Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2016 i Stereophile

THIS ISSUE: The annual Consumer Electronics Show has been a fixture on the audio scene for decades.Will that continue? Last January, in Las Vegas, a record 170,000 people attended the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show. Most of them neither saw nor heard a trace of high-end audio gear. Not only was all mention of what CES calls “high performance audio” absent from the show’s official Attendee Guide, but the hallways of the Venetian Tower, which in past CESes were filled with high-end manufacturers, dealers, and distributors, were anything but crowded.1 Given the steady decline, in recent years, in CES attendance by high-end audio distributors and dealers, many observers were not surprised by the decreased traffic in rooms, or by seeing fewer familiar faces, or by the relatively short waits for elevators.…

ATTENTION ALL AUDIO SOCIETIES: We have a page on the Stereophile website dedicated solely to you: www.stereophile.com/audiophilesocieties. If you’d like to have your audio-society information posted on the site, e-mail Chris Vogel at info@XLinkAudio.com. Please note that it is inappropriate for a retailer to promote a new product line in “Calendar” unless this is associated with a seminar or similar event. ARIZONA ■ Wednesday, June 29, 7–9pm: The Arizona Audio Video Club holds a PS Audio night, during which we will sample the soon-to-be-released BHK Signature preamp, coupled with the well-reviewed BHK Signature stereo amplifier. The highly regarded line of Bascom H. King (BHK) amplifiers demonstrate Paul McGowan’s commitment to providing marketleading electronics at prices many people can afford. Come join us at Trinity Lutheran Church, 9424 N. Seventh Street,…

My lifestyle consultant warned me not to review Zu Audio’s Soul Supreme loudspeaker ($4500/pair). “Why not?” I asked. “They’re exciting and super-enjoyable.” “Zu speakers are not mainstream,” he explained. “People either love them or hate them. They’re for music lovers, not audiophiles.” “That’s not true!” I whined like a disappointed child. “They play Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin with spooky soul and natural tone! They play big classical orchestras— especially with trumpets and timpani—with radical ease and full-tilt momentum! And . . . and . . . they project large soundstages! Isn’t that what audiophiles like?” “Herb, I’m telling you, this is not your normal two-drivers-in-a-ported-MDF-box loudspeaker. The Soul Supremes are definitely not mainstream.” “Are they pro-audio?” He sighed. “No, Herb. They’re a unique product designed to perform exactly as…

I don’t measure headphones’ acoustic responses, as this requires a system of dummy head and microphone. (See Keith Howard’s article on this subject in the August 2008 issue.1) In addition, deciding what, precisely, is the optimal frequency response for a pair of headphones is neither obvious nor trivial.2 I did use my Audio Precision System One to measure the Audeze LCD-4s’ impedance and electrical phase. The solid trace in fig.1 shows the impedance magnitude with the headphones mounted on my head and facing my ears. The impedance is slightly lower than the specified 200 ohms, at 156 ohms across the audioband, and the electrical phase angle is very close to an even 0°. Stereophile Audeze LCD4 Impedance (ohms) & Phase (deg) vs Frequency (Hz The LCD-4s are very easy to…

TAKE HEED! Unless marked otherwise, all letters to the magazine and its writers are assumed to be for possible publication. In the spirit of vigorous debate implied by the First Amendment, and unless we are requested not to, we publish correspondents’ e-mail addresses. The fallacy of accuracy Editor: Steve Guttenberg’s “As We See It” in May (p.3) was the best and most believable article I’ve ever read in Stereophile. Two thumbs up! —Dave Freeman dfree68@comcast.net Accuracy is neutrality Editor: Stereophile long ago wandered off the trail blazed by the late J. Gordon Holt. With “The Fallacy of Accuracy” in the May issue (p.3), it has finally fallen into a ditch. Steve Guttenberg and those who reject the concept of high-fidelity sound reproduction— the promotion of which was one of Stereophile’s…

It’s been five years since I’ve had the time and space for this feature. I can’t hope to catch up with all that’s happened since, but in reviewing surround gear for “Music in the Round” I’ve used and mentioned the most notable surround recordings as references, and reviewed the recordings themselves in “Records to Die For.” When the last installment of “Recordings in the Round” was published, we were still dealing mostly with SACDs and the very first Blu-ray Audio discs. I now prefer to download files, but most surround downloads are also available as physical discs. PROKOFIEV Symphonies 3 & 4 Challenge Classics CC72584 (SACD/CD, 24/352.8 FLAC download from www.spiritofturtle.com). 2015. Bert van der Wolf, eng. DDD. TT: 58:00 PROKOFIEV Symphonies 6 & 7 Challenge Classics CC72714 (SACD/CD, DSD64…

I used DRA Labs’ MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Zu Audio Soul Supreme’s frequency response in the farfield; for the nearfield frequency responses, I used an Earthworks QTC-40, which has a 1⁄4" capsule and thus doesn’t present a significant obstacle to the sound. My estimate of the Zu Soul Supreme’s voltage sensitivity was 91.5dB/2.83V/m, which is lower than the specified 97dB/W/m but still much higher than average. This speaker will play loudly with lowpowered amplifiers. In addition, its plot of impedance magnitude and electrical phase (fig.1, plotted with a wider vertical scale than usual) reveals the Soul Supreme to be a very easy load for the partnering amplifier. Though the phase angle is occasionally high, the minimum magnitude is a still-high 8.4 ohms at…

I performed a full set of measurements on the Unison Research Unico Primo using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 “As We See It,” www.stereophile.com/content/measurementsmaps-precision). As always before performing any measurements on an amplifier, I preconditioned it by running it with both channels driven at onethird power into 8 ohms for 60 minutes. Thermally, this is the worst-case situation for an amplifier with a class-B or class-A/B output stage, as one-third power is when the maximum heat dissipation occurs in the output transistors. As the Unico Primo’s maximum power is specified in the manual as 80Wpc into 8 ohms, I set it driving 27Wpc into 8 ohms. However, the amplifier turned itself off after just 15 minutes at this power level. The two green LEDs on its…

I measured the Pass Labs HPA-1’s electrical performance with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 “As We See It,” http://tinyurl.com/4ffpve4). I performed a full set of measurements from both the HPA-1’s preamplifier and headphone outputs. The graphs all refer to the headphone output; I comment when the preamplifier output behaved differently. Both sets of outputs preserved absolute polarity (ie, were non-inverting), and the maximum gain was the same from both, at 8.35dB, this very similar to the specified 8dB. The maximum output level at 1kHz was close to 10V. The input impedance measured a usefully high 46k ohms at 20Hz and 1kHz, dropping inconsequentially to 40k ohms at 20kHz. The output impedance from the headphone jack was a very low 1.35 ohms at all audio frequencies; it…

Analog Sources Spiral Groove SG-2 turntable & Centroid tonearm, VPI HR-X turntable & tonearm, Grado Master Reference & Statement Reference cartridges. Digital Sources Primare CD32 CD player, Simaudio Moon Evolution 750D CD transport–DAC. Preamplification Sutherland Engineering Duo & Phono Block phono preamplifiers; Placette Audio Active, Sutherland Engineering Line Block line stages; Simaudio Moon Evolution 850P preamplifier. Power Amplifiers Simaudio Moon Evolution 880M, VTL Ichiban monoblocks. Loudspeakers Wilson Audio Specialties Sophia 2. Cables Phono: Nordost Valhalla. Interconnect: Nordost Valhalla, Audience Au24e. Speaker: Nordost Valhalla, Audience Au24e. Accessories Audience aR12-TS & aR2-TS power conditioners; Echo Busters room treatments; Finite Elemente Reference equipment rack; VPI HW-16.5 record cleaner; MusicTools CD shelves.…

THIS ISSUE: Elac’s Debut B6 stand-mount and the latest version of PS Audio’s Power Plant are taken for test listens. ELAC DEBUT B6 LOUDSPEAKER After their big splash at the 2015 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, and following Herb Reichert’s munificent review in Stereophile, I was as pleased as a patch of pickled power tubes when John Atkinson delivered to my door the Elac Debut B6 loudspeakers.1 What began as an audition turned into this Follow-Up review. In his April 2016 review of the Debut B6, Herb wrote: “The main thing I noticed was how water-clear and relaxed the sound was: open, not grainy or stiff.” He also observed that “my critical faculties were ambushed by the Debut B6’s good tone and easy-flowing musicality.”2 Is there much more one can desire…

BEETHOVEN Symphonies 4 & 5 Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Concentus Musicus Vienna Sony Classical 88875136452 (CD). 2016. Martin Sauer, prod.; René Möller, eng. DDD. TT: 70:41 This is the final recording made by the late Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who was at the forefront of the early-music movement. Always the master of surprises of tempo, balance, and dynamics, he fascinates with both his brilliance and perversity—the latter word being affectionately tinged. The performance of the Fourth is marvelous, the opening hypnotic and eerie in the same manner as the first note of Mahler’s First—it just lingers in the air. The second movement’s theme song is a thing of beauty; Harnoncourt keeps it as graceful and gracious as possible, and the timpani and the strings’ underlying commentary are always clear. The entire work is optimistic,…

HENRY THREADGILL ENSEMBLE DOUBLE UP Old Locks and Irregular Verbs Henry Threadgill, composer; Román Filiú, Curtis MacDonald, alto saxophone; Jose Davila, tuba; Christopher Hoffman, cello; Jason Moran, David Virelles, piano; Craig Weinrib, drums Pi 64 (CD). 2016. Liberty Ellman, prod., mix; Michael Marciano, Rich Lamb, engs. DDD. TT: 47:01 Threadgill, an avant-garde saxophonist, flutist, bandleader, and composer, won a Pulitzer Prize for his 2015 album, In for a Penny, In for a Pound (also on Pi). For this follow-up he’s formed his first new group since 2001: two pianists, two saxophonists, and—carried over from his previous band, Zooid—a cellist, a tubaist, and a drummer. Pianists are a novelty for a Threadgill ensemble, and Jason Moran and David Virelles, the best-known players here, are often the focus of attention. But Threadgill…

THERE’S ONLY TWO KINDS OF MUSIC: THE BLUES AND ZIPPETY DOO-DAH. —TOWNES VAN ZANDT “To me blues is part of jazz, pretty much inseperable. And jazz preceded blues in terms of being recorded. Mamie Smith cut “Crazy Blues” in 1920, but the Original Dixieland Jazz Band recorded in 1917. So jazz got there first. It took a long time for whites to get very interested in blues.” —BOB KOESTER It’s always enlightening to speak with guys who were there when selling records was still a viable business. Back when talent gushed, records flew off shelves, and the money rolled in—the time before writing code became the coolest, when desiring a career path in the music business didn’t automatically scream, “Why?” Recently, when a family event drew me to Chicago, I…

THIS ISSUE: Constructing a plinth for the venerable Garrard 301 turntable: a craftsman at work. One Everything makes a difference. Everything. File that away. Two There are two kinds of good sound: good sound sound and good music sound. While I could describe the distinction in few words or many, it’s easier to point to two recordings of Elgar’s oratorio The Dream of Gerontius: by Sir Adrian Boult and the New Philharmonia Orchestra, with tenor Nicolai Gedda singing the title role (2 LPs, EMI SLS 987); and by Malcolm Sargent and the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, with Heddle Nash in the lead (2 LPs, EMI RLS 709). I imagine the Boult version, recorded in stereo in 1976, fits most listeners’ definitions of good sound sound. Although made somewhat after the golden…

Songwriting collaborations are always an interesting test. Most never advance past a brainstorming session, or perhaps one unsuccessful stab at sitting down and trying to combine visions, methods, and worldviews. It’s the successful melding of artistries that makes two new sets of collaborators worth a listen. First out is Colvin & Earle—which, according to its two participants, seems to have been created by a whole other person. Talking to both Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle at the same time via a conference call gave me a pretty good idea of who this mythical third person is. The immediate genesis for making a record together, however, came from a 2014 tour they did together, subtitled Songs & Stories. “We’ve known each other for a long time,” Earle began. “I’ve always been…

Analog Sources Linn Sondek LP12 turntable, SME M2-9 tonearm, Dynavector 20X2L & Hana EL cartridges; Pioneer PLX-1000 turntable, Ortofon 2M Black cartridge. Digital Sources Integra DPPS-7.2 DVD-A player, Schiit Audio Bifrost Multibit DAC. Preamplification Dynavector SUP-200 step-up transformer; Dynavector P75 Mk.3, Parasound Halo JC 3+ phono stages; PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium, Simaudio Moon Neo 350P preamplifiers. Power Amplifiers First Watt J2, PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium, Simaudio Moon Neo 330A. Integrated Amplifiers Linear Tube Audio microZOTL 2.0, Line Magnetic LM-518 IA, Schiit Audio Ragnarok, Simaudio Moon Neo 340i. Loudspeakers DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93. Cables Speaker: Auditorium 23, Zu Audio Mission Mk.II. Interconnect: Auditorium 23, AudioQuest Cinnamon, Kimber Kable Silver Streak. Accessories Dr. Feickert Analogue cartridge alignment protractor & Adjust+ app; PS Audio PerfectWave PowerBase.…

Analog Sources Kuzma Stabi S turntable & Stogi tonearm; Music Hall MMF-7.3 turntable/tonearm; Denon DL-103 cartridge. Digital Sources Apple MacBook computer, Halide DAC HD, Western Digital T2 Mirror Drive. Preamplification Auditorium 23 A23 moving-coil step-up transformer, Shindo Laboratory Allegro preamplifier. Power Amplifier Shindo Laboratory Haut-Brion. Loudspeakers DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93, Elac B6, Snell Type J/II. Cables Interconnect: Shindo Laboratory. Speaker: Auditorium 23, AudioQuest Castle Rock & GO-4. Accessories Music Hall Aztec Blue & Mooo record mats; Spec AD-UP1 Analog Disc Sheet; Clearview Double Helix Mk.II power strip; Salamander five-tier rack; IKEA Aptitlig bamboo chopping boards.…

Digital Sources Antipodes DX Reference, Aurender N10 music servers; Apple 2.7GHz i7 Mac mini computer running OS10.9.4, iTunes 12, Pure Music 3.0, Audirvana Plus 1.5.10; PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream, Logitech Transporter D/A processors. Headphone Amplifier Ayre Acoustics Codex. Headphones Audeze LCD-X & LCD-4, AudioQuest Night-Hawk, Master & Dynamic MH40. Cables USB: AudioQuest Coffee. Interconnect (unbalanced): AudioQuest Fire. Headphone: Cardas Clear (balanced), manufacturers’ own (unbalanced). AC: manufacturers’ own.…

Life is too short to put up with poor-sounding headphones, I mused the other morning, during my 60-minute commute on the NYC subway. All around me, straphangers gripped smartphones and listened to multicolored Beats, noise-canceling Boses, white Apple earbuds, and, only rarely, Sennheisers and Grados. Most of my personal listening these days is through Audeze’s large, open-back, circumaural LCD-X headphones, which I bought following my review of them in the March 2014 issue.1 (On the subway I use the Ultimate Ear 18 Pro in-ear monitors,2 which provide much better isolation and are not as visually intrusive.) At $1699, the Audeze LCDXes are undoubtedly expensive, but offer superb sound quality, and a tonal balance that is more to my taste than the almost equally expensive and well-regarded Sennheiser HD800s.3 Then Audeze…

EDITOR’S PICK RECORDING OF THE MONTH ALLEN TOUSSAINT American Tunes Nonesuch 554644 (CD). 2016. Joe Henry, prod. Ryan Freeland, eng., Wesley Seidman, Monique Evelyn, asst engs. ADD? TT: 49:31 David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Phife Dawg, Merle Haggard, Dan Hicks, Ernestine Anderson, Lonnie Mack, Maurice White, Blowfly, Otis Clay, Steve Young, George Martin, Prince. The closing months of 2015 through spring 2016—must rank among the most devastating periods ever for the loss of important and influential songwriters and musicians. In New Orleans, that most essential city of American music, the loss has been especially keen since the passing, in November, of Allen Toussaint, 77, from a heart attack following a concert in Madrid, Spain. In a career that lasted more than 60 years, Toussaint did it all: songwriter, performer, A&R rep,…

BLACK MOUNTAIN IV JagJaguwar 277 (2 LPs). 2016. Black Mountain, prods.; Randall Dunn, prod., eng.; Stephen McBean, Joshua Wells, engs. AAD? TT: 56:11 Even before rock’s current drought in inspiration and genuine talent, the search for influences to guide and inspire was only natural. Today, though, if you have no ideas of your own, influences become rich sources to mine and perhaps build a career on, if you can tweak them enough that no one notices. On IV (all nods to Led Zep’s IV intended), guitarist Stephen McBean and Black Mountain—variously pegged as a stoner rock band, a classic-rock copycat, and a prog-rock throwback—manage to be all that. Yet, as on their preceding three albums, they add enough innovation to their blizzard of 1970s influences to create music both retro…

THIS ISSUE: Lyra, ModWright Instruments, Unison Research, Nordost, and PS Audio respond to our reviews of their products. Erratum In the May 2016 issue of Stereophile (p.125), we illustrated Robert Levine’s double five-star review of Third Coast Percussion’s new recording of works by Steve Reich (Çedille) with the cover art of Kronos Quartet’s recording of Reich’s WTC 9/11 (Nonesuch). Our apologies to Çedille Records and to Third Coast Percussion. The correct image is reproduced on the left.—John Atkinson Lyra SLs Editor: Thank you, Stereophile, for such a positive review, and to Michael Fremer for his insightful review and kind words. I cannot overstate the importance of Michael’s comment that “even this level of accomplishment assumes that your phono preamp has enough gain and low enough noise to accommodate the halved…