Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2021 i Stereophile

Even though I’m the editor of Stereophile, I sometimes struggle to get my audio system to play. It’s a little bit embarrassing. Just last night, I put on a record and there was no sound. I figured out the problem immediately: I’d forgotten to turn on the amplifiers. But the reason isn’t always so obvious. Back in the day, our stuff was simple; it just worked. There were power switches, a volume control, a source-selector, maybe a Tape Monitor button. Turn it on, select the right input, set the volume, and put on a record. If there’s no music, make sure the Tape Monitor isn’t pressed. Easy. Today, things are more complicated. There are levels of input selection. Most systems still have a preamp, but other components accept multiple inputs.…

ATTENTION ALL AUDIO SOCIETIES: We have a page on the Stereophile website devoted to you: stereophile.com/audiophile-societies. If you’d like to have your audio-society information posted on the site, email Chris Vogel at vgl@cfl.rr.com. (Please note the new email address.) Please note that it is inappropriate for a retailer to promote a new product line in “Calendar” unless it is associated with a seminar or similar event. Note: Due to the ongoing pandemic, Stereophile recommends confirming that events are still taking place. ILLINOIS ▪ Thursday, December 2, noon–9pm: Holm Audio (2050 W. 75th St., Woodridge, IL) hosts a musical event with representatives from Ayre Acoustics, KEF, and Nordost showcasing their latest offerings. Door prizes will be given away to every attendee, and $1,000 worth of audio goodies will be raffled off.…

Amplification Analog Digital Headphone Accessory Loudspeaker Budget Component of the Year Editors’ Choice What’s more, those who did vote for a megadollar product often voted for only one, so the expensive-turntable vote was effectively split. That left the field clear for these less-expensive products. In the final vote, the Pro-Ject Phono Box RS2 trailed the two winners by 4 points. The TechDAS Air Force Zero finished one point behind the Pro-Ject. JOINT WINNERS OKTO DAC8 STEREO STREAMING D/A CONVERTER (€1203; REVIEWED BY JA, VOL.44 NO.2) GRIMM MU1 MUSIC STREAMER ($10,500 W/O INTERNAL STORAGE; REVIEWED BY JA, VOL.44 NO.3) FINALISTS ACCUPHASE DG-68 DIGITAL VOICING EQUALIZER ($24,000; REVIEWED BY JVS, VOL.44 NO.8) ANTIPODES K50 SERVER ($15,000; REVIEWED BY JVS, VOL.44 NO.10) EXASOUND DELTA SERVER ($3000 W/O STORAGE; REVIEWED BY KR, VOL.44 NO.4)…

Amplification Analog Digital Headphone Accessory Loudspeaker Budget Component of the Year Editors’ Choice MAGICO A5 ($24,800/PAIR; REVIEWED BY JCA, VOL.44 NO.7) FINALISTS DYNAUDIO CONFIDENCE 30 ($21,000/PAIR; REVIEWED BY KR, VOL.44 NO.8) KEF LS50 META ($1500/PAIR; REVIEWED BY JA, VOL.44 NO.1) KLIPSCH FORTE IV ($4500/PAIR; REVIEWED BY KM, VOL.44 NO.9) WILSON CHRONOSONIC XVX ($329,000/PAIR; REVIEWED BY MF, VOL.44 NO.5) WILSON SABRINAX ($18,500/PAIR; REVIEWED BY BD, VOL.44 NO.3) This is the second year in a row that a Magico product won Loudspeaker of the Year, which may be a first. I don’t think I could have predicted this—certainly I didn’t—but in retrospect it’s not much of a surprise. While the A5 isn’t an inexpensive loudspeaker—$24,800 is real money—it’s an attractive price for a hi-fi magazine like Stereophile, aspirational but approachable. “The A5…

Accessory Loudspeaker Budget Component of the Year Editors’ Choice KEF LS50 META LOUDSPEAKER There is no such animal as a “perfect loudspeaker.” But within its limitations of limited maximum loudness—the LS50 Meta will work best in small or medium-sized rooms—and limited low-frequency extension (the reflex port is tuned to 51Hz), this immaculately finished minimonitor offers an almost complete absence of midrange coloration, a musically satisfying balance, and what I described in my review as a palpable “reach-out-and-touch” soundstage. All this for just $1500/pair! Affordable almost perfection.—John Atkinson AUDIOVECTOR R8 LOUDSPEAKER Of the music-makers I lived with this year, I’d rate the Magico and the Audiovector very close, but the Magico already won a big prize—two of them in fact. The gorgeous-looking Audiovector R8 took me by surprise, doing things with…

Just regular guys Just finished the latest review Herb did on his 10× better speakers. Upon completion, I realized that although I’m a subscriber to both USA audio publications, I much prefer the regular-guy speak of the Stereophile inmates like Michael, Ken, and Herb. Nothing elevates my day like a smile on my face while reading about my favorite subject matter. Their writing reminds me that humor and side-chat can be a great way to present what can often be dry subject matter. Good-sounding music is the end game, and though they never downplay the value associated with the best of the best, they also give me the impression they would still love listening to $99 speakers if suddenly that’s all they had. Keith Zoll Pinehurst, North Carolina Tubes and…

Amplification Analog Digital Headphone Accessory Loudspeaker Budget Component of the Year Editors’ Choice GRYPHON ESSENCE MONO AMPLIFIER ($45,980/PAIR; REVIEWED BY JVS, VOL.43 NO.12) FINALISTS AUDIO RESEARCH REFERENCE 6SE PREAMP ($17,000; REVIEWED BY JVS, VOL.43 NO.11, JA, VOL.44 NO.8) DOSHI AUDIO EVO MONOBLOCK AMPLIFIER ($41,995/PAIR; REVIEWED BY JVS, VOL.44 NO.5) LINE MAGNETIC LM-845IA INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER ($4950; REVIEWED BY AH, VOL.44 NO.7) NAD C 298 STEREO AMPLIFIER ($1999; REVIEWED BY KR, VOL.44 NO.6) VAC SIGMA 170I IQ INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER ($10,000; REVIEWED BY JMU, VOL.44 NO.4) Last year’s winner in this category was a high-value class-D everything-but-the-kitchen-sink workhorse, the NAD M33 integrated amplifier. This year’s winner is a purist low-ish power, class-A monoblock. (Yes, there’s a class-AB setting, but they could remove it and almost no one would care. “If you love music,…

Amplification Analog Digital Headphone Accessory Loudspeaker Budget Component of the Year Editors’ Choice NAIM UNITI ATOM HE HEADPHONE AMP/STREAMING DAC ($3290; REVIEWED BY HR, VOL.44 NO.9) FINALISTS AMPSANDSOUND BIGGER BEN HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER ($4950; REVIEWED BY HR, VOL.44 NO.4) BENCHMARK HPA4 HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER ($2999; REVIEWED BY HR, VOL.44 NO.2) FOCAL CLEAR MG HEADPHONE ($1500; REVIEWED BY HR, VOL.44 NO.9) RAAL-REQUISITE HSA-1B HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER ($4500; REVIEWED BY HR, VOL.44 NO.10) T+A HA 200 DAC/HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER ($8999; REVIEWED BY HR, VOL.44 NO.2) Naim’s Uniti Atom HE headphone amp/streaming DAC was made for competitions like this: It’s an immaculately engineered, polished product. Despite not being a card-carrying flat-earther, headphone guru Herb Reichert was smitten by the “HE” (for headpones) version of the Uniti Atom, finding it beautiful and interesting and thoughtfully designed. As for…

Accessory Loudspeaker Budget Component of the Year Editors’ Choice KEF LS50 META LOUDSPEAKER ($1499.99/PAIR; REVIEWED BY JA, VOL.44 NO.1) FINALISTS ELAC ALCHEMY DPA-2 MONO AMPLIFIER ($1495; REVIEWED BY JVS, VOL.44 NO.6) ELEKITTU-8600RS STEREO AMPLIFIER ($1785; REVIEWED BY HR, VOL.44 NOS.5 & 8) NAD C 298 STEREO AMPLIFIER ($1999; REVIEWED BY KR, VOL.44 NO.6) OKTO DAC8 STEREO STREAMING D/A CONVERTER (€1203; REVIEWED BY JA, VOL.44 NO.2) PRO-JECT DEBUT CARBON EVO TURNTABLE ($499 W/TONEARM & CARTRIDGE; REVIEWED BY AH, VOL.44 NO.3) There’s an outstanding, affordable hi-fi system lurking in this category, except for phono preamplification and volume control. But never mind that: Let’s talk about the winner. The LS50—a modern reinterpretation of the LS3/5a—has been a remarkable success for KEF. If any loudspeaker that’s currently in production deserves to be called a…

Analog sources SME 30/12 turntable with V-12 tonearm and Ortofon Windfeld Ti cartridge (in for review). Digital sources Intel NUC computer with SSD drive running Roon Optimized Core Kit, Roon Nucleus+; Denafrips Avatar CD transport; Synology DS918+ 4-bay Network Attached Storage device with 16TB; TP-Link 8-Port Gigabit network switch (unmanaged); dCS Rossini DAC. Preamplification Pass Labs XP-25 phono preamplifier, Pass Labs XP-22 line preamplifier. Power amplifiers Pass Labs XA60.8 monoblocks. Cables Digital: AudioQuest Carbon & Cinnamon & Coffee, Comprehensive Connectivity DXLRP-DXLRJ-6EXF (all USB). Interconnect: Clarus Crimson (RCA, XLR). Speaker: Clarus Crimson. Accessories PS Audio Power Plant P10 power conditioner, Butcher Block Acoustics RigidRack, IsoAcoustics, and Magico footers.—Jim Austin…

Digital sources Roon Nucleus+ music server; MBL N31 CD player/DAC; Ayre Acoustics QB-9 Twenty D/A processor. Power amplifiers Parasound Halo JC 1+ monoblocks. Loudspeakers GoldenEar BRX, PSB Synchrony T600. Headphones Audeze LCD-X, Sennheiser HD-650, Audio-Quest NightHawk. Cables Digital: AudioQuest Vodka (Ethernet), AudioQuest OptiLink 5 (TosLink). Interconnect: AudioQuest Wild Blue (balanced) & Fire (single-ended). Speaker: AudioQuest Robin Hood. Headphone: Nordost Heimdall with Audeze LCD-X. AC: AudioQuest Dragon Source & High Current, manufacturers’ own. Accessories Sanus 29" loudspeaker stands; Target TT-5 equipment racks; Ayre Acoustics Myrtle Blocks; ASC Tube Traps, RPG Abffusor panels; AudioQuest Niagara 5000 Low-Z Power/Noise-Dissipation System (amplifiers) and AudioQuest Niagara 1000 Low-Z Power/Noise-Dissipation System (source components). AC power comes from two dedicated 20A circuits, each just 6’ from breaker box. Room 20' (left side), 25' (right side) × 16'…

Digital sources Oppo Digital UDP-105 universal disc player, custom Baetis Prodigy-X4i music server running JRiver Media Center v28 and Roon 1.8, exaSound s88 streaming DAC and Okto DAC8 Pro D/A processors. QNAP TVS-873 NAS for file storage. Preamplifiers 3 Topping Pre90 for gain/buffer. Coleman Audio 7.1SW for source switching. Power amplifiers Benchmark AHB2, NAD C298. Loudspeakers Revel Ultima2 Studio with IsoAcoustics Gaia I isolation feet. Revel Performa3 F206 for surrounds. Two SVS SB-3000 & one SB-2000Pro subwoofers. Cables Digital cables: AudioQuest Coffee (USB). Analog interconnects: AudioQuest Earth/DBS balanced, Kubala-Sosna Anticipation (RCA and XLR). Speaker cables: Bench-mark Studio&Stage, Canare 4S11 (Blue Jeans Cable). AC cables: Kubala-Sosna Emotion, SignalCable MagicPower 20A. Accessories AudioQuest Niagara 5000 and Brick-Wall BrickWall 8RAUD power conditioners, Teddy Pardo 12V PS (for exaSound s88), HDPLEX 400W ATX Linear…

Analog sources Thorens TD 124 turntable, Jelco TS-350S 9” tonearm, Clearaudio Concept MC cartridge, Sculpture A Mini Nano Step Up. Digital sources Asus laptop running Roon, Tidal. Integrated amplifier Ayre EX-8 2.0. Loudspeakers Canton 7K, DeVore Fidelity O/96, Klipsch Forte IV. Cables Interconnect (RCA): Triode Wire Labs Spirit II, Shindo Laboratory. Digital: AudioQuest Forest. Speaker: AudioQuest Robin Hood. AC: manufacturers’ own. Accessories IsoTek EVO3 Aquarius line conditioner, Salamander five-tier rack; IKEA Aptitlig bamboo chopping boards (under preamp, turntable, power amps); mahogany blocks (2" × 2" × 0.5") under boards; 3”-thick studio-treatment damping foam on ceilings and walls. Listening room 12' L × 10' W × 12' H, system set up along long wall; suspended wood floor, 6"-thick walls (plaster over 2×4), wood-beamed ceiling.…

Analog sources Dr. Feickert Analogue Blackbird turntable with Schick 10.5” tonearm, Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum, My Sonic Lab Ultra Eminent Ex, Zu Audio Denon Zu/DL-103 moving coil cartridges; Lundahl LL1931Ag SUT, Koetsu SUT, Sutherland Engineering Little Loco Mk2, Kitsuné KTE LCR-1 MK4, EAR Phono Classic phono preamplifier. Digital sources Roon Nucleus+ music server; HoloAudio May (Level 3) D/A processor; Mola Mola Tambaqui, dCS Bartók DAC/Streamer. Preamplifier Rogue Audio RP-7. Integrated amplifiers Pass Labs INT-25, Rogue Audio Sphinx V3. Power amplifier Parasound Halo A 21+. Loudspeakers Falcon Acoustics “Gold Badge” LS3/5a, Harbeth M30.2, GoldenEar BRX. Headphones HiFiMan HE1000, Audeze LCD2. Cables Digital: Kimber Kable D60 Data Flex Studio (coax). Interconnect: Cardas Clear Cygnus, AudioQuest Mackenzie, Black Cat Coppertone, Triode Wire Labs Spirit II. Speaker: Triode Wire Labs American Series. AC: Audio-Quest…

In the mid-’60s, modern jazz pivoted. Charlie Parker, the previous era’s key revolutionary, had been dead for a decade. “Hard bop,” the soul-and-back-beat variant of Parker’s bebop, was running out of steam. The Beatles were rocking the world, and jazz would never recover as a branch of “popular music.” In response or indifference to these tough transitions, jazz musicians set sail on several experimental paths. In those first few years, the most adventurous voyages were mapped and carved out at Blue Note Records. Two of the best—and most widely varying—of those ventures have just been reissued in Blue Note’s Classic Vinyl series, in excellent sound: Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage and Eric Dolphy’s Out to Lunch! Hancock was in his second year as the pianist in what came to be called…

Finding fresh approaches to doing business isn’t easy, especially in the current climate. But now it’s becoming essential. Audio manufacturers, distributors, and dealers must figure out how to attract new customers while continuing to provide service for existing customers. Neither thing is easily accomplished in an era of change. But failure isn’t an option. People with something to sell must connect with customers, and vice versa. Access is key. Access can be via the internet, plus UPS or FedEx, plus, ideally, a 30-day return policy with free return shipping. But for some large and expensive things, internet sales are not sufficient: Would you pay for a $50,000 car without a test drive? What about a $50,000 amplifier or pair of speakers? For decades, dealers have been shifting toward home theater…

Mola Mola Tambaqui A big thank you to Herb Reichert for a kind of review that reminds us why we are doing this: to provide a safe conduit for music so that it stands the greatest chance of touching the listener’s heart. We’re also super thrilled to hear just how precisely his experience of the Tambaqui tracks our design goals. Ewald Verkerk, International Sales Director  On behalf of the Mola Mola development team Luminous Audio Arion Mk II We thank Michael Fremer for taking a fresh listen to the updated Luminous Audio Technology Arion Mk II Phono Preamplifier. Michael’s experience with the original Arion as a benchmark makes it exciting to read his assessment of the Arion Mk II. As an engineer who never stops revisiting my work, I applied…

CANADA: BURLINGTON, ONTARIO Stereophile staff Stereophile has lost a member of its extended family. Mark Aling joined Paradigm not long after graduating from Sheridan College and stayed there for 20 years, eventually becoming the company’s senior director of marketing. He joined Stereophile in 2015, after leaving Paradigm. Later, he worked with Soundstage! and then as a rep for Clarus and Tributary cables. Wherever he went, Mark inspired warmth, love, and loyalty, and he gave it all back. Mark died August 20 from glioblastoma. His official obituary follows. It is with great sadness that the family of Aling announces Mark Richard George’s passing. Mark passed peacefully at home on Friday, August 20th at the age of 56. Mark will be deeply missed by his beloved fiancée Nicole; his loving children Madison,…

Amplification Analog Digital Headphone Accessory Loudspeaker Budget ComponentoftheYear Editors’ Choice JOINT WINNERS CLEARAUDIO CONCEPT ACTIVE WOOD TURNTABLE ($3700 AND UP; REVIEWED BY KM, VOL.44 NO.6) THORENS TD 124 DD TURNTABLE ($11,499; REVIEWED BY KM, VOL.44 NO.8) FINALISTS AUDIO RESEARCH REFERENCE PHONO 3SE PHONO PREAMP ($17,000; REVIEWED BY MF, VOL.44 NO.2) OMA K3 TURNTABLE ($363,000 W/POWER SUPPLY AND TONEARM; REVIEWED BY MF, VOL.44 NO.10) PRO-JECT PHONO BOX RS2 PHONO PREAMP ($1999; REVIEWED BY JMU, VOL.44 NO.9) TECHDAS AIR FORCE ZERO TURNTABLE ($450,000, BASIC VERSION; REVIEWED BY MF, VOL.44 NO.9) While the two co-winners are unquestionably worthy, this was an upset in at least two respects. First, both of the winning products were reviewed by Ken Micallef; this is a category that, year after year, has been dominated by Michael Fremer’s reviews.…

Amplification Analog Digital Headphone Accessory Loudspeaker Budget Component of the Year Editors’ Choice AUDIOQUEST NIAGARA 3000 ($2995; REVIEWED BY TG, VOL.43 NO.12, FK, VOL.44 NO.8) FINALISTS DEGRITTER RECORD-CLEANING MACHINE ($2990; REVIEWED BY MF, VOL.44 NO.1) SHUNYATA EVEREST 8000 POWER CONDITIONER ($8000; REVIEWED BY BD, VOL.44 NO.5) STILLPOINTS COMPONENT STAND SS ($1999–$2799; REVIEWED BY MF, VOL.43 NO.11) WALLYREFERENCE AZIMUTH GAUGE ($275; REVIEWED BY MF, VOL.44 NO.8) Designed by Garth Powell, AudioQuest’s Niagara 3000 power conditioner combines several technologies together in a box for a very fair price. In his original review, Tom Gibbs found that the 3000 allowed his system “to extract a previously unheard level of tangibility from the streamed recording.” On “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” from Neil Young’s Live at Massey Hall, Gibbs “was taken aback by…

Accessory Loudspeaker Budget Component of the Year Editors’ Choice MAGICO A5 LOUDSPEAKER ($24,800/PAIR; REVIEWED BY JCA, VOL.44 NO.7) FINALISTS DEGRITTER RECORD-CLEANING MACHINE ($2990; REVIEWED BY MF, VOL.44 NO.1) GRYPHON ESSENCE MONO AMPLIFIER ($45,980/PAIR; REVIEWED BY JVS, VOL.43 NO.12) OKTO DAC8 STEREO D/A CONVERTER (€1203; REVIEWED BY JA, VOL.44 NO.2) OMA K3 TURNTABLE ($363,000 INCLUDING POWER SUPPLY, TONEARM; REVIEWED BY MF, VOL.44 NO.10) WILSON AUDIO CHRONOSONIC XVX LOUDSPEAKER ($329,000/PAIR; REVIEWED BY MF, VOL.44 NO.5) Purely from a Stereophile perspective, this is a sort of coming-of-age moment for Magico. I don’t know if Magico’s Alon Wolf feels like a debutante, but the timing is right: His company is now 17 years old and just won its first Stereophile Product of the Year Award. Magico has made a lot of speakers, most of…

The Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx V ($135,000– $151,000/pair) is the biggest, heaviest, most expensive loudspeaker I’ve had in my listening room. It replaces the original Alexx in Wilson’s lineup; Michael Fremer reviewed the earlier Alexx,1 bought it, and owned it until replacing it recently with the Wilson Chronosonic XVX. The V in the name—Alexx V—isn’t the Roman number five; rather, it’s a reference to Wilson’s most recent proprietary composite material, “V.” But more is new here than a new material. Wilson has recast its second-largest regular-production speaker along the lines of its largest, the Chronosonic XVX.2 The similarity is most obvious in the opengantry design that the new Alexx inherited from the XVX. Wilson claims—and I believe—that this improves the sound because pressure waves were trapped by the semi-enclosed areas…