Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2015 i Stereophile

THIS ISSUE: What’s makes readers of this magazine different from “normal” human beings? Most of us have experienced the proverbial curveball that comes out of nowhere to smack us right in the head. My most recent such encounter was pitched by Stereophile contributor Steve Guttenberg. Steve’s whammy arrived amid an e-mail exchange among Stereophile writers concerning a rather clueless column in another publication on the dearth of women audiophiles. After asking how many female audiophiles each of us knew, Steve G. defined what he meant by audiophile: “a person who frets over their system, agonizes over choices, loves gear, and sometimes music. You know, the kind of person who reads Stereophile or The Abso!ute Sound. Merely owning a nice stereo doesn’t make you an audiophile. Owning a Leica doesn’t make…

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, July 29, 7–9 pm: The Arizona Audio Video Club will hold its monthly meeting at a new location: Esoteric Audio, in downtown Phoenix (111 W. Monroe Avenue at First Avenue). We will be listening to Esoteric’s frontline audio components, such as Aesthetix, Boulder, Devialet, Focal, Magico, Rockport, and VTL. Guests are welcome and refreshments will be served. For more information, contact our president, Adam Goldfine, at…

THIS ISSUE: Wilson Benesch’s remarkable entry-level loudspeaker, and music not to be missed! Chris Huston is as soft-spoken and unassuming a chap as you would ever hope to meet, a real gentleman of the old school. He also has an amazing backstory. He and John Lennon were close friends at Liverpool’s College of Art, and later had “dueling bands” that played at Liverpool’s Cavern Club. Huston’s band was the Undertakers, with lead singer Jackie Lomax. Like the Beatles, the Undertakers spent time playing gigs in scrappy clubs near the Hamburg docks. However, Huston is not just an asterisk in the music encyclopedias. He co-engineered Led Zeppelin’s II, earned a Grammy for producing War’s The World Is a Ghetto, and has produced and/or engineered more than 80 gold and platinum records.…

Of the hundreds of product reviews I have written over the years, it is perhaps those of power amplifiers that present the hardest task in defining their worth. This is not because power amps are unimportant. As I wrote in my review of the MBL Corona C15 monoblock, in June 2014, “it is the power amplifier that is responsible for determining the character of the system’s sound, because it is the amplifier that must directly interface with the loudspeakers. The relationship between amplifier and loudspeaker is complex, and the nature of that relationship literally sets the tone of the sound quality.”1 But because the amplifier’s role is so fundamental, it can at first be difficult to determine a given amp’s balance of virtues and failings. A paradox. As well as…

Analog Sources Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ekos tonearm, Linn Arkiv B cartridge. Digital Sources Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP universal player; Apple 2.7GHz i7 Mac mini running OS10.7, Audirvana Plus 1.5.10, iTunes 11, Pure Music 2.0; Ayre Acoustics QB-9 DSD, Bricasti M1, PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream D/A converters; Ayre Acoustics QA-9 USB A/D converter; dCS Vivaldi digital playback system. Preamplification Channel D Seta L phono preamplifier, Ayre Acoustics KX-R Twenty line preamplifier. Power Amplifiers Bricasti M28, MBL Corona C15, Pass Labs XA60.5 (all monoblocks). Loudspeakers DALI Rubicon 8, GamuT RS7, KEF Blade Two & LS50, Revel Performa3 M106. Cables Digital: AudioQuest Coffee, Belkin Gold USB, Kubala-Sosna Elation! AES/EBU, Transparent USB (with dCS). Interconnect (balanced): AudioQuest Wild Blue (with dCS), Cardas Clear (with Ayre, Bricasti, PS Audio). Speaker:…

I performed a full set of measurements on the Moon Evolution 860A (serial no. 4524200) using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 “As We See It,” www.stereophile.com/content/measurements-mapsprecision). As the amplifier is specified as having a maximum power output of 200Wpc into 8 ohms, I preconditioned it before the measurements by running it at one-third that power, 67W, into 8 ohms for an hour. Following that period, the heatsinks were warm, at 110.2°F (43.4°C). The THD+noise percentage at this power level was 0.0126% with the amplifier cold, 0.0115% with it fully warm. The voltage gain at 1kHz into 8 ohms was higher than the norm, at 31.3dB with both balanced and unbalanced input signals, and the 860A preserved absolute polarity (ie, was non-inverting) for both inputs.…

Description Two-way, standmounted, infinite-baffle loudspeaker. Drive-units: 0.75" (19mm) Mylar-dome tweeter, 5" (127mm) Bextrene-cone mid/woofer. Frequency range: 70Hz–20kHz. Sensitivity: 83dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 15 ohms. Dimensions 11.9" (304mm) H by 7.4" (190mm) W by 6.4" (165mm) D. Weight: 11.8 lbs (5.35kg). Finishes Cherry, Walnut; additional charge for Elm, Rosewood, Yew. Serial numbers of units reviewed 00124A & B. Price $2195/pair. Approximate number of dealers: Sold direct via www.LS35adirect.com. Manufacturer Falcon Acoustics, Mallories, Pound Lane, Stanton St. John, Oxfordshire OX33 1HF, England . Tel: (44) (0)1865-358001. Web: www.falconacoustics.co.uk. US distributor: Big Ear Consulting, Ormond Beach, FL. Tel: (800) 752-4018. Web: www.LS35adirect.com.…

Description Solid-sate D/A processor. Digital inputs: USB: 24-bit 4.1/48/88.2/96/ 176.4/192kHz. Optical/TosLink 1: 24-bit 32/44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192kHz. Optical/TosLink 2: 24-bit 32/44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4 / 192kHz. Coaxial 1: 24-bit 32/ 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192kHz. Coaxial 2: 24-bit 32/44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192kHz. Bit resolution (all inputs): 16 to 24-bit. Supported data rates: 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192kHz. Frequency response (100k ohms load:) Filter 1 selected. Low data rate, 10Hz–20.02kHz, –0.05dB (44.1kHz), 10Hz–21.7kHz –0.03dB (48kHz). Medium data rate: 10Hz–28.7kHz, –0.05dB (88.2kHz), 10Hz–31.2kHz, –3dB (96kHz). High data rate: 10Hz–44.1kHz, –0.05dB (176.4kHz) 10Hz–47.7kHz, –3dB (192kHz).Maximum output level: 2.175V into 100k ohms load. Total harmonic distortion, all inputs (24/96): 0.006% at 1kHz. Signal/noise: –105dB, relative to maximum output level with a 100Hz–22kHz bandwidth. Dimensions 8.4" (215mm) W by 3.1" (80mm) H by 12.5" (320mm) D. Weight: 8.8 lbs (4kg). Serial number of unit reviewed 11181.…

“James was to bass what Jimi Hendrix was to guitar.” JAMES JAMERSON JR Clearly, they feel unloved and unappreciated . . . and perhaps they’re right. Despite doods like Krist Novoselic, JPJ, Lemmy, John Entwistle, and Sir Paul, and female voices such as Tina Weymouth, Carol Kaye, and Kim Deal—not to mention the many jazz greats, like Charles Mingus—bass players, if not quite the butt of jokes that drummers have long been (Google “drummer jokes” and enjoy), are musicians too, you know. [sniff ] Search on “bass player” and up comes a website with the huffy, slightly defensive URL forbassplayersonly.com. On Buzzfeed.com, under the heading “21 Struggles Only Bass Players Understand,” some choice entries read: “You constantly get asked do you play bass because it’s easier?” “Someone will inevitably ask…

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. Equestrian audiophiles Editor: Two of your advertisers, Naim and the resurrected SAE brand, are now touting their superamplifers’ capabilities in the unit of horsepower. While those of us who have a hazy recollection of high-school physics recall the interchangeability of units of power (as with those of length), does this mean a new trend in high-end audio is emerging, and if so, why? I am sure the late Mr. James Watt’s [1736–1819] feelings would not be hurt. However, given that he lived in the era of the…

THIS ISSUE: Herb takes the smallest Magnepan speaker out for a spin around his music collection I believe in historical consensus. I believe in hi-fi gear that reveals its quality slowly and holds it value over time, irrespective of technology. I have never bought into the superiority of one technology over another. The art of audio engineering lies in the wisdom and vital energy of the designer’s viewpoint within whatever technology he or she has chosen to work with. I call this the designer’s qi or chi. Every audio product’s most important specification is who created it, followed by the spirit in which it was fostered— and, of course, how it was made and what it is made of. These are the determining factors for long-term audio relevance. Whenever there…

Description Solid-state monoblock power amplifier. Inputs: 1 balanced. Output power: 300W into 8 ohms (24.8dBW), 600W into 4 ohms (24.8dBW). Frequency range: 0Hz–250kHz. Voltage gain: 26dB. Input impedance: 2 megohms. Power consumption: 45W (standby), 120W (operating/no signal). Dimensions 11" (280mm) W by 3.75" (96mm) H by 18.75" (480mm) D. Weight: 52 lbs (23.6kg). Finishes Silver, Black (add $500/pair). Serial numbers of units reviewed 14G0129 & ’130. Price $29,500/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 25. Manufacturer Ayre Acoustics, Inc., 2300-B Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301. Tel: (303) 442-7300. Fax: (303) 442-7301. Web: www.ayre.com.…

Analog Source VPI Classic turntable & JMW tonearm, Ortofon Cadenza Blue cartridge. Digital Source Krell Cipher SACD/CD player. Preamplification Nagra BPS battery-powered phono stage; Simaudio Moon Evolution 740p and Pass Laboratories XP-30 line stages. Power Amplifiers Pass Laboratories XA60.5 monoblocks. Integrated Amplifier Simaudio Moon Evolution 700i. Loudspeakers Revel Ultima Studio2. Cables Interconnect & Speaker: Nirvana. AC: manufacturers’ own. Accessories Bybee Technologies Signature power conditioner (not for power amp, only sometimes for other components); AC power from dedicated 20A circuits; Audiodesksysteme Gläss record cleaner; LAST stylus cleaners.…

I used DRA Labs’ MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Falcon LS3/5a’s frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield response. The Falcon’s voltage sensitivity was 0.7dB higher than that of my 1978 pair of Rogers LS3/5a’s, at 83.2dB/2.83V/m. Its plot of impedance magnitude and phase (fig.1) was very similar to that of the original,1 with the magnitude remaining above 8 ohms from 10Hz to 7kHz. However, it was, on average, about 2 ohms lower in the region covered by the tweeter. I investigated the vibrational behavior of the cabinet with a plastictape accelerometer and the speaker supported on upturned cones, which allows resonances to fully develop. I found a single high-level resonant mode on the side panels at 355Hz (fig.2)—identical…

Superficially, the DAC-R looks identical to Rega’s original DAC, which Sam Tellig reviewed in the May 2011 issue. However, the DAC-R replaces the DAC’s Burr-Brown PCM2707 USB receiver chip with a higher-performing XMOS chip. I measured the DAC-R with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 “As We See It,” http://tinyurl.com/4ffpve4). Sources were S/PDIF on TosLink and coaxial from the SYS2722, and USB from my 2012 MacBook Pro running on battery power. Macintosh’s USB Prober utility reported the Rega’s product string as “XMOS USB Audio 2.0,” and confirmed that the USB port operated in the optimal isochronous asynchronous mode. Though specified as being 192kHz capable, the TosLink input locked to datastreams with sample rates only up to 96kHz. However, Rega does warn, in the DAC-R’s manual,…

EDITOR’S PICK RECORDING OF THE MONTH SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE Live at the Fillmore East, October 4th & 5th, 1968 Epic 88843023712 (4 CDs). 2015. Sly Stone, orig. prod.; Bob Irwin, reissue prod.; Vic Anesini, mastering. AAD? TT: 3:27:31 The first thing you hear is not Sly Stone’s keyboards or harmonica. Not Freddie Stone’s guitar. Not Greg Errico’s amazing drumming. Not Larry Graham’s slapping bass. Not the voices of Rose Stone (also keys) and Cynthia Robinson (also trumpet), nor Jerry Martini’s saxophone. No. The first thing you hear is pure energy: the nuclear reaction of musical power that Sly and his Family Stone generated onstage on two October nights in 1968 at the Fillmore East. James Brown and his band(s) had nothing on these seven. This is prime Sly,…

US: YOUR LOCAL NEWSSTAND John Atkinson Just a note that with this issue, LP maven Michael Fremer starts his 21st year of contributing his “Analog Corner” column to Stereophile (p.21) Thanks Mikey. Here’s to the next 20 years! GERMANY: MUNICH Paul Messenger The annual High End show in Munich, held this year on May 14–17, may now be the biggest, most important event on the planet dedicated to highend stereo audio equipment. For more years than I care to remember, it’s been organized—and very well, too—by the High End Society of a major Western economy. No brief report can possibly do justice to a show as large as High End. This one mainly focuses on UK and international brands.1 High End has survived a transplant of some 250 miles, from…

THIS ISSUE: A visit with phono cartridge maven Peter Ledermann. During our second trip to the UK, my wife and I drove from Heathrow Airport to Swindon, to visit an older couple we’d met on our first trip. We arrived around noon, and Vera and Ross made us a nice lunch, which we enjoyed while looking at scrapbooks filled with family photos and well-worn newspaper clippings. Vera asked where we intended to spend the night, and I said that our next stop was York. Our friends were horrified. “That’s hours from here: You can’t do it in just one afternoon!” (Our UK road atlas suggested we could make the drive in about four hours; it took slightly longer, only because I felt compelled to stop along the way to photograph…

I performed a full set of measurements using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 “As We See It,” www.stereophile.com/content/measurements-mapsprecision). Before taking any measurements, I preconditioned the Ayre by running it for 60 minutes at one-third the specified power into 8 ohms, which is very much the worst case for an amplifier with a class-B or class-A/B output stage. Like the original MX-R,1 the MX-R Twenty got hot, the temperature of its heatsink fins reaching 140.3°F (60.2°C) and the top of its case 116.1°F (46.8°C). The THD+noise measured 0.03% with the amplifier cold, and stabilized at 0.0178% with the amplifier hot. While the Ayre’s unusual heatsink has sufficient thermal conductivity to be effective for an amplifier of this power rating, the MX-R does need to be…

Description Solid-state, dual-mono power amplifier. Inputs: 1 unbalanced (RCA), 1 balanced (XLR). Outputs: 2 pairs binding posts with biwiring option. Power output: 200Wpc into 8 ohms (23dBW), 400Wpc into 4 ohms (23dBW). Frequency response: 10Hz– 200kHz, +0/–3dB. Voltage gain: 31dB. THD: <0.015% (20Hz–20kHz, 1W), <0.04% (20Hz–20kHz, 200W). Signal/noise: >106dB (full power). Input impedance: 47.5k ohms. Power consumption: 55W at idle. Dimensions 18.6" (476mm) W by 7.5" (191mm) H by 17.4" (445mm) D. Weight: 84 lbs (38kg) net, 88 lbs (40kg) shipping. Finishes Black, silver, twotone. Serial number of unit reviewed 4524200. Price $15,000. Approximate number of dealers: 75. Warranty: 10 years. Manufacturer Simaudio Ltd., 1345 Newton Road, Boucherville, Quebec J4B 5H2, Canada. Tel: (450) 449-2212. US: Simaudio Ltd. 2002 Ridge Road, Champlain, NY 12919. Web: www.simaudio.com.…

When all you’ve ever heard are wooden boxes that shout, it’s difficult to recognize their highly accented “voice.” Few of us actually notice how miserably distorted all loudspeakers are. Don’t believe me? Try listening to a recording of your child’s voice, the sounds of rattling keys, or an audience applauding. After you’ve spent a bunch of time with horns, electrostats, or ribbons, box speakers won’t sound “boxy,” as many reviewers claim; they’ll just sound squawky and . . . peculiar. To my ears, the bigger and heavier a speaker cabinet, the more peculiar it sounds. In contrast, petite boxes, like that of Falcon Acoustics’ new re-creation of the British Broadcasting Corporation’s classic LS3/5a, have a way of sounding closer to solitary drivers hanging in thin air—ie, more open and invisible—than…

Digital Sources Apple MacBook Pro computer (2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) running OS 10.10.3, Audirvana Plus, iTunes 11.1.5, Sonic Studios Amarra 2.5, Songbird 1.9.3, XLD; Western Digital 2TB NAS device; Oppo BDP-103 universal BD player; Meridian Digital Media System (Control 15, QNAP TS-669 Pro NAS); Apple iPad Air, iPod Touch 1G, iPhone 6. Digital Processors Benchmark DAC1 USB & DAC2 HGC, AudioQuest DragonFly USB DAC, Cambridge Audio Dac-Magic XS. Preamplifier Marantz AV7005 in Pure Direct Mode. Power Amplifier Classé CAM 350 monoblocks (2). Loudspeakers Main system: MartinLogan Prodigy & BalancedForce 212 subwoofers (2). Desktop & recording monitoring system: Emotiva 5, Velodyne Servo-F Series subwoofer. Cables: AudioQuest Victoria (DragonFly). Line: various Kimber Kable, XLO HT Pro. USB: AudioQuest Diamond, Cardas Clear. S/PDIF: AudioQuest HD6 Carbon (studio to…

THIS ISSUE: Wilson Benesch, Falcon Acoustics, Rega Research, and Ayre Acoustics comment on our reviews of their products. Wilson Benesch Square One Editor: Back to the future with the Sound Organisation of Dallas! Thanks go to the intellectual and musician who is John Marks, for our first review in print in the US after many years. It was a delight to read from every conceivable angle. We look forward to working in the US in future years, with great business partners and tried and tested products. Craig and Christina Milnes Wilson Benesch Falcon Acoustics LS3/5a Editor: I want to thank Herb Reichert for penning such a fine piece on the new Falcon LS3/5a classic BBC monitor. Also, many thanks to John Atkinson and Stereophile for allowing this piece to be…