Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2015 i Stereophile

I’ve known a lot of folks with impressive LP and CD collections who were perfectly content with the sound of the crappiest of hi-fis. This diverse group has included recording engineers, musicians, and owners of record stores. Loving music isn’t the same thing as caring about the sound of music, and maybe, in some alternate universe, those folks wouldhave-been, could-have-been audiophiles. But in this universe, they didn’t, and I’m not sure why. It’s clear that we audiophiles are a different breed. We crave a deeper connection with the sound of music. We also love gear, so we’re much more likely to do whatever it takes to accommodate speakers and electronics that take up an inordinate amount of our living space. To us, the gear looks cool. “Civilians” think we’re nuts.…

ATTENTION ALL AUDIO SOCIETIES: We have a page on the Stereophile website devoted to you: www.stereophile.com/audiophile-societies. 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, March 22, 2–5pm: The Los Angeles & Orange County Audio Society will hold its monthly meeting at Upscale Audio, in Upland (2504 Spring Terrace, 909-931-9686). The new, powerful PrimaLuna DiaLogue Premium HP integrated amplifier, preamplifier, and amplifier will be auditioned for the Society. The wondrous Kiseki Purpleheart N.S. cartridge will be used in the analog system. Kevin Deal, president of Upscale Audio and vice president of the…

With its battery fully charged and using both its unbalanced Headphone and Line 3.5mm output jacks, I measured the PonoPlayer with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 “As We See It,” http://tinyurl.com/4ffpve4). I uploaded WAV and AIFF files of the test signals to the player’s internal memory using the JRiver-sourced PonoMusic World app. The volume control operates on the headphone output only; the output with a 1kHz tone at 0dBFS from the headphone jack with the volume control set to its maximum was the same as from the line output: 961.3mV. Both outputs had an output impedance of 3 ohms across the audio band, though this varied slightly with level and load impedance, and preserved absolute polarity (ie, were non-inverting), as can be seen from…

I used DRA Labs’ MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Emotiva Pro Airmotiv 4s’s frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40, with its small, 1⁄4"-diameter capsule, for the nearfield responses. As the Pro Airmotiv 4s is a powered speaker, I can’t publish a conventional sensitivity measurement. However, presenting 330mV of pink noise to the speaker’s input and setting its level control to “50” gave an SPL on the tweeter axis of 84dB(B) at 1 meter. The Airmotiv’s small enclosure was impressively rigid, with just a few lowlevel vibrational modes apparent. Fig.1 is a waterfall plot calculated from the output of an accelerometer fastened to the center of one of the sidewalls. The highest-level mode lay at 340Hz, but its level was still very…

Description Floorstanding, threeway, reflex-loaded loudspeaker. Drive-units: three 1" ring-radiator tweeters, two 10" pulp-cone woofers. Frequency range: 30Hz– 30kHz. Impedance: 8 ohms (average). Sensitivity: 96.5dB/W/m. Power handling: 400W. Dimensions 48" (1230mm) H by 11.625" (300mm) W by 15.125" (390mm) D. Weight: 72 lbs (32.7kg). Finishes Black, Red, White, Gray (all Satin). Custom paints available at extra cost. Serial numbers of units reviewed None found. Price $2100/pair; grilles and capacitor upgrades available at extra cost. Approximate number of dealers: sold direct. Warranty: 5 years. Manufacturer Tekton Design LLC, 1488 W. 400 S., Orem, UT 84058-5139. Tel: (801) 836-0764. Web: www.tektondesign.com.…

I was weak and easily led. In 1978, after enduring four or five years of wretched music made by men with long hair and beards and tendencies toward eonic guitar solos, I suddenly discovered that the only music worth hearing was made by clean-shaven men of limited musical proficiency. I embraced the Clash, the Pistols, the New York Dolls, the Ramones, and the Buzzcocks. I cut my hair and gave away some of my old records. I even threw out my copy of Jethro Tull’s A Passion Play—which, now that I think about it, wasn’t that bad an idea. Then I woke up and remembered: I’d left the baby in the bathwater. Many bearded, long-winded musicians from my past, such as Neil Young and Phil Manzanera, were no less worthy…

Analog Sources Garrard 301 turntable; EMT 997, Thomas Schick tonearms; Ortofon SPU-A & SPU 95th Anniversary & CG25i, Miyajima Premium BE Mono II, EMT OFD 15 & TSD 15 pickup heads. Digital Sources Halide Designs DAC HD USB D/A converter; Apple iMac G5 computer running Audirvana Plus v.1.5.12; Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player. Preamplification Hommage T2 step-up transformer, Shindo Masseto preamplifier. Power Amplifiers Shindo Corton-Charlemagne (monoblocks) & Haut-Brion. Loudspeakers Altec Valencia, DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96. Cables USB: WireWorld Revelation 2.0. Interconnect: Audio Note AN-Vx, Nordost Blue Heaven, Shindo Silver. Speaker: Auditorium 23. Accessories Box Furniture Company D3S rack (source & amplification components).…

A jazz opera about baseball? Uh-huh. Sung in colloquial English? A recording produced by the editor of this magazine? Sounds like the kind of situation where I should have nodded politely and just said No. What about ethics—all the folks who already think that review-based outlets like Stereophile are bought and paid for? Pony up and we’ll write you a rave, right? Well, no. Absolutely not. But—Recording of the Month? First, let’s hear from the composer: “I’ve often thought the best advice I’ve ever read on making art was from Leonard Cohen, when he said words to the effect of: ‘You don’t want to say tree, you want to say sycamore tree. . . . You get the idea—the more specific things are, the more flavor and resonance they have,…

Give me a good hi-fi system Editor: I agree with Steve Guttenberg (“As We See It,” January 2015, p.3). It’s hard to focus on a lovely adagio when the person next to you is sneezing and coughing and you’re worried about catching a cold. Likewise, people talking in jazz clubs is a huge turnoff. So give me a good hi-fi system, a nice glass of wine, and a silent background. That’s how I enjoy the experience of listening the best. —Tom Schnabel Marina del Rey, CA tom@tomschnabel.com Nailing the nervosa Editor: Congratulations, Mr. Robert Schryer (“Audiophilia nervosa,” February 2015, p.3). You hit the nail on the head! —Vic Miranda New York, NY An incurable disease? Editor: At last, gentlemen, there is recognition of this dreadful, incurable disease (“As We See…

Four years ago, Pangea Audio decided to develop a low price power cable as an upgrade to the cheap power cables that came in the box with nearly all high-end audio gear. They asked veteran cable designer, Jay Victor, for help. Holder of more than forty patents and trademarks for audio gear, Jay Victor has designed high-end audio cables and audiophile accessories for over a dozen high-end audio brands. Jay designed the Pangea Audio AC-14 AC power cable specifically for source components like preamps, CD players, and DACs. Jay kept the price low – $29.95/1M – by keeping the design elegantly simple and by using high-integrity molded connectors. Pangea Audio loved the AC-14 cable and introduced it to the market. Shortly after AC-14’s introduction something unexpected happened. Audiophiles around the…

“I’m intrigued how Emotiva can offer an active speaker for so little.” This was John Atkinson’s response to my request to review Emotiva’s Pro Airmotiv 4s ($299/pair). My colleague Steve Guttenberg had been discussing this speaker with me at a recent industry event, and I’d realized that it had been some time since I’d reviewed an entry-level loudspeaker. I’d reviewed Emotiva’s X-Ref XRT-5.2 floorstanding speaker in the August 2012 issue and had been impressed with its combination of sound quality and price. I requested samples for review. Design Emotiva designs and makes a wide range of audio components, and maintains a high ratio of value to price by designing in the US, manufacturing in China, and selling manufacturer direct, bypassing the dealer markup. As their products come with a 30-day…

Analog Sources Rega Research Planar 3, VPI TNT IV turntables; Immedia, Syrinx PU-3 tonearms; Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood, Koetsu Urushi cartridges. Digital Sources Creek Destiny, Lector CDP-7T CD players. Preamplification Creek Destiny, Vendetta Research SCP-2D phono stages; Audio Valve Eklipse line stage. Power Amplifier Audio Research Reference 75. Integrated Amplifier Creek Destiny. Loudspeakers Audioengine 2, Pioneer SP-BS22-LR. Cables Interconnects (all MIT): Magnum M3, MI-350 CVTwin Terminator, MI-330SG Terminator. Speaker: Acarian Systems Black Orpheus. AC: manufacturers’ own. Accessories Various by ASC, Bright Star, Celestion, Echo Busters, Salamander Designs, Simply Physics, Sound Anchor, VPI.…

Description Monophonic single-ended-triode tubed power amplifier. Tube complement: one 300B, two EL803S. Input: 1 line-level. Maximum output power: 8Wpc into 16 ohms (12dBW ref. 1W into 8 ohms). Input impedance: 100k ohms. Input sensitivity: 3.25V RMS. Output impedance: transformer matched to 4, 8, 16 ohms (see text). Dimensions 13.4" (343mm) H (including tubes) by 5.9" (152.5mm) W by 23.3" (597mm) D (including output terminals). Weight: 28 lbs (12.7kg). Serial numbers of units reviewed None found. Price $12,995/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 6. Manufacturer Reinhard Thöress, Martinstrasse 17, 52062 Aachen, Germany. Tel./Fax: +49 (0)241-4091368. Web: www.thoeress.com. US distributor: Audioarts, Inc., 210 Fifth Avenue, Suite 301, New York, NY 10010. Tel: (212) 260-2939. Web: www.audioarts.co.…

Sam Tellig wrote about Spendor’s D7 loudspeaker in his column, “Sam’s Space,” in the November 2014 issue,1 concluding that this English floorstanding speaker was “a splendid Spendor,” and that “one might seriously question the need to spend any more than [$5995] for a pair of speakers.” What he found especially rare, for a relatively small speaker, was the D7’s “authority, weight, and speed. You could spend far more for a speaker and not get such a fast, highly resolving sound, and such a sweet midrange.” We don’t usually publish measurements of the products covered by Stereophile’s columnists, unless the writer feels that there is something about the sound that merits further investigation. But in the case of the D7, some readers complained about the lack of measured results in comments…

Clearaudio Maestro V2 Ebony Editor: Thanks to Michael Fremer and Stereophile for the very positive review of the Clearaudio Maestro V2 Ebony moving-magnet cartridge. The original Clearaudio Maestro was introduced almost 15 years ago. In 2007, Michael reviewed it as the best MM he had heard. It was our best-selling cartridge, and the Maestro V2 Ebony, introduced in November 2012, continues that track record today.” Michael compared the Maestro V2 Ebony against “far more expensive” moving-coils (some costing up to five times its price) and never felt he was missing anything. Comparing the Maestro V2 Ebony to another great MM, it clearly “beat it in terms of dynamics and, especially, weight and slam.” The Maestro V2 Ebony has the same stylus/cantilever as our most expensive MC cartridges, including the Goldfinger…

THE COMPONENTS LISTED HERE 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 characteristics and a code indicating the Stereophile Volume and Issue in which that product’s report appeared. Thus the May 2014 issue is indicated as “Vol.37 No.5.” Some products listed have not yet been reported on; these are marked (NR), for “Not Reviewed.” We recommend that you read any product’s entire review before seriously contemplating a purchase (products without reviews should therefore be treated with more caution)—many salient characteristics, peculiarities, and caveats…

Description Portable music player with 2.5” color touchscreen. Compatible file formats: FLAC ALAC, WAV, AIFF, AAC (unprotected), MP3. Compatible sample rates: up to 192kHz. Compatible bit depths: 16–24. RAM: 64GB internal, 128GB total; supports microSD cards. Power supply: 2950mAH Li-ion rechargeable battery. Supplied accessories: AC universal adapter (100–240V), USB-Micro USB cable, 64GB SanDisk microSD card. Firmware: v.1.0.4. Dimensions 5” (130mm) H by 2” (51mm) W by 1” (25.4mm) D. Weight: 4.6 oz (130gm). Finishes Matte yellow, black. Serial number of unit reviewed 14420711. Price $399. Approximate number of dealers: 26 as of January 2015; also sold direct. Manufacturer Pono, 1501 Mariposa Street, Suite 312, San Francisco, CA 94107. Tel: (800) 611-0580. Fax: (415) 638-6133. Web: https://ponomusic. force.com/.…

Description Two-way, bassreflex, powered bookshelf speaker. Drive-units: 1" (26mm) by 1.25" (32mm) Airmotiv high-frequency folded-ribbon tweeter, 4.5" (135mm) Airmotiv mid/woofer with Curv polypropylene-composite cone. Crossover frequency: 2700Hz. Frequency response: 58Hz–23kHz, ±2dB; 52Hz–27kHz, +0/–6dB. Total amplifier power: 50W RMS. High-frequency amplifier: 25W RMS, S/N >90dB; THD+N, <0.05% at 15W, 10kHz. Low-frequency amplifier: 25W RMS, S/N >90dB; THD+N, <0.05% at 20W, 100Hz. Adjustments and calibrations: High-frequency tilt control: 4kHz hinge frequency; 0 (calibrated), +2dB, –2dB at 20kHz. Lowfrequency shelving control: 150Hz turnover frequency; 0 (calibrated), –2dB, –4dB at 20Hz. HF gain, LF gain, and overall gain calibrated to standard within 1.0dB. Dimensions 9.5" (242mm) H by 6.25" (160mm) W by 7.5" (191mm) D. Weight: 10.8 lbs (4.9kg) net, 13.9 lbs (6.3kg) shipping. Finish Matte black. Serial numbers of units reviewed 10413520010439/69. Price…

The CD era was well underway. Rudy Giuliani was about to sweep the crack hoes and squeegee humans off New York’s garbage-filled streets. Disney was conquering Times Square. It seemed the perfect time for artists and audio weirdos like myself to go underground. Seeking economic sustainability, I hunkered down in my Seaport bunker and started a little business called Eddie Electric. I found a 23-year-old Japanese business partner named Ryochi who was dealing in big-E Levi’s, bubble-back Rolexes, and antique Abarth cars. He was my Seaport, New York–Akihabara, Tokyo connection. Ryochi had dropped out of school at 16 and had already saved a gillion dollars in vintage $100 bills. Together we imported Tango audio transformers and Black Gate capacitors. To avoid trade deficits, Eddie Electric exported vintage amps and loudspeakers…

Analog Sources Pioneer PLX-1000, Technics SL-1200MK2, Thorens TD-124 turntables; SME 3009 II tonearm; Soundsmith Carmen, Grado Labs Mono, Ortofon 2M Black, Zu Audio DL-103 cartridges. Digital Sources Puresound A-8000 CD player, Line Magnetic LM 502CA DAC. Preamplification Soundsmith MMP3, Schiit Mani, Sentec EQ11 MM, April Sound BB1 phono stages; Intact Audio step-up transformer & passive autoformer preamplifier. Integrated Amplifiers Simaudio Moon Evolution 340i, Line Magnetic LM518 IA, Rogue Audio Sphinx, Roksan K2 BT, Antique Sound Labs Tulip 2A3. Loudspeakers DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93, KEF LS50 Cables Interconnect: Auditorium 23, Kimber Kable Silver Streak. Speaker: Auditorium 23, Kimber Kable 8TS. AC: manufacturers’ own. Accessories Dr. Feickert Analogue app.…

I performed full sets of measurements on both samples of this retro-styled amplifier, using Audio Precision’s SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 “As We See It,” www.stereophile.com/content/measurements-mapsprecision). As instructed in the manual, after inserting the tubes and running each amplifier for a while to make sure everything was at the optimal operating temperature, and with no signal applied, I rotated the rear-panel knob of each monoblock to minimize measured hum in the output. This was a straightforward operation and, as you can see from the signal/noise measurements later in this report, an effective one. The output-transformer taps were left in the 8 ohm setting used by Art Dudley in his auditioning, and I began measuring the amplifiers after they’d been running at a low level into 8 ohms…

It’s the natural progression of things. As you get older, you spend less time in record stores, even less time dragging your ass out to hear live music. Maybe sitting in front of a computer screen, surfing YouTube or Pitchfork, is not your thing. Then there’s streaming . . . An even more virulent form of musical curmudgeonliness seems to have taken hold of my middle-aged musical friends. Lately, they’ve given up. They’re all sure that today’s music sucks. Young musicians aren’t John and Paul, music ain’t like it used to be, blah blah blah. Reminds me of a Frank Zappa quote about “just a bunch of old men with rock & roll clothes on sitting around the studio, mumbling about the good old days.” It’s not that I disagree…