RH's expectations of what is possible at $499: "the 515 had superb image focus, good spatial resolution, a smooth treble, lack of glare, and satisfying bass.... The 515's compromises were in ways that were the least musi-cally objectionable." Its coaxial digital output "provides an easy upgrade path if you add an outboard digital processor," he added helpfully. Can a $499 changer be considered high-end audio? "If that Cl) player is the NAD 515. absolutely." (Vo120 No3)

Sony CDP-XAIES: $350 MK deemed the CDP-XA1ES smoother and more refined than much of its similarly priced competition, but somewhat weak dynamically. Digital out, a usable (but not highly recommendable) variable output con-trol, and a better than usual headphone output offer budget shoppers desirable flexibility. (Vo120 No.9)

Micromega Stage 6, Theta Miles, Mark Levinson No39.

Deletions Krell KPS-20i and KPS-20i//, Rotel RCD-990 replaced by new models not yet auditioned; TEAC VRI)S-10 not auditioned in a long time.

digiral processors Editor's Note: The sound of any particular CD trans-port/digital processor combination will be dependent on the datalink used.

A Accuphase DC-91: $13,995 DO found multilayered recordings with complex irverb signatures more clearly resolvable with this processor, with a natural synergy achieved when dri-ven by the matching DP-90 transport. In addition, he enjoyed greater access to the inner recesses of the soundstage, as he let his mind's eye explore the full depth and width of the spatial perspective. Absolute reference caliber, in his estimation, and a perfect 10. MC demurs. (Vol.18 No.6) Classé DAC-I: 53995 US RH was "stunned" by the performance of this giant-killer processor, deeming it "a revolution in the price/performance ratio in digital playback." Its reso-lution impressed him mightily: "on a par with the Spectral SDR-2000 Pro... That's saying a lot for a [$4000] DIA converter," he maintained. He also took note of its extraordinary overall sense of power and slam and a lack of strain with complex, high-level sig-nals, emphasizing that "in terms of wide dynamic con-trast and sheer slam, the DAC-1 was the best proces-sor I've heard." Only noticeable character was a slight edge to the sound in mids and treble that diminishes significantly during the long break-in period. MC is not as impressed, however, feeling Class B to be more appropriate. (Vol.18 No.12) dCS agar: $12,000 A remote-control 1)/A processor that's future-proof in that it will decode two-channel, 24-bit 882kHz and 96kHz recordings (although it does lack HDCD decoding). "The Elgar sounds simply superb and has a measured performance to match," JA gushed. While there were differences between the two units, Fearless Leader felt the Elgar was within striking distance of his long-time reference, the Mark Levinson No.30.5. However, he added, "the sound of 96kHz tapes recon-structed by the Elgar was simply more real. And that is what the High End is all about." (Vo120 No.7) Encore Pyramid 1: $3595-$4995 depending on options This singular-looking DIA processor impressed RH with its "wonderful soundstaging, wide dynamics, powerful rhythmic drive, and freedom from grain." Dubbing it competitive with the best the $5k-$6k range has to offer, he praised its impressive sense of pace and the bass's "exceptional power and kick," while noting this carne at the expense of absolute midrange liquidity. Yet, he added, "I can count the Pyramid 1 among a handful of processors that excel in presenting images as individual objects within the soundstagc." Encore Ovation 4 ($1995) is same proces-sor in a conventional chassis. (Vol.18 No.11) Enlightened Audio Designs DSP-9000 Pro Series III HDCD: $5995 MF and SS both assess it to be Class A, but RH feels

it to lack sufficient transparency and resolution to con-nect him to the music. Smooth and warm, they con-cur, and singularly lacking in grain, glare, and hardness. All three comment favorably on the remote volume control -"It makes you realize that all preamps degrade sound," declares SS. MF claims that LP/CD comparisons reveal surprisingly close timbrai charac sers. "May not impress at first listen," he cautions, "but eventually it will sneak up behind you and bite you on the ass." Consider yourself warned. Balanced outputs add $1000. (Vol.18 No.8) Ensemble Dichrono DAC: $9400 Swiss-built 20-bit DAC with HDCD that JS found neutral, balanced, and grain-fire. When mated with the Dichrono Drive, he praised the marvelous exten-sion at the frequency extremes and ability to handle both micro- and macrodynamics. When properly set-up (something that took a while), "the Dichronos are extremely neutral and transparent, yet remain vivid, suave and kuitionically fleshed-out, powerful, airy, and above all palpable to a very high degree," he sums up. (VoL19 No.11) Genesis Technologies Digital Lens: 51800 RH dubbed this unique, RAM buffer-based, jitter-elimination/resolution enhancement digital device "the most serious attempt to date at reducing jitter in outboard processors." Finding its effects "truly remark-able," he heard "improvements in nearly every area of musical performance: soundstage size, bass definition and dynamic clarity, detail resolution, and timbral liq-uidity." LL demurs, finding in the soundstage enhancement "a consistency from one recording to another, often replacing die natural sense of space with one dictated by the Genesis itself." "Phooeyr snorts JA, who finds its clarifying effect on the high-jitter data output of his Panasonic '3700 DAT recorder nothing short of magic. (Vol.19 No.7) JadisJS1 Symmetrical: $12,325 This beautiful two-box processor features a Philips Bitstream DAC section and tubed analog circuitry. The Jadisian sottndstage is, in JS's words, "airy, layered, enormous, and truly enveloping." The bass is almost state-of-the-art, the midrange sumptuous, and the crisp highs "offer an (almost) perfect blend of clarity, extension, and harmonic integrity" when the proces-sor is driven by the matching Jadis J1 Drive transport. Some questionable aspects of the JS1's measured per-formance make the processor a borderline Class A perfonner, JA feels. (Vol.18 No.3)

The original No.30 was Stereophiles "Product of the Mark Levinson No.30.5: $15,950 tr

9=I1= Year" for 1992. The No.30.5 update, which consists of a new data-receiver board incorporating an "Intelligent FIFO" memory buffer, is "a true refer- =co ence-quality product," says RH, adding that "there's no question that No.30.5 owners should upgrade to CI, HDCD... anyone who hasn't converted their No.30 is in for a big surprise." JA's reference closest thing to good vinyl playback," quoth he, which is why the '30.5 was used to master Stereophiles 1997 Sonata LP. HDC13 upgrade costs $99 plus labor. (No30, Vol.15 No2, Vol.16 No.6; No.30.5, Vol.17 No.10, Vol.18 Nos3 & 4.) Mark Levinson No.36S: $6495 Mark Levinson No.36: $3995 Two very similar-looking DIA processors, differing only in printed-circuit-board material and the quality of some of the more critical parts. "Run out and buy the No36... if you have the price of admission," was TJN's advice. "It certainly must be heard, if only to hear what's possible in best D/A converters." Major Tom was particularly taken by the No36's focus, clarity, and inner detail, but allowed that several of the other Class A 1)/A processors had superior LF authority and soundstage definition. JA added that "The '36 gets 95% of the way to matching the awe-some '305 -at one quarter the price!" Class A, he decided. The premium '36S exhibited clarity and res-olution, TJN maintained, with tight bass, precise midrange, and an open top end. "A precision tool and second to none," he declared -but cautions that there is no clear best in this, or most, categories. "Listen...

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but also listen to the alternatives, many of which are less expensive." Synergistic mate to No.37 transport, noted TJN. (Vol.18 No.11, No.36; Vol.20 No.1, No36S) Meridian 518: $1795 Unusual digital-to-digital processor that JA dubbed "the Swiss Army Knife of digital." It performs digital gain and source selection, converts data with one digi-tal word length to data with another - such as when transferring data from a 20-bit master to a 16-bit DAT or CD-R -and offers a choice of seven noise-shaping algorithms. JA used it to master Sterrephik's recent CDs and concluded that it was essential in preserving the integrity of the 20-bit masters when transferred to a 16-bit medium. Much to his surprise, however, feed-ing 16-bit CD information through it and increasing the word length to 20-bit going into his Levinson '30.5 resulted in tremendous improvements. "It was goose-bump city, even with recordings that usually strike me as just being notes by numbers," he goggled. (Vol.19 Nos.1 8( 7) Spectral SDR-2000 Professional: $8895 $$$ RH emphatically states that "This is the state of the art in digital playback... excelling in low-level resolution, soundstaging, and harmonic purity." In his review, he added that "the SDR-2000 Pro redefines what we can expect from the compact disc format in terms of trans-parency, palpability, resolution of fine detail, and right-ness of timbre-especially on HDCD." Setup can be tricky, however, and the SDR-2000 seems to work best with other Spectral gear, including the Spectral/ MIT wires. Also component of Spectral/Avalon/MIT "2C3D" system. (Vol.18 No.5, Vol.19 No.1) Theta DS Pro Generation V-A: $3795 Price is for single-ended version; version with fully balanced DAC and output stages costs $5595. Much better than the Generation III processor that it replaced in that it has a less hyped-up, more refined-sounding, more musically natural treble balance, the Gen.V still features Theta's traditional terrific sense of dynamics and low-frequency slam and extension. Not quite as smooth-sounding as the Mk.11 Sonic Frontiers SFD-2, and a little less image depth, but SD still con-siders the Gen.V to be among the best D/A processors available. "Although the relative changes from its pre-decessor are small in scale, their sonic impact makes this upgrade a highly recommended step for owners of earlier models," he concluded, finding the new ver-sion's souncistage to be even better defined than the previous iteration's "famous, already immense sound-scape." Calling the V-A beautifully balanced and a transparent window into every recording, he assessed the Theta's overall performance as "as good as I've heard." LL is also a fan. ST-optical input adds $300; Single-Mode input adds $800. (Vol.18 Nos2 & 7, Vol.19 No.1) Wadia 27: $8450 $5$ RH insisted that the No27 (along with Spectral's SDR-2000 Pro and Mark Levinson's No.30.5) occu-pies the rung above the other Class A-rated proces-sors, stating that "the 27 presented a palpability and immediacy I hadn't heard in my system before [owing to] the 27's extraordinary transparency, resolution, and natural reproduction of timbre. Instrumental images were tight there in the room, vivid and alive." The 27's adjustable output -controlled in the digital domain -allows you to drive a power amplifier directly from the 27 without the need for a preamplifier. The down-side? You must reconnect your preamp every time you want to listen to an analog source. However, RH con-cluded, "running straight into the amplifier took me a significant step closer to the music -the last step between great sound and goosebutup-raising magic." (Vol.19 No.10)

Digital Domain VSP Model S: $1495 tr Intended as a sample-rate converter, this slim unit also reclocks digital data and virtually eliminates jitter. The sonic result is to render digital sound doser to analog, JA decided. RH found it to "snap the bass into tight focus," with bass guitar acquiring more dynamics, bet-

ter pitch definition, and more detail. Some, however, will find that the bass balance will become more lean as a result. The VSP in its SRC mode rewrites each data word -which will, of course, resider it nontrans-parent to HDCD-encoded data. Six digital inputs and four outputs-all on AES/EBU, ST, coaxial, and TosLink. Once Class A, the appearance in 1996 of the Genesis Digital Lens and Meridian 518 push it down in absolute quality, feels JA. (Vol.17 No.11; also see "Industry Update," Vol.17 No.1, p.39.) Enlightened Audio Designs DSP-7000 Series III HDCD: $2495 SS's reference - he finds this smooth-sounding processor involving and musically satisfying. He emphatically recommends the Series III upgrade to all Series I and Il owners. Balanced outputs add $399. (Vol.18 No.5) Muse Model Two: $1700 $$$ Borderline Class Al Impressively constructed 20-bit digital processor featuring unique jitter-suppression circuitry and "near ideal" power supply. SD marveled at its awesome bass definition and extension and its ability to delineate leading-edge transient information. Achieving this level of performance for less than $2000 is truly remarkable, he posited -while noting that the passive current-to-voltage conversion used, which results in a meager 1V output, will preclude the use of passive control units. AES/EBU input adds $300 to price; ST optical input, $200; HDCD option, $300; Bessel reconstruction filter that SD highly rec-ommends, $200. (Vol.18 No.7) Parasound D/AC-2000 Ultra: $1995 $$$ "Sets a new perfomunce benchmark for $2000 con-verters," proclaimed RH, who was taken by its taut bass, solidity, and impact. While the midrange tended to be analytical, he found its overall presentation laid-back. Impressed by its musically engaging sound, "pris-tine midrange and treble, superb soundsuging, wide dynamics, and articulate bass," he found it apodictic that "if you buy any $200 converter without first audi-tioning the Parasound, you'll never know how much musical performance is possible at this price." (Vol.19 NoA) PS Audio Ultralink Two HDCD: $2295 RH "highly recommends" die UltraLink 2 -especially vsisen using the RCA jacks-but notes that despite its freedom from stridency and image focus, its lightweight character robs its presentation of visceral slam. RI) adds that the HDCD version is significantly improved com-pared with the earlier version. (Von/3 No.12) Theta DS Pro Basic 11I-A: $2695 The original III impressed TJN with "good detailing, depth, and a lack of any irritating qualities -nothing artificial about the sound of this converter." If he were shopping in this price range, he'd put the Pro Basic III high on his list. WP concurs, finding the "A" revision of this flexible and substantial DAC a revelation, falling for its drive and swing. While its sound was detailed, he judged that it was not relentlessly so. He also was floored by its ability to layer soundstage depth and to extract the last little bit of bass oomph from recordings. Single-Mode Laser Linque optical connec-tion is highly recommended, though costly. HDCD module adds $459; ST-optical input adds $300; Single-Mode Laser Linque adds $800. (Vole No.11, III; Vol.19 No.5, SGHT2 No.3, 111-A) Tunbre Thchnology1T-1: $3295 tr Good-sounding, says RH, but expensive for sound qual-ity offered. Roughly comparable to the Meridian 563, but with better spatial definition and tighter image focus -"stunning," said RH in the review -and a much nicer chassis. A well-balanced performer, thought JS, with a smoodset darker balance than the Sonic Frontiers SFD-2, with powerful low frequencies. Balanced version costs $3895; adding balanced outputs and an AES/EBU input to an existing TF-1 costs $800. Unbalanced, buffered outputs have a very high level. (Vol.17 NoA, Vol.18 No.5)

Adcom GDA-700: $1000 LG was quite taken with the HDCD-compatible

GDA-700, finding it well built, dynamic-sounding, transparent, and musically involving. He also noted that it did a superb job of rendering the musical acoustic on his discs, through its resolution of low-level detail coupled with admirably transparent midrange reproduction. A favorite of LL, who thinks it has "a little bit of haze" but it's "a steal for the price." (Vol.18 No.12, SGHT2 No.3) Audiolab 8000DAC hfJc.III: $1099 KR finds this user-friendly DAC offers a wide spec-limns, smooth sound, bordering Class B performance. Via S/PDIF, it is just as detailed, but less aggressive than Audio Alchemy's DDE 3 in the HF. "Its unique alternative low-group-delay filter option is especially effective with older, harsher CDs, and its wide array of switchable inputs makes it desirable as the centerpiece of a system including CD, DAT, satellite video/audio, and digital cable radio," he notes. JA adds that the 8000DAC"s smooth highs are very welcome, given the harshness of so many CDs. (Vol.19 No.12) Audio Note DAC-1: $1295 "Recommended," determined RH, "but with some caveats. Although it is smooth and liquid, the DAC-1's softish bass may not suit all listeners. If you use the DAC-1 without the [Audio Note] Oto, be aware that its very high output impedance may cause problems when driving some preamplifiers." (Vo120 No.3) California Audio Labs Alpha: $1495 Again using the Crystal chip set but with a tubed ana-log stage, the Alpha excels at the retrieval of musical detail, "midrange magic," and low-level nuance, found DO. The balance is a little bright with the stock Chinese 12AX7 tubes; Yugoslav substitutes signifi-cantly smoothed die sound. Highish output imped-ance rules out the Alpha's use with passive control units. (Vol.17 No.12) Enlightened Audio Designs DSP-1000 Series III HDCD: $1495 LG praised the DSP-1000's "smoothness, lack of strain, and rendering of... hall ambience," also lauding its nat-ural richness on male vocal timbres. However, he found it wanting in transparency and dynamic involvement compared to die Adcorn GDA-700 and the Audio Alchemy DTI v2.0/DDE v3.0 combination. (Vol.18 No.12) Monarchy Audio DIP: $199 $5$ The 1)11' demodulates an incoming S/PDIF signal into respective clock and data lilies, which are sepa-rately re-encoded and clocked out by an oscillator. Can also accept digital data from one input type (TosLink, say) and output it as another (such as AES/EBU). In some cases, ST found, "everything improved -clarity, midrange, and treble smoothness, spatial resolution, focus, bass extension, asid tightness. Transients were cleaner, quicker. There was a more natural decay of instruments in time and space, and not by a small mar-gin." (Vo120 No.6) Musical Fidelity X-DAC: $499.95 $$$ "The X-DAC has raised the stakes in budget digital processors," declared RH, who was impressed with its "deep, authoritative bass," liquid and grain-free instru-mental timbres, "dean midband and treble," and "spa-dons, well-defined soundstage." "If I had ($5001 to spend on a digital processor... the X-DAC would be at the top of my list." Offers HDCD decoding. (Vo120 Nos.5 & PS Audio SL Three: $1295 RH enjoyed the SL Three's "combination of wamsth, smoothness, and sense of ease," also finding its sound-staging to be "excellent for a processor [at] this price." Careful system matching is necessary, he cautioned, as these characteristics also depend upon the transport chosen. "A terrific bargain... best in its price class," he assessed. "Borderline Class C." (Vol.19 No.5) Theta Chroma 396: $750 $5$ "A killer for the price," enthused RI-1. "Tight bass and well-defined soundstage. HDCD version recom-mended, along with simple modification to defeat 6dB digital-domain attenuation.... You'll have a hard time finding a better-sounding converter for under $1000." HDCD module adds $79, ST-optical input adds $300. (SGHT2 No.3, Vol.19 No.8)

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The Parts Connection Assemblage DAC-2: $499 MK thought tins MA converter kit provided "huge amounts of detail," albeit with a bright tonal balance. "It's clear that the DAC-2 surpasses the DAC-1 in almost el'efy capacity, rendering the older converter obsolete... [and] revealing musical details on familiar recordings that I was previously unaware of." JA con-curs as to the unit's superiority to its predecessor, but doesn't hear the unit as particularly bright. Class C+ was KR's verdict. Upgraded parts-package adds $149; MK proclaimed the fully loaded DAC-2 "a best buy" possessing "strtsisg microdynamics, expansive . d stage, [and] extraordinary resolution," and suggests that it knocks on the door of Class B. (Vo120 Nos.1 & 7)

California Audio Labs Gamma: $295 "The Gamma is a little overachiever that performs beyond what one might expect from a DAC with a lepton-sized price," punned MK. "Very listenable ... it failed to offend no matter what kind of recording I threw at it... it was completely free of any grainy or edgy sounds." However, he observed, compared with better, costlier designs, it had "reduced dynamics and only medium-strong bass." RJR concurs, noting that its DC power option makes it a killer addition to an automotive sound system. (Vol.19 No.11, Vo120 No.5) Rotel RDP-980: $599.90 Flexibility and remote control make this D/A proces-sor attractive, suggested MK. It lacked a little bit of top-octave infomiation and possessed "good, but not great microdynamics," according to the young'un, but "its midrange was particularly seductive, and the over-all sound quality was very competent for a processor in this low price range. Its mellow, softened presentation did not prevent it from revealing the true character of recordings. Nor did it have any trouble revealing sub-tle differences between other components in the sys-tem." But "borderline Class C," he sums up. (Vo120 No.7)

Ovation 4.

Deletions Denon DA-SI and Meridian 563 not auditioned in too long a time; Bel Canto Design Aida and Sonic Frontiers UltraJitterbug discontinued; Sonic Frontiers SFD-2 IVik.11 replaced by new model not yet audi-tioned.

cd transports A Accuphase DP-90: $7495 1)0 found the DP-90's resolution of low-level detail exemplary, adding that its neutral top-to-bottom voic-ing allowed each recording's inherent balance to shine through. The flow of transient attack and decay, he allows, are closer to the real thing than he's ever expe-rienced from Cl). (Vol.18 No.6) C.E.C. TL 0: $17,500 No-holds-barred belt-drive transport that JS found an unalloyed pleasure -"a device for those who have an appreciation for the finer things in life. The most over-whehning sonic characteristic lis] its ability to lift per-fectly immense amounts of information ... [remain-ing] eloquently and enormously hyper-detailed to the t of my ability to hear." This, he found, was not without cost: meticulous setup and precise system matching are required. (Vol.18 No.5) C.E.C. TL 1: $4950 * Unusual, beautifully consmtcted belt-drive transport with a more laid-back, easeful sound than the Levinson No31, and less forceful in the bass. Sounds sweet and extraordinarily musical, however, with a lush midrange. LA's reference. 1)0 feels that the pass-ing of time has rendered this unit Class B. JA disagrees, and gets the final, Class A. word. (Vol.16 No.7, Vol.17

No.5, Vol.18 No.5; see also RH's response to a reader's letter in Vol.16 No.9, p25.) Ensemble Didirono Drive: $9400 is was impressed by the evident build quality of this transport. Although he originally found its sound "per-haps a touch dry" compared to the Jadis, this was pinned down to the datalink and other ancillaries used and the Ensemble is now his preferred means of spin-ning silver discs. (Vol.19 No.11) Forsell Air Bearing $9900 With this "upside-down" Swedish transport, the user places the CI) on the turntable and lowers the laser pickup assembly onto Wile result, according to JS, is a true Class A sound, especially when using its coaxial data output. The lows were extended and tight, the highs airy and open, the sounsistage gigantic and unbounded; "palp factor" was the highest JS bad expe-rienced in his system. LL finds the sound "lifeless," however. (Vol.17 No.5; see also VoL18 No.7 p.93.) Jadis J1 Drive: $16,950 Very expensive but stunningly beautiful, the Jadis was somewhat sensitive to datalinks, found JS, who got the optimal sound with Kiniber's AES/E13U Illuminati cable when the transport was paired with the Jadis Symmetrical processor. Dynamics, pace, and trans-parency arc the Jadis's strong suits. (Vol.18 No.3) Mark Levinson No.31.5: $9495 Upgrade to the original No31. "A 'reference' compo-nent if ever I heard one," insisted JA. "... a supreme example of a state-of-the-art, potentially future-proof CD transport." The improvement offered over the No. 31 transport was substantial, he opined. "With the 31.5 recovering the bits...1 [heard] the best I have yet to hear from the 16-bit digital standard." "However," he cautioned, "even the cheapest upgrade to '31.5 sta-tus, replacing as it does everything other than the chas-sis and half the power supply, is quite expensive at a hair under $3000." (Vol.16 No.6; see also RH's response to a reader's letter in Vol.16 No.9, p25, No.31; Vol.19 No.10, No.31.5.) Mark Levinson No.37: $3995 $8$ TJN compared this transport to the firmly ensconced Class A No.31.5 and found the less expensive Levinson "a little more open and airy, with more apparent depth and a little tighter bass ...It sounded better. To nie." However, he pointed out that others might prefer the more relaxed presentation of the '31.5. Ilse important thing, as he saw it, is that "the price of state-of-the-CI)-art is coming down." (Vo120 No.1) Sonic Frontiers SFT-1: $2295 US Transport designed in strict accordance with S/PD1F specifications (less common than one would think) and possessing a reclocking circuit designed to reduce jitter. RH lauded in "combination of superb dynamics, a weighty and powerful bass presentation, a huge soundstage, a wonderful ability to reveal fine spatial detail, and reasonable price." He felt that only in com-parison with the mighty Levinson No.31 did it reveal a less-than-pristine treble. "A must-audition compo-nent," he asseverates. "A Class A transport at a Class B price," adds RD. (Vol.19 No2) Theta Data III: $4500 "In high-end audio terms, the Theta Cl) transport/ laserdisc player is a genuine winner," said TJN of this Cl) transport based on an LD player chassis. But it seemed to offer no performance advantage over less expensive LD players when used in home-theater applications -1)N felt the difference in price might be better spent elsewhere in that context. Class A rat-ing is provisional. TJN feeling he wants to perform more comparisons. ST-optical output adds $300; Single-Mode Laser Linque adds $800. (SGHT2 No.3)

C.E.C. TL 2: $2995 SS lauded the TL 2's natural timbre -especially in its upper register -and air. "Its liquid midrange will appeal to the bel canto crowd," he adds. He ques-tioned if its performance justified the $1000 differ-ence in price over his longtime reference, but allowed that it "is the best transport I've had in my system,"

with a slight sonic edge over the PS Audio Lambda. (Vol.19 No.7) Meridian 500: $2195 * This British transport's bass was not as tight as that of the Theta 1)ata Basic, found RH, but its treble was smoother. MC adds that he finds it not as good as the discontinued Meridian 200 when it comes to pace. But it formed a musically synergistic combination with the excellent Meridian 563 processor, striking just the right balance between immediacy and ease. JA enjoys the relaxing balance. (Vol.17 No.4) Parasound C/BD-2000: $1550 $5$ This belt-drive transport "presented a delicious and ultraliquid rendering of midrange textures that was addictive," proclaimed RH. "[Its] sound is intimate, musically communicative, and immensely involving," but added that the bass is somewhat softened. Careful system matching is a must, as it may not suit all tastes, although it presented a synergistic match to Para-sound's D/AC-2000. ST-optical output adds $225. (VoL19 No.5) PS Audio Lambda Mk.2: $1995 SSS "Tremendous punch and dynamics," decided RF1 of the original Lambda, though less liquid-sounding than the C.E.C. "Well-balanced, a line value," adds MC. "A workhorse," according to SS. RD's preliminary audi-tioning of the Mk2 Lambda suggests the rating be continued. Price includes AES/EBU and coso', si out-puts; AT&T ST output adds $300. (Vol.16 No.10) Theta Data Basic II: $2225 Cr Similar in many ways to the PS Audio Lambda, the Theta has powerful bass, a little more clarity, but less fonvard, smoother highs. Excellent tracking ability. WP found the small buttons/faint labeling a pain to use, but praised its flexibility, low-level resolution, and dynamic contrast - especially when utilizing Single-Mode Laser Linque optical connection. KR is enamored of its powerful bass, clean midrange, and soft, pure highs, adding that it is "extremely forgiving of lesser source material, but quite revealing of the best." A superb value. ST-optical output adds $300: Single-Mode output adds $800. (Vol.17 No.3; Vol.19 Nos.5 & 9)

California Audio Labs Delta: $895 $$$ The little Delta offered a smooth, detailed midrange and an excellent sense of pace when it was used to drive CAUs Alpha processor via an AES/EllU bal-anced datalink. found DO. Superb error correction. Borderline Class B, overall. (Vol.17 No.12) Rotel RDD-980: $699.90 $5$ "1)ynamic, detailed, musical..." enthused MK, also taking note of the exceptional parts quality for a unit in this price range. (Vo120 No.7)

Editor's Note: There arc currently no Class 1) CD transports listed.

Spectral SDR-3000, Meridian 800 CD machine.

Deletions Denon DP-S1, Esoteric/TEAC P-2S not auditioned in too long a time; McCormack 1)igital Drive SST-1 discontinued.

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increase in dynamics" when he used this flexible. luminous CD mat on top of his discs. "Of all the Cl) accessories and tweaks I've tried, this one makes the most difference," he raved. "Way recommended." He cautions, however, that the Blacklight does not work in all players, must be carefully centered, and most emphatically should not be used in car CD players. (Vol.19 No.11) AudioPrism CD Stoplight: $15.95 n• Green, water-based acrylic paint for coating the edges of CDs. The green color, which PvW found absorbs the laser's infrared wavelength, is presumably signifi-cant, but at present we have no idea why this tweak should so improve the sound of CDs. That it does so, however, seems to be beyond doubt to anyone with ears to hear (though no one single product has raised greater guffaws from the mainstream press). "This stuff works!" report JE, PvW, and JA, all of whom feel that it increases soundstage definition, improves the solidity of bass reproduction, and usefully lowers the level of treble grain so typical of CD sound. PvW and MC: report that a water-based poster pen, the Uniposca from Mitsubishi, has a very similar effect. MC also notes that the CI) should first be destaticized and its edges degreased before the green paint is applied. (Vol.14 Noll, Vol.19 No.10; see also DO's and TJN's WCES reports in Vol.13 No.3, Srs and RH's articles on CI) tweaks in Vol.13 No.5, and "As We See It," Vol.18 No.7) AudioQuest Laser(uide: $29 * "If you're into glossing up your CDs, this is the best sniff I've come across," says CG. (With all Cl) treat-ments, take care rite to scratch the surface.) (NR) Bedini Ultra Clarifier: $125 JS found this baffling (:1) tweak imparted "more air, a greater refinement in the sense of nuance in a particu-lar perfomunce based ors my ability to see and hear into a more transparent soundstage lissages seemed more 3-1) and palpable, and highs sounded more refined and sweet. Bass definitely improved -it was deeper and tighter. with better pitch differentiation... . This one is an easy-to-hear, fun-to-work, absolutely-no-downside tweak." "What he said!" concurs WP. JA demurs. (Vol.19 No2) Compact Dynamics CD Clean!: $9.95 treats 250 CDs The essential accessory for those who frequent used. Ci) huts. (Vol.17 No.11) Compact Dynamics CD Magic: $14.95 treats 200 CDs Rescues badly scratched CDs. "For damaged CI)s, this stuff really is magic!" enthuses JE. Discwasher and ItadioShack market similar products. (Vol.17 No.11) Diwwasher CDL2 CD Laser Lens Cleaner: $17.95 PvW found this CD fitted with six tiny brushes in a spiral to be effective at improving the sound of his 18-month-old Marantz CD-80. (Vol.14 No.11) Nordost ECO3 Anti-Static Treatment: $39.95/8-oz. bottle Originally developed to treat cables, KR found ECO3 most effective on CDs. A spritz on the label side dra-matically reduces upper midrange grunge, cleans up instrumental attacks, improves dynamics, and opens up the soundstage, he opines. (NR) Theta Optigue: $50 s). Refractive-index-matching goop that LL recom-mends for use with ST-type glass-fiber datalinks. "Must be used on the Theta's internal connections to get the full benefit," he advises. (See LL:s Theta review in Vol.15 No.10.)

Deletions CI Greenbacks and Compact Dynamics CD Upgrade not auditioned in a bug time.

preamplifiers Editor's Note: Apart frons the Audible Illusions, CAT, Conradjohnsons, Jadises, and all the Class A preamplifiers offer balanced outputs.

A Audible Illusions Modulus M: $2195 $$$ Simple tube preamplifier "offers the highest level of performance at a bargain price," averred MF, who found the one-tube-per-channel line-stage transparent and dead-silent. Unit boasts mono switch, a rapidly disappearing feature that some audiophiles (WP among them) do not consider dispensable. Optional MC phono board has sufficient gain for a wide variety of cartridges -although users of extremely low-out-put transducers may wish to audition unit at home before committing. "If the Modulus 3A isn't the finest-sounding prcamp in the world, regardless of price," MF insists, "it is one of the finest." RJR concurs. Current version features a stepped attcnuator and improved capacitors. Price is with MM stage; MC stage adds $500; gold/silver faceplate adds $40. (Vol.19 Nos2 & 9) Ayre Acoustics K-1: $5250 "Some equipment manages to conjure a sense of the realness of the musical experience," according to WP, and he says the K-1 qualifies. "First and foremost, it is prodigiously fast and neutral." He also lauded its trans-parency, seemingly unlimited dynamic range, and excellent soundstaging. "The phono stage, however, takes it to an entirely different level. Simply stated, the Ayre's phono stage is the best Fve ever heard: quiet as a tomb and grainless as flowing water." Remote vol-ume control adds $250; phono stage adds $1600. (Vo120 No3) Balanced Audio Technology VK-5i: $3995 RD admired the dynamic life, precisely defined pre-sentation of detail, and exciting immediacy with which this balanced tube design rendered his favorite discs. "A stellar performer," he maintains. Transparent as any minimalist bile-stage, he points out, but offering suffi-cient features to make it a joy to use. Cautious TJN recommends careful system matching due to highish output impedance. Optional remote control adds $500. Current production incorporates improved pas-sive components. "Every aspect of performance - transparency, detail, bass extension/quality, air, sound-staging, you name it -was better," RD applauded in his Follow-Up. Older units can be upgraded. (Vol.18 No.12; Vo120 No.4.) Cello Palette Preamplifier: $8500 tr As well as holographic imaging and superb trans-parency across the band, the Palette Preamplifier offered "a musical quality I didn't know existed," according to LL, though JE is less convinced. Extremely high input impedance, but only 6dB of gain. Incorporates a superb graphic equalizer that dif-fers from the nonn in having a large amount of inter-action between the bands. In combination with the fact that the maximum amount of boost and cut decreases toward the center of the audioband, this actually results jis very fast optimization of program material by car. Note that the response with the con-trols centered but not bypassed is not quite flat, which will invalidate listening comparisons to pin down the sound of the EQ circuitry on its own. Optional phono stage adds $2000 to price. (Vol.15 No.6; see also LL:s Cello system review in Vol.18 No.7.) Conrad-Johnson PF-R: $2595 $$$ "The PF-R came as something of a shock," exclaimed MC. "I'd lay bets dut lit] is the top preamp perfomer on grounds of natural dynamics, microdynamics, and dynamic expression as well as rhythm and timing.... Above all there was a natural, unforced quality, open and free front glare or related coloration. that provid-ed a harmonious balance." Despite its moderate price, Martin would pair it with any of the amplifiers in Class A. calling it "a Class A component I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to my closest friends." Inverts polarity from inputs to outputs. "Hearing is believing -C-J has definitely got it right!" (Vol.19 No.10) Conrad-Johnson Premier Fourteen: $4395 "It's still possible to find products that can fill you with wonder," WP insisted upon hearing this tubed, remote-control line-stage. "Allied with the Fourteen's freedom from low-level noise was an astounding dynamic range." Truc to the music, tonally neutral, and a cham-

pion at the recovery of detail-Class A all the way, he avows. MC enthusiastically agrees. (Vol.19 No.12) Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Signature Mk.II: $5950 tr JE found the tubed CAT both harmonically accurate and able to endow the music with "glorious midrange splendor." JS finds the CAT to be vividly balanced and ruthlessly revealing. RN demurs, feeling the CAT obscures information. Both JE and JS enthuse that it excels in the reproduction of dynamics and of a palpa-bly real soundstage. Phono stage is quiet enough to work with the AudioQuest 700Onsx. "Magic," summed up Mr. E; "still the one to beat when price is taken into consideration." "A great preamp," adds RD. Stemophile's 1993 "Product of the Year." Class A status retained in latest version. (Vol.15 No.12, Vol.17 Nosl, 9, & II, Vol.18 No.12, Vol.19 No.12) Jadis JPL $6480 tt The tubed Jadis offers timbral accuracy, consummate-ly defined soundstaging, and sets a new standard in the delineation of dynamic contrasts, thought 1)0. It fleshes out the full spectruin of shadings from soft to very loud with the greatest of ease, says 1)0. MC would like greater transparency, however, while RN feels it has been surpassed overall by the Sonic Frontiers SFL-2, compared with which it sounds too

(Vol.16 Nol, Vol.17 No.11) Krell KRC-HR: $6900 WP asserted that "The Krell must certainly qualify as one of the truly great preamplifiers out there. It's well-built, well-thought-out, and a joy to use.... In terms of tonal accuracy and low-level retrieval, it stands among the exalted few." Remote control, the ability to drive both balanced and single-ended cables, and a unity-pin throughput make the KRC-HR unusually flexi-ble for a contender for state-of-the-art status. While WI' observed that the KRC-HR did not offer the final word in soundstage presentation, its transparency, low-level resolution, and timbrai accuracy were second to none. "Class A." endorses MC. Standard MC/MM phono stage adds $650, Reference MC phono stage adds $1250. (Vol.19 Nos.10 & 12; Vo120 No.5) Melos MA-333 Reference: $3595-$6890 depending on options Versatile tubed, three-chassis, dual-mono, full-func-tion preamplifier with separate power supply and remote control. Price includes separate phono stage; line-stage alone costs $3595 with power supply and balanced outputs, $4395 with balanced inputs. Phono stage costs $2495 with power supply and balanced outputs. Latest iteration includes "Piso-tentiometer" volume control -designed to keep the volume pot out of the circuit and minimize its effects on sound quality. RN felt this allows the prramp "to achieve a new level of tonal richness and absence of grain" greatly benefiting ambience retrieval, soundstaging quality, and long-term listenability. (Original Gold ver-sion, Vol.17 No.11; Vol.19 No.4.) Pass Labs Aleph P: $3400 Well-built solid-state piramp that SS avows stands as proof that "simpler is indeed better," praising it as the "quietest active preamplifier I've ever reviewed." Also drawing comment fions the Stone from Boulder were its dimensionality, transparency, bass extension, top-end air, and low-level detail. In short, "the Pass ruled." "Wall appeal to anyone who values clarity and accuracy over euphony and frills," he concludes. Remote-control version now available for $4000. SS reports it to be musically identical to the original. (Vol.19 Nos2 & 10) Perfectionist Audio Components Pro Reference III/10K: $10,900 Expensive but "world-class," according to JE, who pro-claimed it "competitive with anything I luve heard." "Sounds were precisely articulated with remarkable resolution... [and] great speed." Moreover, the pre-amp "was superb in conveying rhythm and pace." A slight softening in the treble, a reduced sense of mid/upper-bass weight, and minor ergonometric glitches, however, are areas requiring further work. Price includes phono stage, rack, and power supply. (Vol.19 No.7)

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Spectral DMC-20 Series 2: $7595 When he auditioned this preamp in conjunction with the other elements of the Spectral/Avalon/MIT 2C3D System, RE was impressed by its beautiful inte-rior layout and workmanship, commenting that "The execution appears to be meticulous, with an obvious attention to every detail." His assessment of the system made much of the overall transparency and high resolving power of the system. Price includes phono stage ($600) and balanced input stage. (Vol.19 No.1) 'Threshold T2: $5750 "This is the kind of product that makes me want to lis-ten to music, often to the point where I find myself waylaid by niy system," gushed SS. He added that the remote-control T2 "allows the excitement and enchantment of music to pass through its circuits almost unscathed." Ergonometric and visual elegance combined with convenience and flexibility at mini-mum sonic sacrifice, he summed up. JA found it to sound a little less refined than the Levinson '38S, but marveled at the Threshold's powerful bass. Price is in black; a "silver pewter" finish adds $100. (Vol.18 No.7, Vol.19 No2)

Audio Research LS22: $3995 WP claimed this hybrid (tube audio circuit, solid-state power supply) line-stage "just flat-out beguiled the ear," although he noted a slight mid-treble emphasis that could make the preamp sound harsh and forward and keeps it from scaling the Class A heights. He also noted that, while the 22's bass extension was solid and reasonably deep, it was blunted in impact. Still, he adjudged it a "soundstaging champ" whose strengths outweighed its relatively minor flaws. Remote control adds 5500. (Vol.19 Nos.11 & 12) Bryston BP25-MC: $2995 If you take this remote-controlled, fiefunctioned solid-state preamplifier home as a loaner, LG cautions, you'll end up buying it. Optimized for quiet operation, which enables it to extract the utmost from its mov-ing-coil phono-scaion, "the BP-25MC has world-class bass response and a midrange that can capture much of the natural instrumental timbres of chamber and orchestral music." Not the last word in trans-parency, he cautioned. but the remote "proved addic-tive." (Vol.19 No.10) Conrad-Johnson PF2: $1795 $$$ Borderline Class A performance, sums up MC of this modestly priced. full-hinction, solid-state preamplifier, cominenting in particular on its sense of pace. uncom-pressed dynamics, and musical involvement (once it was fully warmed up). Don't change cables with the unit turned on, warns MC. Price includes "reference-quality" MC phono stage; the PF2L line-stage costs $1395. (V4.17 No.11) Krell KRC-3: $3200 Solid-state, remote-controlled line preamplifier that impressed TJN with its "great sound, impeccable mea-surements, and, as high-end preamps go,... affordable price. You can get a little better sound for a lot more money... but for most of us... the choice of die KRC-3 is a no-brainer." But "Class B," he ultimately decided. (Vo120 No.5) Lamm Audio Laboratory LI: $6290 Pricey but well-built solid-state line-level preamplifier with tube voltage regulation. WP found its full-bod-ied, hearty sound harked back to an earlier era, and lauded its "beguiling presentation of layered depth." He also admired its flexibility and "plethora of conve-nience features." The flip side of that warmth, howev-er, manifested itself as an emphasis of midbass infor-mation that keeps this expensive preamp from scaling the heights of Class A. (VoI20 No.8) McCormack Line Drive TLC-1: $1095 $$$ This modest control center's buffered PET outputs are unity gain or less, meaning that it will be unsuitable for use with insensitive amplifiers or with components that have a very low output. With a typical CD source, however, it offers superb transparency, very low noise, and an almost undetectable sonic signature. Ulti-

mately, however, its balance is a little lightweight and lacking in dynamics, which might make it worth check-ing out the external power supply ($395). Passive out-puts sound even more transparent, but only in the con-text of an appropriately matched system. (Vol.17 No.7) Melos SHA-Gold: $1995 $8$ This remote-control headphone amp/preamp really got WP's juices flowing. "As a headphone amp, Pve never heard its equal," he gushed, adding that as a pre-amp "it disappears as completely as any I've ever heard." Remote volume control via Pho-tentiometer circuit, as well as passive, active, and active-balanced outputs, add to flexibility. "If you've got the eft, go for the SHA-Gold!" he shined. More transparent than the SHA-1, but not quite up there with the MA-333 Reference. Borderline Class A. (Vol.19 No.7) Polyfusion Audio 940: $3250 "A contender," SS declaimed, that's possessed of a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact presentation in keeping with its pro-audio pedigree. "Audiophiles who value hon-esty and musical truth over eye and ear candy will appreciate the 940's rational approach to sound repro-duction." SS found the 230 internal HDCD D/A con-verter module ($1750) "virtually grainless" and capable of topflight lateral imaging, although he did note "slightly reduced definition" in comparison to his five-times-more-costly reference. (Vo120 No3) Proceed PRE: $1995 Had an appealingly open, sparkling, clean quality that held TJN's attention. Leanness through the upper bass and lower mids made its upper octaves seem more prominent, and the overall sound more laid-back than the best of the competition, he felt. Bass was deep and tight, and if solo vocals didn't hang quite as palpably in space as his reference Rowland Consummate, they didn't miss the mark by much. A DAS favorite. (Vol.18 No.5) Woodside SC26: $3495 This well-engineered British all-tube, full-function preamp has "a lovely, warm string tone...with no strain or distortion," found LG, who also noted the good dynamics and excellent LP extension and power. Superbly natural presentation of instrumental timbres places the SC26 firmly in Class B. summed up Mr. G, who notes that the Classé Six has better dynamics overall. Price includes MC/MM phono stage with integral transformers; line-stage alone costs $2495. (Vol.18 No2)

Home HeadRoom: $599 Although primarily a headphone amplifier, the Home HeadRoom makes an excellent single-source preamp with power, accuracy, and finesse, found WP. "Bass response was excellent and there were gobs and gobs of gain.., performs on an unusually high level," he enthused. (Vol.18 No.1) Marantz Model 7 Reissue: $3800 This almost exact replica of the classic tube preampli-fier is assembled by VAC and retains the original's warm '50s styling, SS felt that the years have not been kind to this design: "not only was the 7 lacking in trans-parency, top-end air, and low-level detail, it was also rather noisy.... On quiet passages it was impossible to hear the concert hall's noise floor, hiss got in the way." Running the preamp "hot-nsdded" -using the tape outs -SS was happier with the sound. However, pride in ownership of a classic design, meticulously re-creat-ed, may well outweigh the 7's sonic performance in the minds of its potential purchasers, and there's no gainsaying the obvious build quality. (Vo120 No.8) McCormack Micro Line Drive: $795 "Why should only the rich kids have all the fun?" asks WP, admiring the parts quality, styling, and transparent sound of this modestly priced unit, which can be used as a conventional prearnp with selectable gain or as a passive control unit. While he deems it adequate when used with gain, he proclaims it "a contender for the best disappearing act in audio" when used as a passive unity-gain device, conceding that it shaves some heft off of recordings. (Vol.18 No.6)

Melees SHA-1: $1195 tr Excellent soundstaging, a neutral, "utterly transparent" (says CG) midband, and powerful, driving low fre-quencies arc offset only by a slightly dark overall pre-sentation with a touch of upper-midbarad brightness (says JA). Price is for silver or black finishes; now has three (unbalanced) inputs. (Vol.15 No.10) Musical Fidelity X-10D: $199.95 $8$ ST proclaimed this tubed buffer stage "the most cost-effective CD upgrade ever to come down the pike." Sez he, nhe unit adds richness, dimensionality, and improves dynamics" on inexpensive CI) players, smoothing out the treble and adding body to the midrange and bass. WI? claims it works wonders on the output of his DSS receiver. While MK and JA agreed that the X-10D was helpful in driving long cable runs - especially at low frequencies -they found it reduced soundstage depth and transparency slightly, as well as slowing music's sense of pace. However, its effect may be even more system-dependent than usual, so a careful audition is strongly urged. Be wary of 1dB gain in A/13 comparisons. (Vol.19 No.11, Vo120 Nos.6 & 8)

Z-Man Audio Signal Enhancer: $198 Similar to Musical Fidelity X-10D in that it is designed to "buffer" op-amp output of inexpensive digital devices, although -perversely -it doesn't deal well with awkward loads. JA and MK commented on a smoothing and fattening of the overall sound with the Z-man in the circuit, although such changes were extremely subtle. Try before you buy. (Vo120 No.8)

Mark Levinson No380 and No380S, YBA 6-Chassis, Lyman C-10, Audible Illusions LI, Muse Model Three, Boulder L-SAE, Jeff Rowland Design Group Coherence, Sonic Frontiers Line-2, Anthem PRE IL, Conrad-Johnson ART, Grad 13.5B, Source Technol-ogies Harmonic Recovery System.

Deletions McIntosh C-22 Commemorative Reissue preamp dis-continued; Mark Levinson No38S and No38, Sonic Frontiers SF L-2, all replaced by new models; Air Tight ATC-2, Jadis JP-80MC Mk.II, Conrad-Johnson PV10A, and '(BA 2, all not auditioned in a long time.

passive control units Editor's Note: While many audiophiles feel that a passive control unit has the potential for offering the highest possible sound quality from line-level sources such as Cl), it must be noted that the entire responsi-bility for driving the interconnects, the passive unit, and the power amplifier input is handed over to the source component, which may not be up to the task. Careful auditioning will be essential in putting togeth-er a musically satisfying system around a passive unit.

A Carver Research Lightstar Direct: $2195 Preamp can be used as either a passive balanced design boasting minimal componentry in the circuir, or as a single-ended active preamplifier. SS was not impressed with its performance as an active device, finding it "undistinguished ... Class C." In passive balanced mode, however, it was "simply the best preamplifier I've ever heard for under $2500." Careful system matching is necessary to derive that level of perfor-mance -the Lightstar is "unwilling" to drive high voltages into low impedances. That said, highly rec-ommended for those with completely balanced sys-tems. SS prefers its ergonomics to those of die Reference Line. (Vol.19 No2, VoL20 No.7) McCormack Line Drive TLC-1: $1095 er Although the McConnack does have buffered active outputs, its passive outputs are the most transparent JA has heard, if a little laid-back in absolute ternis. Highly recommended, says he. (Vol.17 No.7)

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Reference Line Preeminence Two: $2095 This passive preamp has one direct and five switched inputs. but the direct input is always active in the sig-nal path. Consequently, you must unplug the direct input when playing any of the switched inputs, or else suffer severe downloading of the source -bummer! Yet SS found its sound compelling: "In an ideal setup, with short cable miss, the Two could outperform... any other preamp I've heard. In many systems, its ergonomic foibles may make its use impractical: Class A sound with Class 11 ergonomics." (Vo120 No.7)

McCormack Micro Line Drive: $795 "A contender for the best disappearing act in audio," proclaimed WP of the MLI) used as a passive unity-gain device, while conceding that it shaves some heft off of recordings. Sensitive to cable capacitance when used passively. Not far behind the TLC-1. (Vol.18 No.6) Purest Sound Systems Model 500: $325 n RN feels its Bourns pot to lose a little transparency, but confirms that this inexpensive dual-mono, four-input device "will get you most of the way there as far as a control center is concerned." "A humdinger," says ST. "It's basic, it's simple. the parrs quaky is high... every-thing else messes up the sound of my Meridian 508 by comparison.. .1 use it in my main system." Silver Edition Model 500 costs $385 while very similar Model 1000 ($490) adds more inputs and is more ver-satile. Silver Edition Model 1000 has three pairs of Kimber RCA jacks (2 input, 1 output) wired with Kimber AGSS Silver Wire; remaining two jacks arc sourced from Vampire and are wired with Kimber copper wire. (Vol.17 No.& Vol.19 No.11)

phono preampsimoving-coll step-up devices A Audio Research PH3: $1495 $$$ This phono preamplifier's "Luxurious, liquid midrange bloom and... iron-fisted bass control" had ME. heart all aflutter. "Easy to use and endlessly flex-ible," swooned WP. "Plenty of gain, low noise, and very high overload characteristics, plus adjustable resis-tance and capacitance loading," added MF. "Highly recommended!" they chorused. (Vol.19 No.9) Balanced Audio Technologies VK-P10: $4000 -11u: P10 HMI failed to deliver the musical gocxls," was JS*s assessment of this tubed phono stage. User-selectable cartridge loading, high and low pin settings, and built-in transformers attest to its flexibility. "The VK-P10 evinced no particular sonic characteristics of its own," JS concluded. "Its total transparency let the analog front-end and the recording do the talking.... Ilsis is one fine effort, worth every pemy of its asking price." (Vo120 No.6) Conrad-Johnson EF-1: $1995 'This phono preamp has switchable gain (40-52dB) and different valued resistors can be added in parallel with its basic 47k ohms, 500pF input impedance. "A natural," MC declared. "It does just what you want from a phono preamplifier... it [made] the competi-tion sound closed-in, revealed their shortcomings in the bass and a loss of focus and clarity in the mids, as well as a lack of speed and sparkle in the treble. It then completed the demolition of the competition by argu-ing a far stronger case for rhythms and niisiisg. for over-all excitement, and not least for musical expression." (Vol.19 Nob) Expressive Technologies SU-1: $3500 n A 35-lb step-up transformer that oilers "utter trans-parency" and "exquisite resolution," according to RH. JA agrees. finding his LP sound with the SU-1 feeding the Mod Squad Phono Drive's MM input to be deli-ciously transparent and musical. Unless used with

Expressive Technology's own interconnects, however, , it may be impossible to avoid excessive hum pickup. Needs also to see a 47k ohm load impedance with low capacitance. Otherwise, the sound quality will be over-ly dependent on the preamp's MM-input characteris-tics. (Vol.15 No.7, Vol.18 No.1) FM Acoustics Resolution Series 122: $5500 Ultraflexible solid-state phono section that MF char-acterized as "a lot of nothing." What do you get for $5500, he asked? "No noise, no grain, no glare, no etch, no bloat, no bloom, no warmth, no cool, no compression, and no distortion I could detect." He was floored by the unit's "inherent delicacy, its ability to offer up warns, palpable, three-dimensional images from the very front of the soundstage to the rear cor-ners." Those with large collections of older records will appreciate the unit's adjustable RIAA curve, which can transform the sound of their discs radically for the better, he proclaimed. (Vo120 No3) Krell KPE Reference: $2200 with external power supply Solid-state phono stage that can be purchased as a drop-in board for the KRC-HR preamplifier ($1250), or as a stand-alone component ($2200). "It's easy to configure for practically any MC cartridge available; it's also quiet as a tomb and dynamic as a thunderclap," WI' enthused. "Add to that Krell's superlative build quality and bullet-proof construction, and you have a contender for the state of the art. And when was the last time that was a bargain?" (Vo120 No.6) Mark Levinson No.25S: $4390 * Available in High- or Low-Gain versions, this MC line-level phono preamp features identical circuitry to the phono section of the No26S. Price includes PIS-226 power supply. Needs careful positioning to avoid hum being induced into its circuitry from the power supplies of other components. LA's reference. (NR) Naim Prefix: $750 $$S Unique phono section designed to mount inside the plinth of a turntable (specifically, but not exclusively, the Linn LP12), keeping the low-level signal path as short as possible. Choice of three power supplies allows for upgradability, but MC and SS feel that only with the Super-Cap does it offer Class A performance. WP concurs, but considers performance with the Fis» Cap unusually refined and articulate as well. Available in three basic circuits, which allows for some flexibili-ty, although careful cartridge matching a must. Flat-Cap power supply adds $700; Iii-Cap supply adds $1450; Super-Cap adds $4250. price is for version with ARO connector, price with SME 1)IN-type connec-tor is $800. (Vol.19 No.7) Plinius M14: $3495 Solid-state phono preamplifier built more like a power amp, according to MF. He was beguiled by its sound, which he praised as "sm000th, delicate, and refined overall, but especially on top, where the M14 skated with sharp blades on freshly Zambonied ice." It offers convenient front-panel-selectable loading, but MF missed custom resistive loading and capacitive adjust-ment - features he felt a component at this price should provide. (Vo120 No.9)

EAR 834P: $895-$1195 "This may be the phono stage for lovers of well-record-ed classical works," claimed RJR. noting its "seductive" unraveling of detail and ambience surrounding midrange instruments. There did seem to be a "fat muddiness" within a narrow range in the low fre-quencies, he allowed, and an overall dark perspective, qualities that keep the unit from a true Class A rating. Yet he held the 834P to be "a remarkable piece of work: a reference-quality phono preamplifier that would feel at home in a system of any price." ST demurs, however. (Vo120 No.7) Gold Aero dB43 Signature: $999 SS was impressed by the balanced nature of the dB45's harmonic presentation, finding it airy, sweet, and well-defined. Thought the dB45 was not as "dead" in the background as his reference Vendetta -sadly no longer available -he still found that it reproduced

space and air in a satisfactory manner. "An outstanding value," he summed up, "if your preamp has adequate gain -passive units need not apply." Standard version (not reviewed) costs 5799. (Vol.18 No.9) Sonic Frontiers SFP-1: $1095 SSS Tubed unit with what RI-I called "a delicious midrange bloom," a complete lack of grain, etch, and hardness, and stunning soundstaging, particularly in its MM mode. (MC mode adds a class-A FET gaits stage ahead of the tube circuitry.) First review sample had a shelved-down treble due to an out-of-spec RIAA stage capacitor. The second sample had a flat RIM response, which ameliorated RH's earlier criticisms of an "overly soft sound" and a lack of "air, immediacy, and detail." "A terrific bargain," was his final verdict. MF demurred after auditioning the $1695 Signature version. "Its relatively high noise floor and only mod-erate pin cast a grayish veil over the soundstage and imparted a sluggish rhythmic quality to music" when used with MCs, he felt. (Vol.16 Nos.9 & 10; Vol.19 No2, Signature.)

Rotel RQ-970BX: $199.90 $$$ Good dynamics and a large, well-defined soundstage, claimed RH. "A pleasant surprise, and a real find in budget high-end audio." (Vol.19 No.12)

Nagra PL-P, Conrad-Johnson Premier Fifteen, Sutherland PH-2000, Musical Fidelity X-LP, Acous-tech phono stage.

power amplifiers Editor's Note: Duc to the disparity between typical tube and solid-state "sounds," we have split Class A for separate power amplifiers into two subclasses. Nevertheless, even within each subclass, Class A amplifiers differ sufficiently in character that each will shine in an appropriate system. Careful auditioning with the user's own loudspeakers is therefore essential. Note that, except where stated, output powers are not the specified power but those we measured into an 8 ohm resistive load. All amplifiers arc stereo models, except where designated.

A (solid-state) Bryston 711-5T monoblock: $4795/pair $5$ This 500W tnonoblock captivated LG with its speed, drive, slam, and superb control of the mid- and upper bass. "Open, exciting, transparent, dynamic, effortless," he inventoried, calling the 713-ST "an amplifier that can handle any loudspeaker load, play wide dynamic-range music effortlessly, and excel in imaging and soundstaging." A must-audition for "anyone who needs a new amplifier for driving high-impedance electrostatic loudspeakers, or dynamic speakers that seem somewhat bass-shy." (Vol.19 No.10) Forsell The Statement: $30,000 "The Statement has the power to inspire," JS decrees. "You not only listen to music through the Forsell - you taperience it as well." He finds it acoustically enveloping, with awesome bass capabilities and har-monically rich upper frequencies, achieving an appeal-ing balance of sound and sounding effortlessly musical at all times. Extremely sensitive to AC quality, he warm. TJN finds the test results unexceptional, given the amplifier's lofty price. JA was disappointed by the presence of what sounded like old-fashioned crossover distortion in its output. (Vol.18 No.6) Jeff Rowland Design Group Model 2: $5800 /SS "How do you define value in an audio component?" queries RD, before deciding, "I can't think of a less expensive amplifier that fully matches the 95Wpc Model 2's collection of sonic virtues"- which he defines as an open and extended top end, stunning transparency, dynamic liveness, and firmness of bass response. Capable, he claims, of nuking you forget about amplifiers and just listening to the music. The BPS-2 Model 2 supply ($2600) contains six 6V, 12

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ampere-hour, maintenance-free Sealed Lead Calcium (SLC) batteries as well as a microprocessor-controlled circuit that monitors and regulates charging. RD found the differences between AC operation and battery power subtle. but "there's no doubt in my mind that the BPS-2 'works' under certain conditions; it allows the Model 2 to operate in a manner that results in a more musically satisfying listening experience." (Vol.18 No.8, Vol.19 No.6, Vo120 No.7) Krell Full Power Balanced 600: $12,500 MC was smitten by this 600Wpc solid-state stereo amplifier's "huge. uncompiumised peak loudness" and "incomparable power delivery," as well as by its trans-parency, state-of-the-art depth, and midruse "tube-like tonality." MC confidently declares the FPB 600 first among all Class A amplifiers: "Since [that] rating means 'the best we know,' I feel, in the light of this design achievement, the rest will have to be re-classed." WI' concurs: "This amp just could recalibrate the scale." (Vo120 No.4) Lamm Model M1.1 monoblock: $14,790/pair "[They've] got soul, baby," enthused JS of these hybrid 140W monoblock power amps; "the magic that makes it all worthwhile." He also admired "the enor-mous, extremely airy, and transparent soundstage they threw.... The bass was nothing short of plummet:al... deep, taut, terrifically impactful, redolent with tonality and individualism. Make sure you take the time to hear a pair." (Vol.18 No.4) Mark Levinson No.333: $8995 When, after eight years, JA changed his reference amplifier, the No.333 is what he chose, siting "a refresh-ing freedom from the cold, analytical character... typical of solid-state amplifiers and that many audio-philes mistake for 'accuracy.' ...This is one transpar-ent amp [and it] remained transparent at very low levels.... While it doesn't have quite the low-frequen-cy solidity of the No.20.6 monoblocks it replaced in my system, the powerhouse No333 has a more nat-ural-sounding midrange and grain-free treble, and throws a spacious, well-defined soundstage. Its lush yet forceful presentation got the best from [every] speaker I used it with." MC was less impressed, however, feel-ing the M-L was bettered by the Krell FPB 600, while MK preferred the Pass Labs Aleph 3. (Vol.19 No.12, V0120 No.4) Mark Levinson No.331: $4995 $U U.; found this 135Wpc Levinson to possess quickness, stunning impact, and remarkable transparency. "The No331's build quality is up to the highest standard found in high-end products today," he asserted. "This amplifier's sonics, superb parts quality, overkill power supply, reduced price compared to its predecessor, and five-year warranty offer its owner a lot of value for the money, and bring a Class A recommendation from me." (Vol.19 No.1) McIntosh MC 1000 monoblock: $6500/pair ST deemed this 1000Wpc solid-state monoblock "one of the most delicate-sounding amplifiers I have encountered, whether tube or solid-state." He was impressed by its dynamic presentation and agog over its sweet midrange and treble: "there were times when I could swear I was listening to single-ended triode tubes. String tones were particularly clear, clean, and pure. There was no gain, grit, or spit.... I can find nothing to criticize about this amplifier's sound...or its behavior." (Vo120 No.8) Pass Labs Aleph O monoblock: $8000/pair With the exception of JE, the magazine's reviewers were pretty much unanimous on the virtues of this single-ended, 90W, MOSFET-output Nelson Pass design: true Class A. Neutral-balanced rather than euphonically sweet in the manner of a classic single-ended triode design, the Aleph 0 offers superbly transparent, musically natural detail retrieval and superb dynamics. "A breakthrough product," conclud-ed DO. SS bought a pair to use with Avalon Eclipse speakers -"Class A with a bullet!" scz he. Low input impedance mandates careful preamplifier matching. (Vol.18 No3) Pass Labs Aleph 3: $2300 $U Single-ended, solid-state, 30Wpc, class-A stereo

amplifier that caused MK to throw down the gauntlet: "I positively clam all of you to go out and hear this amplifier for yourselves -even if you currently own much more expensive amps (heh-heh-heh)." JA, intrigued, did; then he lauded its "wide, deep, detailed soundstages; a delicious presentation of recorded detail without getting in your face; a purity of tone that became addictive; and an ability to go loud...that belied the 30Wpc specification." Low sensitivity and power rating demand careful system/room matching, but magic has always required careful preparation. (Vo120 No.4) Plinius SA-100 M1c.li: $3995 This solid-state, switcluble class-A/class-AB, 100Wpc design from New Zealand impressed VVP as "one hell of an .unplifier." He "fell haul for its airy, warm, detailed-yet decidedly easy to listen to-presentation." In the big guy's system the SA-100 was plagued by ground-loop problems, although it was quiet on our test bench. Careful home-audition is advised. (Vo120 No.4) Reference Line Preeminence One Silver Signature: $7895 SS found this solid-state 100Wpc class-A design "a delightful surprise... a solid-state power amp with both strength and finesse." SS was impressed by the Silver Signature's low-level resolution, visceral power, microdynamic retrieval, three-dimensionality, and depth. While he could not claim that it was grain-free, "the result was so fine, so well-integrated, that the result was almost grainless." His conclusion: "It deserves to be heard." (Vo120 No.7) Spectral DMA-180: $7495

240Wpc solid-state design that was reviewed as a component of the Spectral/Avalon/ MIT 2C3D system. RH discovered that "playing records and CDs I thought I knew produced an excit-ing sense of discovery as I heard their musical nuances and expressiveness fully revealed for the first time." He was also impressed by the bottom end's "stunning rhythmic agility" and "top-to-bottom dynamic coher-ence." (Vol.19 No.1) Symphonic Line Kraft 400: 536,000/pair Noting the not-inconsiderable price, JS asked, "what could be [so] entirely special about a pair of ampli-fiers?" "Everything." he answered. He wallowed in their "richly complex and textured, powerful, trans-parent, and [huge] soundstage." and marveled at their effortless articulation. Additionally, he nude note of the 250W 400's deep, taut, powerful bass. TJN. on the other hand, grumbled about the fien'finish and what he felt to be an unjustifiable expanse of empty space within these manunoth amplifiers. He also observed that JS experienced failure on one amp, in addition to die one that failed under test - not trivial considera-tions, given the price asked, he opined. (Vol.18 No.11) Threshold T-200: $4650 $55 RD valued the balance of attributes in this IGBT-based class-A, direct-coupled, minimal-feedback, 125Wpc amplifier, praising its everything-in-proper-proportion coherence. Midrange neutrality and spatial and timbrai definition were all superb, he reckoned, but he found its major strength to be its reproduction of treble frequencies. However, he cautioned, audio-philes with large listening rooms and/or insensitive speakers might find the T-200 lacking in power. TJN added reservations regarding its interaction with pre-amps when run in balanced mode, due to its very low input impedance. He counsels careful matching-or using it single-ended. Price is for black finish; silver pewter finish adds 5100. (Vol.18 No.4) YBA 1 Alpha HC: $7000 RD was seduced by this 85Wpc solid-state amp, declaring it "Simplement musical.... One smooth amp," he asserted; "...low-level dynamics were particularly impressive, allowing the communication of music's ebb and flow." He also praised its balance and overall detail. (Vol.19 No.6)

A (tube) Audio Note Kassai Silver: $52,600 JS reckoned that this 17Wpc. single-ended triode amplifier combined the hest characteristics of push-

pull with those of SE, calling it the "least compromised of all the SE triodes we've listened to." He was partic-ularly taken by its reproduction of vocal music, where it was, he felt, "something special." TJN concluded that the "price/performance ratio here can only be rated as poor." Hard to recommend on a practical level, but its admirers claim its seductive nature over-comes ratiocination. (Vol.19 No.4) Audio Research VT130SE: $7495 110Wpc tubed power amp that WP found seductive and powerful -"one dut can soundstage with the best of them." While he thought that it lacked that last word in bottom-end extension and slam, "it grabbed hold of a speaker the way a terrier pounces on a rat authoritatively, definitively." Cavils aside, he heard the VT130SE "illuminate the magic at the core of the music." (Vol.19 No.11) Audio Research VT100: $4495 $5$ Tubed 100Wpc stereo amplifier really lit RJR's wick: "The VT100 is the first amplifier I've heard that reproduces the attack resonance and decay of a musi-cal event equally well - and most important, presents the three combined as a single coherent musical event." Moreover, he found "the noise floor signifi-cantly lower than that of any other amp Pve ever heard." This resulted in greater low-level detail retrieval, a complete lack of electronic haze, and a heightened sense of what he called "dynamic conti-nuity" -meaning that gradations between dynamic extremes were continuous, not discrete. "The VT100 has touched me in a way no other audio component has, and in a way 1 didn't think any audio component could." (Vo120 No3) Balanced Audio Technology VK-60: $4950 $$$ "Offers the natural rendition of instrutnentali:. timbres dut the best tube amplifiers are known t• • has enough power to drive most speakers to y,. fying volumes," said RD, who also was impr - the duce-dimensionality of the soundsta, : the 35W BAT-it gives 55W at a rein . limit -"quite special when it comes tc. accuracy." Bridgeable to monoblock - (Vol.18 No.12) Cary Audio Design SLM-200 monoblock: 58995/pair These tube monoblocks can be operated in triode (100W) or in ultralinear pentode (200W) mode. JS was taken by their deep, room-filling bass and startling dynamic delivery, but what really wowed him was the way they delivered the emotional component of music. "[They] reached me in that special way that only the best equipment manages to." (Vo120 No.5) Conrad-Johnson Premier Eight A monoblock: 516,990/pair Massively powerful all-tube amplifier-measured clipping point was 193W into 8 ohms-that occupies pride of place in JE's system. "A tube-lover's dream come true": electrifying dynamics and the best bass JE has heard from a tube amplifier are coupled with superb soundstage air and presence. Output tubes are 6550As. An MC favorite. (Vol.17 No.12) Conrad-Johnson Premier Eleven A: $3495 SU tr While the original version of this beautifully made 70Wpc tube amplifier failed to stoke ST"s fire, MC felt that, while its strengths may be subtle, the Eleven should not be underestimated. Current "A" version incorporates minor modifications to make this Class A amp sound even better. thinks WP, who cites an increased sense of slam and articulation as die primary improvements. JA was impressed by the natural and unwavering soundstaging, and finds the unit a must-audition for those iii love with the human voice. (Eleven, Vol.17 Nos2 & 10; Eleven A, Vol.18 Nos.8 & 9, Vol.19 Nos3 & 8.) Graaf GM 200 OTL: $12,500 200Wpc tube CYTL amplifier dut JS declared "capa-ble of conjuring up stunningly beautiful music" "You couldn't call the GM-200 a 'sweet' amp," he mused. "It's got too much of the crystal-clarity thing going. Yet.., within that clarity and purity of sound I heard all the colors and resonances of the musical rainbow."

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And despite common knowledge that OTLs don't deliver bass, "the bass could sound positively menac-ing." (Vo120 No.9) Jadis JA 200 monoblock: $25,995/pair A superb tube amplifier offering an honest 130W that, according to DO, outdistances its competition primar-ily in the area of soundstaging, where it unfolds a panoramic and rock-solid spatial impression of the original recording venue. Although harmonic textures are fluid in the best tube tradition, DO obtained the sweetest mids by substituting good EL34s (Gold Arco E34Ls) for the stock 6550s; JS likes Sverlana 6550Cs, with Gold Arm 12AU7s (German RTFs) and Gold Ain.° 12AX7s (Platinum grade) input tubes to displace the Gold National 12AU7s. This amp does not sound romantic, cautions DO, who finds that the lack of flash through the lower nids argues for a mating with a warm-sounding front end. Although DO tried various line conditioners, JS found the Jadises to eve of their best when plugged straight into dedicated wall outlets. Read his Follow-Up for the full tweaking route. (Vol.16 No.11, Vol.-17 No.3; see also JS's review of the Timbre TT-1 in Vol.17 Jadis SE300B monoblock: $1;3.500/Pair These SE triodes generate a "beautiful tonal palette and laj giant acoustic," enthused is. who felt not so much that they replicated the sound of the master tape, "but actually transcendiedi the mechanics of reproduction to the acoustic event itself." Their bal-ance of sound "is stunning in its total naturalness, case of presentation, exuberance, and nuance," he averred. All this and 10Wpc, too -"hut it sounds like much more," affirms ST, who was quite taken by their remarkable sense of spaciousness, as well as their pre-sentation of low-level derail and air. ST exulted, "such is the glory of Jadis that all of this detail is rendered in the most musical manner imaginable." TJN, uncom-fortable with the bench results, recommends careful audition before purchase. (Vol.19 Nos.'. 2, & 3) Manley Reference 440 monoblock: $12,000/pair Manley Reference 240 monoblock: $9000/pair These very similar high-powered mono push-pull amplifiers can be switched to either triode or pentode operation, and provide for adjustment of global feed-back and mlloff of ultrasonic frequencies. As a result, is found the 440 to suffer somewhat from multiple-personality syndrome. However, he did find its pre-sentation musically inviting and gorgeous-sounding under the right conditions. Rated around 400W in tetrodc mode, in triode mode the 440 still manages to deliver 160W into 8 ohms. The smaller 240 monoblock "excels at transmitting the raw emotion and live energy of live music," claimed SS. "Damn good." (Vol.18 No.12. 440; Vol.19 No.5, 240.) Manley SE/PP 300B monoblock: $4200/pair Amp can be used in push-pull or SE configuration - and can be switched back and forth while playing. Also features adjustable global feedback. ST enjoyed them, finding them capable of driving speakers other SE amplifiers could not. Conies "very, very close" to the sound of costlier amps such as the Wavelength Cardinal and the Jadis 30013. (Vol.19 Nocl & 2) Quicksilver M-135 monoblock: $7500/pair Handsomely designed 135W monoblock that can use a wide variety of output tubes - although ST pre-ferred the sound of EL34s. "It's classic tube," he asserts: "smooth, sweet, dimensional, and powerfid as hell." Powerful but liquid at the same time, he tells us. Bass is full, but not tight by solid-state standards, and he would not reco llllll end open floor placement to par-ents of toddlers, due to sharp corners on faceplate. His conclusion: "'The best pentode amps I've had in my system." However, MK found the Quicksilver warmer-sounding and more veiled than the Pass Aleph 3. (Vol.18 No.12. Vo120 No.4) Sonic Frontiers Power 2: $4995 This 110Wpc tube power amplifier impressed RJR with its build quality. "Sonic Frontiers is fanatical about providing very high parts and construction quality for the money." Also impressive, he noted, were its "exemplary dynamics... superb resolution of inner detail, and ...realistic soundstage presentation.- Its

natural perspective was very easy to listen to: relaxed but not slow, laid-back but not rolled-off." Its "sunny and wami" disposition may strike some listeners as too much of a good thing, but overall, Reina assessed the Power 2 as "one of the finest-sounding amplifiers I've ever had in my home." RI) seconds the Class A rating, while TJN points to the very low output impedance as being a bonus. (Vo120 No.5) Vacuum Tube Logic Wotan MB-1250 Signature monoblock: $27,500/pair Behemoth two-storey, tubed (24 per side!) mono-block that delivers 600W in triode or 1250W in pen-tode. JS was enthralled by the Wotan? ability to set up a big soundstage while making the speakers vanish. And, he added, no matter how punishing the source material, "the Wotans never lost their ability to hang a perfectly transparent curtain of sound about the speakers and the listener.... Believe me, you'll search far and wide before you find another tube amp capa-ble of grabbing a speaker and communing it [the way these dol." (Vol.19 No.10) Vacuum Tube Logic MB-450 Signature monoblock: $7490/pair The original version of the amplifier-when it was still called the MI3-300 -was a JGI-1 favorite. The lat-est iteration can switch between triode (250Wpc) and tetrode (450Wpc). RN found extra sweemess and liq-uidity running triode. Designation changed to MB-450 Signature with the replacement of the original transformer with the Signature transfonner -which helps the new version deliver 11 amps as opposed to the 6.6A of the original. The MB-450 Signature has not been fully reviewed in its latest rendition, so any recommendation must be construed as provisional. (Vol.19 No.7) Valve Amplification Company Renaissance Seventy/Seventy Mk.II: $9900 This beautifully made 65Wpc (for 3% Ti-il)), dual-mono push-pull amplifier uses Golden Dragon 4300B output triodes run in class-A, and features user-selec-table loop negative feedback. (The best measured per-hinnance was obtained with no feedback, but output impedance is then a very high 2.1 ohms, which mill give major response modifications with almost all speakers.) Still, 'lise VACs poetic beauty lay in its stunningly realistic midrange," enthused JE, also not-ing the remarkably accurate and precise soundstraging. The bass is a little boomy, however. Current Mk.II version incorporates protection circuitry to guard against tube failure. (Vol.17 No.12) Wavelength Audio Cardinal monoblock: $5250/pair Wavelength Audio Cardinal XS monoblock: $7500/pair JS was entranced by the openness, speed, and treble clarity exhibited by the XS version of this SET amplifi-er. Particularly impressed by his level of nunical involve-ment, he mused, "How easy it seemed to reach into, to caress, to feel, to understand the music I heard ... I came to understuld that this warn and welcoming internal fireworks --single-ended's Unbearable Lighniess of Being -breathed tits- very hire into the sound." ST mar-veled at the basic version's mull of timbre and harmon-ic beauty, but found it a tad slow-sounding. liN groused that the test-bench performance night have been acceptable in 1940, hut seemed mediocre for a contemporary design. He allowed, however, that mea-surements appear beside the point with this sort of design. (Vol.19 No.1)

A (integrated) Cary Audio-Design CAD-300SEI: $3695 Stereo, single-ended, tubed, integrated amplifier relat-ed to the Cary 300SE monoblock. Casting an eye toward the measured response of the 300SEI, Ri-1 rap-turously exclaims, "My head tells nie die Cary can't be any good; my cars and heart say this is this most involving and communicative amplifier I've heard." "It's actually a tone control, and an unpredictable one at that," JA grumps (though he will admit under pres-sure that die sound of his 1:18cW Silver Signatures driv-en by the Cary was first-rate). RH regards the ultra-

smooth, liquid sound of the 300SE1 to be world-class, manifesting a warmth and beauty unmatched by any electronics he's had in his system. Output of 11Wpc tops, limited dynamics, somewhat shelved-down tre-ble region, and, shall we say, idiomuratic test results demand extensive auditioning with your preferred loudspeakers before purchase. (Vol.18 No.9) Classé CAP-100: $1995 $$$ This beautifully built solid-state 100Wpc integrated amp really floated RH's boat. "Not only a great-sound-ing amplifier, but a fabulous value at $1995," he raved. lit] had stunning transparency, soundstage focus, and detail resolution that would be remarkable even in much more expensive separates. In addition, [its] abil ity to portray dynamic shading, from the quick leading edge of percussion to the visceral slam of bass drum was first-rate." Some may find the CAP-100's lively sound too forward for their tastes, but for RH, "the sound was instead infused with a finely woven quality that gently revealed detail... with subtlety and grace that pulled me in to explore the music's innermost stricture." (VoI20 No.9) Krell KAV-3001: $2350 $$$ Compact 150Wpc integrated amplifier that has "fine depth and surprisingly good transparency," according to MC. Well-balanced sound includes good foetus, Sta-hie imaging, and satisfactorily deep bass, allied with "above-average slain." 1)ynamies, gauged MC, "were well-rendered... in conjunction with good rhythm and timing" -areas where MC feels the littlest Krell "may have the measure of its bigger brothers." (Vol.19 No.7) YBA Integré DT: $2345 $$$ "A 50Wpc integrated amp, even with a phono stage, hardly seems hike a bargain at $2345," ST allowed. "But it is. You get beautifully detailed, neutral sound, a superb tonal balance, magnificent build quality, and exquisite styling...the $400 extra you pay for the moving-coil module seems almost ridiculously cheap when you hear the quality of the phono reproduc-tion." Version without phono stage costs $2195. Version with single transformer. not reviewed, costs S1945. (Vol.19 No.12)

Aragon 8008ST: $1999 $U TJN was so taken by this 200Wpc solid-state amp that he enthused over its "effective combination of body, richness, and detail." although lie did note dust the top end could turn dry and zippy on hard transients. Overall, he rated this amp equal to power amps cost-ing as much as five times more. "Make the compari-son," he urged, " ... it just might make you feel a lot better about your budget." A $500 optional upgrade adds balanced inputs, two transformers, enlarges the output stage, and doubles the power-supply capaci-tance, die result being the 8008BB (not auditioned). 1)N found the three-channel version, the $2499 Aragon 8008x3, "every hit as good a performer-an open window on the source." (Vol.19 No.6, 8(108ST; SGUIT3 No.1, 8008x3) AudioPrism Debut: $1995 ST reconunends this 50Wpc, EL-34-based tube power amplifier for its superb build quality, excellent adjustment flexibility- it offers different levels of feedback, a variety of grounding options, and multiple output taps -and excellent bass and dynamics. (Vol.19 No.10) Ayre V-3: $3750 This 100Wpc MOSFET amp "swings like a good 'un," said WP "A success. A rousing one ...I never tired of its silence, exemplary pacing, and tindiral accuracy." ST finds the top end a little dull, lading what he likes to call" crystalline clarity' - hell, that's what I wan/ from a solid-state amp," he thunders. SS agrees with ST and WP that the Ayir is borderline Class A, not quite reaching those milted heights due to a somewhat closed-in high end, though SI) bought one as an affordable alternative reference to his Rowlands. (Vol.19 No.8) Bryston 3B-ST: $1565 SSS This 120Wpc solid-state stereo power amplifier 'packs

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plenty of power for a bantamweight," proclaimed W. "In the areas of bass and midrange dynamics, punch and solidity... it equals top amplifiers." However, those amps in Class A possess greater transparency. openness, and soundstage depth, he cautions. On the other hand, its clean power, modest cost, and 20-year warranty offer a lot of value for the audiophile on a budget (Vol.19 No.10) Bryston 8B ST-THX: $3195 Four-channel amplifier that TJN recommends for home-theater use, though noting that it is a "bit pricey" for what it offers. Warm-balanced and a bit richer than life, he summed up, pointing out that the Bryston is worth exploring for a bi-amped stereo system. (SGHT1 No2) Cary SLM-100 monoblock: $3495/pair "High qualities of sound, parts, and construction" make this 100W tubed monoblock "a bargain," claimed RJR, citing its glorious midrange. "Yes, there [is] a bit of euphonic rube sweetening... [bud the seductive repro-duction of well-recorded voices melted me down into a puddle." Bass reproduction could go quite deep, but he found it marred by "ripe thickness" in the 80-100Hz region. Chromed chassis adds $500/pair (Vol.19 No.5) Celeste 4070: $1599 $$$ Hard-to-impress SS hailed the 80Wpc 4070 as "the first moderately priced amp I've had in my home that delivers the fine details of musical events," finding its transparency and low-level detail to be exemplary. He also praised its frequency extension and ability to unravel complex passages. However, he felt it erred slightly toward the thin side of harmonic balance and lacked the fully developed soundstaging of the best, more expensive amplifiers. "In the right system, [it] will make many people wonder why anyone would need to spend more money," he concluded. (Vol.18 No.12) Classé CAV-150: $3595 Six-channel, 150Wpc solid-state power amplifier impressed TJN with its "tight, defined bass and sweet, smooth top-end.... It has a solid, substantial look and feel that suggest long-term durability..., a first-class home-theater amplifier." (SGHT2 No.4, SG HT3 No.1) Conrad-Johnson MV-55: $1995 $$$ The value-for-money, 45Wpc MV-55 "gets the har-monics right," according to ST, who rates this amp "a classic, a steal, "&@*ing fabulousr Its sound features "lots of spatial bloom... Female vocals sound ravish-ing," he adds, summing up that "in terms of sheer musicality - truth of timbre, harmonic rightness, full-ness, richness -there may be few amps at any price that can surpass the MV55.... If you have reasonably sensitive loudspeakers, I urge you to give the MV55 a serious listen -this amp is a 'must-audition.' " (Vol.19 No.10, Vol.20 No.4) Conrad-Johnson MF2300-A: $2995 This 240Wpc amp, employing differential J-FET input stages and complementary PET outputs, has an ability to drive difficult speaker loads that impressed MC with its natural tonal qualities, well-balanced nat-ural perspective, and well-extended, solid lsass. "Packs a massive punch," he assessed, and it "proved it was no wimp by handling a wide range of loads with ease." Short-list it, he advised, for its "load-tolerance, neutrality, power, and honest engineering value." (Vol.19 No.10) Counterpoint Natural Progression NPS-400A: $4795 TJN was left unmoved by the first version of this pow-erful -250Wpc - hybrid stereo amplifier, but a revised sample (reflecting dae sound of amplifiers made after die first 50) had him shouting its praises. With its expansive soundstage, lack of grain, and tight bass, "it combines the best of tubes and solid-state," he wrote. Borderline Class A in the right system, though a slight lack of low-bass slam and top-octave air keep it from ranking right up there. (Vol.18 No.3) Manley 175 monoblock: $4800/pair While still the finest David Manley-designed ampli-fier 1)0 has heard, the 175's superb soundstaging is

let down by a rather laid-back midrange and over-ripe lows, thought DO. Though the Manley's liquid midrange textures were languidly seductive, this was associated with a reduced sense of pace. Output tubes are 5881/6L6WGCs; worth experimenting with alternatives, concluded DO, but be sure to check with the factory first. Specified clipping power is 145W but actually measured closer to 130W. (Vol.18 No.1) Marantz Model 9 Reissue monoblock: $4»0/pair This reissue of the classic 70Wpc tubed monoblock is assembled for Marantz by VAC and exhibits rugged, recto glamour. SS found it "the kind of component you can live with forever," even though many contempo-rary designs offer higher levels of perfonnance for the money. "But once you own a pair of 9s, you may no longer care about ultimate performance ... [you'll be] too busy enjoying the music to give a damn about individual component perfomunce." (Vo120 No.8) McCormack Power Drive DNA-1: $2095 $$$ Beautifully made, this relatively inexpensive 175Wpc solid-state amplifier had RH waxing lyrical about its sound: " ... warm, sweet, punchy, and eminently musi-cal." With a more laid-back, less dry balance than the Boulder 500AE, the DNA's soundstage presentation featured a superb sense of palpability, noted both RH and JA. A pair wired for bridged-mono operation costs $4995. "A strong Class B product that is knocking on the door of Class A." -RH. Deluxe Edition monoblock ($5995/pair) lus premium parts quality and gets even closer, making it one of the best bargains in audio. (regular, Vol.15 No.4; Deluxe, Vol.18 No3) McCormack Power Drive DNA-0.5: $1495 $5U Smaller -120Wpc -sister to the I)NA-1, the DNA-0.5 floated TJN's boat in a big way: a palpable midrange, crisp transients, air and detail to spare, and plenty of punch to percussive bass. "An Aladdin among amplifiers," he proclaimed; "a diamond in the rough!" ST concurs, calling the Deluxe Edition version ($1795) "an incredible achievement.., a totally honest, no-BS product" and "one of the best amplifiers, period." (Vol.18 Nos2 8c 12) Mesa Engineering Baron: $3995 Tubed stereo power amp has a plethora of operating options: choice of output transformer taps, four nega-tive feedback levels, and four operating modes -class-A triode (60Wpc), class-AB pentode (150Wpc), 74 tri-ode/ SS pentode (90Wpc), or SS triode/ 24 pentode (120Wpc). CS loved this amount of flexibility, being made of (ahem) sterner stuff than JA, who found a mode that worked for his reference speakers and stuck with it. Triode mode with minimal feedback, quoth he, was "seductively sweet-sounding," although the frequency extremes were rolled-off and dynamics restricted. For CS, however, "the Mesa Baron is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the math." Since die Baron has high output impedance and pro-gressive distortion characteristics, its sound will vary more than usual depending upon the loudspeakers it is asked to drive - mandating careful prepurchase audi-tion. However, JA concluded, "when everything does go its way, it will give its owner much musical enjoy-ment and can be recommended." (Vo120 No.1) Muse 160: $1900 $$$ (See MPs review in this issue) OCM 500: $2895 SS felt the 260Wpc 500 best suited situations requir-ing heavy wattage and current and high damping capa-bilities. While not possessed of the last word in 3-1) imaging, it did manifest "excellent transient speed, credible articulation of inner detail, and fine low-bass extension." Mild HF hardness nuy be exacerbated by speakers sharing the same tendency. "Solid Class B," adds MF. (Vol.18 No.12) Parasound HCA-2003: $1650 Three-channel 200Wpc solid-state amplifier that TJN described as "powerful, detailed, clean." Its great bass and overall listenability should, he reckoned, gamer it a lot of admirers. "Its nuin shortco lll i l ags arc in inner resolution and top-end openness -tolerable subtrac-tions, and not irritating additions." (SGHT3 No.1)

Proceed AMP-2: $1995 TJN finds the sound of this affordable 150Wpc stereo. amplifier gripping -with a detailed, full-bodied qual-ity revealing every nuance without extending into hyper-detail. The bottom end sounds deep and tightly controlled, while at the opposite end of the scale the sound is pristine, albeit with a trace of dryness at the top. Some may find it too revealing, he cautions, yet it struck him as accurately portraying what's on the recording. Also a favorite of 1)AS, who feels it works best with speakers having "lots of uncolored meat on the low end." The three-channel AMP-3 ($2995) is identical other than using three rather than two ampli-fier modules. Upgrade from two-channel amplifier to three-channel costs $1000. (Vol.18 No.5) Sumo Andromeda III: $1799 This solid-state 240Wpc amplifier "tells it like it is," asserted TJN, who found the amp's "general sparkle and detail ...enhanced by a tight, well-defined, punchy bottom end." He also praised its "first-rate soundstaging" and "see-through transparency," although he confessed that he "would have occasional-ly preferred a bit more wamith, hut not if it meant sac-rificing any of the Andromeda's positive qualities.... A terrific amplifier at what is nearly a bargain price. (Vol.19 Nos.5 & 6) Vacuum Tube Logic MB 175 Signature monoblock: $4990/pair This tubed monoblock produces 175W in tctrode mode or 90W in triode (switchable). MF lauded its "deep, well-controlled, well-damped bass," as well as their neutral, "if tending toward the lean side," tonal balance. While he felt the VTL didn't offer "the ulti-mate in soundstage depth," something that keeps it from Class A. he was impressed by the "outstanding high-frequency extension, transient speed, and airy overall presentation. ... An outstanding combination of sonic and technical virtues at a more dun reason-able price." (Vo120 No.6) Valve Amplification Company PA80/80: $2790 "Has tube magic in spades!" avers WP of dais 80Wpc design (3% THD); he fisund it warm, dimensional, and beguiling. Slight midbass emphasis connibutes to a pwichy propulsive sense of drive that he enjoyed. Not as extended in die firquency cetttaa.s -or quite as refined-as some of the Class A amplifiers, but almost second to none in its presentation of the emotional subtext of the music, according to the big guy. Golden Dragon KT88M output tubes now standard. (W1.19 No3)

B (integrated amplifiers) Audio Note Oto Phono SE: $2495 12Wpc single-ended integrated amp "revealed itself to an exceptionally good-sounding amplifier and a bar-gain at $2495 with a phono stage. (1,1 was clean, liquid, sweet, spacious, and transparent, but not at the expense of detail resolution. It had far better bass con-trol and subjective output power than you'd expect from the power rating or measured performance. Still, a loudspeaker with a fairly high impedance and high sensitivity is mandatory." RH thought the phono sec-tion exceptional. "Potential purchasers should he aware of the Oros limitations in loudness and dynam-ics." KR notes the rich, creamy sound, but found that details and transients were lost. (Line-only version costs $1995) (Vo120 Nos.3 & 9) Bryston B-60: $1495 ST was mightily impressed by this solid-state 60Wpc integrated: 'Ile midrange was especially smooth and sweet, making it a pleasure for me to listen to cham-ber music. Treble was well-extended -certainly not rolled-off... but it wasn't exaggerated. Bass was richly delineated, tight and tuneful..." Not a powerhouse, however, he cautions -match speakers to it carefully. "Bravo, Bryston! A landmark... a reference ...a tri-umph ...a steal!" 20-year warranty, remote control adds $300. (Vo120 No.5) Densen Beat 100: $1295 This 60Wpc solid-state design was slow to wami up in MCs system, but when it did, it "rewarded the listener with good transparency and a pure. open treble devoid

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of the grain usually found in this price range.— Bass was pretty gcxxl... rhythm and dynamic expression were above average." The Beat 100 "is recommended, provided that you use 'twin'-type speaker cable... speaker, of 4 to 8 ohms, and that you leave it powered up semipennanently." "Budget solid-state at its best!" agrees ST. (Vo120 No.9) Linn Majik-I: $1095 $U -1ton't he put off by the 33Wpc power rating," RH cautioned; "the Majik-I has the ability to deliver cur-rent into low impedances, and can increase its power output to 100Wpc into 2 ohms. I never wanted for power in my small mom." lise amp "excels in sever-al areas: reproducing namral timbres, throwing an incisive yet relaxed soundstage, and most of all con-veying the music's life and energy." Price includes remote control. At $100, the optional phono stage is a bargain. RH's top choice under $2000. (1/01.19 No.12, VoI20 No.9) Musical Fidelity A220: $999.95 SU This 50Wpc solid-state integrated amp is biased heav-ily into class-A, which snakes it mn hot, hot, hot, cau-tions ST. Good ventilation is a must. "The A220 had a lovely liquidity that many tube amplifiers struggle to achieve. Plus it had solid-state drive and dynamics. Subjectively... the A220 sounded ubre powerful than

(Vol20 No.5) Musical Fidelity A-2: $699 US This 25Wpc solid-state integrated runs hot, ST cau-tions, being heavily biased into class-A. "The sound is very special," he i aa sisted, "not at all what most people are used to hearing (suffering?) from inex-pensive equipment." Not the last word in resolution, he cautions, "but so what? This is musical. Love it!" (Vo120 No.1)

Acurus 200X3: $1399 1131) was struck by how dynamic the system sounded with the three-channel 200X3 driving the front speak-ers." Bass and dynamics, he felt, were first-rate—but added that, in his reference music-only system, the 200Wpc amplifier sounded "a bit rough around the edges." But, he continued, "contrary to my impression of the 200)0's sound in my main audio system, I was not aware of any added roughness" when it was used for home theater. Recommended, he asserts, "espe-cially to those who place dynamics at the top of their wish list." (SGHT2 No.1) Audio Design Associates PTM-6150: $1999 Rli found this high-current. six-channel, 150Wpc amplifier rugged. well-made, and a soundstaging champ. I lowever, he also noted woolly bass and hard-ness in the treble. Slightly forward presentation wore better in home-theater applications—where RH found it exciting and involving —than in audio-only, where it distracted. "Low Class C for music," he con-cludes. (SGHT2 No2) Audio Electronics SE-1: $899 This modestly powered (8Wpc) single-ended amplifi-er Flom a subsidiary of Cary Audio sounds somewhat like the more expensive, snore powerful Cary 3005E, thought ST due to its palpable presence and math of timbre. No dynamics to speak of. however. Also avail-able in kit: form for $699. (Vol.17 No.11) Audio Electronics SE-811 monoblock: $1995/pair ST reckoned these SE triode 12Wpc monoblocks, based on Syetlana's SV-811-3 tube, to be "innovative, interesting, and enjoyable," having many of the virtues of much more expensive SE designs: "Clarity, purity of tone, and absence of grunge." Yet despite calling their top end "particularly smooth, sweet, and extended," he felt that "sonic of the 300B magic was missing." Also available its kit fonts for $1195. (Vol.19 No.7) Chiro C-200: $998 Chico C-300: $1498 "Power combined with delicacy" is how RD described the sound of these identical amps, differing only in the number of channels. "Fit'n'finish are a clef-

mite cut above what one expects at this level," he elaborated. "As of now, they're my favorite amplifiers in this price range." Borderline Class B, he sums tip. (SG liT2 No.1) Denon POA-8200 THX: $1000 Denon POA-8300 THX: $1500 Two- and three-channel 120Wpc solid-state amps that are otherwise identical. RH lauded their "smooth and unfatiguing, yet highly detailed" character, also enthusing over their tremendous bass extension and weight. (SGHT2 No2) Kenwood Stage 3 KM-Z1: $1200 TJN found this affindable, 130Wpc 6-channel ampli-fier "good but not unusually noteworthy with straight stereo and even Pro-logic sources, [but] it came into its own... during AC-3 playback. You'll have to spend several hundred additional dollars to get significandy better performance in a multichannel amplifier." (SGHT.3 No.1) Masan= MA500 THX monoblock: $300 each $$$ "At $300 each, the MA500s are one of the best buys in home theater," exclaimed RH over these compact 125W monoblocks. "They were smooth, spacious, and had good dynamics." Build quality is quite high, so don't let their stature fool you — they drove Avalon Radian HCs "without strain or congestion." (SG HT2 No2) NAD 208THX: $1649 Very powerful —almost 320Wpc — solid-state design with excellent bass extension, authority, and control, decided TJN, but not as liquid-sounding in the mids as the similarly priced McCormack DNA-0.5. Highs sound surprisingly soft, perhaps even a little dark, lead-ing to a lack of pace in ultimate terms. (Vol.18 No2) NAD 214: $449 SSS NAD 216 THX: $699 Offering good sound, specifically a natural-sounding midrange, the 80Wpc NAD 214 smack RD as an excellent candidate for Class C —especially in light of its reasonable price. Although he found the larger but similar 125Wpc 216 TFDC to be well built and pow-erful, RD did not warns up to its upper-midrange/tre-ble, which he found somewhat hard and grainy, imparting an artificial sound to reproduced music. "Not a bad snip," he concludes, "but not my top choice in Class C." (SGHT2 No)) Parasound HCA-1000A: $595 US Improved version of the $575 HCA-1000, sporting a more robust power supply, a second pair of RCA jacks (to facilitate "looping" two or more amps to a single source), and an auto turn-on circuit. BW was impressed by the original 1000, and particularly taken by its detail. soundstaging, and dynamic attack. However, he felt its bass reproduction lacked body, a shortcoming the 1000A specifically address-es with its beefier power supply. "The 1000's few shortcomings have been completely addressed in the revision," he concluded, making it "a serious contender in affordable high-end amplification." (Vo120 No.8) Parasound HCA-1206: $1950 "Dynamic, punchy, and [it] refused to rim out of steam," declared TJN after listening to this six-channel amplifier. "It peiformed to a standard well beyond its per-channel cost in most regards." Though the top octaves sounded a link crisper than he prefers, the bass was powerful. "A must-hear," he concluded. Borderline Class B. (SGHT.1 No2) PSE Studio IV: $995 SSS Physically compact amplifier offering a measured 113Wpc, but TJN claims that there's nothing "small" about the Studio IV's sound, noting its wide, deep soundstage, crisp transients, and natural inner defini-tion. A cool sonic character and a leanness in "ram-bunctious" passages were his only cavils; he finds the PSE rewarding in vimially every other respect. Not easy to find, but worth the search, he concludes. (Vol.13 No.1, Vol.18 Nos.5 & 8) Rotel RB-985: $999.90 $5$ RD found this five-channel, 100Wpc amplifier's sense of power and dynamics laudable, as he did its resolu-

tion. A slight loss of transparency and soundstage depth compared to the very finest, but praiseworthy at the price point. "1 don't think you could do better... at $1000," he resolved. (SGHT2 No.1)

C (integrated amplifiers) Audiolab 8000S: $995 $$$ This 60Wpc solid-state integrated delivers "clean, crisp, solid-state sound—unimpeachable," ST states. "Excellent configuration flexibility —no other inte-grated I know of can be used so many ways or can be reconfigured so easily. Keenly priced. Good value." Borderline Class B. (Vo120 No.1) Creek 4240 Special Edition: $795 SSS "I can't think of a single high-end electronic compo-nent available today that provides more value for money than the Creek 4240SE," concluded RJR of thus 50Wpc design. "Creek has finally gotten the high frequencies right... lwlsilel the bass is clean, tight, and natural." Paired with the right speaker, Banker Boll felt it set a new standard for performance in affordable gear. (MM board adds $60; MC board adds $95.) CG found the basic Creek 4240 ($595) to sound "Smooth, too smooth," though WP adds that there's definitely a place for a product that favors a balanced presentation over extension at the frequency extremes —he'd buy a Creek for his mom! (Vol.17 No.7; Vol.18 No.12, Special Edition.) JoLida SJ 502A: $995 "One fine little amplifier," affirmed LB. He found this 60Wpc integrated, line-level-only tube amp quiet, tight, and tuneful —albeit a trifle polite. JA was impressed with the amplifier's test performance, find-ing it noteworthy considering a) it's a tube amp, and b) it costs so little. (Vol.19 No)) Myryad MI-120: $999 This 60Wpc solid-state amp is musical. ST decided, "if by 'musical' you mean sweet, smooth, liquid." However, "the sound, overall, could use more body." Analog lovers are well-served — onboard phono options include MM and MC boards at budget prices, and the headphone jack runs off the power amp rather than a cheapnklicerful op-amp. MM phono stage adds $100; MC phono stage adds $125. (Vo120 No.1) Rotel RA-970BX: $499.90 in "Plenty of power [60Wpcj, a relatively smooth tonal balance, good dynamics, and a solid bass pre-sentation," raved RH. "1 was surprised at how much musical performance the RA-970BX provided for its modest price. In addition, [its] high power output makes it an excellent choice for power-hungry loudspeakers." Though not as smooth or as expan-sive as snore expensive competition, "with products like the RA-97013X available, there's absolutely no reason for anyone to buy mass-market junk." (Vol.19 No.12, Vo120 No.9)

D (separates) There are currently no Class I) amplifiers listed.

Cary CAD-805C, Pass Aleph 12, Mark Levinson No33H and No33Z Krell Full Power Balanced 250M and FPB-300, Y13A Passion, Jeff Rowland Design Group Model 6, Kinergetics KBA-280, VTL 1V113750, Clayton S-40, Quad II lhamond Jubilee, Transcendent T8.

Deletions Audio Research VT150SE, Bel Canto lksign Ode° SE2, Cary Audio lksign CAD-805, YBA 2 HC, Harmonic Precision HP-150, Parasound HCA-2200 II, Woodside MASO, Penraux MC-6100, PS Audio 100 Delta, and Rotel RB-980BX all not auditioned in too long a time; Classé CA-200 redesigned, mandating reaudition.

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Stereophife, October 1997

loudspeaker sustems Editor's Note: Class A "Louthpeakers" arc suffi-ciently idiosyncratic and differ enough from one another that prospective customers should read Sterrophile's original reviews in their entirety for descriptions of the sound. I have therefore just listed every system or combination that at least one of Stetrophile's reviewers feels, as a result of his experience, to approach the current state of the art in loudspeaker design. (Note that, to be eligible for inclusion in Class A, the system must be full-range - ir, feature bass extension to 20Hz. They must also be capable of reaching realistic sound-pressure levels without any feeling of strain.)

For those unconcerned about the last few hertz of low-bass extension, we have created "Classes A, B, and C (Restricted Extreme LF)" for those speakers that are state-of-the-art in every other way. Candidates for inclusion in this class must still reach down to at least 40Hz, below the lowest notes of the four-string double-bass and bass guitar.

In addition, such has been the recent progress in loudspeaker design at a more affordable level that we have an extra class: E, for "Entry Level." Someone once asked me why Stereophik bothers to review inex-pensive loudspeakers at all. In effect, aren't we insult-ing our readership by recommending that they buy any of these inexpensive models? Remember: It's pos-sible to put together a musically satisfying, truly high-end system around any of our Class D and E recom-mendations. That's why they're listed -and why you should consider buying them.

A Artemis Eos Signature/Base Module: $15,800-$23,375/pair depending on finish (See KR's review in this issue.) Dunlavy Audio Labs Signature SC-VI: 623,995/pair Price is for light and black oak finishes; rosewood and cherry veneers add $1000/pair. (Vol.19 No.8) EgglestonWorks Andre: 614,700/pair (See WP's review in this issue.) Jadis J1: 640,000/pair High-sensitivity horn array with Isobarik-loaded dynamic woofer. Formerly culled the Eurythmic II. (Vol.19 No.3) JMIab Grand Utopia: 670,000/pair (Vol.19 No.5) Meridian DSP6000: 616,995/pair tt Active system offers digital data inputs only and uses delta-sigma D/A conversion. (Vol.14 Nos.9 & 10, Vol.18 No.6) Snell Type A Reference: 619,000/system Seven-component system consisting of two Type A HF/midrange towers, two SUB 1800 subwoofers, two isolated outboard crossovers, Kimber wiring har-nesses, and an outboard electronic crossover. (Towers on their own cost 570(X) each, the SUB 1800 THX subwoofers -see "Subwoofers" -cost $2500 each.) (Vol.19 No3) Waveform Mach 17: 66995/pair 666 Three-way, floorstanding loudspeaker requires tri-amplification. Available by mail-order only, with 30-day money-back trial period. Price includes line-level crossover. (Vo120 No.6)

A (restricted extreme LP) ArtellliS Eos Signature: $7300-511,555/pair depending on finish (stands necessary) Matching Base Module subwoofer ($8500/pair-S11,820/pair, depending on finish) takes overall per-formance to Class A. (See Kit's review in this issue.) Audio Physic Virgo: 65395/pair "Where'd they go?" asks MF, observing that "The Virgos flat-out disappeared. Aside from pulling a van-ishing act, what they do better than any other speak-er I've auditioned... is resolve low-level detail: spatial and ambient infomution, and especially texture and tout 11 in the lower midbass and upper bass." But they

don't, he concedes, "give me the visceral sock-to-the-stomach bass" that some audiophiles crave. He also wonders if there isn't a touch of midbass warmth, a quality he finds easy to ignore-if not actually crave. "Worth a listen, if you've got the scratch." (Vol.18 No.9) Avalon Acoustics Radian HC: $12,995/pair in hardwood finish Coupled with the other components in the Spectral/ Avalon/MIT 2C3D system, RH was impressed with Radian HC's "gigantic three-dimensional soundstage... [with] width, transparency, focus, and image specificity [that] were better than any I'd ever heard." He also found that "the bottom end also had a stunning dynamic agility." Overall balance can be a little lean, found JA, who enthused about the speak-er's midrange smoothness and detail. (Vol.19 No.1) B&W John Bowers Silver Signature: 68000/pair (stands & cables included) Expensive two-way minimonitor with outboard crossover uses silver throughout and successfully pulls off the trick of persuading its listeners that it's much bigger than it really is-at least at moderate spis. Useful bass exists down to 32Hz, with a delightful combination of weight and articulation. The uncol-ored presentation is astonishingly transparent, sound-staging is superbly palpable, and tonal balance is a lit-tle on the polite side, but the Silver Signature is, over-all, the most musical-sounding design to come from B&W that JA has heard. (Vol.17 No.6) Infinity IRS Epsilon: $14,000/pair inc. servo control unit Missing full-range Class A by a whisker, this elegant Cary Christie design combines monopole planar driv-frs with a servo-controlled woofer. (Needs to be driv-en by two high-power stereo amplifiers.) Absolutely stunning bass, enthused TJN, "combining tightness and extension in an extremely rare manner," coupled with an extremely neutral midband balance and grain-free high frequencies. Top octave a little sub-dued, but overall "an E-ticket ride," concluded TJN. (Vol.18 No.1) Magneplanar MG-20: 69200-S9650/pair depending on finish The best speaker yet to come from Jim Winey, the MG-20 impressed the heck out of DO, who notes that "image outlines were remarkably lifelike within a spacious soundstage." The "tonal center of gravity" is firmly rooted in the lower mids, which get the best from orchestral music, though slightly recessed upper núds give the speaker a "back-of-the-hall" perspective. Needs to be hi-amped with an electronic crossover to get the best it is capable of, but optional XO-20 pas-sive crossovers ($695/pair) are available for those who want to use a single stereo amplifier. (Vol.18 No2) mbl 111: 613,900/pair This idiosyncratic-looking loudspeaker represents a serious attempt at producing a true omnidirectional source. It impressed JA with its "remarkably effective and well-thought-out engineering." The woofer's bandpass loading scheme gave the bass a "puddingy" character, meaning that it could lag somewhat behind the rest of the speaker's presentation -a bigger prob-lem with the more prominently recorded bass lines of jazz and rock than with orchestral or chamber music, quoth JA. Even so, he "fell in love with this speaker's sweet, detailed midrange, clean, transparent high fre-quencies, grand, sweeping soundstaging, and, above all, the majesty with which it presented much of the music I love." A powerful amp is necessary. Price is for satin-black finish; price in piano black is $18,250/pair. (Vo120 NoA) Thiel CS7: 68900/pair "Uncanny lack of coloration," "first-rate" transient response, and exceptionally tight, unmuddled bass had TJN concluding that the CS7's tradeoffs are few. WP concurred, lauding the speaker's lithe and dance-like bass response -good enough, he claimed, to make JA do the humpty dance! Our initial sample revealed sub-spec woofers, a blown tweeter, and a damaged midrange driver -presumably damaged during the review. A second pair perfomwd perfectly.

TJN adjudged the speaker "a success. Its clear over-riding design criterion has clearly been accuracy.... The CS7 is not far off the mark." "Practically a bull's-eye," WP affirmed. Because the speakers have a low impedance, amplifier matching is critical. (Vol.18 No.10, Vol.19 No.1) Wilson Audio Specialties WATT/Puppy System 5.1: 617,270/system "I've rarely heard a system that transported me so physically into the acoustic of the recording venue," exclaimed WP on auditioning the original System 5. He was also impressed by this highly sensitive (91dB) system's grain-free, highly detailed presentation, and lauded its tonal neutrality and spectacular presentation of dynamics. He was extremely critical of ancillary equipment and ruons placement, however. Upgrade to Model 5.1 consists of a cable -the Puppy Tail -that connects the high-pass outputs of the Puppy sub-woofer to the WATT% inputs. Remarkably. WI' reports, that change improves a speaker that was awfully good in the first place - by ameliorating mid-bass "blump." "Like a Great Dane puppy growing to match its huge paws," waxed the big man, "the System 5 has at last grown into its sound -the WATT/Puppy is much more musically involving now." He cautions, however, dut the better Class B loudspeakers are clos-ing in on this design. (Vol.18 Non, Vol.19 No.10)

Note that all the full-range Class B recommendations, with the exception of the Aerial IOT and 13&W 801, are floorstanciing models.

B (full-range) Acarian Alón V: 64950/pair "Sweet, precise, refined, and controlled, with a large, airy sowsd.stage," recounted RN, who nonetheless found the speaker's microdynamics a tad too restrained. To RJR, who feels it should be Class A, "the Alón V has it all: neutral tonal balance, featuring the most natural midrange I've ever heard, and... power-ful and dramatic bass extension to 25Hz." To JA's, TJN's, and WP's cars, however, the midrange has a slight nasal coloration and the woofer enclosure a little too much in the way of wayward vibrations. Santos rosewood veneer adds 5900/pair. (Vol.19 Nos.7 & 9) Aerial Acoustics 10T: $6000-$7000/pair depending on finish (stands optional) This three-way loudspeaker possesses solidly con-structed separate bass and tweeter/midrange enclo-sures. "Their ability to kick the tar out of any dynam-ic challenge... thrown at them" impressed WP, as did their uncolored midrange and exciting, immediate presentation. "Misses Class A by half a gnat's hair," WP insists. Optional (and highly recommended) stands add $500/pair. (Vol.19 No.4, SGHT3 No.1) Apogee Studio Grand: 613,000/system "With their idiosyncratic drive-units, their multiple wiring configurations, their dedicated line-level crossover, and their need for two stereo amplifiers, [not to mention] their bevy of controls, the high-tech Studio Grands could intimidate a potential purchaser," JE said. "With immense attention to break-in, setup, and system-matching, the Studio Grand was able to.. . achieve a neutral treble performance [although] the integration of subwoofers and the panels was never seamless." The added bass extension, he felt, offset the lack of overall coherency. (Vol.18 No.5) Audio Physic Caldera: $18,995/pair This three-way floorstander is built as three separate, decoupled enclosures, offering unusual flexibility us coupling the woofer to the floor. This level of refused development captivated MC. "It sounds complete and completed, and is emphatically not a prototype rushed to market," he marveled. "Tonal balance proved high-ly accurate... [although] the tonality was warmer than I ans used to." He also commented on the Calderas fluid sound and "sense of stability and inner calm... Impressive on the grounds of pure quality alone, it quietly grew on me. Its introspectiveness, even-hand-ed powers of resolution, and ability to surprise by telling more about the inner harmony and balance of

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favorite works, continued to satisfy." Difficult load for tube amps. Expensive, but under the right condi-tions could well offer borderline Class A sound. (Vo120 No.8) Avalon Eclipse: $6200/pair A warm balance, a flat on-axis response, astonishing midrange transparency, beautifully delineated, almost holographic soundstaging. and a relative freedom from coloration combine to generally allow the music to communicate most effectively. A tendency to bright-ness alleviated by using appropriate amplification - the Pass Aleph Os work a treat, says SS, who bought a pair. MC is less impressed, however, confirming JA's finding that the Eclipse has somewhat limited dynam-ics, which can lead to hardness at very high playback levels. Price refers to a black textured finish; a non-rain-forest veneer finish adds $1700/pair. Current production has "an inexpensive tweeter revi-sion" that AB felt to significantly improve the sound; earlier samples are upgradeable. (Vol.14 Nos.I & 10, Vol.15 No.8) Audio Artistry Dvorak: $6490/system In SI Ys opinion, this four-enclosure speaker system, which incorporates a line-level equalizer/crossover, "successrally incorporates... the positive qualities of Luge-panel dipoles and moving-coil designs while minimizing most of their respective drawbacks." He also lauded their lack of room, cabinet, and air-cavity colorations, as well as their natural top-to-bottom tonal balance. Extensive revisions demand a follow-up evaluation. (Vol.19 No.4) B&W Matrix 801 Series 3: $5500/pair (stands optional) A complete redesign of the classical recording indus-try's standard monitor loudspeaker - aluminum-dome tweeter and B&W's patented "Matrix" enclo-sure, whereby the cabinet is effectively transformed into a solid body-has resulted in a moving-coil speaker capable of competing with the best planars. As LL put it, "a true musician's reference transducer." Strengths include excellent low-frequency definition and weight, a highly detailed midrange, and unre-strained dynamics. Best used with stands -we've had good results with the Sound Anchors and with the wooden, sand-filled Arcicis. (Also see Vol.12 No.10, p.45, and Vol.13 No2, p.217, for discussions of a crossover modification that improves the sound of the original 801 Matrix.) Current version has a revised tweeter, a nondetachable head, an improved crossover layout, and has done away with the APOC protection circuitry. (Vol.10 No.9) Energy Ventas v2.8: 56000/pair * This tall, "hi-tech"-looking three-way/four-driver design from Canada uses a dome midrange unit and has a flat midrange/treble response, impressive dynamics, and near-textbook horizontal dispersion. Borderline Class A sound and imaging are the result. However, the bass is balanced to be rather generous in all but very large rooms, found TJN. "The mids and highs are exceptionally articulee, balanced, and accu-rate," adds WP. Ilse v2.8 can be tri-wired or tri-mmed; some owners recommend reducing the midrange level by wiring a 1 ohm, 10W resistor in series with the "hot" terminal. (Vol.17 No.6; also see T)N's Thiel CS7 review in Vol.18 No.10.) Ensemble Profysia: 513,500/system Three-way floorstanding system -it consists of the 58495/pair Elysia minimonitor and the 55195/pair Profundo Silver woofer - that, like the Wilson WATT/Puppy, couples a separate minimonitor to a subwoofer/stand. "Highly articulate, it sings well," said MC, who felt "it lacked midrange vices, its cool clean mids leading to a pure, light, nearly grainless treble." Transparent and capable of great resolution, but "the bass isn't particularly powerful, nor does it go very deep- although it is focused and tuneful. "Swiss build quality unfortunately means Swiss build costs," lie lamented. MC points out that the Elysia on its own is a Class A minimonitor. (Vol.19 No.9) Focus Audio Signature 88: 58800/pair Three-way floorstanding dynamic loudspeaker that engrossed JA during his review audition. "It offers...

excellent stereo imaging, clarity, bass extension, and dynamics. Balanced a little on the forward side, and with low frequencies that will be overgenerous in smaller rooms, it nevertheless sounds eminently musi-cal." Knocks ois the door of Class A but recent changes mandate re-auditioning. (Vo120 No.6) Gradient Revolution: 53995/pair "i Viva la nwoluciónr exhorted DO. He found the Revolution, designed to be less room-dependent than ordinary speakers, "quite endearing," although not spectacular in conventional audiophile terms. He decided their greatest strengths to be organic whole-ness, solid imaging, excellent microdynamic expres-sion, and convincing rhythmic drive. Original review samples turned out to have a broken crossover. JA's Follow-Up endorsed 1)0's enthusiasm for this unpre-possessing-looking but neutrally balanced speaker, and adds that the bass quality and extension arc both sim-ply excellent. MF also agrees, adding that the Revolutions work great as rear-channel speakers in a Dolby AC-3 system. (Vol.18 No.5, Vo120 No.3) Infinity Compositions Prelude P-PR: 53400/pair RH calls the Compositions Prelude P-FR loudspeak-er with its integral active subwoofer "a stunning musi-cal, technical, and aesthetic achievement," finding it capable of producing "transcendental musical mom-ents" as well as perforating "impressive[ly] on movie soundtracks." But he's most chuffed by their ability to be driven to satisfying levels by low-wattage SE triode amps - calling that combination "one of the most musical-sounding systems rye heard -regardless of price." He does admonish that some will find the tonal balance too lean, wishing a little more weight and authority himself. ST, a proponent of SE triodes, con-curs-adding, "they're sotmdstaging champs." (Vol.18 No.9, SGHT.1 No2, Vol.19 No2) KEF Reference Series Model Four: $5200-$6400/pair depending on finish TJN found the Four "Isard to tame but worth the effort," advising potential purchasers to audition them with the associated equipment they intend to use. With the Fours properly set up, he was delighted with their performance, especially their inner detail, trans-parency, soundstaging, and air. While the very best loudspeakers may do such things better, he felt the margin was small. Not recommended for small moms, where the generous LF might turn oppressive. (Vol.19 No.3) KEF Reference Series Model 107/2 Raymond Cooke Special Edition: 55900/pair TJN felt the 107/2s "let the music speak for itself." Bottom end tilts slightly more toward a rich fullness than "punchy tightness," he found, which fogged over the mid- and upper bass. That said, he found the speaker's balance especially conducive to the portrayal of large orchestral music -especially when paired with its "prodigious dynamic range and big, open qual-ity." And, he added, it definitely doe play deep, with plenty of impact. A JA fave. (Vol.9 NosA Et 7, Vol.10 No2, original version; Vol.14 Nos.5 & 10, Mk.II; Vol.18 No.10, Special Edition) Martin-Logan SL3: 53195/pair Striking hybrid speaker system (48" electrostatic panel, 10" woofer) that captivated WI' with its transparency (sonically and visually). These speakers work best with powerful amplifiers and require precise placement within a room, but when properly supported are capa-ble of astonishingly lifelike sound, according to WP. "Designed for those who demand nothing less than the best from their speakers." Dark oak or walnut fin-ish adds $300/pair. (Vol20 No.5) Meret Audio Ay: 54750/pair "Presents the well-controlled, smooth, unified, slight-ly distant sound so prized by many audiophiles," observes RN, who prefers a more involving sound. Coherent and detailed, with seamless integration of the drivers, the Ay shines, he concedes, in the presen-tation of voices, smallish-sized ensembles, and orchestral music that makes no undue dynamic demands. Construction and design arc both impressive, he noces-to which JA adds amen. (Vol.18 No.7)

Metaphor 2: 56250/pair nile re's a lot of power in s ineuphor," quips WP, who greatly admires these speakers. "lheir strength is pre-cisely that they never call attention to themselves, always serving the music first." JA, puzzled by their measured performance, suggests that, as good as the Metaphor 2 sounds, knocking on the door of Class A even, there might be an even better loudspeaker hid-ing within. (Vol.18 No.Z Vol.19 No.4) Monitor Audio Studio 50: 55995/pair MC was impressed by this "expensive but undeniably classy speaker." Although its overall presentation was a tad reticent, he found the Studio 50 fine-focused, transparent, and possessed of good stereo imaging. MC's pair had the tweeter wired out-of-phase with the woofer, whereas the pair measured in Santa Fe did not -a QA problem we also experienced with Monitor's Studio 2 (Vol.18 No2). Once that had been fixed, MC found the Studio 50 "a good speak-er, one that can be recommended with considerable confidence." Price is for black oak finish: rosewood veneer adds 53000/pair, handrubbed grand piano black or rosewood lacquer finish adds 54705/pair. (Vol.19 No3) Morclaunt-Short Performance 880: 53795/pair MC praised this speaker's "ability to re-create the natural atmosphere and acoustic in a recording," as well as its *generous tonal balance, its relaxed, spacious stereo perspectives, and its smooth, sweet treble." "Souse moderate midrange coloration lis] detectable when playing piano recordings," and with certain amplifiers - so careful system matching is advised. "Highly recommendable." (Vol.19 No.8) NHT 3.3: $4300/pair * Unusual four-way dynamic speaker, deep but narrow, goes against the front wall to optimally load the woofer but still get minimonitorlike imaging preci-sion. 1JN was impressed with the NHTs sound, commenting on its extended, powerful, well-defined bass, the sweet, delicate high firquencies, and well-focused soundstaging. He did find the last less expel-SiVe than with some other speakers, however, the imaging restricted to the space between the speakers. "I'd choose the 33 over any of the speakers in Class A," says CG, however, enthusing over the NHTs neu-trality and ability to play very loud without strain. and adding that he finds himself "without a single area of performance [he's] heard bettered by any other speak-er." MF feels that, as good as the 33 is, in absolute terms a lack of transparency keeps it from Class A. (Vol.16 No.I2, Vol.17 No3) Paragon Regent: 53850/pair "There's a strong vein of honesty and integrity run-ning through this design," asserts MC. "Timbre is nicely judged, the bass, mid, and treble ranges all are well-proportioned. The overall effect is remarkably even-tempered, well-balanced ... even self-effac-ing." Perhaps, he notes, thc Regent shows a touch of reticence in dynamic expression due to its decoupled drive-unit panel --- but that could also be the cause of the speaker's low enclosure coloration as well. (Vol.18 No.8) IPBN Montana SP Series 2: 53495/pair 13W praised this amplifier-friendly, floorstanding two-way for its first-rate "detail, imaging, dynamics, power handling, midrange and treble clarity, and ability to perform convincingly with a wide variety of music." The speaker lacked raie deep bass, he cautioned; "its bottom octave was more implied than present" -a drawback for a contender at this price point. And he found it difficult to integrate the speaker into his small room, suggesting it needed a lot of room to breathe. Current production differs from the review sarnples in having a flared rectangular port, an internal acoustic high-pass filter (a foam pad below the bottons woofer) and a 2" deeper cabinet, yielding a deeper and smoother bass response, found BW. He also noted that the Series 2 retained the virtues of the original: "excel-lent soundstaging and imaging abilities, a smooth, quick midrange, and a delicate, grain-free top end." (Vo120 Nos.1 & 6)

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ProAc Response 2.5: 54500/pair "Makes great music," MF asserts, "totally free of grain, 'crispies; and edge." A "slightly forward but exceed-ingly rich-sounding top end" created a lush sense of presence that was only slightly offset by a loss of air and space. Bass response, though, was everything "a non-organ-loving music-lover could ever want," he claimed. "You don't get something for nothing," JA cautioned, "and the price to be paid for the Response 2.5's impressive bass extension is low sensitivity." »Tisis will be somewhat ameliorated by the speaker's fairly stable 8 ohm impedance. Even so, careful amplifier snatching is indicated. (Vol.19 No.1) PSB Stratus Gold i: 52399-$2699/pair depending on finish $5$ (See JA's review in this issue.) Snell Type C/V: 52599/pair $$$ One of the most neutral, naturally balanced midranges around, coupled with extended, well-defined bass and a grain-free treble, but a slight lack of top-octave air and somewhat restricted image depth. Needs to be driven hard, but then really comes alive. Superb value for money. (Vol.17 No.11) Sony ES SS-M9: 53500/pair $55 A high-end speaker from Sony? JA scz you-betcha. "Neutrality balanced with well-defined imaging, a clean treble, and truly excellent low-frequency exten-sion," he enumerated. Minor flaws, including "a some-what polite top octave," are "outweighed by the things it emphatically does right." Price is for cherry veneer. Black finish adds 5500/pair, piano finish adds 56500/pair! (Vol.19 No.9, Vo120 No.1) Thiel CS2 2: 52950/pair US rt Smooth, civilized, "buttoned-down" sound with good soundstaging, excellent presentation of detail and dynamics, and superbly controlled and nicely extend-ed bass. "One of the best speaker values on the market today," states ST. JA agrees, choosing to use the Thiels as one of his long-term references, though it's fair to note the '2 2's reduced transparency compared with the larger '3.6. He also points out to habitual party-throwers that there's a limited dynamic range in the bass, and ilotes that a residual brightness will mandate careful system matching. Ile speaker was launched as the '22, but was renamed due to Bose's copyrighting of decimal numbers such as "22." (Vol.15 No.4, Vol.16 Nos.I & 10) Thiel CS3.6: 54300/pair * Remarkably transparent, extraordinarily uncolored floorstanding three-way speaker, with first-order crossovers and truly time-coherent performance. Very revealing of source imperfections and bass on the edge of the generous side, both of which will mean extra care needs to be taken in system snatching. "A terrific hatpin" at its price, RH concludes: "The more I listen to them, the snore I like them." Needs a mus-cle amplifier to cope with its very low impedance; CG found the Aragon 4004 Mk.II drove the Thiel with aplomb, though he noted its limited loudness capability compared with the NHT 33. (Vol.16 No.5, Vol.17 Nos3 & 5) Totem Acoustic Mani-2: 53995/pair (stands necessary) JA's effusive encomium noted that the Mani-2's "com-bination of clean treble, transparent midrange, natural dynamics, and powerful extended bass allowed the speakers to step to one side, allowing the music to communismte in a most effective manner." ('That's 13ritish for he liked 'ern a lot.) While $4000 for a pair of small stand-mounted speakers may not appear good value, JA pointed out that the Mani-2 produced a sound that belied price and size, noting that it would perform admirably ill moins unsuitable for more physically imposing speakers. "Enthusiastically recom-mended." Matching Target R2 stands cost $649/pair. (Vol.19 No2) Vandersteen 3A: 52595/pair 5S5 'UN thinks the 3A "sounds terrific with a wide range of program material." He notes that, while it sounds "just a bit sweet and forgiving, it doesn't go so far... that it's insensitive to the equipment feeding it." While not the last word in jumpfictor, they make up for that

"in sheer listenability," he states. Sound Anchors rear braces cost 5200/pair. (Vol.16 Nos3 & 4, Vandersteen 3; Vol.18 No.4, SGHT.I No2, 3A)

B (restricted LF) B&W CDM (Compact Digital Monitor) I: 51100/pair 555 (stands necessary) "Quality rather than quantity," raved JA, who was hard pressed to fault these affordable small monitors. The midrange is "fundamentally neutral ... [and] superbly clean and transparent," although somewhat forward compared to his (8x more expensive!) reference. He perceived "some slight exaggeration of the upper bass" and would have liked a tad more bottom-end exten-sion. "But the Law of Diminishing Returns is kicking in," he observed, "making the CDM 1 an excellent value." (Vol.19 No.6) Cabasse Farella 400: 51995-52195/pair depending on finish Two-way, floorstanding, reflex speaker that ST actual-ly bought and kept! "Nice, neutral, detailed sound with wonderfully articulate, well-damped bass," he reports. "The bass on this speaker has got to be heard -it's superb, considering the speaker's relatively small size. It's ... tight, controlled, richly defined." 94dB sensitiv-ity a plus for those looking for a companion to low-output amplification. (Vo120 No.4) Dzurko Acousticsfaguar: $4500/pair (stands necessary) This small speaker beguiled MC with its big sound and spacious, airy qualities. Stereo images were well formed and low-level detail nicely captured. However, he felt the bass underdamped -though possibly not for American tastes -and the frequency response a touch bright. Neutral-sounding ancillaries a must, he counseled. Matching stands cost $800/pair (Vol.19 No.6) Genelec 1030A: 52198/pair (stands necessary) JGH rated the powered 1030A very highly for its top end, which he found essentially free from coloration but somewhat reticent: "These speakers are probably as good a compromise as I've heard between the intel-ligibility requirements of soundtracks and the euphon-ic 'musicality' demanded by high-end audiophiles." The matching 1092A active stibwoofer is not recom-mended, however, due to it, rather ill-defined bass. (SGHT2 No2) Martin-Logan Aerius 51995/pair $$5 This upgraded version of the Acrius substantially improves upon the original, insists ST. A new bass driver and crossover enable the electrostatic panel to blend even more seamlessly with the woofer. Sam sex, "The bass is deeper, tighter, even more tuneful ...The new Acrius has more top-end extension, more sparkle... Off-axis listening is better." Sounds best in smaller rooms -ST speculates that his 17' by 27' by 7.5' room represents about the upper limit - and requires careful placement. Light oak finish adds $100/pair; bi-wiring option adds $100/pair. (Vo120 No.7) Platinum Audio Solo: $1695/pair $$$ (stands necessary) This diminutive speaker impressed JA as being a seri-ous contender, especially at its new lower price. "All that bass coining from those little boxes," was the oft-heard refrain during his audition. However, there is a price to pay for that impressive LF extension -they need lots ofjuice! Puny amps need not apply. There is also a slight loss in terms of absolute definition. That said, he found the Solo's lack of midrange coloration praiseworthy, adding that, coupled with excellent clar-ity, it allowed musical detail to be easily perceived. "A must-audition speaker for the bass-loving audio-phile with a small mom," he concludes. Matching PS-20 pedestal stands - essential -cost $269/pair. (Vol.18 Nod I) Ruark Equinox: $4000/pair "The real deal," KR enthused -"a high-end loud-speaker with few compromises in performance... they have few deficits, aside from their inability to pump a lot of air at the low end. They threw a huge soundstagc, arc balanced at both high and low listen-

ing levels, and are remarkably uncolored, if powered appropriately and located carefully." Don't pass up a chance to audition them, he suggests. (Vo120 No2) Tannoy System 10 DMT 52200/pair (stands necessary) Unique "Dual-Concentric" speaker uses a horn tweet-er mounted in the throat of a woofer cone in a ducted bass-reflex cabinet. JGH was smitten with their smooth, detailed, natural if rather midrange-forward sound and truly impressive dynamic range. But they never editorialized, he claimed. "I will not recom-mend these to audiophiles because ... they only sound gorgeously seductive when the recording is that way. But I will enthusiastically recommend them to home theater buffs and to music lovers who know what the real thing sounds like. These Tannoys are what high fidelity was all about from the get-go." Price of shield-ed version for home-theater use is $1350 each. (SGHT3 No.1) Thiel CS1.5: $2190/pair $5$ "Among the most exciting speakers I've encountered in years!" exclaimed the occasionally occupationally jaded Mr. Tellig adding that, "If you're after truth of timbre, resolution, superb soundstaging... midrange magic and clarity... the CS1.5 may be just what you want." MK concurred, noting that the 1.5 reveals "Detail, detail, detail," allowing him to get all the way into the recording. Noting a "hashy" quality in the 71c1-1z region, he observed that it nonetheless did not inhibit his enjoyment of the speaker. Dynamics are naturally limited; while the second-smallest Thiel goes lower in the bass than you might expect, it's still a "wonderfully sane" speaker "that's about quality, not quantity," in the words of ST "A lot of speaker at an affordable price," said JA. (Vol.17 No.8, Vol.18 No.1I, Vol.19 No.5) Vienna Acoustics Mozart: $2500/pair This compact, floorstanding two-way impressed RD with a big sound that belied its diminutive footprint. "The soundstage was deep and wide, extending well past the walls of the listening room.... Image size was realistic-no toy violins or baby guitars here, nor were they bloated ... but it's all for naught unless the speaker is able to reproduce vocal and instrumental timbres in a manner that resembles what you'd hear live." Which, he felt, they did. ST demurred, calling them "Bland, man, bland." In testing them in Santa Fe, we discovered the tweeter to be wired out-of-phase with the midrange/woofer drivers -the man-ufacturer insists this results in "delivered sound" that is superior -resulting in a lack of presence in all but the largest moins. One can easily reverse the speaker leads on one set of drivers with these hi-wired speak-ers, or tilt the speaker back as RD did. Either way, the resultant sound is then worthy of recommendation. (VoI20 No.1)

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C (full-range) Epos E522: 82495/pair While these floorstanding three-ways did not offer the last word in refinement, imaging, or bloom. ST felt they compensated with "rhythmic drive that is as close to live as I have ever heard from loudspeakers.... (7-. Quite special," he avowed, "and very different from the average loudspeaker." (Vol.19 No.5) Hales Design Group Concept Two: $2'700/pair LB found it took lot of fiddling to get these floor-standing two-ways to sound their best, but he claimed they repaid that effort with superior detail, a sense of proportion, and an affinity for reproducing vocals. They tended to harden when pushed, he felt-nor did they offer the last word in soundstage depth. Within their comfort zone, however, "they will rock" ST concurs, "authoritative -big, rich, full -in a way few $2k speakers are." ""&^@56^ing great," Rick Rosen adds. Price now includes grilles. (Vol.19 No.5) Linn AV5140: $2495-$2695/pair depending on finish Magnetically shielded, three-way, reflex-loaded floor-standcrs that MK deemed "well-balanced" and "com-petitive." 'They have enough bass to do credit to hard rock ... smooth enough midrange for classical...

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Ordinary woofer cone Many materials have been used for woofer cones, the most common of which are Paper or polypropylene, these merterials in most cases have a very slow and sluggish, non-coherent response. High resonance, break up and ringing are also common problems. Many of these problems are often found in most of the exotic woofer cone materials as well.

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smooth enough treble for new wave, enough detail for purist-miked recordings, and bumpin' dynamics kir da funk." Not to mention high power-handling capabili-ties and ease of placement. 11F sounds slightly shelved-up compared to the midrange and LF regions. (Vo120 No.5) NHT 2.51: $1300/pair Price is for black laminate finish; mahogany or sycamore laminate adds $150/pair. (See LB's review in this issue.) Paradigm Reference Studio 100: S1800-$2250/pair depending on finish This three-way, four-driver, floorstanding, reflex-loaded design actually had as experienced a reviewer as TJN asking, "Is Ithisi the best loudspeaker in its price range?... It combines a solid bass with an uncolored midrange, fine soundstaging. and a detailed, open top end." Shortcomings include an occasionally crispy top end and (sometimes) an audible edge in the mid-tre-ble. "But." the good major concluded, "you should definitely give the Studio 100s a listen." Borderline Class B. (VoI20 No.8) PSB Stratus Silver: 51599--$1799/pair depending on finish $55 Itt A detailed and clean, slightly midrange-forward pre-sentation, with a surprisingly potent bass but a touch of crispness in the highs, was how TJN summed up the sound of this elegant Canadian two-way floorstanding speaker. Borderline Class B, adds PWM, feeling that the Silver is not quite as uncolored in the midrange as the more expensive Stratus Gold. (Vol.17 No.7) Ruark Templar: $1200/pair 555 "Thew doojiggers have no business sounding as enjoyable as they do!" exclaimed WP. While the infi-nite-baffle design gives somewhat limited bass with tight, punchy definition, he declared the soundstagc to be smallish, although exceedingly well defined. In tenus of pace and drive, however, lie felt them to set a high standard. (Vol.18 No.12) Snell Type D: 51799/pair S55 A very transparent, open, and un lllll ddled presenta-tion, said TIN, adding that this three-way tower speak-er's low-frequency performance was "amazing." Ais astonishing lack of coloration at the price, confirms PWM, adding that the Type D has an impressive abil-ity to remain open and transparent with large-scale orchestral recordings. Borderline Class13. though an occasional edge in the lower treble will mean careful system matching. (Vol.17 No.7) Thiel CS.5: 51450/pair LB likened the baby Thicls to a good flanker: "they go deep and wide" in their soundstage. Detailed but not edgy, and capable of producing honest bass -just not the lowest octaves. Not designed to play "REALLY LOUD," El Bee reports, but sufficient for most listen-ers. His final assessment: "I think they're swell and provide a lot of sound for the money." Price is for wal-nut or black finishes; optional finishes extra. West Coast price is 51480/pair. (Vol.18 No.10, Vol.19 No.5) Vandersteen 2Ce: 51295/pair SU tr (stands optional) lite latest version of Richard Vanderstcen's classic three-way design has a larger cabinet and a revised drive-unit. The intrinsic balance is a little on the warn side, with a forward midrange and rather limit-ed transparency and image focus. However, while there may be other loudspeakers that perform better than the 2Ce in one or more areas, there is not a speaker in its price range that does so little wrong across the board. TJN wrote that it spreads its com-promises so that there is no particular area of weak-ness; DO was impressed by the 2Ce's tonal balance and sense of pacing; JA noted that it offers more extended lows than its competition. A great value for the dollar. The Vandersteen bases for the 2C.e cost $125/pair. (Vol.16 Nos.4 & 9)

C (restricted LF) Acarian Akin Petite: 5995/pair $U (stands necessary) "Let's just dub them 'first among equals,' " suggests WP of this affontible minimonitor. Care must be

taken not to play them too loud or attempt to take them too low, but other than those caveats, he found them to "perform way out of their price class." Refined performers and imaging champs, he extols. RJR, also a fan, claimed that, paired with a quality budget inte-grated amp such as the Creek 4240SE, the Petite sets a new standard for an under-$.2k system. Must be tilt-ed back for hest performance. Santos rosewood veneer adds $200/pair. RJR called Alón's $500 PW1 woofer "the perfect accompaniment to the Petite for those who want more bass extension." Perhaps so, muscs WP, but the $500 could go a long way toward a better amplifier, which might control the Petites better and accomplish much the same thing. Honte audition of the woofer recommended. (Vol.19 No.1, SGHT2 No.3, Vo120 No2) Aerial Acoustics 5: $1800/pair-$2000/pair (stands necessary) "Make no mistake," proclaimed RH, "the S's midrange and treble (are) world-class." However, he felt them to be somewhat reticent in the bass, culling their LF extension "rather limited, even considering their size.. .. But the bass I did hear was superbly articulated and detailed." The Ss fared better when goosed a bit, RH discovered. "Openness, dynamic expression, and soundstaging... all of these qualities improved as the volume was increased." WP feels that the right amp goes a long way toward wresting the most out of the Ss -pairing them with the Classé CAP-100 and Krell KAV-300i produced controlled, open, authoritative sound even at low listening levels. Matching stands Cost 5400/pair. (Vo120 No.4) Audio Physic Step: 51795/pair (stands necessary) cr Well-made reflex-loaded minimonitor from Germany that, when listened to well below the tweeter axis, will get the hest from high-quality electronics and sources, as long as it's not played too loud. Soundstagjug is excellent-well defined and deep. Useful bass extends dossit to about 60Hz. Matching stands - essential to tilt the speaker back at the right angle - cost $250/pair. (Vol.17 No.10) Diapason Adamantes $4000/pair (stands necessary) Perhaps due to room incompatibility problems, JE was not impressed by this beautiful-looking, well-engi-neered Italian mini. RH disagreed, however, culling the Adamantcs ll "tremendously communicative and involving." In the properly sized room, he found the speaker capable of "wide dynamic expression and impact," although he did feel its treble "had a slightly dark quality that reduced the openness and clarity of some instruments." (VoL19 No.9, Vo120 No.6) Dunlavy Audio Labs SC-I: 51195/pai'r (stands necessary) Its lean, somewhat overdamped LF balance and some-what bright mid-treble will make careful system- and mom-matching essential. But in the right context, the little Duidavys' clean, clear midrange. grain-free HE and well-defined imaging will give a lot of musical pleasure. Need a lot of break-in, JA found.' The speak-er also works very well in a home-theater setting, points out RD, adding that the SC-I both makes an excellent center-channel speaker and benefits from a gt.xxl subwoofer. Sounds best with its grille on. Price is for black or light oak finish; rosewood, or cherry fin-ish adds 5200/pair. (Vol.17 No.12) Dynaudio Contour L3: $2099/pair (stands necessary) "Among the very few loudspeakers at any price that are, as near as I cotsld tell, totally uncolored," exhort-ed RN. "And they imaged like bastards ... the only obvious compromise they made was in sensitivity - but in today's market, watts is cheap." Master-

1 A tip from TIN for breaking-in speakers: Place them face to face, but wired out of phase. You can then drive them hard with pink noise or the "Break-in noise" track from Stereophilds Test CD 3, but there's less sonic pollution to annoy the other members of your family. To a large extent, the speakers' outputs cancel.

Stands add 5399/pair. UltimaStands add $699/pair. (Vol.19 No.11) Energy Connoisseur C-2: $600/pair SSS (stands necessary) "No wimpy minimonitor sound here," proclaimed TJN. Instead, these little-speakers-that-could "pro-duce a satisfying sense of low-end extension, an exten-sion not bought at the expense of the midbass.... The treble will simply tell it like it is," while the midrange "was notably uncolored." Revealing and uncolored, "they definitely serve the music," he felt (Vol.19 No.9) Epos ES14: 51695/pair tr (stands necessary) A speaker that has long been an ST favorite, the ES14 seems to be typical of small British speaker designs in that it features a metal-dome tweeter in a rigid, well-braced cabinet with a minimal crossover and the capa-bility of bi-wiring. The result is a superbly coherent sound that TJN found kept drawing him into the music. MC agrees, feeling that the E514 gets at the musical meaning better than most speakers in its dass. Stuffing the ports with the supplied foam plugs nukes the bass very tight but somewhat lightweight; the port-ed bass has decent extension but is a little soft. The upper bass and midrange are very low in coloration, however, and the speaker offers excellent midrange and treble transparency. Matching stands cost $300. (Vo1.11 No.6, Vol.13 No.1, Vol.18 No.1) Epos ES12: $1095/pair SSS (stands necessary) "Balance is what you get from the Epos ES12," assert-ed JA. "Its faults are sinall, and balanced by excellent performance across the board.... There was very little to get in the way of my music." The top end was a lit-tle "mellow... but this did not mean I found the speaker to sound dull or uninformative." He found the Epos's high frequencies and midrange to be remark-ably transparent "The ES12 might well be the loud-speaker bargain of the year." he concluded. Matching stands cost 5175/pair. (Vo120 NoA) JMIab Micron Carat: 5745/pair in black vinyl SU te (stands necessary) The original version of this French minimonitor had a peaky and fatiguing lower treble that could be laid at the feet of its Kevlar-domed Focal tweeter. Current production features a new titanium inverted-dome tweeter that is significantly smoother and less colored, leading to an enthusiastic reconunendation from JA and DO. "The upper mida are sweet and texturally smooth," quoth the latter. Though it lacks bass exten-sion, it gets the tenor region right, the sound of the cello being timbrally correct. "Offers a good blend of clarity, dynamics, and imaging accuracy," avowed JA, but with lightweight bass and correspondingly tipped-up treble balance. Paired with the right amp (most likely tubed), can contend with the soundstaging champs. Price is for black vinyl finish; auburn and wal nut veneer finishes cost $895/pair. (Vol.14 Nos.9 & 10; Vol.19 No.6) Joseph Audio R.M7si: 51299/pair (stands necessary) Mellow-balanced - but naturally detailed - mini-monitor that, JA asserted, represents good value. While the relaxed presentation of the HF rendered even the fizziest rock recordings in an acceptably pleasing manner, JA had minor quibbles with the midrange response and stereo imaging. Strongly rec-ommended, however. Rosewood veneer adds $200/pair. Signature version (not yet auditioned) uses a metal-cone woofer and costs $1699/pair. Upgrades are available. (Vol.19 No2) KEE ROM Two: $1200/pair (stands necessary) (See STs review in this issue.) Linn Tukan: $795/pair-$870/pair depending on finish (stands necessary) It11 found the Tukans forgiving of less than optimal placement -a real bonus for those with limited siting options. "hey threw a wonderful soundstage from the most unlikely locations; but when positioned opti-mally 'they] produced a stunning soundstage, with transparency, palpability, and pinpoint spatial resolu-tion." Bright and lively tonal character "heightened the

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sense of presence and detail, but at the expense of %cline etch and ...long-terns fatigue." However, "there was something musically engaging about this little speaker," he concluded. "A must-audition product." (Vo120 No.4) Platinum Audio Studio 1: $995/pair (stands necessary) ST calls this poned two-way "a good buy." "The soundstaging is superb... the clarity is exceptional... What's more, the clarity of the tweeter is not compro-mised by any muddiness or lack of speed from the 5" midrange/bass driver." Careful amplifier matching necessary. Some will find the tonal balance a shade relentless, but "there's a wonderful sense of timing and pacing to go along with all that crisp, clean, articulate detail." (VoI20 No.7) PSB New Stratus Mini: $999/pair-$1099/pair depending on finish $$$ (stands necessary) "Superbly engineered... offering a lot of performance at a price lower than you would expect," declaimed JA. Treble somewhat laid-back and bottom-end extension benefits from judicious boundary reinfincement, yet "when everything is right... the result is clean, col-oration-free, grainless, musically satisfying sound, with superb soundstaging." Gloss black adds $100/pair, matching MS-2 stands cost $199/pair. (Vol.19 No.6) Thiel SCS2: $1990/pair $$$ (stands necessary) Shielded, coaxial design primarily intended for borne-theater use. WP was also impressed by its per-formance on music, finding it rhythmically agile if rather dark-balanced. Nevertheless, "they have more sparkle than I would have thought," he noted, adding that the SCS2 is "clean, undistorted, and dynamic." (SG HT3 No.3) Totem Acoustic Tabù: $2995/pair (stands necessary) While LG reveled in the Tabù's "open treble response, transparent midrange, and palpable, three-dimension-al sonic image," he notes that they have a tendency to become "analytic and show an exaggerated presence effect when playing sopranos, chorus, or rock." JA was disappointed in their measured performance, noting a significant lack of energy in the crossover region - frequently indicative of hollow sound or a distant char-acter, unless listened to off-axis. 12-18" stands recom-mended fur that reason. (Vo120 No.2)

AR 303a: $1299/pair (stands necessary) Contemporary re-engineering of an audiophile icon, the AR-3a. JA cites a lack of articulation in the lower mids and an exaggerated character through the mid-and upper bass as contributing to a tonal balance not to his taste -although he suspects that many bass-heads will find the 303 to offer a lot of bang (boom?) for the buck. Clean treble region, good lateral imaging, and good dpiamic response are pluses, but JA found little image depth, and the tonal balance adversely affected pace. (Vol.18 No.9) B&W DM302: $250/pair US (stands necessary) (See WI's review in this issue.) Bikw DM602: $550/pair (stands necessary) Reviewed in the context of a homs•-theater system, the DM602 sounded "warm, natural. and -dare I say it - musical," felt SS. TJN also recommends this British two-way. (SGHT2 No-3) KEF LS3/5a: $1450/pair in teak (Santos rosewood adds $200/pair) ir Spendor LS3/5a: $896/pair ir (stands necessary) A major 1988 revision of its crossover was meant not so muds to "improve" this venerable BBC design (first seen and heard in 1975!) as to bring production back sm target. Still somewhat compromised in overall dynamics. HF smoothness, and clarity when com-pared with Class B and C miniatures, and having a dis-tinctly tubby midbass, the 1990s version of the LS3/5a still has one of the least colored midbands around, throws a deep. beautifully defined soundstagc, and has a slightly sweeter top end, with less nasality than it used to have. Works well on classical orchestral or

operatic music. The sound, however, is sometimes not as musically involving as it could, or should, be. CG hates the speaker, MC blames its lack of pace on the current woofer's modified-vinyl surrounds (see Vol.15 No.11, p.89) compared with the original's rubber sur-rounds. Originally only manufactured by Rogers (cur-rendy without US distribution), the LS3/5a is also manufactured by Spendor. Harbeth, and KEF. The Harbeth (also without US distribution) lias one pair of input terminals; the Spendor and KEF arc bi-wirable with four gold-plated Michell connectors-sec "Industry Update," Vol.15 No2. (Vol3 No.12, Vol.4 No.1, Vol.7 NoA, Vol.12 Nos2 & 3, Vol.14 No.10, Vol.16 No.11) Mirage 10901: $1200/pair To RN's ear, forgiving to the point of forsaking the last iota of transparency, but consistently sweet, and capa-ble of holographic imaging. "Missing weight in the bottons octave and a half-not unexpected... at this price." "You won't need a drink to get mellow with this speaker," he claimed. (VoL19 No.6) Mission 731i: 5249/pair $55 (stands necessary) "A masterpiece that will enable even the most destitute of music lovers to gain admission to our exciting hobby," raved RJR. On a calmer note, he observes, "Its flaws arc balanced and subtractive and its strengths arc unheard-of at this price... sets a new lower price high-end benchmark." We think he liked it. (Vol.19 No.11) Mordaunt-Short 101 Pearl: $319/pair (stands necessary) (See STs review in this issue.) NHT SuperZero: $250/pair $5$ (stands necessary) Not just limited bass, but no low frequencies at all, leading to a thin balance that fails completely on orchestral music. lf, like SS, you play a lot of large-scale classical music, you'll miss the point of this tiny speak-er. With the right kind of music, "the best-sounding speaker under $1000!" sez CG, who was impressed by the resolution of detail, accurate midrange balance, and incredibly spacious soundstaging. The treble is a touch exaggerated, however, which is further empha-sized by the speaker's lack of bass. (Vol.17 Nos.1 & 9) Signet SL256: $360/pair (stands necessary) This little reflex two-way "could make you think that the knee in the price/performance curve.., starts lower than you might have previously believed," pro-claimed MK. He found stands -good ones-essen-tial for producing the best sound. No true low bass is present, but this is subjectively offset by "forgiving" HF. Yet, Muse mused, "despite the slighdy soft bal-ance, they did not shy away from uncovering subtle yet important musical details in the top end of their range." And "their particularly seductive midrange well serves vocal music, woodwinds, and guitars." (VoI20 No.6)

E Celestion MP1: 5299/pair (stands necessary) Although he finds the MP-1's overall presentation lightweight, with little midbass and no deep bass, JE nonetheless admires its compelling rhythm, pace, and unfailing spaciousness. Ultimately, though, he feels this last to be too much of a good thing. Not suitable for high-end music-only systems, he concludes, but its shielding and high sensitivity make it a natural addi-tion for multimedia computing or home-theater use. Celestion's $449 CSW Mk.II woofer usefully extends the bass. (Vol.18 Nos.6 & 10; SGHT2 No2) Optimums Pro LX5: $300/pair (stands necessary) Based on a design by Linacum (who assemble the tweeter subassemblies), the LX-5 has become a cyber-space favorite, with many threads spun concerning modifications. Low frequencies arc boomy and unde-fined, but the high frequencies sound so promising, ser JA, that one wants to do something. Try stuffing the ports with drinking straws, he advises. At full price, they face stiff competition from PSB and NHT, but, purchased during one of RadioShadc's frequent sales, they have a lot to offer the classical music-loving audio-

phile. They also shine as surround-sound speakers. (Vol.18 No.6) Paradigm Atom: 5169/pair SSS (stands necessary) A tiny speaker that gets the midrange right, according to SS, with reasonable dynamic contrast and some upper-bass bloom but polite highs. Matching C-70 stands cost 589/pair. (Vol.17 No.9) Paradigm Titan: $209/pair $$$ (stands necessary) A little larger than the Atom, the Titan has a similarly polite balance, but with a slight nasality apparent. Available in a shielded version for home-theater use. (SGHT.1 No.1) PSB Alpha: $Z19/pair $5$ ir (stands necessary) "An outstanding audio bargain," proclaimed JE of this little two-way. Designed to be used close to the rear wall, the Alpha plays surprisingly loud, without strain, though toc-in is best avoided to minimize hardness. Optimum with electronics that sound soft. Imaging somewhat vague compared with the similarly priced Dana Model Is. Upper bass a little exaggerated and a bit "hooty" compared with the NHT SuperZero, but gets the midrange right. (Vol.15 No.7, Vol.17 No.1, SGHT.1 No.1) RA Labs Black Gold Mini-Reference: $224/pair SU (stands necessary) A bit rolled-off on top and not the isiost detailed speaker ST had heard, but this very inexpensive speak-er's sweet balance, accurate tonal balance, and surpris-ingly natural-sounding if not wonderfully extended lows grew on him to the extent that he proclaimed it "one of those rare, almost miraculous occasions in budget hi-fi [where] everything that could have gone right did." More recent samples reviewed by RJR mea-sured worse and had a "tense quality" in the low ire ble, but still impressed the reviewer: "When paired with electronics sporting a sweetened or laid-back high end," he observes, "they can present a very musi-cal and detailed presentation, with surprising bass for the size and price." (Vol.17 No.5, Vol2O No.9)

Audio Artistry Beethoven, Chario Academy 1, Totem Acoustic Model 1 Signature, PMC LB-I, Meadowlark Shearwater and Kestrel, Paradigm Studio Reference 20 and Active/20, JMIals Utopia, TDL T-Line 3, Hales Design Group Revelation Three, Celestion A3, Sonus Faber Concerto, Wilson Audio Specialties WITT II and Cub.

Deletions Apogee Acoustics Centauros Slant 6, ProAc Response Four, Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage, 'bark Crusader II, ProAc Response IS, ProAc Studio 100, Sonus Faber Minuetto, all not auditioned in too long a rime to be sure of current rating, Wilson Audio Specialties X-1/ Grand SLAMM, Dunlavy Audio Labs SC-IV, PSB Stratus Gold, Joseph Audio RM-2051, replaced by new versions not yet auditioned; Thiel CS5i discontinued.

shooters a crossovers A Bag End Sl8E/ELF 1: $2680 for ELF 1 crossover, $810-$1050 for Sl8E, depending on finish These relatively small subwoofers have deeper exten-sion th.us any others LG has experienced in his listen-ing room. Some claim signal below 60Hz is nondirec-rional, but LG ser two S18Es "more than doubled the impact, power, and control," offering pitch definition and "room-lock" beyond expectations. The ELF-1 crossover has stereo subwoofer outputs, adjustable crossover points, and customizable limiter functions for both subwoofer and satellite amplifiers. You need

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a light touch with the gain settings, he cautions, or you risk overpowering your main speakers. (Vol.18 No.5) Snell SUB 1800: $2500 each Huge, THX-specified, passive subwoofer using an 18" drive-unit that beats out all corners for its combination of bass extension and dynamic range. (Vol.18 No.7, Vol.19 No.3)

Bryston 10B electronic crossover: $1295 er Slight sacrifice in image depth and an increase in elec-tronic "edginess" keep this otherwise excellent solid-state crossover from attaining Class A status. Very ver-satile regarding slopes and crossover frequencies. Balanced inputs and outputs add $250. (Vol.17 No.5) 8.18cK MX5000-THX: $2495 TJ N has heard scant few subwoofers that can match the powered MX-5000-THX's "ability to make a lis-tener want to jump up and flee with the onset of a transient." On music, he also found it impressive and authoritative -"Up there with the best subwoofers, and, in some respects, at the head of the pack" - but in his large room, he ran into dynamic-range limitations that surprised him, hence Class B. (SGHT2 No2) REL Acoustics Strata 11: $1195 This reflex-loaded, active (60Wpc) design "was obvi-ously designed with a set of priorities different from those of the vast majority of today's boomboxes," observed RH. "Moreover, [it] offers a huge range of connections and setup adjusnnents, suggesting it will work well in different systems and rooms." What impressed RH most "was its ability to add weight and extension, and to expand the soundstage without ever calling attention to itself." (Vo120 No.8)

Audio Concepts (AC1) Titan: $799 each This .utive subwoofer does not extend as low as the Velodyne. TJN observes, but the quality of the bass snakes up for it. Class C, he reckons. (SGHT.1 No2) WM MX-200: $1495 RD found the active MX-200 a solid performer, but judged the similarly priced Velodyne F-1500R to be superior. and the much-lower-priced Hsu Research HRSW12V to be at least comparable. Class C. he said. Finishes available are oak, black oak, or a lacquer bead finish. (SGHT.1 No.2) Mirage BPS-400: $1300 Active (400W) side-firing, bipolar, sealed-box sub-woofer employing two 12" drivers. "Given ais empha-sis on house theater," RD opined, "I'd say the trade-offs nude in the BPS-400 are just about right. It goes very low and is able to produce bass at the sort of level that can be felt as well as heard. For the reproduction of music, its performance is in a different league from the boomboxes that are often sold as 'home-theater' subwoofers, though ultimately it falls short of the ideal in speed and tightness." Although it contains a "basic" low-pass crossover, "the outboard LFX-1 crossover [S3001 adds flexibility and potentially more linear response." (SGHT.3 No.1) NHT SW3P: $1350 Unusual two-part active affair -comprising front-firing sealed-box enclosure employing a single 12" driver and a separate 250W amplifier/crossover - which impressed RD with its finesse and ability to handle musical transients. Other subwoofers were bet-ter at the explosions so beloved in home theater, he suggested. "Particularly recommended to those who place a high priority on the accuracy of musical repro-duction." (SGHT.3 No.1) Vandersteen 2W active subwoofer: $1250 each TJN found that while the 2W did not add undue boons to the system's, which may disappoint senunon junkies, but neither did high-level torture - like >rank Park -nuke it whimper. (SGHT.1 No2)

D Boston Acoustics Lynnfield VR500: $600 Good value for money. A change to the port posi-tion is claimed to eliminate the port "chuffing" noise

mentioned in the review of this powered design. (SGHT.1 No2) Paradigm PS-1000: $519 Powered design uses a 10" driver in a bandpass enclo-sure. Intended for use in home-theater systems. Crossover frequency is continuously adjustable from 50Hz to 150Hz. Includes adjustable polarity control to optimize room setup. SS found it to blend well with Titan satellites. (SGHT.1 No.1) PSB Subsonic II: $599 Intended for sise in home-theater systems with PSB Alpha loudspeakers, the reflex-loaded, active Subsonic II gave useful response down to 30Hz without strain in SS's room. SS had difficulty integrating it with the Alphas, however. (SGHT.1 No.1)

Velodyne F-1800 RII and FSR-15, Audio Physic Terra.

Deletions Muse Model 18 not auditioned in a long time; Velodyne ULD-18, Velodyne F-1500R, and Hsu Research HRSWI2V replaced by new models not yet auditioned; Et&W 800ASW no longer available.

complete audio sgstems A Cello Music and Film System: around $110,000 as supplied for review Proclaiming the Cello Music and Sound System the ultimate link between performer and listener, LL thinks it illuminates the very soul of the music in a way never before possible. He allows that it can be costly to spring for the whole system. For him, however, its per-formance transcends the boundaries of cost considera-tions, since one cannot put a price on great music and its effect upon the human spirit. The system reviewed comprised the following components: Cello Audio Palette MIV equalizer ($22,000); Cello Encore line preamplifier ($8500); Cello Performance II monoblock ($25,000/pair); Cello Stradivari Master loudspeakers (532,000-$35,000/pair, depending on finish); Cello Strings I interconnect ($630/2m pair ter-minated with Fischer connectors; see "Interconnects"); Cello Strings Ill speaker cable ($2000/3m tri-wire harness); CMFS/Apogee Series 8.1 D/A processor ($7000 at the time of the review but subsequently replaced by the Apogee-sourced Cello Reference DAC, not yet reviewed); Apogee Wyde-Eye AES/EBU datalink ($28.95/11'4 see "Digital Datalinks"); and Forsell Air Bearing Mk.II CD trans-port (S8900; see "CD Transports"). (Vol.18 No.7) Meridian Digital Theatre: $14,775-$66,430 depending on options The first -and still only -all-digital surround-sound playback system, with each "intelligent loudspeaker" fed by an S/PDIF digital signal. All functions are con-trolled by the remote control. Extremely versatile, but difficult to use; controlling the system is somewhat counterintuitive -"hard to learn; easy to screw up," sex SS -asid JGH found the preliminary manual a mess. Nevertheless. JGII deems the Digital Theatre one of the most gorgeous-sounding systems he's ever heard: "Smooth, rich, gutsy, warm, detailed, effortless, and as liquidly transparent as a drop of dew.' Bass is robust and well controlled but varies widely in balance dependent on source material. However, both JGH and SS feel that the system imprints everything with a soft, sweet high-end characteristic, rendering it too euphonically colored to be called honest. TJN concurs that the system softens recorded material: "Sweet, yes. Dull, no." "High Class 13," ultimately decided both JGH and TJN about the system reviewed-Meridian 565 digital surround-sound processor ($3895), DSP6000 digital active L/R speakers ($16,995/pair), DSP5000C digital active center speaker ($2995), DSP5000 digital active surround

speakers ($5795/pait) -due to its softened top end and somewhat colored center speaker. JA's audition-ing of the system with the DSP6000C digital active center speaker (S8795 each) substituted for the '5000C suggests that Class A would then be an appro-priate rating. Those who need more inputs can add the Meridian 562V/517 audio/video control center ($2195 with a 517 DAC module). (Vol.18 No.6) MIT/Avalon/Spectral/ASC "2C3D Hologram" system: around $47,000 as supplied for review (not including source components) Ambitious and complex system designed as a single entity. Included are Spectral DMC-20 preamp (see "Preamplifiers"), Spectral DMA-180 power amplifier (sec "Amplifiers"), Avalon Radiais HC speakers (see "Loudspeakers"), and a complete set of MIT cables and AC conditioning products. Spectral digital source components complete the picture. RH nearly ran out of superlatives in describing all of the system's felici-ties, which include "a gigantic three-dimensional soundstage," "stunning spatial presentation," and "an uncanny ability to present... instruments with a coherent and totally natural harmonic structure." WP, TJN, and JA made the pilgrimage to RH's dur-ing the audition period, and also adjudge it a total corker. "Expert setup and tuning the room's acoustic [with ASC Tube Traps] are essential," RH cautions. (Vol» No.1)

Micromega Minium System.

headphones fr headphone accessories A Cary Audio Design CAD-300SEI: $3695 Stereo, single-ended, tubed, integrated amplifier relat-ed to the Cary 3005E monoblock; includes a head phone output socket. RH regards the ultrasmooth, liq-uid sound of the 300SEI to be world-class, manifesting a wamnh and beauty urunatched by any electronics he's had in his system. Sec "Amplifiers." (Vol.18 No.9) Grado Reference Series One headphones: $695 WP found the RS Ones clean, warm, and dynamic - capable, he claimed, "of portraying music as an active art form." Yet he had qualms about their low-level res-olution, dark tonal character, and ability to re-create spatial and ambient information, especially in light of their $700 price. JE disagreed, declaring, "I just love these headphones." RJR cites their tonal darkness but thinks them reference quality, if not high-value. ST is also an advocate for the top Grado being of Class A quality. (Vol.19 No.7, Vo120 No.1) HeadRoom Max headphone amplifier: $1333 Designed to take advantage of new surface-mount parts, Max is the finest headphone amp to yet come out of HeadRoom, maintains WP. While he found it fast, transparent, articulate, and unusually capable of exploiting the frequency extremes, he praised above all its "coherent articulation of the essence of music." Same circuit, employing a different volume control, is available in simpler chassis as "Maxed-out Home HeadRoom" for $999. (Vo120 No2) McCormack Micro Integrated Drive: $795 Primarily designed as a headphone amplifier, hut also can be used as a line-level pre, or 5Wpc integrated. "Fast and tight and as detailed as can be" enthused VIP. "No $700 preamp has any business sounding this transparent," he added. (Vol.19 No.7) Melos SHA-Gold: $1995 This headphone amp/preamp really got WP's juices flowing. "As a headphone amp, I've never heard its equal," he gushed. Remote volume control via Pho-tentiometer circuit, as well as passive, active, and active-balanced outputs, add to flexibility. "If you've got the gelt, go for the SHA-Gold!" he skilled. See "Preamplifiers." (Vol.19 No.7)

StereophIle, October 1997 147

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Sennheiser Orpheus HE 90/HEV 90: $14,900 er Stunningly beautiful, limited-edition system consisting of Bitstream IMC, tube amplifier, and electrostatic headset. A quick, clear, transparent midrange and a pristine, airy treble, but a rather lean, laid-back lower midrange, found TJN. He also found the internal 1)AC to be less good than the rest of the package.

ue-field equalized. Additional HE 90 headsets cost $7450 each. (Vol.17 No2) Sennheiser HE 60 headphones/HEV 70 headphone amplifier: $1799 Developed from the expensive Orpheus, the HE 60s offer much of that system's transparency at a much more affordable price. "A clear, transparent sound with a slightly lean bass, sonic emphasis at the very top end, but a nonetheless pristinely clean presentation," said TJN, who also commented on the Scnnheiser's strik-ing rendition of detail and complete lack of midrange coloration. (Vol.18 No3) Stax Lambda Nova headphones: $799.95-51699.95 The latest iteration of electrostatic Lambda headsets is faster, more vivid, and less colored than the Lambda Signature, which preceded it. Gets very close to the much more costly (and currently unavailable) Stax Omega. Nova S includes tube energizer/amp module capable of switching between two inputs. Nova W has passive piramp/tubed energizer-amp module chat accepts three inputs. Classic costs $799.95; Basic, $499.95; Nova S, $1499.95; Nova W. $1699.95. (Vol20 No.6)

Etymotic Research ER-4S: $330 Placed directly in the ear canal, these unusual "ear-phones" impressed WP with their 24dB ambient noise isolation and their fast. accurate, transparent response. While he finds the Sennheiser HD-580s more comfortable for long-term in-home use, he uses the ER-4Ses for travel-and recommends them enthusiastically for any application where environ-mental noise interferes with quality listening. He notes that people with an aversion to placing for-eign objects in their ears will find them anathema. (Vol.18 No.7) HeadRoom Supreme portable headphone amplifier: $449 555 Small, beautifully made, battery-powered solid-state amplifier based on a proprietary surface-mount module. Both versions feature switchable intrachan-nel cross-feeding and time delay to render head-phone listening to stereo program less artificial-sounding. The effect of this is surprisingly subtle in A/B comparisons but proves much less fatiguing in long-term listening sessions. Includes a treble-boost switch. Drives dynamic headphones to high levels with authority and excellent clarity, without this being associated with any brighmess. JA bought a Supreme to drive his Sennheiser HD 580s, with which it makes a very musical-sounding combina-tion. (Vol.17 Nos.1 & 2, Vol.19 No.7; see also WP's review of the $129 HeadRoom Ttaveler Bag in Vol.18 No.10.) Home HeadRoom headphone amplifier: $599 This AC-powered sibling of the portable HeadRoom amplifiers impressed WI' tto end. "Performs on an unusually elevated level," he concluded, agreeing with other Srerivphile writers that the licadRoom crossfeed process, while subtle in its effect, significantly reduces listener fatigue. SS also finds the Home HeadRoom, driving Sennheiser '580s, to be the ideal location recording monitor. (Vol.18 No.1) Melos SHA-1 headphone amplifer: $1095 cr Three line-level inputs and two low-impedance head-phone outputs. Combines tube (Sovtek 6922) voltage gain stage with PET-follower outputs. Gets the most from good dynamic cans. such as the Sentiheisers and Grados, with iron-fisted bass control and superb trans-parency. See "Preamplifiers." (Vol.15 No.10) Sennheiser HD 580: $349 $$$ Ultra-smooth, ultra-detailed open-back dynamic headphones with full. extended low frequencies. AG

found the HD 580s to be "too civilized," but WP comments that some audiophiles miss the grain and other "hi-fi" signifiers that the Sennheisers simply do not exhibit. Comfortable. JA's dynamic headphone reference. (Vol.17 No.12; also see "Industry Update," Vol.17 No.1, p.41; TJN's headphone review in Vol.17 No2, p.114; and SS's review of the Sennheiser IS 850 headphones in Vol.18 No.10.)

Grado SR60: $69 $U An inexpensive cousin to the Class A Grado HP 1 and HP 2, the SR60 offers a similar, rather dark-toned bal-ance, with a full bass and excellent resolution of detail. A more forward midrange, however. Uncomfortable. The $150 SR125 -not yet reviewed -is a JA favorite. (Vol.17 Nos.6 & 10)

There are currently no Class I) headphones listed.

Grado SR125, Sennheiser HD 600.

Deletions Koss ESP/950 not auditioned in a long time.

fm tuners A Accuphase T-I09: $2995 With similarly excellent soundstaging but more midrange presence, warmth, and palpability than the Fanfare and Magnum Dynalab milers -"on the full-bodied side of neutral"- the Accuphasc noses its way into Class A. decided SS, adding that it was the finest tuner he's heard. Superb clarity. (Vol.17 No.11) Audiolab 8000T: $1195 $$$ Excels in ergonomics. RF sensitivity and selectivity, and its hash-free audio signal. Excellent sound quality, if not quite matching the low-bass reach of the 1)ay-Sequerra. "I know of no other tuner that has the qual-ity and performance of the Audiolab," says W. Very sensitive AM section. (Vol.17 Nos.5 & 11) Day-Sequem FM Reference: $5500 it Using a closed-circuit comparison setup in which the sound from CD could be compared with its sound via the miter under test. LG found this superbly made tuner to be the most neutral he's heard, offering a musically satisfying sound with a highly defined bass response and a "total absence of white FM haze." RF performance was also excellent, if not quite matching the Rotel RHT-10. The FM Reference pulled in more FM stations with acceptable or better sound quality than did any other tuner LG had tried. His verdict? "Redefines the state of the art in FM tuners" with respect to its tuning ability. FM signal display, and sound quality. DAS has doubt about the tuner's four-gang front-end performance in areas of very high sig-nal strength, however. Now back in production at Day-Sequerra's Nogales, AZ facility. (Vol.14 No.12) Fanfare FT-1: $1395 * SS raved about this remote-control tuner's transparent sound quality, RF performance, and ergonomics, con-cluding that it was the equal of his long-terni reference mimer, the Magnum Etude, with strong-signal stations, and sounding less hashy on stations with poor signal strength. Class A. agrees LG. (Vol.17 No.6) Linn Kremlin: $3995 This wide-band tuner, like many British designs, fea-tures poor selectivity and sufficient (but not over-whelming) sensitivity -a problem in RF-saturated urban areas, observes DAS. Paired with a topnotch, highly directional outdoor antenna feeding it "clean" RF, DAS adjudges it "highly recommended." (Vol.19 No3) Magnum Dynalab MD 108: $5500 "Gets (radio stations] even alter they've signed off," marveled DAS. Tuner offers balanced mode, the sound of which, he opined, "did justice to the finest

FM stations, hi unbalanced mode, the audio quality had less refinement but was still very good." 1.5dB capture ratio is "adequate for all but the most stubborn cases," although sensitivity in Super-Narrow band-width position was lower than spec. (Vo120 No.5) Rotel RHT-10: $1500 SSS * A superbly transparent sound that allowed DAS to identify the brands of coinpressor/limiter used by his favorite stations. "Extraordinary fidelity to the broad cast wavefomi." High output level -3-4V on peaks-may be a problem in systems using very sensitive pre-amp line stages or loudspeakers. Superbly well made, says LG, and beats the Magnum Etude when it conies to sound quality. (Vol.16 No.10, Vol.17 No.11)

Magnum Dynalab Etude: $1350 tr Based on the well-established Fr-101A, the Etude fea-tures a machined faceplate, WBT output jacks, audio-phile-quality passive components, and two extra hours of component selection, matching, and testing during its manufacture. The result is a tuner that sounds only slightly noisier than the extraordinarily expensive Day-Sequerra Broadcast Monitor with the sanie antenna and station, and features a distortion-free midrange with strong dynamic contrasts. "'lise sound was won-derfully free cif hash, distortion, grit, and glaze," said LG, though he feels that it's now borderline Class A due to the I3ay-Sequerra FM Reference setting a new standard for sound quality, and the Rotel RHT-10 set-ting one for RF performance. Nevertheless, he felt the Etude to "represent one of the better balances of price and perfomunce you can find in FM tuners today. (Vol.13 No.8) Magnum Dynalab FT-10IA: $875 * An analog tuner, the FT-101A is superb from an RF standpoint, particularly in quieting and sensitivity. Selectivity is bettered only by the Onlcyo T-9090, Denon TU-800, and Citation 23, but the '101A con-sistently sounds superior on most stations. Latest ver-sion has instant-on feature, defeatable stereo blend, and new board. A JE favorite. (Vol.8 No.4, Vol.10 No3, Vol.13 No.10, Vol.17 No.10) Meridian 504: $1295 $$$ Unusual clarity and wide, deep soundstaging, decided LG, coupled with an excellent sense of musical pace, an uncolored midrange, and deep, powerful low fre-quencies. No selectable IF bandwidths, however, and neither high-blend nor muting can be switched off. Meridian system remote costs $99. (Vol.17 No.10) Rotel RT-990BX: $750 Offering much of the performance of Rotel's Class A RHT-10, the RT-99013X has a powerful, solid bass per-formance, impressive soundstaging, and a good sense of pace, but less good transparency overall. Excellent RF selectivity and sensitivity. (Vol.17 No.11)

Onkyo 'r-4310R RDS: $279.95 SSE Features RDS (Radio-broadcast 1)ata System), which displays station format, call letters. emergency infor-mation, or any 64-character-length message a station desires. "Onkyo has a winner-almost," DAS equivo-cated. Clean-sounding AM and superior performance specs for mono FM -stereo was a different matter, he reported. A good choice for the FM listener far removed from strong signal stations, but not optimal for those who favor a few high-quality stereo stations over a greater number of mono ones. (Vol.18 No.10) Parasound T/DQ-1600: $385 SO "Presents a good bakuice of RI' and audio factors," DAS maintained. "Tonal balance was neither overly crisp nor boomy and reflected what was bring broad-cast." The tuner had excellent stereo separation and phase integrity, he found, with very good S/N ratio with medium-strength or stronger signaLs -weaker signals highlighted its lack of noise-reduction and high-blend circuitry. (Vol.19 No.12)

Arcam Alpha 7: $449 Alternate-channel selectivity not good, nor is adjacent-

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channel selectivity, while SCA-subcarriers will degrade the audio somewhat. But for those who live in cities and suburbs where there aren't too many stations crowded together on the dial. anti for those who want reasonably clean sound quality from stereo signals at a low price, the Arcam AM/FM tuner is a good value. Actual model reviewed was the electrically identical but cosmetically different Alpha 5. (Vol.17 No.12)

AMC T7, Bogen TP301), NAD 412.

Deletions Nail's NAT ()I, Magnons Dynalab FT-11, Pioneer Elite Reference F-93 and F-449, all not auditioned in a long tinte.

fm antennae Antenna Performance Specialties Sniper FM antenna: $595 Antenna Performance Specialties APS-14 FM antenna: $225 The Sniper is a huge (330"), custom-order, outdoor antenna with 12dB mie forward gain at all FM fre-quencies and extremely low SWR (Standing Wave Ratio). Requires rugged ham-radio-antenna-type installation, which may eliminate its consideration by all but the most dedicated radio listeners. Yet DAS feels it sets the standard for antenna performance. The APS-12 (originally called QFM-12) is still large (200") but manageable, he reports, offering 10dB gain and only slightly less performance than the Sniper. (Vol.19 No.3)

Editor's Note: No indoor antenna can compete with a good roof or mast-mounted outdoor antenna, but because apartment dwellers often don't have a choice, we list the following indoor models.

AudioPrism 8500: $499 * 63"-tall, remote-controllable, vertical phased-array passive FM antenna for indoor use, offering a more directional pickup than the less expensive 7500. (Also offers an omnidirectional poem.) Will prove optimal for those who desire to receive relatively weak stations competing with stronger stations on similar frequen-cies broadcast from other directions. (Vol.14 No.6) AudioPrism 7500: $299 * Low-VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio), vertically polarized. onmidirectional indoor passive design that will prove optimal in urban, high-signal-strength areas. 89" high. (Vol.12 No.5) AudioPrism 6500: $125 (wood cabinet) * If you don't have the room for an external antenna, then the diminutive 6500 could be a good substitute, Meting good reception except for DX-ing purposes. A lot more effective than the small, active, omnidirec-tional antennae offered by some companies, thought BS. Vinyl-covered version costs $99. (Vol.13 No.9) Magnum Dynalab 205 FM Booster: $295 * Excellent RF amplifier to optimize selectivity and reception in arcas of poor signal strength. (Vol.10 No.6) RadioShack amplified indoor FM antenna: $29.99 SU While it's no substitute for a multiple-element out-door-mounted Yagi, DAS observed that this unit "added no detectable noise or distortion to the signal, and provided better-than-expected FM reception; far better than typical rabbit cars or flimsy wire antennas." (Vol.19 No.11)

Day Sequerra Stealth, Fanfare FM-2G antenna.

recording equipment Editor's Note: In contrast to previous listings, we have only included products of which we have direct experience. Anyone about to undertake serious

recording should ignore all "amateur" microphones; as a rule of thumb, you should spend as much, or more, on a good pair of mikes as you do on your recorder.

A Brüel & Kjaer 4006: $2060 te Omnidirectional, 48V phantom-powered, 1/2" capaci-tor microphone with high dynamic range, extended bass response, and a basically flat response marred only by a small peak in the top audio octave and a rather depressed lower treble. Contes with both diffuse-field and free-field grids. A "nose-cone" is available to give true omnidirectional response and a spherical acoustic equalizer to give a more directional response. A cali-brated sample is used by Stmvphile to measure loud-speaker responses. (NR, but see Follow-Up in Vol.14 No.10, and audition Stereophiles GMCM CD and track 5, index 7 on the first Srenvphrie Test CD.) Brad & Kjaer 4011: $2060 JA finds this uncolored 1/2" mike -cardioid cousin of the 4006-to give solidly defined, vivid stereo imag-ing when used in an ORTF configuration, which is what he used to record Stereophiles &stint! and Serenade CDs, reinforced by a spaced pair of B&K 4006s. (NR, but see Vol.19 No.1) dCS 900D A/D converter: $7000 Data output is switchable between 24 bits and a noise-shaped 16 bits, but measured performance is closer to 20 bits, JA found. This is still astonishingly good, how-ever, and the dCS (now also available in a 96kHz ver-sion) is his recording reference. JA agrees with SS that the dCS is balanced on the mellow side rather than upfront; this, he feels, is optimal for live classical recording given the unit's superb transparency and retrieval of the full detail of live sound. (NR, but see "The Rhapsody Project." Vo120 No.6) Forssell M-2a stereo microphone preamplifier: $2395 Made by a small company in Idaho (nor the Swedish high-end company), the M-2A is a transfomserIcss dual-mono tube design that JA finds to be among the quietest, most transparent prearnps he has tried. JA bought a sample to make Stereophilis 1996 Sennade recording. The combination of the Forssell with B&K 4006 onmis gives a sound with tremendous low-fre-quency weight and impact. (NR) Manley Reference A/D converter: $7000 * After using this solid-state. UltraAnalog-based, two-channel 20-bit converter to master Stereophile's hitennemo, Gnicerr, and second Test CDs, JA felt it to bc one of the best-sounding around. One of the winners in the October 1991 AES Sound-Off. Offers DC trim controls, balanced and unbalanced analog inputs, and AES/EBU and S/PDIF data outputs. Analog peak meters with "0" set to -12dBFS are an anachronism, however, you're better off using a Dorrough or Sony AES/EBU meter or the LEI) or LCD peak meters on the DAT recorder (or whatever you use to store the data) to avoid finning out of bits on peaks. Six years later, it is still a JA Live rave. (NR) Millennia Media HV-3B stereo microphone preamplifier: $1895 JA used HV-3B preamps for Srmvphile's 1997 Rhapsody release and was extremely impressed by this solid-state design's combination of transparency and very low noise, quieter even than the Forssell. He subsequently bought one for future recordings. "High Voltage" option for B&K nùkcs adds $400; High Resolution Gain switches add $150. (NR) Nagea-D: $22,000 The ultimate one-box digital recorder: To see it is to want to touch it is to want to buy it, says JA. (We bought it!) The superbly built Nagra uses open-reel tape to store two or four channels of up to 24-bit data. (One 5" reel of Ampex 467 holds one hour of four-channel data or two hours of two-channel data.) Four channels of both analog and digital (AES/EBU) I/O. Built-in A/D converters offer 20-bit resolution. Built-in mike preamps offer phantom power, enormous headroom, and are superbly quiet. Sophisticated built-in software offers versatile usage options; optional 1)0S program allows a directory to be created for each

tape, to access individual takes, overload points, exam inc error rates, etc. Nagea can even diagnose your machine over the phone, using its built-in RS422 port. Recording Festival with the Naga -coupled with the editing process - made JA a big fan. "Operationally, the unit was a dream," he enthused, adding emphati-cally that it was the finest audio recorder he has ever used. Portable, practical, and capable of producing tapes of the highest quality. Highly recommended. Latest version can record at 96kHz sample rate but at the expense of losing two channels. (Vol.19 No.1)

Audio Engineering Associates 380TX stereo microphone preamplifier: $2185 JGH's reference mike prcamp, the 380TX is very quiet, super-portable, and features M/S matrixing cir-cuitry to adjust soundstage width and depth in real time. (NR) Pioneer Elite PDR-99 CD-R recorder: $2000 Affordable CD-R machine is compromised by SCMS and expensive (515/disc) "consumer" media that are only 60 minutes long-as opposed to the 74-minute "professional" discs currently selling for 55 each. SS found it easy to use, and capable of 16-bit recordings as good as -or better than -his dig-ital originals. Recordings made from analog sources suffered from some loss of low-level detail, duc. SS surmised, to the inadequate onboard A/D converter. (Vol.19 Nos.1 ei No.4) Sony DTC-2000ES SBM DAT recorder: $2800 Well-made, versatile machine features Sony's Super Bit Mapping, which will result in more than 16-bit res-olution in the midrange. "The best-sounding, all-in-one 'prosumer' deck available," notes JGH, adding that it "is the recorder of choice for the serious amateur who diet afford a Naga-D." (Vol.17 No.11, Vol.18 No.12) Sony TCD-D8 DAT recorder: $899 with case Tiny portable machine that makes excellent location recordings, provided you use an external A/D con-verter. Short internal battery life is a problem. A company called Eco-Charge (P.O. Box 956, Boulder, CO 80306) makes an external lead-acid battery pack ($119.95) that SS highly recommends. The TCD-D8 is the replacement for the similar TCD-D7 and now includes 44.1kHz digital input/output and AC adap-tor. (Vol.18 Nos.1 & 6, TCD-D7; Vol.19 No.10, TCD-D8) Sony SBM-1 A/D processor: $549 This outboard Super Bit Mapping A/D converter is intended to be used with Sony's TCD-D3, '1)7, and 'D8 portable DAT recorders and, reports SS, addresses and solves most of their shortcomings. "98% of the sound of the DTC-2000ES at 25% of the price," he enthuses. Reliable, extremely portable, and good-sounding, its only tradeoff is a loss of ergonometric functionality dictated by its small size. (Vol.18 No.6)

AKG BlueLine microphones: $555-$859 Super-compact capacitor microphones that use a com-mon powering module ($259) with interchangeable twist-click capsules ($286-$590). *Extraordinarily clean, well-balanced sound at ridiculously low prices," notes JGH. (NR)

Sony WM-D6C Pro Walkman cassette deck: $400 * A pocket-sized stereo recording system of surprising quality and versatility. Alvin Gold feels that to spend more on a cassette deck would be a waste of money. Less expensive WM-I)3 ($270) is half the size but keeps most of the quality. Higher wow and flutter, however. (Vol.7 No.6, Vol.10 No.6)

11 Apogee and Prism 20-24-bit A/D converters, Dorrough AES/EBU peak/average level meter, Bryston BM-P2 microphone preatnplificm Schoeps Colette microphones.

Stereophire, October 1997 151

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Deletions EAR 824M stereo microphone preamplifier and EAR "The Mic" now too expensive for continued recom-mendation.

test equipment AudioControl Industrial SA-305M Spectrum Analyzer: $995 •1, Portable (battery-powered) and inexpensive 1/3-octave analyzer with pink-noise source, ANSI Class II filters, accurate calibrated microphone, and six nonvolatile memories. Parallel port can be used with any Centronics-compatible printer to print out real-time response. Factory update increases maximum spi capability, and resolution to 0.1dB. (Vol.11 No.6, Vol.12 No.3) George Kaye Audio Labs Small Signal Tube Checker: $549 e The essential companion for the dedicated tubcophile, this well-made device tests voltage gain, noise, and microphony with the small-signal tube used in typical preamp circuits. Tests both 63V and 12V types. As well as a meter, a headphone jack allows users to hear what's right and wrong with their favorite tubes, and to look at the output and the distortion+noise wave-form with an oscilloscope. (Vol.17 No.6) Gold Line DSP 30 Spectrum Analyzer: $1579 Portable (battery-powered) 1/3-octave analyzer with higher dynamic range and better signal resolution than the ubiquitous AudioControl (one software option gives 60 bands between 27Hz and 800Hz). Features six memories and a variety of post-processing options; can also be controlled by an external PC through its RS-232 port (though the supplied DOS software is clumsy). Latest software includes a Windows-based interface and a number of other refinements. (NR)

miscellaneous accessories Audio Advisor Elfix AC Polarity Tester: $29.95 et Components tend to give the best sound with the low-est potential between their chassis and signal ground. JGH found using the Elfix to be an easy, noncontact method of optimizing this aspect of performance, in conjunction with AC "cheater" plugs. (Vol.15 No.6) AudioQuest Binding-Post Wrench: $7.95 A great idea improved - similar to the Postman, but with a metal sleeve reinforcing the sockets. (Vo120 No.9) AudioQuest RF Stopper: $39/8 Ur.), $60/4 (Sr.) TDK NF-009 Digital Noise Absorber: 814.95/pair * ST found these ferrite rings to improve the sound from CD when clamped over the interconnects between player and preamp. He also found the sound improved-less grit - when a ring was clamped over the coaxial data lead between transport and processor, though we would have thought that this would increase jitter. Best used with AC power cords, JA feels. Equivalents can also be obtained from RadioShack. (Vol.14 No.1, TDK) Bluenote Midas Series Hi-end Tube Dampers: $89/pair Italian devices lower tube microphonics, JS discovered, resulting in tighter focus, integration, and bass. While they enhance transparency, he worried that they might subtly dampen "bloom." Even so, "I consider them an indispensable accessory," our valiant audionaut issain-tamed. (Vol.19 Nos2 & 4) Deoxit/Preservit Contact Conditioner: $18.95 er The right stuff for cleaning up dirty and/or oxidized plugs and contacts. Available from Old Colony Sound Lab. Tel: (603) 924-5626. (Vol.10 No.6) Dynaclear Postman Binding-Post Wrench: $7.95 The ideal way of tightening five-way binding-post

connections without overtorquing. The reviewer's friend. (Vol.17 No.11) Ensemble Tubesox: $69/pair with "thermo-indicator" Small one-size-fits-all sleeve made from a weave of Kevlar and copper wire that's said to both lower a tube's operating temperature and minimize micro-phonics. 1)0 confirmed the latter, but not the former. (Vol.16 Nos2 & 5) Mondial MAGIC video ground isolator: $99 et Provides effective antenna and cable-feed isolation for those whose video systems have hum problems. A splitter version is available for $149. (Vol.15 No2) Music Sciences 02 Blocker: $69.95 (4oz. bottle), $9.95 (package of 6 foam pads) $49.95 (36 treated plastic bags) These products are "designed as a total solution that thoroughly cleans all parts of a system and improves conductivity while providing ongoing corrosion pro-tection," observed SD. The key ingredient is a propri-etary blend of vapor corrosion inhibitors (VCI). SD was initially dubious as to claims of enhanced sound quality, but was convinced that it inhibited corrosive decay over time. (Vo120 No2) PEARL LW Tube Coolers: $6-$25 depending on size er Finned metal heatsink available in a number of sizes to cool both small-signal and power tubes. JA rec-ommends them for use with the Mclos SHA-1. (VoL16 No.5) Shakti Electromagnetic Stabilizer: $230 Passive component containing passive circuits intend-ed to absorb and dissipate the EMF generated by active audio gear. JS and WI' found them effective to varying degrees, depending on the components they were used with. JS discovered that "focus, transparen-cy, clarity, and speed were better, as was the sense of pace." RD found that the Sonic Frontiers SFD-2 Mk.I1 sounded better -less upper-midrange grain-with the Shakti placed on the chassis above the trans-former. WP uses them on his power amps, but cau-tions that using too many in a system will close it down and make it sound dull. (Vol.19 Nos2 & 4) Shun Mook Mpingo Disc: $50 each Shun Mook Spatial Control Kit: $450 Shun Mook Spatial Control Quartet/Sextet: $2280 for four stands and 32 Mpingo discs, $3220 for six stands and 44 discs The Mpingo Disc is an ebony disc just over L.5" in diameter and 0.5" thick. Three I)iscs bonded to a wooden L-bracket make up the Spatial Control Kit, which can be used to "tune" a system's imaging. Read JS's review carefully to get the full scoop on how to use the Discs, but JS is convinced that they effect a major improvement in the sound. "Yup, they work." agreed ST; "they make my $78 AR. turntable sound like JA's Linn!" ("Ssli-yeah, right," pouts JA.) Though he's not sure why the Shun Mook Discs have any effect, ST does point out that they can make the sound worse if not used correctly. "Try one or three. Never, never two." (Vol.17 Nos2 & 12) Sumiko Kontak: $50 * Far and away the best contact cleaner CG has used. "The gains in transparency and purity arc startling," gusheth he. (NR, but see "Industry Update," Vol.15 No.5, and "Manufacturers' Comments," Vol.15 No.9.) Versalab Red Rollers, Flat Rollers, Split Rollers: $115-$230/pair WP found these RF-blocking components, designed to surround signal-carrying cables, to be effective in canceling hash and harshness caused by radio-frequen-cy contamination of the environment. He did stress, however, that they are most effective if used through-out the system and in conjunction with the other Versalab products. JE and JS demur. SS, located up in the clean air of the Colorado hills, found little benefit. (Vol.19 No.6, Vo120 No.7) Versalab Zap!: $39.95 Simple and elegant solution to uncontrolled static dis-charge, the Zap! is a grounded brass disc that sits next to your components. WP claimed it "invites your caress, subtly urging you to wound yourself every

time you pass by." While homebrew versions would work as well, he found the satin finish seductive. (Vo120 No.9) WBT 0101 RCA plugs: $108/set of four * The best, although original steel locking collett, now replaced by brass, gave rise to neurosis. WBT 0144 plugs costs $50/four. Now distributed in the US by Kiniber Kahle. (NR, hut see "Industry Update," Vol.12 No.9.) WireWorld Interconnect Comparator: $360 RH dubbed this "an invaluable tool for characterizing sonic differences between interconnects," although he pointed out that insist audiophiles probably do not need to own one. He recommends that service-savvy dealers or audio clubs might consider acquiring one to loan around. MF would rate it higher if the logistics of the bypass function were less fiddly. (Vol.19 No.8) 3CLO TPC (The Perfect Connection) contact treatment: 99e /padcet Electrical contact treatment that, according to its man-ufacturer, neutralizes the effects of oxidation. JS treat-ed his system and reported hearing increased trans-parency, better soundstaging, sweeter highs, deeper and richer bass, and a "quieter and thus more 3-D soundstage." He promulgated that "This 99-cent tweak will do as much for your system as spending $1000 or more on components." One packet is enough to treat one system once. (Vo120 No3)

Caig ProGold contact enhancer, XLO/Reference Recordings Test &Burn-in CD.

Deletions The Original Cable Jacket not auditioned in a while; Sumiko Tweek Contact Enhancer discontinued.

power-line accessories Audio Power Industries Power Wedge Model 116 Mk.I1 AC-Line Conditioner: $669 r> Featuring RE filtering, three isolation transformers with dual secondaries feeding six AC outlets, and MOVs to absorb voltage spikes on the AC line, the Power Wedge also offers four filtered outlets into which to plug your power amplifier(s). Highly recom-mended. "Makes the silences more silent," says JA (though LL cautions that, in some systems, it may detract from overall dynamics). Other models are available with fewer outputs -tg, the $419 Power Wedge 112 Mk.II. Audio Power's $279 Power Enhancer (Vol.17 No.12) and Power Link AC cords ($159/61 further enhance the performance of the Power Wedge, found JA, the Power Enhancer I increasing the solidity of his system's bass perfor-mance. RI-1 recommends that if you can't afford a Wedge 116, Audio Power's Power Pack II is an afford-able alternative. (Vol.14 No.11, Model 1; Vol.17 No.12, Models 116 & 112) Aural Symphonies Missing Link Cubed Generation 3: $550/411, $975/10fi The Missing Link is Aural Symphonies' entry in the no-compromise AC cable sweepstakes. "It's gigantic! It's stiff! And it's (very) bright blue!" exclaims JS. SS notes that this "big mutha" is best suited for power amps and other massive components as they can easi-ly topple featherweight components. As with all high end wire, only careful auditioning in your own system will determine if its benefits warrant its cost. (NR) Camelot Technology Sir Boris AC cable: $349/1.5m SS finds this AC cable to combine excellent materials and substantial shielding with good flexibility. Seems to perform on par with other, far stiffer premium AC cables, he concludes. (NR) Kimber Power Kord: $188/611 ST uses Kimber Kords throughout his system, and


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noted tremendous differences with a Jadis Defy-7. But ny before you buy, he warns. (NR) Lightspeed CLS6400 ISO line filters: $535-$696 With four double-filtered analog and two fully filtered digital AC outlets and an 1800W/15A capacity, the transformerless Lightspeed filter can handle all but the most power-hungry system, says SS. RD likes the fact that, in contrast to some transformer-based power-line conditioners, it doesn't hum, nor does it limit dynam-ics. SS points out that it appears to be good at solving ground-loop problems. The $696 CLS 6400 ISO 20A H has hospital-grade plugs and outlets with 2400W/ 20A capacity. (NR) MIT Z-Center power-line conditioner: $1495 inc. Z-Cord MIT Z-Iso-Duo power-line conditioner: $1495 inc. Z-Cord MIT Z-Stabilizer Mk.I1 power-line conditioner: $995 inc. MIT Z-Cord MIT Z-Cord II AC power cord: $175/2m Expensive AC-conditioning/filtering/isolation system that 1)0 found to give significant increases in sound-stage purity and spatial resolution. RH "was impressed by the straightforward yet insightful engineering" in these products, "which are designed to keep noise on your AC line from getting into your components.... The package appears to be the most comprehensive power-line treatment system available." (Vol.17 No.12, original versions; Vol.19 No.1, Mk.II versions.) Panamax Max 1000+ surge protector/line conditioner: $299 "Many thunderstorms have come and gone," says SS, "but none of my video gear has been damaged." Panamax offers a unique warranty -if your gear gets fried while hooked up to one of their units, Panamax will replace it (though their fine print does list condi-tions that must be met for this to happen). SS doesn't recommend the Panamax be used with power ampli-fiers. He also points out that it shuts down on brown-outs or sudden high-power demands. "For low-power components and video gear, the Panamax is the cheap-est peace of mind I know," he sums up. "Sounds good, too," adds BW, commenting that it made his gear sound "a bit cleaner, more fully 'shaped,' better defined, more open, and alive." (Vol.19 No.11) Perfectionist Audio Components Super IDOS: $550 Perfectionist Audio Components IDOS: $165 er Perfectionist Audio Components IDOS LI: $220 * IDOS stands for Isolated Digital Outlet Strip. ST raved about the effect of the less expensive of these patented AC-line RF filter on the sound of his Audio Alchemy I)DE. But it's a somewhat system-depen-dent effect, noted CG, who recommends trying before buying, seeing if the sound gets worse when the IDOS is removed. IDOS II is similar to basic IDOS, but offers three "digital" and six "analog" outlets. "Effectively scrubs away still more of the dreaded background grunge," exclaimed JE about the Super IDOS. "As the underlying noise floor was lowered, the music became more prominent.- Strongly recom-mended." (Vol.14 Nos.10 8c 11, IDOS; VoL19 No.Z Super 11)0S.) Synergistic Research Reference AC Master Coupler: $600/Sit "Brings out the best in whatever components you hook it up with," declares JS of the AC cord. "Lets the music through more effortlessly." (NR) Versalab Wood Blocks: $165-$430 Versalab Ground Block: $70 WP used the Wood Blocks - AC RF filters -in con-junction with the other Versalab components, finding that, used as a system, they did unmask detail and nuance obscured by RF contamination. The Ground Block is an RF filter for grounding paths (such as the separate ground connection on a toneann) designed to be used with other Versalab filters. WP recommends it highly, when used in conjunction with other Versalab component.. (Vol.19 No.6) Yamamura Millennium 6000 AC cord: 3-pin $555/1m pair; 2-pin $440/1m pair MFs reference. See "Interconnects." (NR)

IL Yamamura Ciabattas, Equi=Tech 1.5 R, Power Science LTD Foundation Conditioner, Aural Syinphonics Missing Link Buss Cubed (MLB6), TG Audio Lab PC-3 AC cords.

Deletions Seakay Line Rover LR-1000 and LR-1200 line condi-tioners not auditioned in a while.

stands, spikes, feet, Or racks Good speaker stands There are too many possibilities, but, briefly, a good stand has the following characteristics: good rigidity; spikes on which to rest the speaket or some secure clamping mechanism; the availability of spikes at the base for use on wooden floors; if the stand is steel, provision to keep speaker cables away from the stand to avoid magnetic interaction; and the correct height, when combined with your particular speakers (cor-rect height can be anything from what you like best to the manufacturer's design height for best drive-unit integration). Though Stereophile hasn't reviewed speaker stands, it's not because we think they're unimportant- for speakers that need stands, every dollar spent on good stands is worth $5 when it comes to sound quality. Brands we have found to offer excel-lent performance arc Chicago Speaker Stand, Arcici Rigid Riser, Celestion Si, Merrill (see Vol.18 No.1, p.39), Sound Anchor, Target, Sartus Systems Steel and Reference, and Linn. (Sound Anchor also makes an excellent turntable stand, reports TJN.) Interface material between the speaker and the stand top plate is critical: Inexpensive Blu-Tack seems to reduce the amplitude of cabinet resonances the most. (see Vol.15 No.9, p.162) Acoustics Symposium Energy Absorption Platform: $200 This laminated aluminum/fiberboard/foam shelf jar-ed MF with the "top-to-bottom authority, focus, and slant" that his system gained when the platform was installed under his turntable. Price is for 18" by 14" size. (Vo120 No.5) Arcici speaker stands: $145-$495/pair Available in versions for the ESL-63 and the original Quads (both $295/pair), and for the Martin-Logan CLS ($495/pair), these elegant stands enable electro-static speakers to perform as God intended. Clamps them in a rigid embrace, raising the panels the opti-mal height off the ground. Now includes Super Spikes. The CLS version allows both the height and back-tilt of a pair of Logans to be optimized. Arcici's inexpensive Rigid Riser stands ($145) offer adjustable height. (Vol.10 No.1, Quad ESL; Vol.17 No.6, Martin-Logan CLS) Arcici Superstructure I and II: from $173.50 * Basic price includes one shelf. Versatile, well-made, reasonably priced metal equipment-rack system that doesn't require assembly. Our experience from two samples of the II indicates that the shelves can be a little undersized, however. New, bigger spikes elimi-nate any tendency toward instability. (Vol.14 No.11, Vol.16 No.10) AudioPrism Iso-Bearings: $54.95/three Squishy, nonreactive polymer balls with plastic cups are recommended by CG for effective acoustic isola-tion. (NR, but see Vol.15 No.9, p.162.) AudioQuest Sorbothane Feet * One of the best means of isolating components from vibration. A set of four big Feet costs $69; four CD Feet, $45. (NR) Audio Stream Premier Ft-series rack system: from $139 * System consists of R-30 Expandable Rack, $179; R-ES Expansion Shelf, $49; R-CC Cable Channel kit, $35; and R-10 Amp Stand, $69. Excellent value, noted SS, but not rigid enough for use with a turntable. (Vol.16 No.10)

Billy Bags 1823/1824 amplifier stands: $349/$269 Billy Bags 4800 component stand: $795 standard, $1198 custom Billy Bags Design 5500-7 series component rack: $1098 RH had nothing but praise for these solidly built-and sand-filled-welded metal component racks. Available in stock configurations, or custom-built for specific sys-tems. RH cites tightened image focus, greater dynamic contrasts, and increased resolution of low-level detail as results of using the Billy Bags stands -although he noted that turntables may require additional, or differ-ent, isolation schemes. (Vol.17 No.12, Vol.18 No.11) Black Diamond Racing The Shelf: from $495 depending on size Heavy, costly, but extremely free from torsional flex, this loaded carbon-fiber isolation platform impressed WP with a "marked increase in perceived silence" when placed under equipment. He also noted that low-level musical information became more promi-nent with the support in his system. WP maintains that when he "wants to really hear what a compo-nent is doing-as free as possible from the effects of its environment-it ends up on The Shelf." (Vol.19 No2) Bright Star Audio Rack of Gibraltar I equipment stand: $1495-$1595 Bright Star Audio Big Rock 1: $175-$199 Bright Star Audio Little Rock 1 Isolation Pod: $129-$144 e, Bright Star Mini-Rock F VPI isolation base: $89 A very effective isolation system for control of unwanted vibrational energy. Individual components float on a sand bed for energy dissipation, and are weighted down with the Little Rock to minimize spu-rious vibrations. Sonically, the payoff is enhanced reso-lution of the music's nuances, says DO. RN adds that this system consistently tightens the bass, increases sonic transparency, and smooths treble hash and grain. The Bright Star TNT Big Rock is a $275 sand cable specially sized to support the TNT. WP, MF, BD, and RJR all use one under their VPIs, as they provide a sta-ble surface and offer such sonic benefits as a lower noise floor and increased bass. The Mini-Rock F is specially sized for use under the TNT's flywheel. (Vol.16 No.5; Vol.18 No.11, Mini-Rock F; Vo120 No.4, TNT Big Rock.) Bright Star Ultimate TNT Suspension System: $893 Simple, affordable, effective isolation system for the VPI TNT that combines a static pneumatic isolation mount with mass loading. WP noted that "high fre-quencies seemed clearer, less smeared -harmonics leapt off strings and floated independent of the funda-mental.... Bass sounded more deep and taut, especial-ly sustained notes or anything in the bottom two octaves of the piano." KR agrees, finding that the Suspension System lowers the TNTs (already low) background noise, resulting in subtle but noticeable improvements in image dimensionality, ambience, and inner detail. (Vo120 No.7) Bright Star Air Mass 3: $99 Ingenious, inexpensive, and effective air-bladder prod-uct, declared MF, that damps out floor and air-borne vibrations. WP concurs. Originally called Air Mass I. (Vo120 No2) German Acoustics Audio Selection Cones: $11 each er These effective brass-colored steel cones have remov-able hardened tips. (NR, but see Vol.15 No.9, p.162.) Magro 24 Component Stand: $448 Unique stands lean against the wall. Elegant. Highly recommended by WP, who found that his system sounded better (presumably because the stands are nonferrous). Console costs $218; CD Holder costs $68. (Vol.18 No2) Michael Green Designs AudioPoints for electronics: $59/set of three * Michael Green Designs AudioPoints for loudspeakers: $99/set of four * Sharp-pointed cones made of solid milled brass that (77-

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Gene Ammons' soulful tenor sax sound evokes both Lester Young and Ben Webster. Better known as "fug" to his friends, Ammons demonstrates here his supreme ability to tell a story with his horn. This masterpiece has it all - the blues, the ballads and Ammons' big hit "Canadian Sunset." "fug" is given sterling support by Tommy Flanagan, Doug Watkins, Art Taylor and Ray Barretto.

Art Tatum/Ben Webster T HE TATUM G ROUP M ASTERPIECES IVCXR-0034-2

This one virtually defines the term "classic." Tatum's supercharged piano virtuosity and boundless invention meet Webster's sensuously passionate tenor sax. In this final session of Tatum's career, the mutual admiration and trust between these two jazz giants results in a session that works like a dream.

Coleman Hawkins CD G OOD O LD BROADWAY IVCXB-0035-2

Coleman Hawkins is frequently identified as the "father" of jazz tenor saxophone playing. With a perfect rhythm section featuring his working band - Tommy Flanagan on piano, Major Holley Jr. on bass and Eddie Locke on drums, Hawkins showcases his illuminating artistry on this collection of love songs from Broadway shows. This "classic" Hawkins album has never before been available on CD.

Bill Evans Trio RIVERSIDE)

A T SHELLY'S M ANNE -H OLE 1VCXR-0036-2

This is the last album Bill Evans made for Riverside, one of only two occasions when he recorded "live" for the label. These two nights at Shelly Manne's club in Hollywood marked the only recording by the excellent "third" trio featuring bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Larry Bunker. Collectors have long recognized this album for its astonishing sound quality.

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RD found to be the best in tightening the bass and improving the midrange focus of Dunlavy SC-1V loudspeakers. A set of four variously threaded loud-speaker points costs $69-579. (NR) RoomTunes DehnceJustaRack: $3294599 Rigid, well-made mmponent rack. Similar ClampRack - see Vol.15 No-3, p.140 - allows the components to be squeezed to reduce the levels of vibration-caused sonic spuriae. (Vol.16 No.10) Salamander Designs Archetype System equipment racks: $59.95-$389.95 Remarkably versatile system of equipment/accessory racks that had WP redecorating like crazy. Extremely handsome wood finishes make these easy to integrate into real homes. Those desiring the utmost in stabili-ty and rigidity still need to seek other solutions. (Vo120 No.9) Santis Systems CF-45/CF-35 component stands: $375/$324 Component racks of five (45) and four ('35) shelves that TJN recommends as being good value. Assembly required. (Vol.14 No.11, Vol.16 No.10) Sound Anchors Cone Coasters: $20 A machined stainless stecl/Kevlar/polyester sand-wiched disc designed to prevent speaker pikes from ruining your floors and to prevent vibrations from being trans lll itted through wooden floors. RJR found that using them with Isis Alón Vs resulted in greater perceived detail and "faster" bass. (NR) Soundstyle X05-series component racks: $415-$450 A series of component stands that SS described as "col-orful, elegant, and remarkably stable and reasonably priced." The series consists of the X053, $415; X050, $415; X058, $450; X042 extension module, $169; and the X049 rectangular frame, $65. (Vol.18 No3) Target TT series equipment racks: $99-$365 Finished in basic black, these useful but inexpensive racks feature rigid, welded rectangular-steel-tube construction, price dependent on height and number of shelves (from two to five). Spiked feet supplied, with top shelf resting on upturned, adjustable spikes to optimize it for turntable use. Target's wall-mount-ing turntable shelves ($140-$175) are possibly the best way of siting your turntable out of hams's way, says JA. (NR) Tiptoes: $12.50 each * The Mod Squad's greatest invention. The least expen-sive way of improving the bass and midrange defini-tion of virtually any loudspeaker when used to couple the speaker or stand to the floor. Version with thread or screw costs $17.50 each. (Vol.9 No.1) Townshend Audio Seismic Sink: $349-$725 depending on size MF was amazed at the difference this inflatable iso-lation platforns made to the sound of his turntable-even though he'd already gosse to great pains to iso-late it. "Focus improves dramatically," he goggled; "the noise floor lowers, images solidify, and the sound takes on a softness.., that is much closer to what live music sounds like." He did not care for it under tubed preamps, however, although SD noted an improvement in clarity and focus when used under his SFL-2. SD also recommended stacking them, claiming that additional benefits accrue. Much to his astonishment, he found use of the Sinks audi-bly improved the performance of Cl) transports and D/A processors. (The CI) Seismic Sink costs $150.) (Vol.18 No.11, Vol.19 No.1) Vibraplane Model 2212 Active-Air Self-Leveling Air Table: $4950 Isolation platform designed to stabilize electron micro-scopes and other precision laboratory gear that SD enthusiastically endorses for use in hi-fi systems. "Unlike many improvements that blend into your nor-mal expectation after a few weeks of acclimatization, you'll appreciate the visceral presence that the Vibraplane adds to both digital and analog playback every time you spin some wax or plastic," he predicted. He was also chuffed by improvements in imaging, low-level micmdynamics. Umbra' truth, and percussive impact, claiming that "every aspect of the sonic presen-

tation took on new life." JS found the Vibraplane to work well with Cl) players and transports. Active sys-tem includes air compressor. The 2210 Passive-Air version, which needs to be pumped up manually, costs $1695 plus S&H. (Vol.17 No.5, Vol.18 No.11, Vo120 No.5) Walker Audio Valid Points Resonance Control Kit: $230 MF liked these spikes a lot but felt they were pricey. They are. Price is for three small cones with five discs and 1/41b of Mortite; price with three larger cones with five discs is $260. (Vo120 No.5) Yamamura Speaker Bearings SP-Q: $295/set of two; SP-1 5240/set of two "Nail your friend's foot to the floor," Audio Physic designer Joachim Gerhard requested of me, "then touch his forehead... he'll fall over. HA HA HA HA." The Yamamura speaker bearings replace points with ball-bearing platforms that don't move, but "give" just enough to dissipate vibrational energy stored in speak-er cabinets. They work under smaller floorstanding speakers like the AP Virgos, reducing remnants of "boxy" colorations, though you're probably skeptical. "Try 'cm, you'll like 'cm a lot," advises MF. (NR)

Black 1)iamond Racing cones, A.R.T. Q-Dampers, Laser-Base Component isolation frame.

Deletions Merrill Stable Table 11 not tried in a while; Sumiko Navcom Silencers, Ardd Levitation LDS-1 and LDS-2 component stands discontinued.

room acoustics treatments ASC Tube Traps: $248-$678, depending on size and style * Relatively inexpensive but remarkably effective room-acoustics treannent. Tube Traps soak up low-to-high bass standing-wave resonances like sponges. The $315 Studio Trap provides easily tuneable upper-bass absorption that JE found to be a boon with the Martin-Logan CLS IlAs. WP agrees, using Traps to optimize the acoustics of his mom for Martin-Logan SL3 electrostatics. (Vol.9 No3, Vol.15 No2, Vol.16 No.12, Vol.19 No.1, Vo120 No.5.) RoomTunes (Deluxe floorstanding): $259/pair * RoomTune CornerTunes: $89/set of four ir RoomTune EchoTunes: 545/pair tt Idiosyncratic and effective "less-is-more" acoustic treatment for your listening mom. GL was highly im-pressed, though others point out that care should be taken to not overdo things. The "Basic Tune Pak" room-treatment set of four TuneStrips, four Corner-Tunes, and two EchoTunes costs $285. Four TuneStrips cost $179. A MiniTüne Pak (same 10 pieces, but smaller) for small- to medium-sized moms costs 5199. (Vol.15 No3, Vol.16 No.1) RPG Diffusor Systems "Acoustic Tools for Home Theater" tr Effective method of adding diffusive and absorptive treatment to a listening room. RPG Diffusor Systems offers complete room-treatment packages, called "Acoustic Tools for Home Theater," which can be installed in a matter of hours. RPG also offers its "SoundTrac" package for no-compromise home-theater installations, working directly with the client, architect, and/or acoustic consultant. (Vol.11 No.4, Vol.16 No.5; see also TJN's article on listening rooms in Vol.14 No.10.) Cambridge Signal Technologies SigTech TF 1120 Time Field Acoustic Correction System: $5590-$11,750 depending on options Sophisticated digital acoustic equalization system pre-

scuts "an elegant solution to the problem of acousti-cally corrosive environments," reckoned SS. While he found the differences wrought to be subtle, he noted that female voices sounded more harmonically com-plete, that inner detail was improved, and that lower bass transients were cleaner and better delineated. Imaging was also improved. However, the system added a slight sense of grain and lacks a sufficiently high-end A/D section to satisfy most analog devotees. (Vo1.19 No.12)

loudspealier cables F interconnects Editor's Note: Rather than classify cables into the usual four "Recommended Components" classes, we've just listed those cables that tnembers of the mag-azine's review trans either have chosen to use on a long-term basis or have found to offer good value for money. They are therefore implicitly recommended. Where a cable has been found to have specific match-ing requirements or an identifiable sonic signature, these arc noted in the text. Jack English supplies a cogent essay on the whole

subject of cables in Vol.14 No.10, but bear in mind that, to a far greater degree than with any other com-ponent, the sound of cables depends on the system in which they're used. Before parting with possibly large sums of money for a cable, it's essential to audition it in your OW11 system. "Drinking by the label" is always a bad thing to do in hi-fi, but it's both unforgivable and unwise when it comes to speaker-cable purchases. In addition, what's the "best" in absolute terms may not necessarily be the best for your system. 'Try before you buy" is mandatory with cables; many dealers have a loaner stock of cables to make dus easier.

interconnects Alpha-Core Goertz Sapphire: $310.50/1111 pair terminated with RCAs Alpha-Core Goertz Tourmaline: $8730/1m pair terminated with RCAs Flat-conductored interconnects that IMS enthuses over. Offers lower inductance than shielded cable, yet has excellent RF rejection. "Impressive." (NR, but see JS's interview with Alpha-C.ore's Mick Poulsen in Vol.19 No.3.) Audio Magic Sorcerer: $799/1m balanced with Neutrik XLRs, $699/lm unbalanced with WBT RCAs SS recommends this expensive, handmade, fairly flex-ible, Teflon-insulated silver interconnect for its "high resolution, precise soundstage presentation, and excel-lent low-level information transmission." (NR) Audio Note AN-C: $100/1m pair 99.99% pure copper cable is coated with polyure-thane, woven in a Litz configuration, and damped with extruded foam. RH noted its "smoothness, clari-ty, and lack of grain or edge." (Vo120 No3) AudioQuest Topaz: $75/1m pair Slightly lean midbass, according to RH, but otherwise uncolored at an affordable price. Great value. (NR) AudioTruth (AudioQuest) Lapis x3: $575/1m pair terminated with RCA plugs $675/1m pair with AQ custom XLRs and direct gold-plated WC sockets and pins * Tonally, the latest version of Lapis (which uses RCA plugs made Irons Functionally Perfect Copper, or FPC, with the gold plating applied directly to the cop-per) seems to fall midway between the "mellow" cables -MIT Monster -and those that arc rather up-front in the treble, such as Madrigal HPC and Straight Wire Maestro. JA feels, however, that its out-

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standing virtue is a lack of grain that allows correct insmimental textures to flow freely and a deep, well-defined soundstage to develop. Auditioning of cur-rent-production Lipis (as of 2/91), which uses Teflon insulation and long-grain, solid-silver conductors, sug-gests that this is the best AudioQuest interconnect yet, apart from their even-more-expensive Diamond x3. Auditioning of identical lengths of Lapis fitted with Neutrik XLRs and AudioQuest's own custom XLRs suggests that the latter represents a useful step forward in sound quality (0. Some compatibility problems with the XLIts, however, according to JA. (NR) AudioTruth (AudioQuest) Diamond x3: $875/1m pair with RCAs $995/1m pair with XLRs Superb resolution of detail coupled with a musically natural midrange and excellent low-frequency weight JA's reference. (Vol.19 No.8) Cardas Golden Cross: $750/1m pair, balanced or unbalanced Slinuner and more flexible than Five C. the Golden Cross offers outstanding resolution of low-level detail, finds SD with an even, wide-open balance and a quiet, silky-black background. Gone are the slightly forward upper mids noted by JE of the Five C. (NR) Cardas Hexlink Golden Five C: $650/1m unbalanced pair t-Golden-section-stunded, PTFE-insulated intercon-nect needs an interminable break-in period, but then has a glorious bacs and an excellent sense of pace and dynamics. JE fisund that the upper mids sounded a bit forward. (Vol.15 No.12) Cello Strings: $355/1m pair terminated with RCA plugs * $410/1m pair terminated with XLRs e,-$530/1m pair terminated with Fischers $660/2m pair terminated with Fischers "Remarkably good for the price," said LL. (NR) Discovery Signature interconnect: $450/1m, RCA or XLR termination Dual-shielded, multi-strand, low-capacitance cables whose perfonnance/cost ratio impressed JS. Also of note, he felt, were the RCA connecwrs -sourced from Clearaudio -which were of extremely high quality and low capacitance. "Excellent inucUng and dynamics," gruel' he; "a lot of perform:usce for the money." "Sweet high frequencies," adds RN. (Vol.18 No.12) Esoteric Artus: $595/1m pair "At last!" exclaims WP, "A flexible high-end cable." He found it easy to manipulate in tight confines, and is happy to report that its sweet highs, articulate mid-range, and tight, well-defined bass response were right on the money. (NR) Kimber KCAG: $390/1m pair, RCA or XLR termination Unshielded but astonishingly transparent, and offering improved image focus and even better darity when compared with Kimber's PHI AJE and TJN favorite. (NR, but see Vol.16 No.7) 'Umber Silver Streak: $180/1m pair This low-impedance, low-resistance cable "represents a major performance breakthrough for the price," ST averred. Its secret? Only the signal-carrying portion of the braid is silver -the returns are copper. ST report-rd gains in clarity and quickness. "The sound is clean-er, quicker, less confused ...I suggest you run with the Sneak." 13W adds that the Kimber's excellent resolu-tion of detail and transients has to be balanced against the fact that it might add too inuch "zip" to already bright systems. (Vol.19 No.11) Kimber KC-PBJ: $68/1m pair, RCA or XLR termination $U * Unshielded cable that CC; found came very close to KCAG in his system, citing its HF detail, air, clarity, and tonal accuracy. For those with RFI problems, Kimber's KC1 ($96/1m pair terminated with RCAs or XLRs) is the same cable with a grounded shield, but doesn't sound quite as good. (Vol.16 No.7) MIT MI-350 Reference CVTenninator: $1995/1m pair; $2060/1.5m pair Fast, detailed, not-present sonically -and very, very dear! With truly neutral components, an unbeliev-

able level of resolution becomes possible. Not kind to any form of bloat, smearing, or associated cupho-nia, however. Massive network cases at both ends make it impossible to use multiple sets - there just isn't enough room behind the preamp, moans WP. (Vol.19 Nos.1 & 8) MIT MI-350 Twin CVTenninator: $1295/1m pair RJR's reference interconnect. "Transparent, dynamic, and impressive performance at frequency extremes," says he. (NR) Nordost Blue Heaven: $200/1m pair The Blue Heavens are the least expensive of Nordost's premium line. Compared to [Ise very best (including Nordost's own Red 1)awn and SPM), they're a little splashy in the upper midrange, notes KR, accentuating transients at the expense of inner detail. They're tonal balance is also tipped slightly upward. However, he found they have a speed and openness that's unusual in this price range -"they can really boost the goose-bumps factor of an entry-level system." (NR) Straight Wire Maestro II: $250/lm pair terminated with RCA plugs (MSI) or balanced with Neutrik gold XLRs; $70/additional meter * Less laid-back than AudioTruth Lapis or MIT 330, with superb presentation of detail. May be too bright in some systems. (NR) Synergistic Research Designer's Reference: $1800/31t These interconnects do everything superbly, says ICR, who found that they are essentially neutral in terms of tonal balance and dynamics across the frequency spec-trum. Particular areas of excellence, he says, include a realistic balance cif inner detail and coherence, image dimensionality, and ambience recovery. JS agrees, not-ing the Synergistic's "wide-band, ultradynamic (micro'n'inacro), colorful, harmonic, detailed, lots of air in a huge soundstage, deepest bass, beaucoup de midrange resolution and texture, with highs as sweet as your equipment can dish out." Guess he liked it. (NR) Synergistic Research Alpha Sterling: $150/1m pair One of the best-sounding interconnects GL has tried; he also notes that it's easy to handle and is fit-ted with excellent RCAs. Available shielded or un-shielded. (NR) TARA Labs Rectangular Solid Core "Decade": $795/1m pair terminated with RCAs, $828/1m pair with XLRs "The Decade' interconnect images in an absolutely first-class manner," JS observed. Despite noting their "fine initial transient handling," he preferred to dwell on "how sweet the Decade' sounded, without any of the negative connotation suds an 'accusation' might incur.., the sweetness lay benvent the notes." Unique connectors allow for "star grounding" by joining the cable pair's shields -an option WP found effective in banishing audible gremlins. Betters the sound of the excellent TARA Labs "Master" Generation 2 by a margin that RI3 would not have thought possible. "Wonderfully open-sounding and detailed throughout the range," he adds. (Vol.19 No.12) TARA Labs Rectangular Solid Core "Master" Generation 2: $395/1m pair terminated with RCA plugs, $428/1m pair with XLRs All RD favorite interconnect, with a clear, open, uncoil-gested quality. Clean, precise, and stunningly uncolored, agrees WE The Generation 2 revision preserves the clarity of the original but has eliminated the stiffness that ILL) hated about the earlier version. GL notes that it comes with equipment-friendly locking RCAs. Conductor configuration mitigates against tight turns or kinks, however, so plan cable routing carefully, advises WE Unique common shield connection makes this the cable WP turns to when plagued by voodoo hums - besides, he allows, "it just makes good sense." (NR) Transparent Audio MusicLink Ultra: $895/1m pair terminated Similar in broad terms to the MITs that Transparent Audio used to distribute, the Transparent intercon-

nect works well us a WATT/Puppy-based system, says JA. (NR) Transparent Audio Reference Single-Ended: $1900/1m pair * Very, very pricey, but my tight at capturing a correct sense of timing, says WP. Not even to be considered, however, unless you've dealt with the basics in your system, he warns. (Vol.18 No.5) WireWorld Gold Eclipse interconnects: $1000/1m pair, RCA or balanced; $375/0.5m Expensive but very transparent, with little editorial effect on the signal in either balanced or unbalanced form, found RH. (Vol.19 No.8). WireWorld Atlantis II: $90/1m pair, $18 each additional 0.5m $$$ "A good budget interconnect," concluded RH, who could catalog a list of shortcomings vis-à-vis the $1000/pair competition, but considered it "fundamen-tally uncolored" for its price. (Vol.19 No.8) XL0 Signature Type 1.1: $625/terminated lm pair; $500 each additional meter-pair (shielded version available at slightly greater cost) JS thinks describing this interconnect to be a piece of cake: "neutral, detailed, very fast, alive, exciting, with a really big soundstage, plenty of well-controlled deep bass, a hurnpless midbass, and a somewhat leaner midrange than some cables, and airy, open highs." Whew. (Vol.18 No.9) XL0 Reference Type 1: $275/1m pair * JE found that, in the right system, XL0's Type 1 can sound marvelous, with an Unproved sense of dynamic contrasts. Soundstaging is a little flattened, however, compared witls Cardas and Magnais Vi. (Vol.15 No.12) XL° Signature Type 3.1 shielded phono cable. $750/terminated lm pair; $600 each additional meter-pair "How does Roger ISkoffi do it?" marvels JS, entranced by the "ultrasilent" presentation, blacker backgrounds, vivid and dimensional manner, and constant image and tonal balance that characterize this cable. Its retrieval of information is, he posits, without peer. While he considers it supremely neutral, "its clean, quiet, quick, and wide-band response could exacerbate bright or gritty recordings." (Vol.18 No.9)

Straight Wire Virtuoso, Synergistic Research Phase Two MU, MIT Terminator 2, Nirvana SL, Madrigal (2-Gel-1.

Deletions Magnan Type Vi and I Ili, and NBS Signature not auditioned in a long time; Siltech 4-245 and 4-80S replaced by new models not yet auditioned.

loudspeaher cables Alpha-Core Goertz MI Ag 2 Cartier: $72.50/ft Alpha-Core Goertz MI 2 Veracity: $10.20/fi $$$ JS was quite taken by the 9-gauge, high-capacitance silver Cartier cables, calling them "ultra-clean and delightfully fast." He also admired their extreme high resolution and wonderful spatial qualities, although he did note some degree of lightness in the bass. The less-expensive Veracity copper version is an LB favorite. (Vol.19 No-3) Audio Magic Sorcerer: $1499/8' pair A silver cable insulated by PVC surrounded by silica sand that SS found to have higher resolution and a more neutral harmonic balance than his reference 1)unlavy speaker table. (NR) Audio Note AN-L: $19/mono foot, banana terminated Shielded, Lire-constructed cable impressed RH with its "smooduiess, clarity, and lack of grain or edge." (Vo120 No3) AudioQuest Midnight Hyperlitz: $415/8fi pair terminated; $495/10fi pair terminated * Almost as good as AudioTruth Clear at a much lower price. (NR)

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A • LI • D• I • 0

AudioQuest Indigo: $187/8ft pair, 5215/10ft pair 555 Neutral, clean sound with excellent resolution of detail, says RH. 'Ile bargain in affordable cables." (NR) AudioQuest Type 4: $2.50/ft 555 "The best cheap speaker cable on the market, and much better-sounding than F14," sez CG. "Try this stuff before laying down long green for expensive cables." (NR) AudioQuest F14: 95w/ft US et Inexpensive flat-twin solid-core cable that RH enthusiastically recommends as excellent value for money. (NR) AudioTruth (AudioQuest) Argent: 51055/8ft pair terminated; $1295/10fi pair This has many of the sonic attributes of AudioTruth Dragon, RH's reference, at a lower price. Excellent dynamics, articulate bass, and good soundstage depth. Also musically coherent and natural, sez RH. (NR) AudioTruth (AudioQuest) Clear Hyperlitz: $1895/10' pair terminated, $1535/8' pair terminated (most common length) er Very expensive, but solid bass reproduction with a clear (ha!), open midband and treble. Can sound rather lightweight in some systems, hut almost defines the term "neutrality." says JA. Uses "6N"-pure copper bundles in a complex lay that brings every conductor to the surface to the same extent. (NR) AudioTruth (AudioQuest) Sterling: $2895/10' pair terminated, $2335/8' pair terminated It: AudioTruth (AudioQuest) Dragon: $4595/10' pair terminated, $3695/8' pair terminated * Two silver-conductored speaker cables that are maxi-mally smooth and transparent, according to RH and JA. JA also finds the powerful bass performance of Sterling to be its strongest suit. (NR) Aural Symphonies Hybrid Generation 2: $1995/6ft pair Intended for hi-wire applications, Aural Symphonies' Gen2 was an excellent sonic match for SS's Avalon Eclipses. The spade lugs are also perfectly sized to fit in the Avalons' narrow termination strip. "Certainly worth consideration in any cost-no-object system," sums up SS. (NR) Cardas Hexlink Golden Five C: $840/1m pair, 51360/10ft pair -rz Very similar in sonic character to the Cardas intercon-nect. AJE reference cable. (Vol.15 No.12) Cardas Cross: 5398/1m pair Relatively affordable speaker cable dut remains a JA favorite. (NR) Discovery 1 23: $320/8ll pair terminated "Unbelievably high performance for relatively low cost," effuses JS. Unshielded speaker able that can be configured for single, hi-, or tri-wiring at no addi-tional charge for termination. JS found it "had great bottom-end heft and pitch definition, a clear and detailed midrange, and excellent highs (if not quite as extended as sonic of the multi-kilobuck cables)." (Vol.18 No.12) Dtudavy Audio Labs DAL-Z6: $300/811 pair, $375/12' pair, 5420/1611 pair * An inexpensive cable that SS recommends highly. While it doesn't warm up or hamionically enrich a speaker's sound, neither does it emasculate or whiten it, he notes. A nice ergonomic touch is the use of inter-changeable screw-in terminations (" spades, i/4" spades, or banana plugs, $30/set of four). (NR) Kimber 4AG: $120/ft An expensive hyper-pure silver cable that can offer a glimpse of audio heaven. Significant system sensitivi-ty, points out 1)0, so be sure to check for compatibil-ity before you buy. No charge for termination. (NR) Kimber (TC: $6/ft $5$ Kimber 8TC: 510/ft US * A double run of 8TC greatly improves the sound, feels 1)0. Excellent bass. (NR) Kimber 4PR: $1.20/fi SSS * Least-expensive able from Kindler was found to have good bass, but a "zippy" treble and poor sound-stage, according to 1)0. With inexpensive amplifiers, however, its good RF rejection, compared with zip-

cord or spaced-pair types, will often result in a better sound. (NR) Yarnamura Millennium 6000: $910/1m pair Yamamura cables and accessories are once again being imported into America. MF finds that these ultra-expensive interconnects, along with the speaker ables and AC cords, are by far the most open, rich, liquid, neutral-sounding, norunechanical, and musical cables he has ever heard. System dependent? He doesn't know, but in his all-tube system the Millennium 6000 rules! (NR) MIT MH-850 Multi-Bandwidth CVTerrninator: $8995/8fi pair, $14,125/4511 pair (balanced) $6995/8fi pair, $7250/10ll pair (single-ended) The special tri-wire harness for the Avalon Radian HC was reviewed in conjunction with the complete Spectral/Avalon/MIT 2C3D system. RH noted that this complex, "Multiple Bandwidth Technology" tri-wired speaker cable "weighs more than many small power amplifiers and costs more than the Spectral DMA-180 amplifier." However, as a component of the system that RH described as "staggering" in its ability to reveal low-level detail, it must be accorded as suc-cessful in passing that infomution along. "The sound-staging in particular," he raved, "was more three-dimensional than any other system rye heard." (Vol.19 Nos.] & 2) Nain NACA5: $5/ft 55$ r) Inexpensive cable that ST found to work well with the Spendor S100 loudspeaker. Worth investigating as a good-value cable, thinks JA. (NR) Nordost Blue Heaven: $400/2m pair with spade or banana plugs The Blue Heaven speaker cables are sonically very similar-sounding to the interconnects. notes KR, with a slightly tipped-up tonal balance. (NR) OCOS cable: $10/ft plus $75/pair termination US tr Distributed by Swniko, this idiosyncratic cable was found by LG to have a speed and clarity he hadn't heard from other cables. He found the bass to be a lit-de lightweight, but votes it a "three-star" design. (NR) Purist Audio Colossus Rev.B: $1330/1.5m pair, 5220/additional 0.5m s). The famed "water" cable with a fluid-filled insulating jacket. AB found "resoundingly open staging with a remarkably distinct lower-midrange/upper-bass pre-sentation that lends nuasic a great sense of pace." (NR) RadioShack I8-gauge solid-core hookup wire: $3.99/60ft spool SSS Ridiculously cheap way of connecting speakers, yet ST reports that this able is okay sonically. You have to choose for yourself whether to space or twist a pair for best sound (or even whether to double up the runs for less series impedance). (NR) Straight Wire Maestro IL 5560/8ft pair with gold spade lugs or pins; 530/additional foot tr The cable that LA found to work best between the Krell KSA-250 and 'Thiel CS5s. (NR) Synergistic Research Resolution Reference: $1600/6fi Like the Designer's Reference interconnects, KR finds these speaker cables to be essentially neutral. "They add so little character of their own to a system's sound that they'll likely seem unimpressive on first listen," he warns. CS agrees, adding that he was "impressed with the way they just get out the way and let you zero in on the music ... throw a good image with a lot of air in it, natural highs, smooth midrange, and nice, tight, uncolored bass." (NR) Synergistic Research Signature Nos.2 & 3: $605/10ft pair "high-rez, wide-bandwidth ables that let the music speak for itself," sums up JS.1)caler can fax Synergistic a list of components and receive a recommended list of ables depending on system, room acoustics, and customer's musical tastes. (NR, but see JS's interview in Vol.18 No.11) TARA Labs Rectangular Solid Core "Decade": $2200/8ft pair, $2700/10ft pair, $3200/12ft pair Not as much oíais improvement over the RSC "Master" Generation 2 speaker cable as die RSC "Decade" inter-

connect represents over its RSC "Master" Generation 2 equivalent, but dynamics are slightly better, and it cor-rects a very slight tendency toward leanness. The cast spade-lugs are beautifully made, but with some speak-ers (ee Dunlavy SC-IVs) they're difficult to attach in a hi-wire configuration, finds RD. "Images were never shadowy, wispy, or lacking in body" with this cableJS avowed. "Ilie Decade was quiet, wide-band, lithe, and agile." (Vol.19 No.12) TARA Labs Rectangular Solid Core "Master" Generation 2: $45/ft plus $90 termination tat RD found that these cables have wonderful lucidity and a top-to-bottom coherence that's truly heavenly: "The Almighty sure knows His cables." AB found it to have an endearing smoothness, "but without obvious loss of detail due to softness." 1)0's favorite speaker cable: "Quite spectacular in its resolution of spatial information," he says. The latest Generation 2 has greater top-end air and is more flexible, notes RD. SD feels it is "definitely reference caliber." (NR) Transparent Audio Reference: $4800/8ft pair, $5000/10ft pair, $5200/1211 pair; spade-terminated tr Hideously expensive, notes WP, but this speaker cable resolves the timing involved in music -not just at the level of overtones relating to fundamentals, but also at the global harmonic/melodic level. They also, he adds, portray silence as a physical, not just a theoretical, real-ity. That means he likes them. (Vol.18 No.5) XL0 Signature Type 5.1: $120/running foot plus $150 termination/pair "The jewel in the XLO crown," JS states emphatically, (77. despite confessing it to be "big, heavy, unwieldy, and a err: positive bear to tri-wire." Small prices to pay, he feels, for sound he praises as "transparent yet fidl-bodied, and they imaged like nobody's business. The entire bass range was as close to perfect as I've ever heard from a able. Midba.ss detail was unfettered by col-orations and frequency anomalies. The upper midrange and treble...were completely grainless and free of brightness or other artifacts." (Vol.18 No.9) XL0 Reference Type 5: $55/fi, plus $100 termination * "This is the real gem of the XL° [Reference] line." - JE. "Very transparent and detailed" - AB. Perhaps a touch of midrange prominence makes it less suitable for speakers that are already balanced too forward in this region. Not as expansive as TARA RSC or Monster Sigma; works well with tube amps. (Vol.15 No.12)

Straight Wire Virtuoso, Kimber Black Pearl, Nirvana SL

(77.'

Deletions Audio Research Litzline 2 and NBS Signature not auditioned for a long time; MIT MH-770 Reference C's/Terminator replaced by single-ended version of MIT MH-850.

digital data interconnects Editor's Note: Extensive auditioning by RH suggests that all die coaxial data ables listed below arc better than conventional, TosLink-fitted, plastic fiberopiic cables, which in general don't ¡,vc. as tight a bass or as focused a soundstage. "You don't get that essential sharpness of image outlines, the sound becomes more homoge-nized," quoth he, which is why we no longer recom-mend any TosLink interconnects. JA points out that die specific character of any particular able will depend heavily on the transport and processor it corwects. Apogee Electronics Wyde-Eye AES/EBU datalink: $25.95/0.5m; $28.95/1m; $31.95/2m; $36.95/3m; $43.95/5m $57.95/10m $55 "If you haven't heard this 110 ohni balanced data cible,

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you're missing out!" expostulates LL, adding that it's "more transparent, more musically honest than any I've heard - and it's ridiculously cheap!" (hi bulk, the cable costs around 50.75/ft.) JA is also impressed. KR, however, while agreeing that it is an excellent value, notes that it is less transparent-sounding than the (much more expensive) Illuminati. Also available in a 75 ohm version for S/PDIF applications, using Canare's truc 75 ohm RCAs. But don't confuse digital company Apogee Electronics with loudspeaker manu-facturer Apogee Acoustics. (NR) AudioTrudi (AudioQuest) OptiLink Pro 2: $325/1m with AT&T-ST termination er Expensive ST datalink that JA and JE recommend highly. Excellent bass performance, with power, clari-ty, and dynamic contrast, says JE. A more rich sound than the Alias ST link. ST terminations can be fragile, adds JA. (Vol.16 No.11) AudioQuest Digital B2 AES/EBU: $225/1m with AudioQuest XLR plugs AES/EBU cable using silver-coated long-grain copper that JA feels is a contender. Open-sounding and spa-cious when used between Levinson No31.5 and '30.5, he found. (NR) Aural Symphonics Optimism: $740 Optical (AT&T) datalink. Outdoes the previous ver-sion in "smoothness, sweetness, quietness, and largess of soundstage," says JS. Highly recommended, with the proviso that it be used with Aural Symphonies' ioGEL. Canare DigiFlex Gold I 75 ohm cable: $45.95/3ft $$$ Before you try any of the expensive coaxial links, you should try this inexpensive, true 75 ohm cable, advises CG, who rates it as his first choice in a digital cable at any price, even preferring it to the Kimber AGDL (Vol.16 No.7) Cardas AES/EBU: $230/1m Ultrafast-sounding. affordable datalink that bested all comers (other than the Orchid) in SD's system as of spring '96. (NR) Ensemble Digiflux: $220/1m with RCA or BNC connectors "This 75 ohm datalink proves you can enjoy ultimate neutrality and transparency while still retaining the beauty, color, and bloom of real music," gushes JS, who recommends it without reservation. JA finds the retractable shields of the Neutrik RCAs rather fussy over the jacks they will fit. (NR) Illuminati D-60 DataFlex Studio S/PDIF

$225/1m plus $40 RCA or BNC termination $$$ It's hard to get Stereophile writers to agree on anything, but RH, RD, JS, KR, LB, RR, and WP all use this as their reference. "Sometimes mercilessly revealing," KR maintains, "but never harsh." "Fast, open, and detailed," raved JS. "Focused and nuanced," concurs WP. "Smooth yet highly detailed, spacious sound. stage, and lack of hardness and edge," says RH. (Vol.19 No.5) Illuminati DV-75 digital interconnect S/PDIF: $125/1m; $40 more for RCA or BNC termination It should probably be numbered the DV-45, as it fits between Illuminati's universal reference D-60 and the budget-minded 1)-30, but VR-75 it is. LB finds that it gives, in his system, performance on par with the 1)-60 for a fraction of the price. (NR) Illuminati Orchid AES/EBU datalink: $480/1.5m plus $40 XLR termination Expensive, but the best AES/EBU link JA has used. JS loved the Orchid's midrange liquidity and detail, but preferred Illuminati's S/PDIF cable overall. SL) (almost) doesn't equivocate: "Probably the best out there for now.... A stunner" RH and RD are also fans. New lower price usefully brings this cable in reach of more music lovers. (Vol.19 No.5)

'Curler AGDL DigitalLink: $195/1m with RCA or XLR termination 17 Best coaxial datalink ST had tried until he heard the expensive Goldmund. JE found it to excel in the retrieval of detail, while it also featured an extended and powerful bass. (Vol.15 Nos.2 & 6; see also CG's HAVE/Canare review in Vol.16 No.7.) Madrigal MDC-I: $285/1m Excellent soundstaging and image focus, reported JE, when this AES/EBU datalink was used between the Mark Levinson Nos30 and 31, as well as an open-sounding, extended treble. JA concurs, feeling that the Madrigal is only bettered by the Illuminati Orchid and AudioQuest Digital Two AES/EBU cables. (Vol.16 No.11) Mango Apparition Reference Series 3: $595/1m This digital cable, which has become less stiff and eas-ier to work with in its last several iterations, is a JS favorite. "Ain air, and more air!" he shouts, adding that the midrange is as good as digital gets. "Delivers the signature Mango enormity of soundstage, coupled with tremendous bloom." (NR) MIT Digital Reference: $325/1m, $395/2m "Said to reduce reflections in the cable and thus reduce jitter," quoth RH, who listened to this RCA-fitted S/PDIF cable in the context of his full Spectral/ Avalon/MIT 2C3I) system review. Given the pletho-ra of references to high resolution, transparency, and spectacular soundstaging in that review, it seems to pass the signal along with minimal degradation. (Vol.19 No.1) The Mod Squad WonderLink Digital I: $195/0.5m, $225/1m single cable, $275/1m balanced sr Exceptionally transparent presentation, thought JA, with excellent soundstage depth and natural midrange. Clunky gold-plated RCA plugs are actual-ly old-fashioned RF connectors with RCA and BNC adaptors. (NR) Parasound DataBridge: $89.95 Coaxial datalink that RH finds to give smooth treble, deep soundstaging, and tight bass. Not as resolving as the TARA Labs Digital Reference or Aural Sym-phonies Digital Standard, but a good value. (NR) TARA Labs RSC "Decade" Digital: $395/1m, RCA or BNC terminations, $413/1m with XLRa According to JS, the Decade digital datalink "delivered a coherent, wide-band, neutral, yet fully harmonic presentation that showed a light and quick touch with transients and dynamics." A little less robust-sounding than Illuminati D-60, he feels. AES/EBU version evinces similar sound. (Vol.19 No.12) TARA Labs EtSC "Master" Digital Generation 2: $295/1m, RCA or BNC terminations, $313/1m with XLRs Very stiff and awkward to handle, notes Rp, but it does sound exceptionally transparent, especially in AES/ EBU fonn between his PS Audio transport and processor. RH also recommends it highly. Current "Master" version is less stiff than its predecessor. (NR) XLO Signature Type 4.1 AES/EBU datalink: $325/1m, $250 each additional meter "At its best, well-mated and happy, the 4.1 can knock your socks off," JS exclaimed. However, in his opinion,

datalinks are extremely dependent upon com-ponent interactions; careful audition with the precise elements comprising your system is essential when evaluating them. (Vol.18 No.9) Yamamura Millennium 6000: $525/1m MFs reference. See "Interconnects." (NR)

Deletions Aural Symphonies Digital Standard, AudioQuest Digital Pro and Video Z, TARA Labs RSC Digital Reference, XL° Reference Type 4, and NBS Sig-nature AES/EBU datalink not auditioned in a long time; Ensemble Digiflux replaced by Digiflux.

books a computer software CALSOD loudspeaker system optimization program, version 3.10: $269 with on-disc manual er User enters measured drive-unit response, impedance and sensitivity, and target response; program designs appropriate crossover filter networks. Latest version handles double-ported bandpass enclosures and can calculate the effects of LF room gain, enclosure leak-age, and absorption losses in sealed-box, vented-box, passive-radiator, and bandpass systems. 'Thiele-Small parameters can be calculated from two impedance measurements, and data can be imported from the IMP PC-based measurement system. Standard 1.40 version costs $69.95. Available from Old Colony Sound Lab, P.O. Box 243, Peterborough, NH 03458. Tel: (603) 924-6526. Fax: (603) 924-9467. (Vol.13 No.11) LEAP 4.6 Loudspeaker Enclosure Analysis Program: $395-$1195 Highly recommended by 1)0 and much used by pro-fessional designers, LEAP imports raw drive-unit data (it accepts Audio Precision and MLSSA files as well as data produced by Audio Telcnology's own LMS sys-tem) and optimizes a speaker system's crossover net-work to meet che user's target specifications, either on-or off-axis. (It also averages responses to give a speak-er's power response.) The fully loaded LEAP 4.5, which indudes a SPICE-type passive network analyz-er and an Active Filter Library, costs $1195; a basic ver-sion, to which modular upgrades can be made (each one is $175), costs $395. Available from LinearX Systems, Inc., 7556 SW Bridgeport Rd-, Portland, OR 97224. Tel: (503) 620-3044. Fax: (503) 598-9258. LinearX BBS -(503) 598-9326-offers support for LEAP and LMS. (Vol.13 No.11) The Listening Room: $47.50 Inexpensive but excellent computer program for PCs and Macs. Available from Sitting Duck Software, P.O. Box 130, Veneta, OR 97487. Tel: (503) 935-3982. Allows an audiophile to move simulated loudspeakers and a simulated listening seat around a simulation of his or her room (in three dimensions) to find the posi-tion that gives optimal performance below 200Hz or so. The suggestions nude by TJN in his review have been incorporated in the latest version, which can also store different setups as separate files. Upgrades are available for $15 inc. S&H. The Macintosh version ($67.50) requires 1Mb RAM and allows local opti-mization of listener and/or speaker positions. It also models the woofer's LP limit and slope. The Windows version ($89.50) is called "Visual Ears" -see "Industry Update" in Vol.19 No.4. (Vol.13 No.12) The Complete Guide to High-End Audio: $29.95 (softcover) plus $4.95 S&H Written by Robert Harley, once a Stereophile writer, The Complete Guide to High-End Audio offers explana-tions of how to listen critically, how to optimally set up your system, and how to get the best sound for your buck. It will also give you the background and techni-cal information you'll need to get the most from read-ing Stereophile. Beginning audiophiles must read the appendices first. Deluxe, signed hardcover edition costs $39.95 plus $4.95 S&H. Available from Acapella Publishing, P.O. Box 80805, Albuquerque, NM 87198-0805. Tel: (800) 848-5099. (Vol.18 No3) S

163

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ITS

Eddie Kramer

Eddie Kramer loves his job. The legendary engineer of the Jimi Hendrix albums—as

well as Woodstock, Led Zeppelin, and a big chunk of the most impor-tant rock LPs of the '60s and 70s — projects an image of relaxed, very English sophistication. Watching him work, though, at a mastering session for Classic Records' reissue of Hendrix's Band of Gypsies, was to see past his veneer of composure. Eddie came across very focused and professional, yet, at the same time, surprisingly animated: jumping around, dancing, playing air guitar, and just generally havingfun... "When I was about three

years old, I picked up a steel knitting needle, stuck it into a socket in the wall, and it threw me across the room. My father picked me up and smacked me, and said, 'What the hell did you do that for?' I think I've been wired ever since.

"From an early age, in South Africa, I remember there was this, what we called a radio-gram. It was made by Ultra-mar: an American radio with a big pow-ered speaker in the bottom. On the top was a Garrard turntable, an automatic changer for 78s. When I was about four, I could recognize all of my dad's 78s by the various labels. I would stack them up, stand on the stool, climb up there, put the records on, conduct to the music. I was always conducting and wanting to be part of the music. So I guess that ani-mated musical feeling is something that just carried all the way through my career. This feeling of being involved in the music is the key to the whole thing."

The living room of Kramer's charming home in the country—just a couple 1- hours upstate of New York City— is presided over by a pair of Klipsch comer horns powered by an all-tube Luxman 35 preamp with its companion 25W mono amplifias.

"The speakers have that typical horn sound. They're maybe a little harsh in the

PHOTOS RICHARD 1

. ROSEN

That animated musical

feeling is something that

carried all the way

through my career. This

feeling of being involved

in music is the key

to the whole thing.

upper mids, but I know what they do. They used to be in a huge living room. When you cranked those Lwcmans, I mean, it put out a lot of volume. The fact that it's only a 25W amplifier.., the Klipsches are so efficient. They're funky, in a way. I mean, they're so radically dif-ferent from the monitors I listen to in the studio. But, I guess you listen to a set of speakers for 15, 20 years, and you

know where the faults lie with them, and what things are sup-posed to sound like on them. If it starts to boom, you go, 'Okay, let me think ... maybe I did put too much bottom end into it.' "

"Might you change to some-thing different at some point?"

"Yes, I probably would change, and get something completely 'state-of-the-art.' I like what George Marino has now, those Canadian speakers you heard at Sterling Sound [Energy Ventas 2.8s]. I was seriously thinking about them, because they're not that expensive either. And I would get some really nice tube power amps. I think Marantz is making them again."

"The new ones?" "Yes, the new old ones. I like

the sound of tubes." The rest of Eddie's audio setup

consists of a tubed Luxman 310 stereo tuner, Nakamichi OMS-2A CD player, Tascam DA-30 Mk.II DAT and 122 Mk.111 cas-sette, and his Technics SL 1600 turntable.

"Do you use the turntable much?" "Well, lately I have been, yes, with all

the LPs I've been doing. I had to pull it out of mothballs. I've always had it set up, but I kind of ignored it. It's not in the right place. It's supposed to be on a bracket on the wall, isolated and all that, but I just don't turn it up."

"It seems to be the weakest link in the system."

"Oh, there's no question. It's has no pretensions of anything. If I want to real-ly check something out, I go to [Classic Records'] Michael Hobson's house, and listen on his $60,000 system. That way, I can really fine-tune. He's very sincere about what he does... that Kind of Blue record isfaaabulous. And he uses Bernie Grundman on the West Coast. Bernie's just an absolute gem. One of a kind. In fact, the Buddy Guy studio album that won a Grammy, I cut with Bernie. Jesus,


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The living room of Kramer's charming home in the country — just a couple of hours upstate of Nev York City — is presided over by a pair of Klipsch corner horns powered by an all-tube Luxman 35 preamp with its companion 25W mono amplifiers.

he did such a beautiful job." "It's funny, a lot of the audiophile

folks take him to task for the kind of equipment he uses ... " "Who cares? I don't care if he uses a

tin can to cut it. He's one of those rare individuals. His ears are so good, his instincts arc so good, and he just knows his stuff so well. It's all custom, and it's got that Bernie Grundman stamp on it. You can't argue with that. There are just a handful of guys: Bernie, George [Marino], Steve Marcussen, Doug Sax... I'm hop-ing that we get some more of these great mastering engineers coming through." "Knock wood." "Anyhow, I mentioned Hobson,

because that's, like, the other end of the scale. In between there are other friends I listen with, and then there's the car and, of course, the studio. That's my lis-tening environment in a nutshell."

"You talk about listening here, and then somewhere else, and somewhere else as a reference. Is most of your lis-tening just referencing work?"

"It's definitely work. I listen to my work when I have to listen to it and be critical of it, but once it's done, it's done. It's like a painter who's finished with a painting and doesn't want to look at it again."

"I imagine you must listen for plea-sure sometimes, right?"

"Oh, yes. Listening can become a chore. The stuff I listen to for pleasure is classical music and jazz. I also find that my kids encourage me to listen to dif-ferent forms of music. My 15-year-old

daughter is a singer-songwriter. She's turned me on to the young female artists today who are just fantastic. The quality of the recordings, the in-ventiveness of the material, the delivery of the songs is superb. Female artists 10 years ago were never as good as they are now. Jewel, Sarah McLaughlin ... and I love Shawn Colvin. The one I really don't like is that Alanis Morissette. What an annoying ... "

Horowitz was like

a rock artist to me.

He had a flash kind of

an image, really,

and he was just

dynamic as all hell.

"And the work head doesn't creep in when you're listening for enjoyment?"

"It's a funny thing. Even with classical music, I have a tendency to be ana-lytical. See, to me music is an emotion-al reaction. But there are many times when I'm, for instance, hearing a Serkin performance of the Brahms B-flat piano concerto, and then hearing a Horowitz performance of it. I love the Horowitz one, because it's just balls to the wall. I mean, the guy just seriously kicked butt.

"Probably the greatest performance of that concerto ever is the NBC Symphony with Toscanini. When you

think about it, separate the fact that [Horowitz] was Toscanini's son-in-law — the fact that here's this young punk kid coming into America and just taking it by storm, basically, and here's Tos-canini — the great, revered Toscanini. There's this incredible tension, you can imagine. But the playing is, like, phew. Horowitz was like a rock artist to me. He had a flash kind of an image, really, and he was just dynamic as all hell. You get so caught up in the emotional con-nection with the music, and pheno-menal technique. I guess that's probably why I reacted to Hendrix's music so much — because it's just raw, you know, it's emotional, it's powerful, and it's just brilliant. I guess I'm spoiled from that perspective. It's only rare times when you sit back and let the music just take you over."

Eddie played me a few cuts from his latest project, South Saturn Delta, an upcoming LP release from newly discovered Hendrix tapes. We heard a demo if "Little Wing," the first mix of 'All Along the Watchtower" from the original 4-track, Angel" withJimi playing lead, rhythm, and bass to a drum machine; and the swinging title track, which I can hardly wait to hear again. What a treat. I joined Mr. Kramer on air drums and air

guitar, bouncing about the Ju. rniture. Though it was a little bounty, particularly up near the low ceiling, the sound was very involving. It didn't strike nie as a "listening in the back-ground" system.

"Well, that was a bit of work and pleasure at the same time. It's nice to lis-ten to that."


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"Eddie, when you listen, say, over at Sterling Sound with the big Energy speak-ers, you wouldn't necessari-ly want to have that kind of sound at home, that big, would you?"

"Well, I'm not so sure I wouldn't, Rick. I've often thought, 'Gee, wouldn't it be nice to have this at home — and I wouldn't have to go down to Sterling, I could just dial it in.'" "Would you enjoy that

kind of thing at home?" "You mean to be able to

call George up and tell him to dial it in?"

"No, would you enjoy relaxing, listening to your classical records as you sit at home?"

"Well, there's something to be said for the big hi-fi sound. It's kind of nice. It is a bit of a luxury, I guess, but I wouldn't mind that. I'm seriously think-ing about getting something more high-end. But I would still keep this system in another part of the house." "Do you hear a lot of live music?

Does it keep your ears fresh?" "I go occasionally to concerts. I like to

support the bands that I work with. But that's not a way of keeping your cars fresh, that's a way of destroying them." "Among audiophiles, live music is the

Holy Grail. Why not record rock'n'roll like a straight-ahead jazz combo, or a three-mike classical recording, live to three-track?" "When you're trying to do a pop

group, that's kind of tough. That's not to say I wouldn't use some of those techniques as part of the sound pic-ture, but you can't say that's the only way to record."

"You don't worry about fidelity to the live sound?"

"I don't give a damn about fidelity. I try to interpret a song and put it down on tape the way it strikes my ears. Fidelity has never worried me. Ob-viously, you try and strive for something that sounds as good as possible, but quite frankly I'll use something very un-orthodox to record an amp or a set of drums. Compress the shit out of some-thing, add reverse reverb to it, there's all kinds of crazy stuff I might do." [laughs] "When you redid the Hendrix stuff,

you avoided the temptation to moder-nize. How might those pieces be differ-ent if recorded today?"

"Older recordings, there's a unity

Mr. Kramer with some of his antique phonographs. We've come a long way ... or have we?

about them, a purpose, a single direction which the artist, the producer, and the engineer go for and get in that moment, without too much buggering around. I think because we've got this bloody marvelous equipment to fool around with —computers and 48 tracks of dig-ital, and then you lock up a 24-track with analog...Jesus Christ, gimme a

I don't give a damn about

fidelity. I try to interpret a

song and put it down on

tape the way it strikes my

ears. Fidelity has never

worried me. Obviously, you

try and strive for some-

thing that sounds as good

as possible, but quite

frankly I'll use something

very unorthodox to record

an amp or a set of drums.

break! You've got 96 bloody inputs... So what? What does it have to do with the song and the message of the music? The whole idea of recording, I thought, was to capture a performance, put it on tape and make it sound cool.

"IfJimi were still alive, he and I prob-ably would have gone through all kinds of changes with the digital world, etc.,

etc., but said, Wait a minute. Listen to the recordings we did back in the '60s and 70s —Christ, they sound good.' And we probably would've gone right back to analog. I've always thought analog sounds better. There's a way to integrate the analog world with the digital, using the best of both."

"Those new Hendrix reis-sues sound better than the originals in significant ways, Eddie. Could you have achieved that back then if you'd had the same control?"

"I don't know that I could have. Albums were re-stricted, certainly time-wise. The electromechanical de-vice you're using was limi-ted. A technology wasn't

there to get all that great sound on disc, without running into some kind of problem, either adding compression or reducing bass or the level or doing something to squeeze that information onto the grooves."

"So there are some advantages today?" "Certainly there are. Do I like the

way CDs sound? No. But I think we've done the best we can with the tools at our disposal — 'til the time CDs sound like analog, which I don't think they will. You try as hard as you can to make sure that that CD sounds as good as the original half-inch, 15ips tape that you sweated over. Once it enters into that digital domain... something happens." "Then there's the difference between

your 20-bit digital master tape and your 16-bit CD..."

"It's a stupid format. How did the CD get put on the market? It wasn't a proven technology. Who picked 16-bit? I think the CD was a ripoff right from the beginning. I'll take a good vinyl record anytime."

"Yet you don't listen to much vinyl..." "I'm starting to again. I think the

fact that Classic Records, and these other companies ...I mean, that Miles Davis record. Damn, that sounds fine. It's a pleasure to listen to. Actually a pleasure. Doesn't do your head in. Just put the record on, it sounds fabulous. It's reality. "Of course, Rick, there is nothing that

really substitutes for a performance of musicians in an orchestra, sitting in a really good seat, and hearing great music played live. I mean, think about how we record —microphones onto a piece of


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•

tape, or onto digital, or onto some sort of storage medium. We keep striving for this elusive goal of reproducing what's exactly there. You can't. And the thing that is so ironic today, is these producers go in the studio, and they're using 48-track digital, and some kind of sampling device, or some kind of hard-disk recorder, all in the digital domain. But what's the first thing they use? A 40-year-old Neumann U47, an equally ancient LA2 limiter.... It's all old, and it's got nothing to do with the digital world whatsoever. Yet they pick these devices because they can make the digi-tal sound halfway decent. I find that rather strange. I don't think we've really gone beyond the vacuum tube. It's funny how we gravitate toward sounds that arc like that, isn't it?" "When you make a great-sounding

record, like you've donc with the Hen-drix stuff, do you think that those im-provements can be appreciated by just regular, nonaudiophile folks?"

"I find that. You play it for people and they say, `It does sound different.' They don't know why."

"Even on their cheesy stereo systems?" "It shows up. Whatever we've done

has helped it significantly, and I think it

shows up on the crummiest system. There's a certain aura, a presence about it that is not there on anything else that has come out before. That makes me feel good."

"Is the recording more important than the equipment? Would you rather hear a great record on a modest system, or an average recording on a Hobson-style system?" "Hobson style is over the top, quite

franldy. It presents its own set of prob-lems. I was over there the other day, and something was skipping because of a tiny little flake of dust on the record. Jesus Christ, throw a quarter on the god-damned toneann! I draw a line in the sand. I'd much rather hear a great record on a medium system."

"Has hearing a super-high-end setup given you the bug at all?"

"I wouldn't go that way. That's overkill. I have better things to spend my money on than 60,70 grand on a hi-fi system. Ten grand, that's a lot of money —nice speakers, a nice power amp. Some people have disposable income, and they feel it's necessary to impress themselves, or their neighbors. I think the greater majority of the peo-ple will go with the music rather than

the hi-fi system." "Do audiophiles concentrate too

much on equipment?" "They always have doné. That's the

nature of the beast. By definition, an audiophile means that."

"You talked about how you take into account your system's inaccuracies, be-cause, like most professionals with their Yamaha NS-10 speakers, or what have you, you know how they sound..."

"That is the trick of any engineer or producer — you've gotta listen through the system. The ear and the brain arc marvelous computers; they do these incredible things to compensate."

"Should audiophiles perhaps change equipment less, and just adjust their ears as you do?"

"I don't think they can. Once you become an audiophile, you're constantly questing the best and upgrading your sys-tem. Gotta get the next Audio Research 3000W $100,000 amplifier ... '" "Do you not consider yourself an

audiophile, Eddie?" "Oh God, no. I'm not an audiophile

at all. I'm a musician first, producer and engineer second. A fan of music, basi-cally. I'm not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination." S

Eddie Kramer: Selected Discography

Rock Bad Company, Run with the Pack

Swan.song 8503-2 Blue Cheer, Blue Cheer,

Mercury/Philips David Bowie, Young Americans,

Rykodisc RCD 10140 Joe Cocker, Mad Dogs &Englishmen, A&M 6002-2

Peter Frampton Frampton's Camel, A&M Frampton Conies Alive!, A&M 6505-2 Buddy Guy Live—The Real Deal, with G£. Smith

and the Saturday Night Live Band (Grammy Nominee, 1995), Silvertone 41543-2

S/ippin'In (Grammy Award, 1996; WC Handy Foundation Award), Silvertone 41542-2

Jimi Hendrix Are You Experienced?, MCA MCAD-

10893 Axis: Bold As Love, MCA MCAD-

10894 Smash Hits, Warner Bros. Electric Ladyland, MCA MCAD-10895 Band of Gypsies, Capitol CDP 96414 2 Cry of Love, Warner Bros.

Rainbow Bridge, Warner Bros. Jimi Plays Berkeley, Warner Bros. Isle of Wight, Polydor Hendrix in the West, Warner Bros. War Heroes, Warner Bros. Stone Free: A Tribute toJimi Hendrix,

Reprise 45438-2 Kiss Alive!, Casablanca 822 780-2 Alive H, Casablanca 822 781-2 Alive III, Mercury 314-514 777-2 Double Platinum, Casablanca 824 155-2 Love Gun, Casablanca 824 151-2 Rock & Roll Over, Casablanca

824 150-2 Led Zeppelin Coda, Swan Song 92444-2 Houses of the Swan Song Led Zeppelin II, Atlantic 82633-2 Physical Grafitti, Swan Song 92442-2 The Song Remains the Same,

Swan Song 201-2 Mott the Hoople, Mott the Hoople,

Atlantic 8258-2 NRBQ First Album, Columbia Scraps, Rounder ROUN-3055 Workshop, Buddha

The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet, Abkco 7539-2 Love Ya Live, Rolling Stones Leon Russell, Leon Russell, The Right

Stuff 34028 2 Santana Abraxas, Columbia CK 30130 Live at Montreux, Columbia Small Faces, Small Faces, Immediate

, Leon Thomas, Leon Thomas, Flying Dutchman

Traffic Mr. Fantasy, Island 422-842 783-2 Just Traffic, Island Dionne Warwick, Dionne Warwick

Sceptre Johnny Winter, Johnny Winter,

Columbia/Legacy CK 09826 Various Artists Woodstock, Cotillion 500-2 Woodstock II, Atlantic 400-2-X

Classical Elliot Carter, Concerto for Orchestra

and Piano, CBS Pierre Fournier, Solo Cello Sonatas, CBS

Igor Kipnis, Haydn Guitar Quartets, CBS —Rick Rosen


Pat

Metheny's

Adventures

in Modern

Audio

Chip Stern

1 74

,i W il his lush tone, graceful lyric instincts, spacious sense of phrasing, ,and diwerning ear for the telling silence, Pat. Metheny emerged from The Amèrican heartland in the mid-'70s to transfigure our image of the elec-

tric guitar and signify the arrival of a new breed of guitar hero. Employing a bat-tered old Gibson ES-175 acoustic-electric, this precocious teenager's approach -,

.,- ran counter to the fiery pyrotechnies of popular icons like Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth, and Eddie Van Halen. 1414heny was something of a throwback to the legato phrasing, graceful swing, and tawny timbre of jazz guitarists Wes Montgomery and Jim Hall, with a harmonic palette that echoed such diverse influences as Omette

• Coleman, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, and the Beatles. But somewhere r offstage, whispering prompts to the actors, was a backwoods preacher filling his sermon with allusions to Americana in all its glory: the raw materials and residuals of a thousand late-night jam sessions and garage bands, small-town whistle-stops, inner-city record shops, Presbyterian hymnals, and Grand Ole Opry , broadcasts beaming through the evening air to fill a boy's imagination with a midwestern night's dreams.

The ineffable imagery of our American heartland has been a recurring motif throughout Metheny's career: Now, some 25 years into his professional life, the guitarist has come full circle. The allure and promise of space, the pur-suit of depth and intimacy in recorded sound, are the divin-ing principles on two recent releases that rank among Metheny's most compelling works. On Beyrd the Missouri Sky, an evocative encounter centered around acoustic duets, Metheny and Charlie Haden celebrate the folkish roots of their art — in a way, it's like a valentine from the bassist to his spiritual brother.

"It's funny," Metheny marvels, "because there's more of me ., -4. on Charlie's record than on any record of my own that I've

ever made. It's so intimately recorded, so direct. All we did was walk in the studio and play —I didn't even have an amp,. I thought, Wow, how am I going to feel about playing something

that soft all the time? Because I usually like playing a little bit of ..... that, and then I go for some contrasting complexity and more pow-- •

erful dynamics. But something else happened on that record which is like ... damn — maybe I should just do that." He laughs. 4

Meanwhile, on Quartet, the guitarist and his core band have whittled away at their trademark sonic adornments in favor of spare acoustic sound-

• stigipg and a spontaneous brand of interaction. With its serene balladry, , .backwards bossa novas, surging modalities, and blip-bleepy avant-garde mus- .

--1 jta,p,Ouartet zeros in on their collective chemistry of freely inflected rhythms ....- , 4,01.....--.4

A' e.

O 9.411.—

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"I positively dare all of you to go out and hear this [PASS ALEPH 3] amplifier for yourselves — even those who currently own much more expensive amps (heh—heh—heh)." Muse Kastanovich, Stereophile vol. 20 No. 4 April 1997

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days that we played together live and in the studio arc among the most inspiring musical experiences I've ever had. So I came home the next day and VH1 had an hour special on Karen Carpenter, who is one of my favorite musicians. It was very touching, and I was reminded again ofjust how moving her singing has always been to me. But then I had to get ready to play with Derek that evening, yet to me they're absolutely compatible —to me it's the same thing.

"The only thing I've been able to come to, is that this is all folk music. We are all folks, living in the late 20th century, and this is our music. And like a perfect specimen, as is Bill Frisell and all the people who grew up in this weird peri-od of time. It's like rocks under pressure. Eventually they manifest into something else. That's what we arc. We're the manifestation of this time, and it's very complex to participate in it, but it's also totally fun, and I welcome and enjoy the process. Because that's what it is —a process. When people start talking to me about jazz as if it's a thing and a style ... I've always seen it as a verb. It's something you're in the process of. It's not a finality. It's not a result. In that sense, I guess I see everything as jazz, because it's all... all... source material, that's best expressed in my case through improvisa-tion, but I don't think it's exclusive to that."

In drinking from the well music, gradually, over tinie you evolve lion, traditional thine, and the 111USiC develops its own... I don't Want to say style—flavor, perhaps. And that's part if what I hear on your Quartet date and the record with Charlie Tliere's some roots music and also some Wolfed» music, where you go, Alriqht, here's one sort if commonality, and here's another sort if commonali-ty—and you create your own tradition. It isn't any one thing.

"You see, that's the point. For me there's so much talk, especially these days, about history and about, 'Well, at the beginning of the century it was this, and then it became that, and we have to study these guys ...' And of course you have to in order to know the language. But for myself— and this has been truc for a long time — if I have 10 hours in a day, and I can study somebody else's music or I can work on my own, I work on my own. When I find that there are huge gaping holes in my vocabulary, that's when I say I need to work on chord voicing, and that's when I learn about Herbie Hancock — because it's something that I need. To become an encyclopedia of styles, for me, has never been interesting. I mean, anything that I've ever played, right from the begin-ning, has to come from the heart — has to come from me." Metheny first came to prominence as a member of vibra-

phonist Gary Burton's adventurous two-guitar ensembles, playing a jangly brand of electric 12-string opposite six-string master Mick Goodrick and bass-guitar innovator Steve Swallow, as documented on such remarkable ECM recordings as Ring and Dreams So Real. Metheny's debut as a leader for ECM, Bright Size Li/is is one of the finest trio recordings in the history of jazz, in which Pat and his alter ego, fretless bass visionary Jaco Pastorius, engage in a con-tinuous contrapuntal dialog that borders on telepathy — like two pairs of hands on a single keyboard. The atmos-pheric Watercolors with kindred spirit Lyle Mays on key-boards) showcased the melodic side of Pat's personality, and functioned as a blueprint for his first working group (with Mays, bass guitarist Mark Egan, and drummer Danny Gottlieb). They then proceeded to crisscross the country in a van, doing more than 300 dates a year in countless small-town clubs and college bistros. With each fresh visit old fans would bring along new friends until, with the release of Pat Metheny Group in 1978, this road warrior scored a massive crossover hit.

And, in the process, engendered a critical backlash from purists. "First they build you up, then they cut you down," he told me at the time. "It's so predictable it's laughable. I mean, I've got a long-term plan, which will only make sense over time. There are so many things I want to do musically, so many different players I want to work with, and all those people who want to pigeonhole me —who think they've got me all figured out —are in for a surprise."

Metheny's words proved prophetic. Over the course of the next two decades he engaged in a dizzying array of musical projects, both as a leader and as a sideman, devel-oping a substantial audience both for his big-band—sized pop stylings, and for more intimate collaborations on the jazz side of the ledger. Not that Metheny draws such dis-tinctions — from his breakthrough recordings for Manfred Eicher's ECM label to his elaborate, cinematic productions for Geffen Records, Metheny has explored all manner of fusion, modern jazz, and post-modern noize —adventures in modern recording that mark him as a major figure on the cutting edge of audiophile-quality sound.

During this time, Metheny and Mays advanced the art and science of acoustic-electronic music by humanizing key-board and guitar synthesizers, employing them as both or-chestral and improvisational instruments on such acclaimed

Discography As Leader Bright Size Life, ECM 1073 (1976) Watercolors, ECM 1097 (1977) Pat Metheny Group, ECM 1114 (1978) New Chataugua, ECM 1131 (1979) American Garage, ECM 1155 (1979) 80/81, ECM 1180/81 (1980) Offiamp, ECM 1216 (1982) Travels, ECM 1252/53 (1983) Rejoicing, ECM 1271 (1984) First Circle, ECM 1278 (1984) The Falcon and the Snowman (soundtrack), EMI America 48411 (1985)

Still We (Talking), Geffen 24145-2 (1987 Letter from Home, Geffen 24245-2 (1989 Secret Story, Geffen GEFD-24468 (1992 Zero Tolerancefor Silence, Geffen (1992) 71ie Road to You, Geffen GEFD-24601 (1993) We Live Here, Geffen GEFD-24729 (1995) Quartet, Geffen GEFD-24978 (1996)

With Others Ring (with Gary Burton, Eberhard Weber), ECM 1051 (1974)

Dreams So Real (with Gary Burton), ECM 1072 (1976) Passengers (with Gary Burton), ECM 1092 (1977) As Fulls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Rills (with Lyle Mays), ECM 1190 (1981)

Under Fin, (soundtrack, with Jerry Goldsmith), Warner Bros. 23965 (1983)

Song X (with Omette Coleman), Geffen 24096-2 (1986) Parallel Realities (with jack Dejohnette, Herbie

Hancock), MCA MCAD-42313 (1990) Question and Answer (with Dave Holland, Roy Haynes),

Geffen 24293-2 (1990) Reunion (with Gary Burton), GRP GrtD-9598 (1990) Beyond the Missouri Sky, Verve 2 (1997)

—Richard Lehnert


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recordings as Offiamp and As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls. With First Circle and Still Lfe Talking, bassist Steve Rod-by and drummer Paul Wer-tico teamed up for the first time to really make the Pat Metheny Group a band. (Their 1993 live recording The Road to You offers a vivid overview of the band's signature sound and stylistic range.)

Finally, two recent solo pro-jects offer contradictory per-spectives on Metheny's view-point as a composer —com-pletely consistent for a musi-cian who can get all verklempt over the gentle pop stylings of Karen Carpenter in the after-noon, yet crush your sternum with avant-garde guitarist Derek Bailey after dark. Given the guitarist's romantic reputa-tion, Zero Verance for Silence is a hoot, a wailing aural melt-down that employs electric guitars like particle colliders. Not since Lou Reed's infa-mous Metal Machine Music has there been such an unabashed assault on the senses —alas, most people didn't get it. Hard to believe that the same artist was also responsible for the lush travelog of Secret Story — but with this densely textured, cast-of-thousands, Cecil B. DeMille synthesis of the global village, symphonic sources, and jazz, Metheny further nar-rowed the gap between his acoustic and electronic sources.

Still, the controversy surrounding Metheny's musical instincts and commercial motivations continues apace. While I was preparing this feature, several of my jazzbo mates saw fit to either damn Metheny with faint praise or dismiss him entirely: "It's pop music — how can he call it jazz?" "Oh, he's just doing that stuff to make a buck." "The Kenny G of jazz guitar." "Yuppie fuzak." And yet these same people express

sincere admiration for his collabora-tions with the likes of Michael Brecker, Omette Coleman, Steve Reich, Roy Haynes, and Kenny Garrett. It's as if Metheny's substantial core audience was drawn to his more lyrical pop ges-tures, while purists gravitate only toward his jazzy side. So how does one musician please all of these people? Is he committed to integrating all these stylistic hues into one coherent presentation? Or is that even part of the equation for a creative artist?

"Well, I think the fact that I'm able to continue to exist means that I'm doing it somehow." Metheny pauses to gath-er his thoughts. "My reaction to everything you brought up is pretty much that it's none of my business. If I start to worry about it one way or the other then I'm screwed. Because you begin a process of guessing. I think, 'Okay, now is Chip going to like this one, and what about that guy in the third row?' I've pretty much eliminated that as a possibility

because I only play things that I like. That's it. That sounds real artistic and every-thing, but it's also been very practical for me, because that's sort of what's worked. I mean, nobody was more sur-prised than me when all of a sudden I became successful beyond what the average jazz guy is supposed to be. Well, what did I do? The only answer that I can come up with is that I'm playing what I like. If I was ever trying to be commercial, I'm a dismal failure at that."

But certainly some of iv/mat you've done has dovetailed nicely into that Adult Contemporary/ Cool Jazz niche.

"It's true. But the fact is, there are three songs that they play, and on two of them they fade out. We are a source of endless frustration for those people, because we'll show up, draw thou-sands of people, and are the-oretically somebody that they should play, but they

can't —it's too long, too far out, and we just don't fit the for-mat. We do what we do —and we've always done what we've done. "One thing I do feel strongly about is that every record

should have its own individual feeling, its own kind of atmosphere and story and subject.

"So I'm proud that each record has its own thing. And as far as some people liking this one more than that, it's a little bit of a puzzle to me how adamant some people arc about one thing or the other, because to me, of course, it's all me, and I'm in the middle of it. Also, my personal musical tastes, as we've discussed, aren't based on style. They're based on spirit and on the effect that the music has. I think that most

Nobody was more surprised than me

when all of a sudden I became successful beyond

what the average jazz guy is supposed to be.

of the music I've made is effective for what it is. That's the thing that links it all together. And that's the problem I have with a lot of music —I know what it's trying to be, and it doesn't do it. When somebody has a vision, and they can manifest it into sound for other people to he4 that's the thing that gets me — like there's this magical vapor that comes out when somebody does that."

Eventually, as Metheny and his technical support people developed more and more control over their sound, both on stage and in the recording studio, they were confronted with all the ramifications of analog vs digital, and the educational


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process of separating musical wheat from subjective chaff began in earnest. "les always involved doing A/B compar-isons between the two. To me it's very simple. Analog is flat-ter. To me it's like an effect, a little bit like reverb — it kind of makes things sound better by rounding them out and gooshing it all together in a pleasing way — more flattering. And tape compression is great. It works like a charm, and in my experience certain kinds of music and different instru-ments really benefit from analog tape compression more than others, particularly certain types of distorted guitars — it just sweetens them right up and makes it sound fantastic. Also saxophones and certain types of jazz drununing and acoustic bass. It's great. I'm all for any solution that makes

the stuff sound as good as it can sound. "Digital, on the other hand, sounds like what you put ill.

There are times when I'm in the booth while other people are playing, and there's just no comparison — what they play is what you get back. And more so as the technology has improved. So for me, I just sort of prefer to deal with the reality of it rather than with the effected version, and use the effects as effects —that works particularly well with the kind of music I play. Again, it's all a matter of taste. For me, I like the precision — knowing that what we're hearing is what somebody's going to hear in die end."

That all tnst; but you still have to dither evetythite down to 16 bits. Don't you miss the sense of deb in anal&

p.

Dithering Down with Engineer Rob Eaton

pat Metheny'sfinal ECM recorditts!, First Circle, marked the initial participation of a young assistant engineer named Rob Eaton. Since then, Eaton has because one of Methsity's key -

technical fiaisons— his tight-hand titan in the recording studio. In set-ting up our inteniew, Pat spoke glotvingly of Rob and noted that Rob would love to be in Stereophile. "We're familiar with the mag-azine and have it in the studio. We often use it as a source of fun during a lull in the mix, when we amuse ourselves thinking that there really are people in the world who spend $800 a foot for speaker cable! Apparently a lot of'em, too!"

Chip Stern: So, Rob Eaton, you plead innocent... with an eaplanation. Rob Eaton: It's funny, I've never gone for the super-high-end system at home —especially after 10 hours of so of doing nothing but listening in the studio. I have one of those systems where it's just high-tech enough. Like I have B&W speakers, but not the real big expensive models, with regular old Monster Cable in the back. I also have an Audio Research preamp and an old McIntosh 240 tube power amp that I just love —although I wish I knew where I could get parts for it. Stern: I like your sound very visteis on Quartet. There aren't a lot of bells and whistles or amficial colorations. Its fairly direct and natural Eaton: Recording is an interesting area, because there's really no right or wrong. It's quite subjective in ternis of what you're going for. People have the impression that because they're sitting behind a console, they're not earn-ing their keep unless they're twiddling the knobs—and that's not the case at all. If you use good mike placement, you can get away with doing almost nothing. I was trying to place the listener in proximity to hear what the musi-cians were visualizing as the music was happening. I didn't want to use a bunch of microphones and get a generic drum sound that everyone else gets, and that's why I employed just two microphones above the kit and two below the kit, equidistant to the top mikes and out of phase —plus a kickdrum mike —to capture a stereo image of the kit. So my approach was really kind of retro. Stern: And yet you recorded in a 24-bit digital multitrack format. Eaton: The problem with employing analog in Pat's music is, because of the dynamic range and the sparseness in cer-tain places, the analog hiss would be too great. Because the dynamics are so wide, you can't hit the tape as hard on a normal level, because when it does reach its peak, it's going

to be way too hot —you have to kind of back it off a bit. And at low levels it's so low, it's really in the noise floor. And while you don't hear the way the music actually sounds on our 24-bit master, because we had to dither everything down, using high-resolution digital makes a huge difference in terms of the way we think about digital.

Everyone is bitching and' moaning about the sample rate: "Oh, let's get up to 96kHz." But as far as I'm con-cerned, it's the bit ratio —that's the important element. It's not how high we make the sample rate. For instance, the sound is infinitely better at 44.1kHz with a 24-bit ratio as opposed to 96kHz/16-bits. The 44.1kHz/24-bit will blow the other away. Stern: So what was the tradeoff when you suent down to 16 bits? Eaton: You lose a lot of that inside stuff that you would expect to lose, and there's nothing you can do about it — but the beauty of it is that you can still basically hear what's there. But you definitely lose some of the vertical and the horizontal; you lose the depth, and a little bit of the image goes away with that —because with the image comes the depth. The whole point of the image is basically to deter-mine how far your center point is in the spectrum. The farther in your center point is, the more depth and dimen-sion you have. The more that center point moves forward, the less full your image becomes, 3D-wise and left-right. Stern: So you're saying that when you dither down, the relation-ship of everything to the center point ends up becoming a little snore compressed? Eaton: Yes, exactly. You don't have that really deep center. The center moves forward, the depth isn't quite as deep, the width isn't quite as wide. Stern: Nevertheless, I was struck by the fact that there even was a center point —a back perspective as well as. a Jr. ont perspective— let alone lateral dimensionality. Eaton: If you heard the 24-bit master on the PCM 9000, that's even more pronounced —it's really phenomenal, especially on the free pieces. Lyle hits a piano *note and it just sustains, because what happens with 24-bit is that as the note goes back into the center, it doesn't dissipate in volume the farther in it goes, like you're normally used to hearing it, because the extra bits are keeping the resolution so clear that you can follow that tail all the way in —just as far back as you can imagine. That's really the beauty of it. You lose a little of that with 16-bit, but you can still hear some of that —which is comforting to know.


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"To me, a lot of that depth factor is a question of the per-spective that people have because [digital] is so quiet — there's no horizon to measure things against. It's funny, because I've worked so much with digital, that when I go in and do a multitrack analog recording now, it's just shock-ing to me how loud the tape hiss is. But what it does is allow you to create a certain kind of depth in your brain, because you have a place to put things against — there's this constant horizon. And to me, that's a lot of what people miss about digital. It's sort of like you have no equilibrium. We're so used to hearing that noise floor subliminally ... I think of it as this wire that goes through everything. So you can go, well, it's in front of the wire, it's behind the wire, it's above the wire, it's below the wire — that wire is always there. But with digital, it's not there. I think that throws people off.

"However, this whole 24-bit thing really made me see that there's something else that earlier versions of digital stuff were lacking, but I don't think that analog had it either —this intense depth of sound. Analog creates the illusion of that, because it fades off into the hiss, which makes you think Well, it's going forever,' whereas in fact it just sort of gets wiped out by the noise. But with the 24-bit stuff, there's a couple of moments, like on 'Badlands,' where this one gui-tar note just fades out, and you can follow it all the way to the back."

Did the technology itsee in terms of ivhat you were hearing in the studio, give you more flexibility?

"Flexibility isn't the right word — it kind of inspired us. See, as far as technology goes, I'm a little bit skeptical of it all. So I was like, 'Well, 24-bit — what does that really mean?' So for me it became a practical thing, like Stereophile readers sitting in their chairs going, 'Okay, let me hear it.' Because even though the companies were going to help us out, it was still going to cost me a ton of bread to rent a Capricorn board and install it at the studio to do the tracks. But when I heard it, it was, like, wow! I had no idea it was going to mean that much of a difference.

"It certainly inspired Lyle and me while we were in the writing period, which was only about three days. I was in this room, and Lyle was in another room down the hall, both frantically writing. We kept thinking, 'Okay, we have to write stuff that's 24-bit.' The way Lyle manifested that was, he seemed to have all of these upper partials. Normally it goes third, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth. And he's got the next set of them after that, very well represented in some of the lit-tle bits he wrote along the way. Me too —I was thinking we've got to get these upper extensions happen-ing, thinking that there was some sort of parallel between the two, which maybe there is. We kept thinking, 'Well, this is a real 24-bit chord here.'"

Did all of this technoloe inspire you to finally spring for a home theater surround-sound installation after all these years?

"Well, I'm a huge movie fan. I didn't know that this stuff even existed, because I hadn't had a place for so long, and hadn't thought about buying a stereo for 20 years. [laughter] So I was like, 'Okay, let me go to a really cool stereo store.' I looked in the Yellow Pages, and I don't know what it was about the Audio Salon ad, but I thought that looks cool, and I really lucked into it, because [owner Jim Coleman is] a jazz fan and a musician, and he was really great. He said, 'Let me

show you everything.' Then he put on True Lies or some-thing like that. 'You mean you can have this in your house now?' I was, like, wow! So the surround thing was largely for that, and we based the system around this Denon preamp. Now, whenever I go to a video store, all I do now is look for things that are in AC-3. Because I've got this cool thing— I want AC-3, man. And it confirms what I've been saying for 15 years now concerning my rig and everything else —two speakers aren't enough!

"I've always hated stereo —to me it's completely inefficient for what I think music sounds like. We now have a format— which is right, left, center, right and left rear, and sub —that is what I've been dreaming about for years. Of course, this is the format that's been adopted by the DVD. So we're going to have to re-mix all of our records, because people arc going to get systems that arc AC-3-compatible, and the next thing they're going to want is for all their favorite records to func-tion in that format. And, man, I'm ready, because I've been waiting to rernix all my stuff for that since we've been doing it. It's going to be a blast, because, for the first time, I won't have to compromise. See, my basic guitar sound is dry, delay, and delay, and it's been that way since 1976."

With the dry sound in the center? "Dry sound in the center and a delay on either side.

Whenever I make a record, it's like, 'How am I going to do it this time? Am I going to put the dry on that side and just use one of them?' And if I put the dry in the cente4 I'm not really putting it in the center, because what I'm doing is combining the dry with both sides, which to me means that the mix of the two is happening in the speakers. I mean, no matter what we say about a pan pot, it's not really in the cen-ter — it's in both. You don't get the dimension in stereo of what a band like my band sounds like or anything. It's an illusion — we're creating illusions."

Your audio reference points have basically been the studio and boomboxes. Ti) me, surround-sound basically suggests more of a car environment than a traditional home stereo concert stage It imparts its own mix, its own sense of dimensionality to the music

"That can be cool. Honestly, one of my favorite listening environments is the car, particularly for my own music. People comment on this all the time, and I have to agree — there's something about the records I make that really lends itself to driving around in a car. Particularly true with the group records. Maybe someday I'll own a car and get a cool stereo.

A lot of analog's depth factor is a question of the

perspective that people have because digital is so quiet —

there's no horizon to measure things against. I think that throws people off.

So have you discovered anythirre iletV about your own productions on your new system?

"Honestly, it scares me a little bit. I'm still getting used to it. True, I now have a place, but it's still basically a mattress on the floor and this system. My listening environment in New York City, having now spent some time with it, is not ideal. There are lots of reflective surfaces, and I need to do something about that — it's a little too bright and bouncy I've got hard simulated marble floors, and hard surfaces, and it's built into a space where it's recessed in. And I have


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Cabinet in the Sky

In the spring of 1996, after 17 years on the road, Pat Metheny settled into a 46th-floor condo on Manhattan's Upper West Side and, sensible man that he is, treated himself to a first-rate audio

system. As fate would have it, he found an ad for Jim Coleman's Audio Video Salon in the Yellow Page. This veteran retailer and audio consultant often collaborates with architects and interior design-ers on high-end installations that are distinguished by clean, elegant aesthetics and sophisticated fidelity. i Chip Stern: What tradeoffs and challenges did Pat present you with? Jim Coleman: It was apparent to me that Pat, while he • was willing to invest whatever it took to assemble a good system, still wanted to keep his costs within reason and didn't wish to enter the fabled kingdom of diminishing returns where the Emperor purchases his new clothes. So we played him a wide range of different amps and speak-ers to establish his reference points, qualified his needs, and weighed those needs against other factors such as the phys-ical layout of the room —a large, bright, 40' by 30' space Pat created out of two smaller rooms. He'd installed a plat-form bed in a recessed area facing out toward the win-dows, which give him this panoramic view of downtown Manhattan, Long Island, and New Jersey that's just amaz-ing. We had to work around that, which meant that larg-er, floorstanding speakers were out of the question. Be-sides, it's often argued that smaller speakers offer better point-source coherency in terms of imaging. Stern: 1-low did you decide on a home-theater system? Coleman: Well, once you've experienced Dolby Digital sound, there's no turning back; the playback of AC3-encoded movies was a prime requisite in the design of Pat's system. Everything was built around the Denon AVP-8000, which is a true state-of-the-art tuner/preamp/ processor, the first to incorporate not only Dolby Digital processing, but TI-DC 5.0-certified processing as well. That was the heart of the system, and we matched it to a Parasound HCA-1206, a TI-DC-certified six-channel ampli-

fier delivering 135 watts per channel at 8 ohms, as well as 30 amps peak èurrent per channel. Stern: You didn't try to step him up to something with the bells and whistles of the AVP-8000? • Coleman: What for? We played him a comparable McIntosh, but Pat loved the Parasound and didn't hear a compelling reason to invest more money in a power amp. His sources included a Pioneer PD-F 104 100-disc CD Jukebox, a Denon LA-2300 laserdisc player, a Denon DRW-840 cassette deck, a Toshiba CF35F50 35" televi-sion monitor; and a Toshiba 660 HiFi Stereo VCR. We employed Synergistic Research Alpha Cable interconnects throughout, which are optimized for entry-level high-end quality solid-state components.

For transducers, we employed two pairs of the Celestion SL6-SI, a bookshelf speaker with well-balanced highs and 'bids that's been in the C.elestion line in various incarnations for about 15 years. The need for more bass response was mitigated by the addititin of a Miller & Kreisel MX200 powered subwoofer, which has excellent articulation and tremendous output. The center-channel speaker is the Paradigm CC-300, a more than capable per-former featuring 6'h" bass/midrange drive-units. The rear speakers were wall-mounted and angled inward, while the left, right, and center-channel speakers were suspended from the ceiling. High-end cables would have been too obtrusive, so we employed Phoenix Gold 16-gauge speak-er wire.

Everything else except the subwoofer was originally housed in a custom-made Italian walnut cabinet, but it obstructed the view. Then, shortly after we completed the installation, Pat was so pleased with the sound that he requested essentially the same system be installed at his farmhouse. The cabinet had to be disassembled and moved to upstate New York, and a Michel Angelo-designed Bellogetti black-metal/tempered-glass rack was sub-sequently installed in his Manhatir space.

speakers suspended from the ceiling — which ['The Audio Salon] told me isn't that good — and the center speaker sus-pended over the top of the TV. So there are a few problems that I'll have to deal with eventually —it's mostly the room now. But upstate, it's the same system in a much more effective listening environment with a bigger room and wood floors.

"Also, don't forget, I'm somebody whose reference point has primarily been the recording studio. For me, that usual-ly includes headphones, because in checking things for bal-ance [jump back and forth a lot between speakers and head-phones. I find headphones to be particularly useful for the kind of dense group records that we've donc. I always encourage people to listen on headphones — not only to my records, but to most jazz records — because that's the way the guys who were playing it heard it when they were play-ing. Because unfortunately, most of the time when you're making jazz records, you have to put on headphones. I feel that my records sound really good on 'phones —especially if you crank it up.

"I haven't crossed that line yet where i really know it.

still getting used to hearing things on a home system that has a subwoofer, which is a real shock -r that takes some getting used to. I would be reluctant to take something home from the studio, put it on my system, and make a judgment on it: It'll probably take me a year or so to learn it by listening to a whole bunch of records and understand what the trade-offs are —what it means here as opposed to in the studio. It's. always very flattering to bring it home. It sounds better, but it's easy to get lost in that. •

"To a certain degree, because I know I'm going to be mixing records like crazy these days, I have to stay in the reality of stereo, and the system happens to souel great in stereo. Sometimes I'll put it into matrix, or what they call five-channel stereo, which is kind of like what you were talking about happens in a car, though I always stay away from [ambience settings] like JAZZ CLUB and CONCERT HALL, where they just put reverb in the rear. As far as listening to music goes, I'll occasionally flip on the surrounds, but rarely. The first couple of weeks I had it, I did. But for movies, it's just so powerful, it's overwhelming... plus, it really pisses your neighbors offl"


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EgglestonWorks Andra loudspeaker

Wes Phillips

Bill Eggleston builds speakers be-cause his father did. "My dad always told me that when he

started, the only way you could get really good speakers was to build them your-self. We always had drivers and parts around, and I just began building my own so early I can't even remember. Much more important, my father passed on his wide-ranging approach to music. He listened to everything, and he taught me to be open-minded about music." You could call the EgglestonWorks

Andra loudspeaker Bill's love-letter to his dad. Maybe even to the whole fami-ly — the name honors Eggleston's sister. Recently, this $15,000/pair compact

EgglestonWorks Andra loudspeaker

speaker system has been garnering a lot of praise from the press and, judging from the response at HI-FI '97, the pub-lic as well. The word is out: The Andra is no longer a family secret.

The child is father to the man EgglestonWorks was incorporated in 1992. Before that, Bill pursued speaker building as a hobby while he restored houses in Memphis, among other things. His decision to manufacture loud-speakers was based on his lifelong obser-vation of the impact his father's hobby had on the household. "It seemed like there was always a war between having a pile of equipment in the living-room and having a neat, normal room, so I thought there might be a market for loudspeakers with fine furniture cabi-netry — we had a model called the Heppelwhite, for instance. They weren't that well received by the industry, but a few people liked them when we showed them at a WCES. That's where I first met Peter [McGrath, now Bill's associate in EgglestonWorks]. "We learned a lot building those

speakers. I used the same Morel mid-range driver I voiced the Andra around, and I learned to never subcontract impor-tant elements such as the cabinetwork. The only way to maintain strict quality control is to build them in-house."

Eggleston embarked upon an ambi-tious project: to design a loudspeaker without constraint. "Actually, we had one constraint. The speaker was designed to be as small as possible, physically. It's very, very important to make the speak-ers as unobtrusive as possible. We weren't trying to make a design state-ment —we wanted a speaker that would fade out of your consciousness, leaving you free to concentrate on the music."

I'm not entirely sure he succeeded. The speakers are compact, but I find them striking. They have slender baffles that flare slightly to just over 15" wide at the base, in order to accommodate the 12" woofers. This gives the Andra a wide-shouldered, slightly anthropo-morphic mien — somewhat reminis-cent of the icons that danced across the bottom of the screen in Spate Invaders.

Description: Full-range, floorstand-ing loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" cloth-dome tweeter with large-dia-meter vent on pole-piece and aperi-odic damping chamber; two 6" polypropylene-cone, double-mag-net midrange drivers with 3" voice-coils; two 12", woofers in reflex-loaded, "pressure-driven" configu-ration. Frequency response: 18Hz->24kHz, -3dB. Sensitivity: 87dB/ W/m. Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 5.6 ohms minimum. Dimensions: 151/4" W by 181/4" D (footprint); 371/2 H. Weight: 210 lbs each. Finish: Black with variegated gran-ite panels. Serial numbers of units reviewed: 0303, 0304. Price: $14,700/pair. Warranty: 6 years, parts and labor. Approxi-mate number of dealers: 24. Manufacturer: EgglestonWorks, 435 S. Front St., Memphis, TN 38103. Tel: (800) 290-5331. Fax: (901) 525-1050. Web site: http:// www.eggworks.com

Front, sides, and rear of the cabinet are finished in a seriously glossy black acrylic coating that seems to draw the light into it rather than throw it back. Above the "shoulders" and beneath the cambered top, the side panels arc cov-ered in 11/4" slabs of Italian granite whose speckled surface serves as a sub-de contrast to the piano finish.

Grilles are provided, but Eggleston expects most of his customers will decline to use them. The grilles are well designed and are even nice-looking— no extruded foam air-conditioner filters on the fronts of these babies! The grilles are stretched across steel frames; mag-nets buried beneath the laminate sup-port the grille in use. This means that the baffle's finish remains unsullied by mounting hardware or Velcro strips — which may encourage even more Andra owners to play their speakers nude.

Overall, the Andra has a squat form-follows-function, no-nonsense appear-


ance, combined with an understated elegance. Does it disappear into a room? Not hardly. But, I hasten to add, neither does it dominate its environment. I'd count that a success.

But don't assume for a moment that the cabinet is all glamor. This is one seri-ously solid speaker box. Assembly be-gins when two 4' by 8', V.-thick sheets of MDF arc hand-laminated together using a viscoelastic-damping industrial adhesive called Swedac. Swedac has a measured effect upon the absorption of vibration — Eggleston claims a solid 125" sheet of MDF has merely the vibration loss of the two laminated sheets incorporating the adhesive. The laminated MDF is then milled on CNC machinery before the hand joinery com-mences. This, Eggleston points out, allows the company to set tolerances to within several thousandths of an inch. Driver chambers are connected using

The EgglestonWorks Andra is moderately sensitive, my estimat-ed 87dB/2.83Wm (B-weighted)

reading agreeing with the specified fig-ure. Its impedance plot (fig.1) suggests that the speaker appears to be an easy load for an amplifier to drive, the mag-nitude dropping below 10 ohms only in the high treble and below 130Hz, and the phase angle generally remain-ing low. However, it does reach 4 ohms in the low bass, around the tuning of the twin ports. There is a very slight wrinkle in the impedance traces between 300 and 400Hz, this generally indicative of a cabinet resonance of some kind. However, as might be expected from its massively constructed cabinet, the Andra is impressively inert. About the only resonant mode I could find was on the woofer enclosure wall (fig2) at 350Hz. This is well down in level, however.

111,WW 0.0M.

)00[0

14010

1460

0000

40000

10010

00

Fig.1 EgglestonWorks Andra, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed) (2 ohms/vertical div.).

1000

04

.00

2,00

à•

410

•I 1

100

dado, rabbet, and biscuit joinery for great rigidity, with screws reinforcing the joints every 2". The photograph showing two partially assembled cabinets illustrates some of these construction details.

Don't assume for

a moment that the

Andra cabinet is all glamor.

This is one seriously

solid speaker box.

Laminating the acrylic finish to the cabinet adds another 1/8" of thickness to each wall, as well as another layer of dis-similar material for control of resonances. The granite, mitered to a "knife"-edge to minimize sidewall diffraction, attaches to what Eggleston refers to as "the

In his interview with Wes, Bill Eggleston mentioned the acoustic over-lap between the woofers and midrange units. This can be seen in fig3, which shows the individual nearfield responses of the front woofer, one of the ports, and one of the midrange drivers. The latter can be seen to start to roll out below 120Hz or so, but it still con-tributes to the speaker's output an oc-tave lower, in the midbass. The woofer's output is the trace that peaks around 30Hz and again between 60Hz and 80Hz, before gradually tapering off. It is still only 10dB down from the mid-range level at 500Hz. The ports cover a broad region from 20Hz to 70Hz, with then an irregular rolloff.

Predicting how these three nearfield

¿p

-12.0 -

-18.0-

-24.0 -

20.0 Cunulat ye Spectral Decay

-12.13 AB,

upper torso" of the cabinet. Two differ-ent adhesive compounds are used, these chosen to combine strength and dissim-ilar resonant characteristics.

After the cabinet is assembled, 1-nuts are driven through its base. These attach to plastic cups that serve as feet. Milled cones fit into the cups, so that once the speaker is properly placed, it can be spiked firmly to the floor.

Final finish involves the 12-step pol-ishing process that gives the Andra its deep luster.

A wise son maketh a glad father The Andra is such a completely person-al design statement that it would be futile to try to describe it using the typi-cally reductive drivers/loading/cross-over model. Better to eavesdrop on its designer as he muses upon its evolution and construction... "My father taught me that if the

responses will sum at the listening posi-tion is difficult, shown to the left of fig.4 is my best guesstimate, with the acoustic phase and path-length differences taken into account. The Andra's output ap-

Fig.3 EgglestonWorks Andra, nearfield midrange, woofer and port responses plotted below 700Hz.

100.0 1000.0 log Frequency - Hz

352 Hz (90), 0.006 nsec (1)

0.00

12.00

25.00

37.00

50.00

62.00 mzec

Pit SSA

Fig.2 EgglestonWorks Andra, cumulative spectral-decay plot of accelerometer output fastened to woofer cabinet sidewall. (MLS driving voltage to speaker, 7.55V; measurement bandwidth, 2kHz.)

192 Stereoptule, October 1997

midrange isn't right, the speaker isn't righr, so our first decision in designing the Andra was the choice of the mid-range driver —everything evolves from that. It's a custom version of a 6" poly-propylene midbass driver from Morel that incorporates a 3" voice-coil and a double-center magnet.

"I first heard an early version of this driver about 15 years ago, when my father designed a speaker that used four of them. That speaker had about the best midrange I'd ever heard. From that point on, pretty much everything I designed utilized one incarnation or another of this driver.

"Its strengths arc threefold. Because it uses a 6" cone and a 3" coil, all the motive force is coming from a point equidistant from the center and the circumference of the conc. This balance results in a more pistonlike action with great rigidity.

"It uses a very large winding out

of heavier-gauge wire than would be used in a smaller coil. Obviously, this makes for a stronger motor and, assum-ing you have the right current, much greater control — greater ability to stop the cone from moving in the opposite direction. The stronger the motor, the more control you have over the ex-tremes of excursion. "And because the coil's so big, it can

handle extremely high current output. Without that, we'd never be able to connect 6" drivers directly to the out-put of a power amplifier. Not even two of them — our use of two 6" dri-vers for the midrange was integral to achieving the midrange characteristics I demanded. I find that most speakers can clip on raucous solo piano if they use a single 6" speaker. I wanted no limit on the dynamic capabilities of the midrange, so I knew I needed to use two drivers."

But just because Eggleston knew in advance which driver he was going to employ, don't assume that amounted to a design shortcut. "Once we'd chosen that driver, we spent nine months just developing the crossover and the midrange loading. I didn't even look at woofers or tweeters until I had assured myself that I was getting everything out of the midrange that I could.

"The simplest, purest, most uncolored approach is free-air. Any dynamic speak-er with a cabinet has to manipulate the back-wave. In a sealed-box design, you're tuning against a certain air-pres-sure to obtain a certain response charac-teristic. In a vented-box, you employ tuning to eliminate certain resonances. The only box where you have the same air pressure behind the driver as in front is the transmission line. In a transmission-line design, the line is equal to a quarter-wavelength of the resonant frequency of

100 woe

HZ

10000

Fig.4 EgglestonWorks Andra, anechoic response on tweeter axis at 50", averaged across 30* horizontal window and corrected for micro-phone response, with complex sum of midrange, woofer, and port responses plotted below 300Hz,

pears to peak up slightly at 70Hz, then slowly rolls off reaching its $6dB point at a very low 22Hz. In-mom, with the usual amount of low-frequency room gain, the Andra should easily extend to 20Hz at frill level. Note that both the woofer and port have slight peaks at 200Hz; while these result in a slight peak in this frequency in the calculated farfield response, it should be subjec-tively inconsequential. To the right of fig.4 is the Andra's

farfield response, measured on its tweet-er axis using the DRA Labs MLSSA sys-tem and averaged across a 30° horizon-

0.0-

-12.0-

-18.0-

-24.0-

---15.00

---10.00

--0.00

—5.00 ago

MLSSA

300.0 1000.0 Frequency File Display

8.49 dB, 5060 H. (57), -10.000 deg (WAUEFORM\EOS-U-02.FRQ)(2)

10000.0 log Frequency - Mg (Smoothed to 0.10 octave)

Fig.5 EgglestonWorks Andra, vertical response family at 50", normalized to response on tweeter axis, from back to front: differences in response 15°-5° above axis; response on HF axis; differences in response 5°-10° below axis.

tal window. The midrange trend in fig.4 is basically evenly balanced, but note the enormous measured suc.kout in the upper crossover region on this axis, centered on 3kHz. I must admit that I didn't find the Andra to be as free from coloration as WP did. I noted a slight degree of hollowness that made violin and viola, for exam-ple, sound a little as if played with mutes. However, this was much milder than I would have expected from this measured response. The tweeter is 33" from the floor,

which is on the low side. (Tom Nor-ton's research has shown that a typical listener's ear in a typical chair is 36" high.) Fig.5 shows the Andra's response at different heights; it can be seen that the crossover-region suckout is worst

10

-»

I 40

Mo MW

Fig.6 EgglestonWorks Andra, anechoic response 10° above tweeter axis at 50", averaged across 30° horizontal window and corrected for microphone response, with complex sum of midrange, woofer, and port responses plotted below 300Hz.


the driver. Usually you wrap the line so that the output comes out the front, in-phase with the output of the driver, which reinforces the bass output of the driver. We weren't interested in this char-acteristic—all we wanted was a free-air characteristic. And we didn't have room for two 5' transmission lines in the small cabinet we intended to build.

"So I re-evaluated the whole ap-proach to transmission lines. I worked with the guy who subcontracts our stuff-ing material and we came up with "Acousta-Stuff," a polyester strand which is crimped every millimeter. This makes each strand a complex shape, capable of providing greater diffraction to the soundwaves traveling through it. The strands interlock, so it won't settle at all, either. This material seems to slow lower frequencies while attenuating the HFs. After a ton of trial-and-error experi-ments, I determined the equation of cabinet length to stuffing weight we

needed for a quasi-transmission-line loading. I'm not aware of any other speaker that shares this loading system."

After all the work that went into the midrange, you'd be forgiven for think-ing things would get easier. You'd be half-right. "I was familiar with the [Dynaudio] Esotar tweeter and I wanted to use it. The Esotar has its own aperi-odic damping chamber. It has the biggest vent on its pole-piece I've ever seen on a tweeter — with that vent and its large chamber, the tweeter doesn't see any back air-pressure to speak of, so it fit readily into my driver philosophy. The tweeter's crossover is as simple as could be, consisting of one MIT capaci-tor and two Vishay resistors and an L-pad. The tweeter crossover is mounted in its own separate chamber directly behind the tweeter in the cabinet." But arriving at a bass response that

matched the free-air characteristic of the other drivers was no easy task.

Finally, Eggleston settled on using two Dynauciio drivers in a configuration

he dubbed "pressure-driven." There are two parallel chambers, with one 12" driv-er mounted in front of the other. The inner driver, which is in a heavily ported box, acts as a servo behind the outer driv-er —when the outer driver moves back, it doesn't have to compress the air in the cabinet because the inner driver moves in concert with it. The driver, even though its enclosure is sealed, gets the benefits of free-air-like operation.' The woofer's crossover consists of a

heavy-gauge inductor in series with the two drivers, and there's also an RLC net-work in parallel with the drivers. Like any loudspeaker, the Andra has a reso-nance peak that manifests itself electrical-

I Actually, a compound pair of drive-units like this, which I first saw in Lion's 1976 Isobarik design, behaves very much like a single drive-unit with just over twice the cone mass, twice the driving force, anti (if connected in parallel) half the impedance. —JA

on the tweeter axis. The broad overlap between the tweeter and twin mid-range units does appear to make the speaker very sensitive to listening height. Perhaps the flattest measured response is obtained 10° below the tweeter axis (the trace at the front of this graph). However, this represents a listener with his ear around 20" from the floor. By contrast, fig.6 shows the Andra's measured response 10° above the tweeter axis, which represents a typ-ical listener sitting in something like a

director's chair. While there is still a lack of energy in the speaker's upper crossover region, it is much less severe than on the tweeter axis.

It must be remembered that a loud-speaker's perceived balance doesn't depend only on the direct sound —that which first reaches the listener's ears — but also on the total radiated power into the room. Fig.7 shows how the re-sponse on the tweeter axis changes to the Andra's sides. (The data points are sparse in this graph, due to the fact that

dB

0.0

-12.0-

-18.0-

-24.0

' 300.0 10013.0 Frequency File Display (Equalised to slice 19)

5.38 dB, 2663 Hz (38), -99.988 deg (WAVEFORM\EGGA-01.FRQ)(1)

-90.00

---60.00

.--30.00

0.00

30.00

60.00 deg

USSR

log Frequency - 10000.0

Hz (Smoothed to 0.10 ',claim,'

Fig.7 EgglestonWorks Andra, horizontal response family at 50", normalized to response on tweeter axis, from back to front: differences in response 90°-5° off-axis; reference response; differences in response 5.-913° off-axis.

the Andra is too heavy for my automat-ed speaker turntable. Again, the cross-over suckout is worst directly on-axis, the "horns" between 2 and 4.51cHz to the sides of this graph suggesting that the speaker's total output into the room does not feature a lack of energy. Only in a small room, therefore, with the listener sitting close and low, will the Andra sound hollow. The larger the room and the farther away the listener, the better-balanced the EgglestonWorks will sound.

Despite its sloped baffle and low-order crossover, the Andra is not time-coherent on typical listening axes. (It will be time-coherent around or below 20" from the floor, which suggests the tiltbadc of the baffle is too mild.) Fig.8, for example, shows the step response on the tweeter axis. The tweeter's output is the sharp up/down spike just before the

Fig.8 EgglestonWorks Andra, step response on tweeter axis at 50" (5ms time window, 30kHz bandwidth).


ly as impedance magnitude. The RLC network serves as a nullifying circuit, cancelling the cabinet tuning so that the 6dB per octave crossover can do its job.

"It's funny," Eggleston commented, "but while 90% of the Andra's mid-range tuning was done by ear, 90% of the woofer tuning was done with nearfield measurement. Bass is so room-dependent that the only way you can standardize performance is through measurement."

Eggleston's crossover is certainly un-usual - the midrange drivers are run full-range, while the networks on the woofer and tweeter are vestigial. This makes it somewhat difficult to specify the precise crossover points. 'Actually," Eggleston explained, "there's quite a bit of overlap. The rolloff on the high end of the midrange is very, very gradual - it begins around 3500Hz. The crossover point to the tweeter is about 3000Hz. We could make it tighter, but every time

4ms mark, followed by the midrange units in the same acoustic polarity. As with the frequency response, the nature of the Andra's cumulative spectral-decay plot depended very much on the measurement axis. Fig.9 shows the waterfall plot associated with the re-sponse in fig.6, 10° above the tweeter axis. In general it is impressively clean, though there is some low-level hash present in the mid-treble. But if the microphone was lowered by 5°, nearer the tweeter axis (fig.10), a resonant mode at 4.7kHz appeared, associated with a response peak at the same fre-quency. This and the excess of top-octave energy might tend to make the balance rather bright, everything else being equal. Note that I did not mea-sure the speaker's distortion perfor-mance. However, I suspect that it is superbly low.

Overall, interpreting the Eggleston-Works Andra's measured performance in light of what both Wes Phillips and I heard when we auditioned the speaker proved more of a detective story than is usual. The broad overlap between the drive-units and ports makes the Andra's performance rather more room- and setup-dependent than those of more conventional speakers. But when every-thing is right, I agree with WP that this speaker offers a superb view into the music. -John Atkinson

we've tried that we've compromised airi-ness and openness. The woofers run totally flat from about 20Hz up to 120Hz. The midrange is active from about 55-60Hz and up. Again, there's overlap, but we chose to do it this way for musical reasons -and after a lot of listening. This configuration is almost like an active system. Certainly on the midrange, you're connected straight into the amplifier."

Yet he remains modest about his unique design philosophy: "We haven't made any technological breakthroughs. All we've done is put together a speaker the best way I can think of. I want to strike an emotional chord with this speaker - that's it, basically."

A son faithful and true

Bill Eggleston has certainly struck an emotional chord with this listener. Let me just come out and say it: I love the Andra. Of all the speakers I've had in

my current listening room, none has sounded better over a wide range of musical material. To begin with, it played loud. I don't

know if this is important to you. Hell, I didn't even know it was im-portant to me until I began listening to Peter McGrath's wonderful four-chan-nel digital recordings using Eggleston-Works' smaller Rosas as rear-channel speakers. You see, Peter likes to play stuff loud. Really LOUD. He claims he's merely listening at a realistic playback level, but I think he's trying to achieve that sense of there being no dynamic limit that is implicit in live music-mak-ing and almost completely lacking in reproduced music.

Playing the Andras at high volume did give me some of that exciting U-R-There sensation, but unlike a lot of loudspeakers, I didn't have to crank 'em to get the music out of 'em. In fact, the Andras reminded me of the Quad

12.0-

6.0-

0.0-

-12.0-

400.0 1000.0 10000.0 Cumulative Spectral Decay log Frequency - Hz

6.88 dB, 4785 Hz (106), 8.080 ,',sec (I)

0.00

0.60

1.26

53

3.13 msec

MLSSA

Fig.9 EgglestonWorks Andra, cumulative spectral-decay plot at 50", 10° above the tweeter axis (0.15ms risetime).

dB

12.0

6.0

0.0

-6.0

-12.0

400.0 1000.0 10000.0 Cumulative Spectral Decay los Frequency - Hz

9.93 dB, 4750 Hz (187), 0.088 msec (1)

0.00

0.60

1.26

1.87

2.53

3.13 nsec

MLSSA

Fig.10 EgglestonWorks Andra, cumulative spectral-decay plot at 50", 5° above the tweeter axis (0.15ms risetime).


The Andra's complex cabinet is constructed from laminated, 1.25"-thick MDF, with a sub-baffle for the internal woofer.

ESL-63 in that I was required to attempt to match the output of the speaker to what an instrument or band would pro-duce live, or min the sense of reality. Is this a glitch or a feature?

Neither, really. I think it's a sign of how uncolored the speaker was. An acoustic guitar recording such as Enrique Coria's Latin Duch (Acoustic Disc ACD-23), played at a realistic volume, sounded amazingly like an acoustic guitar playing in a real space. But when I played it sig-nificantly louder than an acoustic guitar, it started to sound out of kilter —over-tones were no longer in proportion to fundamentals, and the instrument took on an aggressive character.

You might be tempted to assume that the speaker got hard at high volumes, but a rock recording, such as Warren Haynes' searing cover of "I've Been Loving You Too Long" from The Memphis Horns (Telarc CD-83344), simply has to be played louder to sound real. But outside of that envelope of loudness that might be considered accurate, this recording too lost life if played too softly; or ease, if played really offensively loudly.

However, when I matched the out-put to a believable re-creation of the original event, I could begin to appreci-ate the results of Eggleston's midrange obsession. To quote Goldilocks, it was "juuuuust right." Acoustic instruments such as Coria's guitar, Rostropovich's cello (Bach's Cello Suites, EMI ZDCB 55370 2), or John Coltrane's tenor sax (Lush Life, DCC GZS-1108) were

reproduced with an immediacy and coherence that I've seldom heard from any speaker. Could this have been because almost all of an instrument's range was being reproduced by the ame driver? I don't know for sure, but how could it have hurt?

If you love piano, you simply have to hear your favorite keyboard discs on the Andra. This shouldn't have surprised ine —once again, Bill Eggleston's father was responsible. "My father always said you had to use the sound of the piano as the final arbiter of tonal accuracy He was a really good pianist, and I play some too, but we always had a lot of piano music in our house, and that's what I use to evaluate a speaker." When Duke Ellington's alter-ego,

close friend, and lifelong collaborator Billy Strayhorn died in 1967, Ellington paid tribute to their friendship with the album And His Mother Called Him Bill (French RCA NL 89166, LP). Closing the album, Ellington played "Lotus Bloss-om" as a piano solo. "Lotus Blossom" is a waltz, here played with elegant sorrow, but lifted also by that sense of grace always present in first-tier Ellington. The piano sound is muted, but rich, vibrant, and large as life. I've heard this song hun-dreds of times—through the Andras, it was my first time all over again.

If you value bass heft and swing, these speakers will seduce you with their rump-thump. When an orchestral bass section really dug in, as the NYP's does in the final movement of Mahler's Third under Bernstein (DG 427 328-2), it had an impact and organic solidity that very few speakers I've heard can match. In fact, after years of listening to the disc, I heard something I've never noticed on it before:

I used to attend Avery Fisher Hall regularly, the way a sports fan supports the home team. (I think of the Mehta years as a long slump — I'd go mostly in the hopes that my team wasn't going to embarrass themselves.) In Fisher, you can hear the stage floorboards flex in a deep moan that you'd feel more than hear. I was never able to predict when it would happen, but some nights it could startle you out of your chair, while other nights you'd never hear it at all. It hap-pens during the Ruhevoll near the end of the disc, and it transported me back to New York most evocatively. The Andra's Esotar tweeter was no

slouch when it came to producing strong, pure highs either, as Phil Smith's posthorn solo clearly revealed in the Mahler. It was so filled with atmos-phere, so bright and clean, that it almost belied the force with which it punched through the orchestral texture.

No love to a father's But it would be wrong to dismiss the Andra as the latest contender in the accuracy-at-any-price sweepstakes. As uncolored as it sounds, that wasn't the only trump it had to play. The speaker was incredibly sensitive to dynamic nuance as well. Its sensitivity to tonal shading and color was matched by its ability to re-create even the most subtle variations in loudness. We usually think of dynamic change as manifesting itself sequentially, as in crescendos or diminu-endos. In fact, it goes on constantly, as in the balance between the notes in a chord, or of instruments and voices in combination. The Andra clearly re-vealed the constant balance being achieved during, or rather that went into creating, the musical flow. This was

Associated Equipment

LP playback: Linn LP12 with Naim Armageddon Power Supply, Naim ARO tonearni, van den Hul Frog cartridge; VPI TNT Mk.III turntable with Immeclia RPM tone-arm, Lyra Claws D cartridge. CD playback: Mark Levinson No39, Wadia 850. Preamplifiers: Conrad-Johnson Premier Fourteen linestage, Premier Fifteen phono section; Ayre K-1. Power amplifiers: Krell FPB 600, VTL 750 monoblocks. Cables: ICimber KCAG intercon-

nects, Kimber Black Pearl speaker cables. Accessories: Audio Power Indus-tries Power Wedge 112, MIT Z series power cables, Highwire Audio Power Wrap (on components with nonreplaceable power cables), The Shelf by Black Diamond Racing, Golden Sound DH Cones. Sound treatment: ASC Tube Traps, Studio Traps, Bass Traps; RPG Abffusors; Catillac Chat de Ville Towncat -Wes Phillips


revelatory in a very different way from the usual "analytic" accuracy that gar-ners most of our attention, and it went a long way toward putting flesh and blood onto the skeleton of the score.

Perhaps it also accounts for what I consider to be the speaker's greatest strength: its ability to make me experi-ence music as communication of com-plex emotional information. Let's face it, we hear music as tones in time, but that's not why we love music. We love music because it connects us to a place within ourselves where we know beyond knowing, where we experience things directly that we can-not otherwise experience. It is the communication of one soul directly to another — to many others — and it releases us from the tyranny of con-scious thought. Yet we discuss music reproduction as though all of that is reducible to frequency response and crossover points. I can't point to the place on JA's

charts that will show you where the Andra's ability to communicate the emotional portion of a performance lies, but when I listened to Duke Ellington play "Lotus Blossom," I didn't just hear a real-sounding piano — I

heard Duke wondering how to recon-struct a life that didn't have Billy Strayhorn in it any more. I can point to the descending motif in

Mahler's Third that symbolizes sob-bing, but that doesn't explain why we hear those sobs as so heartfelt. But through the EgglestonWorks I experi-enced them as though they were torn from my own chest. I could go on all night with other examples culled from my audition.

It figures. I asked Bill Eggleston what his design brief was when he conceived this speaker. He thought for a minute, then quietly said, "I get this from my father, but I believe that there is no greater joy than discovering new music, and then coming home and listening to it in the most emotionally evocative way possible. Passion has always been my driving force — to give the life and breath of music over to the listenet"

Mission most definitely accomplished.

Patris est filius Fin besotted by the EgglestonWorks Andra. It is an ambitious speaker, and it succeeds brilliantly at reproducing music's sound, fury, and ineffable spirit. I've seldom heard its equal when it

comes to conveying the pure tonal range or the magnificent dynamics of a recorded performance. But beyond that, I can think of no speaker I've heard that gets nearer to the emotional nub of a performance. Dismiss this last as quasi-mystical mumbo-jumbo at your peril — music is far greater than the nuts and bolts that define it. As superb as the Andra is at presenting those nuts and bolts, it's even better at portraying the greater truth of music's magic and wonder.

There is no question that the Andra belongs in Class A of Stereophilds Full-Range Loudspeaker category of "Recom-mended Components." In fact, I'm requesting that we purchase this pair to use as a long-term reference.

There's an inscription incised in the wall of the Loyd-Paxton Gallery in Dallas: "LOVE INSTILLED INTO SOLID

MATERIALS BY LOVING CRAFTSMANSHIP

IS THE ONLY CREATION OF MANKIND

TO DEFEAT TIME." That sounds about right — and "love instilled into solid materials by loving craftsmanship" seems like a better description of the Andra than any I could come up with.

Bill Eggleston's father ought to feel mighty proud of himself. S

Voted "Best Value in Loudspeakers" for 1997 The members-

of the Academy for the Advancement of High End Audio vote each year for

designers and products of special merit.

The Magneplanar MG3.5/R was selected

by the leaders of High End Audio

to receive recognition as the "Best Value in

Loudspeakers" for 1997,

ji

"The Maggie 3.5s represent the maximum sonic value per buck in

loudspeakers in the here and

now."* Harry Pearson

The Absolute Sound Magazine

Issue 107, 1996 Quoted with permission of The Absolute Sound

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Check out the power of your syste with Stereophile CDs and LPs.

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world-renowned Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Recorded live with time-aligned microphones and 20-bit resolution.

Concert This omni-miked, two-CD „ set features Robert Silverman in a recital of works by Schubert, Chopin, Bach. and Schumann. Includes the bonus track. "Mapping the Soundstage."

Poem An audiophile classic since 1989. Tube-miked perfor-mances of works for flute and piano by Prokofiev, Reinecke, and Schumann, plus Charles Griffes' Poem.

Intermezzo Robert Silverman in a brilliant all-Brahms program: Piano Sonata in f, Op. 5, and Three Intermezzi, Op. 117. One of the finest piano recordings ever made.

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Test CD 1 Phase your system, test

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Take this disc with you when evaluating equipment.

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Test CD 3 Use the signals to test your speakers and your room. Burn-in components with the unique noise track. Home in on your home theater's balance. Check out your system with the soundstage map. Also includes audio-phile music tracks.

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The original PSB Straws Gold has been a consistent presence in Stereophile's "Recommended Com-

ponents" listing since Thomas J. Norton first reviewed it in February 1991 (Vol.14 No2). Initially launched at a price of $2000/paiç the Gold had crept up to $2100/pair by the end of its seven-year life, which still made this three-way floorstanding design a sonic bargain. When Tom Norton recently did a "Fol-low-Up" on the original Straws Gold (Vo120 No.4, p247) he concluded that "you can also spend a lot more than the price of the Straws Gold and end up with far, far less." The Gold i, introduced to the public

at HI-FI '97 in May, uses the same three drive-units as the original Gold, but in a slimmer, deeper cabinet that visually echoes PSB's smaller high-end designs, the Straws Silver and the New Straws Mini. The polypropylene midrange is still placed above the metal-dome tweet-er, and the bass is still handled by a beefy 10" pulp-coned unit. Aside from the cabinet, the other obvious visual differ-ence is the large, 4-diameter reflex port on the front panel, radiused inside and out to eliminate turbulence. The position of the port has been carefully optimized to minimize internal resonance prob-lems (see my interview with designer Paul Barton elsewhere in this issue).

Design-wise, the Gold i is not so much a three-way speaker as a two-way speaker with an integral subwoofer. In a traditional three-way design there is always the problem of where to cross over from the woofer to the midrange. Go higher than 250Hz or so and the crossover, with its attendant integration and off-axis dispersion problems, falls in the region where voice and instruments have most of their power. By placing the lower crossover at 250Hz, the Gold i should benefit from most of the virtues of a minimonitor — good, well-defined imaging, and good dispersion — cou-pled with the ability to produce low fre-quencies at high levels. The Gold i's upper crossover is a

24dB/octave, Linkwitz-Riley type; the lower one is a symmetrical, 18dB/oc-tave type. All the crossover inductors are

EPOR

PSB Stratus Gold i

John Atkinson

Description: Three-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) ferrofluid-cooled, alu-minum-dome tweeter; 6" (150mm) midrange unit; 10" (250mm) doped paper-cone woofer. Crossover fre-quencies: 250Hz, 2.2kHz. Crossover slopes: 24dB/octave Linkwitz-Riley (midrange/tweeter), 18dB/octave (midrange/woofer). Frequency re-sponse: 36Hz-20kHz, ±1dB; 31Hz-2IkHz, ±3dB. Sensitivity: 88dB/W/m anechoic (2.83V). Nominal imped-ance: 4 ohms. Amplifier require-ments: 15-300W. Dimensions: 43.5" (1105mm) H by 12.25" (310mm) W by 16.5" (420mm)

D. Weight: 95 lbs/pair (43.2kg/pair). Shipping weight: Ill lbs/pair (50.5kg/ pair). Finishes available: black oak, dark cherry, gloss black. Serial numbers of units reviewed: None visible. Price: 82399/pair in black or dark cherry; 82699/pair in high-gloss black. Approximate number of deal-ers: 250. Manufacturer: PSB Speakers, The Lenbrook Group, 633 Granite Court, Pickering, Ontario Ll VV 3K1, Canada. Tel: (905) 831-6333. Fax: (905) 831-6936. VVebsite: http://wwvv.psb speakers.com.

air-cored types, to avoid the distorting effects of magnetic saturation. The internal wiring has been upgraded com-pared with the Gold, but it still features the twin pairs of inset metal binding posts that annoyed TJN. These have a shank that is too big for many spade

Design-wise,

the Gold i is not

so much a three-way

speaker as a two-way

speaker with an

integral subwoofer.

lugs, but a central hole that is big enough to weaken the post's mechani-cal integrity.

But this is a minor quibble given how affordable the speaker is —the price of the Gold i starts at just $2399/pair.

Sound I initially set the Straws Gold is up in the Stereophile listening room. Even without careful setup, it was obvious that something good was going on: the midrange was clean and uncolored, the stereo imaging well defined and stable, and the bass generous without being boomy. Extreme highs were a little mel-low, but this was not a bad thing.

Encouraged, I moved the PSBs to my own listening room, which tends not to be as flattering as the magazine's mom. While the balance changed slightly— the top octave now sounded more extended, though it still lacked a little air in absolute terms — what didn't change was my very positive opinion of the speaker's basic character. This is one fine design. The midrange was one of the glories

of the original Straws Gold, and the i is also a leading contender in this region. Try as I might, there was no coloration that I could readily identify. The BBC's live orchestral recordings, available each month with BBC Music magazine — thank you Sam Tellig for telling me about their excellent Dvorák Symphony 7 — were reproduced with their unhyped, delicately natural balances in-tact. And Keith Johnson's superb series of HDCD recordings of the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by E4i Oue had a natural sweep to the sound that literally took my breath away. The latest, Ports of Call (Reference Recordings RR-80CD), features popular "place-name" classical works like Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Italien and Sibelius' Finlandia, where the com-posers have dipped widely into their tone color palettes. With lesser speak-ers, diverse instruments tend to acquire a sameness about their sounds. By con-trast, the Gold i preserved all the tiny tonal differences that distinguish, for


example, the English Horn from the oboe, the viola from the violin, even when they are playing notes with the same pitches. As I embarked upon this review, I

was reacquainting myself with some of the works we might record at this year's Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. And with the natural, unforced presentation of the Stratus Golds, one recording kept leading to another. A delightful Hun-garian recording of the Schubert Octet (Naxos 8.550389), for example, trig-gered me to buy Stephen Kovacevich's 1995 reading of Schubert's D.960 piano sonata (EMI Classics 5 55359 2). This is a wonderful performance, but the speak-ers didn't hide the recording's rather peculiar-sounding, clangorous textures, which I assume are caused by its "Sensaura" encoding. Again, the some-times subtle differences between the sounds of different piano recordings were clearly perceived on the big PSBs without being unnaturally thrown into sharp relief. The PSB's treble was clean and free

from hash, but there was a small amount of character in this region, per-haps revealed by the contrast between the sheer neutrality of the speaker's midrange and its slight lack of top-octave air. While the Gold i wasn't in any way "bright," I consistently felt its mid-treble to sound on the "cold" side. This was barely noticeable with natural-ly balanced recordings, but with record-ings that are themselves overcooked in the presence region, the speaker could be unforgiving.

Annie Lennox's 1995 Medusa CD (Arista 25717-2) features some superb arrangements, but the engineer and producer definitely had too heavy a hand with the treble seasoning. While it was possible to get off on this album at moderate playback levels — the PSB's neutral midrange helping to bring out Lennox's winsome way with words — the slightly cold treble was not sympa-thetic to the recorded balance at high spls. Note that this high-frequency "coldness" was not a serious flaw, only that it was noticeable in the context of the superbly clean midrange. Tom Nor-ton discovered a similar character in the original Gold, where he wrote about the low treble being somewhat forward, in contrast to the midrange, which he described as having "genuinely appeal-ing palpability and warmth." He did say, though, that "it was just enough to con-tribute to the loudspeaker's sense of presence and immediacy without call-ing undue attention to itself." When a vocal recording was itself neutral, as with the Chesky cut featuring Sara K. on Stereophile's Test CD 3, the Gold i suitably served the music. The Stratus Gold i also scored big-

time in the low frequencies. Where a recording had true bass information, the speaker reproduced it in full measure. The '-octave bands on Test CD 3 sang out at full level down to 32Hz, with the 20Hz band still audible. Well-recorded classical orchestral music had an appeal-ing richness, but without the characters of the bass instruments being smeared by boom. In fact, while low-frequency

instruments had excellent weight, they also had a superb sense of pace. My tra-ditional test for this aspect of a speaker's

PSB Stratus Gold i loudspeaker

The Stratus Golds ended up about 30" from my listening room's rear wall (which is faced

with books and LPs) and approxi-mately 60" from the side walls (which also have bookshelves covering some of their surfaces). The amplifiers used were all solid-sute: a Pass Labs Aleph 3, a Mark Levinson No333, and a pair of Mark Levinson No.33H mono-blocks. The preamplifier was primari-ly the remote-controlled Mark Levin-son No38S, replaced late in the audi-tioning by the new Levinson '380S. A Mod Squad Phono Drive EPS was used to amplify LP signals from a Li Lingo/Ekos/Ariciv setup on an Ardii-Dee table. Digital source was a Mark

System and Setup

Levinson No30.5 HDCD D/A processor driven by a Mark Levinson No31.5 transport via an Illuminati AES/EBU cable, or by a Panasonic SV-3700 DAT recorder via Madrigal AES/EBU cables and a Meridian 518 jitter-reduction unit.

Interconnects used were Audio-Quest's Audiolluth Lapis X3; speaker cable was a bi-wired set of the latest AudioTruth Sterling. All source com-ponents and preamps used in my lis-tening room were plugged into a Power Wedge 116 Mk.11, itself plugged into a dedicated AC circuit and fitted with the Power Enhancer option. The power amplifiers were plugged straight into the wall.

I also auditioned the big PSBs in Stereophiles listening room, using a Meridian 500 CD transport and dCS Elgar D/A converter connected with Ensemble 75 ohm cable, a McCor-mack TLC-1/EPS passive preamplifie4 a Krell KSA-250 power amplifier, and MIT interconnects and cables.

Following the initial auditioning, the speakers were broken-in by being placed face to face and driven with out-of-phase, high-level pink noise for 12 hours, followed by the "Special Burn-In Noise" track on Stereophile's Test CD 3' for another 12 hours.

—John Atkinson

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performance is Pat Methcny's "Last Train Home," from Still Life (Talking) (Geffen GEFD 24145-2). Metheny's electric sitar is underpinned by a repeat-ed-eighth-note line on the bass. With many speakers, these repeated notes tend to run into one another, blurring the track's sense of urgency. With the PSBs, you could almost hear the starts and stops of each bass note. Despite its size and its genuine bass extension, this is not a slow-sounding speaker. Rather, it is fleet of foot and light in touch, as you might expect a minimonitor to be if its response could be extended down to the low-bass region.

Since the advent of CD, I believe, speaker designers have generally gone for less—well-damped woofer align-ments. While the digital medium's gen-erally tighter low frequencies has

The Stratus Gold i was relatively insensitive, 2.83V raising a calcu-lated 84dB on the midrange axis at

1m. Its impedance curve (fig.1) also sug-gested that it needs to be partnered by an amplifier capable of a healthy current delivery Not only does the impedance drop to a low 2.72 ohms at 97Hz, but the phase angle is quite severe through

»OA

ISO

ISM

140111

MOO

111000

401100

110•110

4001e

amea

110

eo

,s

mo

Fig.1 PSB Stratus Gold i, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed) (2 ohms/ vertical div.).

allowed them to get away with this, with a typical LP player this can lead to a soggy boom instead of the well-defined lows that can be produced from vinyl.

Where a recording had

true bass information,

the speaker

reproduced it

in full measure.

This is particularly true of reflex designs, where the fact that the woofer is effectively unloaded below resonance can result in alarming excursions on record warps.

This was most definitely not the case with the Stratus Gold i. Its combination

the midbass region. This curve, however, does imply excellent low-bass extension, the "saddle" in the curve around 25Hz indicating the tuning of the big port. Note the slight wrinldes in the

impedance curves at 24.6kHz and just below 190Hz. The former is due to the metal-dome tweeter's primary reso-nance and is innocuous; the second is due to the presence of some kind of cabinet resonance. Fig2 shows a cumu-lative spectral-decay or waterfall plot calculated from the output of a piezo-electric plastic-tape accelerometer fas-tened to the center of the enclosure sidewall about 12" from the floor. Two resonant modes can be seen, at 188Hz and 325Hz, but these are both well down in level. The Stratus Gold's cabi-net, with its large panels, is obviously well braced. I didn't notice any corre-sponding lower-midrange coloration in

dB

-12.0

-18.(fl

-24.01

0.0j

0.00

12.00

25.00

37.00

- 50.00

62.00 mmee

_11LSSA 20.0

Cumulatsve Spectral Decay

-16.03 dB,

100.0 10(10.0 log Frequency - Ht

188 H. (48), 0.008 ,,sec (1)

Fig.2 PSB Stratus Gold i, cumulative spectral-decay plot of accelerometer output fastened to cabinet back panel above terminals. (MIS driving voltage to speaker, 7.55V; measurement bandwidth, 2kHz.)

of bass weight and definition worked well with LPs. Digging out my original LP copy of Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady-land, I put on "Gypsy Eyes," which starts with a high-level four-in-the-bar kick-drum, flanged in stereo. (Switch to mono and you hear deep comb filter-ing; in stereo, while you can still hear slight combing, the main effect is for the drum to wander across and outside the soundstage.) The power of the drum came through in spades, and again the music was reproduced with an excellent sense of pace. I also could play this Hendrix cut at

high levels without the sound becoming grainy or breaking up. However, it did play rather quietly compared with my usual B&W Silver Signature, implying that a goodly powerful amplifier would be best suited to driving the speaker.

my auditioning. Fig3 shows the individual responses

of the woofer and port, together with that of the midrange and tweeter. The woofer takes over below 250Hz or so, with a smooth, third-order rollout above that frequency. The port seems

Fig.3

1 I 11111 1 1 1 11 1111 'Al. 1 I 11111 1

PSB Stratus Gold j, acoustic crossover on midrange axis at 50", corrected for micro-phone response, with the nearfield midrange, woofer, and port responses plotted below 600Hz, 300Hz, and 600Hz, respectively.

1 1 I I 11111 1 I I I 11111 1 1 I 111111 1

1 1 111111 100

1 11111111 1 11111111 1 1000

Frequormye,u

Fig.4 PSB Stratus Gold j, anechoic response on midrange axis at 50", averaged across 30° horizontal window and corrected for microphone response, with the complex sum of midrange, woofer, and port responses plotted below 300Hz.


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Listening to dual-mono recordings revealed the Golds to have well-defined stereo imaging. The central image hang-ing between the speaker positions was very narrow, stable with frequency, and didn't "splash" to the sides. Despite the excellent lateral imaging, the Gold is threw a somewhat restricted image depth compared with the best space-meisters, like the tiny JMIab Micron Carats I reviewed a year or so back. (Vo120 No.6, June '96).

At the end of the review period, I started listening to the recordings I had made of Santa Fe's 1997 Chamber Music Festival. As usual, I had used two pairs of microphones: a near-coincident ORTF pair of B&K cardioids and two quite widely spaced B&K omnis. Before I start editing, I align the two mike pairs in time on my hard-disk

editing system and experiment with different mixes to try to preserve the precision of the ORTF pair's sound-stage while adding the low-frequency bloom that the omnis confer. Every time I made a change in the mix, it was easily audible through the Gold is. Their excellent imaging made slight differences in the recorded soundstage very noticeable.

Finally, I took the 1997 Festival tapes over to Wes Phillips' room, to audition them on the EgglestonWorks Andras. I have to admit that, as good as I feel the Stratus Gold is to be, I did prefer the sheer ease to the sound of the $14,700/pair Egglestons, and their huge dynamic range. As WP found, the Andra is one of the most musically in-volving loudspeakers around. But the Law of Diminishing Returns is working

with a vengeance! And the expensive speakers had a more colored midrange than the $2400/pair PSBs.

Summing up You don't have to be an extraordinari-ly skilled engineer to design a halfway-decent pair of loudspeakers intended to sell for $10,000/pair or more. But the real test of a designer's talent is to produce a musically satisfying, neutral-ly balanced pair of speakers to sell at a price more in line with what regular-Joe and -Josephine audiophiles can afford. With his Stratus Gold i, PSB's Paul Barton has risen magnificently to that challenge. At a whisker under $2400/pair, the Gold i is going to put a serious crimp in the sales of its more expensive competitors. Enthusiasti-cally recommended. S

somewhat overdamped, but is tuned to a low 25Hz. The Stratus Gold i's overall

response, averaged across a 30° lateral window on the midrange axis (39"

dB

0.0

-6.0

-12.0

-18.0

-24.0

300.0 1000.0 Frequency File Display (Equalised to slice 19)

-7.21 dB, 3995 Hz (45),

log

-90.00

-60.00

-30.00

0.00

30.00

60.00 deg

MUSA

10000.0 Frequency - He (Setoothed to 0.10 octeue)

80.000 deg (WAUEFORM\PSBG1-35.FRQ)(35)

Fig.5 PSB Stratus Gold j, horizontal response family at 50", normalized to response on midrange axis, from back to front: differences in response 90°-5° off-axis; reference response; differences in response 5°-90° off-axis.

308.0 1000.0 10000.0 Frequency File Display log Frequency - Hz (S.,00thed to (Equalised to slice 4)

-14.09 dB, 2486 Hz (28), -15.000 deg (MMUEFORM\PSBGV-01.FRQ)(1)

Fig.6 PSB Stratus Gold j, vertical response family at 50", normalized to response on midrange axis, from back to front: differences in response 15°-5° above axis; reference response; differences in response 5*-10° below axis.

from the floor), can be seen in fig.4. Other than a very slight presence-region depression between 2kHz and 4kHz and a narrow ripple an octave lower, the response is astonishingly flat. There is also a small rising trend on-axis between the presence and high-treble regions, which might correlate with my feeling that the Gold i sounded slightly "cold." In the bass, the speaker is 6dB down at a low 30Hz. I remarked in my auditioning notes

on the Gold's well-defined stereo imag-ing. I wasn't surprised, therefore, to see that the speaker's lateral dispersion (fig.5) was well controlled and even. However, the top octave above 15kHz rolls off very rapidly to the speaker's sides, and there is a slight off-axis flare in the mid-treble, this coincident with the region where the on-axis output has a slight depression. Vertically (fig.6), the speaker's balance hardly changes within a 20° window centered on the mid-range axis, but above that, a suckout

o

I .20

.40

L Ill ifi I I 1111111

. _

t I 1111111 I 11111111 1 I 1111111 100 1003

21002200/ in 212

10:00

Fig.7 PSB Stratus Gold j, spatially averaged, 1/3-octave response in IA's listening room.


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appears in the upper crossover region. In my listening room, the spatially

averaged response (fig.7) indicates that the entire woofer region was balanced about 4dB too "hot" — no wonder I was so impressed by the speaker's bass per-formance. But this was subjectively acceptable because of the well-damped nature of the Gold ?s low frequencies. Above the slight, floor-reflection-relat-ed dip in the lower mids, the Stratus Gold's in-room response is quite flat. But within the ±2dB limits that cover the almost two decades from 200Hz to

00

3

I 11111111

4 e Tame In n'Sf

Fig.8 PSB Stratus Gold i, step response on midrange axis at 50" (5ms time window, 30kHz bandwidth).

16kHz, there is a slight energy excess in the low treble. This, too, might have contributed to my feeling that the sound was slightly "cold."

In the time domain, the PSB's step re-sponse on the midrange axis (fig.8) reveals the tweeter and midrange to be connected with positive acoustic polari-ty, the woofer with negative. The speak-er is obviously not time-coherent on this axis, but as the return to the time axis of

each drive-unit neatly blends into the wave launch of the next, this implies good integration and a well-balanced frequency response ... as we saw above. Finally, the Stratus Gold is acoustic waterfall plot (fig.9) is dean throughout the upper midrange and treble.

Overall, this is very impressive mea-sured performance, and correlates nice-ly with my very positive auditioning impressions. —John Atkinson

6.0 -

0.0-

-12.0-

400.0 1000.0 10000.0 Cumulative Spectral Decay log Frequency - H2

2.37 dB. 6037 Hz (136). 0.000 ,,sec (1)

0.00

0.60

1.26

1.87

2,3

MLSSA

in,ec

Fig.9 PSB Stratus Gold i, cumulative spectral-decay plot at 50" (0.15m5 risetime).


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Now Hear This, aka NHT, has two products listed under "Loud-speakers" in Sttreophikes "Recom-

mended Components": their flagship Model 3.3 ($4300/pair) and the dimi-nutive SuperZero ($240/pair). That isn't so unusual by itself—other companies have more than one product listed —but the whopping $4060 price difference between these two is one for the books. Of course they have other loudspeakers in between, from the SuperOne a super-er SuperZero), the Model 1.5 the cur-rent version of the two-way that started it all for N HT), and what we gota here, the Model 2.5i. The 2.5i looks like the 3.3's little

brother, which is exactly what it is. The 3.3 lives in Stereophile's Class B, bumping its flat, high-gloss head against the Class A barrier. No doubt you're wondering if the 2.5i shares its bigger sibling's pen-chant for high performance; is it a con-tender, or a pretender?

What it is The 2.5i, like NHTs 33, is a tall floor-stander with a narrow face and wide side,

NHT 2.5i loudspeaker

NHT 2.5i loudspeaker

E P 0 R T

Lonnie Brownell

the side being over twice the width of the front. The front baffle is at a 21° angle, so that when the cabinets are squared up relative to the room, the dri-vers arc pointed toward the listener. This is the basis of NHTs Focused Image Geometry, and is their trademark feature. Besides the benefit of minimizing side-wall reflections, which can mess up imaging, the unusual cabinet shape also helps reduce internal standing waves, and makes it easier to set up — you don't have to go toe-to-toe with them to get the benefits of toeing-in. On the front baffle you'll find a 6.5"

polypropylene-cone midrange mounted near the top, and a 1" aluminum-dome tweeter just below and offset toward the inside edge of the cabinet. Between the tweeter and the outside edge is a strip of foam rubber, specially chosen for its lin-ear acoustic absorption. It effectively lets the tweeter see a smaller baffle — the absorption makes it appear, acoustically, as if the baffle ends where the strip begins — which further improves ima-ging. There arc removable grilles to cover the drivers, but I didn't use them, and you won't need to either — unless the sight of naked drivers makes you squeamish'. I found them attractive in the altogether (that is, them naked, not me). The units tested were finished in high-gloss black, also something of an NHT signature feature, but sycamore and mahogany laminates are available for a few dollars more. The 8" long-throw woofer —or sub-

woofer, as NHT refers to it —is mount-ed on the inner side of the cabinet, cov-ered by a removable grillecloth. The "subwoofer" designation comes from the fact that the 2.5i is fundamentally two speaker systems stacked one atop the other: a small two-way similar to NHTs 1.5 above, and a subwoofer below, each in its own separate cabinet. Go around to the back and you'll find

a recessed panel housing two sets of heavy-duty, solid-metal, gold-plated five-way binding posts connected with jumper straps. Removing the straps

1 Naked drivers? !Icy, here in SoCak you're likely to we anything on the freew.iy.

Description: Three-way, floorstand-ing reflex-loaded loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" fluid-cooled aluminum-dome tweeter, 6.5" polypropylene-cone midrange, 8" long-throw woofer. Crossover frequencies: 100 Hz, 3.3kHz. Crossover slopes: 12dB/ octave high-pass and low-pass (mid/tweeter), 6dB/octave high-pass and 12dB/octave low-pass (mid/woofer). Frequency response: 29Hz-25kHz, ±3dB. Sensitivity: 86 dB (2.83V at 1m). Impedance: 6 ohms nominal, 3.6 ohms minimum. Recommended amplifier power: 35Wpc minimum, 200Wpc maxi-mum. Warranty: 5 years parts and labor. Dimensions: 38" H by 7" W by 15.5" D. Weight: 53 lbs each. Serial numbers of units tested: 002457L, 002419R. Price: $1300/pair in high-gloss black laminate, $1450/pair in mahogany or sycamore laminate. Approximate number of dealers: 300. Manufacturer: Now Hear This, 535 Getty Court, Benicia, CA 94510. Tel: (800) NHT-9993, (707) 747-0151. Fax: (707) 747-1252. Web site: http: //www.nhthifi.com

makes 'em ready for hi-wiring, or for what NHT really has in mind: bi-ampie Bi-amping a speaker like this can be ben-eficial, hut it's not without its difficulties. With two amplifiers but no active crossover before them, both amps will be working on the hill-range signal — but you'd rather free up the tweeter/ midrange amp from the effort of ampli-fying the bass. If you do use an active crossover, then you'd like to be rid of the passive crossovers in the speakers. What's more, you've got to get the levels matched between the two amplifiers, which is tricky if the amps aren't identical (and not guaranteed if they are). This, of course, means you need a level control on one or both amps. (NHT has such products, designed specifically to drive the woofer section: the SA-2 and the SA-3.) Bi-amping is no walk in the park.

Stereophrle, October 1997 209

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Using a single amp of adequate power and excellent performance is, to my mind, a quicker road to total bliss with the 2.5i's, and that's how I tested them.

'The 2.5i's also come with flat metal bars that you attach to the underside of the cabinets. These bars extend from the sides of the speakers and serve as feet. Cones arc supplied that screw into the ends of the bars for that anchored-to-the-floor feeling. Attaching the feet is not optional, by the way; leave them off and you run the risk of knocking the 2.5i's over if you get too feisty — like, for example, when you crank the ceiling fan up to "very high." With the metal-bar feet in place, they're steady, Teddy.

2.5 eyes? No, that's not what we called a kid in school who wore a monocle, it's what NHT calls this update to the original 2.5: "i" is for "improved." And im-proved it is —I lived with the 2.5s for almost a year, and was able to check out the differences firsthand. The tweeter and midrange are new; the tweeter is now a metal-dome, whereas it used to

be a soft-dome type; and the new midrange driver has an inverted dust-cap, whereas the old one's was domed. The position of the tweeter — offset toward the inside edge — is new in the 2.5i (it used to be centered below the

NHT doesn't offer a formal

upgrade or trade-up

program, but they do

encourage their dealers to

do right by loyal owners

who want to move up to

the latest model.

midrange), and the absorptive rubber strip wasn't there. Finally, it used to have only half as many binding posts, and they were of the wimpier red'ieblack plastic variety. NHT doesn't offer a formal upgrade or trade-up program, but they do encourage their dealers to do right

by loyal owners who want to move up to the latest model. Did I say move up? Yes, I did. But I'm getting ahead of the story again ...

Dr. Kantor makes a house call Ken Kantor, Mr. NHT, offered to drop in, check out the setup, play "Name That Tune," talk story, and just plain hang out. Ken's from the Accuracy School of Audio Design: He wants to reproduce what's on the recording, without euphonious coloration or other editorializing. A great-sounding record-ing played back over highly accurate speakers should sound great; but by the same token, cruddy-sounding record-ings should sound as miserable as they truly are. He admits this approach isn't for everyone — some people want all their records and CDs to sound "plea-sant" — but it ain't the truth. Ken turned his attention to how I'd

placed the 2.5i's. I'd already waltzed them around the room, settling on a location that gave me a good balance between low-frequency smoothness and imaging. Or so I thought. First, Mr.

M v estimate of the NHT 2.5i's sensitivity was as specified, at 86dB/2.83V/m (B-weight-

ed). The speaker's impedance plot (fig.1) is typified by a moderate phase angle over almost all the audio band, and a magni-tude that only drops below 6 ohms in the upper bass. As a consequence, the 2.5i should be fairly easy for the partner-ing amplifier to drive. The small blip in the traces at 26kHz indicates the fre-quency of the metal-dome tweeter's pri-mary resonance; the similar-looking wrinkle between 400Hz and 500Hz suKests the presence of a cabinet reso-nance of some kind.

Examining the cabinet's vibrational behavior with a simple plastic-tape ac-celerometer revealed that there were a

MOM

1.000

IOW

11,

2.24t,

00

221

45 0

Fig.1 NHT 2.51, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed) (2 ohms/vertical div.).

couple of low-level modes present: one at 350Hz and the other at 240Hz. The latter was present only on the back panel (fig2), and the former is sufficiently high in frequency that its subjective effect should be minimal. The 2.5i's tall but narrow cabinet appears to be well-braced and rigid.

Fig3 shows the individual responses of the midrege unit, woofer, and port, all measured in the nearfield with the microphone almost touching the dia-phragm. The port's output is the band-

100

Fmcponcy In Fir

Fig.3 NHT 2.5i, nearfield midrange, woofer, and port responses.

1000.0

0.00

12.00

25.00

-37.00

50.00

62.00 msec

MLSSA

20.0 100.0 Cumulative Spectral Decay log Frequency - Hz

-13.9B dB, 238 Hz (61), 0.000 ,',sec (1)

Fig.2 NHT 2.5i, cumulative spectral-decay plot of accelerometer output fastened to cabinet back panel above terminals. (MIS driving voltage to speaker, 7.55V; measurement bandwidth, 2kHz.)


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K wanted to make sure that the fun-damentals were right — that the speak-ers were symmetrically placed in rela-tion to the room boundaries, and to each other. When I'd set them up, I'd measured their distances from the side and back walls by running my tape along the floor. Ken measured from the top of each cabinet — and the distances to the back wall were different. I checked again at the bottom, and they were the same.

"Uh-oh," I said. "There was a crooked man —did he build my crooked house? Are my walls out of kilter?"

"Maybe," replied KK. "Or maybe it\ your floor."

It was my floor. I pulled the spirit level off my turntable and checked out both speakers, and the left one was leaning forward a bit. What a revoltin' develop-ment! I'd always leveled speakers with three spikes; but with four, à la the 2.5i's, I figured they'd be self-leveling because, of course, my slab floor was level. Live and learn. Once that was corrected, by back-ing out the front spikes just a hair on Lefty, everything measured A-OK.

Remember how I said that the angled front made the 2.5i's easier to set up? Here's how: Ken measured the distance between the speakers at the front and back of the cabinet, to make sure they

Ken measured from

the top of each cabinet—

and the distances to the

back wall were different.

I checked again at

the bottom, and

they were the same.

were equal, thus ensuring that the cabi-nets were parallel to each other. You can do that with the 2.5i's because they're squared-off (except for the front baffle), and they're deep enough that if they're out of parallel, there'll be a noticeable difference between the measurements. Once you're done, you have them pre-

cisely aligned in relation to the walls and each other, and you've got the drivers aiming toward the listening position at exactly the saine angle. When you toc-in speakers, getting them aligned with any kind of precision is tricky at best, and often comes down to a lot of eyeballing.2 Ken listened attentively to a few of

his selections. "I'm used to a little more bloom. Did you try them a little closer together?"

Yes, I had — they'd started out much closer together; I'd moved them out-ward from there — but I hadn't detected significantly better bloom at those tighter locales.

"Well," said Ken, 'maybe we could try moving them in a little, like an inch each." We did, and it was as if springtime had

come —they were bloomin' great, offer-ing hall ambience well beyond the out-side edge of each speaker, whereas before

2 By the way, the trick to comparing the distance between the front and back of the cabinets to make sure they're parallel isn't mentioned in the user's guide, so consider this your Sea« Audio Club Insider's Tip of the I by.

pass centered on 32Hz, this not coinci-dentally the frequency of the woofer's minimum-motion point The port rolls off cleanly above 70Hz, while the woofer covers the octave from 60Hz to 120Hz. There is actually a small degree of overlap between the woofer and the midrange unit, the latter's range extend-ing down to 65Hz or so. The calculated result of how these

individual outputs add in the farfield is shown to the left of fig.4. (Their re-sponses were mathematically summed, taking into account phase and different distances to the nominal farfield point) The overlap results in a small boost in

10

o

10

100 1000

Fueeney kt

10310

Fig.4 NHT 2.5i, anechoic response on midrange axis at 50", averaged across 30° horizontal window and corrected for microphone response, with the complex sum of midrange, woofer, and port responses plot-ted below 300Hz.

the 60-100Hz region, with the speaker giving useful low-frequency output down to 30Hz or so: As LB noted, this relatively diminutive speaker gives good bass. But note that the lower midrange does indeed appear somewhat sup-pressed in this graph. Alternatively, if the similar depression in the mid-treble is taken into account, the upper mid-range seems rather prominent. How-ever, estimating the subjective effect of on-axis response graphs like this is very much a case of "the cup's half empty/ half full." It depends whether the listen-

er locks onto the excess energy in one band or the depression in another. As LB found in his auditioning of the 2.5i that the lower inids/upper bass sounded rather lean, it's obvious that that was what he perceived. Why wasn't he bothered by the lack

of on-axis energy between 21cHz and 8kHz? If you look at the plot of the speaker's lateral dispersion (fig.5), you can see that its off-axis output features a small excess in this region, due to the tweeter's wide dispersion compared to the more narrow dispersion of the

300.0 1000.0 reetedentea File Displee (Etfuel1sed to elioe 19)

-5.19 dl. 5666 H. (5?),

-90.00

-60.00

-30.00

0.00

30.00

60.00 des

MLSSA

10000.0 log Srequenoo - He (Smoothed to 0.10 octave)

-65.666 deg (WAUEFORM\MHTZ5-06.Fffl)(6)

Flg.5 NHT 2.5i, horizontal response family at 50", normalized to response on midrange axis, from back to front: differences in response 90°-5° off-axis; reference response; differences in response 5°-90° off-axis.


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things had been a tad more corralled. Ken Kantor knows his speakersP For the record, the final positioning had 'em 30" out from the back wall, 44.75" from the sides, 85" from inside edge to inside edge, and about 98" from the speaker plane to the listening position.

Hear this now The first thing that hit me (literally, almost) when listening to the 2.5i was that it produced some serious bass. I'd been listening to the Thiel CS.5 and Hales Concept Two, both of which are adequate in the bass department, but with somewhat different presentations: the Thiel is a little more deep and slight-ly more loose, the Hale more controlled but not as low. Putting the NHTs into the chain made me aware of just how much stuff there is going on in the

3 He also knows his music, both as a consumer and as a producer. Ken's first album is called loot/went. on his own Anxious Hippy label (see Wes Phillips' interview elsewhere in this issue). He wrote the tunes and plays and snip most of the music. It's your thing if you've got a kick tor, sas; Velvet Underground or Pere Ulm. Check out his We site at www.amtioushippy.com or write Anxious Hippy Music, Box 2133, Orinda, CA 94563.

woofer in the region immediately be-low. In the vertical plane (fig.6), the NHT 2.5i offers its best balance if you sit so that your ears are some-where between the bottom of the midrange unit and the top of the cab-inet. And standing listeners beware: The sound you perceive will be af-fected by a deep suckout in the upper crossover region.

In the time domain, the NHTs step response (fig.7) indicates that the drive-units are connected with the same polarity, while the waterfall plot (fig.8) is relatively clean. The 2.5i is another good-measuring and -sounding design from Ken Kantor. -John Atkinson

1111I

MIMI I • 7 a

Tomb«

Fig.7 NHT 2.51, step response on midrange axis at 50" (5ms time window, 30kHz band-width).

nether regions, and gave what was there via the other speakers a more promi-nent role. "Yeah, but was it too much, Lonster?" you ask.

The first thing that hit me

(literally, almost) when

listening to the 2.5i was

that it produced some

serious bass.

No way, man! What it was was en-joyable, hearing —and feeling — the power of bass, drums, and other objects that can shake the earth. This led to a search for recordings that had mea-ningful bass things going on, just so I could revel in the 2.5i's depths. I mean, I like Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, but I rarely reach for The Flight of the Cosmic Hippo (Warner Bros. 26562-2, CD) — it's one of those demo warhorses (war-hippos?) that I've heard enough times

already, thanks. But I dug it out so I could let Victor Wooten and Future Man mas-sage me on the title track through the NHTs. The power of Wooten's im-probably low notes was presented with a clarity and detail that one might not expect, especially if one is used to speak-ers that grunt out low frequencies at high levels but with poor articulation. But the 2.5i isn't just a subwoofer, it's

a full-range speaker, and it did equal jus-tice to the rest of the audible range. Rec-ordings with a good, lively presentation practically jumped out at me — like "Room to Move" from John Mayall's The Turning Point (Polydor 24-4004, LP). Mayan's harp started and stopped, climbed and fell like a hummingbird in fast-forward, and the "chiga-chiga" vocals near the end were keenly placed in the soundstage. The audience sound-ed remarkably like an audience, not like sizzling bacon, and were placed around the speakers in a kind of a halo. By com-parison, the Thiels had a somewhat more laid-back presentation, a little less lively and also a bit softer from the upper mids on up. Image depth was

300.0 1000.0 10000.0 Fueommencea File Displam Io o Fewtoenold - Ms (Smoothed to 0.10 octave, tErtuallsed to allow 4,

-23.83 dB, 3729 Hz (42), -18.888 deg (WAVBFORMVIHUV-82.781)(2)

Fig.6 NHT 2.51, vertical response family at 50", normalized to response on midrange axis, from back to front: differences in response 15°-5° above axis; reference response; differences in response 5°-10° below axis.

AB 0.00

0.60

1.33

1.07

3.53

2./2 «moo

KLIMA

400.0 1000.0 10000.0 formulae ye Speceeal Decau log ivotomono. - Ns

8.04 dB. 6481 Hz (146), 8.888 mac (1)

Fg.111 NHT 2.5i, cumulative spectral-decay plot at 50" (0.15ms risetime).


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good with the NHTs, but wasn't quite as impressive as that of the Thiels —but the Thiels are exceptional in this regard.

There was, it seemed, a slight (and I do mean slight) leanness in the NHTs upper-bass/lower-midrange. This per-ception may have been accentuated by the power of the low bass, causing the octaves just above to seem diminished by comparison. This was just barely noticeable on husky male voices, like Leonard Cohen singing "Tower of Song" from I'm Your Man (Columbia CK 44191, CD), and also on Cyrus Chest-nut's piano from his Revelation (Atlantic Jazz 82518-2, CD).

The 2.5i did detail —it was all there for me to see (hear) — but not in an over-etched way. A hot, bright record-ing sounded like what it was, but not more so. Big Hits by Prado (RCA LSP-2401) has blaring horns that arc the audio equivalent of '50s and '60s Tech-nicolor — over-saturated, brassy, sharp —and with the NUT, that's exactly what they sounded like. I love this album, but played over the wrong sys-tem it can drive me out of the room. The NHT would seem to be the kind of product that might do that; instead, it

managed to pull off the improbable trick of showing the recording for what it is, while still allowing me to enjoy the music in all its lurid splendor.

The NHTs made me

wish Jonathan Richman

was a better recording,

pointing out quite clearly

what was wrong with it,

but they still let the

emotional essence of

the performance

come through.

So you have to wonder —did the 2.5i make bad recordings sound bad? Sort of. It did expose the shortcomings of the poor recordings I threw at it, but did so in such a truthful and, well, Jim way that I wasn't put off. A couple of cases in point: I played a cheesy LP of The Greatest

Hits, 141.1 by The Move (Pickwick SHM

Other Stuff

The preamplifier was a Sonic Frontiers Anthem Pre 1, and amplification came via its

companion Amp 1 (both of which are next up in the LB Review Queue), as well as the JoLida SJ-502A and Bryston B-60R integrateds (Bryston review also forthcoming). The 'table was my good old Linn Axis with Linn Basik Plus toneann and stock Linn cables. CDs were played by an Audio Alchemy setup (DDS III via Illuminati DataFlex Studio to a DTI v2.0, then by Audio Alchemy I2S to a DDE v3.0, and from there to the preamp via Syn-ergistic Research Alpha), or an En-lightened Audio Design CD-1000 all-in-one CD player lashed up via Synergistic Research Looking Glass.

Speaking of Synergistic's Looking Glass, a long run of it was used from pre- to power amps. Speaker cables were Cardas Crosslink 1, running to Thiel CS.5s and Hales Concept Twos, besides the NHTs. Everything with a power cord was plugged into an Audio Power Industries Power

Wedge: most into a model 116, the amps into a model 110. A Power Enhancer 1 also added good elec-trical karma.

Records are always made ready with a Nitty Gritty Model One cleaner. I use NG's Pure-2 cleaner, then dress the LPs for dinner with LAST No.2 preservative, and, just before play, give them a quick brush-up with the Hunt EDA record-cleaning brush. The stylus was cleaned by a quick flick of the stiff little brush supplied with the Shure cartridge; or, for heavy-duty gunk removal, a Signet SK305 electronic cleaner with matching fluid. A little dab o' LAST's StyLast stylus pre-server was also applied on occasion. Flux was busted by a Sumiko FB-1 FluxBuster. Most stuff sat on Bright Star

Audio Big Rocks, which kept the bad vibes under control. An Arcici Superstand II and my own home-made MDF-and-wood amp stand completed the picture.

—El Bee

952), to hear "Hello Susie" and "Bron-tosaurus" — brilliant pieces of seminal power pop, but hardly what one would call technically stunning, natural, lifelike recordings (and on a pressing just a little stiffer than a flexidisc). Yeah, as the cho-rus says, they could really do the Brontosaurus: Roy Wood's vocals had an urgency I hadn't caught before; Bev Bevan's outstanding drumming, though somewhat mushy, propelled things along in fits and starts; and all that phasey psychedelic pan-potting made me flash a peace sign while banging my head. It was kind of like having a killer, very loud transistor radio.

Another bad-but-good recording is Jonathan Richman's eponymous LP (Rounder 9021). It sounds as if he rec-orded it in a hangar, or maybe a big tun-nel —it's got this sort of hollow, echoey thing, but it's also mighty rolled-off at the top. It's mostly just JR solo, singing and playing his guitar, with occasional heavy percussion provided by Jojo him-self stomping his feet. The NHTs made me wish it was a better recording, point-ing out quite clearly what was wrong with it, but they still let the emotional essence of the performance come through —which is exactly why one lis-tens to Richman's recordings in the first place.

I heard that I'd heard the NI-IT 2.5 at a couple of shows and thought it sounded promising, but found its performance under dread-ed show conditions to be less than en-thralling. When I got a pair into my sys-tem at home, I was impressed. Now, I'm even more impressed with

the 2.5i, which represents a true im-provement over its predecessor, offering a more refined, better-focused sound. The NHT 2.5i is, without a doubt, an out-and-out bargain in this nutty game of high-end audio. If you're a glutton for bass, the 2.5i will keep you sated; even if you aren't, or think you aren't, it could convert you. It's like a lab instrument, allowing you to see into the recording, to extract the detail that's there, without any extra filigree or buffing of rough edges, while still delivering the musical message intact.

NFIT's 3.3 may be their statement product, but I think the 2.5i may be their most important product in offering such a high level of performance at a real-world price. A nonaudiophile friend, listening to the 2.5i, made the offhand remark that "music sounds better when it sounds better." I agree. He's thinking about getting a pair. S


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Though the original Artemis Sys-tems Eos has been around for a few years, it doesn't seem to have

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The movers delivered three large boxes and two absolutely huge crates. Inside the boxes were the two Eos Signatures and their external crossovers. Each crate contained a Base Module, and their appearance struck fear into my heart. I had gone too far — each crate weighed 300 lbs, and together they were more commodious than some apartments in my Manhattan neighbor-hood. I signed for the delivery, then panicked when I realized there was no way to get them unpacked before my wife came home. Indeed, I didn't know

Eos Signature loudspeaker and Base Module

Artemis Systems Eos Signature: Two-way loudspeaker in ported en-closure with external first-order crossover (frequency not specified). Drive-units: 1" ceramic-dome tweet-er, 7" three-layer Kevlar/Nomex hon-eycomb woofer/midrange driver. Frequency response: 50Hz-20kHz, ±2dB. Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 7 ohms minimum. Sensitivity: 88.25dB/ 1W/1 m. Recommended amplifica-tion: 35-150W Dimensions: 17" H by 13.5" W by 16.5" D. Crossover: 4" H by 12" W by 12" D. Weights: 70 lbs each (Eos), 10 lbs each (crossover). Serial number of units reviewed: 1204s Price: $7300/pair (black satin), $8582/pair (oak), $8750/pair (sa-pele), $9831/pair (birdseye maple), $11,555/pair (rosewood).

Artemis Systems Base Module: Low-frequency loudspeaker. Ported enclosure with 11" bass driver and low-pass, first-order filter (frequency not specified). Frequency response: 26-50Hz, ±2dB. Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 7 ohms minimum. Sensi-tivity: 88dB/1W/lm. Recommended amplification: 70-150W. Dimensions: 27" H by 20" W by 29" D. Weight: 225 lbs each. Serial number of units reviewed: 1205. Prices: $8500/pair (black satin) to $11,820/pair (birdseye maple).

Both: Approximate number of dealers: 14. Manufacturer: Artemis Systems, 4352-1 Spring Valley Rd., Dallas, TX 75244. Tel: (972) 243-5905.

how I was going to do it at all. Enlisting a friend with a strong back

and a sturdy dolly (the kind with wheels), we began by removing the multitude of screws that held the top and one side of each crate. We then gently walked each 225-lb Base Module onto the dolly for its trip to the other end of the listening room. While I can describe this task in two sentences, it was a long and serious undertaking. We had an easier task with the Eos Sig-natures (only 70 lbs each) and cross-overs, and the precisely matched wood grain confirmed that each Signature was positioned correctly on its Base Module.

For wiring to their external crossovers, the Eos Signatures carne with four stout lengths of Cardas Golden Hex 5C cable. But the Base Modules require separate wiring, so we quickly hooked up the Signatures without the Base Modules to see if our strenuous efforts had been for a good cause. Within seconds, we smiled at each other, these speakers were some-thing special.

Description From the front, the Eos Signature looks like a truncated pyramid. The front panel tilts gently back, its sides and top

strongly chamfered. Under the grille one finds a damping pad of thick felt with openings cut precisely to accom-modate the 1" concave ceramic-dome HF driver and the 7" three-layer Key-lar/Nomex honeycomb woofer/mid-range. The rear surface of the Eos bears a large flared port. While the standard Eos looks the same and has a first-order crossover network built-in, the Eos Signature has an external crossover box. Despite this, the Signature is no lighter than the standard Eos; a substantial inter-nal damping system has been added to a cabinet that already had 1.25"-thick side walls and a 3"-thick front panel! The Signature's external crossover is first-order (6dB/octave), providing signifi-cant overlap in the output of the two drivers, and its larger-capacity compo-nents are isolated from the busy acoustic environment of the speaker enclosure. The width of the Base Module's

upper surface fits the Eos Signature exactly, and its chamfered sides mirror those of its companion. The Base Module is heroically constructed of a five-layer composite with 2"-thick side walls and a 4"-thick front panel. It's sim-ply oblivious to knuckle raps. Inside is an 11" Kevlar/Nomex driver similar to


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the 7" woofer/midrange, and the flared port on the rear is a bigger version of the one on the Eos. Although the Base Module contains a low-pass filter tai-lored to match the rolloff of the Eos, the two are wired in parallel, with no addi-tional high-pass filtering on the Eos. The combined shape of the Eos/Base

Module is graceful, the quality of the finish extraordinary, and, surprisingly, it

The Artemis Eos Signature's plot of impedance magnitude and phase vs frequency is shown in fig.l.

(Logistical difficulties with the enor-mous Base Module meant that I could-n't measure its impedance.) The speaker is basically easy to drive, remaining above 6 ohms over almost all the audio band. The tuning of the reflex port is indicated by the "saddle" in the magni-tude trace centered on 42Hz, which implies reasonable low-frequency ex-tension even without the bass module. Note the slight wrinkles in the traces at 230Hz and 400Hz; these suggest that there are cabinet resonances present at these frequencies (though given the rocklike construction of the cabinet, this is hard to believe). When it came to measuring the Eos'

sensitivity, I had some problems in that

Mom... Yr..« ...rem Ob. Irma» ••••• v.', 1.1

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Artemis Eos Signature, electrical imped-ance (solid) and phase (dashed) (2 ohms/ vertical div.).

1 1 I 111111 1 I I 111111 1 1 I HIM I

1 1 1 111111 1 1 I 11 1 1 I I 111111 1 103 IOW

Frequelfe Mi

10030

Artemis Eos Signature, without crossover, anechoic response of tweeter and woofer on tweeter axis at 50", corrected for micro-phone response, with nearfield woofer and port responses plotted below 300Hz and IkHz, respectively.

does not dominate the room. In fact, this is the first loudspeaker in my living room to elicit favorable comments from my wife and from my interior-decora-tor neighbor, neither of whom cares a lot about sound.

Let's hear it already! We wired up the Eos Signatures, leaving the Base Modules to serve only as, well,

the B-weighted figure I obtained, 84dB/2.83V/m, was significantly lower than specified. I was also bothered by a rather hollow quality to the speaker's sound, which I usually associate with a treble suckout of some kind. Curiously, when I inverted the electrical connec-tion to the tweeter, the measured sensi-tivity increased to a more reasonable 87dB and the hollow character disap-peared. More on this later. The Signature's external crossover

made it possible to examine the intrin-sic behavior of the drive-units. Fig.2 shows the unequalized responses of the tweeter, woofer, and port. The latter is the bandpass response centered on the woofer's minimum-motion point at 42Hz. Note that it has a vicious-looking resonant spike at 400Hz, the frequency

•••••.1.8 1011.1.erialles..1.••••••• bier n Fnporsy

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Fig.3 Artemis Eos Signature, crossover electrical response (5dB/vertical div.).

1 1 I11111 I 1!!!1. 1 1 1 111111 1

Fig.4 Artemis Eos Signature, with crossover, anechoic response of tweeter and woofer on tweeter axis at 50", corrected for micro-phone response, with nearfield woofer and port responses plotted below 300Hz and IkHz, respectively.

bases, and positioned them in a seemingly reasonable location facing straight ahead. From the get-go, it was apparent that these speakers can make music come alive. Focused as we were on the hard-ware, it was especially stunning to hear them "disappear." Sounds seemed to emanate from the spaces between, above, behind, and even beside the Eoses, but only rarely from the cabinets themselves.

of one of the wrinkles in the impedance plot. The reflex port acts like an organ pipe at this frequency; fortunately, the fact that the port faces the speaker's rear will reduce any subjective problems due to this resonance (though there is a slight glitch in the woofer's response at the same frequency). The woofer han-dles the range above 70Hz. But without any crossover in circuit, it suffers from a fierce resonance, probably due to a cone breakup mode at 4kHz.

But the Eos Signature is meant to be used with its crossover, whose electrical response is shown in fig.3. The slopes are very gentle, but more important, note that Artemis' designer has applied both a notch at 4kHz to the woofer feed to reduce the effect of the cone mode, and a degree of downward tilt through the midrange to compensate for the drive-unit's inherently rising response. The tweeter also has a slight suckout in its drive, to compensate for a peak between 1.5kHz and 2.5kHz in its raw on-axis output. The equalized responses of the indi-

vidual drivers are shown in fig.4. Both tweeter and woofer are now flat within their passbands. However, there is an area of broad overlap: between 2kHz and 8kHz, both drivers contribute to the overall response. This has ramifica-tions that will emerge in a moment.

Digressing slightly, fig.5 shows the Eos Base Module's performance. The

100

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Fig.5 Artemis Eos Base Module, nearfield woofer and port responses, with their complex sum.


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Think about it: With an ensemble playing in a wide, deep soundstage, no more than one voice/instrument could be where the speaker is; and yet, many speakers draw your attention to them-selves. I'm not talking about phase anomalies to give a false sense of spa-ciousness. Not here. Every voice was precisely and repeatably localizable. In addition, the Eos Signature sounded

port is tuned to a very low 23Hz, with its useful output extending an octave higher in frequency. The woofer takes over above 40Hz, with then a slow roll-out above 70Hz. The top trace in fig.5 is the complex sum of the woofer and port responses, taking the physical distance between the two radiating surfaces into account. The Base Module basically covers the 25-55Hz bandpass, which should usefully complement the low-frequency output of the Eos Signature satellite.

That it does so is confirmed by fig.6. The Base Module's response is repeated on the left side of fig.6, with the com-

Fig.6 Artemis Eos Signature, tweeter connected with 'correct" polarity, anechoic response on tweeter axis at 50", averaged across 30° horizontal window and corrected for micro-phone response, with the complex sum of woofer and port responses plotted below 300Hz and the complex sum of Base Module woofer and port responses plotted below IkHz.

Fig.7 Artemis Eos Signature, tweeter connected with inverted polarity, anechoic response on tweeter axis at 50", averaged across 30° horizontal window and corrected for micro-phone response, with the complex sum of woofer and port responses plotted below 300Hz.

smooth and coherent, as evidenced by the fact that sibilants were placed with the rest of the instrument or voice, and not drawn toward the drivers. Even when I walked up to and around the speakers, the sound still seemed to hang in nearby space.

'This was so encouraging that I decid-ed to live with the Eos Signatures alone for a while, and not wire up the Base

plex sum of the Eos' woofer and port to its right. But as KR stated, there is no high-pass filter in the Eos Signature's feed, meaning that it has to handle a full-range signal even when coupled with the Base Module. The result is a possible compromise in ultimate dy-namic range. On the right of fig.6 is the farfield

response of the Eos on the tweeter axis with the tweeter connected in the cor-rect polarity. Note that the graph is dominated by a large suckout covering the region where the tweeter and woofer overlap. (Both speakers were

Modules until I'd gotten a full apprecia-tion of the sound without them. After all, at the asking price, the Eos Signatures by themselves arc a serious purchase option, and Artemis does offer spiked, sand-tillable stands for such use. The Signatures seemed pretty indifferent to placement, so long as they were at least 3' from any wall and at least 10' from the listener. Artemis says that 6' is minimal,

identical in this respect.) By contrast, fig.7 shows the response with the tweet-er connected with inverted electrical polarity: it is now impressively flat throughout the treble. Yet KR much preferred the sound with the tweeter connected so as to give a measured crossover suckout -an enigma until you consider that Artemis recommends that the Eos be auditioned from at least 8' away, and preferably more. At listen-ing distances less than this, the listener's perception of the sound will be domi-nated by the on-axis response, with its suckout. Certainly when I auditioned

dB

0.0

-6.0

-12.0

-18.0

-24.0

. • 300.0 1000.0

Frequency File Display (Etrualiagd to slice 19)

1.22 dB. 6214 Hz (70), -90.000 deg (\BAUEFORM\EOS-01.FRQ)(1)

log Frequency

- -90.00

- -60.00

---30.00

0.00

30.00

60.00 deg

MLSSA 10000.0

- Its (Smoothed to 0.10 octave)

Fig.8 Artemis Eos Signature, horizontal response family at 50", normalized to response on tweeter axis, from back to front: differences in response 90*-5° off-axis; reference response; differences in response 5*-90* off-axis.

-24.0

300.0 1000.0 Frequency File DIselss log

-15.00

--5.00

0.00

-10.00 deg

MLSSA

10030.0 eeeeee ncy - Ho (Seboothed to 0.10 octave)

7.49 dB, 4794 HI (54), 5.000 deg (WAUEFORM5E0S-U-05.FRO1)(5)

Fig.9 Artemis Eos Signature, vertical response family at 50", from back to front: response 10*-5° above axis; reference response; response 5*-150 below axis.


and that 8' or more is optimum. I can't agree that anything less than 10' could be called "optimum," although the speaker is "listenable" even at 5'.

Toc-in, of course, will be dependent on listening distance and environment. In my setup, with a listening distance of about 12', I used only about 8° of toe-in; the medial surfaces of the cabinets were still visible from the listening position.

the speaker during my measuring, I was only about 4' away. But at farther dis-tances, the speaker's power response increasingly affects the perceived bal-ance, and the power response will not be affected by on-axis interference effects.

Fig.8 shows the lateral dispersion of the Eos Signature, normalized to the tweeter-axis response (which means that just the changes are shown). 'Me tre-ble "horns" indicate that the sound to the speaker's sides does not suffer near-ly so much from the crossover suckout. The reverberant field in the room will therefore be much more evenly bal-anced. In addition, the plot of the Eos Signature's vertical dispersion (fig.9) suggests that for me to measure the Eos on what intuitively appeared to be the reference axis -level with the tweeter, some 41" from the floor when the speaker sits on the Base Module -was misguided. The speaker's balance be-

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Fig.10Artemis Eos Signature, step response on tweeter axis at 50" (5ms time window, 30kHz bandwidth).

05

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Fig.11 Artemis Eos Signature, step response on tweeter axis at 50" with HF unit in inverted polarity (5ms time window, 30kHz bandwidth).

With a Sonic Frontiers Power-2 ampli-fier, bass response seemed ample, and the balance was not much affected by various speaker placements unless one got too close to the back or side walls. The effect of such proximity was decid-edly negative, tilting the balance toward the bass and muddying it as well. The SF Power-2 and McCormack

DNA-1 power amps drove the Eos

comes significantly flatter through the treble for listeners who sit with their ears around 30" from the floor. The lack of drive-unit integration on

the tweeter axis can also be seen in the time domain. Fig.10, for example, shows the Eos' step response with the tweeter connected in the correct polari-ty. The HF unit's output is the small up/down spike of energy just after the 3.5ms mark, followed by the woofer. Both units are connected in the same positive acoustic polarity, but the per-formance is not time-coherent on this axis. Fig.11 shows what happens when the tweeters' electrical polarity is invert-ed. You can now see that the tweeter is

Signatures easily and successfully, al-though not identically (see below). With either amp the sound of the speakers was quite transparent, the unspecified crossover frequency difficult to charac-terize (I guess it to be about 3kHz). I developed an obsession - exacerbated when I added the Base Modules -with trying to find fault by attending to mediocre recordings and broadcasts.

connected with the opposite acoustic polarity to the woofer. However, the return of its step to the time axis now

3

0

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Fig.12 Artemis Eos Signature, step response on optimum axis at 50" (5ms time window, 30kHz bandwidth)

dB

.o

0.00

0.60

1.26

1.87

2.53

3.13 ...sec

MLSSA

400.0 1000.0 10000 Ca...quiet...Pe Spectral Decay log Freeuency - Hr

4.75 dB, 3906 H. (00), 0.0e0 msec (1)

Fig.13 Artemis Eos Signature, cumulative spectral-decay plot on optimum axis at 50" (0.15ms risetime).

dB 000

12.00

25.00

37.00

50.00

62.00 msee

_MLSSA

20.0 100.0 1000.0 Cumulattee Spectral Decay log Freeuency - A.

-27.25 dB, 254 H. (65), 0.000 ',sec (1)

Fig.14 Artemis Eos Signature, cumulative spectral-decay plot of accelerometer output fastened to cabinet side panel. (MIS driving voltage to speaker, 7.55V; measurement bandwidth, 2kHz.)


Every morning before I stepped into the shower, every time I got home, and every evening just before turning in, I had to sample a randomly selected FM broadcast. Each time I did this, I was amazed: the system sounded wonderful! This is not to say that all the music was wonderful, but I consistently felt that I was listening thro4 the system to the recording and the music. The speakers

coincides with the rise in the oppo-site direction of the woofer step, implying flat frequency response on this axis with this connection, as was shown by fig.7. And fig.12 shows the step response on a low axis: now it can be seen that both tweeter and woofer step responses coincide in time, giving both time-coherent performance and a flat response. (Ignore the different scal-ing and the extra HF overshoot on this graph, which are due to a dif-ferent anti-aliasing filter being used and a different level adopted for the measurement) The Eos Signature's cumulative

spectral-decay plot on this optimal axis is shown in fig.13. Some low-level hash can be seen in the mid-treble, with a resonance apparent just below 4kHz; this is presum-ably due to the woofer mode seen in fig2. This behavior probably explains why KR was bothered by a roughness in the midrange at very high levels.

Finally, while the cabinet was dead to the knuckle-rap test, there was a glitch in the impedance trace at 250Hz. Fig.14 shows a waterfall plot calculated from the output of a plastic-tape accelerometer fastened to the Eos' sidewall. Yes, there is a mode present at this frequency, but it is so far down in level that it is safe to say that it will be subjective-ly innocuous. (See the B&W and NHT reviews elsewhere in this issue for more typical vibration behavior, plotted to the same scale.) Assuming the review samples

were wired correctly, the cross-over, baffle slope, and drive-unit polarity seem optimized for listen-ers sitting either close and low or far away. Assuming that those con-ditions are met, the Artemis Eos Signature's measurements are res-pectable indeed. —John Atkinson

had a quite neutral balance, and did not seem to impose any character on most recordings. If it was an old LP with scratches and surface noise, the noise was in a different and distinct space, and the music was still coherent. What was most remarkable was that the noises and vagaries of less-than-perfect recordings were eminently apparent, but didn't obtrude on my musical appreciation! What about the bass? I expected

nothing subterranean, but the overall frequency balance was fine at all reason-able listening levels. My favorite torture discs arc my collection of recordings of Mahler's Symphony 6; with any of them, the Eos Signatures credibly repro-duced the monstrous last movement. On Bernstein/DG (427 967-2) the hammer strokes lacked visceral impact, but everything else was fine in this live, multimiked, emotionally fierce perfor-mance. Switching to the better-bal-anced but more distant Zander/IMP CD (DMCD 93), also recorded at a concert performance, I was impressed with the depth of the orchestral voices as well as with their balance, but where were the hammer blows? Almost gone. The Eos Signatures seemed to have a smooth response down to about 50-60Hz with no noticeable midbass suck-out, but below 50Hz they had almost nothing. The Bernstein hammer is big and resonant; the Eos captured the aura if not the fundamental. The Zander hammer is deep, dry, and damped; the Eos couldn't get the fundamental, and there isn't much else. Significantly, the Eos didn't do anything wrong when hit with powerful signals outside its range; that suggests that it would be well mated with a subwoofer. S000000

All together now There is no additional LF rolloff for the Eos Signature when used with the Base Modules. Thus, the Base Module could be most easily added by running it from the second set of input terminals on the Eos external crossover, with the full-range signal from the amp driving the Eos and the Base Module in parallel. Would that life were so simple!

Artemis suggests no fewer than four con-nection options, three of which can be multi-wired or multi-amped. I set up and auditioned the system three ways, using Straight Wire Virtuoso balanced inter-connects and Maestro II speaker cables. First, I ran the speakers serially wired from a single amp, with a single speaker cable to the Base Module and another from the Base Module to the Eos crossover ("Wiring Option 4") with

either the DNA-1 or the Power-2. Second, I ran separate speaker wires to the Eos crossover and to the Base Module from the two output terminal sets on the DNA-1 ("Wiring Option 2"). Finally, I bi-amped the system with two DNA-ls so that each amplifier drove the Eos crossover from one channel and the Base Module from the other (again, "Wiring Option 2"). Life's too short to pursue all the options, although the speakers and crossovers have hefty and redundant binding posts to accommodate almost any conceivable arrangement I was happy with all of these arrange-

ments. A single DNA-1 or Power-2 was sufficient to drive the now three-way system to unneighborly levels. The effects of adding the Base Module were both subtle and significant. The subtle part was the bass extension. After all, balance was already good, and there isn't a lot of music below 50Hz. While seeking out recordings to exercise the Base Modules, I found that they added at least another octave to the bottom end and, as long as they were kept more than 3' from the walls, did so cleanly and with authority. The bass on Roots!!! African Dnuns (Denon DC-8559) was rich and full of resonance, but still nim-ble; the imaging abilities of the Eos Signatures were not compromised by adding the Bass Modules. (This record-ing was one of several that I used at the 1997 WCES. In some demos, it had no oomph; in others it had so much oomph that the imaging was destroyed. Some demos were pretty good, but returning home to the Eos/Base combo was a delight. As Goldilocks would say, this was just right!) The significant effect of adding the

Base Modules to the Eos was on the combined system's ability to handle micro- and macrodynamic changes. Diana Krall's voice and the instruments in her group are subtly modulated throughout All For Iu (Impulse! IMPD-182). Listening via Eos/Base, I noticed many delightful and delicious inflections, such as in the final chorus of "The Boulevard of Broken Dreams," which I had never before perceived so clearly. Particularly with the SF Power-2, I imagined that I could detect how Krall moved her lips or tongue, or whether she was sniffing. I attribute this to the remarkably coherent, almost liquid, sound of the Eos/I3ase with their smooth, undetectable crossovers and no noticeable beaming. Thus, no tonal or spatial anomalies confused my ability to perceive small dynamic adjustments. In this they reminded me of nothing so


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much as the midrange of my sainted Stax F-81 electrostatics.

Larger dynamic adjustments, such as the military rat-a-tat in the middle of the Dr. John/Odetta "Buddy, Can You Sparc A Dirne" (on Justice JR 0003-2), could be appropriately startling. The capacity of the Eos/Base to reveal such subtleties made it useful as a monitoring tool. This was especially appreciated when Rick Rosen visited with an arm-ful of commercial recordings and test pressings of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. 'The differences among the various Cl) and LP versions were easily discerned. I was unable to detect any reliable dif-

ference between serial and hi-wiring with the McCormack DNA-1, but that amplifier did offer an alternative rendi-tion to the Power-2's. Using the DNA-1, I found that I was less attuned to the fine, internal hues of voices and instru-ments, but that I was attending to the re-created ambience of the recording venue. This is not to say that the Power-2 was closed-in or that the DNA-1 lacked subtlety, but that the Eos/Base made distinguishing the strengths of these two amps relatively easy. The DNA-1 was capable of making a deeper, wider presentation with the Eos/Base while retaining pinpoint placement.

Having said that, it's no surprise that I, an imaging fanatic, was most happy with a pair of DNA-is in the bi-amping arrangement. Everything I said above holds for this setup as well, but I found the case and authority of the bi-amped system addictive. The previously men-tioned Mahler Sixths were both over-whelming, although somewhat different. Especially with the Bernstein, the final peroration of the symphony made me jump, giving me chills even though I've heard it dozens of times — the physical and emotional impacts were irresistible. Be warned that the Eos/Base system

won't easily let you listen, audiophile-fashion, to short snippets of music. One of my new joys is the set of the Schumann symphonies by Roy Good-man and the Hanover Band (RCA 61931-2). Over the Eos/Base system, I was hearing the most convincing re-cre-ation of an orchestra in a real hall that I have ever heard—and was swept into listening to the entire 2-CI) set more than once! With such accepted audio-phile fare as the Evotic Dances front the Opera Cl) (Reference RR-71CD), I could revel in the glory of the orchestra at realistic levels. Interestingly, the place-ment and distance of the orchestra didn't change as I turned up the volume; it just got louder. Finally, Leonard Cohen's

"Everybody Knows" (from /'m Your Man, Columbia CK 44191), a decidedly non-audiophile presentation, was gripping in its bare-bulb immediacy, confirming that this system could squeeze the best out of almost any recording.

Perfection? The Artemis Eos/Base Module sound-ed so right that it seems a bit churlish to mention the few ways in which they fell from grace. First, the Base Modules were demanding in their placement requirements. Ideally, they must be at least 3' from any wall, and —because of the rear port —twice that from the wall behind them. You probably can man-age that if your room is large enough. The Modules would have liked a room even larger than mine (approximately 5000 cubic feet). Using them in a smaller room excites room modes, and the bass can seem overwhelming. (Artemis is offering a smaller Base Module that I sus-pect will be happier in more typical domestic surroundings.)

Second, because the Eos Signature has no high-pass filter, playing the com-bined system at very high spis intro-duced a roughness into the midrange. To experience this, however, I had to play the system at ear-damaging levels. Artemis acknowledges this problem, but maintains that introducing a high-pass filter would compromise the purity of the sound at all listening levels. I never experienced this without the Base modules, as prudence usually prevents


Analog source: Hcybrook TT2 turntable, Rega RB300 tonearm, Koetsu Black/Gold phono car-tridge. Digital sources: Sonic Frontiers SFCD-1 with Straight Wire Mae-stro II interconnects; Audio Al-chemy/DDS•Pro/DTI•Pro32/D DE v3 with Audio Magic I2S cables and Cardas Golden Cross interconnects. Preamplifiers: Klyne 6L3.3P, Sonic Frontiers Line-2. Power amplifiers: McCormack DNA-1 (1 or 2), Sonic Frontiers Power-2 (via Cardas Cross or Straight Wire Virtuoso inter-connects). Cables: Cardas Golden Hex 5C.

—Kalman Rubinson

one from running the smaller system at such levels.

Third, there was an occasional glint in the HF range around 6kHz (by my cars). Though not offensive, this sug-gests that the remarkably wide-ranging 7" driver, which is only slightly attenuat-ed at those frequencies, may have some minor resonance in its mechanism.

It seems to me that all of these issues arc related to the first-order crossover slopes, which, by their nature, require the drivers, especially the 7-incher, to reproduce over a much wider range than is usual. It's also likely that it is pre-cisely these features that contribute directly to the remarkable overall in-tegrity of the sound produced by the system. Life is cruel.

Conclusion It took a long time for me to write this review: I have been seduced by these speakers, and will miss them when they're gone. (Besides, we've sublet the shipping crates and have come to depend on the income.) There's no doubt in my mind that the Artemis Systems Eos Signatures/Base Modules arc the finest, most satisfying speakers that I have used, and I regret that there arc so many recordings that I will not get to play on them. Their weaknesses were few, their demands on associated equip-ment minimal. If your room/budget can accommodate speakers in this size/price range, you must audition them or forev-er wonder if you nude the right choice.

A new dawn? Shortly after finishing this review, I flew to San Francisco for HI-FI '97, where John Atkinson greeted me with a silly question: "Did you listen to the Eos with the tweeter phase reversed?" Of course I hadn't —the Eoses, with or without the Base Modules, sounded so nice in my system that it never occurred to me to wire them up incorrectly. "Well," said JA, "nearfield measurements indicate that the HF and MF units arc acoustical-ly out of phase when connected as rec-ommended." I got them back so I could listen to them wired the other way. The Eos Signatures went into my sys-

tem (without the Base Modules) wired up as before so I could reacquaint myself with them. Then I read what I'd written before and, no surprise, agreed with everything I'd said. (I still love these speakers.) JA's findings required me to reconsider what the Eos sounded like in nearfield (1-2m) listening. I found the close-up sound very phascy, and the slightest head movement made


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instruments jump about and created tonal shifts. Such effects, although I did not describe them, were why I'd origi-nally insisted on a much more distant listening position than Artemis suggests as minimum.

Several things happened when I reversed the phase between the two driv-ers. (Remember that, with their first-order crossover, there is a wide band of overlap between the two drivers.) First, imaging from almost any listening posi-tion was corrupted. Only dead-centered voices emerged from between the speak-ers; everything else was flung laterally beyond the speaker positions. Orchestral recordings sounded much as they would if the left and right speakers were out of phase with each other.

Second, the frequency balance was drastically changed. Most noticeable was a suckout in the upper midrange, with an apparent emphasis of the energy bands above and below the suckout. This gave a plumpness to the lower midrange (male announcers sounded chesty and over-ripe), and a hissy prominence to the HF. Less-than-pristine LPs whose surface-noise energy seemed to be just above the suckout easily demonstrated that female voices were diminished in presence (sur-face noise was also accentuated). On the CD release of Rickie Lee Jones' "Comin' Back to Mc" (Pop Pop, Geffen GEED-24426), the instrumental channels were pretty quiet, but the vocal channel was fairly noisy. Every time Rickie Lee was switched into the mix I found the hiss obtrusive, and her voice both too warm and too widely spread. This was so only when the tweeters were reversed in elec-trical phase. When I switched back, all was well.

Further auditioning with pink noise and white noise —and a lot of walking around, sitting, stooping, and crawling— confirmed that the recommended con-nections were consistently preferable. With reversed phase, the only position that was musically acceptable was when I listened within 2m and laid down on the floor. (I don't have 5' speaker stands.) From these observations, I suspect that reversing the electrical phase (and correct-ing the nearfield acoustic) tilted the midrange polar response down in the ver-tical plane, creating the midrange suckout at more reasonable listening positions. (I haven't seen JA's measurements.)

So thanks for sending the Eos Sig-natures back to me, JA. I hope you enjoyed listening to and measuring them, but I'll go on listening to them — with the recommended connections. Proof of the pudding, y'know. S

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B&W DM302 loudspeaker

Wes Phillips

W hat kind of speaker can you get for $250/pair? The most tightly contested sector of the

speaker market in the UK is right around that price. If you want to be competitive in Old Blighty, you have to offer something pretty special in that range —and because the stakes arc so high, the competition is fierce. Of course, when you're selling speak-

ers for approximately $100 apiece, you're not going to make much profit unless you can eliminate every possible manu-facturing inefficiency. That's why most of the speakers competing for a market share in this range are made with auto-mated milling machines —or, as in the case of the B&W DM302, injection molding equipment. It's pretty obvious why this can lead to ease of manufacture, but, as the 302 demonstrates, it can also aid in controlling cabinet resonances and internal standing waves.

"Well," I hear some audiophiles sneering, "that's what the manufacturer says, but that's just an excuse for making the speaker out of plastic."

Perhaps there's some justification for such cynicism, but I'm not sure that, at

B&W DM302 loudspeaker

$250/pair, buyers expect to have the same furniture quality that, say, Avalon customers demand. And there's no get-ting around it: The B&W DM302s sound awfully refined and musical for speakers that cost so little.

Let's get small 'The 13&W DM302 takes advantage of molding technology by casting the cabi-net's front and rear baffles out of plastic. The front panel incorporates a wide slotted port, said to enhance low-turbu-lence venting. This, according to B&W, permits "complete freedom from audi-ble port noise." Extensive cross-bracing, molded into the baffle, is also said to stiffen it and contribute to the 302's "remarkable absence of coloration." The rear baffle's inner surface is a

complex configuration of randomly ar-rayed tapered pyramids, said to resem-ble the walls of an anechoic chamber. B&W calls this "Prism," and claims that it eliminates standing waves within the cabinet and enhances both bass defini-tion and "speed." From the outside, this panel's honeycomb of rectangles looks like a waffle iron. The DM302 uses a 1" soft-dome

tweeter clamped internally to the front baffle. The faceplate has a tapering pro-file to reduce front-panel diffraction. The 5" bass-midrange driver employs a long-throw motor, a doped-paper cone, and a rigid steel chassis. The crossover point is 3IcHz. The 302's five-way binding posts have

plastic nuts, but can be tightened firmly onto a spade-lug if proper care is exercised. I found their position —inset into the "honeycombed" rear panel —awkward for my sausagelike fingers, but no more so than on many other speakers, including some hideously expensive ones. A bili:er problem was that the posts are oversized and did not accept the small spades on my AudioQuest Dragon speaker cable. I feel strange complaining about this, since the larger spades are more common on better, more costly cables. But that's the point—I can't imagine that most people installing the 302s are going to use custom cables. Some Straight Wire banana plugs solved my problem.

Description: Two-way, reflex-load-ed, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (26mm) soft-dome tweeter, 5" (130mm) pulp-cone bass/midrange driver. Crossover frequency: 3kHz. Frequency re-sponse: 72Hz-20kHz, ±3dB. Sensi-tivity: 91dB/2.83V/1m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms (3.2 ohms minimum). Power handling: 25-100W continuous. Dimensions: 125/8" H by 71/4" W by 81/4 D. Weight: 9 lbs. Finish: "black ash Serial numbers of units reviewed: A032759/60. Price: $250/pair. Approximate num-ber of dealers: 250. US distributor: B&W Loudspeakers of America, 54 Concord Street, North Reading, MA 01864-2699. Tel: (508) 664-2870. Fax: (508) 664-4109.

Small wonder As with most small monitors, placement of the DM302s is everything if you want to make them sparkle. First, you have to compromise between bass extension and midrange clarity. For me, there's no contest — it's midrange clarity every time. I wound up with the speakers about 20" from the wall, about 6' apart, and angled in so that the front baffle was all I saw as I faced them. Having said that I had to compromise bass reinforcement to obtain greater midrange clarity, I must add that the DM302s sounded remark-ably frill-bodied for a speaker their size — amazingly full-bodied. Don't let the posey fool ya; these guys aren't wimps. I once wrote what I thought was a

rave review of a pair of compact moni-tors in which I felt duty-bound to report that, like all compact loudspeakers, they didn't play stupid-loud, and that they lacked a certain physical impact in the bass. The US distributor reacted as though I'd told him his sister was ugly: "What do you expect from a small speaker?" he demanded. I guess he had a point, but I still feel I need to make some things clear. You wouldn't expect a speaker the size


of the DM302 to play stupid-loud, and it doesn't -if you insist, it gets congested, even screechy. However, you can play Mahler or the Stones at very satisfying levels without stressing it. (Given its 91d13 sensitivity, you can play it fairly loud even with low-output integrateds and receivers.) You wouldn't expect to reproduce

organ-pedal tones at pants-fluttering levels from a speaker the size of the

The DM302's specified sensitivity, 91dB/W/m, is high for a small speakei but indeed I measured a

B-weighted figure of 90.1dB/W/m - this mini will play quite loud with only a few amplifier watts. However, its impedance plot (fig.1) reveals that it drops below 4 ohms for much of the midrange, coupled with a moderately high phase angle in the upper bass. Wimpy amplifiers need not apply for the job of driving this speaket The "sad-dle" in the magnitude trace at 55Hz indicates the tuning of the reflex slot.

There is a slight wrinkle in the im-pedance traces just above 200Hz. Using a simple plastic-tape accelerometer to assess the cabinet's vibrational behavior did reveal the presence of a resonant mode at 207Hz (fig2), and another an octave higher. This might be expected

see.....n. Bt. IM1102 10/0., • 1111,

It WO

10:016

30000

0 0 .0 1110 It 110

.00

43,0

Fig.1B&W DM302, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed) (2 ohms/vertical div.).

1 1 1111111 1 1 1 111111 1 1 1111111 1 MO 10W 10000

in Hz

Fig.3 B&W DM302, anechoic response on tweeter axis at 50", averaged across 30° horizontal window and corrected for microphone response, with nearfield woofer and port responses plotted below 300Hz and 500Hz, and the complex sum of woofer and port responses plotted below 300Hz.

DM302, and, again, it doesn't. But when I perversely played Michael Murray's Bach at Zivolle anyway (Telarc CD-83085), I was stunned at how powerful and solid the organ sounded - it may have lacked impact in the bottommost octave and a half, but I was clearly listening to a magnificent instrument, and the 302s did a superb job of rendering the space in which Murray was playing: the St. Nicholas

to make the sound slightly "chesty," but I note that WP did not remark on any lower-midrange coloration that could be placed at the door of this behavior.

Fig3 shows the farfield response of the '302 - averaged across a 30° window on the tweeter axis -spliced to the nearfield responses of the woofer and port, as well as the complex sum of those nearfield responses. The balance is slight-ly swaybacked, a moderate rise in the high treble being balanced by a slight excess of upper-bass energy. This kind of measured response does tend to make a small speaker sound bigger than it actual-ly is, as WP found in his auditioning. The bass is to specification at 6dB down

a»

Church in Kampen. B&W claims a 6dB down point of

60Hz; the speaker can play the funda-mentals of most instruments cleanly, save perhaps the E-string of a string bass, the lowest keys on a grand piano, or those organ pedals. As a result, despite their diminutive size, the 302s do a fine job of reproducing the body of the music - they don't reduce performers to ghosts of themselves.

at 59Hz, the approximate frequency of the port tuning. Though the slight peak at lkHz might make the speaker a bit unforgiving on recordings that are them-selves bright, on neutral-balanced CDs it will usefully highlight recorded detail. WP remarked on the B&W's excel-

lent imaging. Fig.4 shows the speaker's lateral dispersion. Other than a slight flare at the bottom of the tweeter's pass-band, it is uniform, with an increasing degree of top-octave rolloff off-axis. This behavior always correlates with well-defined imaging, I have found. WP also thought that the speaker sounded a little "relentless" on high stands. This might have some connection with that off-axis

Cumulat ye

0.00

12.00

25.00

27.00

30.00

62.00 nsec

MLSSA ,

20.0 al Decay

100.0 lo. Frequency - Hz

-2.56 dB, 207 Hz (53). 0.000 mzec (1)

1000.0

Fig.2 B&W DM302, cumulative spectral-decay plot of accelerometer output fastened to cabinet side-wall. (MIS driving voltage to speaker, 7.55V; measurement bandwidth, 2kHz.)

dB

0.Q

-12.0

-18.0

-24.0

-90.00

60.00

30.00

0.00

0.00

60.00 de.

MLSSA

200.0 1000.0 10000.0 Frequency Fil. Display lo. Frequency -Hz (Smoothed to 0.10 ootaue) (rutteltzed to slice 19)

8.00 dB, 5415 Hz (61), 0.800 deg (MJAUEFORM•0382-19.FRQ)(19)

Fig.4 B&W DM302, horizontal response family at 50", normalized to response on tweeter axis, from back to front: differences in response 90°-5° off-axis; reference response; differences in response 5°-90° off-axis.


You might not expect speakers this size to totally disappear and re-create the original performance, but they do. While small cabinet loudspeakers arc known for imaging well, the DM302s throw a soundstage that consistently startles with its openness and ease. You don't get merely a taste of what the full-bore high-end speakers do, you get way into serious audiophile territory.

While breaking the 302s in, I played

tweeter flare. The vertical dispersion plot (fig.5), which shows the thanes in response as the listener moves above or below the tweeter axis, reveals that sit-ting just above that axis pulls down the response in the same region. Sit too high, however, and the sound will become too sucked-out. The DM302's step response (fig.6) is

absolutely normal, with both drive-units connected with the same, positive acoustic polarity. The cumulative spec-tral-decay plot (fig.7) is overall very clean, implying a grain-free treble. However, there is a slight ridge of reso-nant energy apparent at the cursor posi-tion, 2IcHz, which might add a slight brightness to the sound.

Paul Desmond's Bossa Antigua for a few days (Japanese RCA I125A 1045, Cl)) -no master plan, it was just the first disc that fell under my hand. When I finally listened to the disc and heard how large a room it was recorded in, I was surprised - I knew for a fact that it was recorded on Webster Hall's stage, with the curtains closed. But as I contin-ued to listen, it was obvious that the quartet was in a big, open space. I've

Overall, this is superb measured per-formance for a loudspeaker that doesn't cost much more per pair than a family's weekly grocery bill. -John Atkinson

î00

OS

Fig.6 B&W DM302, step response on tweeter axis at 50" (5ms time window, 30kHz bandwidth).

dB

0.0

-24.0-

30Ó.0 1006.0 Feeeueneo rile easel)w (Eetuatmed to elioe 10)

-12.34 dB. 3648 He (41). 35.880 deg (WAUEFORM\B3029-17. FRQ )(17)

-45.00

-15.00

15.00

r-30.00 des

BLUR

10000.0 10. Frequency - Hz (1ftoothed to 0.10 ootwee)

Fig.5 B&W DM302, vertical response family at 50", normalized to response on tweeter axis, from back to front: differences in response 45*-5° above-axis; reference response; differences in response 5.-45. below-axis.

0.00

0.60

1.26

1.07

2.53

3.13 losec

MLSSA

400.0 1000.0 10000.0 CUM. I•O Ve Spectral Decay log Frequency Hz

10.23 dB. 2175 H. (49). 0.808 "'sec (1)

Fig.7 B&W DM302, cumulative spectral-decay plot at 50" (0.15ms risetime).

Stereophtle, October 1997

Stereophtle, October 1997

never heard distortion work that way, although I've certainly heard big rooms made to sound small. So I looked it up. The B&Ws were right, my memory was wrong: Bossa Antigua was recorded in RCA's Studio A, not Webster Hall. Desmond, by the way, sounded won-

deli,' through the DM302. His alto was sweet but not cloying, and the B&W's tweeter captured that metallic edge that gave him that "dry martini" sound. Another detail the 302 captured was Jim Hall's tone. Here, clearly, was an electric guitar recorded acoustically - Hall was playing through an amp, and that amp was recorded within the stu-dio, just as Desmond, Gene Wright, and Connie Kay were. Boy, I wish peo-ple still recorded guitar like that!

But this disc also pointed to a downside of small monitor speakers. Gene Wright's string bass-which is buried in the mix even when played on very large speaker systems-had so little impact that it no longer seemed to kick the songs along, but merely accompanied them. This can be ameliorated to a certain extent by turning up the volume. Once the 302s "energized" the room, they really opened tip, and the low end snapped more into focus. The problem with this was that I had to play a recording somewhat louder than my normal tendency.

This posed no problem on the Desmond disc, as it doesn't have a par-ticularly broad dynamic range. But on large orchestral works such as Mahler's Third (as usual, I was listening to Bern-stein/NYP on DG 427 328-2), I ran into a problem when I adjusted the loudness to the point where I had a believably fleshed-out New York Phil:


CD player: Krell KAV-300td. Amplifiers: Krell KAV-300, NAD 310. Interconnects: AudioQuest Opal v3. Speaker cables: AudioQuest Dragon 2. Accessories: Audio Power In-dustries Power Wedge 112, Magro Stereo Display Stand. Sound treatment: ASC Tube Traps, Studio Traps, Bass Traps; RPG Abffusors; Marianne Moore signature model Gilgamesh among the Hairy Camivora lapcat.

-Wes Phillips

233

235

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It's effortless for a grizzled reviewer to wax ecstatic about a new state-of-the-art product — one that ups the

stakes in the electronic crap shoot called "high-end" audio. When an amp, a car-tridge, or a snake of cable shines some light into a previously buried corner of a favorite recording, the adrenaline flows and out pops an opus, easy as turning the crank on a jack-in-the-box. (Well, maybe not that easily!)

Unfortunately, the same goes for a novice reviewer when editorial benefi-cence supplies anything better than, say, his "reference" Hafler DH-200. That's why the art of "bringing along" a new reviewer is so critical to your reading satisfaction. When I see a neophyte slapped with a sexy piece by an editor eager to please, I go ballistic. Yeah, you might get some entertaining, foamy drool, but, as the Les McCann tune goes, "Compared to What?" Of course, such reckless giving never

occurs on these pages. Anyone tuned into observing green reviewers watch-fully ripening in the hot sun of Stereo-phile exposure understands the careful tending required to create an authority worth heeding. If the process slips under your radar, trust me: At Stereo-phi/c, "statement" products aren't put into the hands of rookies as they some-times are elsewhere. New recruits pay their dues. The problem is, once you've memo-

rized your scales and you're busy mak-ing music, the last thing you want to do is go back and practice. So manufactur-ers of "affordable" gear, and readers looking to purchase same, sometimes get shortchanged by either studied indif-ference or well-meaning inexperience. Equally bad, veteran reviewers pulled into the stratosphere of ultra-high-priced gear can lose all sense of propor-tion, causing easily-led audiophiles to unnecessarily empty their wallets.

But if you were Mr. Toyota, who would you rather have reviewing your new Corolla? A guy who's been driving a Benz for the past year, or a guy fresh from a Yugo ready to do some mouth-foaming?

That was the trap I considered last winter when I asked Muse's Kevin Halverson for a review sample of his $1900, 160Wpc Model One Hundred Sixty stereo amplifier. Why did I do it? Because I wanted to reconnect with my "ruts" and help quell criticism that all we review is high-ticket items. Here I was, playing with hock-your-grandma-priced tubed monoblocks: VTL 175s and C-J Premier 12s. How fair would it be to exit the Benz and enter — well, in the car-metaphor rating system, the Muse is way beyond a Corolla —a Camry?

Apparently Kevin Halverson thought, "Fair enough." He shipped me a One Hundred Sixty without hesitation. I took that as both a personal vote of confidence

Muse One Hundred Sixty power amplifier

Description: Solid-state stereo amplifier. Output power: 160VVpc into 8 ohms (22dBVV), 250VVpc into 4 ohms (21dBVV). Frequency response: 7Hz-135kHz, +odB, -3dB. THD: <0.12%. Input sensitivity: 1.2V for full output. Input imped-ance: 10k ohms unbalanced, 10k ohms each polarity balanced. Vol-tage gain: 30dB. Output current capability: 45A max. Power con-sumption: 120W (idle), 600W (max). Dimensions: 17.2" W by 7.5" H by 13.5" D. Weight: 42 lbs. Price: 51900, silver or black face-plate. Approximate number of deal-ers: 35. Warranty: 90 days; 3 years with return of postcard. Manufacturer: Muse Electronics Inc., P.O. Box 2198, Garden Grove, CA 92842-2198. Tel: (714) 554-8200. Fax: (714) 554-5643.

and an indication that the designer thought his amp would compare favor-ably to much more expensive gear.

Built for the road Halverson's background is in pro audio — concert gear destined to be road kill if it's not well built. Like my Saab 96, the first attempt by a team of aircraft engi-neers to design an automobile, and thus structurally almost airworthy, the Muse One Hundred Sixty is solidly built — like other Muse amps I've auditioned. The tall front panel is neatly milled from 1/4" aluminum stock, the sides are all smoothly sculpted heatsink — even the top plate, damped underneath with a sheet of black stuff, is weightier than you'd expect from a product built to this price point.

Inside, it's a model of engineering clarity: the dual-mono balanced design features a generous power supply con-sisting of a large shielded, dual-sec-ondary-winding toroidal transformer, a pair of rectifiers, and four large 10,00011F filter caps —two per channel—mount-ed vertically to the chassis back plate. A pair of neatly traced circuit boards, each mirror-imaged in the balanced design,


sit low, secured to the chassis floor. The differential circuit uses bipolar

input devices with separate amplifier stages acting as voltage- and current-gain sections, each with its own closed loop path. Feedback is applied in what Halverson calls a "mixed mode" topolo-gy, wherein the signal is fed back from three different points in the circuit and merged, rather than being sourced from the end of the signal path. The output stage consists of a pair of four UK-sourced T03-cased MOSFETs per channel running in class-AB.

There's also what's called a "pie sec-tion filter" at the output, consisting of an inductor sandwiched by two R/C networks. This, the designer told me, ensures complete stability even into highly capacitive/reactive loads like some electrostatic loudspeakers. "Not every amplifier uses such networks," I said. "Not every amplifier is uncondi-tionally stable into all kinds of loads,"

Afull set of measurements of the Muse 160 was made in its un-balanced mode. Several readings

were repeated in the balanced configu-ration and will be referenced as appro-priate below. Unless otherwise specified, the results are for the unbalanced mode.

Following the '/3-power, one-hour preconditioning test, the Muse 160's heatsinks were hot but not unnaturally so. Its input impedance measured 103k ohms unbalanced, 13.4k ohms ,alanced (the latter lower than specified). The output impedance was 0.11 ohms or less at lkHz and 20Hz, increasing mar-ginally to 0.14 ohms at 201cHz. Voltage gain into 8 ohms measured 292dB unbalanced and virtually the same bal-anced. Signal/Noise (ref. at 1W at 8 ohms) measured 79dB from 22Hz to

MM..« Mtn

00

Fig.1 Muse 160, frequency response at (from top to bottom at 50Hz): 1W into 8 ohms and 2W into 4 ohms, unbalanced; 2.83V into simulated speaker load; and 1W into 8 ohms balanced (right channel dashed, 0.5d13/vertical div.).

Halverson countered. He told me his overall design goal is

to diminish the character of distortion by reducing its tendency to shift with amplitude and frequency, which in his view is what tends to give amplifiers their "flavor." Also in his view, "even or odd [-order harmonic distortion] is not really the issue." The key is the "height" of the order — the higher the order, the more pernicious the distortion. Mini-mizing midband distortion is key, he told me.

Schwarzenegger in the shower I used the Muse to drive both my refer-ence Audio Physic Virgos and the Aerial 8s currently under review. At 86dB, the 8 is 2dB less sensitive than the Virgo. However, I suspect test results will show them to be somewhat more amplifier-friendly than the Virgo — which, John Atkinson's measurements demonstrat-ed, go below 3 ohms over most of the

22kHz and 77dB from 10Hz to 500 kHz, both results unweighted, and 82dB A-weighted. The corresponding balanced measurements were 82dB, 78dB, and 85dB, respectively. The Muse 160 is noninverting in unbal-anced mode; in balanced mode, pin 3 is positive (the opposite of the AES/IEC standard). DC offset measured 4mV in the left channel and a considerably higher (but not worrisome) 36mV in the right.

Fig.1 shows the Muse 160's frequency response. The response into our simulat-ed load differs only marginally from that into a fixed resistance. Note also that the low-frequency response rolls off a little more rapidly into the balanced inputs. The squarewave response at 10kHz (fig2) exhibits good risetime and no overshoot. The lkHz squarewave (not shown) reflects the low-frequency roll-off but is otherwise excellent.

02

Fig.2 Muse 160, small-signal 10kHz squarewave into 8 ohms.

midrange. The 8 is rated at 6 ohms with a 3.5 ohm minimum.

Before putting the Muse into the sys-tem, I listened to my usual stack of sonic suspects, ending with Janis Ian's absolute-ly stunning Breakiv Silence (Analogue Productions APP027), which gives you a superb recording of a female voice, deep, deep bass, assorted percussive accents, and a shimmering acoustic guitar.

As I disconnected the cables from the megabuck C-J Premier 12 tube amps I'd been enjoying and hooked up the $1900 Muse, I flashed on the more than a few times I ended up showering across from Arnold Schwarzenegger at Santa Monica's Sports Connection in the late '70s. You want the definition of feeling inadequate? Try that sometime. How unfair, I thought, to go from a

month with the C-Js to the Muse, how-ever good it might sound li)r the money. Instead of waiting for it to break in, I sat down and immediately spun Breaking

Fig3 shows the Muse 160's crosstalk. While we've measured better, this is a very good result; the audible effect of any improvement here would likely be nil. The THD+noise vs frequency curves are plotted in fig.4, and show the usual relationship between THD level and output current. The waveform of

0.1.01400.. •00

RIDO

.00

1000

Fig.3 Muse 160, crosstalk (from top to bottom at 10kHz): L-R, R-L, unbalanced; L-R, R-L, balanced (10dB/vertical div.).

falt

Fig.4 Muse 160, THD+noise vs frequency at (from top to bottom at 5kHz): 4W into 2 ohms, 2W into 4 ohms, 2.83V into simu-lated speaker load, 1W into 8 ohms (right channel dashed).

238 5tereophile, October 1997

Silence. The negative nasties I was expect-ing to be hit with — fields of grain, etch, edge, hash, mush, you naine it —didn't materialize. Instead I was confronted with a very sweet, detailed, delicate, and coherent sound. The tonal essence of what the C-Js produced through the Aerials was surprisingly intact. I sifted through stacks of unauditioned

CDs while waiting for the Muse to really warm up and break in. An hour later I did more critical listening, and heard no change. Over time, the sound of the amp hasn't really changed all that much. I've had the Muse in the system for about two and a half months now, flanked by the dormant C-Js. Temptation? You're damn straight! But this is a job, not a hobby; the task at hand is to live with the product, not flirt with it.

What you get and what you don't The negative rap on MOSFETs is that they sound soft, and that's the side on

which the Muse landed. If you like that "fast," get-a-grip, "snappy" kind of sound, you won't get it here — nor will you get it from most tube amps, for that matter. Whether it was the MOSFETs or the absence of power-supply regula-tion at every substation along the 160's electronic highway, I don't know — I'm not a designer: But while the Aerials and the Muse swung well together, the amp did not lead with what I would call the tightest of hands. Sorry, but I don't think you get that quality, the rest of the good things the Muse has to offer, and almost 200Wpc for under two grand.

You used to get that "fast," zippy sound automatically with solid-state gear, along with crispy critters, hard knocks, and the dry midrange heaves. Today, when it comes to the speed of sound, the better tube and solid-state designers arc meeting somewhere in the middle, where live music moves. Speaking of middle, I was surprised and quite de-

lighted by the tubelike shimmering liq-uidity of the Muse's midrange. Equally important, the amp's top-to-bottom pre-sentation was both tonally and rhythmi-cally coherent. Whatever the amp did wrong, it hid it well under dynamic, demanding conditions.

During my first serious listening ses-sion, I had a difficult time figuring out why anyone would pay eight grand or so for the C-Js (or any other expensive amp) when they could have this silicon sand-wich for $1.9k. Maybe Dave Clark — I mean the ABX-box/all-amps-sound-the-same guy, not Mr. "Glad All Over" — was right.

But no — listening carefully and methodically, I could hear why, despite the Muse's outstanding sonic perfor-mance, someone would spend the extra cash. The Muse's presentation of large-scale dynamics was pretty good—it got my heart racing on such orchestral crescendos as are on Classic's stunning

the distortion in fig.5 for 2W into 4 ohms (at lkHz) indicates a mixture of second- and third-order harmonics. The second-order is a little more dominant into 8 ohms (not shown), and the 2 ohm result (also not shown) is similar to fig.5. The 1 kHz, THD+noise vs level

curves for the Muse 160 are shown in

Fig.5 Muse 160, lkHz waveform at 2W into 4 ohms (top); distortion and noise waveform with fundamental notched out (bottom, not to scale).

10 SOO

Fig.6 Muse 160, distortion (%) vs output power into (from bottom to top at 10W): 8 ohms, 4 ohms, and 2 ohms.

fig.6. The power output increases into progressively lower impedance loads, but does not double as the load is halved. The distortion prior to clipping also tends to increase at intermediate power levels, though not to a troubling extent. The discrete clipping levels are shown in Table 1. The Muse also had a tendency to blow its main power-

,141114014441.4 Mue 140 YAM MIM mlo Mule

0 0

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4000

6040

de CO

1000 11

1n1 0 fip\r/. Li 0 1000 ?MO MOO 4000 400 MOO 4000 MOO MOO 1 Oft

Fig.7 Muse 160, spectrum of 50Hz sinewave, DC-1kHz, at 196W into 4 ohms (linear frequency scale).

1200

70:* 4M• 00M 00M MO UM UM UP UM NM UM

Fig.8 Muse 160, HF intermodulation spectrum, DC-22kHz, 19+20kHz at 152W into 4 ohms (linear frequency scale).

supply fuse when driven to clipping on the test bench for more than a few sec-onds into a 4 ohm or lower load —an unlikely situation with music.

Fig.7 shows the spectrum of the Muse 160's output while it reproduces a 50Hz input into a 4 ohm load at 196W The largest artifact, at 150Hz, is at -64dB or 0.06%. Fig.8 shows the re-sponse to a combined 19+201cHz signal (the intermodulation products resulting from an input signal consisting of an equal combination of these two fre-quencies) at 152W into 4 ohms—the maximum output attainable with this input before clipping becomes visible in the output's 'scope trace. The largest artifact, at 17kHz, is -68.8dB or just under 0.04%.

This is a solid set of measurements, equal in many respects to those we've obtained from amplifiers costing a great deal more. -Thomas J. Norton

Table 1 Muse 160: Discrete clipping levels (1% THD+noise at 1kHz)

Both Channels One Channel Driven Driven

Load W (dB1N) W (cIBW) ohms (L) (R) (L)

8 1663 (22.2) 167 (22.2) 186.4 (22.7) (line) 113V 113V 113V 4 259 (21.1) 259.2 (21.1) 305 (21.8) (line) 114V 114V 114V 2 401.6 (20)

114V


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244 Stereophrle, October 1997

A U

0 ne night years ago, after a long evening of solving many of the world's most enduring conun-

drums (overpopulation, racism, the use of instant replay in the NFL), a friend turned to me and, with a grand flourish, offered up a beat-all, end-all coda: "And no one should ever have to listen to atonal music." A few years later I was sitting in the St.

Francis auditorium in Santa Fe at the annual Chamber Music Festival, listen-ing — or perhaps I should say enduring — that year's commission, by electronic music pioneer Morton Subotnidc. By the time the final notes of this grating, MIDI-happy horror had mercifully died away, the entire audience was so uptight and braced against the assault that their shoulders were a foot above their heads. I know that because, during the next piece on the program, Bach's Branden-burg Concerto 3, I could literally see the hunched masses unwind. The Bach was salve for their harmonic wounds.

These images were buzzing in my head in August when I attended a per-formance of Peter Lieberson's Ashoka's Dream, the 1997 commission of the ven-erable Santa Fe Opera. After two 48-minute-long acts of atonal singing and the kind of stage direction best de-scribed as rigid (as in rigor mortis), most of the sold-out opera crowd was wearing one of two facial expressions. One con-sisted of an abject cringing and rolling of the eyes, which I took to mean that they were not enjoying the music and pageantry surrounding the cruel, bratty teenager becoming an enlightened ruler of India. The other visage was a more considered one—of people willing them-selves to go past the difficult music in order to eventually find intellectual respect for, if not appreciation of, this "New Music" opera. And as I began to wish that Franco Corelli would appear centerstage to sweep away all this beau-tifully orchestrated but utterly charm-less, over-intellectualized nonsense with one towering blast of "Nessun donna," I also began to ponder (again) the ques-tion of atonal music and how it relates to the current concern over classical music's worsening health.

Atonal music requires and also elicits

'17 •

RAI R

Robert Baird

OBER T

cerebral respect, and in the best cases, some good old instinctual, get-into-your-gut emotional impact. My own CD collection includes a handful of atonality that I treasure. Works by Webern, Schoenberg, Ligeti, Copeland, and George Walker will always have a place on my shelves. But I've always defined good music — from McKinley Morganfield to Giacomo Puccini to

If atonal music

has become the

expression of choice

because tonal music

is thought of as

somehow intellectually

inferior, then that is

very sad indeed.

Edward Kennedy Ellington — as having some of the former and a lot of the lat-ter. If music doesn't move me, I'm just not that interested. Add to this the fact that atonal music is, to be blunt, hard to listen to, and you have in a nutshell the problem with much of what's called "New Music."

Having established that the market for standard repertoire is finite, and so recording it over and over again is no longer the solution to falling sales fig-ures and waning interest that it once was, the classical music biz is now look-ing for new composers, new ideas, and new ways to sell discs. In my July '97 "Aural Robert" (see pg.141) I poked fun at some of the record labels' more inane marketing concepts designed to attract a younger audience to the classical world. But a larger and much more serious problem lurks in the area of "New Music" and young composers.

During my night at the opera (forgive me, Harpo), two other questions occurred to me, for which I suspect there are no easy answers. I've recently learned of a Chicago opera company dedicated to staging second perfor-

mances of newly commissioned works, the obvious inference being that those works would never again see the light of day without a company like this. I wonder, do modern composers really care about their work being heard beyond its premiere, or are they satis-fied with just one presentation? And do they realize that writing to please an audience larger than, say, 200 is not necessarily a bad thing? To composers who complain that their music never gets played after its premiere, I say write music that people will want to hear more than once.

This leads to an even bigger and even more unsolvable question. Are modern composers cowed by the examples of Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach? Do they write in atonal modes because they feel that all the great tonal music has already been written? And if that line of logic bears any measure of truth, why isn't the same thing true of jazz, blues, rock-'n'roll, and show music? Or, for that matter, why hasn't the towering pres-ence of Shakespeare (who predates all three of the aforementioned com-posers) snuffed out aspiring playwrights, or sent them scurrying into ever more obscure and esoteric corners?

Obviously, there is some very melod-ic tonal music being written today, much of it to be found in film scores, which are rapidly becoming the new bastion of such music. I suspect that composers can justify wallowing in sen-timent (ie, composing charming, accessi-ble music) for film because such scores are not "serious" music, and because the visual element disguises the fact that composers of film music have deigned to get so sappy and populist. If atonal music has become the expression of choice because tonal music is thought of as somehow intellectually inferior, then that is very sad indeed. The average lis-tener, and even the more educated lis-tener, is going to choose Gershwin over Subotnick every time. I honestly don't think modern audi-

ences are totally opposed (or too dumb) to enjoy classical music as much as previous audiences did. Perhaps they just need something a little more acces-sible to listen to. S

stereophik, October 1997 245

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BUI LDING

111/ hat was the greatest tragedy ever to befall the field of music?

I put this question to a number of acquaintances, and, after sifting out the truly silly (it', "the birth of Arnold Schoenberg"), I found I had a consen-sus: the early death of Mozart. Not a bad choice — Mozart died far

too young, shortly before his 36th birth-day. But consider as well the case of Schubert, whose bi-centennial we cele-brate this year. Born in Vienna in 1797, just when Beethoven's prospects were rising, he lasted only 31 years, dying the year after Beethoven. During this time he filled his cupboard with symphonies, chamber works, operas, and hundreds of songs, many of which are considered among the finest ever. Had Schubert been granted a normal lifespan, he would have outlived Mendelssohn and Schumann and intersected with Brahms. Had Schubert developed at the pace

of most composers and died at 31, his output would hardly command our attention. Fortunately, he was preco-cious virtually to the degree of

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Mozart or Mendelssohn. His early teacher Michael Holzer said the 10-year-old boy already knew everything he wanted to teach him; Holzer merely "watched him in silent astonishment." Schubert reached musical maturity with his songs almost from the beginning — "Gretchen am Spinnrade," his first undisputed masterpiece, dates from 1814, when he was 17. The instrumental works became distinctive a little later, perhaps around 1816, the year of the Fifth Symphony. This work stands apart from his first four symphonies, as if Schubert was beginning to realize what kind of composer he would be. The car-

Schubert's Symphony No.5

lier symphonies are all "grand" works, fairly long and fully orchestrated, with slow, pompous introductions to their opening movements. All these works in-cluded trumpets, timpani, and full winds (pairs of flutes, oboes, clar-inets, and bassoons). Symphonies 1-4 are all remarkable works for a teenage composer, but the shadows of the Viennese masters —Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven — can easily be felt. In his later sym-

phonies Schubert returned to a larger orchestra, but

with a more person-,".al style.

Even though the Fifth is un-usual in its scoring and its sense of intimacy, we still sense that Schubert has found his truc voice. We know he had Mozart in

mind during this period, and at least superficially the Fifth sounds quite a bit like Mozart. (Indeed, Mozart's 40th, frequently considered the inspiration for the Fifth, was well known by Schubert as early as 1809.) The most obvious sug-gestion of the 18th century is in Schubert's orchestra, which for the Fifth lacks clarinets, trumpets, timpani, and the second flute. Orchestral textures arc wonderfully open and clear, so every-thing is easily heard, as in works of Haydn and Mozart. And, as in a good classical symphony (though not the last ones of Mozart), the emotional level is balanced and controlled, never extreme. It's remarkable how this piece, written in a city "owned" for 20 years by Bee-thoven, seems so little influenced by the older master —as if the symphonies of Beethoven, even the more classical First and Second, had never existed.

It would, though, be a mistake to consider the Fifth merely a replica of an earlier style. In this work, as in so much of Schubert, form is generated out of materials that seem more melodic than motivic. Whereas Beethoven's Fifth springs from one four-note motive (da-da-da-dum), Schubert's building blocks are longer, and integral as melodies. Many commentators have noted this trait as a problem in Schubert's forms, because his developments tend to do lit-tle other than repeat melodies in various keys. While containing a grain of truth, this judgment vastly undervalues Schu-bert's skill, and hides the reality of his explorations in form.

In his symphonic slow movements Mozart typically organized his materials in a tight sonata form, but Schubert in his first five symphonies chose some-thing freer, more rhapsodic. In the Fifth he alternates between two main ideas (ABABA), all the A subjects in the tonic and all the B subjects in related keys. Tradition would assume that these relat-ed keys would be nearby neighbors, par-ticularly the dominant, which is close to the tonic and affirms it both at cadences and in long-range structures. Schubert, though, resolutely avoids the dominant, leaving his home key (E-flat major) for, in the first case, C-flat major (an awful key with seven flats), and in the second, G-flat major (six flats, almost as bad). In

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other words, instead of attacking the cus-tomary dominant, the key a fifth away, Schubert goes first to the key a third below his tonic, then to the one a third above. This relationship of keys a third apart is a cornerstone of many formal layouts of the 19th century.

In the third movement Schubert again bows to the 18th century by de-signating a Menuetto instead of the fasten more up-to-date Scherzo favored by Beethoven. Here the connection with Mozart's Symphony 40 is most clear: the main themes are similar, and both movements lie in G minor. The final movement, in regular sonata

form, is light and bubbly, much in the manner of Haydn. It certainly adheres to the 18th-century symphonic ideal: deep-er emotions concentrated in the first two movements, followed by a cheerful con-clusion. The themes, though, are all Schubert, with that wonderful melodic shape he brought to all his work. It would be hard to accept the lovely sec-ond theme as the work of anyone else.

Recordings of the Fifth Symphony 5 does not suffer from lack of recordings. The total number avail-able — about 25— is slightly smaller than the number listed in Schwan,: Opus because of deletions. (And many of the complete sets — Harnoncourt, Wand, Karajan —are also unavailable.) Among the remaining 25, all contrasting styles are represented: brisk vs warm, classical vs romantic, full vs chamber orchestra, period vs modern instruments. I can't say which is "the best" — that game again —but I will give you a short list. Some versions I eliminate simply be-

cause the performance itself has prob-lems. The Minsk Orchestra version conducted by Wilhelm Keitel is crisp and Mozartean, but the last movement slows from its opening tempo and sounds out of touch with the overall concept. The New York Chamber Sym-phony of the 92nd Street Y, with Gerard Schwarz, is sluggish in the outer move-ments, sounds precious, and lacks suffi-cient dynamic contrast. Heinrich Schiff and the Northern Sinfonia are light and graceful, but the opening movement flags and the finale is too soft-grained. The Berlin Philharmonic with Daniel Barenboim is congenial and warm, but the finale drags and lacks energy. (The other Berlin recording, with Karl Bohm, shares Barenboim's relaxed feel, but the playing is more nicely pointed and the finale is far better. For an affec-tionate, big-orchestra performance, Böhm — available only in a special-

order complete set —belongs below as a recommended version.) Mario Ber-nardi and the CBC Vancouver Orches-tra have a nice slow movement, but the opening movement is too accented and doesn't flow, while the finale sounds safe rather than energetic. Some others have reasonably good

performances, but sonics that make them less desirable. Michael Halász and the Slovak Philharmonic turn in a well-shaped, romantic performance, but the sound is a little boxy and the violins have no bloom. If you want a small-scale version, Robert Kônig's with members of the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra is well played, but the sound is terribly bass-shy. Much the same is

It's remarkable how

Symphony 5, written in

Vienna, a city "owned" for

20 years by Beethoven,

seems so little influenced

by the older master—

as if the symphonies

of Beethoven had

never existed.

true of Dirk Joeres and the West-deutsche Sinfonia: good performance, but in this case no dynamic range, so the playing sounds uncommitted. The CD of Johannes Wildner and the Phil-harmonia Cassovia combines so-so son-ics with a somewhat ragged perform-ance. Leonard Bernstein's New York Philharmonic version is bass-heavy and lumpy, though the finale is nice. (Bern-stein also recorded the Fifth in 1989 with the Concertgebouw Orchestra; now deleted.)

Another version misses the top rank even though it's perhaps the best-played of all the Fifths. Vladimir Spivakov and the Moscow Virtuosi play Schubert with razorlike precision, and such clari-ty you could transcribe the piece from the CD. But for me the very clean play-ing and careful observance of dynamics impedes the untroubled lyricism that runs through this piece. Besides, the finale slows, making the initial tempo sound ill-chosen.

Recommended versions I suppose Toscanini and the NBC Symphony should not be in this list—

the sound is close, boxy, and shrill, and I don't care for the performance. But this is Toscanini, after all, who is always interesting. The first movement is very fast (4:43, though with no repeat), but the soft spots are nicely lit. Toscanini simply thought faster than most of us, so he delivers the message in less time. The slow movement is surprisingly supple and shaped, and the finale is brusque, Toscanini taking no prisoners. If you want a performance completely lacking in sentimentality, this is for you, but the sonics arc poor.

We're on safer ground with the leg-endary recording by Sir Thomas Beecham. Actually, there arc two: the first from 1938-39 with the London Philharmonic, the second from 1958-59 with the Royal Philharmonic in early stereo. I used to prefer the LPO (and remember feverishly seeking it out on 78s), but now I find the later one better. Other than the sonics, the bil4:est differ-ence lies in the slow movement, which in 1958-59 is two minutes faster and less stately. In both versions Beecham brings a detailed, unhurried geniality to Schubert that is simply wonderful. The music is beautifully shaped with lots of light and shade. The winds must have loved the freedom Beecham gave them to shape their solos so nicely. One little quirk, though, common to both perfor-mances: Schubert has a lovely deceptive cadence near the end of the slow move-ment (where the expected key is de-layed), and he does it twice. Beecham apparently thought once was enough; he cut four measures of music to avoid the repetition. One can argue the logic of his decision, though in today's musicological environment I can't imagine anyone having the nerve to do this.

Another version that stands out is Fritz Reiner's with the Chicago Sym-phony. The opening movement is even faster than Toscanini's, but it never sounds as fast as the time indicates. Both here and in the finale the playing is won-derfully crisp without ever calling atten-tion to its virtuosity. Reiner treats the slow movement not as a lyrical interlude but as the serious work of a mature com-poser. This is old-fashioned music-mak-ing at its best, and the sound is very nice, despite the 1960 recording date. Some will be disappointed that Reiner ob-serves no repeats save in the Menuetto. For them I would suggest the essentially similar Neeme Jârvi performance with the Stockholm Sinfonietta.

Yet another old-style performance is that of Pablo Casals. As with Beecham, there are two versions, the earlier from

Stereo/Ark, October 1997 251

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the Prades Festival (1953, coupled with the famous Quintet in C, D.956), the second from Marlboro (1970). The Prades version has the advantage of a perkier finale, but otherwise I much prefer the Marlboro. (At Prades Casals intended no exposition repeat, but the first bassoon forgot, returned to the beginning, and messed up the strings for a few bars.) Casals has the gentleness of the opening theme just right, and changes tempo at will to underline the changing drama. The slow movement, nearly 12 minutes long, is world-weary, wonderfully melancholy and poignant. Listening to this, it occurred to me that Casals was a great cellist not so much because he played the instrument well, but because he had great concentration and musical imagination. This per-formance was recorded in concert, but the audience is quiet, though sonics arc just okay. An alternative to the affec-tionate, romantic approach would be Biihm's version mentioned above. The choice of a "modern" inter-

pretation — one in up-to-date sound with crisp tempos and more classical lines—is difficult because so many modern versions tend to sound face-lessly the same. Here arc three possi-bilities; you can choose according to the coupling work.

First comes Marcello Viotti, who favors quick tempos in the outer move-ments that work well because the play-ing is delicate, and the Saarbrücken Orchestra does not sound pushed or forced. The slow movement is fairly quick, but sounds warm and shaped nonetheless. Viotti's coupling is Schu-bert's Fourth. A reasonable alternative would be Claudio Abbado's recording with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (coupled with Schubert's Sixth). The two differ mainly in Abbado's inclusion of the last-movement repeat. Better than either of these is John Lubbock's version with the Orchestra of St. John's, Smith Square. Here the playing is still crisp, but with no sense of rushing or anxiety. The slow movement may be a touch too serene, but the nice balancing and soft playing justify Lubbock's tempo. The coupling, however, is awk-ward: Haydn's Symphony 49. Where do you file this thing? We have three recordings with peri-

od instruments, all with good points. Roy Goodman and the Hanover Band arc surprisingly tender and, for a period performance, quite moderate in tempo. This one has a pleasant, mellow quality, but on the whole I prefer a bit more spirit. Somewhat perkier is Jos van

Immerseel with Anima Eterna, where, like Goodman, the music is often broadly phrased. One oddity is the repeat in the first movement where Immersed omits the four introductory bars. It seems ironic that a recording whose rather pretentious notes make a big deal about authenticity should so cavalierly excise those four measures. My preference among the period ver-sions, though, is Sir Charles Mackerras with the Orchestra of the Age of En-lightenment: crisp but not brusque, very fine balances between winds and strings, and a slow movement shaped without sentimentality. Below are my recommendations: six

first choices, eight worthy backups. To further narrow the choice: Lubbock and Mackerras arc both excellent, but, com-pared to older conductors, not par-ticularly distinctive —and I don't even like the Toscanini. Many people (not me) arc nutty about repeats, which hurts Reiner and Beecham. At least Casals/ Marlboro has the first-movement repeat, but the sound is not great. S

The A Team Toscanini: with Symphony 9 (1947). RCA 60291-2.

Beecham/RPO: with Symphonies 3, 6. EMI 7 69750 2.

Reiner: with Brahms Symphony 3. RCA 61973-2.

Casals/Marlboro: with Beethoven Symphony 4. Sony SK 46246.

Lubbock: with Haydn Symphony 49. IMP PCD 819.

Mackerras: with Symphony 8 (completed), Rosamunde. Virgin 61305 2.

The Rest Beecham/LPO: with Mozart Piano

Concerto 12, Don Giovanni over-ture. Pearl 9081.

Jârvi: with Symphony 6, overtures. BIS CD-387.

Böhm: in complete set of sym-phonies. DG 419 318-2 (4 CDs).

Casals/Prades: with String Quintet in C, D.956. Sony SK 58992.

Viotti: with Symphony 4. Claves 50-9417.

Abbado: with Symphony 6. DG 423 654-2.

Goodman: in complete set of sym-phonies. Nimbus NI 5270 (4 CDs).

Immerseel: with Rosamunde. Channel Classics 4292.

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The Delevantes Postcards from Along the Way Capitol 8 56179 2 (CD). 1997. Gary Tallent, prod.; The Iklevantes, Mike Porter, assoc. prods.; Mike Clute, Peter Miskinis, engs. AA1)? TT: 43:34

Performance ****1/2 Sonics ****1/2

If you can play a guitar and you're from New Jersey, you're auto-matically doomed to a lifetime of

answering one question: How much have you been influenced by Bruce Springsteen? The brothers Delevante decided to

have their Springsteen and a whole range of other influences too. They have also tapped the inexplicable magic that comes from two siblings singing together. Using the Everly and Louvin brothers as their models, Mike and Bob Delevante began playing in their hometown of Rutherford, and later in Hoboken, New Jersey in the early '80s. In their teens they'd been smitten by bluegrass — their set list included familiar Monkees and Beatles tunes done in the style of Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley. Eventually their own originals evolved into an unlikely hybrid ofjangly gui-tars and Springsteen-flavored (for lack of a less-overworked cliché) heartland rock, crossed with the alternative country of Nanci Griffith, Steve Earle, and Lyle Lovett. The secret ingredient to their music, however, comes from deep inside — where, like a lot of people who grew up on a steady diet of Top 40 radio, the brothers are suckers for pop music of all kinds. They know a hook when they hear it.

In 1993 the Delevantes left Jersey for Nashville, a town that values songwriters more than any other place in the US, and where country music's long history of brother duos gave them a ready context to work within. As anyone who's ever been there can attest, you can leave New Jersey, but somehow, some way — it usually takes the form of a greasy stain on your favorite shirt — you can never actual-ly escape. Accordingly, upon arriving in Music City, Bob and Mike formed an alliance with Gan-y Tallent, a New Jersey native and the bass player for Springsteen's leg-endary but now-defunct E Street Band. The band signed to Rounder, their first record, the

Tallent-produced Long About That Time, was one of the sleep-ers of 1996. Critics were swept into vapors. Entertainment Weekly called it a combination of "big-city toughness with bluegrass twang." The Village Voie (being The Village Voice) sensed the album's inner life as being "pub-rock mysticized by ephemeral steel guitar and roadside magic realism." Several aficionados, including Wes Phillips of Stereophile, have found that their hands shake uncontrollably when they try to remove die CD from their transports.

That debut album's critical splash convinced Capitol

Bob and Mike Delevante

G Nashville to ink these Jersey Boys to a deal. The result, Postcards from Along The Way, manages not only to sail over another inexplicable phenom-enon — the sophomore jinx — but also to break new ground in terms of richer songs, more detailed arrange-ments, and, hopefully, increased sales and airplay. To those who say there just isn't any good music anymore, I say listen to the Delevantes — rootsy pop has rarely sounded this good.

Postcards from Along the Way opens with three straight road tunes — appropriate not only because of the disc's title, but also because if there

ever was a band that was going somewhere, it's the Delevantes. The opener, "Suitcase of Leather," as well as "My Daddy's Cadillac" and "This Engine Runs On Faith," are traveling songs in the best tradition of that overstuffed genre. In "Engine," the brothers' vocal chemistry makes the revelatory chorus soar.

But it's in four other tracks that Postcards from Along the Way hits its highest point. "I Know I Promised" borrows the good-hearted loser that populates Springsteen's lyrics, and adds a moody arrangement and another gorgeous duo chorus (whose careful modulation in the rising second line bespeaks lots of thought and rehearsal) to fashion a knock-out ballad. Bob, and Mike follow this with their best jan-gler on the disc, "It Reminds Me of You" — according to writer Bob, the song flattered his wife until he told her it was about the brothers' hometown.

Eight of the 12 tunes here are co-written by the brothers; the rest are by Bob Delevante alone. The brothers' growing ability to write lyrics and choruses to fit their particular vocal blend is apparent on "Heart-Shaped Locket," where they somehow work the awkward "A heart-shaped locket on angel's wings" into a captivating triple-repeat chorus. "I'm Your Man" is a guitar-driven adventure through Austin-styled roots rock.

This smashing success of a disc closes with another improbably titled tune and chorus, "John Wayne Lives in Hoboken" —Bob Delevante's affectionate portrait of a colorful Hoboken neighbor whose claims to fame includ-ed meeting "a young Francis Albert" and speaking one line in the film On the Waterfront.

Recorded by Garry Tallent (who also plays on the disc) and Mike Clute, the disc has a crisp, well-articulated sound. As John Atkinson can attest, having a bass player as produc-er means that the bass lines will finally (and, as John would certainly say, rightfully) get their due. But to Tallenes credit, the brothers' acoustic guitars get equal play with his tasteful, anchoring rhythmic support. - Robert Baird


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ILASSICAL 1 DANIELPOUR

Concerto for Orchestra, Anima Mundi

liwid Zittittati. Pitt‘burgh S)inphony Sony Classical SK 62822 (Cl)). 1997. Steven Epstein,

prod.; Charles Harbutt, eng. DDI). TT: 56:18 Performance **** Sonics *****

Now 41 and beginning a contract with Sony Classical, Richard Danielpour is at a point in his life

where he's beginning to write big orches-tral works that are fully mature and pos-sibly quite important His Cello Con-certo for Yo-Yo Ma seemed the start of a new period of development for him, and he continues to grow by leaps with each new work. The Concerto for Orchestra, for example, readily acknowledges influ-ences from Bartók's famous work of the same name but somehow isn't indebted to it. There's a similar thematic simplicity and directness, a near-quotation in the brass-dominated chord resolution at the end of the first movement, and moments of meditative, mysterious introspection not unlike Barteek's "night music" man-net; climaxing with rhythms that are frighteningly repetitive. One might well ask what about it is

distinctively Danielpour. Like much of his other music, the Concerto is incred-ibly vigorous; in the first movement, this vigor takes the form of brassy inter-ruptions that have an almost rock'n'roll sense of rhythmic emphasis as they interrupt the flow of the Concerto's first movement. There's also humo often in the form of instruments invading from a foreign key signature and occasionally bending the piece in their direction.

But Danielpour is at his most distinc-tive when acting as a collage artist, juxta-posing all sorts of melodic and rhythmic ideas — a Coplandesque harmony, a rhythm borrowed from popular dance — without necessarily expecting them to coexist happily. By the sheer force of Danielpour's compositional personality, the Concerto never seems like a patch-work. Sometimes his sense of rhythm can become obnoxious. But this isn't another neo-Barber. If anything, Daniel-pour is neo-Bernstein, drawing music in from many sources and making the mix personal. Anima Mundi ("spirit of the world"), a

dance score written for the Pacific Northwest Ballet, hasn't the multi-

Richard Danielpour

leveled texture of the Concerto, but does have the sense of movement that good dance music should. In fact, it seems to delight in its own rhythmic buoyancy, purring along almost like a vintage Philip Glass piece with isolated comments from the sidelines in fun, rau-cous percussion. The second movement has such a powerful and colorful sense of narrative that one wonders if Danielpour has a future in the opera house. Perhaps most impressive, the composer has the guts to end the piece quietly. The performances of both works are

remarkably assured, considering that they're first outings (this recording of the Concerto was made a year before its concert premiere). No doubt conductor David Zinman —who draws a tight, vital performance from the excellent Pittsburgh Symphony — is the man who, in the end, made this a good recording, thanks to his ability to see deep into the guts of the music and make it dance. —David Patrick Stearns

MOORE

The Ballad of Baby Doe

Jan Gnsson1,13.1M Doc, Brun Steele, Ilomce Tabor, Dana Kreuger, Augusta Tabor, Myrna Paris, Mania McCourr, others; Chorus & Orchestra of Central City Opera, John Moriarty

Newport Classics NPI) 85593/2 (2 CI)s). 1997 John Ostendorf, prod.; Stephen J. Epstein, cng. DDI). TT: 2:1701

Performance **1/2 Sonlcs **1/2

The Ballad of Baby Doe may or not be a great opera — it really doesn't matter here — but I've seen it on

stage and can attest to its theatricality. I was equally impressed by its only other recording (made, I believe, in the very late '50s). That first version starred

Beverly Sills (Baby Doe, one of Sills' early signature roles, ideally suited her high-lying, expressive soprano) and Walter Cassel, with Frances Bible as a formidable Augusta, and it fairly jumped out of the speakers. The sound, if I recall, was terrible, but the performance, led by Emerson Buckley, was riveting. There are rumors that DG is going to reissue it (in better sound, we hope); it's worth waiting for. A long-awaited "modern" recording

has finally appeared, and it's somewhat of a disappointment. Granted, it gives us another chance to hear Moore's evoca-tive, nicely stagey music and John Latouche's concise, telling words, but the performance doesn't move us the way it should. It was recorded on the stage of the Central City Opera in Colorado, where the opera premiered, and while that offers a nice, historical frisson, the offering is made only briefly. The engi-neers are partially at fault—the orchestra is oddly recessed, and much of Moore's

local color and dramatic underpinning are therefore sacrificed: The recording never comes alive. The vocal performances are, for the

most part, good without ever scaling the heights of Sills, Cassel, and Bible. Jan Grissom has a pretty voice — in fact, just the right voice — for Baby Doe. But she lacks the dreaminess and utter sincerity Sills brought to the role. Her "Willow" song is practically a vocalise, and she never quite engages our sympathies. She sings her final, very touching aria much faster than Sills did, and some of its effect is lost. Dana Kreuger, with a more attractive sound than Frances Bible's, does not make nearly the impression that this battle-ax character should. Augusta is spiteful and terribly wound-ed; Kreuger sounds petulant at times, but little more. Closer to the mark is Brian Steels' Horace Tabor — Cassel was, by turns, arrogant, loving, devoted,


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dedicated, and eventually pathetic, and Steele comes near to all these facets. The rest of the cast is fine, and Moriarty leads all the forces well. What to do? I really love much of

this opera, and I highly recommend it to newcomers. But I'd wait for the Sills/DG reissue; barring that, go for this competent, if unremarkable, set.

— Robert Levine

VERACINI

Recorder Sonatas, Vol.

Gwyn Roberts, reconlcrs; Timip..t.. di Marc PGM Recordings PGM 107 (CD). 1997. Gabe M.

Wiener. prod, eng. DDD. TT: 58:16 Performance ***1/2 Sonics ****

Francesco Maria Veracini (1690-1768) was not a particularly mod-est individual: "One God, One

Veracini," said he. While this is not an unusual trait in an Italian, Signore Veracini appears to have had the chops to back up his boasting. According to tradition, the great violinist Tartini gave up public performance after hear-ing Veracini strut his stuff. Certainly, Veracini's 1716 sonatas "for violin or recorder" demand a virtuoso perfor-mance; fortunately, Gwyn Roberts is up to the task. One of her teachers was Marion Verbruggen, probably the greatest living exponent of the recorder, and while Roberts does not yet have her mentor's beauty of tone, her fluen-cy and speed in ornamentation are just what this music demands.

Fluency and skill arc also necessary in the continuo group, along with an ap-propriate variety of instrumental tex-tures, and this is well supplied by Temp-esta di Mare. (I hope, however, that this group is not signaling a trend of naming ensembles after Vivaldi concertos; I would have a problem with "The Favo-rites," or "The Four Seasons," or "The Many Instruments.") Although com-posed of only four musicians, TdM pro-vides a delightful range of sounds, from bassoon to harpsichord and organ. I hope I have not raised expectations

too high; although influenced strongly by Corelli (especially in the Law from Sonata III here), Veracini lacked his great predecessor's grace and elegance of musical invention. Nor was he a match for his contemporaries, Bach and Telemann. Nevertheless, these sonatas arc well worth hearing, and to my uncertain knowledge are available in only one other recording, by the bril-liant but idiosyncratic Rene Clemencic and his consort.

D E V E V

t.“ #

Maestro Doom: James Levine's new Dutchman is a slow but successful boat.

Also worth hearing is the fine sound produced by the late Gabe Wiener and his PGM crew. The tone of Roberts' recorders is pure and natural, and Ann Marie Morgan's cello sounds warm and true-to-life. Soundstaging is excellent as well, deep and wide without being exaggerated. Fine performance, audio-phile sound, and a small label worthy of our support— what more do we need?

—Les Berkley

WAGNER

Der Fliegende Hollander

James Morris. Dutchman; Deborah Voigt, Scina; Ben Hcppncr, Erikjan-Hendrik Rootcring, Daland; Paul Groves, Steersman; Birgitta Svendén, Mary; Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orchestra, James Levine

Sony Classical S2K 66342 (2 CDs). 1997. Michael dotz, prod. DIM/ Tr: 23207

Performance **** Sonics ****1/2

Dutchman collectors as well as Levine-watchers will immedi-ately note the protracted play-

ing time, which, Klemperer aside, is the slowest on disc. I was instantly jarred by it during the overture, got over it dur-ing the first scene, and was newly jolt-ed at the start of Scnta's ballad: How will Voigt get through it at titis pace? Will it hold together?

Well, perspective is everything. Grant-ed, this is an amazingly heavy-handed Dutchman, but it works. The doom is very profoundly laid on, but this is in keeping. Where some might find diffi-culties is in the so-called "lighter" moments, when Daland is supposedly comic or the sailors are yukking it up — we still feel as if we're climbing uphill; there's no relief. The spinning chorus is about as lighthearted as the Noms in Giitterdiimmerung. But it's a

valid view of this work, like it or not, and the opera comes across as a very strong, very dark statement, with plenty of drama.

Furthermore, Levine knows his cast's capabilities. His orchestra and chorus arc simply spectacular — easily the match of any European group, and of any other group who has recorded this opera. And the solo voices Levine has chosen arc big and broad, perfectly in tune with his grand-sweep ap-proach. Morris's big bass is ideal, and his ability to sneer audibly in some of the Dutchman's more bitter moments is right on the mark. That this man is doomed is never in doubt —either to us or to himself. In the mouth of a lesser Senti, the ballad sung so slowly might fall apart, but Deborah Voigt is young and strong, with dead-center pitch and an inherent musicality that make it work brilliantly, both as interior mono-log and as public statement of insanity. And the voice gleams, here and else-where. Heppner's Erik is handsomely sung, as one might expect from our leading heldentenor-in-waiting, but it's a bit one-dimensional (perhaps all Eriks arc). Rootcring's Daland is weakish — the tone never quite focuses properly. Paul Groves' expressive tenor is fine for the Steersman.

Sony's sound crew is solidly in Levine's camp: the bigger the better. And when, in the Act III sailors' scene, they add stormy wind effects, one does-n't mind. In short, this is an excellent, dark Dutchman, told from the vantage point of who Wagner was to become rather than from the point of view of a composer/conductor who had, only four years earlier, conducted Bellini's Norma. -Robert Levine


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FRANK ZAPPA

Strictly Genteel

A "Classical" Introduction to Frank Zappa Frank Zappa, guitars, keyboards, electronics; Kent Nagano, London Symphony: Pierre Boulez, Ensemble InterContemporain; Ensemble Modern

Rykodisc RCD 10578 (CD). 1997. Jill Christiansen, compilation prod.; Toby Mountain, eng. AAD/A1)D/DDD. TT: 66:57

Performance **** Sonics ****

Ies about time Frank Zappa's contri-butions to the classical world were recognized. Ryko has done it right

with the 18-track Strictly Genteel. The CD probes Zappa's ventures —

stylistically eclectic yet masterful in each idiom — into the pseudo-baroque, vari-ous jazz/rock/orchestral hybrids, and dark worlds embracing the spirits of Anton Webern, Edgard Varèse (FZ's boyhood hero), and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Zappa's music is distinctly American, iconoclastically drawing on traditional forms while molding them into his own unique voice. His intimate knowledge of orchestration, color, oblique harmo-ny, and constantly evolving form come through piece after piece. But what also shines through in this

compilation is Zappa's isolation, and the way he worked that to his advantage. Constantly slagged by critics who felt that a pop genius with an unsavory flair for not-so-genteel subjects was an un-welcome visitor to the sacred halls of Beethoven and Brahms, Zappa was fur-ther handicapped by orchestras that routinely failed to put aside adequate time to rehearse his complex, episodic patchworks. He was doomed to bad performances before the curtain even went up. The answer was his Utility Muffin

Research Kitchen —a Syndavier-equip-ped digital recording studio where he could obtain the sounds he wanted, have them played to rhythmic perfection in the most idiosyncratic meters, and be able to manipulate the final sound to perfection. Coupled with a few choice players to handle such details as his tipsy, swerving trombone solos and funky drum grooves, Zappa was armed to the teeth and dangerous in a way even play-er-piano wizard Conlon Nancarrow could not have envisioned.

It's hard to tell what's what in terms of which pieces are played by "real" musicians and which are Kitchen con-coctions. No doubt that would make Zappa proud. Still, more informative liner notes would have been helpful. But this CD is enormously satisfying

Stereophi/e, October 1997

from a musical standpoint, both for its revisitations of such familiar classics as "Uncle Meat" and "Duke of Prunes" and for such unexpectedly playful in-clusions as his possible ancestor Fran-cesco Zappa's Scarlatti/Bach-ish Op.1 No.3 and Op.1 No.4. "Serious" music fans will gravitate toward the surreal, dark genius of "Bob in Dacron," "Pedro's Dowry," "Naval Aviation in Art," and "Outrage at Valdez," all of which use the full orchestral palette with star-tling finesse, nose-thumbing wit, mas-terful shape, and rough-house heft. "Dwarf Nebula Processional March and Dwarf Nebula" and the close of "Uncle Meat Main Theme" under-score Zappa's close affinity to the world of pure electronics. By contrast, "Run Home Slow

Theme," with its relentless ostinato per-cussion and contrasting brass themes, is funky, jaunty, yet probing and obliquely bluesy. "G-Spot Tornado" and the title tune may be the best. The former starts with manic, rap-style percussive ele-ments that transform into a rocking, wildly syncopated, jumping piece that flies on a thoroughly unpredictable course with amazing pivots. The latter, which closes the CD, is supremely love-ly, entwining the Beatles, Hollywood, doo-wop, jazz, classical music, and rock in one brilliant, heart-throbbing, misty-eyed piece.

If there were any doubts on the part of the establishment that Frank Zappa was a major figure in the currents of contem-porary classical music, this CD should bury them for good.

—Dan Buckley

ROCK

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The Cicadas

Warner Bros. 46498-2 (CD). 1997. Rodney Crowell, Steuart Smith, prods.; Peter Coleman, mix, eng. AM)? TT: 41:11


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Rodney Crowell (center, rear) continues to thrive between the cracks with his latest project, The Cicadas.

Cash, and was an original member of Harris's outstanding back-up unit, the Hot Band. He even made country his-tory when his Diamonds and Dirt album, released in 1988, yielded five (!) Num-ber One singles. Times have changed dramatically for

Crowd and country since then. Just as Crowd was turning 40, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, and a few others were ush-ering in a new country era that left a lot of extraordinary talents like Crowell, Cash, and Harris looking (relatively) old before their time. But if anything, Crowd's music has continued to resonate with youthful exuberance; it's just seasoned by real-life experiences —lots of'em.

Today, as country radio deafly dis-misses Crowell and others his age for not being new enough, Crowd retali-ates by transcending new country alto-gether. As the main songwriter and singer of the Cicadas — the band also includes Vmce Santoro (vocals, drums), Steve Winwood associate Michael Rhodes (bass), and Steuart Smith (lead guitar, keyboards, etc.) — Crowell tilts the Nashville-Liverpool axis in a decid-edly easterly direction. If you sense some McCartneyisms on "Through With the Past," or are startled by the pop grace and vulnerability of "We Want Everything," the best Squeeze-sounding tune that Difford and Tilbrook never wrote, you're not alone. "Our Little Town," co-written with Guy Clark, is the album's most country-sounding song, telling of idyllic peace and decency in one particular rural burg. Even with its "Monday, Monday" intro and outro, it's the kind of song that would've been a hit for Crowd had he released it back in '89 or '90. The songs bookending The Cicadas

are two of the best that Crowd's ever written. "Still Learning How to Fly" is a gorgeous finale about hope and opti-

mism in the face of the untimely death of a close friend. "When Losers Rule the World" rocks sweetly, with a self-depre-cating attitude that Crowell pulls off totally convincingly: "When losers rule the world, I'll be a prince among men." Among songwriters and singers,

Crowell already is a prince — er, king. That this record falls through the cracks into the no-man's land between contem-porary country and modern rock is a pity. You sometimes hear artists say (usu-ally after they've sold a million copies) that they'd be proud of their album whether it sells 10 copies or a million. Well, here's one that Crowd and com-pany can be proud of, regardless.

—David Sokol

JIM CAMPILONGO & a THE 10 GALLON CATSM

Loos('

Blue Hen No2 (CD). 1997. Joc Wesslingjim Campi-longo, prods.; Daryn Roven, mg. AAD? TI': 41:05

Available from Blue Hen Records, P.O. Box 420586, San Francisco, CA 94142.


0 ne could take a gander at the cowboy boots and vintage suits favored by Jim Campilongo

and the 10 Gallon Cats and assume that this is but one more yearning unit in-tent on recapturing days of yore. One might be half right. The other half, however, is what elevates this San Francisco quartet high above its 100% retrofitted contemporaries.

Campilongo and company have dubbed their all-instrumental concoc-tion "cowboy jazz." With the rhythm section of bassist Chris Kee and drum-mer Ken Owen laying down a limber foundation, the Telecaster-wielding Campilongo and his foil, steel guitarist Joe Goldmark, engage in a sprightly

dialog that extends through 11 stylish tracks. Masters of slick-as-a-card-trick exchanges ("Bustin' Up," the chicken-picicin' showcase "Pee Wee's Big Ad-venture") and somber lyricism ("The Girl 'With Red Eyes," 'Loose"), these guys neatly sidestep the pitfalls that entrap many nonjazz instrumentalists. Campilongo's originals possess strong themes and avoid homogeneity There's no wasted space in these tunes; the soloists get in, make their statements, and get out. And what solos! Campilongo — the

guitarist in the NHT room at Stereo-phile's HI-FI '97 — is a strenuously pro-gressive improviser whose sonically adventurous playing is informed by jazz, blues, and experimental sensibili-ties. Goldrnark follows Campilongo's brazen leads with silvery excursions that avoid steel clichés.

While the Cats' music may be based in Western swing and its offshoots, this foursome isn't interested in mimicking Bob Wills so much as summoning the Texas Playboys' deft combination of precision and spontaneity. Campilongo and the Cats may have one foot firmly planted in the past, but with Loose they've taken one more powerful stride forward. - Steven Stolder

1111r JOHN HIATT 'Min

Little Head

Capitol 54672 2 (CD). 1997. John Hiatt, Davey Faragher, prods.; Ihvid Lohr, en& MD? TT: 4306

Performance *** Sonics ***1/2

ohn Hiatt's one of those two-career guys, established both as a recording artist and as a highly regarded song-

writer. Hey, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Rain, Rosanne Cash, Jeff Healey, Three Dog Night, the Neville Brothers, and Buddy Guy are among the luminaries who've had hits with his songs, which tradition-ally straddle the rootsy path between r&b, country, and garage pop. With his wickedly clever wordplay and gruff, friendly vocals, he's kind of like Elvis Costello, only with more staying power.

But on Little Head Hiatt's 14th album and his fourth in four years, the empha-sis shifts from pithy stories and reflec-tions on adapting to middle age to, well, more carnal knowledge. Actually, that's true only of the lead-off title track and the low-tech cover art, showing the dig-nified singer-songwriter's sly puss pok-ing through a zipper. But with lines like "Forgive me when my instincts start


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stinkin' / I'm just so easily led when a little head does the thinking," Hiatt drops his guard and his trousers a wee bit too much. There's no midlife crisis going on here, just a big appetite and the confessions of what sounds like a perpetually horny fortysomething. It's clever and revealing, but it tends to cloud the sincerity of the album's two love ballads, "After All This Time" and "My Sweet Girl." The latter, with such lyrics as "Hold me now in this sweet life / I will take you for my wife," has the outward sweetness of a simple John Lennon ode to Yoko; but by the time the song comes on, you can't help but wonder what's really going on inside the singer's little head.

In "Pirate Radio," the album's most tuneful track, Hiatt bemoans the lack of meaningful music on the radio. Else-where, he tackles deceit ("Sure Pinoc-chio"), being torn between two lovers ("Woman Sawed in Han, and in the album's best song, "Far as We Go," acceptance of a relationship that didn't work out as expected. Or something. Like Hiatt's finest material, this one's open to interpretation. As Hiatt's recording career evolves,

his singing gets ever more confident and playful, his band more organic. This live-sounding effort was recorded in just over a week, and benefits from the first-take spontaneity. Unfortunately, its songs ultimately lack the punch and consistently edgy melodies of his best work. If you're a diehard Hiatt fan, this one will get under your skin after sever-al listenings. If you're not, 1995's four-star Walk On, with its superior songs and bonus track, and 1987's classic Bring the Family, are much better starting points. —David Sokol

JAZZ

KURT ELLING

The Messenger

Kurt Elling, Cassandra Wilson, vocals; Orbert Davis, trumpet; Edward Petersen. Eddie Johnson, tenor sax; Laurence Hobgood, piano, synthesizer; Eric Hochberg, Rob Amster, bass; Paul Wertico, Jim Widlowski, drums, percussion

Blue Note CDP 8 52727 2 (CD). 1997 Kurt Elting, Laurence Hobgood, prods.; Paul Wertico, co-prod.; Roger Heiss, Danny Kopelson, engs. DDIX IT: 7208


0 nce Elling gets under your skin, he stays there. The youthful Chicagoan's arsenal is built

Real men don't scat, real men—like Kurt Elling—rant.

around vocalese words put to previous-ly recorded solos, "rants" (spontaneous verbal effusions, a form invented by Elting), pre-written tale-songs, and even the occasional straight delivery of a tune. He's onto something good, break-ing new ground, reworking the old.

The Messenger follows last year's debut, Close Your Eyes. There's a lot to absorb here, both musically and lyrical-ly. Like a good instrumentalist, Elting makes you want to come back again to hear the stuff you liked and to sec what you missed. The program is broad. "Nature Boy"

starts rubato, goes into a bossa-ish beat, and includes some zesty scatting. "April in Paris" is done in a quasi-funk groove, and Davis' muted trumpet and Hob-good's wild piano add spice to the leader's evocative rendering. Big-toned tenorman Eddie Johnson's a plus on the ageless "Prelude to a Kiss," where Elting is softly in the pocket, while the Zombies' "Time of the Season" gets a Coltrane groove and a Wilson cameo, her voice creamy-rich and almost deep-er than Elting's. The leader rants on the title track and

"The Beauty of All Things." "It's Just a Thing" is a beat/bop fable with charac-ters named "The Swing" and "47." "Tan-ya Jean" takes vocdese to a new level, as Elting delivers words to Dexter Gordon's entire solo to Donald Byrd's "Tanya." While this is a studio recording, it

presents Elling's voice accurately, as if live in a club. Hobgood's piano retains its brightness and brawn, though bass and drums could be just a smidgen crisper. —Zan Stewart

THE VINNY GOLIA LARGE ENSEMBLE Ali

Portland 1996

Vinny Golia, piccolo, alto, & bass flutes; sopranino, soprano, tenor, baritone, & bass saxes; E-flat, A, B-flat, alto, bass, contrabass, & contra-alto clarinets; English horn, bassoon; conductor. With: Sal Cracchiolo, John Fumo, Rob Blakeslee, trumpet, flugelhonr, Mike Vlatkovich, George McMullen, trombone; Roble Hiold, bass trombone; William Roper, tuba; Steve Mains, piccolo, C, alto, & bass flutes; sopranino, soprano, tenor, & alto saxes; Steve Fowler, flute, alto sax; Bill Plake, piccolo, C. & alto flutes; soprano & tenor saxes; Kim Richmond, piccolo, flute, 13-flat, & bass clarinets, alto sax; Charles Fernandez, bassoon; Ibvid Johnson, chimes, timpani, vibraphone, marim-ba; Brad 1)titz, marimba, timpani, orchestral bells, hand percussion; Wayne Peet, piano, keyboards; Harry Scorzo, Jeff Gauthier, violins; Jonathan Golove, Peggy Lee, cellos; Ken Filiano, Joel Hamilton, double bass; Alex Chue, drums, percussion; Stephanie Henry, conductor

Nine Winds NWC1)0180 (CD). 1996. Vinny Gol ja, prod.; Jeff Golden, eng. MI)? TT: 64:41

Performance **** Sonics***

Reeds specialist Vinny Golia (is there any reed instrument he has yet to try on for size?) answers to

no one when he decides the time is right to serve up another platter of compelling compositions powered by surging im-provisation. The prolific LA-based avant-gardist started his Nine Winds label 20 years ago to exercise total creative control over his work, and to offer an outlet for like-minded and kindred-spirited musi-cians opting to test the outer limits of the jazz sphere rather than tread well-worn paths. One of Golia's most successful ventures has been his Large Ensemble, which has recorded such well-received CDs as Pilgrimage to Obscurity and Decen-WIWI Dans Asian.

There's no escaping the ego-spawned perils of self-production, but Golia gener-ally resists the temptation to shine the spotlight on himself, opting instead for creative team play. On his latest project, Golia unleashes his bold Large Ensemble to ram and thrust its weight through three extended works positioned stylisti-cally at the crossroads of new dassical music and free jazz. Think: (way) beyond Mingus. Recorded live in 1996 at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Oregon, Portland 1996 offers a heavyweight dose of dramatic, at times harrowing music that the 24-member orchestra executes with chilling brilliance.

Except for a few pockets of calm, ex-pect a thoroughly riveting listening expe-rience. The intense "Surrounded by Assassins" teems with musical in:try:a:1 a massive sonic blanket creates a t-ing effect with its deep-toned brass aches, low cello groans, and grating piccolo trills. "Blue Hawk" opens with tenor saxo-phonist Bill Plaice shredding and singing


A Trumpet to Build a Dream On: Louis Armstrong Reissues

W.C. Handy and Louis Armstrong in 1954

LOUIS ARMSTRONG The Complete RCA Victor Recordings Louis Armstrong & his Orchestra, The Esquire All-American 1946 Award Winners, Louis Armstrong & his Hot Seven, Louis Armstrong & his 1)ixieland Seven, Louis Armstrong & his All-Stars

RCA 68682-2 (4 CDs). 1997. Orrin Keepnews, reis-sue prod.; Steve Backer, exec. prod.; Dennis Ferrante, mastering mg. Paul Brizzi, CEDAR restoration. MD? TT: 4:0337

Performance ***1/2 Sonics *** Now You Has Jazz: Louis Armstrong at MGM Rhino 11.2 72827 (Cl)). 1997. George Feltenstein,

Bradley Flanagan, prods.; Doug Schwartz, mg. AM)? TI': 64:12

Performance **** Sonics **** Louis Armstrong Plays WC. Handy Louis Armstrong, trumpet, vocal; Barney Bigard,

clarinet, Tnninny Young, trombone, vocal; Billy Kyle, piano; Arvell Shaw, bass; Barrett Deems, drums; Velma Middleton, vocals

Columbia CK 64925 (CD). 1997. George Avalcian, orig. & reissue prod.; Mason Coppinger, orig. ens.; Mark Wilder, reissue mg. AM)? IT: 77:06

Performance **** Sonics **** The Great Chicago Concert 1956 Louis Armstrong, trumpet. vocal; Edmond Hall,

clarinet, vocal; Trummy Young, trombone, vocal; Billy Kyle, piano; Dale Jones, bass; Barrett Deems, drums; Velma Middleton, vocals

Columbia/Legacy C2K 65119 (2 CDs). 1997. George Avilcian, orig. & reissue prod.; Mason Coppinger, orig. eng.; Darcy Proper, reissue cog. AAD? TI': 112:52

Performance ****1/2 Sound ***1/2

0 fall ofAmerica's contributions to world culture, none —includ-ing icons like Casablanca—

shine as brighdy as the musical and comedic genius of Louis Armstrong. Forget all that claptrap about his com-mercialism, his supposed lack of ambition, and, worst of all, his being an "Uncle Tom" —Pops, Satch, or just plain Louis Armstrong, born on the Fourth of July, remains a treasure. Today, 25 years after his death, Pops' unmistakable trumpet tone and sand-paper voice can, if given the chance, still burst onto the Billboard charts, as

evidenced by the sur-prise hit a few years back of "It's a Wonderful World," from the sound-track of Good Morning Vietnam. An even more recent wine commercial proves that, no matter what's happened in the record stores, Madison Avenue has never for-

, gotten a vocalist as dis-tinct as Louis Armstrong.

Fortunately, if you're bitten by the bug, or if you're an Armstrong

fan who's into exploring (and collect-ing CDs as well as vinyl), the Armstrong recording catalog contin-ues to be enriched with new discov-eries and classy restorations. The ear-liest material in this quartet of new Armstrong releases can be found on the RCA set, an impressive summa-tion of Amistrong's two separate stays on the label (1930-33 and. 1946-47). The opening four cuts on disc one feature Chick Webb's band. From there on, the backing band is various incarnations of "Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra."

It's obligatory to moan about how, after the great Hot Five and Hot Seven lineups of the '20s, Armstrong never had another backing band that was worth a damn. For the most part, I agree. Two points, though: Most of these units recorded with little or no rehearsal — the band heard on the 1933 sessions had been together a week. Also, these bands were tooth-less because that's the way Armstrong liked it—no one to get in his way or try to upstage him.

Stylistically, none of what's on these four discs can be considered great Armstrong. This is mid-career, scrutinize-his-development (or lack of) Pops. His soon-to-be classic phras-ing and timing in tunes like "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" are here in the process of coming together. The tone of his trumpet has grown fuller and more rounded. If you like showy high notes, however, this may well be his most histrionic, incendiary period. High Fs and Gs ring out with aston-ishing frequency.

What's most important about his

work in this period is his develop-ment as a voci ist. You can literally hear him gaining confidence and sub-tlety with each passing tune. Like all truly great vocalists, especially those — like Billie Holiday and Pops —sad-dled with less than stellar material, Armstrong became a master at spin-ning silk from straw, making hits out of grade-B tunes. And Armstrong's promise as a songwriter —the less flamboyant and therefore most neg-lected aspect of his talent—bubbles out in tunes like "You'll Wish You'd Never Been Born" (disc one), in which he joyously warns a friend who's abused his generosity that he plans to "acquaint" his "big, fat head" with a blackjack.

That same tune reappears on disc two as one of the newly discovered, previously unreleased Amistrong cuts that are this set's chief attraction to col-lectors. All told, there are four such cuts, all on disc two and all, though unfortunately they're alternate takes rather than new discoveries. Although the sound quality is less than pristine, overall this is an essential set.

If you've seen the films, then you know that Rhino's compilation of Armstrong's work for MGM pictures is studded with gems. The music on this disc, most of which never made it into the films, was recorded for five MGM productions: Cabin in the Sky (1942), The Strip (1951), Glory Alley (1952), High Society (1956), and When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965). Besides containing the classic High Society Bing Crosby/Satch duet "Now You Has Jazz" (worth having just for Der Bingle's pseudo-hipster rappin' "First you take some skins... "), this disc is a mish-mash filled with essen-tials like 'Ain' It the Truth," a number cut but not used in Cabin in the Sky, and "Glory Alley," one of Amistrong's finest vocal performances. In a rendi-tion of"I'm Coming, Virginia," a tune normally associated with Bix Beider-becke, Pops lays out a gorgeous, gen-tle solo that's absolutely breathtaking. There's an early version of "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" (from The Strip), a tune that would later become a stan-dard part of the Armstrong songbook. While most of what's here has been available in other forms before, this single disc is a well-annotated, reason-


ably complete compilation that sheds light on an oft-forgotten but genuinely first-class side of the Armstrong oeuvre.

Another reason why the Rhino disc contains so much quality lies in the makeup of the various bands. In The Strip, for example, Jack Tea-garden and Earl Hines jam with Pops. High Society featured Arm-strong's second-best band ever, after the original Hot Seven lineup: the '56 All-Stars. Speaking of the All-Stars, two of the longest-running Armstrong arguments revolve around this routinely maligned group. Were they a bunch of hacks dragged up to another level by Pops, or were they big-hearted, deceptively talented players who loved Pops enough to downplay their own skills? Secondly, were the two mid-'50s studio rec-ordings Pops made with them, Louis Armstrong Plays WC. Handy and Said; Plays Rus —mid-career milestones, or just the sound of Armstrong sleepwalking among zombies? To complicate matters, one of

the chief fuckups of the mid-'80s changeover from vinyl to CD came when Sony reissued both discs as a mix of alternate and original takes. Longtime fans (like me) howled when clearly inferior takes supplant-ed the classic originals. But what most laypeople took for corporate lunacy was, in actuality, a matter of lost master tapes. In the notes to the restored CD reissue of WC. Handy, producer George Avakian explains that both the masters and the safety reels for these sessions were all miss-ing in 1986 when the first flawed reissue came together. Through a long and at times lucky process, Avakian was able to restore the orig-inal tracks for this latest reissue. In the kind of irony typical of the record biz, the 1986 disc and LP (with the alternate takes) have now been withdrawn, and so will soon be collectors' items.

All that aside, it's glorious to hear the original takes again. Much as I love alternate takes, unissued mas-ters, and all the rest, if you've got an intelligent producer, there's usually a good reason why the master takes are exactly that. "St. Louis Blues," "Loveless Love," and "Long Gone (from Bowfin' Green)" all appear

again in masterful, near-definitive versions. It's very arguable that this album and its follow-up, both of which focus on composers that Armstrong had a special affinity for, contain his finest moments as a vocalist. Instead of finishing up with the alternate takes (from the 1986 disc), Avakian tacks on a less-than-thrilling interview he did with WC. Handy and some interesting, if not earth-shattering, studio patter and rehearsal sequences. Now that the WC Handy disc is back in its original condition, when will Satch Plays Fats be restored?

But for a moment, let's return to the questions surrounding the All-Stars. However you feel about them, another new Sony disc, The Great Chicago Gmcert (1956), shows again that, whatever their failings, they were a superb backing band that, at their best, had a certain instinctu-al chemistry and irresistible loose charm. First released on LP in a slightly altered form in 1980, the contents of the two-CD Chicago Concert set documents a benefit show Louis gave in 1956 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society at Medina Temple. Recorded by the local CBS radio affiliate, there are a few sound problems early on when Louis and the All-Stars unexpectedly march in off-mike, New Orleans style. But from there on the sound of these mono recordings improves dramati-cally, thanks no doubt to the exer-tions of George Avakian and engi-neer Darcy Proper. The set is classic All-Stars-vintage Armstrong: a mix of numbers from the '20s that changed jazz, like "West End Blues," to more easygoing numbers from the '30s, '40s, and '50s, like Kurt Weill's "Mack the Knife" and Fats Waller's "Black and Blue." The pac-ing here is extraordinary, ranging from the de rigueur, as-fast-as-humanly-possible "Tiger Rag" to the lazy, just-right groove of "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans." Overall, this is easily one of the best Armstrong live rec-ordings ever, one that lends weight to the closing lines of George Avalcian's liner notes: "Every note Pops ever blew, and every note he ever sang, grow more precious every day. Forever." -Robert Baird

on his horn while the rest of the orches-tra ebbs and flows with his anguish and glee. The piece builds in tension until it bursts into unexpected swing, hinting at big-band flourishes of old before frag-menting in a flurry of instrumental cross-hatching. Golia caps the number with a mad dash on sopranino sax.

"Heighten," the magnificent four-part suite that closes the collection, builds with relentless power. The solo performances are overwhelming: Steve Adams' whirling alto-sax intro, Bob Roper's tuba gusts, violinist Jeff Gau-thier's plaintive lyricism, Pierre Vlat-kovich's trombone wailing over the pile-driving rhythms, Golia's frenzied E-flat clarinet blowing, and Wayne Peees pipe-organ drone, which both soothes and contributes to the night-marish mood. The performance was so captivating, audience members sat stunned in their seats for a long pause after its conclusion before applauding.

Sound quality is satisfactory for a live recording. However; there are stretches — most notably when pianist Peet leads the swinging charge on "Blue Hawk" — where poor milcing mars the sonics.

—Dan Ouellette

SPYRO GYRA

20/20

Jay Bedcenstein, saxes; Julio Fernandez, guitars; Tom Schuman, keyboards; Scott Ambush, bass; Joel Rosenblatt, drums, timbales. With: Chris Boni, trumpet; Barry Danielian, trumpet, flugelhorn; Randy Andos, trombone; Scott Kreitzer, tenor sax, piccolo flute; Manolo Badrena, percussion; Dave Samuels, vibraphone, marimba; Bobby Allende, con-gas; Doris Eugenio, Eugene Ruffolo, Gabriela Anders, vocals

GRP GRD-9867 (Cl)). 1997. Jay Beckenstein, prod.; Jeremy Wall, Tom Schuman, Julio Fernandez, asst. prods.; Doug Oberkircher, eng. AA!)? TT: 5001

Performance ** Sonics ****

W hen Miles Davis and Weather Report were exploring new music in the early 70s, there

was an edge and unpredictability to their rock-fueled, high-octane fusion blends that propelled jazz into a vibrant new evolutionary direction. Once the flood-gates opened, however, there was no stopping watered-down jazz from flow-ing downstream. To jazz purists, this was the ultimate in sonic pollution. To the recording industry, it was a cash crop. One of the first pop-jazz bands to

strike it rich in the crossover market was Spyro Gyra, which has weathered gale-force critiques and made a lucrative career out of being safely moored in the lite-jazz harbor. The band celebrates its 20th anniversary of recording with its 20th album, appropriately titled 20/20.


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Art Blakey

CHET BAICER: Jazz Profile No.001 Blue Note CDP 8 54902 2 (CD). 1953-1956/1997

Richard Bock, prod. AAD? TT: 48:15 Performance **** Sonics ** LEE MORGAN:Jazz Profile No.007 Blue Note CIIP 8 54901 2 (Cl)). 1958-1967/1997

Alfred Lion. prod.; Rudy Van Gelder, ens. AA!)? TT: 45:21

Performance ****1/2 Sonics *** ART BLAKEY: fa= Profile No.00.1 Blue Note CDP R 54899 2 (Cl )). 1954-1977/1997.

Alfred Lion. Alan Douglas, Fred Hahn, prods.; Rudy Van Gelder, Wally Heider. George Klahin, engs. AAD? TT: 48:14

Performance ****1/2 Sonics *** BUD POWELL: Jazz Profile No.008 Blue Now CDP 8 54906 2 (CI)). 1947-1958/1997. Teddy Reig. Alfred Lion, prods. AAD? TT: 43:14

Performance ****1/2 Sonics *1/2 CANNONBALL ADDERLEY: Jazz Profile No.004

Blue Note CDP 8 54898 2 (CI)). 1958-1966/1997. Alfred Lion, Orrin Keepnews, David Axelrod, Cannonball Adderley, prods.: Rudy Van Gelder, Wally Heider. Rudie Van Lieshout, Hugh Davies, entr.. AA] )? TT: 48:13

Performance **** Sonics ***

There has never been a jazz label that inspired reverence like Blue Note in the '50s and '60s.

It was therefore inevitable that Blue Note CD reissues would become an industry in the '90s. They keep com-ing: the Connoisseur series, the "Best Of..." series, the Rare Groove series,

Déjà Vu ... All Over Again

the Performance series, the enhanced interactive CDs, the renowned Mo-saic boxed sets culled from the Blue Note vaults, and myriad special-pur-pose collections. And now there's the mid-priced

Jazz Profile Series, touted as "an affordable way to provide both the jazz neophyte and the serious collec-tor with an indispensable introduc-tion to the works of legendary artists who recorded for the various labels now in the Blue Note family." While the digital transfers are conscientious, the cover designs are quirky, the liner notes are nothing special, and the dis-cographical documentation is just adequate. Is there a need for such a project? Can a 48-minute selection from the 50-year career of Art Blak-ey make any sense? Are we glad they did it?

No, no, and yes. Michael Cuscuna is the executive producer of the Profile series, and the world's leading authority on the Blue Note archives. The material for each collection is chosen from a guiding concept that makes coherent points.

For example, the Chet Baker entry is all very early stuff, drawn from stu-dio sessions and club dates originally released on Richard Bock's Padfic Jazz label (now one of the "Blue Note fam-ily") between 1953 and 1956. The very pallidness of these monophonic rec-ordings helps awaken the senses to a faraway time and place. You can feel California ocean breezes in Baker's faux innocent vocal on "I Fall in Love Too Easily" — this was when the West Coast jazz movement was dewy and fresh (all the heroin notwithstanding). Baker's trumpet on pieces like "But Not for Me" is spare, devoid of cliché, emotionally detached, slightly per-verse. These selections record the birth of a cult figure. The Lee Morgan compilation also

has a plan. There are six tracks from six different albums recorded for Blue Note between 1958 and 1967. They sample the life's work of an incandes-cent trumpet player who was fully formed at 19 (when he recorded "C.T.A.," the earliest piece here) and dead at 33 (murdered in a Lower East Side jazz club in 1972). Morgan spits fire on blues burners like "Trapped," and spills his guts on hip ballads like

McCoy Tyner's "Twilight Mist." The least interesting piece is Morgan's only hit, the funky "Sidewinder" from 1963. But most of this music is quintessentially Blue Note —smart, ballsy, and tight. From 1954 to his death in 1990,

Art Blakey led countless configura-tions of the Jazz Messengers, an American hard-bop institution. The Blakey collection dips into that vast history in five fascinating places over 23 years. If you've wondered why Clifford Brown's memory inspires awe, check out "Wee Dot." It's from a live date (with Horace Silver on piano) at the original Birdland in 1954, and it's like the bop Dead Sea Scrolls. The last choice is a surprising one: "Jodi" revisits a forgotten version of the Messengers with little-known Valery Ponomarev and David Schnitt-er in the front line. The band has one feature in common with all Messen-ger ensembles: they smoke. Of the major seminal figures of

bebop, Bud Powell is probably the most likely to be lost to today's jazz audience. The Powell entry in the Profile series is an illuminating re-trieval of his pianistic brilliance. His best work came in the late '40s and early '50s, which means that, to expe-rience him now, you have to be will-ing to work through forbidding sonic obstacles of noise and distortion. On "Indiana," Powell's right hand strings lines at blinding speed; his melodic invention sounds both flawless and inexhaustible. The Cannonball Adderley collec-

tion focuses on a fertile eight-year period between 1958 and 1966, start-ing with "One for Daddy-0" from the classic Somethin' Else session with Miles. There's an all-star date from 1960 with Wes Montgomery and Ray Brown, and, of course, Cannon-ball's own bands with brother Nat on cornet, both live (at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach) and in the studio. It is a revelation to hear Cannonball's sound on alto sax again, that life-affirming blend of lilt and soul, and to remember how a little English pianist named Victor Feldman could play the nasty blues ("Sack O' Woe").

Blue Note's Jazz Profile series con-tains time capsules of essential Ameri-can culture. -Thomas Conrad


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Production-wise, it's a slick collection of placid-to-breezy melodies, with great care given to smooth sound quality. Musically, the quintet, led by saxophon-ist Jay Beckenstein, with its cast of sup-porting guests — including fine young trumpeter Chris Botti and ex-Spyro Dave Samuels on marimbas —plays with restraint, delivering gentle rhy-thms and an antiseptic blend of soul, funk, R&B, and pop. This is polite jazz, easily digestible over dinner, and the perfect backdrop for party small talk.

Only occasionally on 20/20 does Spyro Gyra range out of the easy-listen-ing zone. There's electric-guitar spark on the title track, jaunty funk grit on "The Deep End," and fire on the finale, "Rockaway to Sunset." But most of the show is milquetoast mush for the ears. Birds chirp on the lulling ballad "Three Sisters," and sterile grooves reg-ulate "Ruled by Venus." The collection's worst track proves to be a straight melodic read of James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James." k's Jacuzzi jazz at its most offensive: taking on a well-known song by giving it the pretty treatment, yet not contributing an ounce of imagination to the arrangement. Listening is like being put on Muzak hold by a telephone operator. It's meant to be a pacifying experience, but it makes you want to just hang up. -Dan Ouellette

ETC.

CAPERCAILLIE

To the Moon

Green Linnet GM) 3117 (CD). 1997. Capereaillie, muds.; Jon Turner, Grant Milne, Steve Jackson, cogs. AA1)? Tr: 5822

Performance *** Sonia ****

Now that traditional musics from around the globe have become oh-so-fashionable among the

musically adventurous (this is only a mild sneer, anything that entices Ameri-cans to notice the rest of the world is a good thing), it's time to expose world music's dirtiest secret: traditional music is a trap. If you play zydeco, Juju, or Andean pan-pipe music long enough, the adherence to traditional forms will suffocate your creativity. In Celtic tradi-tional music, it becomes a question of how many jigs, reels, and achingly sad ballads (constant subject: "Those thiev-ing English bastards!") you can re-arrange, let alone play, in one lifetime. Eventually, if you're an artist who has something to say, you have to move on. This is one of the reasons why the great-

Scodand's Capercaillie trades reels for rock.

est Celtic bands — Silly Wizard, Planxty, the Bothy Band —are no more.

Scotland's Capercaillie decided long ago that blending rock and Celtic tradi-tional music was the amalgam they wanted to master. Six years ago, on Delirium, they hit the mark. But as time has passed, this very talented quintet has begun to drift further and further into the blurry fast lane of mainstream pop. Nearly every tune on this disc begins with a soft, tentative chord on the key-boards. While Karen Matheson's formi-dable voice (a sticker on the jewelbox quotes Scan Connery (?), who praises her voice as "touched by God") is still the centerpiece here, but the production val-ues around it are so inflated they're about to burst: big drums, overdubbed voices, and very little of Charlie McKerron's fid-dle or the great Manus Lunny's work on bouzoulci, guitar, and bodhran. And if Lunny is still arranging the

band's music, he must be doing it in his sleep. Perhaps the recent rush of Celtic New Age product (and I do mean "product") has convinced this once-leading band to become a follower. For-tunately, there are still several songs here sung in Gaelic. Predictably, the overall sound is large and lush, but, to the band's credit, still warm and reason-ably well defined. The biggest problem here is too much soft, nondescript material. Even in the flabby arena of soft, Celtic-flavored folk rock, Caper-caillie's tunes are run-of-the-mill. Songs like "The Crooked Mountain" almost make the grade, but to be honest, Enya does it better. (Ecechhh!!! Did I actually write the "E" word in a review of a Celtic band?) Unfortunately (or fortu-nately, if you're an Enya fan), this disc has that same sweet, facile feel. Spyro Gyra also came to mind in places. What makes this album's shortcom-

ings so obvious is the single cut on which this band's talents for traditional music burst out and run. The tradition-al medley "Rob Roy Reels" is a huge tease, displaying more instrumental muscle than Enya and her army of equally bland clones ever dreamed of. Don't get me wrong, I genuinely sym-

pathize with trad-based bands. Much as I like to listen — sex, death, and tax refunds together aren't as fun as a Celtic music concert - I know it can hem you in.

What's the answer? Got me. But if you're going to try the keyboard-heavy folic/rock route, the material has got to be better than this. - Robert Baird

GLEN VELEZ

Rhythmcolor Exotica

Ellipsis Arts CD 4140 (CD). 1997. Jamey Haddad, prod.; Thomas Bender, cog. MD? 'TT: 58:35

Performance ***1/2 Sonics *** 1/2

The old cliché about book covers was never more true than when dealing with New Age record

labels. Consider, for example, the liner notes to this disc: "Turquoise," we are told, "is associated with Atlantis." By whom, I wonder. Probably that filthy Fourth Root Race of Lemurians! On the other hand, any percussionist who can get formidable jazz trombonist Arthur Baron to jam on his record has got to have something going for him. Fact is, Glen Velez and his Handance ensemble can play. Mating traditional frame drums with new techniques and complex rhythm patterns, they get down into a very serious groove. Once in a while things get a bit too long and repetitious ("Procession for Bes"), but for the most part, this is one impressive set of drumming.

Art Baron seems to have a lot of fun throwing in his tasteful little trombone riffi, and there's also some nice fiddling from Handance member Eva Arsalis, but rhythm is what we're here for. Check out "Temple of Moonlight." You've got one guy (Velez himself) with one drum (an Irish bodhran, played without a beater), and the result is a roomful of sound. This dude has some kind of hands, let me tell you. The sound is not ultimate audio-phile, but it's pretty good. Drum timbre and skin sound are well rendered. I could have used a bit more room ambience in the mix, but that's nitpicking when the playing is this good. -1,es Berldey


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Mordaunt-Short MS10i 1,111,1. 0k course, I am delighted by such a pos-itive review of the Mordaunt-Short MS10i Pearl. I am particularly pleased to see Sam taking time to evaluate some very affordable products. It is essential that we as an industry never forget the huge number of consumers who spend $1000-$1500 for a complete system. If we consistently tell these customers that they can't possibly enjoy music without a $10,000 instrument, we risk losing them to other diversions. That would be a shame.

That said, it is interesting to note that, as any acoustical designer will tell you, it is often more complex to build a good $349 speaker than a $3000 speaker. Budgetary restraints force the designer to investigate every possible avenue. I can honestly say that I have never seen a speaker line like Mordaunt-Short that offers so much sonically using a level of technology that belies its very modest pricing. And, as Sam found out, pairing the MS10i with products like the Cary 300B monoblocks and the CJ MV55 can yield very pleasurable results.

So, a big thank you to Sam and Stereophile for taking the time to review products that don't cost an arm and a leg!

Daniel Jacques Audio Plus Services

P.S. Sam—just to tempt you further— we now have a refined version of the 10i —the Classic 10I. It uses the same drivers with improved crossover components and a larger cabinet with real rosewood veneer —$649/pair. Better bass with a smoother top end. When did you say you wanted a pair?

EgglestonWodcs Andra Editor: We agree that the Andra is a truly Class A, reference loudspeaker. Thank you Wes Phillips for the deliberate, heartfelt consideration. Your process is pointedly incisive, full of clarity and elegance. I appreciate that John Atkinson so aptly discerned the acoustic realities facing the Andra (or any loudspeaker) when dealing with total radiating sound in a

COMMEN

ERS'

TS

100111. Indeed, as John discovered with-out comment from me, our loud-speakers are optimized for off-axis posi-tioning. Typically, the toe-in is not directly facing the listener, but rather is aimed at an intersection slightly behind the listener's head. This off-axis tuning applies to the vertical as well as the hor-izontal dispersion. I feel that the less "sweet-spot"-oriented a loudspeaker is, the better. After all, more than one person should be able to enjoy the Andras at once, and — heaven forbid — even get up and dance.

William J. 4egleston III EgglestotsWorks

Artemis Eos Editor. All of us at Artemis Systems can now go back to having fingernails again. Upon learning that Kalman Rubinson, an accomplished loudspeaker designer himself; was reviewing our Eos Signature and Base Module loudspeaker combi-nation, we knew that we were in for seri-ous peer review. In this situation, no mat-ter what a manufacturer's confidence level regarding a product, butterflies are unavoidable. The thorough review and measure-

ments by Dr. Rubinson and Mr. At-kinson speak for themselves and make the need for extensive comments by us, for the most part, redundant. However, we offer these few observations and clarifications. • It was correctly noted in the review that the Eos Signature (as well as the basic Eos 2.5) as normally supplied is not optimized for a nearfield listening/ monitoring configuration. The Eos is used by a number of recording engi-neers for this purpose, but we modify the crossover network appropriately for the intended use in these situations. Our choice of the word "optimum" regard-ing the 8' listening distance for any in-dividual setting is profoundly influenced by a variable difficult to control...the listening room. In the case of Dr. Rubinson, 12' worked best in his room. At Artemis Systems' listening room, we have chosen 10' as best, and in my per-sonal listening room, the distance is 9'.

• The Eos Signature, when used alone on our Eos Stand or other high-quality stand, will have slightly better low-fre-quency extension and impact than experienced by Dr. Rubinson when he used the Base Modules as stands. The mechanism for this is the proximity of the low-frequency driver in the Base Module to the Eos, allowing it to be-have as an (admittedly inefficient) ab-sorber in the baffle pressure zone. • Regarding the occasionally perceived "glint" around 6IcHz, we believe that rather than being an artifact of the 7" midbass driver, it was likely a minor fail-ing of the otherwise well-behaved ceramic dome tweeter. In the time since we submitted the review pair, we have made a production change updating the tweeter with a slightly larger diaphragm, better damped suspension, and lower resonant frequency. We also changed the crossover slightly to incorporate this new tweeter. We implemented this change to correct what some listeners (us included) considered a "steely" character some-times occurring around the frequency range referred to by Dr. Rubinson. • As mentioned in the review, our smaller Base Module, the Tethys, offers an alternative for smaller rooms at con-siderably lower cost. It is also much eas-ier to move about at only 125 lbs, while still functioning as a stand like its big (very big!) brother. We thank Dr. Rubinson and Mr. At-

kinson for the thoughtful and compre-hensive review of our offerings, and the editors at Stereophile for this opportunity to respond. Johnson Knowles

Vice President, EngineerMe Artemis Systans

B&W DM302 Editor: We at B&W would like to thank Wes Phillips and Stera)phile for reviewing the DM302 so favorably. While B&W is certainly a company whose roots are in the High End, we have always en-deavored to provide value to the con-sumer. Our $5500 Matrix 801 was re-cently nominated as the "Best Loud-speaker Value" for the 1997 Golden Note Awards.

In the case of the DM302, our design


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"The Nationwide Classifieds" Each issue typically has over 1000 items for sale from individuals and dealers around the nation. Used equipment is organized in an easy to find, alphabetized format and mailed to our subscribers 2 times each month. Subscribers advertise up to ten items for free. Non subscribers pay just $3/item & run for five consecu-tive issues.. Phone ads welcomed.

Subscription Rates: /, moil 2 issues:$25 I yr/24 issues $45 Visa/MC or send cheek. Call for foreign rates

PO Box 27, Conover, VVI 54519

Ph.715-479-3103/Fax 715-479-1917 Call for brochure

team worked literally for years to devel-op a product that, for $250/pair, per-forms at a level described by Wes Phillips in the review. The point is sim-ply that the purchase of a $250/pair is Just as valid as with a $2500 or $5000 speaker. The buyer deserves his money's worth. We are very proud to be able to offer a product of this quality to entry-level buyers. Bottom line, this review not only reflects well on B&W for hav-ing produced such a product, but also on Stavophile for making its readers, many of whom are audiophiles on a budget, aware of it. Chris Browder

B&W

Muse 160 Editor: I thank Stereophile and Michael Fremer for taking the time to review the Muse Electronics Model 160 amplifier. As this model is the lowest-priced amplifier in our Series II line, I am very pleased to have a reviewer of Mr. Fremees caliber evaluate our efforts. As Mr. Fremer points out, he is gen-

erally more accustomed to products that are, in his words, "... ridiculously ex-pensive.... " The fact that he was able to enjoy the 160 as part of his system for so long speaks highly of its ability to rise above his expectations regarding mod-erately priced amplifiers. Of course, we are particularly gratified that Mr. Fremer chose to compare the Model 160 to his reference amplifiers, both of which carry price tags over 3'h times that of the 160.

In the conclusion of Mr. Fremees review, he made the statement that he was "...able to forget about [the am-plifier] and concentrate on the music." This is precisely what a good product should do; it should neither draw at-tention to itself or get in the way of the music. What more could anyone ask for?

Well, we imagine that some Stereo-phde readers may just ask for more. For these listeners we arc proud to offer our more expensive monoblock amplifiers, the Model 175 and Model 300. Priced, respectively, at $3500 and $4000/pair, these amplifiers will work well to bridge the slight musical performance gap that Mr. Freiner noted between his reference amplifiers and the 160. Of course, we would be pleased to provide Mr. Freiner with a pair of our mono amplifiers for review. We arc confident that he would find them to be equal or better than any of the high-priced examples mentioned. Again, thank you for the review. Kevin HaWerson

Muse Electronics


WHERE TO BUY STEREOPHILE

Dealers interested in selling Stereophik, please call (800) 446-3563. Sterrophile is also available at selected B. Dalton Booksellers, Blockbuster Video, and Tower

Records stores. US National Distributors: Ingram Periodicals, (800) 627-6247; International Periodical Distributors, (619) 793-9435.

ALABAMA Birmingham Libe Audio (205) 328-4434

ALASKA Anchorage Pyramid Audio (907) 272-9111

Shimeks Audio (907) 276-2525

ARIZONA Phoenix Speakers Etc. (602) 272-6696 Tempe Arizona Tube Audio (602) 921-9961 hicson Wilson Audio (602) 326-4662

CALIFORNIA Agoura Hills Evolution Audio Video (818) 879-1312 Bel Air Ambrosia Audio (310) 440-5522 Berkeley dB Audio (415) 548-8733

Music Lovers Audio (510) 841-7166 Beverly Hills Sound Center (310) 274-6951 Brea Audio Haven (714) 529-5634 Burlingame Future Sound (415) 342-1476 Carmichael Deetes Sound Room (916) 334-7000

Stereo One (916) 483-5363 Costa Mesa Atlantic Stereo (714) 646-8895 Culver City Audio Video City *2 (310) 838-8889 Encino Sound Factor West (818) 501-3548 Eureka Eureka Audio/Video (707) 445-9447 Fremont NV Room (The) (510) 713.1241 Gardena Reference Audio Systems (310) 517-1700 Goleta Custom Hi-Fi and Video (805) 683-2162 Hollywood World Book and News (213) 465-4352 Los Angeles Brentwood Communications (310) 476-6363

Robertson Magazine 8 Bookstore (310) 858-1804 Menlo Park Sound Perfection (415) 323-1000 Monrovia Brooks Berdan (818) 359-9131 Monterey Home Theater Xcellence (408) 655-8000

Monterey Stereo (408) 649-6303 Oakland Pro Home Systems (510) 654-6630 Pasadena Canterbury Records (818) 792-7184

GNP Audio (818) 577-7767 Rancho Mirage David Rutledge Audio & Video (619) 776-1616 Redondo Beach Definition Audio Video (310) 371-0019 Riverside SpeakerCraft (909) 787-0400 Roseville Dimple Records (916) 781-2800 Sacramento Audio EX (916) 929-2100

Paradyme Audio/Video (916) 481-3900 San Diego Audio Video Excellence (619) 689-1311

Stereo Design (619) 573-0060 San Jose Bay Area Audio (408) 255-0735

Hi Fi Cents (800) 789-4434

Lasedand Home Theater (408) 253-3733 Santa Barbara Mission Audio (805) 682-7575 Santa Cruz Ocean Street Home Entertainment (408) 429-6621 Santa Monica Audio Video City (310) 453-5355

Shelley's Stereo (310) 451-0040 Santa Rosa Catania Sound (707) 526-7555

Sawyer's News (707) 542-1311

Soundscape (707) 578-4434 Studio City Dave's Video, The Laser Place (818) 760-3472

Thousand Oaks Hi-Q Audio/Video Systems (805) 374-2771 Torrance Stereo Hi Fi Center (213) 373-6796

Tustin Digital Ear (the) (714) 544-7903 Van Nuys Audio Den (818) 786-4240 Walnut Creek Sound Distinction (510) 944-4740

Stereo Unlimited (510) 932-5835 Woodland Hills Shelley's Stereo (818) 716-8500

COLORADO Boulder fads News 8 Smoke Shop (303) 442-5900

Listen Up (303) 444-0479

Recycled Audio (303) 449-0153 Colorado Springs Audio Visionaries (719) 532-1518

Listen Up *3 (719) 633-2600

Sound Shop (719) 636-1684 Denver Listen Up *2 (303) 444-0479

Second Sound dba MoonDance Sound 8 Cinema (303) 777-4449

Sound Hounds (303) 722-3200 Englewood Gold Sound (303) 789-5310 Thornton SoundTrack, Pearse Electronics (303) 412-2525 Westminster Westminster Newsland (303) 428-0823

CONNECTICUT Bristol Sound Unlimited (203) 584-0131 Danbury Carston Stereo (203) 744-6421 Hartford Stereo Shop (The) (203) 523-7250 New Haven Take 5 Audio Group (203) 787-9127 New London Roberts (860) 442-5314 Simsbury Audible Difference (The) (203) 651-7945

DELAWARE Dagsboro Omni Satellite Systems (302) 732-3955 Wilmington HiFi House (302) 478-3575

Overture LEC (302) 478-6050

FLORIDA Boca Raton Stereo Shoppe (407) 391-0552 Clearwater Rising Sounds (813) 787-1133 Cocoa Tropical Video Systems (407) 633-0872 Coral Gables Sound Components (305) 665-4299 Ft. Lauderdale Southport Home Entertainment (954) 537-3353 Hollywood Hollywood Sound (954) 921-1408 Jacksonville House of Stereo (904) 642-6677 Key West Audio Video International (305) 294-4018 Margate GoeSounds (954) 969-2550

Miami Audio by Caruso (305) 253-4433 Palm Harbor Audio Video Odyssey (813) 784-1911

GEORGIA Alpfaretta Laser Video Limited (770) 640-1399 Dunwoody Audio Solutions (404) 804-8977 Lilbum Audio Alternative (770) 931-0606 Marietta Audio Atlanta (404) 499-0145

Bertek Systems (770) 951-8834 Martinez Stereo Shop (The) (706) 863-9143 Roswell AVI Home Theatre Store (770) 640-1120

Home Theater 8, Sound Concepts (770) 889-2388

HAWAII Honolulu Audio Direction (808) 732-6550

Classic Audio & Video (808) 732-9625

ILLINOIS Arlington Columbia Audio-Video (847) 394-4770 Belleville Audio By Us (618) 277-9500 Chicago Alpha Sound and Video (773) 588-4990

Music Direct (312) 433-0200

Superior Audio Systems (312) 226-4848

Van L. Speakerworks (312) 769-0773 Chicago Heights Music in Motion (708) 754-3770 Glenwood Little Guys (The) (708) 754-8844 Morton Grove Abt Electronics (847) 967-8830 Orland Park Sound and Vision (708) 403-2500 Rockford Absolute Audio (815) 395-1000

INDIANA Angola Premier Sound (219) 665-7370 Bloomington Sound Solutions (812) 330-0390 Fort Wayne Three Rivers Audio (219) 745-5460 Ft. Wayne Audio Video Lifestyles (219) 436-4669 Indianapolis Audio Solution of Broad Ripple (317) 255-4342

Lafayette Sound Lab (317) 449-4211 Portage Who's Your Entertainment (219) 762-7027 Terre Haute Audio Connection (The) (812) 232-1663

IOWA Bettendorf Reference Audio Video (319) 355-3200 Davenport Audio Force (319) 324-6646

Planet Audio (319) 344-8833 Des Moines Audio Video Logic (515) 255-2134 Iowa City Audio Odyssey (319) 338-9505

Hawkeye Audio (319) 337-4878

KANSAS Great Bend Custom Sound and Video (316) 793-3399 Salina Acoustics Sounds (913) 825-8609 Shawnee Mission Audiopod Ltd. (913) 341-2222 Wichita Custom Sound (316) 681-3555

KENTUCKY Lexington Barney Miller's (606) 252-2216 Middlesboro 181 Electronics (RadioShack) (606) 248-2067

LOUISIANA Baton Rouge Art Colleys Audio Specialties (504) 926-0244 Metairie Audio Orleans (504) 831-0050

Audio Resource (504) 885-6988 New Orleans Wilson Audio (504) 866-3457

MARYLAND Annapolis Hi Tech Electronics (410) 266-0818 Baltimore Soundscape (410) 889-1134 Burtonsville IS Audio (301) 989-2500 Ellicott City Gramophone (410) 465-5500 Kensington Soundworks (301) 929-8600 Laurel Home Theater Gallery (800) 966-3658 Lutherville Gramophone (410) 465-5500

Silver Spring Capital Classics Newsstand (301) 598-2669

Graffiti Audio-Video (301) 589-3444 Towson Silver Screen & Sound, (410) 296-0202

MASSACHUSETTS Arlington Canteras (617) 648-8111

Stereo Shop (617) 648-4434 Boston Looney Tunes Records (617) 247-2238 Brookline Audio Studio (617) 277-0111 Cambridge Audio Lab (617) 864-1144

Looney Tunes II (617) 876-5624 Chicopee Safe 8. Sound, (413) 594-6460 Hyannis New England Dl Supply (508) 771-7464 Needham You Do It Electronics (617) 449-1005 Northampton Northampton Audio (413) 584-9547 Norwood Megaplex Home Theater Concepts (617) 769-6400 Pittsfield H.B.S. Stereo Systems (413) 443-3434

MICHIGAN Ann Arbor Accutronics (313) 741-4444 Dearborn Almas Hi-Fi Stereo (313) 584-1860 Femdale Imagery (248) 544-8370 S. Lyon Soundquest Audio 8 Video (248) 437-1898 Traverse City Sound Room (The) (616) 947-4710 West Bloomfield Soundquest Audio & Video (248) 737-0005

Superior Sight 8. Sound (810) 626-2780

MINNESOTA Minneapolis Audio Perfection (612) 866-0083

HiFi Sound Electronics (612) 339-6351

Needle Doctor (800) 229-0644 Rochester Amalgamated Audio (507) 286-1328

MISSOURI Nina Architectural Media Environments (417) 725-4567


St. Louis Best Sound Company (314) 997-7644

Flips Stereo Place (314) 842-1600

MONTANA Bozeman Thirsty Ear Hi Fi (406) 586-8578 Great Falls Rocky Mountain Hi Fi (406) 761-8683 Missoula Everything Electronic (406) 721-2146

NEBRASKA

Lincoln Audio Systems 8 Design (402) 483-4511

NEVADA Las Vegas Image 8 Sound (702) 876-3401

Upper Ear (The) (702) 878-8212

NEW HAMPSHIRE Hanover Dartmouth Bookstore (601) 643-1233 Nashua Ensemble (603) 888-9777

NEW JERSEY

Brick Cinema 8 Sound Designs (908) 477-5511 Caldwell Detailed Sound (201) 403-0375 Dunelien Home Theater Shop (The) (908) 424-8680 Freehold Freehold Stereo Video (732) 866-9500 Linwood Sounds and Images (609) 926-1630 Middletown Stereo Dynamics (908) 671-1559 Montclair Cohen 's (201) 744-2399 Trenton Hais Stereo and Video (609) 883-6338 Upper Montclair (SA Audio (201) 744-0600 Verona Audio Connection (201) 239-1799

Wall Shore Sight and Sound (908) 681-7234 West Caldwell Woodbridge Stereo (201) 575-8264

Woodbridge Woodbridge -Stereo Center (908) 636-7777

NEW MEXICO Albuquerque Audio Designs (505) 298-9185 Hudson's Audio Center (505) 296-6978

Page One Newsstand 8 Bookstore (505) 294-2026 Sound Consultant (505) 821-9626 Sound Ideas (505) 292-1188 Santa Fe

A Sound Look (505) 983-5509

Candyman (The) (505) 988-8933

Downtown Subscription (505) 983-3085

NEW YORK

Binghamton J.S.G. Audio Video (607) 722-3551 Brooklyn Ubiquity Distributors (718) 875-5491 Flushing Upgrade NV Center (718) 886-1700

Kingston Burt s Electronics (914) 331-5011

Lake Grove Audio Den (516) 585-5600 Little Neck Hi Fi Exchange (718) 423-0400 Liverpool Audio -Excellence NY (315) 451-2707

Signature Sound (315) 622-4137

Lynbrook American Audiophile Trading (516) 887-7530 Manhasset Audio Video Creations (516) 365-4434 Mt. Kisco Media Room (914) 244-3570

Sound Mill, (The) (914) 241-1230 New York Coliseum Books (212) 757-8381

Dina Magazines (212) 674-6595

Lyric Hi -Fi (212) 439-1900

Magazine Store (The) (212) 246-4766

Park Avenue Audio (212) 685-8101

Sound by Singer (212) 924-8600

Union Square Magazine Shop (212) 246-4766 Queens T.D. Electronics (718) 528-4956 Rochester Fairport Soundworks (716) 264-0410

Rowe Audio (716) 442-8230

Sound Concept (The) (716) 442-6050 Saratoga Springs Le Sourde Audio 8 Video (518) 587-0303 Syracuse Clark Music (315) 446-7020 West Babylon Audio Visions (516) 661-3355

NORTH CAROLINA

Boone Highland Audio (704) 264-1858

Cary Advanced Audio (919) 481-3880

Charlotte Premier Audio Video (704) 554-8300

Raleigh Audio Advice (919) 881-2005

OHIO Boardman Sound Shop (330) 629-8191 Cincinnati Ohio Valley Audio (513) 451-4855 Columbus Progressive Audio (614) 299-0565

Dublin Audio Encounters (614) 766-4434

Findlay House of Hindenach (419) 422-0392

Lakewood Play It Again Sam (216) 228-7330 Mayfield Heights Hoffman's Audio Video (216) 461-3707 Toledo lamieson's (419) 882-2571

Paragon Sound (419) 882-1010

OKLAHOMA Bartlesville Sound Station (The) (918) 336-2240

OREGON Beaverton Chelsea Audio (503) 641-3510

Eugene Ronny's Stereo (541) 144-2454 Portland Fred's Sound of Music (503) 234-5341

Salem Hear No Evil Home 8 Car (503) 363-3633

PENNSYLVANIA Ardmore Danby Radio (610) 649-7002

Doylestown Trac Records (215) 348-5633 Ede Custom Audio (814) 833-8383 Jenkintown Stereo Trading Outlet (The) (215) 886-1650

Lancaster GNT Stereo (717) 393-4471

Lewisburg Stereo House (717) 524-9182 Philadelphia David Lewis Audio (215) 725-1177

Pittsburgh Audio Gallery (The) (412) 521-9500

Listening Post (412) 681-8433

Northern Audio Exchange (412) 366-5055

Triangle Radio 8 Television (412) 561-1115 Selinsgrove Village TV 8 Stereo Shop (707) 374-0150 Shillington Elements Audio Video (610) 775-9325 Shippensburg Squires Electronics (717) 532-7373 Uniontown Shake 'N Bake Entertainment (412) 437-7882 Wexford Eclectic Honeywill 4412) 935-3322 Willow Grove Soundex (215) 659-8815

RHODE ISLAND

Providence Stereo Discount Center (401) 521-0022

TENNESSEE Johnson City Soundroom (The) (423) 928-9233 Madison Audio Video Environments (615) 868-7710

Memphis Modern Music Audio 8 Video (901) 682-6557

Underground Sound (901) 272-1275 Nashville Nicholson's Stereo (615) 327-4312

TEXAS Austin High Fidelity (512) 454-5833 Bedford Classic Home Audio (817) 267-6502

Conroe Jobe Systems (409)441-1112 Dallas Audio Home (214) 247-1487

Krystal Clear Audio (214) 520-7156 El Paso Soundquest (915) 779-5421 Houston Dynamic Audio Visual (713) 266-4555 Lubbock Sound Wave (lise) (806) 792-7299

UTAH Salt Lake City Audio Design (801) 486-5511

Audition Audio (801) 467-5918

VERMONT Rutland Showcase Appliance 8 TV (802) 775-1103 Williston Creative Sound (802) 878-5368

VIRGINIA Abingdon Alpine Audio (540) 628-3177 Centreville Gifted Listener Audio (703) 818-8000 Falls Church High Tech Electronic Services (703) 534-1733 Moneta Hi Fi Farm (540) 721-4434 Richmond Audio Visions/ Stereo Trading Post (804) 346-0876 Roanoke Sound Decision (540) 343-6993 Virginia Beach Digital Sound (804) 424-5850

WASHINGTON

Bellevue Definitive Audio (206) 524-5198 Kennewick Quick Silver Audio (509) 783-7047 Okanogan Steve's Discount Stereo (509) 422-3005 Olympia Deseo Audio 8 Video (360) 943-1393 Seattle Bulldog News (206) 632-6397

Hawthorne Stereo (206) 522-9609

University Bookstore (206) 545-4387

Silverdale Nuts About Hi Ft (360) 698-1348

WASHINGTON, DC Serenade Records (202) 452-0075

WEST VIRGINIA

Charleston Payne Audio Video (304) 345-5312

WISCONSIN Appleton Suess Electronics (414) 733-6464

Cudahy Cudahy News and Hobby (414) 769-1500

Glendale Sound Investments (414) 438-1818 Madison University Audio (608) 284-0001

Mequon Sound Designs (414) 242-5599 Sheboygan Gene's So-und 8 Camera (414) 458-2141 Wisconsin Rapids Salon I (715) 421-5910

WYOMING Gillette Pro Audio of Wyoming (307) 687-1954

PUERTO RICO Rio Piedras Heights Speaker Warehouse (809) 274-0927

San Juan Nova Electronics (787) 781-3870

CANADA

National Distributor DeVVinton, Alberta Ruehle Marketing Box 24, Site One, ROI

ALBERTA

Calgary 58W Audio 1424 Fourth St SW

Loyalty Sound 1107 Eighth St SW

Smart Audio Video 4216 12th St NE, Bay I

Sounds of Music 220 Seventh Ave SW

Edmonton Audio Ad 10745 124th St

Audio Plus 9934 82nd Ave

Medicine Hat Audio Excellence 657 Second St SE

BRITISH COLUMBIA Bumaby Book Warehouse 4820 Kingsway #MI63

Coquitiam Austin Books 1105 Austin Ave

Courtenay Clarion Books 8 Music 480 Sixth St

New Westminster Royal Book Mart 600 Agnes St

Richmond Book Warehouse 6140-9 No.3 Rd

Vancouver Book Warehouse 632 W. Broadway 1150 Robson St 2388 W. Fourth Ave 674 Granville St, 4th Floor

Elite Electronics 2220 W. Broadway #101

Sikora's Classical Records 432 W. Hastings St

The Soundroom 2205 W. Fourth Ave

Victoria Sweet Thunder Records 575 Johnson St

NOVA SCOTIA Halifax Atlantic News 5560 Morris St

ONTARIO Concord Audio One 3200 Steeles Ave W

Hamilton Village Audio — Westdale 1059 King 51 W #2

Kingston

1211 Hi -Fi i(Fi 9 Pcess St

London London Audio 716 York St

Nepean Euphonies Audio 8 Video 1480 Menvale Rd

Oakville Oakville Audio 210 Lakeshore Rd E

Ottawa Distinctive Audio 903 Carling Ave Pembroke Pembroke Audio Video 69 Pembroke St W.

Rexdale Audio Empire 1003 Albion Rd

Richmond Hill American Sound 9108 Yonge St Audio Excellence 8763-A Bayviesv Scarborough Grand Electronics 19 Milliken Blvd

Thornhill Brack Electronics North 7616 Yonge St Toronto Brack Electronics 69 Front St E. Great National Sound 615 Queen St W. L'Atelier Gngonan 70 Yorkville Ave

DUingritaolnHIEllned

5221 Hwy 7 #3

Waterloo

59 Regina St N.

Whitby American Sound Whitby 233 Brock St S

QUEBEC

Montreal Opus Audio 5154 Boul. Decade Son Or/Fittronique 9343 Lajeunesse

Quebec C.O.RA. 131-18 Rue E.

Ste-Foy ROTAC électronique 2871 Chemin Ste-Foy

ARGENTINA National Distributor Buenos Aires Ri. Martinez Tel/Fax: (54) I-585-1413

AUSTRALIA Notional Distributor Templestowe, Victoria Audio Q Imports Tel: (61) 3-1994-8413 Fax: (61) 3-9846-2407

BALTIC STATES Riga, Latvia A T Trade 13th of January Street 13 Tel: (3712) 211-688

BENELUX National Distributor Durob Audio BV Dept. DC Publishing Tel: 31 (73) 511 2555 Fax: 31 (73) 511 7583 http://v.ww.hifi-notes.corn De Hifiwinkel Tel 31 (40) 211 3388 Fax: 31 (40) 211 7734 The Hilishop Tel: 31 (13) 544 3444 Fax: 31 (13) 544 5698 De Hifistudio Tel: 31 (591) 611 111 Fax: 31 (591) 612 345

BRAZIL

Blumenau, SC Sound Image Fax (047) 322-0305


BRUNEI Jalan Gadong Auvisual Haven Fax. (011) 024-48841

CHILE Santiago Comercial Rupaygo Limitada Tel/Fax (562) 2-209-2134

COSTA RICA Curridiabat, San Jose Parlatek SA Tel/Fax (506) 225-8231

CROATIA

National Distributor Split Media Audio Tel: (385) 589-742 fax (3851 214-0376

CZECH REPUBLIC Borivojova Ego vos Audio Studio TeVFax 42-2-90001181

DENMARK Norager Hi Fi Klubben Tel: (459) 722-4941

FINLAND 'Turku HifiMesta Dy Tel: (358) 2-2504-888 Fax: (358) 2-2504-808

FRANCE Paris Creations Audio Tel (33) 40-20-9528 Fax (33) 40-20-9533

Port Royal Audio Tel: (33) 30-64-9222

GERMANY National Distributor Geisenheim-Stephanshausen Eclectic Audio Tel (49) 6722-8060 Fax: (49) 6722-8067

GREECE National Distributor Athens N.N4. Acoustics Tel: (30) 1-292-2724 fax (30) 1-293-3168

HONG KONG National Distributor YK Audio Tel: (852) 2524-8775 Fax: (852) 2845-0746 Kowloon Branch Tel (852) 2392-6368 Fax (852) 2392-6328

INDONESIA Jakarta MOS Electronics Tel 6221-692-7840 Fax: 6221-625-1133

IRELAND National Distributor Blackrock, County Dublin Cloney Audio Tel: (353) 1-288-0477 Fax: (353) 1-283-4887

ITALY

National Distributor Lucca Sound & Music Tel (39) 583-55-301 fax (39) 583-419-115

JAPAN

National Distributor Tokyo AXISS oration Tel: (81) 3-5410-0071 fax (81) 3-5410-Có22

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MALAYSIA

National Distributor Kuala Lumpur The SoundStage Tel. (60) 3-717-6969 fax (60) 3-719-4188

MARTINIQUE,

FRENCH WEST INDIES St Joseph Frequence Audio Conseil Tel (596) 64 69 63 Fax: (596) 57 96 39

NEW ZEALAND National Distributor Petone, Wellington UR. Britton Tel- (64) 4-5688-06,6 fax. (64) 4-5688-065

NORWAY National Distributor

Liddro eviarset

Tel/fax : (47) 55-25-62-14

PHILIPPINES National Distributor Quezon City Upscale Audio Tel (63) 2-931-37-42 Fax: (63) 2-741-28-93

POLAND Gdansk-Oliwa Arlo Audio 3 Tel/Fax' (48) 52-0639 Hrh Sound Studio, Ltd Tel/Fax. (48) 58-520-639

Warsaw Hit Sound Studio, Ltd Tel/Fax (48) 2-774-8154

PORTUGAL National Distributor Anadora Apasom Tel (351) 1474-8709 Fax (351) 1475-1367

RUSSIA Moscow A T Trade Ostozhenka 37, Kor 3 Tel (7) 095-291-5086 fax (7) 095-291-5871 Esoterica Tel: (7) 095-917-4385 Fax: (7) 095-917-8762 Neo Tek Tel: (US) (408) 973-0946 Fax: (US) (408) 725-8335 The Purple Legion 40/42 Maxim Gorky

Nabereznay Tel (7) 095-233-1442 fax (7) 095-248-3352

RG Sound Tel: (095) 256-5091 Fax: (095) 259-2742

SAUDI ARABIA

Jeddah HiFi House Fax (99) 62-68-24-098

SINGAPORE National Di,tributor The Adelphi Stereophile Audio Tel/fax. (65) 33-66-790

SOUTH AFRICA National Distributor Alberton, Gauteng Hi -Fi Excellence Tel: (27) 11-907-9092 Fax: (27) 11-907-8399

Audio SOLUTIONS

Audio Research Theta Digital McCormack Pass Labs

Aerial ProAc

Condor Paradigm

Lexicon Von Schweikert Aragon EgglestonWorks

>elatal qed9Itewee S'eace 5576 ekamdlee Ded.twoodxf Zci Du. wood e. qeolgia 3033S'

(770) 804 - 8977 http://www.audiosolutions.com

VPI Belles Grado Sumiko Tara Labs Kimber Kable Audible Illusions

Magnum Dynalab Pioneer Elite Sony Video

Sony ES Marantz Acurus AMFI

SPAIN National Distributor Valencia Sarte Audio Elite Tel: (34) 6-351-0798 Fax: (34) 6-351-5254

SWEDEN

National Distributor Stockholm Hi -Fi Art Tel: (46) 8-661-6300 Fax: (46) 8-660-2207

SWITZERLAND National Distributor Geneva Hi -Fi Portier Tel' (41) 22-784-0050 Fax (41) 22-784-2904

THAILAND Bangkok

Music World Co., Ltd. Tel: (662) 276-3190 Fax: (662) 276-2456

TRINIDAD

Curete Sandi Electronix Tel (809) 663-1384 fax (809) 645-2205

TURKEY Istanbul RKD Muzik Tel: (90) 212-241-3411 Fax: (90) 212-231-9673

UNITED KINGDOM

National Newsstand Distributor

COMAG Magazine Marketing Tel 01895 433 800 fax 01895 433 801

National Dealer Distributor Wollaton Audio Tel. 0115 928 4147 Fax- 0115 925 0625

Berkshire Audio T tel 01734 585 463

Bury St Edmunds Bury Audio 47 Churchgate St

London Kamla Hifi Tel. 0171 323 2747

Musical Images Tel 0171 497 1346 Sound Organisation Tel 0171 403 2255

Oxford Oxford Audio Consuhants Tel 01865 790879

Suffolk Bury Audio Tel 01284 724 337

VIETNAM Ho Chi Minh City Show Room Tel/Fax: 848651868

YUGOSLAVIA Belgrade Vox Trade Tel: (381) 11-222-4322 Fax: (381) 11-140-689

In Southern California

Illbei011111MHPM mi 1.01.10/ LIU

relgm 'A II

Electronics Adcom Bong & °lief sen Byston Cal. Audio Labs Clause Audio Denon Golden Tube Lexicon Morantz McCormack

Speakers Martin Logan Vandersteen Mirage M&K Atlantic Tech.

Cartridge Audio Technic° Shure

Accessorie AudioQues1

AudioTruth

Kimber Koble Sennheiser

Nifty Gritty CVVD Furniture Room Tunes

Turntable Sumiko Pro-ject Thorens Denon

Video Sharp Proton Marantz Alchemy VPG

New Used Trade-in

15600 Roscoe Boulevard

Van Nuys California 91406

(818) 781-4700


AUDIO

STEREOPH1LEs ALMOST-COMPLETE IN-1)EX lists every article that has appeared in Stenvphile from Vol3 No.1 through Vo120 No.10 (1971 through October 1997), and every compo-nent reviewed by Stenvphile since Vela No.1. (Please note that an index does not include the review or article texts.) Currently available only on 51/4" or 31/4" floppy disks (MS-DOS, raw ASCII only). Send $19.95 to Swrivphile Almost-0mph* Indix, P.O. Box 5529, Santa fi; NM 87502-5529. Please indicate disk size.

THE AU DIOPH I LE NETWORK — ON LI N E. Keeping you informed, entertained, and connected with audiophiles worldwide since 1984. By modem: (818) 988-0452 (8N1), or Internet Telnet: PINitrom now. www.TANct.com on the Web. Featuring: classifieds, databases, forums, online shopping. Internet c-mail, newsroom, library, conferences, :and Internet access. Dice/data 24 home (818) 782-1676, flx (818) 780-6260.

GENE RUBIN AUDIO, VENTURA, CALIFOR-NIA — Franchised dealer for Nains, Roksan, Pink Triangle, Spender, Music Reference, Creek, Rep, Epos, Totem, Quad, JPW, Dynaco, OC-9, Goldring, Revolver, Target, and more. Always lots of used gear. Established way back in 1979! (805) 658-8311.

"SOUND YOU CAN TOUCH," feaniring Audio Research, CAL, Classe Audio, Fanfare FM, Grade, Jeff Rowland, Kuzma, Magnons 1)yiulab, Martin-Lopn, Mirage, MIT, Power Wedge, ProAc, Target, Theta, vais den Hul, Vandersteen, JF Woodworks. Audio Excellena; Liverpool, NY (315) 451-2707 Visa/MC/ArnEx/DisconT.

SME 3012-R: Newest version of this superb archival romans'. Suitable for all recorded sources, including LPs, 78s, 16" transcriptions, acetates, and metal. SME Owners: Upgrade through exchange to current updat-ed Series 11 Improved, Series III, and Series "R" mod-els. New SME headshells, Fluid Ibinper Kits, manuals, and parts. Audio "78" Archival Supplic,* PO. Box 187, San Anselmo, CA 94979. (415) 457-7878.

AU1)10PHILE & SCHOLAR —University Audio Shop, Madison, Wisconsin —Actin's, Aerial, Aragon, Audio Research, B&K, CAL, Creek, EMS, Golden Tube, Hales, JoLida, Krell, Lexicon, Linn, Martin-Logan, Micromega, NEAR, Paradigm, Purist Audio, Rega, Runt°, Spica, TARA, Thiel, Totem, Vandersteen, Von Schweikert, YBA. (608) 284-0001.

MUSIC OR HOME THEATER? Take your choice: Robert Harley's best-selling book, The Guriplae Guide to High-End Audio ($29.95), or the brand-new Horne Theater for Derwin. ($19.95) —plus $4.95 &WI ($6.95 outside US). 30-day money-back guarantee. Call (800) 848-5099, or send check or Visa/MC information to Ampella Publishing, PO. Box 80805, Albrumerque, NM 87198-0805.

IF YOU ARE AN AUDIOPHILE and stranded in Iowa or without a local dealer —don't despair. Audio Video Logic in Des Moines can help! Choose Irons Acorns, Angstrom, Aragon, Audio Power Wedge, Audio Research, CAL, Chiro by Kinergetics, Definitive Technology, 1)unlavy, EAI), Genesis, Grado, JoLida, Krell, McCa'smack, Martin-Logan, ProAc, PSB, Rep, Synergistic Research, Thiel, van den Hul cartridges, VPI, and Wilson Audio. (515) 255-2134.

WE CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE excellent-sound-ing, dependable audio equipment (plus video). We offer friendly, knowledgeable advice, kinds-on experi-ence, free delivery. We carry: Mirage, NAD, Cary, Nakamichi, Acurus, Kimber, KEF, Parasound, Kinergetics, Quad, PS, Fried, Audible Illusions, Spender, Target, Carver, many mote. Free catalog! Read Brothers SAW, 591 King St, Charleston, SC 29403. (803) 723-7276.

MART

RATES: Private, $1.10 per word; Commercial, $3.85 per word, $154 minimum on all commercial ads. (A word is defined as one or more characters with a space, dash, or slash on either side.) PAY-MENT: All classified ads must be prepaid with order, either by check or credit card: MasterCard, Visa, American Express. MAIL TO: Stereophile, Classified Ad Department, P.O. Box 5529, Santa Fe, NM 87502. FAX: (505) 983-6327 DEAD-LINE: Ads are due on the first working day of the month, two months in advance of the issue in which your ad will appear. For example, if you want your ad to mn in the December 1997 Stenvphile, you must submit it by October IL 1997. Please Note: Phone-in ads arc no longer being accepted. Please plan ors faxing or mailing in your ads on the form provided at the end of the section. No refunds.

JPS LABS INTRODUCES THE SUPERCON-DUCTOR line of que cables to join our popular Golden Flute Bass Alignment Filters. Please contact us anytime for your nearest dealer and the latest rave reviews. Filially hear your system's potential, beyond its designers' expectations. TeLlax (716) 685-522Z or visit httpl/iypn.cont/jpslabs

HI-F1 EXCHANGE —Lirge selection of quality used high-end conrments at huge discounts. We buy, sell, and trade. Call for inventory list. (718) 423-0400, or visit our slunmooms at 251-11 Northern Bhrl, Lark Nab, NY 11363.

WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW does hurt you! Free paper on REP Noise-fighting accessories for pennies, power-line conditioners starting at $75. Alternative to the Shakti Stone, $25. Write for catalog! Virtual Mode, 1 Old Comm Rd, Shelton, CT 06484. (203)929-0876.

GUARANTEE 5% MORE than what my competitors quote you on your used ARC, Cello, Krell, Levinson, Spectral, Wadia, etc. Call nie last. Ikaler for Aragon, Acurus, Audio Alchemy, 'Gruber, Sonic Frontiers, XL0. Audio Chamber, (510) 549-2178.

MBC AUDIO: Klyne, BEL, Gradient, CJEC, I Xapason, Audio Mal.c. Denvet CO. (303)399-5031,MST

ATTENTION QUAI) AND SPENDOR OWN-ERS! Factory-authorized sales and/or service for Quad, Spender, Gradient, Entre, and Acoustic Panel Systems. New and used Quad equipment bought/sold. ESL/ ESL-63 updates, stands, and subwoofer systems avail-able. For further details, contact Mike or Randy, QS&D, 33 McWhin Loop #108, Fredericksburg, VA 22406. (540) 372-3711,)far (540)372-3713.

WE ALWAYS PAY BETTER! 13on't let go of your ARC, Aragon, Cello, Krell, Mark Levinson, MIT, Spectral, Theta, Threshold, or Wadia without calling us. Showroom in West LA. Call Suptvx Pnylucts, Inc, (310) 826-3686, (310) 826-4356 fax, Sande

AUDIO UNLIMITED OFFERS Accuphase, Acoustic Energy, Acrotec, Aesthetix, Air Tight. Audio Artistry, Audio Craft, Audio Note, Basis, Benz-Micro, Chang, Chario, Coda, Dyiuvector, Ensemble, Fanfare, Graaf, Graham, Kuzma, Magnum Dynalab, Magro, Meret, Micromega, Micro-Seiki, Musical Design, Music Metre, Musc, Odeon, Onix, Rep, Spender, Symphonic Line, Systeindek, Tannoy, Totem, Trans-figuration, Wheaton Triplanar, YBA, Zoethecus, and more. Call/fax John Barnes at (303) 691-3407, 2341 W Yak Ave, Englewood, CO 80110.

YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO CALL! We arc tube-product specialists. Call. No dealer? Call. Alois, AMC, Anthem, AR, Audio Research, CAL, Cary, Diapason, JMIab, MS, Townshend, WireWorld, more! Arizona Tube Audio, (602) 921-9961. http.Minviettobeau dio.com .

S7EREOPH1LEs RECORD-REVIEW INDEX lists every record review published in Stemmhile from Vol» No.1 through V0120 No.10 (January 1987 through October 1997). Also includes index-es to "Building a Library" and musician interviews, and indicates Records To Die For and Recordings of the Month. (Please note that an index does not include the review texts.) Available on 51/4" or 316" floppy disks (MS-DOS, raw ASCII only). Send $9.95 to Stereophile Raord-Review hider, P.O. Box 5529, Santa NM 87502-5529. Please indicate disk size.

ELIMINATE THE BOOM IN YOUR ROOM! with the ATA NF-1 Bass Notch Filter. A hit at CES! Eliminates unwanted bass resonances. User-adjustable frequency and attenuation. Transparent. No effect on imaging or soundstage. Only $195 ($5 S&H). Arizona Tube Audio, (800) 269-7078.

THE NEW PRODUCTS ARE HERE! The UTP-1 ($1295) and the UCI)-1 ($995) combine improved so llll d with new cosmetic appeal. Our Basic Player ($549) and the Reference Oise transport ($649) have made Bound Jar Sound's "Components of Merit" list. Low-jitter kits still available. GRO Iiansforms, (602) 650-1155. E-mail Transfomu@aohom

AUI)10 ART, EST. 1976 —Edge-of-the-art audio components dedicated to serving music. Avalon, Martin-Logan, Vandersteen, Cardas, Jeff Rowland, Classe, Theta, Basis-Benz, Aerial. Richmond, Virginia. Vsiee/Jirx (804) 358-5300.

FANFARE FM TUNER ors the Internet. Visit our Web site at http://wwwfarthmtom . See the latest FM antennas (the new APS-14), plus tips on improving FM reception. 1)ownlead our product literature. Not on the Net? Call for our Stern, Pilot newsletter at (800) 268-8637 also (716) 683-5451, or fax to (716) 683-5421. E-mail to infiefinihrecom , or write to limfare FM, Box 455, Biem, NY 14225-0455.

ACTIVE COMPONENTS: Made-to-order cross-overs, subsonic filters, summers, and boost-amps with optional level controls, for bi-, tri-, and quad-amp con-figurations. Includes power supply. For brochure: De Courmy bet:Cane Lab, 11828 W Jerson Blvd, Cuber City, CA 90230. (310) 397-9668, fax (310) 397-8498, inspchurdr@aotrom

CORNER AUDIO, PORTLAND, OR. Quicksilver, BEL, Linaeum, EA]), Audio Physic, Immedia, Michael Yee, Lyra, WireWorld, PSE, Mesa, Tice, Benz-Micro, Klyne, AMC, Sound Anchors, RPM, Surniko, Yama-mura, Townshend, XL0, Audio-Technica, REL, Santis, LAST Weltronics, VPI, Chang Lightspeed, CVVI), Golden Sound, ASC, Nitty Gritty, and more. Used and demos available. Trade-ins welcome. (503) 227-1943.

HANDMADE SILVER INTERCONNECTS and speaker cable. Pure solid-core silver wire, Teflon insu-lation, Cardas silver/rhodium connectors. Low-capaci-tince, low-inductance design. Interconnects, $150/ meter pair, speaker cable, $100/running meter. Money-back guarantee. 1)on't pay more! (770) 457-8748 before 10pm EST

THIEL 3.6 SPEAKERS, oak, $2995. (212) 675-7984 Manhattan

WARNING!!! Be careful with mail-order dealers who insist on cash/personal check,

or who offer a large discount on the same basis. Be secure —pay by credit card.


SIGNAL GUARD RESONANCE ATTENUA-TION PLATFORM. Dimensions, 19" by 16" by 3"; weight, 27 lbs; supports 200 lbs. Wide-band attenua-tion, 14Hz-55khz, $349. Shannon Dickson's review upe g in Slane& Unequaled build quality, ele-gant aesthetics. Call fir information, dealer nearest you, or order factory-direct to open areas. (914) 496-1067 Dealer inquiries invited.

TUBE TRAP.. TUBE TRAP...TUBE TRAP... Check bass-transients response of speakers and room with ASC-MATT test on Cl). Send recording by mail or e-mail for analysis. Call for details: Engineer, (541) 343-9727; istià, (800) ASC-7UBE; fix (541) 343-9245.

DEMON DP47F TURNTABLE, Shure V15 V, per-fect condition, $350. (502)781-2438.

BUY FACTORY-DIRECT. Now you can afford incredible state-of-the-art audio cables. Better perfor-mance than cables 10 times the cost! Selected demos available at extra savings. Call or write for information and reviews. 30-day money-back guarantee. US and Canadian orders only. The Audio Pnvluas, tel. (561) 575-7577,frx (561) 575-0302.

ORACLE MK.3 TURNTABLE, Premiere MMT arm, $400 0130. (413) 684-1652 after 4mn

ANTENNA PERFORMANCE—Now offering noise reduction and vacuum-killed audio crib:met-mew for any FM tuner ($295), and the finest in outdoor FM smtentue, the APS-14 (see Sterrophik "Recommended Components." April '97) and APS-8. AI'S, (860) 643-2733, e-mail amperlOtiaronn or visit our new ii4hsite: WWW.Mdellnapt7:10171tante.4"0111.

ARE YOU UNDER ARREST? Then why an: you lik-ing your arm? Lift a toneann hffing device—save your records and stylus from wear. A thumbs-up by reviewers Flawless performance for a millennium. See it lifting ssmi die Web! imeriscemsinachitiiiierism . $99.95 chrome. $119.95 gold, 56 S8rli in die US, other $15. Exprus, t I, hinile PO. livc641251,:iimpse, CA 95164-1251.

USED & DEMO SALE: Adcom (IDA-700; Audio Research M-300; B&W 801 series 3; Bryston 2b, Conrad-Johnson Premier 10, Premier 14; PV-12; First Sound Reference Pass 11; Genesis 11.5; Krell KSA-150, KSL; Mark Levinson No333, No.38; Mod Squad D/A; NEAR 15M; Misc. Transparent, Theta Pro Gen.111; Sonos Faber Minuetto; Wadia 12. More. Audition Audio, (801) 467-5918,.htx (801) 467-0290.

LOWEST DISCOUNT PRICES: Ad • , B&O, Bryston, li&W. Carver. Celestion, Citation, Classe, Definitive, Damon, Dynaudio, H-K, KEF, Lexicon, Luxman, Mirage, Nakamichi, NHT, Onkyo, Polk, Pioneer Elite, Rotel, Sunfire, T.uitlberg, Thiel, Velodync, Wadia, Wilson, many, many more Shipping dutiughout dic worki. Incorporated 1964. Nosonz, Inc, (770)772-7700

THE AUDIBLE DIFFERENCE is proud to be involved with the good ',twie at these fine companies: Angstrom. Audio Logic, BAT, Cary, C.E.C_ Clearaudio, Discovery, ESP, Fanfare FM, Grad-, Lamm, Magnum Dynalab, mbl, McConnack, Pass, Pentagon. PmAc, Proton. Thor Audio. Timbre, Verity. and more! Call anytime to learn :111011t our very generous trade-in pol-ity and our monthly specials on mint-condition, pre-owned gear. Thank you and good listening. Tell, (860) 651-7945, or audiblerketisenet or wundsighendandio.com .

ESP CONCERT GRAND SPEAKERS, (516,000) $7000; Wolcott Audio Presence monoblock, 220Wpc, ($8000) $4300; Carver Lightstar amp and passive remote preamp, ($6000) $3000; PAD Colossus, RevA balanced interconnect, 7m, $850; Carver amps: A500X, ($950) $600, and A753X, ($1500) $900. Steve, (305) 377-9310 mornings, (305)758-8333 a •sp

ACOUSTAT 3300 SPEAKERS, $1500. (816) 257-5793.

CARVER AMAZING LOUDSPEAKERS, Platinum Mk.IV edition, custom-built to original specifications. solid mahogany, 3 months old, perfect condition including boxes, ($4300) $3000. Will share freight. (201) 288-0017

Calling Hi-Fi Distributors

Around the World:

You could be selling Stereophile!

Call Nick King in London, England

Tel: (44) 181-289-1571 Fax: (44)181-289-1572

HIGH END AUDIO IN CENTRAL PA

VANDERSTEEN GM) MARTIC1 ocnn PROCEED

eayfé Graham SONIC FRONTIERS

Theta Digital WELL TEMPERED SDTA PS Auoéo

oudioquest audioresearch

CibiOngi AudJ0 LabS SDICa

THE -

S - PE 21 N. Market Si.. Selinsgrove. PA • 717.374-0150

AUDIO RESEARCH V-70 AMP, 12000; Threshold FET-10c prcamp, $19/0; Tice Power Block, $400; Theta Basic II transport, $1200. All excellent. (908) 938-4668.

JADIS DEFY 7 Mk.II AMP, $3950; Sonic Frontiers SFD-2 Mk.I1 D/A, $2950; Kistler KCAG intercon-nect, Ins. $175; 1.5m (2), $100 each. Original owner and excellent condition on all. Call Chris, (214) 360-9388, or e-mail at [email protected]

DUNLAVY SIGNATURE VI, black, absolutely mint, ($24,995) $14,500. Pickup only (NJ). (201) 934-6605, leave message.

SONIC FRONTIERS POWER 3 AMPS, ($10,000) $5795; Line 3 preamp, ($4995) $3500; SFD-2 Mk.II, ($5295) $3500; SFT-1 transport, gold face, absolutely mint, ($2300) $1595. All original boxes and manuals. Call (201) 934-6605, leave message

APOGEE: BRANI)-NEW SLANT 6 loudspeaker with a full-range ribbon's advantages. Only $1495/pair plus shipping. Call (713) 523-8188.

PLIN1US CLASS-A POWER AMPS IN CT! Also: Voce I)ivina monitors and subwoofers, Aids 1)i0t.d, Alpha-Core Goertz flat cable, denso and used equipment available. Private audition by appointment. For more info, call To-hi/ink/ Audio, Trirarvillt; CT (860)848-1300.

DIGIFLEX GOL1) I "...m first choice in a digital cable at any price," Corey (;reenberg, Sternsphile, Vol.16 No.Z July 1993 ...ink, the price is only $59.95. Now: 1)i0Flex +Plus Advanced 1)igital Interconnect —spe-cial price $109.95 (regularly $142.95). Also: Analog interconnects, video and speaker cables, and more. Free full-line catalog from your Canare source: Sound& Vis/o', (518) 822-8800.

ESSENCE AMETHYST 10As, ($19,850) $9995; Gryphon Reference OW !MIMS, ($31,500) $10,995; Gryphon SIO0 amp, ($8500) $3995; Gryphon Bel Canto preamp, ($5000) $2495; Basis Ihbut Gold Standard with vacuum, Graham L5 arm, ($11,695) $6595. (815) 885-2085.

High End... Not High Price

Monitor Audio Anthem Audioquest Audio Alchemy Audio Truth B&K California Audio Labs Cary Audio Counterpoint Creek Magnum Dynalab Marantr. McCormack

Rega Sharpyision Signet Snell Sonic Frontiers Sumiko Taddeo Transparent Audio Vandersteen Von Schweikert Well Tempered

SOUNCAMMKS 3400 Monroe Ave. Rochester, NewYork

716 284.0410 Stereophde, October 1997 283

MUSE DAC 2+, ($2500) $1975; Muse transport, ($1800) $1425. Both: DS connector and remotes. Pager, (888) 415-3081.

WADIA 9 DAC, ($13,500) $6250; Wadia 27 1)AC, ($8400) $6350. Both units mint. Shipping not includ-ed. Visa, MasterCard accepted. Jim, (303) 757-6707

McINMSH CV40 PREAMP, mint, $1600. (305) 296-6056.

KUZMA STAB! TURNTABLE with arm, ($3600) $2600; Muse Model 3 remote preamp, ($1950) $1495. Like new with warranty and boxes. (7/4) T75-6900.

KLIPSCHORN CORNER HORNS, ca 1958. Exceedingly rare fully curved wood midranges. Well over 100dB/1W/10'. Superior to new. Different drivers possible — will install. $6000/pair. Can deliver US, shipping worldwide. Wee Klipsch Corner Horn, Akec 604-8Gs, ElectroVoice Patricians, large black Carver ribbons. Offers? Video? Supermac? (901) 454-1800, IN

FREE CATALOG! Tired of paying retail for your high-end hobby? Integrated systems offers Chang Lightspeed, Dynaco, Harman/Kardon, Jamo, JMIab, }Umber ICable, Parasound, Standesign, WBT, and many more! Nationwide shipping! Custom installation available in North/South Carolina area! For catalog. call or write: Integrated Systems, Box 3512, Tega Cay, SC 29715. (803) 547-6921.

HEAR AS THE COMPOSER HEARS. A musician's original visualization of auditory logic enhances listening, whether or not you read music. Write for available prints (piano, chamber, string quartets). Instructions included. TONAL Reaction, PO. Box 704, New York, NY 10025.

AFFORDABLE AUDIO, LOS ANGELES, Califor-nia. Exclusive LA. dealers for Quad, Spendor, and Ruark loudspeakers. We also carry Arcam, Creek, Densen, Epos, Grado, JoLida, L.A.T, Mordaunt-Short, Nordost Fladine, Myryad, Rega, Rolcsan, Sumiko, System Audio, used gear, and more. (310) 558-0716, httpl/www.primenet.com/audio/affordable

STORADISC" Fine-furniture quality CD storage systems with angled shelves & non-slip surface that holds a

single CD upright. Solid hardwoods & textured finishes. Custom Sizes and finishes also

available. Write or call: 1-800-848-9811

Davidson-Whitehall Company $55 Wimeholl Street Atlanta, Georglo 30303

(404) 524-4534 fax (404) 659-5041

AUDIBLE ILLUSIONS MODULUS Ll (latest), as new, box, warranty card, $1100. Call Gary, (909) 370-135Z evenings PST

AUDIO ALCHEMY Till-PRO 32, ($1500) $650; Theta DataLinlc, L0m, RCAs, ($250) $120; Monster Sigma, LOrn, RCAs, ($750) $315; NBS 6-oudet power strip, ($800) $375; NBS King Serpent II, 4', RCAs, ($1250) $600; NBS PowerCord II, 3-prong, 6', ($600) $250; ProAc BurrOak Response 2.5, ($5000) $3600. (310) 798-5671,feet (310) 798-5681; e-mail hellohli@aoLamt .

WANT BETTER SOUND? Will trade 10.5' pair AudioTruth Lapis X3 and two 3' pairs Argent for equal-value AudioTruth speaker cable 10' or longer. Milee, (203) 944-0579.

STAX DAC XI-T converter, mint, ($12,000) $4500 or trade. Aid, (718) 331-7861.

NAGRA D 24/96 REEL-TO-REEL, ($32,000) $23,950; Apogee UV1000 20-bit encoder, ($7800) $5200; mbl 101c, new in case, serial .939/940, sealed in crates, ($30,000) $18,000; Meridian DSP6000 pow-ered speakers with box, ($17,000) $9350; Cello PA II, ($25,000) $15,900; Goldmund Mimesis 10P DAC/pre, ($15,250) $9150. Jerry, (800) 404-0261.

N1TTY GRITTY 1.5Fi, acrylic cover, spare capstans, pads, $250. Pau4 (916) 753-7546.

LEVINSON No27.5, 12400; Hales System 2, stands, $1300; AQ Diamond, 0.5m, balanced, $180. (215)721-9659.

BacW MATRIX 805s, excellent condition, black fin-ish, original packing. ($1600) $875. Call je" (713) 500-6217, 8am-6pm.

SHURE 55C, famous high-impedance unidirectional microphone seen on TV, movies: $125. Audio VTVM/wattmeter, $35. (718) 459-3491.

AUDIO RESEARCH LS7, box, manual, $850. (914) 336-7026.

PASS ALEPH 5 AMP, as new, ($3600) $2695 OBO. This, (806) 756-4425 before 10pm CST

America's best disc, tape and component storage system

The RACKIT- System (since 1984)

Stackable, portable oak units hold all recording formats

and audio/video components Free mailorder brochure

(please mention Stereophtle)

Per Madsen Design (415) 822-4883 P.O. Box 882464

San Francisco, CA 94188

BOX JUST OPEN: Threshold 550e, ($6300) $4500; Parasound HCA1206, ($1950) $1300. Very Low Hours: Threshold PET-10e, ($3200) $2000; Forte Six, ($1790) $1200; Forte F45, ($995) $650. Mint Condition: Threshold DAC-le, ($3200) $1200; Denon DCD-I520, ($750) $300; Pioneer CLD-3070, ($1200) $400. All-Threshold system, ($12,700) $7500. Forté/Denon system, ($3535) $2000. (419) 470-3970 days, (313) 495-1086 evenings.

FABULOUS ESP CONCERT GRAND loudspeak-ers, recently reviewed in Fi magazine (6/07), only two months old, rosewood finish, ($16,000) $12,000 plus shipping. (404) 305-4961.

RECOMMENDED! Krell KST-100, $1190; ProAc IS, $975; Coda 2.5, $1090; Melos MA220 Gold Line, $875; Forte 1A, $490; White/Llano B80, $550; Snell E/III with stands, $475; Target R1, $275; Mitsubishi HSU75 VCR, $95; RALabs Mini Reference, $145. David, (617) 491-1800, ort.280, [email protected]

GENESIS DIGITAL LENS, $1200; Wadia Digimaster X32 DAC, $600. Both mint condition. Peg (281) 333-2309.

PROCEED AMP-2, PROCEED PRE, Stereophile Class B components (April 1997). KEF Model 2 refer-ence speakers, black ash finish. Sennheiser HE 60/HE V70 headphones and amp, Stereophile Class A (April 1997). All equipment is brand new. Must sell. Pau( (302) 798-2541.

CELLO PALETTE, excellent condition, selling price is best offer. For details, call (847) 433-5361 (IL).

CAL: ICON MK.11 HDCD, UM, Delta, $450. Cello Strings, ins, RCAs, ($355) $150. Paradigm Studio/60, $650. N.E.W. DCA-33, $800. VPI Jr, RB300, Sumiko BPS, ($1370) $650. Speaker cables: van den Hul Revelation, 10', ($1220) $390; Synergistic No2, 10', ($605) $275. (908) 654-5750.

AURAL SYMPHONICS OPTIMISM AT&T glass cable with ioGEL, $400. Dean, (103) 519-5670.

F

Profflufica AUDIO /PECIALI/1/

WE SELL MUSIC: AUDIO EQUIPMENT IS SIMPLY A MEANS TO THAT END.

Angstrom

Arian,

B.A.T.

C.E.C.

Cambridge

Celeste

Chord Co.

Creek

CWD

Dunlavy

GokienTube

Grado

H/K

Hales

Janis

Meadowlark

Haim

Paradigm

ProAc

Rego

Roksan

Spendor

Surniko

Sunfire

Symphonic

TDL

Target

Theta

Vandersteen

EXPERT ASSISTANCE INSTALLATIONS • SERVICE

2236 N. CLARK CHICAGO, IL 60614 773.883.9500

SS J


SONIC FRONTIERS SFL-2 prcamp, black and gold faceplates, boxed, as new, $2300, will ship. Call (619) 789-4880, PST

AERIAL IOT SPEAKERS, walnut, 6 months old, $3950; Bryston 7BST, $3650. (205) 426-4549.

KRELL KPA WITH POWER SUPPLY, $1200; KPE Reference with power supply, $1100; Sunfire subwoofer, $850. All mint with boxes and manuals. Call Ram, (518) 664-6000 days, (518) 371-1844 evenings/weekends.

AIR TIGHT ATM-1 tube amplifier, 36Wpc, two line-outs with mono volume controls, excellent sound and condition, ($5200) $2000 firm. Mark, (206) 325-1324.

CELLO AUDIO SUITE, Audio Palette, and Master Power Supply. mint, ($42,000) $18,000. Call (716) 381-1535 eveninga

PASS Al2, $8700; Aleph P Remote. $2900; Cary CAD88SEI, 20W triode integrated, $1800; 300SE Sieutur, $2800; TAD 4001, $650 eadc Edgarhorns, $1500. Wanted: DAT, MiniDisc, CI) recorder. (801)226-1018

KRELL KRC class-A preamp, upgradeablc to HR, mint condition with box and manual, $2850. Mike (540) 639-6911 days, (540) 382-3388 eVellile. moor [email protected].

CELLO AUDIO PALETTE MIV with Master Power Supply, lifetime warranty, original box and manual. (f25,500) $15,300; cart for Audio Palette, ($725) $435; Cello Strings interconnects, 33' pair, 50' pair. (309) 682-1233.

PREMIUM-GRAI)E PARTS! Absolutely the best selection of audiophile-grade parts at fair prices! InfiniCaps, Hovland, MIT MultiCaps, SCR, Black Gate, Elna, Nichicon, Vishay, Caddock, Holco, Mills, Yamamura, etc. capacitors, resistors. All types audio connectors, chassis wires, custom cables, Alps, Noble, TKD, Heicfred diodes, Copper-Foil Inductors, tubes, vibration damping sheets, isolators, lkflex Panels, hos-pital-grade AC connectors, tools, acessories, free cata-log! Michael Any, Box 526, 1111'CIPICS, CA 94937 (415) 669-7181, fax (415) 669-7558.

A -1-1"-E NI -1- I C)

OMAHA Give 'em AUDIO

RESEARCH! • Acurus • \ng.troni • Aragon • Atla,-• Audio Power Wedge • Audio Research • CUD • CAL • Chin) by Kinergetics • Definitive Technolom

• Dunlavy • EAD • Genesis FRI fraiza • Grado • HK • lolida ' • Krell • Magnan • Martin Logan • Magro • McCormack • Monster Cible • Onku) • ProAc • PS6 • Rep • Sanus • Standesign • Synergistic Research • Thiel • Van den

bu! cartridges • VP! • Wilson ;udio and

Audio-Video L•0•G•I•C The Midwest's Ultimate Stereo Store

3702 Beaver Ave. Des Moines, IA 50310

515-255-2134 Specials on our Weller: http://www.audioaogicaom

ARC LS2BR Mk.II, $1850; VT100, $3500. (773) 583-3205.

DISCOVERY SIGNATURE interconnects with lock-ing RCAs, excellent, three 1 m pairs, ($450+) $225 each. Telleix (954) 561-1067

OCM200 AMP, $750; Threshold S200, 100Wpc, $875; Custom tube line-stage, ultra-purist, stunning resolution, 12BH7 plate-coupled, competes with any Stervophile Class A, $400/trade. Windsor, Ontario, (519)735-0192.

MERIDIAN 500, $2195; Meridian 563. $1395; both Stenrophile Class B (April 1997) and mint, with boxes and manuals; Goldmund Lineal digital interconnect, $500. Will not separate, $2400 OBO. (209) 636-1898, PST

1)UNLAVY SC III, mint, light oak, boxes, papers, $2000 plus shipping. Gene (718) 543-5492, evenings.

DON'T CRUSH THAT 1)WARF! Hand me that pumpkin and some sale tags. Sale! Sale! Overstock, demo, and odd-piece event: McCormack 1)AC-1, $395; Conrad-Johnson MF2100, $1045; PF2L, $995; PFR remote preamplifier, MV-55; Sonic Frontiers SFD-1 Mk2 HDCD processor, $1225; Power 2, $3395; Line 1, $1695; Line 2; Aerial 10s, $4195; Meridian 500 series; Meridian DSP5000; PHI Straws Gold, $1895; Stratus Silver, Stratus Mini. Please call Audio Associate at (601) 898-3727

ARC LS22, SILVER, original owner, mint, $1950; Syncretic Research Digital Corridor Reference, 1m, bal-anced, $175; Madrigal MDC-2 digital, lm, in box, $125. Tel: (919) 676-4016 bdow lOpm EST fax (919)676-4072.

MANLEY 350 SIGNATURE Reference monoblock amplifiers, brand-new tubes, mint condition, stainless-steel face, with cages and stands included, $2999 firm. Mario, (416) 805-7000 or (416) 580-7000 days, (905) 264-2500 evenings.

AUDIO RESEARCH REFERENCE 600, high-defini-tion amplifier, still in packing, rare bargain. (514) 2n1222

MERIDIAN 563 DAC, ($1395) $699, Stereophile Class B (April 1997). (209) 592-4887

... AND THE

OTHER HALF

WENT INTO

THE TUITION

FUND.

Superbly performing products.

Sensibly priced. ARCHIVE AUDIO

Columbus, Ohio 614-237-5699

Aromo • Von Schwerkert 'Copland *Coincident Spkr Tech

Aude Magic. EKSC Eagle* N E W.• Depason 'Black Diamond

Reference Line. Van Den Hul .JPS Labs. Chang LIghtsoeed Onix • Near • Chapman Tice • Museatex • Muse Metre • MS8

Daniels • Peens • Minn Ais,!. Labs • Coda • Monarchy

CELLO ENCORE PREAMP, Theta BAL Pro Genii', Philips drive, two Fischer-XLR interconnects, ICimber digital. Package: $7500. (402) 553-3733.

CONFIAD-JOHNSON PREMIER 11A amplifier, as new with warranty, 6 months old, ($3500) $2695 OBO. Call Tim, (806) 756-4425 beforr lOpm CST

EASTERN AUDIO & VIDEO —Select top-quality used equipment: ARC, BAT, Esoteric, Mark Levinson, McIntosh, Sonic Frontiers, Threshold, and more. Call (718) 961-8256 for inventory list, or visit our show-rooms at 133-02 41 Road, Flushing, NY Fax: (718) 961-°125. E-mail: eav93@aolcom

FOR SALE: AUDIOSTATIC ES300 speakers, black, ($5000) $1600; Bob Young Wave Perfect line condi-tioner for Audiostatic speakers, ($650) $200; M&K preamplifier with phono stage, black, ($1000) $250; Audio Research SP5 with phono stage, silver, ($595) $175. Wanted: Milbert Ba&M230 car amplifier. Call (201) 659-0401 days, (201) 262-9466 evenings. Ask for Harvey.

LEVINSON No.38S, $4095; Aragon 2004 II, $750; Bryston 3B NRB, $895; 4B with toroidal transformers, $1195; BAT VK-5, $2395; Adcom 555, $425; Genesis Digital Lens, $1195; Muse Model Two, $1195; Benz-Micro Reference, $895; Krell KBL, $1495; ICRC-2, $1495; KPE to mate with either preamp, $450; Reference phono board for KRC/KRC-HR, $795; Magnan Vi, RCA, balanced, $285. Offers, trades, cred-it cards. (914) 953-8517 days, (914) 667-5430 evenings.

AVALON ECLIPSE SPEAKERS with one Avalon monitor speaker, great front-channel setup for sur-round system, $2600 for all. Prefer Denver area or pickup to shipping. Call Steven, (303) 440-8527 or sstone8807@aolcom

STAX: SRM-I HEADPHONE AMP (“C" series, the best), class-A, ($800) $325; Lambda Pro headphones. ($475) $185; SR07 adapter, ($200) $90. (310) 519-1730, ask for Eugene

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323 WEST MAIN STREET ABINGDON, VIRGINIA 24210

(540) 628-3177 • local market only e-marl. [email protected]

Stereophite. October 1997 285

EARMAX — MINIATURE TUBE HEADPHONE amplifier (fourth year!). PakMax (battery pack) with carrying case: the only take-and-listen-anywhere tube combo in the world! PreMax and Trilr1ax tube elec-tronics, IClimo preamps, the fabulous Morch roncamos, the Verdier turntable (now with the exclusive US-made PolyCrystal base and a nice price reduction!), Maxeen(a) loudspeakers, Monopole connectors, Top Hat tube dampers. DTeet resonance dampers, and exciting analog accessories! Audio Advancements, Box 100, Lincoln Rule, NJ 07035. (973) 633-1151.

ONE PAIR FUTTERMAN H3AA mono amps, excellent condition, $3900. Manny, (212) 873-8404.

McINTOSH MA6200 INTEGRATED, $825; McIntosh MR74 tuner, $425; Synthesis (Conrad-Johnson) LM200 loudspeakers, $325; Acoustic Research M5 loudspeakers, $525. More. Shipping extra. (501) 846-2706.

MARTIN-LOGAN CLS, excellent condition, rarely used, sounds great, $1299 OBO. Eri‘ (212) 725-2682.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING! What is flat frequency response without accurate phase response? Anyone can reproduce the loudness of a note correctly; no one but Daniels Audio releases these notes in the same time frame as the original performance! For those who are familiar with the sound of unamplified instruments, and who arc interested in the accurate re-creation of the original musical performance, Daniels Audio offers a complete line of phase-coherent loudspeakers, $3100+; preamplifiers, $2150+; CD players, $1450; and cables. Daniels Audio Corporation, 1001 N. Humphrey Ave, Oak Parle, IL 60302. (708) 383-3319, fax (708) 383-3230. On the Web: www.danieLsaudioxom

INFINITY COMPOSONS PFR speakers, ($3400) $2150. Audio Alchemy package deal: DDS Pro transport ($1599). DDE v3.0 ($799), remote volume ($150), Power Station 2 ($300), Excalibur ($130) —all for $1600. Target B-1 amp stand. ($135) $75. Charlie (801) 553-0877

Oncelskholle... I really am not interested in making the quick, one time sale. Rather, I want you as a long-time repeat

customer. Earning your confidence is the key to this philosophy. I do

this by offering honest, knowledgeable service tuned to your specific needs. Your goals determine our careful

recommendations, not the equipment occupying space on the floor.

-Galen Carol

Wilson Audio, Convergent Audio, Pass, Aerial, Mesa, Reference line, EMT VAC, Totem, Air Tight, Celeste, Quicksilver, Genesis, CEC, Conrad-Johnson, Cary,

Alon, Von Schweikert, VP!, Meridian, BEL, Accuphose, Audible Illusions, Graham, Basis, Encore, Arcom, CAL Rega, Merlin.., and many more! We carry virtually

all cable, cartridge and accessory lines as well!!

P.O. Box 17562 San Antonio, TX 7821/ (210) 805-9927 Fax:(210) 805-9928

email: [email protected]

www.gcaudio.com

GALEN CAROL

STAGE ACCOMPANY 106 dB ribbon drivers, $979; ProAc EBS speakers with Alt drivers, $1699; Edgarhoms with Horn Sub, $1699. (303) 239-6680.

WATT/PUPPY 5.1, $9500: POW-WHOW III with balanced Wilson GSB crossover, $7500; system, $16,000 FOB Albuquerque. Levinson No20.6 monoblocks with 1m ICimber 8AG, $9500; Wadia 6.0 $2500; Eagle 7A, 51100. (505) 281-3095.

QUAD ESL-63, $2200; YBA Integré 13T, $1800; BXO telephone, $110. (510) 485-3575.

MIRAGE M-3si SPEAKERS, 2 years old, mint, NY area, $1395. (516) 248-4270.

KINERGETICS KCI)-40 Platinum series with S/PDIF digital output, $750. (208) 346-4232.

PERFECT CONDITION WITH WARRANTIES: Krell KSA-300S/AMDs, ($11,500) $5500. (718)494-7765.

CAL AUDIO LABS SIGMA II DAC, good price. (650) 341-0835.

ENLIGHTENEI) AUDIO DESIGNS 9000 Pro DSP, balanced outputs, 24k gold faccplates, excellent condition and sound, original owner, lifetime warranty, ($7395) $3700. (515) 472-9952, [email protected]

THE GREEN TWEAK: Better bass, increased low-level resolution, smoother overall sound from your present Cl) player or transport. High-end feature you can add yourself for less than $25. For where to find parts and "How To" paper, send $6, payable to REIF Czoski, 4802 W Shaumee, Spokane, WA 99208.

THIEL 1.5s, 51400; Maratur CD-63, $150. (815)439-9003.

BANKRUPTCY SALE! All items two weeks old with warranties. Vandersteen 2Ce with stands, ($1420) $950; Quicksilver V4 monoblocks, ($3800) $2600; Factory-sealed CAL model CL15, ($1695) $1095. Call Dave, (973) 226-6611.

AUDIO RESEARCH CD2, one month old, ($3500) $2400 OBO; Pass Labs Aleph 5, ($3500) $2500. Call Dave, (407) 260-0043 days, (407) 740-8784 evenings EST

"One of America's Finest Audio/Video Stores"

AUTHORIZED DEALER We stock 106 brands of Audio/Video and Car

Stereo, ord> a few stores in Amenca can make this statement and virtualls all of on are located In college

towns adjacent to hi-tech Universal.

Acurus Niles Audio Adcom Onkyo ar/d/s/ Onkyo Integra Alun Panamas Alpine Pioneer Ellie Aragon PS Audio Atlantic Tech P513 Audio Control Rock Solid AudioTechinicas Rosinante IS&K Sassas Bell'oggetti Sennheiser • El&W • Sharp Vision CAI Audio Lab Snell Celestion Sonic Frontiers CWD Sony Denon • Sony ES Dunlavy Sound Anchor Forte Straight Wire Haller Tara Lain lumnanfkardon Target Infinity Comp 'hreshold Kimber Kahle • Velodyne KE.F & More Klipech t.cxicon • ill store demo Magnum-I3 required at Mirage KIEV'S Mitsubishi 25th lows SL Monster Cable Lsimiers, KS MOM HAI/ 12 Showrooms NEAR M.T.W.T 10am-gpm Nalcaltrnichi F-S 10m-6pm

htt ://www.kiefsay.cont/

At ]1)1()/vii>1.:() 913-842-1811

CLASSÉ DR6 REFERENCE, remote, phono, black, $1900; Star Lambda SR6, $250; Crown D75 Pro, B/0. Paul, (201) 413-4448.

FOR SALE: REGA PLANAR 3, Surniko Blue Point Special, $425; Meridian 518, $1200; Meridian 563, $800; Meridian 500, $1200. All mint. (305) 296-6056.

CABLE BLOWOUT! Reconfiguring my system. Used WireWorld, Madrigal, Luminous, and Audio Quest at great savings. Call for availability and price. (804) 378-3786, 5pm-11 prn EST only

SUMIKO SHO CARTRIDGE, EC, $750. (606)581-3763.

JBL OLYMPUS S8Rs, JBL Delphi equipment cabinet, best offer. Stax 5R-80, SPD-4, $100-, Citation 11, 18, 21; Nalcamidi 620 power amp, $700. More. Michael Des, (717) 898-154Z fax (717) 898-4705.

AUDIO RESEARCH SP9 preamp, as-new condition, factory-serviced and retubed, original packing. Davç (504) 446-2218.

PASS ALEPH 3 AMPLIFIER, new, $1650. (810) 751-4393 before 11pm EST

STEREOPHI LE, 65 ISSUES, 1990-97, excellent, B/0. (860) 644-2373.

EXPERIENCE WHAT AUDIOPHILES and audio reviewers have been raving about for years ... Magnat: Cable, tel./fax (805) 484-9544, e-mail Jltiagnan904@ aolsom, wunenuronancom

TANDBERG TI)20A SE EC, 75 and 15ips, half-track, $1595; Threshold T400 EC, remote control, $3200. Joe, (610) 867-9913.

McINTOSH MC275 II tube amp, like new; McIntosh C20 tube prearnp, mint. Dan, (810) 47-A3759, leave mes-s*:

PARASOUND P/LD-1500 preamp, $4513; Snell C/V speakers, pickup only, 51700. (215) 567-4626, PA.

SPECTRAL DMC-20, $3995; Elite SP-99D, AC-3/ DA converter, $895; B&W 805, $1050; Acurus 100x3, $650; all mint. (425)88/-5/88.

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SQUIRES ELECTRONICS CLOSEOUT SPE-CIALS: All Klipsch KG loudspeakers, Infinity Reference, and Kappa loudspeakers, Adcom electron-ics, Audio Alchemy, Pinnacle AC-650 speakers, much more. Great prices on Anthem, MIT, Mirage, Yamaha, VP1, etc. Call John, (717) 532-7373.1n details.

CLASSÉ 15 AMP, $1600; Classé 10 amp, $1000; Krell MI)-10 transport, $2900; Studio D/A, $1300; CAL 1)elta transport, $450; Wadia 8 transport, $1500; Anodyne Adapt 1)/A, $1200: Sonoran "Ocotill" tube prcamp, $600; several Purist Rev.A cables, call for model and price. Bob, (419) 238-4747 or (419)238-2442, txt285.

KRELL KSA-100S WITH REMOTE, low usage, mint condition, manufacturer's warranty, original boxes and manuals, ($5500) $3250. Andnw, (972) 233-2124 or (972) 335-4222, CrOlille Infne 9mn and wtrkends.

MESA BARON PENTOI)E/TRIODE power amp, 150Wpc, one year old, mint, ($3695) $2475. (617) 235-4866.

AUI)10 ORLEANS -Serving the Gulf South. Featuring Conrad-Johnson, Krell, MIT NHT, Onkyo, Parasound, Theta, Thiel, Von Schwcikert, VP1, and many others... Ten comfortable sound rooms. Trade-ins accepted. Call or fax for used and clearance equip-ment list. Audio Orleans, 2031 Metairie Road Metairie, LA 70005, (504) 831-0050, jilec (504) 831-3161. Visit our Web site at untnitaudioorleans.com

SONIC FRONTIERS SFL-2, gold, tube upgrade, mint, $2000; SFP-1 signature, gold, mint, $900. (973) 428-0069.

WE OFFER l'ERFECT CONDITION with war-ranty: Anna-Sphere, Audio Research, Conrad-Johnson, Gershman Acoustics, Krell, Levinson, Martin-Logan, mbl, MIT, NBS, Sonic Frontiers, Transparent, Wadia, and many more high-end components. Call for inven-tory list, or visit our showrooms at 35-62 166 SL Malibu NY 11358. Tel. (718) 961-8842, ftv (718) 886-9530. High End Audio.

APOGEE ACOUSTICS STAGES with subenclo-sures, $2000; Onix Cl) player with volume control. $1000; both mint. Call Jon, (770) 578-6375.

SINGLE-ENDEI) AU1)10 -KOchel (Park) loud-speaker, 97dB, 8 ohms (-1, +2 ohms); Wavelength Audio, Cary Audio, Golden Tube, Woodside, I)PA 1)igital, Magnum FM, MIT, Vampire, Townshend, Sound Anchors, more. Demo speakers - call. VISA & MC. tinh audio, Dayton, OH. (937) 439-2667,.* (937) 439-2685, e-mail [email protected]

M&K M-100 POWERE1) SUBWOOFER. $600; TARA Labs Temporal Continuum speaker cable, $200; 1053 KEF Kulse, $175; Alón Petites in rosewood with suhwoofer, boxes, used 20 hours, $900; NA1) 1300 pre-amp, $150. All negotiable. Erik, (910) 760-2748.

ARC SPIO, $1800; 13125, ($4450) $1990; V140 monos, ($8000) $4300; 1)70, $650; Apogee Diva, ($10,000) $3900; Ayn: V-3, $1700; Krell MD-I0, $3200; Totem 1 bi-wire. new, $1100; Carver Amazing panels, piano black, new. $1600; Quintessence Shadow, piano black, ($20,000) $9000; CAL Audio Genesis Cl), ($2000) $800; Entcc Lf-30 subwoofers, $2900; Sonic Frontiers SFL-2, black, $1950; Rowland 7-111; and more. Fro', (909) 627-3869.

YOUR ROOM IS A COMPONENT TOO!!! Echo Busters Decorative Acoustical Treannents upgrade your most important component, your room. Absorption, 1)ilfusion, and Bass Control packages tame acoustical problems attractively! lb get the most out of your system, "Echo Bust" your room. (888) ECHO-BUST e-mail: EelsoBuster@adrom .

THIEL 3.6, AMBERWOOD, $2700; Krell KSA-250, $2975; Sony X779ES Cl), $725 -all mint, can ship, everything $6000. Call (800) 433-6276, ext23004, !awe detailed message

WA1)IA 27, ($8450) $6000; Wadia 20, ($4500) $2300; Pioneer CLI)-97, ($2500) $1000. All mint. Stem (813) 835-9043, EST

You are invited to audition

The Goldmund Cornponents

Evanston

847-864-9565

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Libertyville

847-362-5594

Chicago

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We also Feature:

Angstrom, Ayre, Bryston, Gradient, Magnepan, Mark Levinson, Martin-l.ogan, Micromega, Pass Labs, Proceed, Sonus Faber, Thiel, Threshold, Wilson Audio, and many more.

auDio consucranTs the finest in stereo

1 Audio and Video Sp“i..lists Since 196-

„9e«vetreurz Waleleeerze

HiVi Audio Real hiti & home theater system

*Apogee AudioQuest *B&VV ** B&VV * Bryston * Denon * Counterpoint * EAD * Infinity Golden Tube Audio Jadis * Luxman • Lovan *M&K * MB Quart *Monster Cable * Panasonic *Onkyo * Pioneer * JBL * Sony *Sonic Frontiers *Anthem Sonographe * Sonus Faber *Sharpvision * Yakov Aronov * PSB *Tannoy * XL0 & more

Tel: (818)282-4692 Fax: (818)282-7685

515 W Garvey Ave Monterey Park Ca 9175 http://www.hiviaudio.com

Itl&W is n endable through nui-ordering

AUDIO RESEARCH CLASSIC 30, new tubes, mint, ($2500) $1100; Cary CAI) 40 MU!, mint, (I2500) $1500; NA!) 3140 integrated, near mint. $130; PS Audio 200C, excellent, ($1850) $475; Spectral DMA 50, mint, ($2500) $1000; Threshold S300 Series II, mint, ($3150) $1150; VTL Iklurce 300, mint, ($6000) $2800; Audio Research LS5 Mk.11 preamp, mint, ($5000) $2000; SP14 prearnp with phono, mint, ($3000) $1200; Coda 0213, near mint, ($1950) $950; Goldmund Mimesis 2 with phono, near mint, ($11,500) $3800; Jadis Deb/ DPL, mint, ($4500) $1750; Levinson No28, mint, with phono, ($4000) $1550; Sonic Frontiers SFL-2, mint, ($3700) $1800; Spectral DMC5 with phono, ($1500) $700; DMC6 MILII with phono, mint, ($2800) $1300; Threshold FET-9e HI, mint, ($2000) 5700; VTL CLA la, mint, ($2790) $1200; Scott 350 stereo FM tuner. excellent, $150; Yama-ha T560, mint, $75; Audio Alchemy un Pro 32, rev.AD, mint, ($1600) $750; Audio Research DAC-2 converter, mint, ($3500)$1400, Polyfivion 900 1)AC/preamp, war-ranty, ($3750) $1800; Wadia 9, mint, ($13,500) $6000; EA!) T-7000 transport, mint, ($2000) $700; Polyfiision 920, warranty, (t2900) $1400; Wadia WT2000, mint, ($5600) MOO; VPI HW19 Mk.111, near mint, ($1700) $750; a/d/s/ L630 steel stands, ($790) $150; Aerial 7 speakers, mint, ($2800) $1350; Merlin 314. excellent, ($2170) $650; Mordaunt-Shon Performance 880, mint, ($3800) $1750; Wilson WATTs 3/Puppys 2, mint, ($13,000) $6100; WI-Us, mint, ($8888) $4800; Audio Quest Crystal speaker cable, 9' (2), ($245 each) $100 each; AudioTruth Diamond )0. NY, balanced, ($4400) $1600; Diamond, lm, balanced, ($600) $280; Cardas Herdink 5, lm, balanced, ($600) $260; Highwire 703LS speaker cable, 3m (2), ($798 each) $320 each; MIT MH750 speaker cable, 8', ($475) $190; Straight Wire Virtuoso lit speaker cable 8', ($950) $450; Maestro speaker cable, 8', ($480) $230; Maestro II, 1.5m, RCA, ($355) $171), TARA IX-Gale, 2m, balanced, ($1393) $670; 1 in, balanced, ($828) MOO; 1m, RCA, ($795) $380; Transparent Reference speaker cable, 8', ($4800) $1950; Reference, balanced, ($4400) U100; XL° Reference, 2m, RCA, ($475) WOO., Signature digital, 2m, balanced, ($575) $265 (also L5in and 1m); Signature digital. 1m, BNC, ($375) $175; Reference digital (2), lm, RCA, ($150 each) $70 each. Tremor, (302)73M606.

Sq ires ELECTRON/CS

Adcom • Anthem • Audio Alchemy • B&W'• Bright Star • Benz-Micro • Classic Records • Grado • Hitachi • Infinity • Infinity Compositions • Klipsch • Mirage • M.I.T.

• M.I.T. - Z Series • MonsterCable • Niles • Michael Green • Pinnacle • Roomtunes • RCA • RCA D.S.S. • Sony • Sony D.S.S. • Sony XBR • SOTA • Sound Dynamics • Salamander •Terk •Target •Velodyne •V.P.I.•Yamaha

'Not available by mailorder

Audio •Video Custom Installation 2000 Lincoln Way East, Chambersburg

(717) 263-4960

226 W. King St., Shippensburg (717) 532-7373

Visit us at our Web site @www.innernet.net


TNT OWNERS — I MMEI)IA'S TNT ARM-BOARI) will enhance the mechanical grounding of your toncarm: improved dynamics, imaging, tonal bal-ance, and lowered noise floor. Intinedia's Noise Block is available fix your TNT. Media Acres, PO. Box 423, Baldwin, WI 54002. (800) 830-1575. Visit uninv.medi aalX.COM for details.

FOURIER COMPONENTS PANTHER: OTL 200Wpc triode monoblocks, four months old, ($12,000) $5000, offers. Rave review, Dick Olsher, a July/August 1996. Call Don, (703) 765-3531.

THETA DATA II, AT&T, $1295; Arcici CLS stands, $325. (602) 430-7906.

SONIC FRONTIERS SFM-160 monoblocks, $2750. (610)327-0706, 3-9pm EST

•

CDs, LPs, Tapes WWW.AU1310PHILEUSA.COM . The only Web site you need to visit for all your vinyl and Cl) needs. Tons of new and used jazz, rock, folk, classical, and audiophile LPs, updated frequently. Online auctions, hot links, and more. Join our database online and receive our latest e-mail updates. Audiophile Inter-national. For free catalog, call (888) HQ-VINYL (408-4695), fax (916) 863-6749.

PRIVATE COLLECTION OF OPEN-REELS. Single reels and multiples. Send SASE for free list. Open-reel players: Ampex, Altai, Panasonic. Abernathy, 695 Sumidge Drier, Lincolnton, NC 28092.

HIGHEST PRICES PAID for classical LPs, mono and stereo. Will travel for large collections. Call Lawrence O'Toole, P.O. Box 138, Bearsvillt; NY 12409, tellfax (914) 679-1054.

PRIVATE CLASSICAL COLLECTION FOR AUC-TION: Pristine. RCA Living Stereo, London blue-backs, Mercury Living Presence, Decca, EMI. Send SASE for list. Mar Medial!, Box 6001, Fusin), CA 93703.

WANTED: QUALITY USED CLASSICAL LPs. Randall Goldman, Box 1, Rawho Mime; CA 92270. Tel./fra (888)872-6929.

TOP DOLLAR PAID FOR CD 8t LP collections. No collection too large! Classical, Opera, Jazz, Rock, Alternative, audiophiles (SR/LSC/EMI-ASD), more. 150,000 titles in stock. Free brochure! &Warm, Record Exchange, 20 Tulane St, Princeton, ng 08542. (609) 921-0881, http://munemerrom

RCA LSC SHADED DOGS, Mercury 90000, London ffes bluebacks, Lyrita, Argo, EMI ASD, British Decca, rare monos. Call (212) 496-1681, fax (212) 496-0733. Harvey Gilman, 243 W 76th St, Apt. 1B, New 11,r1e, NY 10023.

BEATLES COLLECTION, MFSL, sealed in original MFSL shipping canon with UPS shipping date (Fall 1982) clearly legible. Make me an offer! Hart, (973)633-1151.

BETTER RECOR1)S SPECIALIZES in music worth listening to. 1)on't settle for less. Hear the music you love with sound you never thought possible. Our cata-log is full of superb LPs —all brand new, with reviews and recommendations. Specify jazz, rock, or classical. (800) 487-8611 or (818) 980-3313.

Wanted WANTED: TUBE-TYPE Western Electric, Maranrz, McIntosh, older WE, Tannoy speakers. (818) 441-3942.

WANTED: MARANTZ TUBE EQUIPMENT, WE 1086 amps, BEL, AVO tube tester, Sequerra FM-1. Top prices paid. (818) 241-3344, fax (818) 242-4433.

WANTED: MICROPHONES by Sony, AKG, Neumann, Altec, Western Electric, RCA, etc. Tube broadcast gear, compressors, equalizers. Mike States, (907) 456-3419.

WANTED: MARK LEVINSON preamps Nos26 and 26s; power amps Nos23 and 23.5. Mr. Choi, (718) 969-1086.

Audio Mart Order Form

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WANTEI): TUBE HI-FI ANI) SPEAKERS, tube theater amps, conter speakers, horn drivers, coaxial/tri-axial speakers, crossovers, tubes. Altec, ElectroVoice, JBL, Jensen, McIntosh, Quad, 1)ynaco, Scott, Lowther, Fisher, Heath, Eico, RCA, Tannoy, Leak, Marantz, Western Electric, etc. Also high-end ARC, Conrad-Johnson, Linn speakers, etc. Also old guitars and guitar amplifiers. Sonny Goldson, 1413 Magnolia Lane, Midwest City, OK 73110. (405) 737-3312, fax (405) 737-3355.

WANTED: OLD, NEW McINTOSH, MARANTZ, JBL, EV, Bozak, Altec, Tannoy, Jensen, Dyna, Fairchild, EMT, Linn, SME, Thorens, Krell, Levinson, Cello, Goldmund, Koctsu, tubes, etc. Maury Cork (713) 728-4343, fax (713) 723-1301.

WANTED: McINTOSH SCR2 speaker control relay. (520) 749-8970.

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The Stereophile

RECORD-REVIEW INDEX

Indexes every record review published in Stereophile front Voll 0 No.1 (1987)

through this issue. Also includes indexes to "Building a Library"

and musician interviews. Available on 5X" or 3X " floppy disks

(MS DOS, raw ASCII only).

• • • • • • • • •

Send $9.95 to: Stereophile Record-Review Index

PO BOX 5529, Santa Fe, NM 87501-5529 (Please indicate disk size)


ADVERTISER INDEX

The Stereophile Advertising Standards Advertising published in Stereophile is accepted on the premise that the merchandise and services as offered are accurately described, and are available to customers at the advertised price. Advertising that does not conform to these standards, or that is deceptive or misleading, is never knowingly accept-ed. If any Stereophile reader encounters noncompliance with these standards, please write Nelson at Associates, Inc., 62 Wendover Rd., Yonkers, NY 10705.

Acarian Systems 126 Acoustic Image 256 Acoustic Sounds 150, 184 Adcom 86 Aerial Acoustics 53 Alpine Audio 285 Ambrosia Audio 186 Analog Shop 226 Anthem 44 AR Higher Fidelity 96 Archive Audio 285 ARS Electronics 262 Artemis Systems 235 Audio Advisor 158,240,252 Audio Alternative 266 Audio Connection 256 Audio Consultants 287 Audio Den 281 Audio Forest 180 Audiolab 241 Audio Magic 144 Audio Nexus 220 Audio Note 102 Audio Outlet 188-189 Audio Plus (AudioMeca) 36 Audio Plus (Jfillab) 26 Audio Plus (Mordaunt-Short) 148

Audio Plus Services (YBA) 20 Audio Power Industries 142 AudioQuest 169,171,292 Audio Research 52 Audio Solution 276 Audio Solutions 281 Audio Trading Times 278 Audio Unlimited 120 Audio-Video Logic 285 Audio Video Salon 252 AudioVisions 262 AudioWaves 278 A/V Ensemble Music 270 &SW Loudspeakers 30 Balanced Audio Technology 62 Billy Bags 69 Cable Company 172

California Audio Labs 92 Camelot Technology 144 Cardas Audio 116 Cary Audio 8-9 Champagne Audio 264 Cherry Creek Audio 272 Cheeky Records 250 Classe' Audio 76 Classic Records 152 Conrad-Johnson 32,68 CSA Audio 234 David Lewis Audio 202 Davidson-Whitehall 284 Denon Electronics 18-19 Digital Ear 266 Discovery Cable 138 Dynaudio 122 Edge Electronics 158 EgglestonWorks 108 Elusive Disc 242-243 Ensemble 144 Fairport Soundworks 283 Fanfare 114,118 Flat Earth Audio 128 Front Row Center 154,258 Galen Carol Audio 228,286 Gershman Acoustics 240 Goodwins 212 Great Plains Audio 248 HCM 216 HeacIltoom 254-255 Hi Fi Farm 281 Hi Notes 272 HM Audio 287 Hologram Acoustic Technology 142

Home Theater Shop 260 Hsu Research 43 Innovative Audio 229 Jason Scott (Electrocompaniet) 134 Joseph Audio 146 JPS Labs 134 JS Audio 253 JVC Music 156 Kies 286

Kimber Kable 53 Krell 58 LAT International 276 Legacy Audio 160 Linn Products 104 Lyle Cartridges 63 Lyric HiFi 244 Madrigal 28 Magnepan 197 Magnum Dynalab 21 Magro 148 Maranta 94 Martin-Logan 100 McCormack 140 Meridian 98 Mirage 40 MIT 4-5 Mondial 46 Monster Cable 110 Motorola 106 Muse Electronics 146 Music Direct 246-247 Musical Surroundings 120 Needle Doctor 266 Northstar Leading The Way 50-51

Now Hear This 24 Nuts About HiFi 208 Overture 177,201,219 Paradigm 10 Parasound 64-65 Parts Connection 148 Pass Laboratories 138 Per Madsen Design 284 Philips 54-55,57 Polyfusion 116 Pro Musica 284 ProAc 90 Progressive Audio 162,210,236 PS8 78 Reference Audio Video 158 Revel 14 Rotel 80 Salamander Designs 140 Seneca Group 270

Sennheiser 84 Sig Tech 130 Signature Sound 272 Signet (Audiosphere) 114 Solo Electronics 82 Sonic Frontiers 45 Sony 12 Sound City 274-275 Sound Concept 278 Sound Connections 146 Sound Images 230,258,286 Sound by Singer 164-165,167 Soundex 214 Soundings 270 Soundvvorks 182,206 Speaker Clone 250 Squires Electronics 287 Stanalog Audio 148 Stereo Exchange Stereo One Stereo Shoppe Stereo Trading Outlet Straight Wire Sunshine Stereo Synergistic Tannoy TARA Labs Theta Digital Thiel Toys From the Attic Tracking Angle Transparent Audio TreRAa Sounds Tubes by Design Valve Amplication Company Van L Speakerworks Van Meter Records Vandersteen Audio Velodyne Von Schweikert Research VU Wadia Woodbridge XL0

178,208 260

283 250 48 222

16,42 136

22-23 74 60 276 132 88 69 136 2

278 264 132 72 124 38

291 204 34

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THE

your publishei comes to you with tarnished audiophile credentials this montht, An article in the

September issue Of Worth magazine claims that the natiábal sales manager of a cable manufactur was dismayed by the "deafness" I di layed at the 1997 Winter Consume Electronics Show. And some of our o readers have writ-ten me off as "mis ded and repugnant" (see "Letters" this nth). Ah well, pop-ularity is not the 11 ta of this humble columnist, nor shou ii it be his desire. I thought that tii• Worth article was a

hoot. Writer Hampton Sides, who spends most of his time writing for the Santa Fe-based Ot is/de magazine, got off to a great be ning by focusing pretty much all of his attention on... Stereophde! With thlit kind of a start, I didn't really care wi t he said about me. My episode of sup sed "deafness" oc-curred at WCES in anuary, when I had two competing cab Is demonstrated for me. After listening back and forth for a few minutes, I ankunced I couldn't hear any difference — or, if I could, it was so small and of to little significance that it didn't matter to me. Who would hav thought I'd make

the national press 'Mkt.' such an innocent comment? In fact, I delight in null results from such ptiorly arranged listen-ing tests — with unfamiliar rooms, equipment, and, ustially, listening mater-ial. About the only somy to guarantee that people hear what yoti want them to hear is to make sure thelts an SPL difference (a tactic that not a few demonstrators have tried). I also dirt in pointing out apparent loudness di erences.

Back in July's "Final Word," I was con-soling myself with in apparent ability to identify wines blind. Just this week, how-ever, even that soue of solace disap-peared. Rhoda put, on the tasting I reported on in July; her husband How-ard put it on this pas Monday. The event was similar to Rh s, except this time the theme was "one , ape, several years, six countries." IdentiFying the grape was pretty easy, but we were also supposed to match the right cotihtry to each wine. We all failed —1 as ignominiously as anyone — getting two right out of ten. My real subject, though, is not my

own inadequacies, but those of "Recom-

FIN AL

Larry Archibald

WORD

mended Components." Of course, RC (as we refer to it around here) is a great feature. It drives consumers into stores, copies of Sterrophile into their hands, and it makes it easier to understand the rela-tive values of products reviewed by dis-parate people in disparate conditions. "Recommended Components" is

very important to us, too. We sell many more copies on newsstands and in hi-fi stores, and give it away as a premium to new subscribers. From an advertising standpoint, RC issues are two of our three most popular in the year; the issue we distribute at CES being the other.

It's intelligence and

sensitivity that create

great sound systems,

not big bucks.

Nevertheless, there's still so much that you don't know after reading "Re-commended Components." You can get some of this information from other issues of the magazine. For instance, if you want to know if the reviewer who raved about the Multi-Amphic 2007 has tastes fairly similar to your own, you could read other reviews over a few-year period to answer that ques-tion. Or you might check the "Follow-Ups" that appeared on the product you're interested in, or find out how it works as an ongoing reference in some-one's system. (That is one of the prima-ry reasons we devote so much space to reviewers' systems.) At the very least, you'll want to read the whole review on which the "Recommended Compon-ents" listing is based.

But what about the relative impor-tance of different categories of equip-ment? There's hardly a component cat-egory in which we haven't given a rave review to a $5000 piece of equipment. But with Stereophile's readers' systems averaging $12,000 total, all those $5k pieces just ain't gonna fit. My personal recommendation is always to go for bal-ance, with about 25% going to speakers, 25% going to amps and preamps, 25% to source components, and 25% to cables, stands, power conditioners, and the other

devices that hook the "primary" compo-nents together and make them work their best.

That's just my opinion, and current practice. "Recommended Components" doesn't help you in this area, and I sus-pect that many of Stereophilds writers would disagree with me. Then there's the recommended sys-

tems boondoggle. J. Gordon Holt tried this in the early '80s, but even with the much smaller number of reviewers and pieces of equipment in those days, the task was just about impossible. And, sur-prisingly, readers hated it. Where we thought, "What a boon!" readers thought, "They want me to throw all my current equipment away!" Sound reproduction is, nevertheless, a

system. In the days of consoles, everything came as one, but the sound was never great. Like it or not, we have to put together good systems in order to get good sound. The Thiel CS5i speakers I'm listening to now, for example, work best with big Krell amplifiers. I don't know exactly why, but they do. (Audio Research seems to run neck and neck for people with somewhat different tastes than mine.)

This kind of information is hinted at in reviews, but rarely encyclopedically, or with enough specificity. Most reviewers don't have the seven years I've had with the Thiels before having to render their opinions. The best solution is to find a couple of

great local retailers to help you put a sys-tem together. Fortunately there are some, though most communities feel lucky to have even one. It's tough to be a great retailer, and there certainly aren't enough. The other element of putting togeth-

er a good system is using your own intelligence and experience. You can hear, and you can think about your own past experiences with different kinds of equipment. That, and casting a skeptical eye toward any review, will stand you in good stead. And you might just go back and reread the first part of this month's "Sam's Space." Sam Tellig can be an irreverent iconoclast, but he's plenty right when he points you in the direc-tion of modest systems. It's intelligence and sensitivity that create great sound systems, not big bucks. S


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