Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2018 i Stereophile

I remember the Tuesday night that music broke free of my hi-fi. The sound stirred my soul—everything was so right that I was tempted to call over my audiophile pals to earwitness its magnificence. But I didn’t, fearing that sharing the sound might break the spell cast first by the Allman Brothers Band’s At Fillmore East (2 LPs, Capricorn ST-CAP 712223 VSRP), then by Jimi Hendrix’s Live at the Fillmore East (CD, MCA MCAD2 11931). By the time Hendrix got to “Machine Gun,” I could almost smell the pot wafting up to the Fillmore’s top balconies. Next came John Mayall’s unplugged album The Turning Point (CD, Polydor 314 549 432-2)—the best-sounding Fillmore recording, in my opinion—and capping that Tuesday night was the Incredible String Band’s Live at the Fillmore 1968…

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. CALIFORNIA ▪ Sunday, July 29, 1–4pm: The Los Angeles & Orange County Audio Society will hold its monthly meeting at Common Wave, in downtown Los Angeles. State-of-the-art systems will be presented, including the latest components from DeVore Fidelity, E.A.R., Kimber Kable, Marten, NAD, Nagra, Shunyata Research, and Totem Acoustic. Analog sources from Dr. Feickert Analogue, Koetsu, Kuzma, Rega Research, and Soundsmith will also be showcased. Manufacturers’ representatives will be…

Before I spin this 23rd edition of “Gramophone Dreams,” I must ask: How many of you are using zip-cord as your speaker cables? RadioShack interconnects? Those black universal 18/3 power cords that come standard with virtually every audio amplifier? AudioQuest Storm Tornado/High-Current power cord A few months after I wrote about AudioQuest’s Niagara 1000 power-line conditioner ($1000),1 my friend Sphere asked if I’d ever then removed the Niagara from my system, listened, and still thought it improved the sound. I had not. So next morning I removed the Niagara and plugged everything into two plastic power strips from Home Depot. Instantly, the sound became darker, thicker, fuzzier. Also warmer, more relaxed, and—maybe—more enjoyable. Low-level hash returned, but so did a greater ease of musical flow. The tones of voices and…

It was almost seven years ago that Nelson Pass, whose talks and exhibits I’d covered at many a Bay Area Burning Amp DIY event and audio show, surprised me with a loan of two Pass Laboratories’ XA160.5 class-A monoblock amplifiers. Ten months later, after I’d commented that my system had challenged the XA160.5s in the bass department, he sent me a pair of XA200.5 monos. I connected those bigger babies to Wilson Audio Sophia 3 loudspeakers and some now-discontinued digital components with Nordost Odin 1 interconnects and speaker cables. Then came my way, toward the end of 2016, the XA200.8 monoblocks ($42,000/pair). My joy at the arrival of the solid-state XA200.8s was tempered by their weight, which seemed only to increase with time. In fact, a day after we removed…

Digital Sources dCS Paganini SACD/CD transport, Scarlatti clock, Rossini & Vivaldi DACs, Network Bridge; Intel NUC7i7BNH computer with 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, running Roon; Linksys router with two TP-Link gigabit Ethernet media converters & multimode duplex fiber-optic cable; external hard drives, USB sticks, Apple iPad Pro. Power Amplifiers Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems Progression Mono monoblocks. Loudspeakers Wilson Audio Specialties Alexia 2. Cables Digital: AudioQuest Diamond (Ethernet), Nordost Odin 1 & Odin 2 & Valhalla 2 (USB), Wireworld Platinum Starlight (Ethernet). Interconnect, Speaker, AC: Nordost Odin 2. Accessories Audience aR2p-TSSOX, Tweek Geek Dark Matter Stealth (with High Fidelity & Furutech options) power conditioners; Nordost QB8, 2 QX4, QK1 & QV2 AC power accessories; Greenwave EMI filter; AudioQuest NRG Edison outlets; Grand Prix Monaco rack & amp stands, 1.5"-thick Formula platform;…

Because, in its flight case, each Moon by Simaudio 888 amplifier weighs 300 lb, I drove my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 “As We See It”1), with its host PC, monitor, test loads, and cables, to Mikey’s place, rather than try to get one to my place and down the stairs from the front door to my basement test lab. We manhandled one 888 onto a dolly and wheeled it into Mikey’s garage, where I set up my gear. Because the outlets in his garage weren’t up to the amplifier’s current demands, we ran a long, heavy-duty extension cord to one of the 20A outlets in his house. Usually, before performing any measurements, I precondition an amplifier by running it for an hour at one-third its measured…

Description Three-way, stand-mounted, ported loudspeaker. Drive-units: seven 1" (25mm) soft-dome tweeters, two 6.5" (165mm) bass/midrange cones. Frequency range: 40Hz–30kHz. Sensitivity: 94dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Power handling: 120W. Recommended amplification: >25W. Dimensions 24.5" (620mm) H by 10.125" (255mm) W by 13" (330mm) D. Weight 40 lb (18.1kg) Finishes Black standard; Red or White, add $100/pair; all finishes listed are Soft Gloss; High-Gloss Black (as reviewed), add $250/pair. Serial numbers of units reviewed 0063, 0064. Price $2000/pair; optional grilles, $50/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 1 plus sold factory direct. Warranty: 5 years, parts; 30-day home trial. Manufacturer Tekton Design LLC, Orem, UT 84058. Tel: (801) 836-0764. Web: www.tektondesign.com.…

Digital Sources PS Audio Perfect-Wave DirectStream D/A converter with Bridge II network adapter; Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty D/A processor; iPad mini running Roon app; Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP disc player; Netgear router; QNAP NAS drive. Integrated Amplifier NAD Masters Series M32. Power Amplifiers Constellation Centaur II 500, Lamm Industries M1.2 Reference monoblocks. Loudspeakers KEF LS50, Wilson Audio Specialties Alexia 2. Cables Digital: AudioQuest Coffee (USB) & Vodka (Ethernet), generic CAT-5 (Ethernet), DH Labs (1m, AES/EBU). Interconnect: AudioQuest Wild Blue. Speaker: AudioQuest K2. AC: AudioQuest Dragon Source & High Current, manufacturers’ own. Accessories Target TT-5 equipment racks; Ayre Acoustics Myrtle Blocks; ASC Tube Traps, RPG Abffusor panels; Shunyata Research Dark Field cable elevators; Michell Engineering spade–4mm plug adapters with NAD M32; AudioQuest Niagara 5000 Low-Z Power/Noise-Dissipation System. AC power comes from two…

Van den Hul Grail & Colibri XEW Stradivarius Signature Editor: We would like to correct and clarify Michael Fremer’s review [in “Analog Corner”] of the Grail phono amplifier and the Colibri XEW Stradivarius Signature cartridge. The differences between the Colibri Stradivarius and the Colibri Stradivarius Signature are dramatic. Outside of using the same six-layer, 24K-gold coil with the same amount of turns, the motor is completely new. The magnetic-circuit layout, different suspension, and suspension wires are new and unique to this model. The channel-separation measurements are incorrect. The cartridges are individually calibrated by van den Hul as was verified in a recently published review in The Abso!ute Sound several months back. The result is a huge 3D soundstage. One of the main design criteria was speed and detail. Any other…

Everything is relative Editor: I recently found myself in the midst of a Web-forum thread that started out innocently enough, then devolved into a pissing match. It involved the terms value and budget, which often get conflated. The former is subjective; the latter, when used as a noun, is objective. The use of budget as an adjective causes all sorts of consternation. If $1000 is all that one has to spend for whatever reason—nothing wrong with that—then one rightfully wants the most bang for the dollar, as would just about anyone working with a higher budget. No one wants to feel as if they overpaid or, worse, were cheated in a transaction. Everything is relative. It should not come down to pissing matches. No one needs that. Well, most don’t,…

It’s after 5pm on Wednesday, and I’m finishing up the listening part of my review of Apple’s wireless speaker, the HomePod ($349). On a whim, I’ve just asked Siri to play me some drinking songs. I mention this because the HomePod’s “smart” features—its integration with Siri and the Apple Music streaming service—is a big part of its appeal. In its natural element, the HomePod provides a way of accessing music that, although as old as our century, to me is still new and unfamiliar: Forget your hoary music collection, your Rolling Stones and Beethoven. Decide what kind of music you want to hear—a genre or a mood—then leave the choice to Siri and her algorithmic minions. Sure, you can request specific songs, but it’s easier to call out “Hey Siri,…

Description Two-speed, belt-driven turntable with outboard power supply. Speeds: 33 1⁄3 and 45rpm. Wow & flutter: <0.02%. Speed accuracy: 2 parts per million. Dimensions 17.25" (438mm) W by 8.25" (210mm) H (with clamp) by 13.75" (350mm) D. Weight: 40 lb 18.2kg). Serial number of unit reviewed 3010. Price $7995 ($8295 as reviewed). Approximate number of dealers: 6. Warranty: 3 years. Manufacturer Merrill-Williams Audio LLC, 820 Herbert Road, Suite 109, Cordova, TN 38019. Tel: (901) 751-3337. Web: www.realturntable.com.…

Description Solid-state, monoblock power amplifier. Inputs: 1 balanced (XLR), 1 single-ended (RCA). Power output: 200W into 8 ohms, 400W into 4 ohms (both 23dBW). Frequency range: 1.5Hz–100kHz. Voltage gain: 26dB. Input impedance: 50k ohms single-ended, 100k ohms balanced. THD (1kHz, full power): 1%. Damping factor: 200. Output noise: 200μV. Input CMRR (common-mode rejection ratio): 60dB. DC offset: 0.05V. Current draw at idle: 6.3 amps. Power consumption: 760W. Temperature: 53°C. Dimensions 19" (480mm) W by 11" (280mm) H by 27.5" (700mm) D. Weight: 157 lb (71.2kg) net, 177 lb (80.3kg) shipping. Finishes Black, Silver. Serial numbers of units reviewed 29555, 29556. Price $42,000/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 20. Warranty: 3 years, parts & labor, transferable. Manufacturer Pass Laboratories, 13395 New Airport Road, Suite G, Auburn, CA 95602. Tel: (530) 878-5350. Web:…

Analog Sources Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn turntable & Castellon stand; Technics SL-1000R turntable; Kuzma 4Point, SAT, Technics tonearms; Lyra Atlas, Atlas SL, Atlas SL mono, Etna, Etna SL cartridges; Haniwa HCTR01 Mk.II, Miyajima Laboratory Zero (mono) & Madake, Ortofon Anna & A95, van den Hul Colibri XGW Stradivarius Signature phono cartridges. Digital Sources dCS Rossini CD player/DAC, Lynx Hilo A/D-D/A converter; Sugar Cube SC-1 A/D + pop & click remover; Meridian Digital Media System; Pure Vinyl & Vinyl Studio software. Preamplification Ypsilon MC-10L & MC-16L step-up transformers; Ypsilon VPS-100, CH Precision P1 (with X1 power supply) phono preamplifiers; CH Precision L1, darTZeel NHB-18S preamplifiers. Power Amplifiers darTZeel NHB-458 monoblocks. Loudspeakers EgglestonWorks Viginti, Sonus Faber Aida, Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx. Cables Interconnect: Chord Company Sarum T (S/PDIF); Luminous Audio Technology Silver…

I used DRA Labs’ MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Tekton Design Impact Monitor’s frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield responses. My estimate of the Impact’s sensitivity was 87.5dB(B)/2.83V/m, considerably lower than the specified 94dB. (Speakers with true sensitivities greater than 90dB tend to be rare and expensive.) The impedance is specified as 4 ohms. My measurement of the impedance magnitude (fig.1, solid trace) reveals that while the impedance does drop to 4 ohms in the lower midrange, it otherwise lies above 6 ohms for almost the entire audioband. While the electrical phase angle reaches extreme values in the midbass, the impedance magnitude is high at these frequencies, mitigating the demand for current from the partnering amplifier. Overall, as…

Description Dedicated music server using an Intel i7 microprocessor with 8GB RAM, 64GB SSD, and internal, 7mm-high, 2.5” HDD/SSD bay (basic Nucleus uses an i3 processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB SSD). Ports: Gigabit Ethernet, 2 USB 3.0, HDMI, Thunderbolt 3. Power consumption: 10W. Dimensions 8.3” (211mm) W by 2.95” (75mm) H by 6.1” (155mm) D. Weight: 5.5 lb (2.5kg). Finish Dark Matte Gray. Serial number of unit reviewed 1749 I 700005 (Rev.A1) per bottom panel; 94C691125C36 per app. Price $2498 (basic Nucleus: $1398). Approximate number of dealers: 120 plus direct. Warranty: limited, 2 years, beginning date of purchase of product in original sealed packaging. Manufacturer Roon Labs. Web: https://roonlabs.com/index.html, https://community.roonlabs.com.…

Description Smart speaker. Drive-units: seven horn-loaded tweeter/midranges; one 4" woofer. Amplification: each driver has its own amplifier. Internal microphones: 6 for farfield Siri, 1 low-frequency calibration mike for automatic bass correction. Direct and ambient audio beamforming. Transparent studio-level dynamic processing. Connectivity via wireless (802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO) and Bluetooth 5.0 (setup only). Supported formats: HE-AAC (V1), AAC (16–320kbps), protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16–320kbps), MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV, FLAC. Requires Apple iPhone 5s (or later), iPad Pro, iPad (fifth generation), iPad Air (or later), iPad mini 2 (or later), or iPod touch (sixth generation), all running iOS 11.2.5 or later; 802.11 WiFi Internet access; and Apple Music subscription for full music functionality. Dimensions 6.8" (172mm) H by 5.6" (142mm) diameter. Weight: 5.5 lb (2.5kg). Finishes Space Gray,…

Analog Sources Garrard 301, Thorens TD 124 turntables; Audio-Creative GrooveMaster II, EMT 997 tonearms; EMT TSD 15, Shindo Laboratory SPU pickup heads; Miyajima Laboratory Saboten L cartridge. Digital Sources Sony SCD-777 SACD/CD player; HoloAudio Spring “Kitsuné Tuned Edition” Level 3 DAC. Preamplification Auditorium 23 Hommage T1 & T2 step-up transformers; Sentec EQ11 phono preamplifier; Shindo Laboratory Monbrison (2017) preamplifier. Integrated Amplifier ASR Emitter II Exclusive. Power Amplifier Shindo Laboratory Haut-Brion. Loudspeakers DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93, Quad ESL. Cables Interconnect: Audio Note AN-Vx, Luna Red, Shindo Laboratory. Speaker: Auditorium 23, Luna Red. AC: manufacturers’ stock. Accessories Box Furniture Company D3S rack (source & amplification components), Audiodesksysteme Gläss Vinyl Cleaner Pro.…

Before performing any measurements, I ran one Pass Labs XA200.8 (serial no. 29556) for an hour at one-third its measured maximum power into 8 ohms—thermally, the worst case for an amplifier with a class-AB output stage but not for a true class-A amplifier, which runs at its hottest with no signal. By the end of the hour, the top panel was warm, at 99.4°F (37.4°C), and the side-mounted heatsinks were hotter, at 118.1°F (47.8°C). Although Pass Labs specifies the XA200.8 operating in class-A, I suspect that even with its massive heatsinking, the amplifier, doesn’t have sufficient bias current to allow class-A operation up to its specified maximum power. I performed a full set of measurements using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 “As We See It”1). The…

Description Solid-state, class-AB, monoblock power amplifier. Inputs: 1 unbalanced (RCA), 1 balanced (XLR). Outputs: 2 pairs speaker binding posts (biwirable). Power output: 888W into 8 ohms (31dBW), 1776W into 4 ohms (31dBW). Frequency response: 10Hz–200kHz, +0/–3dB. Voltage gain: 31dB. THD: <0.04%, 20Hz–20kHz at 888W. Signal/noise: >120dB (full power). Input impedance: 24k ohms. I/M distortion: 0.0006%. Power consumption: 50W at idle. Dimensions 22" (559mm) W by 14" (356mm) H by 27" (686mm) D. Weight: 300 lb (136kg) shipping. Finishes Black & silver (two-tone) standard. Custom finishes available. Serial numbers of units reviewed T10337070 & ’71. Price $118,888/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 50. Warranty: 10 years parts and labor, upon product registration. Manufacturer Simaudio Ltd., 1345 Newton Road, Boucherville, Quebec J4B 5H2, Canada. Tel: (450) 449-2212. US: Simaudio Ltd., 2002 Ridge Road,…

“It was not subtle. The [$2000/pair] Tekton Impact Monitors were doing it all: singing, drumming, shaking the air, drawing me in, and making every CD or LP pure pleasure to listen to. A little soft … but not too soft. Imagine a gentle but guiding touch with a most perfect sparkle—and then firm and impactful when necessary.” I wrote that last October, after hearing Tekton Design’s new Impact Monitor speakers at the 2017 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest.1 I repeat it here because, as I listened to the Impact Monitors, I thought, Yeah, these speakers sound pretty damn good, but those seven tweeters are a gimmick if ever there was one. I could imagine no good reason for their presence, nor could I imagine how a gaggle of seven drivers could…

Analog Sources AMG Giro G9 record player; EMT TSD 75SFL, Koetsu Rosewood Standard & Signature Platinum, My Sonic Lab Ultra Eminent EX cartridges. Digital Sources HoloAudio Spring “Kitsuné Tuned Edition” Level 3, Mytek HiFi Manhattan II, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil Analog 2 DACs; Integra DPS-7.2 DVD player (as CD transport), Mac mini computer running Audirvana Plus 3.2. Preamplification Auditorium 23 (for EMT cartridge), Dynavector SUP-200, My Sonic Lab Stage 1030 step-up transformers; Musical Surroundings Phonomena II (with Linear Charging power supply), Tavish Design Adagio phono preamplifiers; Pass Laboratories HPA-1, PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium, Rogue Audio RH-7 line-level preamplifiers. Power Amplifiers Bel Canto Design e.One REF600M (monoblocks), First Watt J2, Pass Laboratories XA25, PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium. Integrated Amplifier Line Magnetic LM-518 IA (as power amp). Loudspeakers Falcon Acoustics LS3/5a, Harbeth P3ESR & M30.2,…

It’s difficult to see what measurements would be meaningful with a product like the Roon Nucleus+. However, in his measurements of the Nucleus+ in the May 2018 issue of Hi-Fi News (p.53), Paul Miller reported finding differences in both the absolute levels of jitter and the spectra of the jitter with some USB-connected DACs. I therefore examined the outputs of two of the DACs I had to hand, an original Meridian Explorer and the Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty, while they decoded 16-and 24-bit J-Test data. I found no differences in the bus-powered Meridian’s jitter rejection when it was fed data via USB from my MacBook Pro or from the Nucleus+. The broadening at the base of the spectral spike that represents the high-level tone at one-quarter the sample rate1—due, presumably,…

I grew up with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. I was the youngest in a family not particularly interested in music, and whose record collection consisted of pop music and three oddly assorted classical recordings, all on 78rpm discs: Enrico Caruso singing “Vesti la giubba,” Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring (on four 12" 78s), and the 1927 recording of Rhapsody in Blue with the Paul Whiteman Concert Orchestra and Gershwin at the keyboard. I loved them all, especially the very lively Rhapsody, which wore out many osmium needles. It communicated more directly than any of the other pieces, but eventually it became over-familiar. After that, the Rhapsody and, indeed, all of Gershwin seemed to me an odd mash-up of classical style and old-fashioned jazz. The cover art of The Gershwin Moment…

We who love recordings of massed voices have learned the hard way that some succeed in blending vocal clarity with acoustic resonance, while others deliver echo-muddied jumbles. Happily, some very fine choral recordings have come my way in the last six months. Along with John Atkinson’s acoustically stunning engineering of recordings by the vocally gifted Portland State Chamber Choir and the all-male ensemble Cantus, these aural documents do composers proud. In Teach Me Thy Statutes, 15 compositions by the prolific Pavel Chesnokov (1877–1944) receive devout performances by the PaTRAM Institute Male Choir, a joint Russian-American ensemble conducted by Vladimir Gorbik, recorded in the historic Church of Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian at Saratov Orthodox Theological Seminary, Russia (SACD/CD, Reference Fresh! FR-727 SACD). Recorded in hi-rez DSD by John Newton,…