6 Great Systems from $2k!
A Concert in Your Living Room
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MBL ’s Amazing
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december 2011
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DECEMBER 2011 • issue 218
Rod Stewart Jennifer Warnes Greg Brown Maria Muldaur Miles Davis
WE PICK
THE BEST !
Tube Power!
Conrad-Johnson’s Flagship Amp and Preamp
Speakers from Aerial Acoustics, TAD, Spendor, Sonist, and Studio Electric
Secrets of
Computer Audio Revealed!
+
11 Mac Music-Player Programs Compared
The Absolute Sound September 2008 3
Contents 45
146
Cover Story
Recommended Systems
MBL 101E MkII Loudspeaker
We recommend six complete high-end systems starting at $1849.
The latest implementation of MBL’s ingenious Radialstrahler omnidirectional loudspeaker technology is the best yet, says Peter Breuninger.
32
Computer Audio Sound Quality
26
Dr. Charles Zeilig and Jay Clawson report on their groundbreaking project to evaluate and quantify every sonic variable in computer audio. Part One of a four-part series.
Special Feature Can HigHPerformanCe audio HelP tHe Performing arts? Jim Hannon on a remarkable new technology that brings high-end audio into the concert hall. Senior WriterS
editor-in-Chief
Robert Harley
Peter Breuninger, Anthony H. Cordesman, Wayne Garcia, Robert E. Greene, Ted Libbey, Chris Martens,
viCe preSident/group publiSher
Jim Hannon nextSCreen ChAirMAn And Ceo
exeCutive editor
Jonathan Valin
Tom Martin
ACquiSitionS MAnAger And ASSoCiAte editor
AdvertiSing repS
Neil Gader MuSiC editor
CreAtive direCtor
Torquil Dewar Art direCtor
Shelley Lai
founder/editor eMerituS
Harry Pearson hp’S Setup
Joey Weiss
2 December 2011 the absolute sound
revieWerS And Contributing WriterS
Duck Baker, Greg Cahill, Stephen Estep, Jim Hannon, Jacob Heilbrunn, Garrett Hongo, Sherri Lehman, David McGee, Kirk Midtskog, Bill Milkowski, Derk Richardson, Karl Schuster, Jeff Wilson Reprints: Jennifer Martin, Wrights Media: (877) 652-5295, (281) 419-5725, jmartin@wrightsmedia.com. Subscriptions, renewals, changes of address: (888)732-1625 (u.S.), or (386)246-0144 (outside u.S.), or write the Absolute Sound, Subscription Services, po box 420235 palm Coast, fl 32142-0235. Ten issues: in the u.S., $29.90; Canada $45.90 gSt included); outside north America, $64.90. payments must be by credit card SA, MasterCard, American express) or u.S. funds drawn on a u.S. bank, with checks payable to nextScreen, llC. Address letters to the editor: the Absolute Sound, 8868 research lvd., Suite 108 Austin, tx 78758 or e-mail rharley@nextscreen.com Newsstand Distribution and Local Dealers: Contact ipd, 27500 riverview Center blvd., Suite 400, onita Springs, florida 34134, (239) 949-4450 Publishing matters: contact Jim hannon at the address below or e-mail jhannon@nextscreen.com
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publications Mail Agreement 40600599 return undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Station A / p. po. box 54 / Windsor, on n9A 6J5 nextScreen, llC., 8868 research blvd., Suite 108 Austin, tx 78758. (512) 892-8682 fax: (512) 891-0375, tas@nextscreen.com, info@theabsolutesound.com ©2011 nextScreen, llC., issue 218 december 2011. the Absolute Sound (iSSn #0097-1138) is published 10 times per year in the months of Jan, f feb, Mar, April, combined issues in May/Jun & Jul/ Aug, Sept, oct, nov, and dec, $29.90 per year for u.S. residents, nextScreen, llC., 8868 research blvd., Suite 108 Austin, tx 78758. periodical postage paid at Austin, t texas, and additional mailing offices. Canadian publication mail account #1551566 poStMASter: Send address changes to the Absolute Sound, Subscription Services, po box 420235 palm Coast, fl 321420235. printed in the uSA
the absolute sound December 2011 3
CONTENTS 16 Start Me Up Focal Bird System With its compact size, audiophile-grade sound quality, and ability to stream music wirelessly, Focal’s new $999 Bird soars, says Chris Martens.
22 Next-Gen Digital Music Players for Apple Computers Confused about all those music-playing programs for the Mac? Steven Stone evaluates eleven software packages in this head-to-head comparison.
Equipment Reports 68 Bower & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Music System B&W adds wireless streaming—and improved sonics—to its now-iconic Zeppelin tabletop music system. Wayne Garcia reports.
72 Rotel RCX-1500 CD Receiver Neil Gader on a category-defying new component that plays CDs, USB drives, wireless sources, AM/FM, and Internet radio.
76 Sonist Loudspeakers Recital 3 Our newest contributor, Garrett Hongo, on a highly engaging and affordable loudspeaker from Sonist.
84 Studio Electric Monitor Down with flat! Steven Stone reviews a compact, ultra-high-quality minimonitor with a decidedly different frequency response.
90 NuForce Reference 18 V3 Monoblock Amplifiers NuForce has taken Class D amplification to a new level with its top-of-the-line Reference 18, says Chris Martens.
104 Stillpoints Ultra Stainless-Steel Feet Robert Harley discovers the benefits of ultra-sophisticated isolation devices from vibration-control pioneer Stillpoints.
106 Vitus Audio SIA-025 Integrated Amplifier Can an amplifier priced at a thousand dollars a watt be a contender? If that amplifier has the sweetness and delicacy of the Class A Vitus SIA-025, the answer is yes, says Neil Gader.
110 Spendor SP1/2R2 Loudspeaker Robert E. Greene reports on the modernization of a classic.
118 Aerial 7T Loudspeaker This terrific-sounding, beautifully built floorstander hits all the right notes. Kirk Mitdskog on the newest loudspeaker from Aerial Acoustics.
122 Technical Audio Devices (TAD) Reference One Loudspeaker Robert Harley lives with a contender for the state of the art in floorstanding loudspeakers.
130 T he Cutting Edge Conrad-Johnson GAT Preamplifier and ART Monoblock Amplifier
Jonathan Valin on what are, without doubt, the most neutral, transparent, and realistic electronics the venerable firm of conrad-johnson has yet made.
140 Wilson Audio Alexandria X-2 Series 2 Loudspeaker and Thor’s Hammer Subwoofer Jacob Heilbrunn takes the Alexandria’s performance to another level with the addition of two massive Thor’s Hammer subwoofers from Wilson Audio.
8 Letters 12 From the Editor 14 Future TAS 156 H P’s Workshop Harry Pearson on the new components now gracing his listening room.
161 M anufacturer Comments
Music
162 Mark Waldrep Knows What He’s Doing The outspoken Dr. W of AIX and iTrax talks to Andrew Quint about recording techniques, high-res downloads, multichannel on Blu-ray, and listening from under the piano.
168 Records International Mark Lehman on a cornucopia for “Type Two” classical music record collectors.
170 Rock Audiophile vinyl reissues of Rod Stewart and Jennifer Warnes, new releases from Greg Brown, Maria Muldaur, Michael Murphey, and Gillian Welch, and new settings of Hank Williams lyrics and Bela Bartók miniatures.
176 Classical Chamber pieces from Marlboro, Christmas tunes from Copenhagen, Bach from Heinz Holliger, and piano music from John Corigliano.
180 Jazz The latest from Wadada Leo Smith, Steven Bernstein’s MTO, Satoko Fujii, and Alex Hoffman, along with the first-ever commercial issue of the Miles Davis Quintet’s 1967 live recordings from Europe.
183 Five Faves Duck Baker selects five stellar albums devoted to the music of Thelonious Monk.
184 Back Page Pioneering Karen Sumner, President of Transparent Audio, talks with Neil Gader.
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Letters e-mail us: rharley@nextscreen.com or write us at: The Absolute Sound, 8868 research blvd., Suite 108 Austin, tx 78758
Digital Download Coverage Great start in Issue 215 with the digital download coverage. More please. Run it every month. And please, a review of the hi-res Beatles collection, especially the Apple USB stick. Geoff Mirelowitz
Making Sense of Downloads High-resolution downloads took me by surprise. Everything happened so fast. Your one-page introduction in September’s The Absolute Sound was just what I was looking for to make any sense of it all and to get started into this new world of audio. Thanks for writing something that I think everyone can understand. I even used a yellow marker to underline key sites and procedures. Great job! Mark Korda
Digital Download “Provenance” On page 212 of Robert Harley’s The Complete Guide to High-End Audio (Fourth Edition), he writes: “The consumer has the right to know the ‘provenance’ of the high-resolution file offered for sale.” He goes on to mention HDtracks.com, which of course has a stellar reputation It seems for some of us, that question of “file pedigree” is still murky—at least for me it is. However, I’m really pleased to see the “Download Round-Up” feature in Issue 215 by Alan Taffel as well as the download reviews on the following pages. That’s a huge step towards consumers being given that “provenance.” Keep it coming! Daniel Sheffield
See the profile of AIX Records founder Mark Waldrep in this issue. —RH 8 December 2011 the absolute sound
Taking Digital Downloads Seriously I commend TAS for seriously taking on the subject of digital downloads. I am an inveterate vinylphile, and not about to pitch my LP library. However, I readily concede that this is not the medium of choice for new recordings. But, within the next decade, neither will be physical discs. Many factors, such as the ease of acquisition and playback and better sound, will eventually drive those silver thingees to their respective elephant burial grounds. As evidenced by the current review of Bryston’s BDP-1 player, some high-end companies are beginning to share this belief as well. I hope that serious reviews of highres downloads appear as a regular feature in your magazine, as in the present issue. Hopefully your reviewers will take this feature one step further, and report on side-by-side comparisons of the high-res downloads and their standard-resolution physical siblings. Lawrence Devoe
Keep the Download Coverage Coming I would just like to send in my appreciation and interest in Alan Taffel’s article “Download Round-Up” and his introduction to high-res audio. As a new young audiophile I have started reading and planning to purchase my first entrylevel audio setup. I have read much about vinyl and how there are true audiophiles that swear by it, but I realize it is fading and don’t want to invest in something that is going to disappear. Digital seems to be the way we are heading, and although I purchase only CDs at the moment I would like to switch to high-res audio
since I read your article. Please keep up the good work. I very much enjoyed your article. Keep it coming! Jonathan Anderson
Downloads Are Happy and Frightening Your editorial in Issue 215 [“The Computer Audio Revolution”] had a solid impact! It’s very good to hear first-person testimonials of the latest advances in the highest spheres of audio. You brought together the worlds of manufacturing, marketing, reporting, and users in one short, seemingly innocent, chronicle. But it packed a wallop! A user, such as me, whose audio vehicle is the old LP, cannot help but marvel at the reported state of the current audio art. More so when the reporter, you, is so well trusted and respected by me and many others. The reported benefits and advances in playback using wireless and lossless digital sources carry a happy impact. But it is also frightening. One shudders to confront the prospect of advanced digital media supplanting the phonograph, so analogous to slipping into well-worn and beaten-up shoes with perfect, cozy, and loving fit. And your report reveals that this new paradigm is here to stay. It’s analogous to Beethoven’s contemporaries who heard his Third Symphony for the first time. A new and wonderful paradigm. Semper excelsior excelsior. Carlos E. Bauzá
Constellation Altair Antecedent? While I enjoyed the creativity-with-priceno-object article on the Constellation equipment (although the similarities to
the absolute sound December 2011 9
Letters a group of underperforming superstars called “Cream” was a little eerie and hopefully not prophetic), I couldn’t help but stumble over Robert Harley’s description of his “perfect example... [when you] look beyond traditional technologies” of the Altair’s lightdependent volume control system. Mr. Harley describes it as “to my knowledge, unique in audio.” And it certainly is an exotic approach, one that a bright, creative audio designer, Mark Porzilli, took in the early 1990s, incorporating what he called a “pho-tentiometer” into his Melos SHAGold preamplifier designs. I continue to use this interesting little preamp/ headphone amp even today—its sweet and rich harmonic qualities have never gone out of style. While I’m sure there are significant differences in the actual execution of this volume control (and an analog DC versus digital implementation), Mark deserves credit for being an early pioneer, taking the “road less traveled” in attacking volume-control challenges.
independence that startled me more than once.” Alan Taffel watched a video of this album being recorded and reports that it was made with all the musicians playing together in the same room. Moreover, Alan had Karl Schuster analyze the dynamics, and he discovered that while severe peaks are limited, there is no overall compression. In fact, the album has unusually wide dynamic range. (See graph below.) —Robert Harley
George Drastal
The Third Man
Ken Wyatt
Did We Hear the Same Album? To comment in any way but negatively on the sound of Paul Simon’s So Beautiful or So What (Issue 215, digital-download coverage) seriously degrades your magazine’s audiophile credibility. This is a very compressed, harsh-sounding album, and totally inappropriate to the music it contains. Worse, those sonic characteristics are also present on the 24/96 HDtracks download. This is the “loudness wars” carried to a ridiculous extreme. Rob Bertrando
So Beautiful or So What has been widely praised for its natural sonics. In Issue 216, Steven Stone mentions this record in his review of the Bel Canto 3.5 VB DAC: “Especially with high-res sources, such as the latest Paul Simon album So Beautiful or So What, downloaded in 96/24 from HDtracks, the sound was spectacular. The overall imaging specificity and dimensional palpability were so finely delineated that every instrument had a level of dynamic 10 December 2011 the absolute sound
Before closing, I’d like to thank you for upholding the quality of the journal. TAS has kept me focused on what’s important since about Issue 40, and has kept me grounded through the furious debates of tubes vs. solid-state, analog vs. digital, and all other such matters that ultimately turn out to be full of sound and fury, signifying (almost) nothing.
Upholding the Quality of TAS Thank you for an outstandingly wellwritten article in Issue 214 about the Berkeley Audio Design Alpha USB interface (I’m a bit behind on my reading.) While that may be read as a review of the product, it is also valuable as an explanation of the issues surrounding the transmission of high-resolution digital music through a USB port. A Ph.D. in computer science did not (fully) prepare me to enter this world in my audiophile persona. One year ago, I was faced with a pleasant problem ... how to set up a second two-channel system based exclusively on a digital front-end that would be as future-proof as possible. My primary two-channel system has always been LPbased. It took a lot of reading, using TAS and other sources, before I felt competent to make that purchasing decision. What resulted was an iMac running Pure Music, feeding a dCS U-clock, feeding a dCS Puccini, thence on to MBL 8011 amps and MBL 116 speakers.
I enjoyed your appreciative profile of “Renaissance Man” Keith Johnson [Issue 210] and delighted in Paul Seydor’s splendid, compelling tribute to the SOTA Sapphire and its remarkable 30-year legacy. As co-founder and twelve-year director of SOTA, I knew the “turntable Newton would have built” transfigured 1980s state of the art. Yet who could then have anticipated the durable classic that emerged, as refinements reinforced every core design parameter? Who could foresee SOTA itself would outlast, even thrive on rousing “turntable wars,” partisan review,s and spirited imaginative competitors? Well, actually, we helped ignite the second part. Exuberantly, we took on that worthy Scottish adversary, our modest beginnings notwithstanding: “Though she be but little, she is fierce.” We shied away from few challenges, drawing into the fray even your former, high-toned editor, game enough to publish that sparkling satiric verse on Linn and SOTA. Into the breach, we showed business and humor need not be incompatible. No doubt Keith deserves full recognition as an audio giant: He and Pflash Pflaumer sparkled among the brightest stars across my two audio decades. The third master I recall is David Fletcher who with me, in fact, cofounded Pacific Microsonics Inc. All five of us remained active until the end, alas, overseeing the sale to Microsoft. For the record, my father, David, and I provided all initial capital and, as original directors, participated in critical business planning, organization, ramp-up and CEO hiring Thus, were I ever asked to nominate Renaissance designers who not only
Letters made audio design history, but put the high end on the map, David Fletcher would make my short list. This physicist founded the pioneering, ever-vital purveyor of analog excellence, Sumiko Inc., introducing (and designing) moving-coil cartridges and top-flight tonearms. His “The Arm” redefined the world-class tonearm for the modern moving-coil cartridge, the forerunner to state-of-the-art SME designs. Above all, his 30-year tenure at SOTA simply reestablished the American turntable on the world stage. Taking into account his groundbreaking tenure at Sumiko, his role as founder-director-adviser in the creation of HDCD, the first great digital enhancement technology, and now three brilliant decades at SOTA, David stands among the most distinguished high-end masters—on par in my view with notable “audio giants” you honor with profiles. Robert S. Becker, Founder, SOTA & Pacific Microsonics Inc.
Defying Logic Wayne Garcia’s article “The Mahler Project” in Issue 216 simply defies logic. If these recordings start out in digital, and then are cut to vinyl, how in the world does the sound improve? You list reasons why the analog version sounds better that the SACD. How? You do not state what equipment you are using to make these dubious claims. How do you equilibrate a turntable and an SACD player to know that you are obtaining accurate nonbiased results? Did you spend the same amount of money on your SACD setup as you spent on your analog setup? Even if you did, that would prove nothing. Since the mid-80s it has been kneejerk to say that analog is better than digital. So you followed the same logic. But this time it is not possible. If you truly found these improvements, then you need to look at your SACD setup. Either that or explain to me how a copy is better than the original. Terry Franklin
UPCOMING IN ISSUE 219 OF
• 2011 Product of the Year Awards • Part Two of Computer Music Audio Quality • JV on the Scaena 3.4 loudspeaker • Edge 10.2 amplifier • Focal’s Stella Utopia EM loudspeaker and Focal factory tour • The latest Ampzilla preamplifier and power amplifier—plus an interview with industry legend James Bongiorno • Shunyata’s new Talos and Triton AC conditioners • Oppo BDP-95 Blu-ray player • PrimaLuna DiaLogue 3 tube preamplifier • Speakers from Monitor Audio, Fritz • Vandersteen 5A Carbon loudspeaker • Cartridges from Soundsmith
Robert Harley replies: Your letter exemplifies the fallacy of making a priori assumptions about audio phenomena in the absence of firsthand listening experience, expressed bluntly by Linn founder Ivor Tiefenbrun: “If you haven’t heard it, you don’t have an opinion.” Many audio phenomena “defy logic” (including digital copies that sound better than the originals); yet their audibility is incontrovertible. In the case of LPs cut from digital masters, it does seem counterintuitive that the process of converting the data into analog, and then into a mechanical representation of the waveform in a record groove, wouldn’t degrade the signal. But that hasn’t been my experience. I’ve just been listening to the startlingly great Reference Recordings LPs cut from digital masters (and pressed at the new state-of-the-art Quality Record Pressings facility, created by Chad Kassem’s Acoustic Sounds) and have to say that the LPs have some sonic advantages over the digital. Moreover, no less an authority than Doug Sax, founder of The Mastering Lab and father of the modern direct-todisc recording, has suggested that converting a signal into a mechanical form in an LP groove “preconditions” the signal in a way that makes it easier for the loudspeaker to correctly reproduce, resulting in better sound. I hope that you will compare the LPs and SACDs for yourself rather than rely on preconceived ideas about what is logical and what isn’t. The proof is always in the listening. the absolute sound December 2011 11
FROM THE Editor
The Smaller Difference I
’ve long been fascinated by the idea that if the sound is different, then signals are different. That is, if you hear a difference between, say, two aftermarket power cords, it follows that the electrical signal driving your loudspeakers must be different, which causes the loudspeaker cones to move slightly differently, creating a change in the patterns of vibrating air molecules. This change is interpreted by our brains as greater or lesser musical realism. The concept is axiomatic, of course. But in the real world some of the differences in the musical waveforms traveling down loudspeaker cables, or the acoustic compressions and rarefactions striking our ear drums, must not just be vanishingly small, but miniscule beyond our ken. These differences in the shapes of the musical waveforms are far too small to see or measure with even the most sophisticated technology, yet we as listeners not only routinely discriminate such differences, we find meaning in those differences. This phenomenon is partly explained by the lack of a linear relationship between the objective magnitude of a distortion and the musical perception that distortion engenders. You might replace a cable and suddenly realize that in a familiar recording what you thought had been a guitar toward the back of the soundstage was actually two guitars. The difference in the electrical and acoustical signals produced by the different cables is infinitesimal, but the musical difference—one guitarist or two—is profound. Concomitantly, you could introduce 2% secondharmonic distortion (a huge, easily measurable objective change) into an audio signal and perhaps not notice it, and if you did, the distortion would not be unpleasant, producing a warmer, plumper sound. Yet reconstruct an analog waveform from digital samples with a clock whose timing precision varies by just a hundred picoseconds (0.0000000001 seconds, or one one-tenth of a billionth of a second, the time it takes light to travel about an inch) and we hear the change in the analog waveform’s shape as a reduction in spaciousness, hardening of timbre, a “glassy” character on high-frequency transients, a softening of the bass, and an overall reduction in listener involvement. Some of the distortions produced by an audio recording/ reproduction chain don’t occur in nature and thus strike a discordant note when processed by our brains. Sounds
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produced by nature and by musical instruments virtually always have a significant second-harmonic component, but we never encounter in nature a waveform with the specific distortion introduced by digital jitter. Humans seem to be hardwired to discriminate very small differences between similar things. Think of the widespread connoisseurship in any number of fields: wine, dog and cat shows, types of carnuba car wax, coffee, cheese—the list is endless. Moreover, we don’t care about differences between coffee and tea, or between dogs and cats. We’re somewhat more interested in the differences between breeds of dogs, but some of us are absolutely obsessed with tiny variations within a specific breed. Meridian Audio founder Bob Stuart summed up this phenomenon with the phrase “the increasing importance of the smaller difference.” Music is different from other forms of communication in that its meaning and expression are embodied in the physical sound itself. The vibrating air molecules striking our ear drums are not a representation of the music, but the music itself. Contrast music listening with reading type on a page (or pixels on a screen), in which the letters are merely symbols that stand in for the underlying meaning. Distort the type, or read in low light, and the meaning remains unchanged. But change the shape of a musical waveform and the composer’s or performer’s expression is diluted. You might not hear a subtle dynamic inflection, miss a crucial rhythmic interplay, or be oblivious to the way tone colors combine that would otherwise create an ineffable flood of emotion. The sound contains the meaning; it is not a representation of the meaning that can be divorced from the physical phenomenon conveying it. All these observations point to the fallacy that technical measurement can replace the discrimination ability and auditory-processing power of our ear/brain system. Even if we could see the tiniest distortions in a musical waveform, this analysis would still remove from the process not just our hearing system, but our interpretation of how that distortion affects the communication of musical expression. Because music speaks to our humanity, a piece of test equipment, no matter how sophisticated, can never replace sitting down between a pair of loudspeakers. Robert Harley
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FutureTAS
Zesto Audio’s Debut Phonostage
The Andros PS1 is the debut component from newcomer Zesto Audio. Handbuilt in the USA, the vacuum tube phonostage uses a quartet of 12AX7s. The designer is Zesto founder, engineer, and president George Counnas, who was inspired by the RCA vacuum-tube circuit designs of the 1930s, but implemented 71 circuit revisions and hundreds of component upgrades before he considered the PS1 complete. The unit offers eight-position load-setting from 1000 to 20 ohms, low-noise internal step-up transformers, RCA inputs for mm and mc cartridges, plus balanced XLR for mc’s. Up to 60dB of gain is available for moving-coil cartridges. Conveniently, all adjustments are easily accessible on the back panel—no rooting around inside the chassis. Each unit is delivered with fifty-hour factory-burn-in on all circuits and tubes. Price: $3900. zestoaudio.com
The Name is Norma
Available only recently in North America, Norma Audio electronics are crafted in Cremona, Italy, a town closely associated with the sound of music. Its parent company is a designer and manufacturer of extreme-high-end measuring devices, and has combined resources with the folks at Norma to create the IPA-140 dual-mono 2MHz integrated amp. Within the massive non-magnetic aluminum frame is a MOSFET output stage, rated at 140Wpc (280Wpc into 4 ohms), that offers high current-drive for difficult speaker loads and a very fast slew rate. The Norma uses a high-speed topology, and the bandwidth is specified at an ultrawide DC–2MHz. Other features include configurable outputs, separate power supplies for gain, power, and output stages, and a twin-speed volume control. An optional, adjustable mm/mc phonostage is also available at extra cost. Price: $11,000. tmhaudio.com/norma.htm 14 December 2011 the absolute sound
Triple-Threat
NAD’s latest is the C 446 Digital Media Player, which not only offers an Internet radio and an FM/AM tuner but enables music lovers to network and stream popular digital formats from their computers, Android phones, Apple iOS devices, or network hard drives, using Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP) and DLNA standards. The NAD supports all the popular digital formats with its 24-bit/192kHz DAC and high-performance analog audio circuitry. The C 446 also allows the user to decode analog FM/AM on a S/PDIF digital output and, contrarily, to listen to digital formats via a high-quality analog output. Includes USB playback, WiFi, a user-friendly Internet radio portal, and support for Cloud music services. To control and charge an iPod/iPhone, add the optional IPD 2 dock. Price: $800. nadelectronics.com
Start ME UP Focal Bird Compact Audio System The Bird Is the Word Chris Martens
J
ust about a year ago, at CEDIA 2010, I heard a preproduction sample of one the most unusual and appealing compact audio systems I’ve ever encountered: the Bird system from the French loudspeaker manufacturer Focal. Several things about the system are striking, including its appearance, configuration, price, and, above all, performance. What makes the Bird so pleasingly unorthodox? On paper, the Bird system could be described as a self-powered, 2.1-channel sat/subwoofer-type system with multiple analog and digital inputs, plus a wireless input (based on proven Kleer technologies), which seems straightforward enough. But while fundamentally accurate, this description doesn’t entirely capture the true flavor of the Bird package, for reasons I’ll explain. When you first encounter the Bird rig, you see two small, fashionably styled satellite speakers (which look like smaller versions of the satellites from Focal’s elegant Dome Series home-theater system), plus what appears to be a slim, matching integrated amplifier. But the neat trick is that those three pieces are all that you see, and all there is to see. Where’s the subwoofer? We’ll come to that key point in a moment, but now let me give you a hint: It’s hidden in plain sight. Before I give you more information on its configuration, let me offer a few comments on the system’s sound. Judging purely by outward appearances you might reasonably expect this compact three-piece rig to sound, well, small, but that isn’t the case. On the contrary, it sounds big—really big—as in the kind of “bigness” that implies rich, room-filling, nearly full-range, spacious, focused, and three-dimensional sound. In short, these tiny components produce the sort of sound typically associated with systems based on moderately sized floorstanding speakers. To hear the Bird system is to experience a certain amount of audiophile-grade shock and awe. The mind reels a bit, 16 December 2011 the absolute sound
sensing—correctly, as it happens—that there must be some sort of technical magic (or sonic legerdemain) at work to make this kind of performance possible. How does Focal pull this off ? The answer involves the fact the Bird system’s integrated amp/DAC module is also something more: namely, a slim-line, self-powered woofer, complete with a user-configurable, built-in electronic crossover geared specifically for use with Bird Series satellite speakers. Thus, what at first appears to be a cooling vent on the face of the amp turns out to be a cleverly disguised ducted port, while the bottom panel of the amp provides a mounting panel for a downward-firing 6-inch woofer whose usable response extends all the way down to 42Hz (the -3dB point), or even a bit lower than that. While perhaps not qualifying as a true subwoofer (because there’s not a lot of bottom-octave output), this ingenious little one-piece amp/DAC/woofer module gives the Bird system much deeper and more solid bass output than any small monitor-type speaker you are likely to encounter, while managing not look like a woofer at all. Apart from providing sheer bass output, the Bird woofer integrates with the system’s satellite speakers in a sophisticated fashion, which to my way of thinking is where the real sonic magic lies. As mentioned above, a built-in electronic crossover handles all woofer-to-satellite integration tasks, providing precise settings (which are adjusted via a row of rear panel-mounted DIP switches) that precisely match the low-frequency characteristics of any of three available sizes of Bird satellites. The result is a system where, with the flip of a few switches (zero set-up expertise required), users can instantly enjoy virtually seamless sat/sub sound from a system that doesn’t even look like it has a powered woofer in the first place. Endearingly, the three optional Bird system satellites are named—from the smallest to the largest—Little Birds, Birds,
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START ME UP - Focal Bird Compact Audio System or Super Birds, while the one-size-fits-all amp/DAC/woofer module is called the Power Bird. For this review we’ll sample Focal’s entry-level Bird system ($995), comprising a pair of Little Birds with stands, a Power Bird, and a wireless iTransmitter dongle for use with Apple devices. To be perfectly frank, some guests who saw the stylish but diminutive system initially felt that the $995 price seemed a little steep, judging by first visual impressions. But once they’d actually heard the system their reactions changed in an instant from skepticism to wonder. “Oh, now I get it,” said one visitor whose voice was full of admiration, with undertones of disbelief. So compelling is the Bird rig that I’ve even had one high-end audiophile colleague (whose home system probably costs more than a hundred times what the Bird system does) hear the system once and then return for a second taste, muttering, “I just can’t get the sound of this thing out of my mind.” In this review, we’ll explore some of the reasons why the Bird system evokes such strong, favorable reactions. The Birds The Little Bird satellite speaker feature a 4-inch Polyflex mid/ bass driver and a small (diameter not specified) aluminum dome tweeter, both housed in a rounded, almost dome-shaped molded thermoplastic enclosure. The Little Bird provides a sealed, not ducted, enclosure. Claimed low-frequency response extends down to a respectable 89Hz. Just for the record, the larger Bird satellite, should you choose to go that route, is essentially a larger version of the Little Bird, but with a 5-inch Polyflex mid/bass driver. The Super Bird is somewhat differently configured, however, with a significantly larger elliptical enclosure that features a 5-inch mid/bass driver, a centrally positioned tweeter, plus a 5-inch passive radiator for deeper bass extension and better power handling. Bird satellites ship with two sets of stands—one a tulip-shaped pedestal stand and the other a stand featuring three splayed feet and a slender stalk on which the speaker enclosure is mounted (the latter looks for all the world like the feet of a bird—hence the Bird name). Either way, the stands allow the speakers to be tilted up and down or swiveled from left to right, and then locked in position, and both stands can be used for tabletop or wallmount applications. Optional floor stands are also available. The Power Bird Module The slim Power Bird module incorporates a 6-inch paper cone woofer in a ducted port enclosure, with low-frequency extension to between 35–42Hz. Rear-panel controls allow users to set the absolute polarity of the sub (with 0 or 180 degree settings) and to adjust subwoofer output levels. The Power Bird includes a builtin three-channel amplifier that delivers 80W for the woofer and 35Wpc to drive the Bird satellites. The Power Bird provides three stereo analog inputs (two via sets of RCA jacks, one via a 3.5mm mini-jack), a digital audio input (which provides both coaxial and TosLink jacks, where one or the other can be chosen for the digital input). Completing the picture is a wireless input based on 2.4GHz Kleer technology. The Bird system ships with a Kleer iTransmitter for use with Apple devices; a Kleer-USB dongle will be an extra-cost option. An optional tabletop iDock transmitter will also be offered. One small caveat: In practice, Focal’s Kleer-technology wireless 18 December 2011 the absolute sound
SPECS & PRiCiNG Little Bird 2-Way Satellite Speaker Driver complement: 4" polyflex mid/bass driver, smalldiameter aluminum dome tweeter Frequency response: 89hz– 25khz Impedance: 8 ohms Sensitivity: 87db/2.83v/1m v v/1m Accessories: t two sets of speaker stands suitable for tabletop or wall-mount applications (one set features flared “tulip” tulip” pedestals while t the other set features splayed tripod-type feet lat look like stylized interpretations of birds’ feet), wrench for adjusting speakers and for locking them in place, wallmount bracket for the power bird, and rear-panel mesh grille for the power bird Dimensions: 4.69" x 8" x 5" (speakers mounted on tulip t stands) Weight: 1.65 lbs. Power Bird integrated Amplifier/DAC/Powered Woofer Module Power output: 80Wpc (to drive woofer), 2 x 35Wpc (to drive satellite speakers) Inputs: three sets stereo analog (two inputs via rCA jacks, one via 3.5mm minijack), one digital-audio input (via user’s choice of coaxial or optical jacks, both provided), one wireless input (based on 2.4ghz Kleer technologies) Driver complement: 6" paper cone woofer in ducted-port enclosure. Woofer section controls: Absolute polarity switch (0 or 180° settings), woofer output level control, wooferto-satellite crossover setting controls (the power bird provides a built-in electronic
crossover network that can be configured, via a small group of dip-switches, to perfectly match focal’s f little bird, bird, or Super bird satellite speakers) Bass extension: nominally 42hz -3db (but depends on electronic crossover settings) Accessories: Speaker cables, user’s choice of wireless focal/ f Kleer itransmitter transmitter dongle (for t use with Apple idevices) or f focal/KleeruSb dongle. note: early production bird systems will automatically ship with the itransmitter transmitter dongle as a t default Dimensions: 17" x 4.12" x 13.75" Weight: 15 lbs. Focal/Kleer iTransmitter Wireless Dongle Range: About 10m indoors Rated current in operation: 8.15mA Frequency response: 20hz– 20khz Distortion: < 0.1% (20hz– 20khz) Signal-to-noise ratio: typically t 86db Sampling frequency: Maximum, 44.1khz Warranty: Set by regional distributors AuDiO PLuS SERViCES (u.S. DiSTRiBuTOR) (800) 663-9352 audioplusservices.com Price: $995
CoMMent on thiS ArtiCle on the foruM At A AVGuiDE.COM
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START ME UP
- Focal Bird Compact Audio System
modules are very easy to use, but the small set-up guide that comes with them leaves much to be desired (it is unnecessarily confusing). Fortunately, the expert product support team at Audio Plus Services (Focal’s U.S. distributor) can help get users sorted out almost immediately, should problems arise. By design the Power Bird can either be placed flat on a table or shelf or stood upright—typically with the flat bottom of its chassis against a wall surface with its control panel facing upward. Alternatively, the Power Bird can be hung directly on a wall. To support these options, the Power Bird comes with a beefy wall-mount bracket, a mesh grille that partially covers over its rear panel, and a special decal that flips its control markings and product logo upside down so they can still be read properly when the unit is placed flat side toward a wall. An elegant remote control provides on/off, input selection, volume control, and— for some Apple devices—menu and playback controls. Sonic Character The Focal Bird system strikes me as an absolutely brilliant exercise in the fine and subtle art of compromise, so that the net effect of the sound you hear is far greater than the sum of its parts. As with any good audio system, the heart of the Bird’s sound lives in the midrange, which exudes appropriate natural richness and warmth, plus a very good measure of transient speed and resolution. Highs, in turn, are reasonably well extended, though perhaps just slightly rolled off, and exceedingly smooth—qualities that turn out to be essential to the system’s overall performance.
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Bass, as I’ve suggested above, is surprisingly deep and tuneful, and beautifully integrated with the Little Bird satellites. Where many small satellites manage to sound shrill (owing to aggressive tweeters that seem prone to transient overshoot) or to sound thin, compressed, and lifeless (owing to midrange drivers that sound overly coarse and unrefined, or that lack appropriate dynamic range and/or low-end extension), the Bird satellites consistently sound engaging, full-bodied, and vibrant. What is more, they never, ever draw attention to themselves in distracting ways—not even when you listen to them at close range (as would be the case in, say, desktop-audio applications, though the system is perfectly capable of filling small-to-mid-sized rooms with sound). Perhaps as a result of their inherent smoothness and refinement, the Bird satellites exhibit imaging characteristic that are very fine, indeed, with a just-right amount of specificity and focus, so that the little system produces wide, deep, precise soundstages that belie its size. While the Bird satellites may not be, in an absolute sense, the most revealing or resolving speakers you have ever heard, they offer very high levels of what I would term “usable resolution.” In practice this means that the system provides almost all of the information necessary to render musical timbres and textures faithfully, yet without pushing the performance envelope so hard that there is a risk of the system becoming edgy or analytical (qualities that can be particularly annoying in systems designed for small room and/or desktop use). Perhaps the real pièce de résistance here involves the unexpectedly excellent integration that the Power Bird achieves with the
Focal Bird Compact Audio System - START ME UP Bird satellites. As anyone who has spent much time with sat/ subwoofer-type home theater systems can tell you, proper subwoofer integration is hard to attain and rarely approaches the theoretical ideal under the best of circumstances. But in sharp contrast to most competing sat/subwoofer rigs I’ve heard, the Bird system achieves excellent integration in an instant and painless way—all with the flick of a few DIP switches on the Power Bird’s rear panel. The manual provides simple pictorial guidance to show which settings to use for the Little Bird, Bird, or Super Bird satellites, so it’s easy to get things right. The key to the Bird’s magic is that the upper range of the Power Bird woofer matches near-perfectly the lower range of the Bird satellite in transient speed and resolving power, so that the sonic seamlines between the two for the most part melt away. What is more, the sub judiciously avoids overreaching its own performance envelope, eschewing big, billowy, overblown bass for overall low-end quality. While the Power Bird trades away bottom-octave extension (which would probably be out of reach for such a small woofer in any event), it delivers in exchange quite impressive levels of transient speed and pitch definition. This is a very wise design choice on Focal’s part because it gives the system sufficient depth and weight to sound full-bodied, while also providing enough finesse to impart a sonic sophistication that far exceeds most listeners’ expectation given the Bird rig’s modest price and diminutive size. Dynamics are better than you might ever expect for a system of this size or type, though it pays to respect the inherent output limits of the compact powered woofer. On many types of music,
and for many listeners, the system will play as loudly as desired in small-to-mid-sized rooms, but if you push the system hard with music that is rich in low bass content you will eventually hear subtle signs of distress from the Power Bird module. These are your cue to turn volume levels down to more manageable levels. Bottom Line Consider this system if you like the idea of a small, sleek, unobtrusive three-piece system that is easy to set up, affordable, and that represents an astonishingly capable and refined “everythingin-one-box” introduction to legitimate high-end audio. Trust us on this point: You could easily spend lots more, yet wind up with less sonic sophistication and musical satisfaction than the Bird/ Power Bird provides. Unlike most systems, this one also offers the option of highly effective wireless Apple iDevice or USB connectivity. Just keep in mind that while the Bird system does many things well, it can’t and doesn’t defy the laws of physics. If you like to play demanding large-scale music at high volume levels you would be better off with speakers that are considerably larger. (Note, however, that the versions of the system based on the larger Bird—or especially Super Bird—satellites will play much louder than the entry-level version reviewed here.) To sum up, if you’ve ever wanted a flexible, affordable, and sophisticated taste of high-end audio where everything you need comes in one neat shipping carton, this is the system for you. Whether you use it on your desk or to fill a room with sound, you won’t be disappointed.
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NEXT-GEN Digital Music Players for Apple Computers A Survey of Mac Music-Playback Software Steven Stone
A
s more audiophiles make the switch over to computer-based audio systems they are finding that the software that controls playback is as important as the hardware. Both PC and Mac users have more options for playback today than ever before. But as the options proliferate it’s harder for users to figure out which software is best for their particular situation. I’m a Mac user, and have been since the days of OS 6.0, so this survey will focus exclusively on Mac playback software options. Watch for an evaluation of PC software as part of the four-part feature “Computer Music Audio Quality” that begins in this issue. Are there any software options for the Mac that stand head and shoulders above the rest? Nope. Each software package has its own unique feature-set that will better suit some users than others. Fortunately all the software in this survey can be downloaded and tried free of charge for a limited amount of time. Just as with interconnect cables, your choice of player will have an effect on the overall sound of your system. Often the software that sounds best on one system won’t be as effective on another. There’s really no substitute for conducting your own listening tests to determine which playback program delivers the best results. The phrase “your own mileage may vary” has never been truer than with computer audio. In this survey I’ll attempt to give you an idea of what each software package offers and what makes it special. Which software will be ideal for you depends on which features, sound, ergonomics, and price best fit into the way you want to use and listen to computer-based audio. The Software iTunes (free) Due to its marketshare and availability, iTunes is the de facto standard against which all other music-playback software is measured. Almost anyone who’s ever used a computer to play music has probably used iTunes at one time or another. Let’s look at iTunes’ strengths. It’s easy to use and has a
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strong graphical interface. Also the iTunes library and filestorage structure has become so popular that it has been adapted by other playback software, which means that if you start building your music library with iTunes, it can be accessed and used by most other playback programs as well. That’s important because you only want to rip a CD once. The ability of iTunes to organize and store metadata, which contains information about each music file, is less than ideal. Especially with classical music, it’s impossible to tell when you first begin to rip a disc exactly where iTunes will put it. Often classical titles end up in the “compilations” subfolder. Even worse, operas are often divided up and catalogued by performer instead of by composition. All of my London Gilbert and Sullivan opera box sets were drawn and quartered by iTunes. One of its biggest shortcomings is that iTunes does not support FLAC files. And while there are several programs such as Fluke and FLACtoMac that will convert FLAC files to something more iTunes-friendly, they all involve extra steps and storing additional music files. Sonically, iTunes is a mixed bag. Sometimes it can sound quite good with excellent low-level detail and dimensionality. Other times iTunes can sound flat, dimensionless, and lacking in dynamic contrast and snap. Sometimes the culprit is the wrong preferences, such as using the iTunes initial default ripping-rate (MP3) instead of a higher-resolution codec such as Apple Lossless, AIFF, or WAV. Also, iTunes can’t change a Mac’s playback output samplerate on the fly. Unless you close iTunes and then change the output rate with Apple’s Audio Midi Setup program, iTunes will downsample and play all your high-res files at 44.1/16. To make sure you’re hearing high-resolution files at their proper bit-rate you must open Apple’s Audio Midi Setup program and set the bit-rate manually. If you plan to listen to a lot of higher-resolution digital recordings, this becomes old fast. Amarra (various versions starting with Amarra Jr., $99; Amarra Mini, $295; and Amarra, $695) As one of the first and the most expensive playback software
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NEXT GEN DIGITAL Pure Music can quickly become an essential part of your playback chain. I like the automatic phase-inversion feature that alerts Pure Music to reverse the absolute phase of the track if a user-placed inversion flag is detected. I also use down-mix-tomono quite often when I’m comparing speakers. Channel D backs up Pure Music with excellent customer support and technical assistance via its Web site or direct line. I wish every audio firm had a similar level of after-sales support. Channel D and Pure Music deserved my 2011 Golden Ear award. packages available for the Mac, Amarra offers a deep feature set, excellent ergonomic layout, and impeccable sonics. My full review of Amarra can be found in Issue 202. Since the review, Amarra has gone through several iterations that have added to its value. The most important new feature is Amarra’s ability to play back FLAC files virtually on the fly. With three different versions Amarra tries to address different levels of computer audiophiles. The $99 Amarra Jr. includes the essential Amarra signal chain, but with a bare-bones interface— the 96kHz/24-bit maximum resolution and none of the added EQ options of the full Amarra package. Next up the food chain, Amarra Mini can handle up to 192/24 files and includes an iTunes-based EQ option. Finally the full Amarra playback package can handle up to 384/32 music files, has four bands of EQ, and several extras, including a .1dB channel-trim control. While Amarra can be used in standalone mode with drag-anddrop playlists, which is how I use it when I want to play highresolution files, its real power is as an adjunct to iTunes. Although it doesn’t turn an Apple running iTunes into a Sooloos, Amarra goes a long way toward making a Mac into a serious music-playback device. A Golden Ear Award winner from 2010, Amarra delivers the sonic and ergonomic goods on a world-class level. Pure Music ($129) Make no mistake: Pure Music is simply the most value-packed music-playback software package currently available. Like Amarra, it can run as a solo application, but only when coupled with iTunes do you experience its full effect. Along with essential features, such as dedicated output device (HOG) mode, reading data from memory, digital volume control, and user-controllable upsampling flexibility, Pure Music adds .1dB channel-balance adjustments, mono mix-downs, and a host of other features you won’t find in other software.
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Audirvana (free) Perhaps the reason I like Audirvana so much is that its “player” interface looks a lot like a Weiss DAC 2. Audirvana can handle up to 192/24 files, has an exclusive access (HOG) mode, and an integer mode, and you can manually adjust the player’s buffer size. Audirvana plays FLAC files easily. Merely drag and drop them into the playlist window and before you can think, “Is this thing working?” you’re listening to FLAC. You can also turn on “force upsampling” with choices of sampling rates. One last feature; you can designate either Apple Core Audio or SRC LibSampleRate as your default conversion engine. And all this for free. Fidelia ($20) Another immediately iTunes-aware program, Fidelia opens two windows. The first is a spiffy-looking graphic player that reminds me of a Logitech Transporter. The other window is your iTunes library. Click on anything in your library and it begins to play. The coolest thing about Fidelia is that you have quick access to three different Apple DSP programs via pull-down menus on the main player. Can you imagine having three graphic equalizers running at the same time? Hmm. Or one bank can have a graphic EQ, the next a parametric EQ, and the last can harbor a reverb. And yes, you can really mess up the sound if you use these DSP functions incorrectly. Like garlic, a little EQ goes a long, long way. Fidelia plays FLAC files perfectly. It’s equally comfortable with 192/24 high-res digital files. In its preferences, Fidelia lets you choose your format, sample-rate, and bit-rate for saving CD rips. For audiophiles who already have a large library on a PC system Fidelia makes it possible to share one central FLAC-based library. And if your system could use a little digital EQ, Fidelia is a very cost-effective way to do it. Play (free) Play presents you with a completely blank slate the first time you open the program with no traces of your iTunes library, if you have one. Dragging and dropping music files into the upper of two windows also adds the tracks to Play’s music library. You can even drop entire folders into the library, so populating Play’s music database doesn’t take much time. Although it lacks pretty pictures, Play has a multitude of useradjustable display options—even more than iTunes. As far as I could tell, 96k files and above won’t play on Play, but ripped 44.1k/48k 16-bit files and MP3s work with no problems. Play is also FLAC-friendly—my Beatles FLAC files played as easily as any of my MP3, AIFF, or Apple Lossless files.
NEXT GEN DIGITAL Decibel ($33) Graphically speaking, Decibel isn’t fancy looking, but Decibel’s rather plain interface gives it a wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing vibe. Like Play, which was also created by Steve Booth, Decibel doesn’t automatically load iTunes libraries. But if you activate the little iTunes icon on the upper righthand side of the player, it will let you import as little or as much of your library as you wish via a pop-up window. The new music appears in Decibel’s library almost instantaneously. Although Decibel doesn’t have much in the way of frills, such as equalizers or HOG modes, it does have by-passable digital and device volume controls. Decibel’s “Inspector” mode lets you see all the metadata for whatever music files you’re currently playing. One final touch—if you look at your dock while Decibel is playing a track, you’ll see the imbedded jpeg as the new icon for Decibel—change the track and the icon changes as well. Cute.
AudioGate (free) AudioGate was originally developed for the exclusive use of owners of Korg DSD recording devices. Although it’s always been free, you needed to connect a Korg recorder to your computer to activate it. Now anyone can activate the software. AudioGate is primarily a conversion software package that enables users to change DSD recordings to PCM format. But AudioGate also plays back DSD music files, though it converts DSD before playback into PCM so you won’t hear the actual DSD feed. But AudioGate also plays and converts FLAC files into PCM, making it a very useful program for PC users migrating FLAC-based music libraries to a Mac who want to do high-quality conversions.
Songbird (free) With its browser-like interface, iTunes music library-awareness, and iTunes-like file-handling Songbird is definitely worth taking the time to download and play with. You’ll like how seamlessly Songbird integrates Web and local music libraries, and remembers what you’ve played even if you don’t save it via a playlist. Bugs? None of my iTunes Beatles playlists made of FLAC files would play on Songbird, but if I directly imported a Beatles FLAC file it played perfectly. If you like to listen to and explore Internet radio, try the Shoutcast plug-in. If you like to tweak software, Songbird’s graphic and interface flexibility could make it the most satisfying software you’ve ever gotten for free. Vox [formerly ToolPlayer] (free) Vox touts itself as “little and simple,” which it is. But it is also one of the most versatile players in terms of recognizing different music file types and being able to convert them to other types. If you’re a PC person migrating to Mac, Vox will be essential. Vox also includes various “effects” that enable anyone to add reverb, EQ, time-stretch, pitch-shift, and echo to his most and least favorite tracks, save the results, and sonically horrify your audiophile friends. Airfoil ($25) Technically Airfoil isn’t a playback program; it’s a streaming program. What it lets you do is send whatever is playing on your main computer via iTunes or other playback software to any Airfoil-aware wireless or wired playback device, such as an Airport Express, Apple TV, or any air-play-enabled streaming device such as the B&W Zeppelin. The latest version, 4.5, even lets you play music from your iPod, iPad, or iPhone. the absolute sound December 2011 25
FEATURE
Can High-Performance Audio Help the Performing Arts? Jim Hannon
H
ave you ever attended an “amplified” live performance by a symphony orchestra, opera, or musical theater company, a dance troupe, choral group, or jazz band, and been completely underwhelmed by the overall sonics, even when you were in a terrific hall and had some of the best seats in the house? I’m not talking about concerts featuring unamplified performers in great acoustic venues, but rather those where microphones sum the sounds of instruments and voices and blast them through the hall’s PA system, destroying their natural timbral profiles
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and spatial characteristics. All too often, when microphones and amplifiers are used in concerts, I find myself thinking, “I get better sound than this at home!” It’s a shame, because there are few things in my experience that can rival the breathtaking sound of an unamplified live performance by first-rate musicians in a wonderful concert hall. Amplifying performers may be an unfortunate consequence of using fewer musicians for live performances, and it cuts across all the performing arts. Several outstanding dance companies, like the Smuin Ballet in San Francisco, have
typically eschewed the use of musicians in the pit altogether, using recordings fed through the house PA instead. Admittedly, many orchestras are limited in expanding the number of strings by the physical dimensions of their stages or pits, their increasingly constrained budgets, and/or the available pool of local talent. The sad reality is that unless these smaller string sections are amplified, they are drowned out by the brass, the large choruses, and the percussion on larger, more dynamic works. Some companies that avoid using amplification to reinforce their orchestras may also avoid the larger, more popular
Left: Amercian Philharmonic with OSIRES system. Top: Krisha Montmorency’s reinforced violin. works that need more string players, resulting in smaller audiences and fewer ticket sales. Given the necessity in some venues to amplify performers on stage and in orchestra pits, might high-performance audio components be skillfully employed to bolster the orchestra without adding deleterious colorations and destroying the string section’s angular displacement, the timing differences, the ratio of direct-to-reflected sound, and the constantly changing pitch and bow strokes that naturally occur in a live performance? While substituting better speakers and electronics is certainly one element of the total solution, it does not address the fundamental problem of preserving the natural timbre and spatial characteristics of the orchestra when traditional mix-and-amplify solutions are applied. As we’ve seen in other areas, like room correction, the application of DSP technology to this problem offers some real hope. Gabriel Sakakeeny, the founding Music Director of American Philharmonic-Sonoma County, has developed a remarkable system that approaches the amplification problem in an entirely unique way. Many of you may be familiar with Magnepan’s recent advertisement in TAS asking, “What are Magneplanars doing on stage?” and adding that Maestro Sakakeeny has “invented a unique digital signal processing system to enrich the string section of an orchestra.” The ad claimed that professional musicians had no idea that a reinforcement system was in use when listening to the American Philharmonic Orchestra. Furthermore, in earlier discussions with Gabriel, he suggested to me that the system “could make the string section sound as if it had three times the number of players.” Now, that’s quite a claim! I decided to put this system to the test, and also give myself an excuse to enjoy a romantic weekend in the California Wine Country with my wife, Bethany. We recently traveled to Santa Rosa, and I spent an illuminating afternoon with Gabriel in advance of a terrific evening concert by the American Philharmonic. Prior to the concert, Mr. Sakakeeny explained the purpose of the string reinforcement system. “What we are trying to accomplish is to emulate the power, timbral profile, rhythmic and spatial characteristics of a large string section.” He added that his string reinforcement system was born out of necessity. While the American Philharmonic is composed of accomplished, professional musicians, they donate their services to bring classical music to audiences. As the conductor and Musical Director of the orchestra, Gabriel wanted to perform the power music in the orchestral repertoire, but he needed far more than the 30 to 40 strings he had at his command. Indeed, the absolute sound December 2011 27
FEATURE
Can High-Performance Audio Help the Performing Arts? most large symphony orchestras use 70 massed strings on the power repertoire, and some, like the Berlin Philharmonic, use a total of eighty-two to send shivers down the spines of the audience, as well as to balance the brass in sonic output. However, as an all-volunteer orchestra, Maestro Sakakeeny couldn’t field such a large troupe without sacrificing the overall quality of musicianship. Though it did not include the power orchestral works of Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, or Stravinsky, on the night I heard the American Philharmonic its program featured some stalwarts of 20th century American music: Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide; Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings; Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring; as well as the West Coast premiere of Bernard Herrmann’s thrilling Moby Dick, a cantata for men’s chorus and orchestra. The latter work certainly qualifies as power music, with its large male chorus, and multiple fortissimo sections where the brass seemed to be playing at the top of its lungs and the percussionists were swinging their mallets or crashing their cymbals for all they were worth. As the American Philharmonic only sported 30 string players in total, it would have been quite easy for them to have been sonically overwhelmed by the chorus, brass, and percussion—but they
were not! Sakakeeny’s groundbreaking Orchestral String Instrument Reinforcement and Enhancement System (OSIRES) helped keep the relatively small number of strings in balance with the rest of the orchestra and large chorus without screwing up the orchestra’s natural timbre, inner detail, and soundstaging. It was an amazing feat! With so many god-awful mix-andamplify systems in use on stages and pits today, why hasn’t anyone, besides the American Philharmonic, offered a better solution? For a start, they haven’t been able to tap the eclectic talents of Gabriel Sakakeeny. He is not only an accomplished conductor, composer, and musician, but also a cutting-edge software developer and a talented audio engineer. Gabriel was one of the founders of Jupiter Systems, a pioneering audio DSP software company that produced the world’s first multiband dynamics processor implemented in software, the first thirdparty software plug-in (a compressor/ limiter) for Digidesign’s Pro Tools, and the first DSP-based speaker-and-roomcorrection plug-in. But my most surprising discovery was that Gabriel Sakakeeny came out of highperformance audio, having designed some legendary preamplifiers and
amplifiers in his days as Chief Designer and Vice President of Operations at Precision Fidelity, including the C7 and C7A preamplifiers and M7 and M7A hybrid power amplifiers. I have owned an updated M7A for decades, and it still sounds glorious when mated to Quads (or the tweeter/midrange panels of the Infinity Beta and RS-1B speakers, in their day). Contrary to popular folklore on the Internet, Gabriel Sakakeeny was not murdered, nor did he get stabbed in the parking lot of Precision Fidelity several decades ago, causing that company’s demise. I can attest that he is currently alive and well and continuing to push the intersection of music performance, DSP software, and audio engineering. Mr. Sakakeeny brought this unique range of expertise and experience to bear in the creation of the OSIRES, first introduced in 2000, to transparently multiply the apparent number of string instruments in a live orchestra. He has continued to evolve the algorithms to better emulate the power, timbral profile, and rhythmic and spatial characteristics of a large string section. His current prototype system accommodates live inputs from twelve stringed instruments to thirty-six loudspeakers. The system chain starts with a small omni-directional microphone placed one millimeter from the body of the stringed instrument
Left: Magnepan MMGs at rear of stage. Top: Maestro Sakakeeny holding omnidirectional mics.
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FEATURE
Can High-Performance Audio Help the Performing Arts? between the bridge and the tailpiece, then proceeds to HHB Radius 10 tube preamps and an undisclosed DSP stack for A-to-D manipulation via DSP algorithms and subequent reconversion from digital to analog. The analog signal exits to massive Crown power amplifiers and finally to the Magnepan MMG speaker arrays, arranged precisely on stage in groups of three panels, each angled at 120 degrees (except for the bass panels which are arrayed in acoustically coupled triads). During the concert, eight stringed instruments (4 violins, 2 violas, and 2 string basses) were electronically reinforced, with the output of each instrument being sent to three Magnepan panels. The twenty-four black MMG speakers were unobtrusively placed in front of the large chorus and had the look of sound treatment panels. I doubt anyone in the audience knew they were an integral part of the performance. Admittedly, it helped to have someone with Gabriel’s ears balance the system during rehearsal. Initially, the violins were too present, whereas the violas were too reticent. After several adjustments via a Peavey MIDI controller, the Maestro was able to balance each of the reinforced string players with the respective sections and with the rest of the orchestra. Since the cello section had a full complement of players and didn’t require any electronic reinforcement, this made for a great sonic comparison. From my seat in the hall, I could not detect that several of the violins, violas, and all of the string basses were amplified, and that the cellos were not. Closing my eyes, I thought that there were a lot more string performers on stage, as the string sections not only sounded fuller and richer, but also extended further back on the stage. I was amazed that two string basses sounded like a full section and that the system sonically reinforced the violins, violas, and basses without distorting their natural timbre, pitch and rhythmic characteristics, inner detail, and soundstaging. As one might expect, it initially took some experience with OSIRES to win 30 December 2011 the absolute sound
over the orchestra. Principal second violinist Krisha Montmorency was somewhat intimidated at first, since she was now playing as if she were four violinists instead of one. “Now I don’t worry about it at all,” she explained. Besides, when she is called upon to solo, she merely has to put her foot on a pedal to defeat the system and let her violin sound alone, without any reinforcement. Mr. Sakakeeny already has a design for a 2.0 version of the system that will accommodate up to 32 inputs/64 outputs, is more rugged and portable, and uses better electronics plus a laptop to control the system via WiFi from the audience (or sound booth). While dipole loudspeakers, with their figure-eight dispersion patterns, mimic the radiation pattern of string instruments, the system can also be used with other types of speakers, with a change to the DSP algorithms. Indeed, Maestro Sakakeeny envisions a version for an orchestra pit where small speaker arrays
are placed next to each string section and point up to the ceiling. In a perfect world, both symphony and pit orchestras would be able to employ a full complement of string players without the need for any external amplification solutions. However, the practical reality is that more and more live performances are “amplified,” and could really benefit from Gabriel’s remarkable OSIRES, which stays faithful to the acoustic properties of unamplified strings, maintains their rhythmic and spatial characteristics, and offers compelling sonic advantages over traditional mix-and-amplify systems. A system like this could help coax more people back to the concert hall, stimulate the performance of larger works, and help sustain more live music. I eagerly await the day when this system is in production and replaces all those mix-and-amplify systems currently in use. Bravo, Maestro Sakakeeny—now what about giving highend audio some of your attention?
about tAS PUBLISHER Jim Hannon TAS publisher Jim Hannon has extensive experience listening to the sound of live, acoustic instruments, as both a performing artist, choral conductor, music teacher, and frequent concert-goer. Jim started playing the piano at the age of five and won a scholarship at age 10 to study with famed teacher, Ernesto Berumen, at his Carnegie Hall studio. As Berumen studied with Theodor Leschetizky, Jim can trace his piano lineage from Leschetizky’s teacher, Carl Czerny, to Ludwig van Beethoven. Hannon gave annual NYC recitals in Carnegie Recital or Judson Halls, and won a Lincoln Center Student Award for piano at age 17, performing an all-Liszt program. He worked his way through Stanford University teaching piano, continued his piano studies with Busoni award-winner James Mathis, and subsequently served as the Director of Cornell University’s Risley Residential College for the Performing Arts. Jim started singing professionally at an early age as a soloist with choirs and with big-band jazz groups, was a soloist with the West Point Glee Club, performed in leading roles in several musical theater and nightclub productions at Lake Tahoe, sang the Verdi Requiem at Carnegie Hall with the New York Choral Society and the Berlioz Requiem and Mahler’s Eighth, among others, with the chorus of the San Francisco Symphony. He also has played music in all genres, from jazz trombone and vibes, rock organ and electric keyboards, to church organ and carillon, and ran a music production company that composed original music for feature films, television, and commercials. Jim continues to sing professionally with choral groups in the Bay Area and currently serves as an assistant choral conductor. RH
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FEATURE
Computer Music Audio Quality How to Maximize CD and High-Resolution Digital Audio Sound Quality Charles Zeilig, Ph.D., and Jay Clawson Introduction “It’s a rainy Saturday afternoon, and you’re in your favorite record store.” So began our last article for one of the major audiophile magazines 24 years ago as we sought to figure out whether we should continue to buy LPs or start buying the then new CD format based on our perceptions of which sounded most like the mastertape. Now, it is a dark and stormy night and the hounds of our 20-something next-door neighbors, the Baskervilles, are baying in contrapuntal protest against their owners’ fixation with MP3 files. We, on the other hand, with nothing better to do, are wondering whether we should start archiving all our music to hard drive (abbreviated as HD) and, if so, what is the best-sounding way to do it? With the ubiquity of iTunes and iPods, and the attraction of organizing and streaming music from computers, we are faced with new uncertainties about how to wring the best quality from our digital collections. Should we continue to focus on playback of the CD itself through ever-more-costly dedicated CD players? Or is it possible to revivify our CD collection in view of the many counterintuitive claims that copies of CDs can be made which sound better than the originals? Is this really true, and if it is, what is the optimal procedure for maximizing the sound quality of such copies to the HD or to disc? Once again we are throwing ourselves against the wall of audiophile controversy, now with 32 December 2011 the absolute sound
somewhat aging ears but with brains that have more experience. From the standpoint of “if you want something done right, you must do it yourself,” we have decided to investigate these and several other questions for ourselves. We hope our experiences and results will benefit our fellow music lovers and hobbyists. As we did a quarter of a century ago (!), we have turned to the mastertape (or, in these times, the digital master file) as the final arbiter of our conclusions. In the following four-part article we first define a set of listening criteria and create a quantitative listening scale that can be reproduced on your own system. Using this scale, readers can judge for themselves the significance of our subjective findings and actually understand what we have heard. In the first article we present our judgment criteria and explain how to recreate our listening scale. In the second installment, we proceed to use this scale to examine and rank differences in the playback sound quality of various software programs as a necessary prelude for all that will follow. We further explore the critical importance of file upsampling using both standardand high-resolution source material and quantify exactly how large these improvements can be. We also examine which programs and procedures are best for making better rips to the HD and how to improve the sound of such copies..
In the third installment we delve into the peculiarities of FLAC, the “coin of the realm” for acquiring music from most download sites today. We investigate claims that use of FLAC compression degrades the sound quality of native WAV files. Despite the assumption that FLAC compression is lossless, we quantify the magnitude of sonic degradation on our own PCs, which are quite typical. If you are forced to deal with FLAC, we show which software programs do the least harm to music. Finally, in the last installment in this series, we provide the results of the methods we used for maximizing the sound quality of the computer itself. Using our measurement scale, we show you how important these procedures are and how important each change in the system can be compared to everything else we’ve found. We also present our final recommendations for the “best of the best” and conclude with our recommendations for how the music industry can make the most out of its existing catalogs of priceless performances. Questions In the course of our evaluations we sought to find answers to these specific questions: 1) Can a copy of a CD be made that is wholly superior to the original CD? If so, what does it take to achieve this?
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Computer Music Audio Quality 2) D oes the type of CDR blank influence sound quality? 3) W hat is the best-sounding method for archiving digital music sources to the HD?1 4) What is the best ripping software? 5) What is the best-sounding burning software? 6) What is the best-sounding playback software? 7) W hat is the best-sounding “Library” software for music organization and playback from the HD? 8) A re there any conditions under which the sound of music played back from an HD equals or exceeds direct playback of the original CD? 9) A re FLAC files ripped from a CD or downloaded from the Internet equal in sound quality to WAV files? 10) D o WAV files converted to FLAC and then converted back to WAV sound as good as the original WAV files ripped from the same CD? 11) What is the best sample-rate conversion software and how good does it actually sound? 12) H ow does real-time upconversion by software or DAC compare with files upconverted first by software prior to playback (referred to throughout the article as preupconversion)? 13) Are there ways to tweak a computer that significantly improve sound quality? Part One: The Listening Scale Listening Criteria and Methodology For the various listening comparisons we chose three pieces of music that we would not get sick of after a bazillion comparisons (or so it seemed after months of repetitive testing) and which would illustrate most succinctly the listening variables detected in our tests (see Table 1). The first track of the Vivaldi Late Violin Concertos with Guiliano Carmignola as soloist [Sony SK 89362] was selected for its complex and sweet overtone structure, three-dimensionality, beautiful melody line, and rhythm and pace. Track 5 from the First Impressions Music CD remaster of Misa Criolla [LIMK2HD 040] was chosen for clarity, imaging specificity, height, width, and depth of imaging within a very ambient recording venue, and the emotional expressiveness of the tenor, José Carreras. The last track from The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 [Sony 9 25796-2] was chosen for its bass drive, rhythm and pace, resolution of complex over-dubbing layers, and general cheerfulness. For a number of tests involving high-resolution comparisons, Tracks 1 and 6 from Reference Recordings’ version of Rachmaninoff ’s Symphonic Dances either as the CD [RR-96CD], the HRx DVD [HR-96], or the HDtracks 96kHz/24-bit2 download were used as indicated. Other highresolution files derived from various download sources, SACDto-WAV conversions,3 and commercial DVD-R discs were used for additional tests as indicated throughout the article. Results from various listening experiments were continually cross-referenced with known sonic references to make sure our quantitative estimates were independent of differences between specific reference tracks, differences in time between tests, software updates, and evolutionary system improvements 34 December 2011 the absolute sound
that occurred over the course of these tests. The task of making judgments between different software programs was made significantly easier since we were dealing only with variations of signal in the digital domain compared to reviewing analog equipment in which errors and distortions are superimposed almost randomly upon one’s subjective impressions. Thus, to a first approximation, we observed only quantitative variations but not qualitative differences in the course of our various listening sessions. In addition to the subjective opinion of the authors, we engaged listening panels of both genders and of various ages to validate differences and specific product rankings and as an independent control for our own judgments. All listening tests were conducted under strict single-blind conditions. Upon occasion, double-blind testing was also employed where practical. When appropriate, listening levels were matched to +/0.1dB. For most tests, this was unnecessary and redundant since common digital files yielded identical playback volumes. We wish to make one final comment about how we arranged our listening tests when only the two of us were evaluating differences. In conducting single-blind trials, one person would do the switching while the primary listener would sit without moving, with eyes closed, and with no talking allowed to eliminate any potentially distracting sensory stimuli which could disturb our concentration and long-term memory (musical excerpts lasted anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes depending on the content of the test track). This was essential when trying to make extremely subtle quantitative judgments. The A/B comparison was then repeated with our roles reversed. Only after we agreed that we had come to a conclusion did we discuss between us what we had heard. In Table I (right) we summarize and describe the listening criteria we used in our evaluations. Some readers might dislike our simple, more clinical descriptions and prefer more evocative language to describe sonic differences. For this study, and partly due to the large quantity of comparisons to be done, we feel these simple descriptions adequately and accurately represent the most important attributes of music playback and the major differences we heard throughout our tests. Nonetheless, a few comments can be made to elaborate subjectively on this list. For example, the opposite of truncation of higher-order overtones (which leads to a tinny and harsh sound) produces an enriched and sweeter sound and a reduction in harshness subjectively. The significance of this reciprocal balance between harshness and sweetness cannot be emphasized strongly enough. The harsh characteristic so often associated with poor digital reproduction plays a major role, we suspect, in distracting the brain from full emotional access to music appreciation. In the course of our investigations, it was this balance that ended up having the greatest influence on our emotional involvement and value judgments. Improvements in low-frequency reproduction by our various experimental manipulations are heard as an increase in bass impact and clarity along with an increase in the impression of rhythm and pace. Yet, as these improvements are heard, we also detect a reduction in total bass energy radiated into the room.
Computer Music Audio Quality TABLE 1: Listening Criteria Errors of Omission
Description and Examples
Loss of low-level information— overtones
“Tinny” or harsh upper frequencies (e.g. Track 1, Vivaldi Late Violin Concertos).
Loss of low-level information— textural detail
In complex multi-instrument or vocal recordings, meshing of instruments together (e.g. the massed choir on Track 5 of Misa Criolla; Track 1, Vivaldi Late Violin Concertos).
Loss of low level information— ambience retrieval
Dry-sounding acoustic, loss of ambience, loss of width, height and depth of instrument and vocal positioning (e.g. Track 5, Misa Criolla; Track 1, Vivaldi Late Violin Concertos).
Truncation of bandwidth
Loss of bass weight, loss of airy spaciousness.
Truncation of dynamic range
ound-volume compression, loss of “jump” or startle factor (e.g. Track 1, Rachmaninoff S Symphonic Dances; Track 13, First Impressions Music, Albeniz Suite Española [FIM XR24068]).
Errors of Commission Timbre or frequency response irregularities
Dissonant chord structure of violins, emphasized or uneven detail in only one frequency range.
Frequency-dependent distortion of instrumental decay
our and wavering chord structure during the decay of massed instruments S (e.g. Track 1, Vivaldi Late Violin Concertos at the 23–24 sec. mark).
Blurring of detail and loss of clarity
mearing, making a 12 member violin section sound like only 3–6 violins playing; S making a 100-member choir sound like only 30 voices, etc.
Time-domain errors, as in blurring of rhythm and pace cues
Instead of making you want to tap your foot or even get up and dance, music sounds like a funeral dirge (e.g. Track 1, Vivaldi Late Violin Concertos; Track 10, Traveling Wilburys).
Distortion of image size or focus
Image spread or “splash” compared to tight focus. When comparing two variables, only if the size ratio of the ambient soundfield to individual instruments increases can you make a conclusion that one is better than another; otherwise no valid conclusion is possible unless you were present at the original performance.
Distortion of soundstage position
Usually front-to-back depth or side-to-side positioning as in foreshortening depth, moving all instruments towards the front or very far back of the stage producing a two-dimensional instead of a three-dimensional image of the performers, the reduction of central image solidity and the impression that performers’ voices are localized only to the left and right speakers.
Ability to Elicit Holistic Emotional Response Engagement
The music is so beautiful it forces you stop what you are doing and focus only on the performance. You are involuntarily induced to tap your foot or hum along.
Emotional response
ou are thrilled or even saddened by the music; you are “moved” and you become Y emotionally involved.
Understanding the emotional intent of the artist or composer
ou “understand” what the composer was feeling and what he or she wanted you to Y feel. This is, we believe, the highest level of audio system performance. the absolute sound December 2011 35
Computer Music Audio Quality This latter observation can be deceptive and some listeners could interpret this effect as something gone missing. Another potentially deceptive characteristic, particularly in classical music, occurs in stage perspective wherein instruments near the rear of the stage move farther back. Some listeners might prefer the more upfront perspective as it can appear to make some instruments more vivid. Only by comparison with higherresolution sources such as SACD or HRx discs can we exclude these various interpretations. We consider it unlikely that these digital-domain variations reflect frequency-response errors, even though our ear/brain hearing system may interpret them as such. Rather, we think it is more likely that these sonic effects represent timing or phase differences. As an example of the kind of quantitative changes we noted during our various tests, a graphical representation of the influence of what we consider to be improvements in digital reproduction of staging and three-dimensional image representation is illustrated in Figure 1. As the reader peruses the results of the listening tests that follow, this diagram can be kept in mind as representative of the quantitative continuum of differences we heard in our comparisons. As clarity and textural definition improved, images became more tightly focused, the spatial separation between instruments increased, massed choir moved farther back in the soundfield and extended laterally to a greater extent. The ambient soundfield enveloping each sound source increased in size and overlapped, producing the impression that all performers existed in the same acoustic environment. As the image of the harpsichord became more tightly focused with each improvement, the lower and higher notes moved closer and closer, ultimately becoming horizontally coincident. This gave the impression that the position of the harpsichord rotated to become exactly perpendicular to the front of the stage. Not shown in this plan view were changes in the height distribution, particularly the position of the mixed choir members who were standing on at least four different levels of
Figure 1. Example of the effects of different sample-rate converters on image focus and performer-soundfield position using Track 5 of Misa Criolla.
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risers. As sound quality improved, the distinction between rows and their overall height increased substantially and the lower and higher notes of the harpsichord converged to a common height midway between their starting positions. Review Evaluation Systems We each used our own systems for these evaluations. Although there are some common elements between the two systems, we believe they are sufficiently different to render our conclusions generally applicable. While these two systems would not be considered state-of-the-art, they are likely representative of what many Absolute Sound readers have at home. System 1 was a Vista 32-bit quad-core 2.66GHz PC with motherboard containing onboard 192kHz-capable sound with a coaxial S/PDIF RCA output and an external HD which contained various ripped and stored test music files. After testing optical drives from Yamaha, Plextor, and Samsung, we selected the Samsung Super Write Master for disc-burning due to its superior sound quality. The computer S/PDIF output fed a PS Audio PWD DAC (PWD) via a 25-foot length of 75-ohm Canare LV-61S cable. The PS Audio PWD also received a signal from a PWT CD/DVD disc transport (PWT) connected via a PS Audio HDMI/I2S PW12 cable. The output of the PWD fed a NuForce Model P-9 preamp via an Audioquest Jaguar 1m single-ended cable. The signal from the preamp was fed through a 10-foot Kimber PBJ shielded cable to NuForce Model 9SE V2 monoblock amps. The amps fed the current model B&W 802 Diamond speakers bi-wired with 8-foot lengths of Anti-Cable speaker wire (speaker cables were later upgraded to MIT CVT Terminator 2 from System 2 below). Power was supplied by a Maughan Audio custom isolation transformer from a 20-amp dedicated circuit. Power cords were custom-built from Kimber 8TS wire. System 2 was a Windows 7 64-bit duo-core 3GHz PC with a motherboard containing onboard 192kHz-capable sound connected with a Kimber KS-2020 coax cable to a PS Audio PWD DAC. MIT Magnum M1.3 balanced cables from the DAC provided input to an Anthem Statement D2 preamp set to analog-throughput mode for all tests. Power amps were the same NuForce Model 9SE V2 used in System 1. All components except for the PC received power from a PS Audio Power Plant Premier (PPP),4 and various levels of PS Audio power cables and interconnects were used throughout the system. The PC was on a separate filtered power supply. Paradigm S8 speakers were bi-wired with MIT CVT Terminator 2 cables (later upgraded by borrowed MIT Magnum M1.3 cables). We also compared USB and S/PDIF connections between the PC and DAC in System 2 and found USB to be inferior to the coax connection. Additionally, the USB connection limited playback to 24/96 files, whereas the coax connection allowed 32/192 sampling rates, which were frequently used in our testing. In both systems, all equipment, including the computers, was supported by Goldmund cones on 2cm granite shelving as well as other optimizations (see Table 12 in Part 4: How to Make Your Computer Sing).
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Computer Music Audio Quality As we suspected, in comparing the two systems we found that the 25-foot length of Canare cable was a sonic bottleneck. Sample files burned to disc in System 1 were found to sound better than direct playback from the HD, whereas in System 2 using the 0.75m Kimber KS-2020 cable, HD playback quality exceeded disc playback using the PWT as the source in both cases. Interestingly, when the computer in System 1 was fully optimized over the course of our investigations (see Table 12), the sonic advantage of the PWT was eliminated and the $25 internal Samsung ROM drive provided the superior sound. The weaknesses in these systems (the fact that wiring was not state-of-the-art, for example) do not invalidate our conclusions because these are relative rankings judged against known standards of CD, HRx, and SACD sound quality. Therefore, the rankings should remain constant regardless of overall system quality. Establishment of an Objective Evaluation Scale In typical reviews, a reader really has no objective way of judging the reviewer’s subjective experience. We wanted to provide the readers of this study with some means of placing our results into the context of their own listening experience and equipment. To accomplish this, we have established a subjective scale by which readers can judge for themselves the significance of our results through comparing in their own systems the difference between the sound of the CD to: a) the corresponding SACD layer of a hybrid disc mastered originally in DSD format; b) a Reference Recordings HRx disc mastered in PCM format at 176/24; or c) a high-resolution download of a mastertape recorded at no less than 176/24 resolution. This scale is illustrated in Figure 2. On the basis of listening comparisons between CDs ripped to WAV files and upconverted to various sampling frequencies, it is possible to quantify intermediate steps below the high-resolution download, SACD, and HRx standards. A permanent reference scale can then be assembled by creating a series of upsampled or downloaded high-resolution WAV files at 48/24, 88/24, 96/24, 176/24, 192/24, and
Figure 2. Sound Quality Scale.
192/32 sample rates and storing the files permanently to the HD or burning them to DVD-R. Without these intermediate reference standards, we have found it difficult to quantify subjectively sonic changes which exceed about 30 points on our scale. These intermediate points of reference, as described, are essential. Together with the original CD, this scale can be reused to quantify any kind of sonic improvement. The scale can also be repositioned to any higher level required to accommodate major hardware improvements in one’s system. The red line shown in the bar graph is meant to illustrate what we call the
“Emotional Threshold” referred to in Table 1. This critical performance level represents to us the point at which one becomes truly transported by the music. Although purely subjective, the characteristics of this threshold are a complex combination of textural detail, overtone accuracy and completeness, and lack of harshness or other distracting frequency-response anomalies or common electronic distortions. Starting with the sound of a Red Book standard CD as 100, subjective estimates of increases and decreases in sound quality were made. These quantitative estimates were based on both our hearing acuity and
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Computer Music Audio Quality the number of A/B comparisons required to be sure we perceived all the major changes that existed. Providing a score of 200 for the mastertape sound was based upon the difference we hear between a high-resolution (176/24) WAV file played back from the computer HD compared with the same file burned to a DVD under optimal conditions and can only be considered an educated guess. The reader can construct his own scale, specific to his or her listening capabilities and equipment quality, using a Reference Recordings CD and HRx disc derived from the same digital mastertape (e.g. Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances). The exact position of reference, upconverted sound files is approximate for purposes of illustration. (See text for additional details describing creation of this scale.)
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Another way to quantify the subjective differences is to divide them into four categories as defined by the number of A/B comparisons required to be sure enough significant differences are heard to enable a secure value judgment. Thus, small is defined as 5 or 6 A/B comparisons and is equal to 5 units on the above scale. Medium would then be defined as 3 or 4 A/B comparisons and is equal to 10 to 15 units; large would be defined as 1 or 2 A/B comparisons and is represented by 20 to 40 units. The final category of very large would require only one A/B comparison and is so large that a 24-hour hiatus between listening sessions would still elicit the typical audiophile expression of “Holy cow! This is a night and day difference!” On our relative scale, very large would be 50 units or more. Regardless of one’s hearing acuity or familiarity with a test track, our scale can serve as a subjective, longterm benchmark for equipment reviewing in general and can provide the reader at home with a way to identify with the perceptive judgment of any reviewer. A final factor to consider is that our judgments may be biased to some extent towards a higher level of sensitivity than that of the average audiophile simply because we have listened to our test tracks so many times! To us, even a 10 point improvement in sound quality is readily audible and meaningful. With time, our familiarity with the various test tracks enabled us to distinguish 10 point differences with only 1 or 2 A/Bs. In interpreting the quantitative ratings that follow, we estimate that our accuracy and reproducibility is on the order of +/- 5 points. We also attempted to determine how much better the true original mastertape might be compared with whatever high-resolution source was available to the average consumer. To do this we arranged a listening session at a local, well-respected, mastering company, Airshow, with the kind forbearance and assistance of one of its mastering engineers, Dominick Maita. Unfortunately, we soon learned that there were so many uncontrolled variables introduced by industry-standard operating procedures that no valid conclusions were possible with the recordings available to us. What we did learn from Dominick, however, is that there is a vast difference between the final commercial CD compared to the original performance mastertape. To quote him, he has had musicians in his studio “cry with disappointment” upon hearing this difference. Thus, we cannot know exactly how much better the true mastertape might sound than our high-resolution reference defined by the sound of the HRx disc. Under
Computer Music Audio Quality the specific conditions of our reference systems and reference software, improving the playback software can yield point scores that actually exceed the 200 point estimate for the mastertape shown in Figure 2, unless we alter the overall scale to compensate for this effect. We place MP3/320kbps (which we consider to be truly execrable from an audiophile perspective) at 50 on our scale, and a kazoo played under a pillow in Death Valley at zero (just as an approximation, you understand). Hereafter, we will use this scale to quantify for the reader the magnitude and significance of the variables we have studied for storing and reproducing digital music. Finally, we should note that the exact positioning on this scale of the various high-resolution sources available to the average consumer could be controversial. For example, there are some who maintain that SACDs derived from original DSD masters are superior to any PCM format. Others disagree. In a subsequent article we hope to examine this question in more detail. For the purposes of this article we have grouped these various sources in approximately the same position on our scale, allowing readers to form their own conclusions. In next issue’s Part Two, this background and sonic rating scale is used to evaluate various playback and music-management software programs, the sonic effects of format upconversion, and the best methods for ripping and burning CDs.
using Metric Halo MIO software in WAV format. This file was then burned to a DVD-R where it could be transferred to our test computers. The sound quality of this SACD-to-WAV transfer exceeded the CD and highresolution download of this recording by an amount closely approximating what we found when comparing the same variety of recordings from Reference Recordings’ Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances. In System 2, we listened to the PC powered through either the PPP or a PS Audio Duet and found that both power sources degraded the sound from the PC but did improve the sound of the audio components that were plugged into it. Therefore, all subsequent testing was performed with the PC connected in parallel to the same circuit as the PPP. 4
Our digital storage approach has focused on internal hard drives on Windows PC systems. Some digital music systems use a Network Attached Storage (NAS) approach as a feed to the DAC/Library software for playback. 1
All format resolutions and word lengths used in this article are abbreviated omitting “kHz” and “bit.” Sample frequencies are rounded to the nearest whole integer value (e.g. 176.4 kHz/24-bit becomes abbreviated to 176/24). 2
3 Track 1 of the Channel Classics SACD version of Vivaldi’s La Stravaganza with Rachel Podger [CCS SA 19503] was converted by an independent party to a 176/24 WAV file using a Pioneer DV-868AVI universal player modified by DVDUpgrades (see https://www.dvdupgrades. ch/digital_audio) to deliver a low-pass 60kHzfiltered PCM datastream. This was then fed to an Apogee Big Ben, then to the input of a Metric Halo ULN8 (all connections via AES/EBU), and then recorded on a MacBook Pro via FireWire
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Recommended Systems We Recommend Six Complete Systems Starting at $1849 Neil Gader, Robert Harley, Jonathan Valin
“Give a man a fish and he can eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he can eat for a lifetime.” That aphorism was our guiding principle as we assembled this year’s Recommended Systems feature. In the following six complete hi-fi systems, priced from $1849 to $116k, you’ll not just find recommendations of products we happen to like, but also recommendations about how to match components properly and how to spend your money most effectively. Correctly allocating your audio budget among source components, amplification, loudspeakers, and cables is the cornerstone of getting the best performance for your dollar. The first trick is to match the quality of each link in the chain. The second is to choose components that combine synergistically to deliver sound quality far above their total price. System synergy is the hallmark of every great hi-fi system. Although the pieces of gear on the following pages are outstanding in their own right, they really make music when combined with the right associated products.
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Recommended Systems SYSTEM 1
$1849
Speakers................ B&W 685, $650 (Reviewed in Issue 176) Electronics............. Peachtree Audio iDecco, $999 (204) Cable................... Transparent Audio The Link interconnects, $85 (196); Transparent Audio The Wave speaker cable, $200/8ft. pr. (196)
B&W 685
Peachtree Audio iDecco
This system gives lie to the argument that high-end audio is only attained through a combination of flakey tweaks, incantations, Cigar Aficionado subscriptions, and buckets of ready cash. In fact, as this minimalist den system proves, you don’t even need a CD player or a computer to enjoy your music. The engine that makes it all possible is the Peachtree Audio iDecco integrated amplifier. It’s a jack-of-all-trades, combining a 40Wpc amplifier, a hybrid solid-state/tube preamp, an upsampling 24-bit/96kHz USB/SPDIF DAC, and even a Class A tube-powered headphone amp. But the key to the system’s magic is the top-mounted integral iPod
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docking station. Using a true digital interface à la the Wadia 170 iTransport is what opens the door to the upsampling D/A magic of this amp. In the capable hands of the iDecco, a prosaic iPod transforms itself from a jogging pal or earbud buddy into a micro-media server. Not serious enough for you? The iDecco will happily be the fulcrum for your laptop’s stored media, and its analog inputs will accommodate Old School tech like a CD player. With a modest 40Wpc on hand, giving voice to this system means selecting a speaker that can do the most with the power it’s being handed. One of the best in the business is the remarkable B&W 685, a musically colorful, 13.4" tall, 88dB-sensitive, ported two-way. Rigged to the iDecco by the superb The Wave speaker cable by Transparent Audio, the system reveals an excellent overall tonal balance. There’s true bass authority that defies the system’s modest size and an extended treble response that’s easy on the ears. Its rhythmic authority and pace are nothing short of remarkable, as is the surprisingly open and dimensional soundstage. Don’t expect the system to fill an auditorium or rattle the doorjambs, but don’t be surprised if friends begin stopping by with their iPods to play DJ on your slick, svelte, fiscally shrewd startersystem.
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Recommended Systems SYSTEM 2
$3600
Speakers................ Nola Boxer, $1500 (203) Electronics............. NAD C 356BEE, $799 (210); Naim 5i, $1645 (183) Digital Source.......... Cambridge Azur 550C, $599 (200); Musical Fidelity M1 DAC, $699 (213) Cable................... AudioQuest Forest USB cable, $29/0.75m (review forthcoming); Kimber Kable Hero interconnect, $210 (138); Kimber Kable 8TC speaker cable, $410/8ft. pr. (146)
E
6BE 5 3 C AD
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System Two applies its larger budget to the smaller listening room by opting for tradition, while acknowledging the ascendency of a new era in digital media and computer servers. This is a multiple-source system built around two formats: the Cambridge Audio Azur 550C CD player with its superb Wolfson DAC (and selectable filters), and the Musical Fidelity M1 USB DAC. For power there’s no better integrated amp to anchor a system in this range than the NAD C 356. It sports 80Wpc plus NAD’s PowerDrive circuit to drive low-impedance speakers, and even has refinements derived from NAD’s flagship integrated, the M2. And notably, if down the road the analog bug should ever bite, the modular construction of the C 356 permits an optional phonostage upgrade. As good as this foundation is, it’s the superior Nola Boxer—an unassuming, two-way, bass-reflex compact—that drives this system to its full potential. The Boxer’s physical profile may be working class but sonically it plays pure uptown with a character that’s unerringly musical—a canny balance of warmth and
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detail, plus the vivid images and quick transient reflexes you’d expect in a smart two-way. System Two will take you further than System One in a couple of key respects. It will play louder with greater extension and more dynamic punch. And if upgrading is your thing, swapping out source components is a breeze. To that end, if this is just a little too much digital to swallow in one gulp and you’d like to pursue additional refinement in the amplifier section, then consider making do with either the Cambridge or the Musical Fidelity, and taking the money saved to upgrade to the Naim Nait 5i.ii. This classic British integrated amp will further improve System Two with elegant soundstage dimensionality and a highly refined rendering of detail and separation of images. It will remove the darker cast and shadings of the NAD and catapult the system to even greater transparency and resolution. In either case, by using Kimber 8TC speaker cable and a pair of Hero interconnects plus AudioQuest’s brilliant Forest USB cable for the Musical Fidelity M1, you’ll reach the full potential of this over-achieving system.
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Recommended Systems SYSTEM 3
$5994
Loudspeaker................Magnepan MG 1.7, $1995 (205); GoldenEar Triton Two, $2500 (214) Solid-State Option (for Magnepan).............Hegel H100 integrated amplifier, $3000 (206) Tube Option (for GoldenEar)............PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium integrated amplifier, $2295 (212) Digital Source.............Marantz SA 8004 CD/SACD, $999 (211) Turntable Option...........Clearaudio Concept, $2000 (205)
00 8 A S z t n M a ra
Our mid-priced system offers two very different approaches to suit two very different tastes. This system illustrates the importance of matching loudspeakers with amplification, both technically and sonically. Our first option includes the spectacular Magnepan MG 1.7 loudspeaker. This new Maggie sets a very high bar in $2000 loudspeakers. The catch is that the 1.7’s require a hefty amp to drive them, preferably solid-state. The Maggies are also as high in resolution as you can get at this price, which means you won’t just need a powerful amplifier but a clean and sweet one. Enter the Hegel H100, a 100Wpc integrated from Norway that is fully up to the task of driving the 1.7s, technically and musically. For those of you with music servers, the icing on the cake is the Hegel’s integral USB DAC. The downside of this system is that the 1.7’s don’t go that low in the bass, and need to be placed well out into the room to achieve their potential. If those considerations make you think twice, we have a similarly priced alternative in the PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium integrated amplifier and the GoldenEar Triton Two loudspeaker. The ProLogue Premium is gorgeoussounding, and in ways that make it an ideal mate for the Triton Two. Moreover, the ProLogue Premium’s 35Wpc power rating is more than enough to drive the 91dBsensitivity Triton Two. Since the GoldenEar has an integral
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4
powered woofer, the ProLogue Premium is relieved of driving the woofer, saving its 35W for the midrange and treble. And what a midrange and treble it is: The Triton Two has an almost electrostatic-like transparency in the mids, a gorgeous fatigue-free treble, and a top-to-bottom seamlessness that makes it easy to forget you are listening to a loudspeaker. The powered woofer and adjustable bass deliver truly rock-solid power and weight, with an authority that suits rock as well as orchestral music. Moreover, the bass adjustments facilitate many placement options. For both systems we’ve selected the Marantz SA 8004 CD/SACD player, a $999 overachiever. This Marantz has a very neutral tonal balance, coupled with a sweetness and delicacy rare at this price. The slight trace of warmth complements both systems, as does the absence of grain. If you’re into vinyl, there’s no better turntable value than the Clearaudio Concept ($1400)—an even better deal when bundled with the $800 Clearaudio Concept movingcoil cartridge at a package price of $2000. The Clearaudio offers wide dynamics, low noise, and an engaging musicality that perfectly complements both our Hegel/Magnepan and PrimaLuna/GoldenEar systems. Throw in a couple of Shunyata Venom3 AC cords at $95 each and you’ve got a system that will satisfy for the long term.
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Recommended Systems SYSTEM 4
$12,296
Loudspeaker................Sonus faber Liuto, $5998 (199) Electronics................Vincent SA-31 preamplifier, $1399 (208); Vincent SP-331 power amplifier, $2199 (208); Simaudio 340i integrated amplifier, $3300–$4000 depending on configuration (198) Digital Source.............Simaudio CD-1, $1700 (185); Bryston BDA-1 DAC, $2195 (194) Analog Option..............Pro-Ject 9.2 turntable with Sumiko Blackbird cartridge, $2999 (205); Nova Phonomena phonostage, $1000 (172) Cables.....................CRL Bronze package, $1299 (211)
Liuto r e b a F s u Son
This system is built around the wonderful Sonus faber Liuto, a loudspeaker that occupies a very sweet spot, indeed, in the Italian company’s impressive line. We’ve selected the Liuto for its exquisite combination of warmth and detail, qualities that engage the heart as well as the mind. This three-way floorstanding loudspeaker also has a full-range presentation, with extension to 30Hz, a gorgeous liquidity of timbre, excellent micro-dynamic shading, and stunning soundstage depth. To hear the Liuto at its best, we’re offering two options, one based on tube and hybrid separates, and one with a solid-state integrated amplifier. The tube electronics are the very high-value Vincent SA-31 preamplifier and SP331 Mk. II power amplifier. What we like about this preamplifier/power amplifier combination is its hybrid tube/solid-state linestage coupled with a power amplifier that uses tubes at the input with a solid-state output stage. The result is the best of both worlds: The Vincent duo delivers the harmonic richness of tubes with the robust bass and high power output of transistors. With 150Wpc on tap, the SP-331 Mk.II will drive the Liuto with ease. Our solid-state option is the wonderful Simaudio Moon 340i (formerly called the i3.3). As with all Simaudio products, the 340i is beautifully built, well designed, and a joy to listen to. In addition, the 340i is offered with a host of options, including an integral USB DAC, an integral phonostage, and a balanced input. The 340i outputs a robust 100Wpc, with the ability to double that rating into 4 ohms. The amplifier’s dynamic reserves, rhythmic drive, and tight bass imbue music with life and verve, yet it’s the 340i’s textural finesse, transparency, and soundstaging that make it so special. For those of you who spin CDs, we recommend the
52 December 2011 the absolute sound
outstanding Simaudio CD-1 CD player. The CD-1 offers wide dynamics, a warm tonality with no hint of grain, tremendous pace and rhythm, and an engaging musicality. If you already have a digital source such as a music server, you could opt for the 340i’s integral DAC option, or upgrade to the Bryston BDA-1 DAC. The Bryston is extremely detailed, but in an entirely natural way. Indeed, the BDA-1 is relaxed and analog-like, with no hint of digital hardness. The Bryston is an expensive upgrade to this system, but if most of your listening is to digital sources, it is worth the extra money. If your tastes run more toward black, rather than silver, discs, we’ve selected the remarkable Pro-Ject RM-9.2 turntable with the Sumiko Blackbird cartridge. The RM-9.2 complements the rest of this system with dynamic verve, a richness of timbre rare at this price, and wonderful transparency. The performance can be taken a notch higher by ordering the RM-9.2 with Sumiko’s Pearwood Celebration cartridge for an additional thousand dollars. The Simaudio’s optional integral phonostage is outstanding, but those looking to extract the last iota of performance might consider upgrading to the Phonomena phonostage. This amazing unit is neutral, transparent, and remarkably free from coloration. A wide array of gain and loading options allow you to tailor the Phonomena to your cartridge. In keeping with the high-value theme of this system, we’ve chosen the Bronze package from Cable Research Labs. This combo gives you a pair of speaker cables (up to 8') and two pairs of interconnects (up to 3m each). You can even specify the cable terminations and order bi-wired speaker cables. In keeping with our goal of midrange liquidity, the Bronze offers a rich, smooth, and clean presentation.
the absolute sound December 2011 53
Recommended Systems SYSTEM 5
$18,945-$28,495
Loudspeaker. ................Magnepan MG 3.7, $5500 (212, 213, and 214) Amplification.............. Pass Labs INT-150, $7150 (184) Digital Source............. Bryston BCD-1 CD player, $3195 (183); Bryston BDA-1 DAC, $2195 (194); Bryston BDP-1 USB player, $2500 (216) Optional Phonostage........Parasound JC 3, $2350 (215) Optional Turntable. ......... Clearaudio Ovation/Verify tonearm, $5500 (216); Benz Glider moving-coil cartridge, $1700 (191) Cable. ...................... Synergistic Research Tesla Series Accelerator interconnect, $1400/1m (171); Synergistic Research Tesla Series Accelerator speaker cable, $1700/8ft. pr. (171)
T-150 N I s b a L s Pas
At this price point, you ought to expect very close to the best sound money can buy, and with this system you’ll get it, starting with the speaker. The Magneplanar 3.7 ribbon/ quasi-ribbon dipole sets a new standard in neutrality, transparency, and resolution at its price point. Fed the right sources, this is one astoundingly realistic transducer, competitive with (and reminiscent of) some of the best and most expensive multiway floorstanders money can buy. Limited to about 45Hz in the bass, this planar won’t give you the extension or the bottom-end slam of a big Wilson or Magico, but it will compete toe-to-toe with both in the midband and, thanks to Maggie’s superb ribbon tweeter, in much of the treble. Since it is a boxless planar loudspeaker, the 3.7 is also capable of a phenomenal disappearing act and a soundstage of remarkable width, depth, and height. Gone in the 3.7 is any discontinuity between the Maggie’s superfast ribbon and its quasi-ribbon mid and bass panels; also gone is any trace of Maggie grain. Reviewer JV called it “the best buy in high-end audio,” and HP, “perhaps the best buy of all time.” Be assured that, save for the deepest bass, you will not be trading off anything of musical importance with the
54 December 2011 the absolute sound
3.7. Its only downsides are its relatively large size (you will need some space around it) and its hunger for power. This last is precisely where Pass Lab’s remarkable INT150 integrated amp steps in. Capable of delivering 300Wpc into the Maggie’s 4-ohm load, the Pass boasts a fluidity and ease reminiscent of Class A solid-state electronics (and the amplifier section of this integrated is, in fact, heavily biased into Class A). With superb resolution of micro- and macrodynamics and a midband that is warm, full-bodied, and highly detailed, it may be the perfect single-box solution for a high-resolution dipole like the 3.7s. Of course, when you use high-transparency/highresolution loudspeakers and electronics, you want a source that will give you the same transparency and detail. The Bryston BCD-1 CD player or the Bryston BDA-1 DAC with the Bryston BDP-1 digital player fit this bill to perfection. The BCD-1 will be the choice for those of you with large CD collections, where its tonal accuracy and impressive dynamics (both large-scale and small) led our reviewer Neil Gader to call it “reference-quality.” Those of you into computer audio should opt for the Bryston BDP-1 USBplayer and the fabulous Bryston BDA-1 DAC, which our reviewer Alan Taffel said will “reveal previously unheard worlds of information about sound and performance from digital sources.” Of course, if you want the most realistic sound currently available, you will also want a turntable, tonearm, cartridge, and phonostage. For those still into analog (or looking to be), we are suggesting an excellent combination: the Clearaudio Ovation ’table with Verify tonearm and the Benz Glider moving-coil cartridge—all fed into John Curl’s latest wonder, the Parasound JC 3 phonostage. Be forewarned: Vinyl playback can be very lifelike—and definitely addictive. For hooking up this high-transparency system, we recommend the highly transparent Synergistic Research Tesla Series Accelerator interconnects and speaker cables—a splendid balance of detail, romantic richness, and Grand Canyon-like soundstaging.
the absolute sound December 2011 55
Recommended Systems SYSTEM 6
$74,629–$116,426
Loudspeaker................. Magico Q1, $25,000 (reviewed on AVguide.com); Revel Salon2, $21,198 (178) Electronics................. Spectral DMC-30SS preamplifier, $9995 (190); Spectral DMA-360 Mk II power amplifier, $20,000 (190) Digital Source.............. iMac, $1199; Berkeley Alpha USB Interface, $1695 (214); Berkeley Alpha DAC, $4995 (189); AudioQuest Diamond USB cable, $549/0.75m (review forthcoming) Optional Phonostage......... Audio Research Corporation Reference Phono 2, $11,995 (197) Optional Turntable/Tonearm.. Bergman Sindre, $21,000 (206); Basis 2800 Signature with Vector 4 tonearm, $18,900 (172) Optional Cartridge.......... Ortofon MC A90, $4200 (208), Benz LP S-MR, $5000 (216) Cable....................... MIT Oracle Matrix 50 interconnect, $4999/1m pr. (review forthcoming); MIT Oracle Matrix MD 90 speaker cable, $9999/8ft. pr. (review forthcoming)
2 Revel Sa lon Well, folks—or should we say, “folk,” since we’re probably only addressing one of you now—here we come to a level of sound quality and expenditure that is through-theroof. At this price, you should expect to hear a system that cannot be bettered (although, it can be, albeit for a whole lot more money). For speakers, we’re giving you an option: one small for your beach house or personal vault, and one large for your castle. The small choice is Magico’s new stand-mounted two-way, the damped-aluminum-enclosure Q1. It may seem ridiculous to recommend a stand-mount two-way for this level of system. But the Q1 is different. Here you have a mini-monitor that goes down to 32Hz in the bass. That’s low lowend for any sized speaker. Here you also have a speaker with the most perfectly seamless blend of dynamic drivers JV has heard—a veritable stand-mounted electrostat with killer bass. And, finally, here you have a speaker that just disappears into the soundfield like few others JV has auditioned. When you add ’stat-like resolution to the list, the choice of the Q1 doesn’t seem so far-fetched. However, if you want a little more bass and more impact in the bass—and you have a moderate-to-large room—then the Revel Salon2 does just about the same things that the Q1 does—including the disappearing act—in a bigger but no less stylish package. Our Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Harley, fell in love with these svelte multiway floorstanders when he reviewed them in Issue 178. It is easy to understand why— the drivers are beautifully blended, the bass is exceptionally
56 December 2011 the absolute sound
deep, the treble perfectly integrated, and the presentation highly musical and lifelike. To drive these two exemplars we suggest what are likely the best deals in ultra-high-end electronics: the Spectral DMC-30SS preamp and the 300W Spectral DMA-360 MkII monoblock amplifiers. This duo is brook-clear, incredibly fast and hard-hitting, and as high in detail as almost anything money can buy, with phenomenal soundstaging. The Spectrals will bring out the best in both of these superb loudspeakers. To bring out the best in the Spectrals, you need the finest source components. Here we are offering a server-based system: the iMac computer platform, the celebrated Berkeley Audio Alpha DAC, and (to convert the iMac’s USB output to S/PDIF or AES/ EBU) the Berkeley Audio Alpha USB Interface. There may be other options that compete sonically with this setup, but we haven’t yet heard one that bests it. On top of this, it is a good deal for the money. Ah, money. If you’re made of it, then why not go whole hog? With the right LPs, the analog playback system we’re recommending—the straight-line-tracking Bergman Sindre integrated turntable or the Basis 2800 Signature with Vector 4 unipivot arm, coupled to either the Ortofon A90 or Benz LP S-MR moving-coil cartridges and the superb ARC Reference Phono 2—will come about as close to “you-arethere” realism as you can get in a hi-fi system. To wire everything up, why not continue going first-class with MIT’s Oracle Matrix interconnect and speaker cable? Neutral, dynamic, expansive, the Oracle Matrix will put the finishing touches on what is, in fact, a truly great stereo.
the absolute sound December 2011 57
58 December 2011 the absolute sound
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the absolute sound December 2011 59
ADVANCED AUDIO TECH TALK
At Krell, pursuit of the most realistic music production is at the core of all our products. And it is beautifully reflected in Krell’s new collection of components. Each model shines on its own, but truly sparkles as part of a Krell system. Evolution e Series Amplifiers Dynamic music reproduction requires a powerful amplifier. The flagship Evolution 900e includes a striking 6,000 watt power supply. Similar to a car, power capability is not required continuously, but is available instantaneously when its time to “step on the gas.” New eco-friendly operation reduces standby power draw to 2W. High-speed output devices are configured in an intricate array called Active Cascode TopologyTM. Triple the typical number of transistors is used in this unique circuit, which demands a sophisticated manufacturing technique called surface mount technology. This topology increases the accuracy of the design by dramatically reducing each transistor’s workload. Phantom Stereo Preamplifier The Phantom is a dual monaural circuit. Signal gain is achieved with surface mount topology using
proprietary circuitry with nearly 500 times the accuracy of conventional designs. A shortcut in standard preamplifiers, negative feedback, is not used anywhere in the preamplifier. The Phantom is the first Krell preamplifier to include an optional crossover. The crossover functionality offers subwoofer/satellite speaker capability while maintaining the highest quality sonic performance. Isolated in its own chassis, the Phantom power supply mimics the design of Krell Evolution e Series amplifiers. Cipher SACD/CD Player The Cipher starts with an advanced disc driver utilizing composite mounts to minimize vibrationinduced errors. Krell custom firmware enhances reading accuracy and drive mechanics. Finally, the SACD and CD lasers are individually hand calibrated for precise output levels. A Krell designed anti-jitter module and independent DACs feed a native current signal to Krell Current Mode circuitry. Current-to-voltage conversion and the resulting distortions are eliminated with this elegant solution. Superior materials, advanced manufacturing, and inventive engineering are combined in this new set of Krell components to deliver performance that is simply breathtaking.
Krell Industries
Tel: (203) 799-9954 email: sales@krellonline.com web: www.krellonline.com 60 December 2011 the absolute sound
ADVANCED AUDIO TECH TALK
an opposing electric field that dynamically tracks the original signal and applies a neutralization field. This prevents the dielectric material from becoming polarized by the signal. This is not a static charge; it is an opposing electric field that dynamically counters the electric field generated by the signal conductor. TECHNOLOGY (pronunciation: Zi-Tron) “Shunyata Research’s founder and scientist Caelin Gabriel has developed a technology that establishes a performance standard by which all other signal products will be measured!” Technology is a scientific breakthrough in signal transmission that literally improves the bandwidth of wire allowing a cable to respond more quickly to signal transients. Measurements have demonstrated a response time improvement of 300% or greater, depending upon the signal frequency. The technology reduces or eliminates a form of cable distortion called dielectric polarization. This is achieved by surrounding the signal conductor with
Technology preserves the audio or digital signal’s integrity in such a manner that is both measureable and tangibly audible. The improvement is so dramatic that many of the industry’s most established electronics manufacturers and most respected reviewers are already using these products in their reference systems. Technology is used exclusively in the new PowerSnakes Signal Cables and establishes a new paradigm for performance at prices that are surprisingly affordable! Read more about Technology and a more detailed description of the measurements at www.shunyata.com. Then, call your nearest dealer and hear them for yourself!
Shunyata Research
Poulsbo, Wa. tel: 360.598.9935 email: cservice@shunyata.com web: www.shunyata.com the absolute sound December 2011 61
ADVANCED AUDIO TECH TALK
the eSS SAbre32 reference audio dAC series is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest performance 32-bit audio dAC solution targeted for high-end consumer and professional audio applications. With eSS patented 32-bit hyperstreamâ&#x201E;˘ dAC architecture and time domain Jitter eliminator, the SAbre32 reference Stereo dAC delivers an unprecedented dnr of up to 135db and thd+n of -120db, the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest performance level. the oppo bdp-95 universal 3d blu-ray disc player is designed for audiophile users from the ground up. it
utilizes two eS9018 SAbre32 reference dAC chips. each of the stereo output is driven by 4 dAC channels stacking together to achieve the best audio performance. powered by a t toroidal power transformer and multi-stage linear power regulators, the bdp-95 delivers an exceptionally wide dynamic range, ultra low distortion, accurate sound stage and jitter-free music clarity. visit www.oppodigital.com to learn more about the amazing bdp-95 and read about the technical details of the SAbre audio dAC.
eSS technology, t inc.
Address: 48401 fremont blvd., fremont, CA 94538 tel: (510) 492-1088 Web: www.esstech.com
purist Audio design is continually working on cable designs to immerse the audiophile in the joy and passion of music. the result is the 25th Anniversary Cable line. Jim and our engineers spent countless man-hours designing the core conductors for this line of cables, including enhancing the ferox shielding, code-named f f ferox x103. the interconnects have solid-core silver single crystal conductors at their heart, and are available in single-ended (rCA) and balanced (xlr). the speaker cables utilize a combination of silver-stranded and solid-core copper single crystal in a four cable configuration. With enhanced conductors
and an advanced filtering system, the power cord takes the performance of the l.e. to an entirely new level. the expertly engineered 25th Anniversary cable line includes interconnects, speaker cables, and power cords. it has the ability to reveal the inner beauty of music! help us celebrate 25 years of music through the science of sound by sitting back, relaxing, and listening.
purist Audio design
po. box 125, Clute, t p. texas 77531 tel: (979) 265-5114 email: purist@puristaudiodesign.com web: puristaudiodesign.com 62 December 2011 the absolute sound
ADVANCED AUDIO TECH TALK
MBL Akustikgeräte’s products (such as the X-treme Reference System) are designed by a team of talented engineers. Chief Developer Jürgen Reis has been responsible for shaping the acoustic imprint of all MBL products for nearly thirty years. Time and again MBL has developed jewels of sound whose naturalness and synergy far exceed those of any established standards. For all employees at MBL, technically sophisticated circuitry is just the first step in a long journey of listening and research in the quest for the perfect audio component. Guided by long experience as a musician and sound engineer, Jürgen knows that in the world of natural sound, with its multilayered patterns and interwoven structures, there are dimensions that lie beyond anything he learned in electrical engineering textbooks. Development of MBL products can only be concluded when the act of listening to music transcends the technical and blossoms into a highly emotional experience.
MBL products are manufactured in our own factory outside Berlin. To build a tweeter capable of reproducing every nuance of natural sound – and this component serves as an example of every product we produce – MBL had to strike out in new directions and pursue them through to their ultimate consequence. When we found no tweeter on the market capable of performance we knew was possible, Jürgen invented our own carbon-based Radial Tweeter – a true masterpiece of engineering and craftsmanship. It takes no less than twenty-one hours before even a single MBL radial chassis has completed all its stages in the production process. Vertical integration at MBL is one hundred percent because only in our own factory can we build such high precision components to our exacting standards. Obviously we could save a great deal of money and effort if we took a standard dome tweeter that comes off a sub-supplier’s mass production line at the rate of nearly one a minute. But if we did, we’d be depriving you of the enjoyment of too much sonic bliss. MBL products are distributed in North America through a new subsidiary company, MBL North America, Inc., which is designed to bring you service commensurate with MBL performance. Please visit our website or contact us for further information on the MBL experience, whether for a single component, Radialstrahler speaker or a complete MBL system.
MBL North America, Inc.
Tel: (212) 724-4870 email: info@mbl-northamerica.com web: www.mbl-northamerica.com the absolute sound December 2011 63
ADVANCED AUDIO TECH TALK
Aesthetix is proud to introduce the Pandora and Romulus. They join our Saturn Series, recognized around the world for outstanding performance, build quality, and user interface. High quality construction techniques include an aluminum chassis, stainless steel faraday cage to isolate digital sections, multiple power transformers in a stainless steel enclosure, and multiple regulation stages. These components raise the bar for all digital products and are the ideal match for our Janus and Calypso preamps, and Atlas power amplifiers. Ultra Low Jitter USB and SPDIF The Pandora is a vacuum tube based digital-to-analog converter with USB and three SPDIF inputs. USB runs in asynchronous mode using Wavelength Technology’s software running on the high performance XMOS processor (pictured). An ultra-low jitter fixed-frequency crystal clock sits immediately adjacent to the DAC. It runs in user-selectable class 1 audio, up to 96KHz / 24 bit or class 2, up to 192KHz / 24 bit. SPDIF/AES inputs use unique technology that offers jitter performance on par with asynchronous USB and are also capable of up to 192KHz / 24 bit.
Dedicated and Isolated CD Transport Romulus builds upon the Pandora’s unique feature set and performance by adding a dedicated Red Book CD transport, also running from the low jitter master clock. Completely enclosed in its own faraday cage, it is electrically, mechanically and magnetically isolated from the rest of the DAC. Two separate transformers and three regulation stages are added to further isolate the transport mechanism from the DAC power supplies. Vacuum Tube Analog Stages Both Pandora and Romulus feature a current-sourced differential vacuum tube amplifier (12AX7) being fed from the DAC. Differential amplifiers have the unique ability of rejecting “common mode” signals, particularly useful in digital audio products, where high speed clocks and other digital noise can disrupt the delicate analog circuitry. Following the first differential amplifier, the audio signal is fed to the output stage, another differential amplifier based on the 6DJ8 vacuum tube. Both Pandora and Romulus feature Rel-Cap coupling capacitors and Roederstein resistors. High Resolution Volume Control An optional high resolution relay-based volume control may be added to either Pandora or Romulus, allowing them to directly drive a power amplifier, ideal for many systems. This special volume control operates partially in the digital domain (for small 1dB steps) and partially in the analog domain (6dB large steps), assuring uncompromising performance.
Aesthetix Audio Corporation
5144 Commerce Ave. Unit A, Moorpark, CA 93021 tel: (510) 547-5006 email: info@aesthetix.net web: www.aesthetix.net 64 December 2011 the absolute sound
ADVANCED AUDIO TECH TALK
22% slower than standard conductors. This is a mismatch that can be corrected in only one way; you must match the velocity of the conductor to that of the dielectric in the cable itself. Networks, working after the fact, cannot restore lost low level information or the lost time integrity of the music. Clear’s Matched Propagation Technology George Cardas’ new line of Clear cables are at the cutting edge of cable technology. George’s research has provided new insights into metallurgy, coatings, dielectrics and strand geometry. Matched Propagation is his latest insight into how the signal moves through a conductor and the preservation of that signal from its source. Clear cables must be heard to be believed. Matched Propagation Technology Cardas’ patented Matched Propagation cables address a core problem that is intrinsic to all cables (audio, telephone, data, etc.) matching the signal propagation velocity of the conductor to that of the dielectric quite clearly improves the sound of audio transmission. The Trouble is Dielectrics The best solid insulating materials transfer charge
The Matched Propagation Solution Cardas’ ingenious, patented solution uses a precisely controlled coated strand geometry to mitigate the effects of cable capacitance, continuously in the cable. This technique eliminates low level smearing and preserves musical integrity and dynamic range by correcting an imbalance in the basic velocity relationship of the cable’s conductors and dielectric. Huge Dynamic Range of Resolution Matched Propagation cables preserve phase, dramatically lower resonance effects, have a huge dynamic range and amazing resolution. They preserve low level detail, leading edge integrity and accurately preserve the heart, soul and emotion in the music. Matched Propagation technology brings unprecedented clarity and realism to your listening experience. Patent Numbers 4,628,151, 4,980,517 and 7,674,973 B2
Cardas Audio, Ltd.
480 11th Street, S.E. Bandon, OR 97411 tel: (541) 347-2484 email: cardas@cardas.com web: cardas.com/clear the absolute sound December 2011 65
ADVANCED AUDIO TECH TALK
They were amazed by the sonic improvement gained for under $70. Word spread quickly. Soon thousands of audiophiles were using Pangea AC-9 on all manner of audio (and video) gear. Since 2009, Pangea has introduced many other high performance cables. See below for details. Who Says Audiophile Improvements Have to Be Expensive? It seems to be built into the DNA of audiophiles to crave constant improvement. We passionately pursue new ways to make our music sound sweeter, more realistic, and more like a live performance. But many sonic upgrades are expensive. Buying one after another can really add up and take the fun out of this great hobby. That is, until now. Pangea Audio is dedicated to the proposition that audio upgrades don’t need to be expensive. They just need to be creatively conceived and cleverly executed. To accomplish this, Pangea Audio has engaged some of the world’s best audio designers. Like Jay Victor and Peter Madnick. Better Bass from Your Power Amp – Only $69.00! Pangea Audio was launched in the fall of 2009 with the AC-9* power cable for power amps by Jay Victor. Jay has designed audio, video, and data cables for more than a dozen leading audio manufacturers. A few curious audiophiles tried the AC-9 cable in their systems.
Improve The World’s Best-Selling DACs for Under $100 Pangea Audio’s latest upgrade was created by legendary audio designer, Peter Madnick. Peter’s career has grown from building budget designs for Audio Alchemy to his new astronomically expensive world-class Constellation Audio gear. Peter’s P-100 is an elegantly simple, superbly engineered power supply that improves the performance of two of the world’s best-selling DACs: the Cambridge Audio DacMagic and Musical Fidelity V-DAC. The P-100 is a regulated and filtered power supply that’s vastly better than the stock ‘wall-warts’ supplied by the manufacturers. In our tests, Peter’s P-100 delivers a remarkable sonic upgrade for less than $100. These are just two of Pangea Audio’s highly affordable products that bring big sonic benefits to audio and video gear. For more budget-conscious upgrades from Pangea Audio, visit www.wsdistributing.com. *Funny thing about AC-9 – due to a mathematical error at the factory, AC-9 isn’t a nine-gauge cable as the name suggests. It’s a massive seven-gauge! We kept the original name to avoid confusion.
WS Distributing
3427 Kraft SE, Kentwood, MI 49512 tel: 866-984-0677 fax: 616-885-9818 email: sales@wsdistributing.com web: www.WSDistributing.com 66 December 2011 the absolute sound
ADVANCED AUDIO TECH TALK
™ Signal Completion Stage A GIANT LEAP TOWARD REALISM Many scientists, engineers, reviewers and audiophiles long have recognized that natural, real sound has something that we never hear when sound is reproduced through electronics. In the search for sonic realism, most have assumed we could approach reality if components continue to improve. WHAT IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT IN COMPONENTS, BUT IN THE SIGNALS THEY RECEIVE? In nature, “Sound DNA” consists of three key elements: Amplitude—its gradations, maximums and minimums; Frequency—the highs, mids and lows, including all the harmonics; and Phase—the cues that tell us the direction and distance from which sound is coming, the acoustic signature of the space where it is made, which source is closer than another—in short, the “geography of sound.” All these elements interact and are instantly interpreted by the human ear/brain combination. If that were not “hard wired” into the human auditory system, cavemen would have had difficulty determining which way to run when hunting or being hunted.
Electronics do not work like the human ear/brain. As a result of cancellation effects within electronics, the phase information is not reproduced. Thus, no matter how well components do with frequency and amplitude response (and these days, many of them do very well), we will be robbed of realism and naturalism unless the phase information within all signals can also be reproduced. Many attempts have been made to reproduce the space, air, solidity and directionality that are parts of complete sound in nature. The best of them is stereo itself, but the illusion it creates is incomplete. The entire processor industry is built upon synthesizing the missing information, but the ear/brain combination “knows” the information is “fake.” The only way to get natural, complete information requires uncovering and reproducing through electronics the natural phase information that has been hidden and buried in every signal. After seven years of research and experimentation, we succeeded! For the first time, ALL the fundamental elements of sound, including those previously hidden and buried, can be retrieved and reproduced. Hence, we believe—and think you will agree—that bsg technologies’ qøl™ technology is the most significant advance in audio in decades. Our qøl™ Signal Completion Stage is an entirely new category of high-end component. You can try it without risk.
3007 Washington Blvd. Suite 225, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 tel: 310.827.2748 (bsgt) email: info@bsgt.com website: www.bsgt.com the absolute sound December 2011 67
Equipment Report
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Music System Lift-off! B&W’s Zeppelin Takes to the Air Wayne Garcia
B
ack in Issue 178, Robert Harley wrote about B&W’s first venture into the brave new world of iPod-based music systems. As Robert rightly pointed out, “Most amplified speaker systems for the iPod are cheap plastic jobs with sound quality so poor you ask yourself, ‘Why even bother?’” Although things have changed since the original Zeppelin was launched in 2008, with dozens of manufacturers—including Wadia and other high-end firms—joining in, most iPod systems remain “cheap plastic jobs.” But the Zeppelin is different. It offers sophisticated engineering and a genuine taste of high-end sound in a very cool-looking and nicely built package. And the latest version is cooler still. The new Zeppelin Air features several improvements that we’ll get to shortly. But the one that makes it an especially fun and rewarding device to use is Apple’s AirStream technology, which allows music to stream wirelessly from a Mac or PC, an iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad. Thanks to AirPlay—and unlike the original Zeppelin—no docking is required (though the Zeppelin Air does retain its iPod/iPhone dock). Using any of these Apple devices as a remote control with 68 December 2011 the absolute sound
the Zeppelin Air allows full access to your iTunes library, and to permit the very best possible sound quality the wireless transfer is done via Apple Lossless technology. You can also connect a computer or other USB source to the Zeppelin’s USB input for wired connection. What’s more, and sexy as hell, is that the Zeppelin Air also streams Web content. So even if you’re listening to a favorite podcast, or watching a YouTube clip, or streaming from an Internet radio or movie source, the sonic improvement over built-in computer speakers and all but the best headphones is indeed significant. Got apps? How about something like Virtuoso, the virtual piano app? One evening, while I was showing off the Zeppelin Air’s bag of tricks, a friend’s 5-year-old daughter played me snippets of a Bach partita using an iPad and the Zeppelin Air. Though not exactly the timbre of a real piano, the sound was still remarkably good—and what fun it was! And while I’m too much of a geezer to be a gamer, those who are should thrill at the sonic upgrade a Zeppelin will provide. Even though custom-installers won’t like this, the Zeppelin Air also lets its owners create an extremely elegant and affordable
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EQUIPMENT REPORT - Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Music System
multi-room system. You can stream music to each room in which you have a Zeppelin Air, plus you can adjust each unit’s volume to suit whatever room the Air resides in. B&W has made plenty of performance-oriented changes to the Zeppelin Air, as well. The new tweeter set is the same Nautilustube-loaded 1" aluminum dome used in the MM-1 computer speakers I favorably reviewed in Issue 204. This tweet is said to provide both greater detail and a wider stage. In order to provide a more open sound, a pair of 3.5" midrange drivers replaces the original 4" units, and the amps that drive them have been improved, too. Where the original Zeppelin had a pair of 25-watters driving the tweeter and mids, the new unit is a fully active 2.1 design. A quartet of 25-watt Class D amps drives each midrange and highfrequency driver, while a 50-watt design powers the 5" woofer, whose Flow Port venting system has been lengthened to improve bass extension. The new and lighter enclosure is fabricated from glass-fiber filled ABS (a thermoplastic), which is stiffer than the original Zep’s chassis, and, says B&W, delivers improved dynamic range. Finally, the new Zeppelin uses more sophisticated DSP circuitry, and where the original DACs sampled at a 16-bit/48kHz rate, every input on the Air, including AirPlay, is upsampled and processed through newly deigned 24-bit/96kHz DACs. Rather remarkably, the price of the Zeppelin Air is identical to the original: $599. Although I didn’t have the opportunity to spend a lot of time with the original Zeppelin, it strikes me as obvious that the Air is most definitely a sonic step up in many ways. When streaming Wilco’s live set, Kicking Television, for example, the Zeppelin Air was notably open and room-filling. There was a fair semblance of the hall’s space; Jeff Tweedy’s vocal was clean, with just a touch of chesty coloration; rhythm guitars and pianos were detailed and almost lush; Nels Cline’s guitar solos had nice sting; and Glenn Kotche’s drums had surprising weight and wallop. While there is only so much air these small drivers can move, the Zeppelin Air 70 December 2011 the absolute sound
maintained a feeling of ease with sane volume levels. YouTube videos, a bit of Jeff Beck, a bit of Martha Argerich will obviously vary in sound quality. But a more important point is that, regardless of source, the experience was much richer and dramatically better than that from the pipsqueak transducer in my iPad. Even if I were a headphone user, I would still prefer the Zeppelin Air for its wireless freedom and for allowing others to enjoy the music. The original Zeppelin was fun and perfectly good sounding, but limited by its static docking station. (Note that the first edition Zeppelin, as well as B&W’s Zeppelin Mini, can be upgraded to AirPlay-ability with the addition of Apple’s AirPort Express.) The new Air edition not only sounds better, but is a remarkably versatile, way-cool—dare I say somewhat addictive?—little sound system to own and operate. A whole lotta fun for six-hundred bucks.
SPECS & PRiCiNG Type: portable ipod speaker system with remote control Driver complement: t two 1" nautilus-tube aluminum tweeters, two 3" midrange drivers, one 5" woofer Inputs: 30-pin ipod/iphone docking station, network (rJ45 ethernet or Wifi), uSb-port Outputs: Composite video Frequency response: 51hz– 36khz +/-3db
Amplifier output power: two t x 25W (tweeter), two x 25W (midrange), one x 50W (woofer) Dimensions: 25.2" x 6.8" x 8.2" Weight: 13.5 lbs. Price: $599 B&W LOuDSPEAKERS OF AMERiCA 54 Concord Street north reading, Massachusetts 01854 (978) 664-2870 bowers-wilkins.com
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Equipment Report
Rotel RCX-1500 CD Receiver Your Digital Audio Concierge Neil Gader
R
otel calls the RCX-1500 CD receiver the “most versatile component we’ve ever offered,” and I don’t doubt the claim. The RCX-1500 is a veritable multi-tasking, digital Grand Central Station. All comers welcome. Whether you want to play back a USB thumb drive or tap the RCX-1500’s highperformance Wolfson 24-bit/192kHz DAC via digital inputs, you’re covered. Want to wirelessly stream music from your laptop or just peruse the gazillion offerings on Internet radio? No problem-o. CD more your thing? The smooth, slot-load-drive adapted from Rotel’s excellent RCD1520 player has got your back. The RCX-1500 is like a digital audio concierge—the consummate greeter who never gets ruffled and always has the answer. The RCX-1500 may be a technological pack mule, but its brushed-aluminum looks are both handsome and unassuming. On the power side the amplifier boasts 100Wpc via Rotel’s Class D design, which when paired with Rotel’s legendarily beefy transformers will easily handle lower-impedance speakers down to 4 ohms. I can imagine users feeling a little intimidated by the mission-control-like front panel. The array of aluminized buttons is a bit overwhelming, but there is logic to the layout—inputs to the left, playback functions to the right next to the slot drive, and
additional menu functions at the upper right. However, the remote control needs modernizing—calling it adequate is being generous. Where the RCX-1500 departs from the traditional textbook CD-receiver is in its range of digital-audio connectivity. The Rotel’s tuner section expands beyond terrestrial FM/AM to include Internet radio, plus access to premium music services like Pandora, AUPEO, and SiriusXM. Thankfully, the RCX1500 includes thirty user-selectable presets to recall preferred stations. The front panel houses a USB input for media storage devices ranging from thumb drives to iPod and iPhones, plus a mini-jack for headphones. On the back panel is a pair of digital inputs, coax and optical, as well as a USB Ethernet port for streaming Internet radio. Streaming capability is supported by UPnP (Universal Plug ’n’ Play) technology that has been optimized for PC use via Windows Media Player 11-12. Both wireless and wired LAN dongles are supplied with the unit. Once the RCX-1500 is connected, music begins streaming wirelessly and music playlists from your PC appear on the unit’s front panel. Although Macs are not compatible with the latest Windows Media players, Apple users needn’t despair. There’s a good work-around using EyeConnect for Mac 1.6.7—a piece of third-party UPnP software that bridges the Apple/
Want to wirelessly stream music from your laptop or just peruse the gazillion offerings on Internet radio? No problem-o.
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EQUIPMENT REPORT - Rotel RCX-1500 CD Receiver Windows gap. It was an easy download, its icon appearing in the bottom row of System Preferences. It identified the Rotel as part of my network, and I was off and streaming from my Airport Express. Supported codecs vary depending on setup, but include RealAudio, WMA, MP3, AAC and AAC+ (non-DRM), AU, WAV, and AIFF. However, 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV files were the preferred currency aboard my MacBook. If I created a playlist that had both AIFF and WAV files, my EyeConnected RCX1500 skipped over the former and went straight to the WAV. Truth be told, not every electronic- or software-driven function on the RCX has the silky elegance of a Mac or a Meridian, but in this price segment no cheap shots are deserved. The bonanza of Internet radio (15,000+ stations) and streaming services is both a blessing and a curse. Navigating the terrain a single alphanumeric button at a time is like trying to find a file in Dickens’ Office of Circumlocution. However, Rotel offers a nifty Web site at rotelradio.com that allows personalization of favored digital audio sites. Just log in initially by entering the unit’s registration key code, create a user name and password, and you’re good to go. The site is highly searchable and selections will be saved to My Stations and My Streams within the My Stuff top-level menu.
The bonanza of Internet radio (15,000+ stations) and streaming services is both a blessing and a curse. Sonically, the RCX-1500 is comfortable with smaller floorstanders of moderately high sensitivity, but my sense is that the ever-popular stand-mount monitor will be its most common stablemate. And this was proven by the field day it had with a smartly designed Fritz Speakers Carbon 7, a robust twoway with musically warmish overtones, lush bass response, and smooth controlled highs. When putting on the Fritz, the Rotel had a neutral, inviting sound. The Rotel amp section provided a springboard for the Carbon 7 to launch low frequencies even at smack-down levels; it also offered good articulation and nimble responsiveness with jazz quartets or smaller orchestral ensembles. Images and staging were stable. The RCX-1500 handled virtually every audiophile criterion in a balanced, workmanlike way, which is essentially what I’ve come to expect from team Rotel. Tonally the unit was at its most richly expressive in the midrange. Winds and strings were smooth, brass lively. Transient response was quick though not hair-trigger. Dynamic energy from the upper bass onward was very good. Mildly subtractive at the tonal extremes, the Rotel didn’t open up fully in the top octaves. (There was a sense of image constriction, less air, and a lower ambient ceiling.) Though its midbass was rich and lively, the bottom octave was also dynamically dampened a bit, and big rolling orchestral percussion tympani, bass drums, and the like tend to slightly thicken, although this is a characteristic that will depend on loudspeaker resolution. As luck would have it, I had on hand for review the Wilson Audio Sophia 3. In the real world, this would be an unlikely pairing 74 December 2011 the absolute sound
with the RCX-1500 (no letters of outrage, please), but at 87dB sensitivity this iconic full-range, high-transparency loudspeaker is a relatively easy load for most amps, as many Wilson speakers are today. Was the Rotel up to the challenge? It was. Actually these observations convinced me yet again that modern amplification, even at budget levels, is more than capable of eliciting very good performance from the most exotic speakers. Bass response was quite good with a warm combination of pitch, timbre, and impact. On an all-acoustic recording like Appalachian Journey [Sony] with its dovetailing violin, cello, and bass viol, some traces of image vagueness crept in, the soundstage narrowed, and the space and air between players was a bit compressed. The Rotel’s greatest sonic vulnerability when driving the Sophias was a reduction in dynamic nuance (a primary Wilson Audio strength) and a general contraction of soundstage dimension, which, together, reduced ambient information. As with the Carbon 7 there was a hint of opacity on top, a lowered acoustic ceiling. Similarly, during Nils Lofgren’s “Wonderland” on Acoustic Live I noted softened transient attack off his lively acoustic guitar. In sum, while the RCX-1500 is not the final word in resolution, what shouldn’t be overlooked is the consistency of its overall sonic performance across so many digital audio formats—quite an accomplishment in this price segment. On another sonic front I took advantage of the opportunity to compare the Rotel’s CD performance with the same tracks ripped to my MacBook’s hard drive, first outputted via USB into a Musical Fidelity V-link convertor and then into the Rotel’s S/PDIF connectors. The sonic results were close, but I gave a slight edge to the hard drive/Rotel S/PDIF combo vis-à-vis the Rotel CD player. On a track like Norah Jones’ “My Dear Country” [Blue Note], for example, there was more ambience, cleaner transients and backgrounds, and essentially a stronger breath of life to the performance. This result should come as particularly good news for hobbyists leaning towards the server for source material. Today it’s not enough to market a receiver bundled with a CD player. Digital media and the Internet have seen to that. For a company to remain competitive, it needs to continually take the pulse of the market, as Rotel has. By adding cross-platform connectivity Rotel restores the venerable receiver to relevance. The RCX-1500 is nothing less than what I’ve come to expect from Rotel. I’d call it an old friend with benefits.
SPECS & PRiCiNG Power output: 100Wpc Inputs: Analog, digital, uSb, coax, and optical Outputs: uSb, ethernet Dimensions: 17" x 5.6" x 12.25" Weight: 18 lbs. Price: $1500
ROTEL OF AMERiCA 54 Concord Street north reading, MA 01864 (978) 664-3820
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EQUIPMENT REPORT
Sonist Loudspeakers Recital 3 natural and rewarding Garrett Hongo
i
t can be a trial to get started in audio—so many choices, so much expensive gear, and such an abundance of advice from everywhere—friends, dealers, on-line forums, and us, the audio press. There is quality as well as potential pitfalls at every level from budget gear to the highest of the high-end, and so many ways to approach building a system that they easily boggle any beginner. It was so when I re-entered the hobby some years ago, searching for an audio system for my home that might approach fidelity with the best music I’d ever heard—rock and jazz in intimate clubs, orchestral music in fine halls, and Italian operas at La Scala in Milan. I made fitful starts at it—first buying used equipment from a friend, then purchasing demo gear on the Internet, and finally focusing on tube equipment for how it rendered the human voice, acoustic piano, and the warmth and detail of violins. I went through four sets of conventional speakers before I found a pair that would handle the grand dynamics of opera singers with their sublime power and infinitude of vocal colorations, the dazzling sensuousness of combo jazz, and the speed and punch of electric rock. It took a long time—years— and a lot of money along the way. My wife says I could’ve bought myself two mid-life Beamers for what I spent on audio equipment in the past half-dozen years. I say, “Uhh, make that three!” The good news is that no one has to do it the blundering and prodigal way I did; there are numerous manufacturers who’ve invested in delivering wonderful-sounding equipment for affordable prices. A few brands come instantly to mind— NAD, Cambridge, JoLida, PSB, and Paradigm. But there are other manufacturers, small and artisanal audio designers less well known perhaps, who deliver great performance and extremely high value. Sonist Loudspeakers, based in Southern California, is one of these. Design and Development Sonist has been producing affordable, tube-friendly, two-way loudspeakers, both stand-mount and floorstanders, for the past six years, making inroads with low-power tube aficionados, but also capturing the attention of value-oriented buyers. So far, there are two basic lines of Sonist speakers—the compact Recital Series and the reference Concerto Series. The Sonist combination of good sound, affordable prices, and a finely crafted look has brought the company a growing network of dealers, both here 76 December 2011 the absolute sound
and abroad. Owner and designer Randy Bankert, a former distributor of European speakers and electronics, told me he got into speaker-building to share his passion with others and that his essential inspiration was from various European-built lines he’d enjoyed in the past. “I took my design goals from the best I’d heard—the emotion of the Reynaud, the transient response and dynamics of the Loth-X, and the creamy tonality of the Zingali—and tried to combine them in speakers of my own,” he said. I first heard the Sonist Recital 3 floorstanders ($1795, standard finish; $2195, all-wood) at the 2010 California Audio Show at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Emeryville. They were in a system sourced by an Ampex tape deck, amplified with deHavilland electronics (a 222 tape preamp, Mercury 3 linestage, and a pair of deHavilland KE50A tube monoblocks), with top-of-the-line WireWorld cabling. The sound was extremely natural, even in the challenging hotel room. But I suspected the Sinatra and classical
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EQUIPMENT REPORT - Sonist Loudspeakers Recital 3 music tapes I was hearing had a lot to do with the quality of sound, so I asked Randy to use the Cary 306 Pro player he had on hand to spin a couple of tracks from one of my show-sample CDs. These too—Ellington jazz and soprano arias—sounded terrific, so, when Robert Harley asked me what gear I’d like to cover for a series of columns on affordable audio equipment, the Recital 3 speakers were the first I asked for. Early this past spring, I picked up a pair of standard Recital 3s from a friend, a dealer in town who was auditioning them. Sporting a handsome 1" thick, solid poplar front baffle stained a medium cherry, the Recital 3s are ported, two-way, bi-wired floorstanders. They feature folded Fountek JP3.0 ribbon tweeters, integral tweeter waveguides, single 6.5" polypropylene Tang Band woofers, and internally braced cabinets with Black Hole No. 5 damping material throughout the interior, tapered sidewalls, and magnetically mounted grilles. The distinctive waveguide around the tweeter, a 1" deep trapezoidal funnel near the top of the speaker’s front baffle, makes for a stunning, crafted look. The smooth woodwork also incorporates a 6½" long, ¾" wide bass-reflex port about a half-inch from the baffle’s round-over bottom edge. “This [port location] makes it easier to place the speakers as opposed to a rear port,” Bankert said. A poplar plinth, with rounded corners and stained the same color as the front baffle, bolts to the cabinets from the bottom. The overall visual effect is like a piece of furniture in a museum of fine American woodcraft. The Recital 3s are rated at 8 ohms (6 ohms nominal), with a claimed response of 35Hz–40kHz, and a sensitivity of 93dB, suggesting they could work with amps from low-powered SETs to relatively high-power solid-state. The crossover is first-order with hinge points at 900Hz and 8kHz. Its internal parts are topshelf—a Goertz Alpha Core copper-foil inductor on the woofer and an Audience Auricap on the tweeter, with Cardas hookup wire and Cardas lead-free solder throughout. Very slim and compact, the speakers measure 40" high by 8.25" wide by 12" deep. The standard version has black, textured cabinets of ¾" Medite, whereas the all-wood version has cabinets of solid poplar, also ¾" thick—both highly attractive. Poplar was chosen because of its extremely low Q—which means it doesn’t ring much, but when it does, its resonance is evenly distributed throughout the audible frequency band. The result is a much less colored sound. You can order the all-wood speakers in one of two stock shades of cherry—medium or dark—and the standard speakers with Medite cabinets and poplar front baffles stained in either of the same shades of cherry. Custom paint colors and other wood finishes are available for a small upcharge. Setup The Recital 3 speakers were easy to move and position, especially for imaging and smoothness of sound. But I found the stock Bennic binding posts somewhat clumsy to use. They seem flimsy, are set too close together, and the knurled knobs have to be turned by hand. What’s more, the knobs are a bit undersized to work easily with bulky spades, whether on speaker cables or jumpers. Yet commercial jumpers sounded so much better than the stock Bennic brackets that I put up with the inconvenience. Later, Bankert told me he can make custom-orders for Cardas binding posts and Cardas jumpers for $160 more. I highly recommend that option. 78 December 2011 the absolute sound
In my longish living room (20' x 13' x 8½'), the Recital 3s sounded best about 6½ feet apart aligned on the short wall, 33" away from the back wall, and toed-in a few degrees, the tweeters aimed just a foot outside of my listening position about 11' away. In my study, a smaller 12' x 15' x 8½' room, I set them along the long wall about 8½' apart, 30" from the backwall, and toed-in about the same—tweeters firing about 10 degrees in from straight ahead and level with my ears. The Fountek ribbon tweeters tended to sound a bit hot if listened to on-axis. I listened both nearfield and midfield—about 7' away from the centerline between both speakers—off and on for three months. No matter where I set them up or what level of electronics I used them with, they produced a natural, surprisingly dynamic sound with wonderful detail and good upper bass for a speaker that only reaches to 35Hz. Though they’d been with my dealer friend for a while, the Recital 3s still took a few weeks of run-in to sound their best. I put about 100 hours on them before their character seemed to settle into something I felt comfortable writing about. Eschewing CDs, I mainly played computer-sourced music from 16/44.1 lossless files ripped from Red Book CDs to the hard drive of my iMac (OS X 10.6.8), running iTunes 10.2.2, and using the terrific JoLida Glass Tube DAC ($375 retail, PCM 1793 Burr-Brown DAC, review forthcoming). Bankert said he’s voiced the speakers to work with a range of amps from low-watt SETs and medium-power push-pull tube amps to higher-power solid-state MOSFETs and bi-polar devices. I found this to be completely true. Things kept going so well, I even ended up using my analog rig with the speakers. Though I mainly employed affordable cabling—a WireWorld Starlight 6 USB cable from my iMac, Audience Maestro interconnects on the USB DAC, and Audience Maestro speaker cables and Audience Au24 jumpers on the speakers—I also ended up using Siltech 330L speaker cables and jumpers, Siltech 330i interconnects, and a WireWorld Silver Starlight USB cable when I switched to my reference electronics. The Sonist Recital 3s responded instantly to every change, working well with every one of my amps, showing interesting differences of intrinsic character in the associated gear, and improving remarkably with every upgrade of source equipment and electronics. Sound My amp for the first two months or so was the 10W JoLida Glass FX10 integrated amplifier ($450 retail) that uses two pairs of EL84 output tubes in push-pull configuration. The amp comes stock with Electro-Harmonix tubes from Russia, which sounded fine, but, after about a month, I swapped them out for the excellent Chinese-made Psvane EL84 tubes distributed by Grant Fidelity. What I noticed first was that the Recital 3s have a terrific midrange and were superb with female vocals— operatic sopranos, jazz divas, and soul artists all sounded smooth and powerful. I suspect the nimbleness of the Fountek ribbon tweeter had much to do with this—it has high resolution without glare—but the Tang Band woofer, too, with its dimpled surround (said to improve cone-edge damping and reduce breakup) was doing a fine job. Bankert seems to have nailed the crossover. I noticed no shifts in timbre, drop-offs, or issues of incoherence in my listening.
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EQUIPMENT REPORT - Sonist Loudspeakers Recital 3 From a CD ripped to iTunes (16/44.1 AIFF) on my iMac’s hard drive, I played Angela Gheorghiu singing “Casta Diva” from Bellini’s Norma [EMI Classics]. The long flute introduction was light and airy, the orchestral strings mellow in tone and complementary in texture. As the melody progressed, the flute played with gradually increasing force until Gheorghiu, joining in, sailed into her sublime aria with glorious, blossoming roulades. Though I’d characterize her voice as more passionate than lyric and sweet, her top notes were always liquid and supple. The tweeter was never piercing, but demonstrated great speed and clarity, capturing the fine dramatic quality of Gheorghiu’s singing. The chorus behind her, taking over the accompaniment from the strings, was dulcet and cloudlike in a soft bloom of sound—indicating excellent low-level retrieval. Accustomed to full-range speakers, I kept looking at that single woofer, assigned the difficult task of reproducing the lower treble, midrange, and upper bass, and my subconscious mind kept wondering how it would do. But on singer after singer these speakers came through. I played fellow Cubanos Ibrahim Ferrer and Arturo Sandoval, challenging the Recital 3s to render the distinctive timbres of both voices, and I wasn’t disappointed. They captured Ferrer’s dry, slightly gritty tenor on “Bruca Manguá” from his first solo CD, The Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer [World Circuit/Nonesuch], and Sandoval’s more tightly controlled tenor on “I Can’t Get Started” from Trumpet Evolution [Crescent Moon/Columbia]. Sandoval’s vocal seemed tuned to the timbres of his trumpet solo—a brassy treble, a warm and burnished midrange. Yet I couldn’t hear a hole or enunciative discontinuity between them! And the handoff between woofer and tweeter was impressively sly. Both tracks had tight rhythm sections, but, while Sandoval’s had punchy horn choruses, speedy and open with great timbral definition among all instruments, Ferrer’s horns were looser and somewhat lugubrious, the difference demonstrating the terrific ability of the speakers to render fine shadings of timing and tone. Both recordings had good space and air. After swapping out the JoLida FX10 for my 17W VAIC/ Mastersound 300B S.E. SET integrated amp (which uses two Ayon 32b output tubes), I found the sound was punchier, quicker, with deeper bass and even more refined top-end extension. But an ephemeral issue did crop up. I noticed some chestiness in Otis Redding’s percussive baritone when I played the rhythmic “Mr. Pitiful” from The Very Best of Otis Redding [Rhino]. Suspecting the cloth grilles might be causing reflections back on the woofers, I removed them and, sure enough, the sound cleared up. And the driving beat of the drums and horns together with Redding’s powerful voice just took over the room. It was remarkable that the performance of the Recital 3s on most music played to normal levels (about 70dB–90dB by measure) was so good. For the first few of weeks, I’d thought that there was some lack of breadth and depth in soundstage and a sense of spaciousness in the music. But I kept tweaking the positioning and found that, once dialed in, these fairly diminutive speakers cast a very satisfying soundstage, wider than the span between them and fairly deep as well, projecting about two feet back and forward beyond the imaginary centerline. It was very important, however, that the speakers be toed in slightly so the tweeter fired just to the outside of my ears and that they were positioned so the bottom of the waveguide was at ear level. This 80 December 2011 the absolute sound
produced optimum soundstage and imaging. Throughout the review period, however, the main things I listen for—impact, treble clarity, midrange richness and depth, and speed—were all real and constant attributes. And their overall spectral character—a tinge on the warmish side rather than analytic— pleased me too. I couldn’t help but think, “If only I’d had this system, these speakers when I first got started started,, I could have played a lot of the music I most enjoyed—jazz, r&b, and opera—and been happy with what I heard.” But what about piano, rock, and orchestral music? Turning to vinyl after I put my reference gear in place (a Lamm LL2.1 preamplifier, 40W deHavilland KE50A push-pull tube monoblocks), I tried a Philips recording of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 36 [Philips], performed by the Academy of St. Martin in-the-Fields, conducted by Neville Marriner. On the first movement, Adagio molto - Allegro con brio, the sound was warm, somewhat rounded, and very pleasing. I noticed that strings were particularly detailed and lush and the flutes quick and sweet— likely helped by the uptick in electronics—but I didn’t hear the commanding impact or dynamic range I was used to when I paired my reference equipment with full-range speakers. The diffuse and shallow tympani strikes easily showed the limitations of the 6.5" polypropylene drivers and smallish cabinets.
SPECS & PRiCiNG Frequency response: 35hz– 40khz Sensitivity: 93db Impedance: 8 ohms (6 ohms, minimum) Dimensions: 40" x 8.25" x 12" Weight: 50 lbs. each Price: $1795, standard; $2195, all-wood SONiST ST LOuDSPEAKERS 11333 Moorpark Street, #80 Studio City, CA 91602 (818) 632-0692 sonist.com ASSOCiATED EQuiPMENT Analog source: tW-Acustic raven t two turntable; trit planar Mk.vii ultimate ii tonearm with Zyx Airy 3 cartridge (0.24mv) Digital sources: Cary 303/300 Cd player, Apple iMac with Jolida glass tube t dAC Integrated amplifiers: Jolida glass fx 10, vA v iC/Mastersound 300b S.e. Preamplifier: lamm ll2.1
Phonostage: herron vtph-2 Power amplifiers: dehavilland Ke50A, herron M1 Speaker: v von Schweikert Audio vr5 hSe Speaker cables: Audience Maestro with Audience Au24 jumpers; Siltech 330l with 330l jumpers Interconnects: Audience Maestro, Siltech 330i USB cables: Wireworld Starlight 6 and Wireworld Silver Starlight Power cords: Cardas golden reference, f fusion Audio predator and impulse, harmonix xdC Studio Master, thor red, and Wireworld Stratus Power conditioner: Weizhi prS-6 power strip Accessories: box f furniture S5S five-shelf rack in sapele, hrS damping plates, edenSound f boy dampers fat
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Sonist Loudspeakers Recital 3 - EQUIPMENT Moving on to vintage rock and back to computer-sourced, digital sound, “Empty Pages” from Traffic’s John Barleycorn Must Die [Island] was positively toe-tapping. Though the soundstage was limited to the area between the speakers and not deep on this 1970 recording, the boogie-factor came out strutting in high-heel shoes. The kickdrum had good thump and Stevie Winwood’s soul-school wails were clear and spirited. Rhythmic timing between bass and drum was superb, the guitars and electric piano sparkling. Alas, the speakers didn’t reach down and rattle the floor, nor did Winwood’s bass have the best definition I’d ever heard. To assess how the Recital 3s worked with solid-state gear, I replaced the deHavilland KE50A tubed monoblocks with a pair of 150W Herron Audio M1 monos, themselves possessed of a “tubelike” sound. I also wanted to hear how the speakers sounded on piano music and turned to a favorite recording—The Bill Evans Trio at the Village Vanguard [Riverside]. From the first few notes, I could tell that the harmonics on “My Foolish Heart” were going to be bountiful. Evans’ piano just exploded with richness and a gorgeous presence. And the brushwork of drummer Paul Motian was crisp and tactile, with clear distinctions of timbre between snare brushes, soft crash cymbal strikes, and feathery high-hat work. Scott LaFaro’s bass was articulate and organic with a lovely depth of decay. The speakers seemed to disappear and couple completely to my room. And the imaging was excellent. Spatial cues, stray clinks from beer mugs and glasses, and even stray natterings from schmoozers in the audience carried lightly into the recording, giving it ambience and that unmistakable “live” quality. In the end, I’d say that the Sonist Recital 3 speakers are almost too good to be true. Value products, they give performance high above their price point and look terrific— with a distinctive horn-augmented ribbon tweeter, and a compact slimline design that makes them easy to set up and move almost anywhere. Their limitations seemed not of design or parts but just plain size—these are small floorstanders, after all. I’ve placed them in my living room with an SET amp, in my study with a computer-sourced system of budget desktop electronics, and also in my reference system with both tubed and solid state amps and, every time, the sound was invariably rewarding and natural. If you’re just getting started in audio or thinking about setting up a second system for the office or bedroom, I strongly recommend the Sonist Recital 3 speakers be on your audition list. I’m ordering a pair.
REPORT
I’m pleased to publish this first review by new contributor Garrett Hongo. Garrett is an experienced audio reviewer and serious music lover. His musical interests are predominantly classical and opera, along with 50s and 60s jazz and some rock. As part of his other passion, travel and travel writing, Garrett regularly attends performances at La Scala in Milan and La Fenice in Venice. Garrett teaches at the University of Oregon where he is Distinguished Professor of the College of Arts & Sciences and Professor of Creative Writing. He is a published poet and author. His poetry and essays have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, Kenyon Review, Harvard Quarterly, Harvard Magazine, Raritan, and numerous other periodicals. For his poetry, Garret has been awarded two Rockefeller Foundation residency grants, the Guggenheim Fellowship, two NEA fellowships, the Lamont Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets, and, in 1989, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. —Robert Harley
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Equipment Report
Studio Electric Monitor Flat Frequency Response? We Don’t Need No Stinking Flat Frequency Response! Steven Stone
O
nly a small percentage of us have the luxury of a room dedicated exclusively to our sound systems. Most of us must devise a way to share a multi-function living room or family room with other members of our household. In a perfect world these other family members wouldn’t have an opinion about how speakers look. But since most mature adults, regardless of gender, do have their own aesthetic sense, the way a speaker looks can be a topic of heated domestic discussions. Studio Electric understands the problems of sharing. Its Web site proclaims “Industrial Art For Audiophiles,” and while Studio Electric makes excellent-sounding and ridiculously reliable amplifiers, its speakers are the stars here. Few pieces of audio gear have as much industrial panache as the Studio Electric Type One and Type Two speakers. Anyone who appreciates distinctive industrial design will be impressed by the combination of Art Deco visual audacity and solid audio engineering. So stop for a second and look at the pictures of the Studio Electric Monitors. Does this Craftsman/Arts and Crafts style 84 December 2011 the absolute sound
appeal to you? If the answer is yes and you’re looking for a speaker for a small to mid-sized room, the Studio Electric Monitors may fit you better than Cinderella’s glass slipper. Not Flat and OK With That The $2550-per-pair Studio Electric monitor is, as the name strongly implies, a “monitor-sized” speaker. At 13.5 inches high by 10.25 inches wide by 10 inches deep it is an averagesized monitor. But where it begins to veer from the norm is its sealed cabinet, which boasts a response curve of 47Hz to 20kHz +/-3dB. With a 1" silk dome tweeter and 6.5" copolymer long-stroke midrange/woofer, the Studio Electric Monitor appears to be a pretty standard mini, but looks can be deceiving. The two drivers are melded with a unique asymmetrical crossover that combines a 6dB-per-octave high-frequency roll-off for the woofer with a 24dB-per-octave high-pass filter for the tweeter. David MacPherson, Studio Electric’s president and principal
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EQUIPMENT REPORT - Studio Electric Monitor design engineer, told me, “The nominal crossover point is about 3.5kHz, but you are still getting 4kHz information from the 6.5" speaker. The drivers sum in phase, but there is a small notch around 3.5kHz because of the asymmetrical points and slopes. I hate 3.5kHz anyway. . . what an aggravating frequency.” Unlike some speaker designers, Mr. MacPherson doesn’t claim to make a perfectly flat-measuring speaker. “I don’t like rulerflat response in the 3.5kHz area, and if you pull a little out, the speaker becomes less fatiguing and more musical. The human ear is not a linear device anyway. I don’t know many people that like the sound of a totally flat system, at least in those high-mid frequencies, and particularly when things get loud.” So while Mr. MacPherson isn’t averse to “voicing” the upper midrange, he doesn’t augment the monitor’s bass. “Many small monitors are voiced with a bump in the bass in the 70 to 100Hz range to give the illusion of extended bass response. Well, it’s an illusion, and it ends up resulting in one-note bass. We tried to keep the bass response linear. I mixed a couple of CD projects on the prototypes, and I found I could trust my mix more on these than on monitors with a 70Hz bump.” While the grille covers are removable, their look is integral to the monitor’s overall visual presentation and many users will probably want to use the speakers with them in place. I asked McPherson about the metal grilles’ acoustic effects. “From an esthetics standpoint, the world really didn’t need yet another two-way speaker box. I decided on a different grille design, to set the Monitor apart from other products.” MacPherson chose a stainless-steel wire mesh that is used on microphones because it’s acoustically neutral and it fits the 1930s Art Deco aesthetic chosen for the cabinetry. According to MacPherson, “The stainless mesh attenuates the tweeter just a bit, but it does it evenly across the band, and not so much as to radically change the voicing. I personally listen with the grilles on. Grilles off gives just a smidge more tweeter.” Looks Count If you’ve read this far, obviously you like the Studio Electric Monitor’s looks. The design also allows for a higher degree of customization than your average monitor. MacPherson said, “We do mostly black cabinetry with mahogany side panels and grille frames. But we can also do them in piano black for the same price. For an upcharge, you can have almost any exotic wood.” My review samples used mahogany side panels, which reminded me of the grain on the back of my 1936 Martin 000-18—nice, straight, and tightly spaced. Studio Electric recommends, and I concur, a slightly higher stand than most monitors. Instead of a 24-inch-high stand, the monitor needs a 28- or 30-inch stand, so that when you’re seated the tweeter is slightly higher than your ear. On my desktop I also raised the speakers four inches using two 500-sheet reams of 20pound OfficeMax multipurpose paper. With only a single set of binding posts, the Studio Electric Monitor doesn’t support bi-wiring, which saves the cost of an extra run of speaker cable or high-quality jumpers. The Studio Electric Monitor also has a sheet of rubberized material on its base. This not only reduces slippage but also prevents the lacquer finish on the bottom from getting scratched.
Sound Counts One of my favorite intellectual games is to try for one sentence that sums up an audio component. For the Studio Electric Monitors this was rather easy: Imagine a Spendor SA1 with more testicular fortitude. Regardless of the complexity of the music, the Studio Electric Monitors remain unfazed by wide dynamics and fast transients. Even at higher volume levels, where many monitor-sized speakers begin to display signs of stress, the Studio Electric Monitors remain completely unfazed. Like the Spendors, the Studio Electrics never sound fatiguing, even after a day of mid-to-high-volume listening. The Studio Electric Monitors’ “trick” is the higher crossover point, which allows the midrange/ woofer to handle more of the frequency range and dynamic energy. While the tweeter is not a super-tweeter, it functions more like one, because it fills in the upper frequencies while the midrange/woofer does most of the heavy dynamic lifting. If you set up the Studio Electric Monitors with your ears below the tweeter and only slightly above the midrange/ woofer’s dust cap the monitors do a superb job of disappearing on a desktop. Given their size, this is a remarkable feat. Other
SPECS & PRiCiNG Type: t two-way stand-mount/ desktop mini-monitor Drivers: 1" dome tweeter, 6.5" mid/woof Frequency response: (+/-3db) 47hz to 20Khz Impedance: 6 ohms Sensitivity: 87db Recommended amplifier power: 50 to 150 watts, 150 watts max long term, 250 watts peak Dimensions: 10.25" x 13.5" x 10" Weight: 46 lbs. (pair) Price: $2550–$2850 ASSoCiAted A Ated equipMent Source Devices: Macpro model 1.1 intel xeon 2.66 ghz computer with 16 gb of memory with oS 10.6.7, running itunes tunes 10.2.1 and Amarra t 2.1.1 music playing software, pure Music 1.8 music playing software, Audirana music playing software, Meridian/ Sooloos Control 15, Sonos Zp 90, Apple tv, tv nuforce f force bdp 93 nxe, oppo bdp 95 DACS: Weiss dAC 202, empirical Audio off-ramp 3, Wyred4Sound dac2, Musical
fidelity M-1 dAC, the Young dac Preamps: reference line preeminence one passive preamp, Morrison e.l.A.d. active preamp, parasound p-7 Amplifiers: parasound A23, edge electronics A -6, Accuphase p-300 Av power amplifier, perreaux e110 amplifier, Krell S-150 monoblock amplifiers Speakers: Aerial Acoustics 5b, A C SCM7s, Silverline Minuet At Supremes, paradigm S1s, role Audio Kayaks, earthquake Supernova mk iv 10 subwoofer, v velodyne dd+ 10 subwoofer, Jl Acoustics f112 subwoofers, Cables and Accessories: locus design polestar uSb cable, locus design nucleus uSb cable, Wireworld uSb cable, pS Audio quintet, Audioquest Cv 4.2 speaker cable, Audioquest Colorado interconnect, Cardas Clear interconnect, Cyrstal Cable piccolo interconnect, empirical Audio Coax digital cable, and Audioprism ground Controls
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EQUIPMENT REPORT - Studio Electric Monitor similarly proportioned speakers, such as the Aerial Acoustics 5B, don’t vanish quite as convincingly. The Studio Electric Monitors also produce a large listening window that provides a stable and cohesive stage. Moving from side to side or even rolling your listening chair slightly back and forth won’t alter the image one bit. Depth and dimensional cues are always easy to hear, and with phase-coherent recordings the Monitors recreated an accurate three-dimensional image where instruments had real presence. Set up in a small room the Studio Electric Monitor simply vanishes, which is what you’d expect from a speaker of its dimensions. But where the Studio Electric Monitor excels over many similarly sized speakers is its ability to produce the entire size and scope of a symphonic soundstage. The Joseph Audio Pulsars were the last stand-mounted speaker I had in my small room that could generate such a complete and immersive image. Usually, it takes larger floor-standers such as the Genesis 6.1 to generate such a generous yet unsmeared view of the orchestra. I mentioned earlier that the Studio Electric Monitors have more bass extension than most similarly sized monitors, even those with a port. Compared to the Aerial Acoustics 5B the Studio Electric Monitors have noticeably more upper and midbass energy. On my desktop I needed to move the Studio Electric Monitors farther away from the front wall to reduce their bass slightly. In my small room, where the speakers were well out into the space, this added bass worked quite nicely to give music more bloom and dynamic punch than with many other small monitors I’ve had in the same spot. Blending the Studio Electric Monitors with subwoofers, including the JL Audio Fathom f112 and Velodyne DD+ 10, was exceedingly easy since the Studio Electrics lack any bass bumps and roll off smoothly. The Studio Electric Monitors have a lovely and unfatiguing midrange, not unlike the Harbeth P-3ES2 speakers. But unlike the Harbeths, which compresses fff passages to f, Studio Electric Monitors retains dynamic subtleties during louder passages. With no hints of glare or grain at all reasonable listening levels (at 110dB SPLs, all bets are off), the Studio Electric Monitors remind me of what a mixing monitor should be—easy to listen to critically while being gentle on your ears. The one-inch silk dome tweeter delivers upper frequencies without any artificial or metallic edge. For listeners accustomed to hyped-up upper frequencies, the Studio Electric Monitors may sound slightly hooded or dark, but I think the silk dome sounds more like music and less artificial than many more esoterically-constructed tweeters. Its resolving abilities are still first-rate despite the lack of extra upper frequency edge or emphasis. It was easy to hear deep into my own mixes of live concert recordings, as well as some recent studio efforts with my bluegrass band, where the Studio Electric Monitors made perfectly clear that we are not yet ready for prime time. In a room setup it’s vitally important that the Studio Electric Monitors are placed on a taller-than-average speaker stand. I used a pair of 24" Sound Anchor single post stands augmented by the same two reams of OfficeMax paper from my desktop to raise the speaker platforms to 28". I used bright red bungee cords to secure the speakers to the stands since I hate 88 December 2011 the absolute sound
the sound of speakers crashing to the floor. If you try to use a short stand you will notice that the Studio Electric Monitor’s tweeter has a noticeable roll-off if you are more than about 30 degrees above the top of the speaker. When I stood up while listening to applause and walked forward two paces all the folks who clapped with open palms disappeared as the treble attenuated. The good news here is if you have a brighter than average room due to hard ceiling surfaces the Studio Electric Monitor may fit better than other speakers with wider vertical dispersion patterns because there’s less treble energy to bounce off the ceiling. My longtime references, the Dunlavy SC VI speakers were also purposely designed to reduce some of their tweeters’ vertical dispersion for exactly this reason. Last week the local community radio station, KGNU, broadcast live sets from Colorado’s Rockygrass festival over its Internet site. Their 128kbps stream sounded very good—so good that it reminded me of the live FM broadcasts of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from Symphony Hall that I used to listen to every Friday afternoon. There’s a particular lack of micro-compression when a live show is broadcast without any recording or playback equipment in the signal path. The Studio Electric Monitors let me hear this special “aliveness” quite clearly. The Final Count Since humans by their very nature are social creatures, inevitably we must figure out successful ways to compromise in our domestic environments. Sometimes that compromise revolves around speakers—their size, shape, color, and location. The Studio Electric Monitor was designed to not only fit into multi-use rooms, but also look and sound good while doing it. The owners of smaller mission or bungalow-style homes will see the obvious stylistic influences from that particular design aesthetic in the Studio Electric Monitor speakers. But even if you’re not a Deco devotee, the performance of these $2550 speakers, especially as desktop monitors, makes them a savvy option for anyone who wants to listen to music all day at high volumes and still enjoy the experience well into the night.
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Equipment Report
NuForce Reference 18 V3 Monoblock Amplifier Keeping Faith With The Recording Chris Martens
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have been following the gradual evolution of NuForce’s Class D Reference 9 Series monoblock amplifiers for years and have been impressed with the progress the NuForce team has made with the design over time. From the outset, I felt the NuForce amps had much to offer in detail, transient speed, expressive dynamics, and rock-solid bass, though I recognize that their sound was also considered controversial by some critics who felt the amps were overly analytical, mechanical, even bright—as if delivering what one writer termed “highs under glass.” Taking these criticisms to heart, the NuForce team labored, successfully in my view, to give successive versions of the Reference 9 a smoother and more mellifluous sound intended to deliver “sweeter highs” and “a more natural and relaxed presentation.” Each new iteration of the amplifier offered small but worthwhile incremental improvements, which were all to the good. Still, over the past year or so, NuForce decided to develop a new amplifier that would be capable of taking much bigger sonic steps forward—an amplifier meant to compete directly with statement-class amplifiers regardless of price. The result of that design effort is the new Reference 18 monoblock amplifier ($7600/pair), which is the subject of this review. Thus far NuForce’s monoblock amps have traditionally been extremely compact, featuring deep but narrow enclosures roughly 90 December 2011 the absolute sound
one-half rack-space wide. The Reference 18, however, uses a considerably larger, 17-inch-wide chassis that gives the amp the appearance of a wide, flat, metal slab finished in satin black, with the NuForce logo set in recessed letters on its top plate. At the front of the amplifier is a sharply beveled faceplate whose sharp angles remind me of the shape of Lockheed’s F-117 Nighthawk “stealth fighter.” The only oddity is that the amp appears, at first glance, not to have a front panel on/off switch of any kind. If you look closely at the amplifier’s “stealth” faceplate, however, you’ll see what appears to be a slim gloss black trim strip that in actuality turns out to be a touch-sensitive power switch. If you swipe your finger across the trim strip from left to right, the amp will power up as denoted by a red NuForce logo that illuminates from within; reverse the finger-swipe process (moving from right to left) and the amp shuts down. It’s a cool and clever design touch that’s fun to use. At the rear, the Reference 18 provides a pair of WBT speaker terminals and switch-selectable singleended (RCA) or balanced (XLR) inputs. Why did NuForce go with a larger chassis for its new amp? The short answer is that the firm wanted to equip the Reference 18 with a bigger and better power supply than the one used in the Reference 9. This high-performance power supply features an extremely elaborate array of capacitors that would never have fit
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EQUIPMENT REPORT - NuForce Reference 18 V3 Monoblock Amplifier within the tight confines of the small Ref 9 enclosure. NuForce calls its special bank of capacitors a “Cross-Matrix Array” (or CMA, for short)—an array said to minimize potentially audible “parasitic resonances” of all kinds and thus to offer a “nocompromise route to the ultimate in performance.” NuForce’s Web site provides the following description of the CMA capacitor bank: “The Ref 18 CMA employs the highest-quality capacitors of various values arrayed in a quasi-random pattern in order to spread resonances over a wide range of low-amplitude frequencies. In order to minimize stray magnetic fields, and hence, to reduce parasitic inductance, the capacitors are positioned so that their polarities are reversed with respect to each other. By lowering inductance, any remaining resonance is elevated to frequencies where its elimination becomes an easier task. Finally, low-value resistors combine with capacitors in strategic locations in order to dampen residual resonances.” Interestingly, the purpose of the CMA array is not to increase the amp’s power output per se (both the Reference 18 and the Reference 9 produce an identical 175 watts at 8 ohms or 335 watts at either 4 or 2 ohms), but rather to improve qualitative aspects of power delivery. NuForce says the array enhances the amp’s ability to resolve low-level textural and transient details and to handle both small and large-scale dynamic shifts with grace, speed, and finesse. Are these claimed sonic benefits borne out in real-world listening? Indeed they are, and with results that are far more dramatic than you might at first expect. Let me begin by noting that the Reference 18, like all NuForce amplifiers, benefits from a good bit of run-in time (our samples were trade-show demo units that had received plenty of burn-in in advance). I found that from the moment I powered-up the Reference 18s they immediately produced a more detailed, threedimensional, and dynamically expressive sound than any of the NuForce amps I’ve reviewed in the past. What is more, those sonic differences became even more fully fleshed out and refined after the amps were allowed to warm up for several hours. In short, the Reference 18 left behind the world of incremental improvements and instead offered a substantial sonic leap forward. One of the first things I noticed was that the Reference 18, despite having the same rated power output as the Reference 9, seems significantly more powerful and expressive. When dynamic shifts in the music occurred, whether large or small in scale, the forceful Ref 18s instantly responded with an almost startling degree of speed, power, and control. There was never any sense that the amplifier was working hard, not even in the midst of taxing or highly complicated dynamic passages, so that at every point the Reference 18 seemed ready, willing, and able to do the music’s bidding—no matter how sudden or severe the demands on its power reserves happened to be. In fact, this agile, “energy-on-demand” quality is one of the Reference 18’s signature characteristics—one that makes other amps sound, by comparison, as if they are struggling to keep pace with the music (or to overcome internal dynamic constraints). I found the Reference 18’s dynamic agility not only benefited largescale orchestral works and the like, but also gave quieter, more contemplative material greater impact and realism. To appreciate the Reference 18’s benefits on large-scale 92 December 2011 the absolute sound
material, try listening to the second (Scherzo: Allegro molto) movement of the Copland Organ Symphony with Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Orchestra [SFS Media, SACD], where you will hear relatively quiet passages unfold to become full-fledged crescendos of thundering proportions. What I found particularly interesting about the Reference 18’s handling of the movement was not just its ability to navigate the crescendo sections with muscular grace, but also—and perhaps even more importantly— its ability to highlight the dynamic contrasts between crescendos and the quieter passages that preceded them. Dynamic contrasts are one of the things the Reference 18 does best, so that at times the amp creates the illusion that it has, in a subtle and entirely appropriate way, unlocked and expanded the dynamic range of familiar records. But there is more to the Reference 18s than dynamic expression, because these amps also offer two more vital and interconnected characteristics that help to enhance realism: namely, terrific transient speed and excellent resolution of very fine, low-level details—areas where the Reference 18 comfortably exceeds the performance of the already good Reference 9 V3 SE. When first powered up, the Reference 18 sounded detailed with a capital “D,” so that I couldn’t help but notice how much sheer sonic information the amplifier was conveying. Long experience has taught me, however, to be cautious when details draw too much attention to themselves, even in seemingly good or pleasant ways, since this can be an indication that there are elements of artificial “highlighting” or “spotlighting” present (qualities that can be exciting at first, but that foster listening fatigue over the long haul). However, given adequate warm-up time, the amp undergoes a subtle yet significant sonic transformation, so that its sound—while still exhibiting tons of resolving power— becomes noticeably more liquid, easygoing, and relaxed. As a direct consequence, musical details are allowed simply to happen, unfolding effortlessly and naturally without the amplifier imparting any excess edge enhancement or unnatural brightness that isn’t part of the recording itself. As this transformation occurs, several beneficial things happen at once. First, the amplifier does an increasingly good job of capturing the sense of air surrounding instruments or reverberating within the confines of recording spaces. Second, previously veiled nuances not only become easier to hear, but also become more smoothly and fluidly integrated within the musical whole (this is the “liquid” quality I mentioned above). Third, imaging and soundstaging cues sound more whole, complete, and realistic, so that sounds no longer arrive with an unnatural and almost mathematical precision (as in, “Attention listeners: this sound just originated from a point defined by coordinates X, Y, and Z”), but rather arrive from believable locations within equally believable soundstages (as in, “The conch player just stood up to play a few solo notes before sitting down, back on the far left side of the stage just behind the conga player”). The fascinating result is that both lateral and front-to-back imaging become at once more focused and specific, yet also exhibits a more natural and organic sound (or at least that’s what happens on good recordings). Finally, timbres and tonal colors become purer, better defined, and truer to themselves. For a good example of all these qualities in action try listening to the track “Palmyra” from Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer’s Music
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EQUIPMENT REPORT - NuForce Reference 18 V3 Monoblock Amplifier for Two [Sony Classical] through the Ref 18s. The track opens with Meyer stating an elegantly simple theme on solo piano, only to be joined several measures later by Bela Fleck offering soaring, lilting, and almost ethereal lines on his banjo. Then, as the song unfolds, Meyer switches from piano to his primary instrument—an acoustic bass that, on this track, is played arco rather than pizzicato-style. It is a delicious study in contrast to hear the Reference 18 delineate the very different and yet equally evocative voices of these three instruments, and one fascinating aspect of the performance—as rendered by the NuForce amps—is that the sound of each instrument remains perfectly stable, full, and complete whether the other instrument is playing at the same moment or not. This might seem an obvious point, yet it is not. With many amps one has the sense of there being a painfully finite reservoir of clarity to draw upon, so that as more instruments join the mix the amount of resolution that can be devoted to any one of them gradually decreases. But not so with the Reference 18; it seems able to provide clarity-on-demand to fit the requirements of the record. In “Palmyra,” for instance, it is easy to get lost in the distinctive, plaintive textures and timbres of Fleck’s banjo, whose sounds begin with a fast-rising attack as the instrument’s strings are first plucked, with the fuller envelope of the note unfolding an infinitesimal split-second later as the banjo’s signature head and resonator begin to release energy. By comparison, Meyer’s bass has a radically different way of delivering sound (not to mention its typically lower-pitched voice), so that you first hear the bow start to move, then hear the bow gain traction on the string, and finally hear the bow generate a mounting wave of acoustic energy as the string and the large wooden body of the instrument begin to vibrate. The Reference 18s give you an up-close view of the collaboration between Fleck and Meyer, where Fleck’s fast fluid banjo lines have the quick dancing quality of leaves caught in a gust of wind, while Meyer’s bass lines supply an almost hypnotic surge, much like the ebb and flow of waves on a seashore. The sonic effect is both riveting and realistic, creating the illusion that the listener is seated just a few rows back from the front of the performance stage. Music for Two is an extremely well made live recording, and the NuForce amps let you hear the voices of the instruments unfold within the natural acoustics of the performance venue, making the spatial relationship between the players clear and explicit. Finally, let me come right out and tell you that the Reference 18 offers some of the best—if not the best—bass reproduction I’ve ever heard from any amplifier at any price. This is an area where NuForce amps have traditionally been very good, but where the 18 takes things to an even higher level. What is so satisfying, here, is the amplifier’s nearly unbeatable combination of extension, depth, power, nuance, and, above all, control. No other amplifier I can think of does a better or more consistent job of getting woofers to behave themselves and to follow the music, rather than allowing them to wander off on uncontrolled low-frequency excursions on their own. In short, you can trust the NuForce to get the foundational elements of bass right. To hear what I mean by these comments, try playing “Temple Caves” from Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum [Rykodisc] and listen for the ultra low-pitched “Earth drum” to sound. The instrument is exceedingly low-pitched and powerful—qualities that, with some 94 December 2011 the absolute sound
amplifiers, would be a recipe for sonic mush. But the Reference 18 wades right in, grabs hold of the sound of the drum, and simply nails it, so that you not only hear the attack and gradual decay of the drum, but also experience the full depth and weight of its presence. Yet even when caught up in the sheer power of the drum’s notes, the NuForce preserves a sense of proportion and detail, so that you also hear very subtle modulations within the envelope of the notes. The Reference 18 adds dramatic impact, not by overstating low frequencies, but rather by rendering them powerfully, yet with consistent nuance and precision. Are there drawbacks to the Reference 18? Well, as with many great audio components, the Reference 18 has some of the qualities of a double-edged sword. The good news is that it will tell you exactly what’s going on in your recordings. The not-sogood news is that, as I just said, it will tell you exactly how your recordings really sound (whether for good or ill). This is perhaps a roundabout way of saying that the Reference 18 has a certain tenaciously revealing quality that just won’t quit, and in this respect the NuForce amps do invite what might be considered an analytical or perhaps “diagnostic” style of listening. After you live with this amp for a while, you may find you instinctively become a connoisseur of fine mixing and mastering efforts, since the amp renders well-made records with stunning and at times breathtaking beauty, but also exposes any flaws that may be present for exactly what they are—flaws. The amp doesn’t browbeat you with defects in recordings, but it makes no effort to conceal them. For my part, I’d rather have the Reference 18’s pure, unvarnished honesty, but you might make a different choice. But remember this: When your recordings are up to the task, the Reference 18 will make them sound mind-blowingly good. The Reference 18 is hands down the finest amplifier NuForce has made, and I think it is good enough that it deserves to be included in most any discussion of top-tier amplifiers. Even if you have heard (and perhaps disliked) Class D amplifiers in the past, this is one I think you will find worthy of your time and consideration. Above all, the Reference 18 keeps faith with the truth of the recording itself, which is all anyone might ask of a fine power amplifier.
SPECS & PRiCiNG Frequency response: 20hz (-0.3 db)–120khz (-3db) Power output: 175 watts at 8 ohms, 335 watts at 4 or 2 ohms Inputs (switch selectable): one unbalanced analog audio (rCA jack), one balanced analog audio (xlr) Dimensions: 2.95" x 17" x 15" Weight: 16 lbs. Price: $7600/pair
NuFORCE, iNC. 382 South Abbott Ave., Milpitas, CA 95035 (408) 890-6840 nuforce.com
CoMMent on thiS ArtiCle on the foruM At A AVGuiDE.COM
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The XP-30 is the best preamplifier line stage ever made by Pass Labs. By extension it is possibly the best line stage ever made. It is the result of several years effort by Wayne Colburn and staff at Pass Labs and has undergone numerous designs, redesigns, revisions, more revisions, adjustments and tweaks; more than any preamp product with the possible exception of the XP-25 phono stage. We value technical excellence, but it is always the sound that is paramount. Many audio products have measured spectacularly well but have not gone down as classics because they have not delivered subjective qualities that keep listeners happy beyond the occasional initial excitement. With this uppermost in mind we set out to create a new preamplifier that simply invites you to listen. We want you to anticipate listening to your entire record collection, again and again.
As part of the process in developing the XP-30 we began by uniformly upgrading the playback systems of our listening group. We do not do AB or ABX testing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; our people live with prototypes as long as they like in their own system, and only one component gets changed at a time. This allows a close duplication of our customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience and makes it easier to hear differences over extended time, with our focus remaining on the quality of the sound. Several set of prototypes were evaluated and refined over a period of three years. This period also saw the final development of the XP-25, and its presence allowed us to work in as much synergy between the components as possible. In the end everyone agreed on the sound - music flows through the XP-30 with greater ease, spatial development and dynamic contrast than anything else we have heard
Pass Laboratories
PO Box 219, Foresthill, CA 95631 tel: (530) 367-3690 email: info@passlabs.com web: passlabs.com 96 December 2011 the absolute sound
ADVANCED AUDIO TECH TALK
What’s the Secret? What makes a great loudspeaker? One that you desperately want to own! If you are a music lover or audiophile or both can we assume it’s all about the sound? Perfect, real, touchable sound, like life itself performing within the stages of our homes. Do speakers produce this illusion by some serendipitous technological accident? No Way! You find the truth by systematically exploring every single aspect of relevant science. Starting from the enclosure and working inward, YG Acoustics has garnered triumph at every technical level. The enclosure has been designed to offer no voice; to not speak or resonate in the presence of music. Aircraft grade alloy was selected, not because of a love affair with metal, but because no other practical material offered this degree of rigidity and, thanks to YG Acoustics’ proprietary Pressurized Assembly, lack of resonance. CNC-machined in-house to amazing tolerances, the enclosures are precise, airtight and silent. When measured with extremely sensitive test equipment no other traditional or “modern day” cabinet material offers such low incidence of vibration. Moving to the interior of the cabinet, the absolute control of any internal resonance concerns is handled by YG Acoustics’ FocusedElimination™ technology, which slays these oscillating gremlins at the source.
The drivers, specifically the mid/woofer and subwoofer cones, must accelerate without deformation - requiring absolute rigidity. YG Acoustics’ BilletCore™ drivers are slowly carved from solid billet aluminum into precision cone shapes and are the most rigid drivers currently available. The ForgeCore™ tweeter, with its innovative internal geometries, offers vanishingly low distortion for pure, resolute high frequency reproduction. The famous YG Acoustics DualCoherent™ crossover technology, designed with a proprietary algorithm, is the only technology producing speakers optimized for perfect phase and perfect frequency response. The result is the flattest frequency response we have seen measured along with the best relative phase ever observed in independent measurements. Assisting this crossover to produce the most distortion free signals are some very special custom components: Mundorf® capacitors and resistors, in-house machined circuit boards and, most notably, is the use of in-house wound ToroAir™ inductors. These leading-edge toroidal inductors prevent the cross-contamination of electromagnetic energy from spoiling delicate high frequency detail and nuance. The Secret? It is the execution of cutting-edge technologies to deliver the heart, soul and worth of music completely unblemished. To experience this yourself you simply must check out YG Acoustics!
YG Acoustics
4941 Allison St. #10, Arvada, CO 80002, USA tel: (801) 726-3887 email: info@yg-acoustics.com web: www.yg-acoustics.com the absolute sound December 2011 97
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Vienna Acoustics is now embarking on their third decade of manufacturing in Vienna, Austria. While their name implies their origin, in our era of consolidation and more limited regional production, this is truly unique. Founded in 1989 and still led by Peter Gansterer, Vienna Acoustics products continue to embody many of his original ideals while possessing greater ability to capture the heart and soul of the art of music. The technical goals of all of Peter Gansterer’s designs are to increase the performance available by creating newer drivers that offer greater transparency while maintaining natural dynamics. The side benefits of this type of development, while more costly and time consuming, leads to far more simplified crossover layouts thus furthering the focus on parts selection and quality. The most obvious example of the driver technologies employed by Vienna Acoustics are their now recognizable “clear” drivers. Even
more significant are their patented Spider-Cone woofers that have been further refined to achieve the foundation for their newest driver, the FlatSpider-Cone coincident driver. Currently this driver technology is only available in their flagship Klimt Series loudspeakers ranging from $15,000.00/pr (The Kiss) to $27,500.00/pr (The Music). Beginning next year there is expected a newer, smaller version of this driver that is planned to find its way into a series of far more affordable models. Hopefully we will see and hear an example of this at CES 2012. While the people of Vienna Acoustics believe that technology fuels the basis of an advanced loudspeaker, the final and sometimes more critical feature is that of its cabinet design and execution. While we would all like to think that performance is first, if a speaker does not look the part it may never find its way into a wanting home. This is one of the areas that Vienna Acoustics has always surprised. It is no wonder; all of their cabinets are crafted in Northern Italy using a combination of new world materials and old world hand working. Their real wood veneers are all hand selected by Vienna Acoustics prior to production and then finished to a silk-like surface. Their lacquers are equally beautiful. Whether it’s their piano black or piano white lacquers, the surface is polished to such a luster that one can honestly use them as mirrors.
Vienna Acoustics – North America
728 Third Street, Unit C, Mukilteo, WA 98275 USA Tel: (425) 374-4015 fax: (425) 645-7985 email: sales@vienna-acoustics.com web: www.vienna-acoustics.com 98 December 2011 the absolute sound
ADVANCED AUDIO TECH TALK
Revive Your System With Accessories In uncertain economic times, many things we enjoy get put aside. But now is an ideal time to rediscover your passion for great music and videos and have fun doing it. With high-quality accessory products, you can breathe new life into your system and reveal more of the magic hidden in your LPs, CDs, and other sources. Think of it this way – just as musicians must master their instruments and learn to play together, you can learn to elevate the performance from each component that allows the system as a whole to deliver the emotion and excitement that we crave. There is no “plug and play” in high end audio, if you want to get the transcendent experience that well-recorded music and videos convey. This is true REGARDLESS of the price of the component, despite what many dealers would have you believe. In fact, the better the quality of your components, the more benefit you can reap because your system will be more capable of revealing the full extent of the
improvements that accessory products can make. Whatever the level of your system, you can get more enjoyment from your music and videos by 1) cleaning and treating your source, whether LP, CD, DVD, or BluRay; 2) treating your connections to improve the transmission of the signal through your system; 3) controlling resonances that are inherent in components, speakers, shelves and stands; and 4) optimizing your speakers by preventing extraneous noise generated by components or present in the environment from reaching your speakers. High-quality accessory products like our Prelude record cleaning system, Ultra Vivid CD/DVD enhancer, E-SST Super Silver Treatment for contacts, Valid Points resonance control kits, Reference Plus High Definition Links for speakers and Eliminator antennae eliminate the negative affects of dirt, electrical noise, vibrations, static electricity, and other factors that impede and alter the pure music signal. Don’t let the economic times get you down. Accessories are relatively inexpensive and can be done one at a time. Using accessories is a rewarding and necessary part of getting the best from your system. You’ll be amazed to hear things you’ve never heard before from your favorite LPs and discs. Rediscover the joy of the music and videos you love. Have some fun. Life is too short to be bored!
Walker Audio
email: info@walkeraudio.com web: www.walkeraudio.com the absolute sound December 2011 99
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to the conductors, the entire diaphragm moves back and forth producing sound. Orthodynamic headphones have two key advantages: far lower distortion than moving coil designs plus the ability to be driven by conventional headphone amplifiers (unlike electrostatic ‘phones). HiFiMAN Orthodynamic Headphones: Contenders for the World’s Best Design Comparison: Most high-end headphones feature traditional ‘dynamic’ or moving coil-type drivers. Others use electrostatic drivers, which offer light, flat diaphragms that are driven over their entire surface area and offer extremely low distortion. One drawback, though, is that electrostatic headphones typically require special-purpose ultra high voltage amplifiers, which are usually expensive and have been known to exhibit safety and/or reliability problems. However, a third alternative—and the one HiFiMAN has chosen for its headphones—is ‘orthodynamic’ technology, which combines the best aspects of moving coil and electrostatic design. Like moving coil drivers, orthodynamic drivers use a ‘voice coil’, yet one that is bonded to the surface of a thin flat diaphragm (much like the diaphragms used in electrostatic drivers). The diaphragm is suspended in front of a precisely arranged grid of magnets, so that when an audio signal is applied
Meet the HiFiMAN HE-6: HiFiMAN’s flagship HE-6 ($1199) is the first orthodynamic headphone to use an ultra-thin, gold-coated diaphragm—the thinnest diaphragm of its type in production today. Because the diaphragm is so light and thin, its distortion is exceedingly low. Several well-known audio journalists regard the HE-6 as one of the, if not the finest headphones available. Chris Martens, editor of AVguide/Playback had this to say in his HE-6 review, “Although the Sennheiser HD-800 is arguably one of the finest dynamic driver headphones on the market (many consider it to be a benchmark product), the HE-6 offers significantly greater performance.” To tap the full potential of the HE-6, users will need a very good (and very powerful) headphone amplifier, and to answer this need HiFiMAN is proud to release its class A, eight watt/channel EF6 headphone amplifier ($1399). The HE-6 and EF6 are destined to rewrite the rules of what to expect from a high-performance headphone system.
HiFiMan Electronics Corporation address: 41-70 Main street, #3-326, Flushing, NY 11355
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THE CuTTiNG EDGE OF LOuDSPEAKER DESiGN When Kef gave their engineers free rein to create a fitting showcase for their technological leadership, they developed a revolutionary prototype that looked and performed like no other: Concept blade, the world’s first single apparent source loudspeaker. its phenomenal sonic capabilities met with such praise that Kef decided to produce an edition that serious audiophiles could actually own. After two years of painstaking refinement - and in time to mark 50 years of Kef innovation - blade is the result. Conceived from the outset to extend the boundaries of high end audio, it’s a unique synthesis of innovative engineering and groundbreaking design based on a new architecture that achieves the ideal point source to which all speakers aspire. this is because the four sophisticated new bass drivers are configured so that their combined acoustic centre occupies exactly the same point in space as that of the uni-q hf/M hf f array, so the sound appears to emanate from a single, flawlessly coherent source.
Sculptural and acoustically inert, the slender parabolic enclosures are engineered never to interfere with the purity of the output. the advanced new hybrid cones are so light and rigid that their natural break-up point is never reached within the required frequency range. inside, you find ingenious new venting, bracing and wave management technologies. Meticulously specified, super-premium components - every one operating so comfortably within its performance envelope that you experience noticeably more precise imaging than is possible with conventional speakers. What you hear sounds as if it’s live - emotionally engaging, richly musical and effortlessly natural. A revelation, pure and simple. Single apparent source: like listening to one voice rather than many, sound from a single source is inherently clearer. not only are the acoustic centres of the hf and Mf drivers in the blade’s uni-q array coincident, but the four lf drivers are mounted symmetrically equidistant from it so that their acoustic centres occupy exactly the same point in space. this single apparent source configuration is what makes the blade so gratifyingly coherent across the frequency range, with noticeably more precise imaging than is possible from any conventional speaker. What you hear sounds as if it’s being performed live right in front of you.
Kef
10 timber lane, Marlboro nJ 07746 tel: 732-683-2356 email: sales@kefamerica.com web: www.kef.com/html/us the absolute sound December 2011 101
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Furutech expands its reach with a new line called ADL, Alpha Design Labs. ADL products are innovative, meticulously engineered designs that everyone can afford. ADL components and cables are made with the same dedication and refinement as all of Furutech’s many cables and accessories. It’s the age of personal, portable electronics; everyone carries their music with them. The Cruise and Stride headphone amplifiers deliver thrilling sound to match their stylish appearance. Whether you’re using iTunes for low-bit-rate downloads or higherresolution music files just connect your computer to an ADL headphone amp with a matching Formula 2 USB or iD-35SP stereo cable and feel the music! Visit us at CES 2012 Venetian 30-215
Alpha Design Labs
Tokyo, Japan email: service@adl-av.com web: www.adl-av.com
Many regard R2R as “the” analog source component, so UHA had a goal. To provide the Master Tape listening experience in an attractive one box deck providing the highest performance possible. After trying many decks a Tascam pro deck was found with a great tape path. It had servo tape tension control arms, full logic control, precision bearings on the idlers, to mention a few. On this platform we used the latest 2011 cost no object parts available. New custom pro tape heads and new dual mono preamps were developed. Esoteric parts such as, capacitors with silk dielectric, new toroidal power supply, (and many more), provide play back and recording with all the dynamics and detail that tape is capable of.
United Home Audio
tel: (540) 295-8313 web: www.unitedhomeaudio.com
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Unprecedented Beauty and Unparalleled Music The beauty and resonance of an authentic acoustic stringed orchestral instrument can be breathtaking. This feeling was the original inspiration for Lawrence to create their magnificent line of loudspeakers. Lawrence captures the compelling sound of a live instrument in an artful and highly functional design, providing unparalleled sonic and visual satisfaction. The “Mandolin,” “Violin,” and new floor-standing “Cello” loudspeakers, while modeled after actual stringed, musical instruments, are also fully capable of delivering wonderful reproductions of your favorite jazz, rock and blues. Beauty is only the beginning. Each speaker is distinguished by its revolutionary multi-dimensional cabinet design that has far deeper purpose than pure aesthetics. Unlike simple rectangular or square speakers, this angular design eliminates unwanted internal standing waves and resonances, allowing an uncompromising purity of sound rarely heard. Lawrence speakers are unparalleled in conveying all the subtle nuances and expressive power of a musical performance, in speakers anywhere near their price.
Designed and meticulously crafted entirely in Taiwan from first-class materials, these extraordinary loudspeakers are individually tested for sound quality by Lawrence’s professional engineers and president, Lawrence Liao, himself. Liao states, “I’m totally hands-on and involved with my work, from the time I first draft the designs, all the way to the finished product.” Lawrence Audio features a complete line of unique, high-end loudspeakers as well as an extensive selection of premium tube electronics. These products are genuine works of sonic and aesthetic art that you can be proud to have in your home! About the Founder: Lawrence Liao - Artist, musician, acoustic designer, founder and chief designer of Taiwanbased Lawrence Audio Co. Ltd., maker of high-end, limited edition and custom-made speakers. He is also a master interior designer with over thirty years of experience. An avid music lover, Lawrence plays multiple musical instruments including the saxophone, violin and piano. Lawrence combines his skills and passions to design and manufacture the most desirable loudspeakers that are fully engaging and accurate, while still being extremely fun and satisfying to listen to. Lawrence Audio will be at CES 2012 in The Venetian Room #30-118 - Come hear, see and feel the difference!
Audio Revelation
address: 2630 Pirineos Way #24, Carlsbad, CA, 92009 tel: 760-944-0444 email: jay@audiorevelation.com web: audiorevelation.com the absolute sound December 2011 103
EQUIPMENT REPORT
Stillpoints ultra Stainless-Steel Feet A Significant—and Surprising—upgrade Robert Harley
i
’d be a rich man if I had a nickel for every time an accessories manufacturer told me that his product would make a “dramatic” or “jaw-dropping” improvement in my system. Adding accessories usually renders a marginal improvement in sound—an improvement that is not always commensurate with the asking price. In my experience, accessories tinker at the margins rather than fundamentally influence a system’s sound. So it was natural that I regarded the claims of Stillpoints’ Bruce Jacobs with a wary—and weary—eye. Jacobs suggested that replacing the spikes beneath my Focal Stella Utopia EM loudspeakers with Stillpoints Ultra feet would result in a “shocking” improvement in sound quality. There’s only so much 104 December 2011 the absolute sound
SPECS & PRiCiNG Price: $225 each STiLLPOiNTS LLC 573 County road A, Suite 103 hudson, Wi 54016 (651) 315-4248 stillpoints.us CoMMent on thiS ArtiCle on the foruM At A AVGuiDE.COM
time in a day, but I gave the Stillpoints a try largely because my neighbor, Rick Brown of Hi-Fi One, is so enthusiastic about all Stillpoints products. (Rick sells a few very select lines of esoteric gear, is a great listener, and gets terrific sound at his place.) The Stillpoints Ultra is a cylindrical metal structure with a threaded insert on one end and a concave surface on the other. The threaded insert accepts an adapter, also made by Stillpoints, that screws into the bottom of your particular loudspeaker in place of the stock spikes. You must specify your loudspeaker so that you get the correct adapters. When the Ultra is placed under components, such as a power amplifier, you simply forego the adapters and allow the component to rest on the Ultra’s flat top surface.
With the Stillpoints, the soundstage opened up with greater width, depth, and bloom around images. The sound became even more detached from the loudspeakers, with a greater solidity of images between and around the Focals. The Ultra appears to have two parts: the main cylindrical structure and a loose-fitting “cap” on the end. It is actually composed of ten internal components that form an elaborate vibration-dissipation system. The internal structure includes tiny ceramic bearings that dissipate micro-vibrations. The Ultra is a two-way device, meaning that it dissipates vibration entering from either direction (from the floor or from the component resting on the Ultra). Moreover, there is no vertical path for vibration through the Ultra. This device is the highest implementation of Stillpoints’ technology, which is reflected in the price—$900 for a set of four. An aluminum version, identical in every way except for the metal, is $640 for a set of four. According to Stillpoints, stainlesssteel more quickly dissipates vibrational energy. Less expensive versions have
fewer internal energy-dissipating components. Stillpoints products are designed and made in Wisconsin. I replaced the hefty stock Focal spikes with Stillpoints Ultras, sat back, and was shocked by what I heard. With the Stillpoints, the soundstage opened up with greater width, depth, and bloom around images. The sound became even more detached from the loudspeakers, with a greater solidity of images between and around the Focals. On the familiar “Diamonds on the Souls of Her Shoes” from Paul Simon’s Graceland Graceland, the spread of voices in the unaccompanied opening passage extended more widely, and the sense of the voices hanging in three-dimensional space increased. The impression of height was more tangible, adding to the increased perception of a three-dimensional soundstage in front of me. The bass improved to a similar degree. The bottom end became tauter, better defined, and cleaner. The Stillpoints made the midbass a bit leaner, but more articulate. The improved midbass conferred greater clarity in the midrange, as well as in the bottom octave, where very low bass notes were more audible and defined once the midbass was better controlled. Bass dynamics were also improved; notes seemed to start and stop more quickly, giving the presentation greater dynamic agility and conveying more of the musicians’ dynamic expression. Finally, replacing the stock spikes with Stillpoints make the background “blacker” and quieter, allowing greater clarity and resolution of very lowlevel information. Sounds that had been somewhat undifferentiated with the stock feet became vividly clear. For example, percussion instruments that produce a series of very fine transients (shakers and guiros, for examples) sounded much more real with the reduction in transient blurring. Moreover, it was much easier to identify exactly how the instrument produced its sound. All this added up to a more lifelike reproduction. At $1800 for a set of eight Ultra Stainless-Steel feet, these devices are not inexpensive. Nonetheless, in the context of a high-end system they provide a huge sonic return on the investment.
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Equipment Report
Vitus Audio SIA-025 Integrated Amplifier What Does $1000 A Watt Sound Like? Neil Gader
T
he subject of power looms large in audio. If you’re in the market for an amp, watts-per-channel output is likely the first number you’ll look for after, ahem, the price. And, frankly, the notion that watts-per-channel is the magic bullet to better high-end sound is an easy line to fall for. But like most issues in audio it isn’t quite so simple. There are watts on the page of a brochure and watts in your listening room. Just like there’s ground beef and then there’s Kobe. For oenophiles, there’s two-buck Chuck and first-growth Bordeaux. In either example these items could be from different planets. The same goes for power. There are amps that output a flaccid twenty-five watts, and then there are the twenty-five watts of the $25,000 Vitus Audio SIA-025 integrated amplifier—pure Class A watts that have been transistor-optimized, vibration-isolated, voltage-regulated, transformer-reinforced, and probably Shiatsu-massaged—watts the likes of which I’ve never heard before. But before I touch on some of the tech that make the SIA-025 106 December 2011 the absolute sound
what it is, let me first spell out what I am hearing that makes the amp so exceptional. This Vitus Audio integrated is a remarkable study in contrasts—harmonic, dynamic, and transient contrasts from the most delicate to the heroically intense, from short percussive attacks to long decays of overtones. The moment I began playing the Argo pressing of Stravinsky’s Pulcinella I could hear a range of timbral and dynamic expressiveness that made the St. Martin in the Fields ensemble sound infinitely fluent and fluid. Section layering was exactly defined, winds soared, brass snapped to attention, and the architecture of fundamental tones and overtones always remained a continuous unbroken curtain, seemingly unimpeded by anything electronic in the signal path. There were no noise contrails glomming onto notes. The SIA025 was pure glassy stillness at idle—dead-bang quiet—and as a conveyance for music, utterly uninhibited. As it peeled back layers of electronic gauze it restored the wonder of unpredictability to the musical event.
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EQUIPMENT REPORT - Vitus Audio SIA-025 Integrated Amplifier
Even when I cued up my most familiar recordings, the chestnuts that represent what lured me into this hobby in the first place, I was confronted with fully fleshed out musical moments only hinted at before. For me it was the first two Peter, Paul and Mary albums on Warner Bros. that initially turned my head. Whether it was “500 Miles” or “Lemon Tree,” I was able to hear more of the underlying soundboard resonance from the acoustic guitars and stand-up bass, and more specific placement cues within the trio. I could tell that Mary was farther from her microphone than Peter and Paul and that each voice was yielding more diaphragm and chest sounds. It was a strong initial impression that had me eating out of the SIA-025’s hand and coming back for more. inside the SiA-025 The minimalist appearance of Vitus Audio SIA-025, of all Vitus gear, in fact, conveys substance and permanence. Constructed wholly of slabs of non-magnetic aluminum and stainless-steel— with heat sinks massive enough to cool a reactor—this amp conveys the distinct impression that the only way to budge it is with the help of a sudden shift of the Earth’s tectonic plates A handful of flush-mounted pushbuttons are hardly discernable at a glance, but the hefty custom-made and AC-rechargeable remote control makes amends with full functionality to drive the sophisticated menu-driven software. The back panel houses a pair of RCA and three pairs of balanced XLR inputs—the latter attesting to the Vitus Audio philosophy of silent running. The dual-mono layout uses Vitus’ own Andromeda proprietary wire throughout. Unique to this segment and usually reserved for loudspeakers is the color selection—three standard finishes and sky’s-the-limit as an extra-cost option. As described earlier the SIA-025 operates in Class A. Quick refresh: Class A operation means that the output stage is amplifying the entire musical waveform, both the positive and negative halves. Thus there is no crossover distortion because there is no transition between operative pairs of output devices. This contrasts with Class B or Class AB where the waveform is split evenly between matched pairs of transistors, so that 108 December 2011 the absolute sound
one amplifies the positive half of the waveform , the other the negative half. But in a surprise twist, the SIA-025 can also be instantly switched into Class AB mode, offering up 100Wpc. The advantage is this: Class A is hideously inefficient, and the amp runs hot enough to be uncomfortable to the touch. With concern over rising energy costs, if you’re just using the amp for background music having the switching option is a handy perk. Class A topology requires, and the SIA-025 uses, superior bipolar transistors that can handle the constant current flow, plus a power supply robust enough to keep up with the high current demand—not to mention heat sinking to dissipate the heat and keep the amp in a thermal comfort zone. Also, Vitus Audio uses no global feedback. The reason? Phase distortion. TAS readers may recall a statement Vitus Audio’s president Hans Ole Vitus made in a Back Page interview (in Issue 212), where he said that his affiliation with the hearing-aid industry in Denmark taught him the significance of how even the smallest phase errors can be detected by the ear, more so than small amplitude differences. Vitus opts for a custom-designed UI transformer over the ubiquitous toroid, primarily due to the much lower voltage drop from no-load to full-load in the UI transformer vis-à-vis the toroidal. For the UI the maximum voltage drop is under 2% while the average toroidal Vitus found often droops around 25% (12.5% per secondary winding, with two secondary windings for a typical “split” power supply). The consequent stability and control, particularly in the low bass and with difficult speaker loads, helps explain why the Vitus sounds so robust in most situations. The volume control is relay-based and employs only a single resistor in series with the signal at any one time. Finally thicker PCBs (2mm versus the standard 1.6mm) feature no sharp corners in routing and use the thickest possible copper layers— up to 210um. Keep in mind, the SIA-025 is not without SPL limits. It’s not designed to fill a cathedral (unless horn loudspeakers are your thing) and thus requires a speaker of suitable sensitivity. The Wilson Audio Sophia (review to come) at 87dB sensitivity did more than a fine job in that respect, but I wouldn’t go much lower in sensitivity. And terrific associated components are a must for the Vitus to make its magic.
SPECS & PRiCiNG Power output: 25Wpc Class A, 100Wpc Class Ab Dimensions: 17.12" x 5.12" x 16.9" Weight: 77 lbs. Price: $25,000 AVA Group A/S Sandgaardsvej 31, dK-7400 herning +45 9626 8046 vitusaudio.com
ASSoCiAted A Ated equipMent Sota Cosmos Series iv turntable; SMe v tonearm; Sumiko palo Santos, Air tight pC-3; parasound JC 3 phono; Wilson Audio Sophia, Mbl 120, fritz Carbon 7; Synergistic f tesla Apex, Wireworld platinum t speaker cables; Synergistic tesla & Audience au24 t powerChord power cords
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Vitus Audio SIA-025 Integrated Amplifier - EQUIPMENT Details, details, details The sonic character that the Vitus SIA-025 exhibits is a slightly romantic one, and lends a warmer cast to orchestral sound. It has a little of a hybrid personality that suggests tube bloom with solid-state control. In this regard it reminds me of the Pass Labs INT-150, a solid-state powerhouse that runs a lot of Class A bias up to about 10 watts or so. The treble has a slight roundedness and sweetness, a trait underscored by the complete absence of nasty edges to instruments. The Vitus Audio conveys the most tactile inner details— virtually down to the fingerprints on a performance. For example, during Joni Mitchell’s “California” there is the percussive slap of the plectrum against the narrow fingerboard of the dulcimer and the momentary blur of image focus when her soprano fully opens and pins the microphone. And during k.d. lang’s “Love Is Everything” from Hymns Of the 49th Parallel [Nonesuch], there’s the articulation and delicacy of the twelve-string being fingerpicked. On Lyle Lovett’s “North Dakota” from Joshua Judges Ruth [Curb], the opening piano can sound electronic and brittle on many systems, but with the SIA025 it regains its soundboard and acoustic signature. Following the breathy nuances of Lovett and Ricki Lee Jones’ low-level harmonization is a major test of an amp’s low-level resolving power, and I could hear every intimate inflection up to the last instant of every held note.
REPORT
A final surprise: Image separation and soundstage width are comparable to any separates I’ve reviewed. And this is not the norm. Typically integrated amps crimp the boundaries of a symphonic performance. The dimensional space between musicians squeezes ever tighter, as if the oxygen were being drawn from the room. But the Vitus Audio breathes the rarefied air normally granted to separates. It’s a trait that serves it especially well on high-resolution recordings and LP playback. The SIA-025 is a superb component brimming with enough finely wrought performance skills to challenge all comers. It’s the first integrated amplifier that makes no apologies at any level. Yes, its price is lofty, but every self-respecting audiophile should consider it an obligation to listen to one—if just for the hedonistic pleasure of bearing witness to the seductive musicality of one of the high end’s finest offerings.
Switch-Hitter Being able to toggle between Class A and AB allows you to restage the Class A versus AB argument over and over if you’re so inclined. But it’s really no contest. To its credit, on big, beat-driven pop music, where the tracks are compressed to heighten tightness and control, AB mode does offer a greater rumble quotient from low bass pulses and a gutsier seat-of-the-pants experience during the finale to Pictures At An Exhibition [Reference]. But in bloom and ambience the insights of AB are more generalized. For example, during pianist Evgeny Kissin’s rendition of “The Lark,” there was no mistaking the cooler piano harmonics and hint of dryness as some of the air of the recording seemed to escape the studio. On Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man [Crystal Clear], the Vitus in Class A dealt with the winds and brass section with a plum-like fullness and harmonic authenticity, while in Class AB it sounded just a little bleached. During The Wasps Overture [RCA], the Class A soundstage was a continuous curtain of tight images, harmonic interplay, ambience, and dimensionality, while the AB curtain seemed a bit more porous. the absolute sound December 2011 109
Equipment Report
Spendor SP1/2R2 Loudspeaker Updating A Classic Robert E. Greene
F
ew speakers have arrived on the scene with a more distinguished pedigree than the Spendor SP1/2R2, counting as it does among its ancestors the Spendor BC1, SP1, and SP1/2. The BC1, which made its debut in 1968, was a landmark design, the box speaker that showed once and for all that low coloration was not the exclusive province of electrostatics. Spendor had been founded by Spencer and Dorothy Hughes with the idea of bringing to the public the benefits of the BBC’s research program in the 1960s that aimed at producing truly accurate reproducers of the input signal for monitoring purposes. (Harbeth, founded by Dudley and Beth Harwood, had similar intentions.) This BBC program involved not only theoretical work but also a lot of comparison with live musical sources. And the BC1 was the product that established Spendor as a world leader in box-speaker design. Early readers of TAS will recall this well: The BC1 was reviewed way back in Issue 12. Objection was raised there to the limited loudness it could produce, but no one doubted its low coloration and essential sonic truthfulness. If I may be forgiven a personal note, a pair of BC1s acquired in 1978 were my first truly high-fidelity speakers, and acquiring them was the pivotal event in my audio life. It was at that moment that I began to believe that speakers could actually sound like musical instruments, not just generically but specifically, not just like a violin in general but like a specific violin and so on. As it happens, I still have my original BC1s, though they spent some of the intervening decades with my sister, herself a professional 110 December 2011 the absolute sound
musician, who found them every bit as addictive as I did. Later, I acquired a pair of SP1/2s, a speaker of similar design but even more accurate performance in most respects. The SP1/2 was designed by Derek Hughes, son of the founders of Spendor. There is still a certain distinctive magic to the BC1 in part of the midrange—one supposes from the unique Bextrene bass/ mid driver—but overall the SP1/2 is to my ears the finest of the three, the BC1, SP1, and SP1/2 . All three were masterworks of speaker design, but the SP1/2 was the ne plus ultra (you can read my TAS review, which is about as close to a stone rave as I have ever written, at http://www.regonaudio.com/ SpendorSP12Loudspeakers.html). I am far from alone in this fascination with the Spendor line of two-cubic-foot boxes. They have had wide critical acclaim, indeed. All these speakers had in common the same basic design: a bass/ mid driver that covered the whole frequency range from the bass, as far down as it went anyway, to the lower treble. Crossover points were quite high, and the crossover was not to a single tweeter but to a larger lower-treble tweeter, with a second smaller tweeter filling in the upper part of the top octave (crossover at 13k). This two-tweeter arrangement is unusual, indeed almost unique. But it offers obvious technical advantages. The lower tweeter can be chosen to operate well down to the crossover and below and can be large enough to minimize discontinuity of radiation pattern with the top of the bass/mid driver. At the same time, the upper tweeter can be very small, an advantage in reproducing very high frequencies. And a crossover at 13k is
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EQUIPMENT REPORT - Spendor SP1/2R2 Loudspeaker not going to be—and isn’t—a source of any discontinuity of an audibly troubling sort. One wonders why this arrangement was not taken up elsewhere! The SP1/2R shares these operating principles and driver configuration. And it retains the 2' x 1' x 1' basic box size, almost exactly matching the SP1/2 in dimensions. Spendor describes its intentions in the SP1/2R as “. . . maintain[ing] the former’s dimensions and uncanny mid- and upper-range accuracy at far higher sound pressure levels, with increased sensitivity, closer control of bass frequencies and lower midband coloration.” Spendor is no longer owned by the Hughes family, but the intention seems clearly to have been to build on the tradition. The most immediate reaction to a new speaker, and especially one that calls for comparison with a previous model, involves perceived frequency response—tonal balance, in other words. I shall return to that in a moment, but with the Spendor SP1/2R2, perhaps the most obvious difference from other speakers of today is in its stereo presentation. The audio world periodically goes through a kind of spasm of rediscovery of the remarkable stereo imaging that occurs when a speaker has only one driver, or in this case, a large driver (210mm = 8¼") that covers the whole frequency range up to a fairly high crossover point (2.8kHz in this case). This spasm happens roughly as often as a new one-driver speaker appears. But the Spendor BC1/SP1 series, continuing with the present SP1/2R2, has illustrated this point all along, even though people apparently tend to forget. Now in spite of all the talk about “soundstage,” as if it had an independent existence, the impression of space in stereo— as in real life—arises in fact from a multitude of small events each of which is presented as a stereo image. The sense that one is in a large space arises not from some gestalt as such but from the brain’s combining these myriad small reflections and reverberations into an impression of the size and shape of the acoustic space in which everything is happening. Real space, as opposed to some sort of phase-y impression of spaciousness, is thus directly attached to precision and correctness of stereo image placement. Soundstaging of the real sort is a consequence of correct imaging, not a separate item. And this the SP1/2R2 does superbly. It does not sound like those narrow-front, sharp-edged speakers, which often by comparison sound more spacious but less precise. One theory about this latter kind of speaker is that early diffraction from the narrowly spaced edges is the reason that such speakers sound as they do. Whatever the reason, the SP1/2R2 is different. The SP1/2R2 nails stereo images absolutely—and thus also nails the size and shape of the acoustic venue as far as it is actually present on the recording. And if these Spendors are a little less automatically “spacious” on that account, they are arguably speaking the truth of what is on the recording. The effect of this imaging precision is quite startling. Near the end of Dvorak’s New World Symphony, there is a passage, just before the peroration, where the different string sections successively play the motto theme involving three repeated notes followed by two repeated notes a perfect fifth lower. It is impressive, indeed, on John Eargle’s superlative Delos recording of the New Jersey Symphony (with Macal conducting) to “watch” this—because watching it is what one feels one is doing, so precisely separated 112 December 2011 the absolute sound
and placed are the sections. On many speakers, this handing off through the sections gives a somewhat approximate spatial impression. Here it is strictly “X marks the spot.” And in the trumpet variation of Telarc’s recording of Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, one can hear the separate locations of the two trumpets, closely spaced though they are, as they trade the virtuoso passages back and forth. Again, all the space there is is right there in front of you. One hears into the venue as well. On The Paul Desmond Quartet Live [Verve/A&M], the sense of listening into an actual night club is startling. Desmond and his fellow musicians are right there in front of you, with the drum set behind the saxophone’s position, and farther behind are the listeners, clinking their glasses, applauding a bit after solos while the music continues. It is all laid out before you with a kind of specificity and detail that is almost uncanny. And Harnoy’s beautiful recording of Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata [BM] has a sense of focus with the cello and the piano behind it that is compellingly realistic as well as tonally gorgeous. All speakers do stereo. But, like its ancestors, the SP1/2R2 does stereo in an unusually convincing fashion. You have to listen to appreciate this. Words can hardly do it justice. If you listen fairly close up with the speakers adequately separated, you are likely to find your idea of how stereo can work redefined, if you have not been familiar with speakers of this type previously. This sense of real, honest-to-goodness stereo is so entrancing that it can be almost hypnotic. And in my case, this hypnosis never ends. I was enthralled by the BC1, the SP1, the SP1/2, and now the SP1/2R2 on this basis—and the SP1/2RR is as convincing as the rest, perhaps even more so. I saw some advertising description of the imaging as “razor-sharp.” All I can say to that is: You’d better believe it! But of course there is more to the sound of music than the space it is in, a lot more. And enquiring minds no doubt want to know how the SP1/2R2 actually sounds. Here lies a somewhat complex tale. Like the SP1/2, the SP1/2R2 is a “flat” speaker. The SP1/2 was indeed extraordinarily flat in room, in particular. As I described in the review linked to above, applying DSP room correction to it hardly changed the sound at all. One could hardly tell whether the DSP (e.g., from Sigtech) was punched in or out. The SP1/2R2 is also really flat, as speakers go. I estimated from in-room measurements that its anechoic response probably fit into a quite tight window, say 3dB wide except for very narrow excursions beyond, in the region from 400Hz on up to 10kHz. (Below 400Hz, speakers tend to be boundary-influenced and hence placement-dependent, and above 10kHz the effects have mostly to do with airiness and transient definition rather than tonal character as such.) And measurements from Spendor confirmed this. (Philip Swift of Spendor was extraordinarily forthright and forthcoming about the technical aspects of the speaker, and I herewith take the opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks.). However, within even such a relatively tight window by prevailing speaker standards, the overall shape of the response is quite different from that of the SP1/2, for those who are interested in the comparison. The SP1/2 was, within the context of flat, inclined to be slightly “warm” and perhaps a little soft at
EQUIPMENT REPORT - Spendor SP1/2R2 Loudspeaker the top. Although on the perfect axis, it was very flat and went right on out, the overall effect in-room was of some attenuation of the top octave and a little relaxation of the lower treble as well. The speaker’s warmth, in fact, enabled it to achieve a very smooth in-room response—no difficulty in defeating the Allison effect—but compared to most other speakers, it was “musical” rather than “analytical.” And the more rabidly trebleoriented (who are mostly people who never actually hear real music) sometimes described it as “slow” (a word that ought to be stricken from the audio vocabulary, of course, being, as it is, devoid of precise meaning). The SP1/2R2 is different. It is definitely not warm, and indeed is several dB down in output around 200Hz compared to the SP1/2—or to anechoic flatness, comes to that—so one has to look hard for a good spot where the room picks this region up some. And it is also has a good bit more lower-treble energy than the SP1/2. If the SP1/2 is a tad down at 4k, as it tends slightly to be, then the SP1/2R2 tends slightly to be up there, both in comparative and indeed in absolute terms. The SP1/2R2 is also somewhat projected around 1.5kHz. The SP1/2R2s are, as it were, Disney Hall (Los Angeles) to the SP1/2s’ Powell (St. Louis), more lean clarity, less fullness and warmth. The overall effect is of being somewhat midrange-oriented and with more presence than the SP1/2. This is, of course, very much along the lines of a great many speakers nowadays, surprisingly many of which have this general pattern of deviation from flatness, as if people felt that being really flat was not exciting enough or something. I played the SP1/2R2s and SP1/2s side by side. The difference was easily audible on, for example, the Telarc recording of Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915. (Since I am a native of Knoxville, this piece has some special significance to me, as you might imagine.) Syliva McNair’s voice sounded creamily beautiful on the original SP1/2s. On the SP1/2R2s, she became in a sense more articulate, but her voice also acquired a distinct Wagnerian cast, with more forwardness, more projection, and more presence. As I said, this is all in the context of both SP1/2 and SP1/2R2 being “flat” as speakers go. But the threshold for hearing broadband tonal differences is around 0.1dB so there is plenty of room for speakers that are nominally flat, as speakers go, to sound different. And sound different these two do. When one adjusts the SP1/2R2 either with automatic DSP or by hand to smooth out the upper mids around 1.5–2.5kHz and the lower treble a bit, the sound becomes admirably neutral. James Boyk’s beautiful performance, beautifully recorded, of Debussy’s “Reflections in the Water” (on Tonalities of Emotion [Performance Recordings]) sounded eerily realistic. The complete coherence of the speaker and, most likely, the use of one driver over a large part of the range gave a remarkable seamlessness to the piano sound. I did this with the Z Systems RDP-1—penalty-free EQ!—with remarkable success. One can really get the SP1/2R2s this way to the point where one would feel comfortable evaluating, say, microphone colorations and response errors—not to mention reviewing recordings with a feeling of confidence in one’s tonal judgments. The coherence of the speaker means that it is more nearly psychoacoustically unambiguous what to do to DSP-correct the speaker than tends 114 December 2011 the absolute sound
to be the case with less coherent speakers. Correcting one driver is easier! The higher frequencies of the SP1/2R2 are rolled off when one is off-axis. You should listen directly on axis and forget the idea of pointing the speakers straight ahead. This off-axis behavior is consistent with music in concerts: Concert halls have flat direct arrival but a diffuse soundfield that is very heavily rolled above around 4kHz, with roll-off often starting even at 2kHz (see my explication of this in TAS reprinted at http://www.regonaudio. com/Records%20and%20Reality.html). But it does give a somewhat different sound from wide radiators. Specifically, this narrow pattern in the highs will make the speaker sound less high-toppy, less airy if you will, than those speakers that aim for more nearly flat power response in the top end. Direct sound is not softened: Transients are precise. But the room sound has a lower high-frequency content than with some speakers. This narrowing of pattern in the top is also probably one of the reasons that the stereo is so precise. The sound is in this respect different from what is common nowadays, for all the contemporary nature of the on-axis response. This behavior off-axis is, however, arguably correct, in one theory of how such things should be arranged, as noted in the link above. The ear has a quite different response to the diffuse field compared with direct sound. One puts a lot of high-frequency energy into the diffuse reverberant field at one’s peril. And a flat relationship between direct arrival and reverberant field never happens in live experience. The adjustments to make the SP1/2R2 sound completely flat and neutral are likely to be quite minor, though not so minor as with the original SP1/2. Just a little tweaking with the Z Systems of the 1–5kHz range in various small ways, plus careful placement to avoid a hole around 200Hz and Bob’s your uncle. (But don’t even think about trying to flatten the steady-state in-room sound
SPECS & PRiCiNG Component type: three-way dynamic-driver box speaker, bass-reflex loaded, standmounted Driver complement (per speaker): one 210 mm Spendor polymer cone (mid/bass), one 38mm soft dome tweeter, one 22mm wide-surround dome super-tweeter Crossover points: 2.8khz, 13khz Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 7 ohms minimum Sensitivity: 88db /1W/1m Frequency limits: (-3db) 55hz to 20khz
Dimensions: 25" x 11.8" x 11.8" Weight: 40 lbs. Price: $5995/pair SPENDOR AuDiO SYSTEMS S , L . LTD ropemaker park hailsham, east Sussex bn27gy uK spendor.co.uk BLuEBiRD MuSiC (u.S. Distributor) niagara falls f nY 14305 (416) 638 8207 bluebirdmusic.com
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in the top, as noted. It rolls for logical and correct reasons). These adjustments affect most obviously symphonic music, which is the most sensitive to such balance subtleties. This is literally true. Floyd Toole and Sean Olive have demonstrated that, next to pink noise, the signal that maximizes discrimination levels among similar speakers is symphonic music, with such things as jazz combos being hardly a source of discrimination at all as far as balance is concerned. In all honesty, I considerably preferred the speaker with these small corrections in place, but they are indeed small and will be largely inconsequential for a lot of (nonsymphonic) music. Indeed, for some types of solo instrument recordings, the extra presence added a feeling of realism that purely flat response did not have and one could imagine people preferring that. The SP1/2R2 sounds very detailed and high in resolution. One can hear every note, even in complex music. And its coherence is complete. This is a speaker you can listen to very close-up without any problems with hearing the drivers separately. And such close-up listening is almost irresistibly attractive since it maximizes the perceived detail—which is very fine, indeed—as well as the sense of immersion in some other acoustic. Of course you could listen from a distance, use the SP1/2R2 as a “room-filler” if you wanted to. But I doubt that you will want to, once you have heard what the close-up experience is like. Many Telarcs for example were positively stunning in their tonal realism and sense of immersion, e.g., the Rachmaninoff Second Symphony, Baltimore, Zinman cond. The SP1/2R2s will play loud, considerably louder than their predecessors. And they have more power available, real oomph, in the bass in particular, as far down as they go. While an enthusiast of organ music will still want a subwoofer, orchestral music is adequately covered by the speakers as they are, though a subwoofer would still be a worthwhile addition to get the feeling of really visceral weight in the very bottom. And the SP1/2R2s go down far enough that a subwoofer can be introduced with continuity. A crossover
at say 80Hz should work perfectly. The SP1/2R2s are a very easy amplifier load, with a minimum impedance of 7 ohms. If you are determined to use ancient amplifier technology, here is where it will work. They sounded well enough with my old Dyna Stereo 70 (modified as to capacitors), though naturally they lacked the feeling of unlimited relaxed power and total neutrality of the magnificent Sanders Magtech that I was using most of the time. Still, if you must tube, here you can tube without too much pain. This has been a long, somewhat discursive, and complex review. This is because the SP1/2R2 is an unusual speaker. It is modern, indeed, in drivers, with increased volume capacity and, one might say, a little more modern balance compared to its ancestors, which, as noted, translates into their being slightly less warm and also less ruler-flat in the upper mid and lower treble. But the SP1/2R2s, for all its modernized character, still harkens back to an idea of stereo imaging precision that has been in many quarters displaced by concepts of less definite spaciousness from ultra-wide dispersion or sound off the backwall or the like. And one can pay a price for that sense of space thus generated, as opposed to actually reproduced from the recording. I leave it to your audio conscience to ask yourself whether such spacious systems, perhaps your own, will really tell you exactly where those trumpet players in Britten’s Young Person’s Guide are sitting or, indeed, which one is playing what— or, in extreme instances, when they are alternating. There is information provided by the SP1/2R2 that escapes a great many other systems. Everyone interested in audio ought to take a serious listen to the SP1/2R2s, just to explore the boundaries of the possible in stereo that this type of speaker illustrates, not to mention its neutrality within the limits noted. These speakers are a lot more than remembrances of things past. If you spend a lot of time around live music and have a vivid memory of the literal sound of music itself, you may well find the experience of listening to the SP1/2R2 a return to the real world of music. the absolute sound December 2011 115
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Equipment Report
Aerial 7T Loudspeaker Worthy of Your Short List Kirk Midtskog
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ichael Kelly and David Marshall at Aerial Acoustics have come up with a new speaker model that will serve as the basis for more models to come. I have had the pleasure of listening to the first in the new breed of Aerials, and if the $9850 7T is any indication, I am looking forward to hearing what Kelly and Marshall produce next. Since the new full-range 7T is priced roughly $22k below Aerial’s well-regarded 20T V2 flagship, I was particularly interested in reviewing it. This three-way, ventedbox system features dual 7.1" woofers, a 5.9" midrange, and a soft ring-dome tweeter mounted in a waveguide. I first heard the Aerial 7T at CES 2011 and was immediately struck by its bass extension and clean, highly dynamic sound, even in challenging show conditions. Aerial shared half of a normalsized room with Peachtree audio at the Venetian, and that means things were rather cramped on the Aerial side—especially when one considers the 7T is not a mini-monitor. Michael Kelly used 118 December 2011 the absolute sound
an 80W Peachtree iNova integrated amp to demo the speaker as a way of illustrating that the new design need not necessarily be driven by a muscle amp. The bass extension and dynamic power coming from the Aerial CES demo, not to mention the clear and engaging overall presentation, were undeniably noteworthy. The first time I played the 7T in my system, I was almost overwhelmed by its dynamic impact, immediacy, and liveliness. The 7T is noticeably easier to drive than my Dynaudio Confidence C1, but I had already turned down the volume several clicks as a starting point. Even accounting for the sensitivity difference, the dynamic verve, “ease of acceleration,” and control were so commanding that they made me chuckle. The 7T’s dynamics and bass are not the blunt-instrument sort, characterized by bloated, lumpy, ill-defined, high-volume thumps; rather, the 7T is much more complete in its ability to flesh out transients, delineate bass pitch, and follow the propagation of notes and track their decays. Kickdrum strikes had life-like punch as they imaged on the soundstage behind the speakers and then launched into the listening room, much as they do at a live jazz show with an unamplified drum kit. Just two speakers here, and yet strongly projected elements like classical singers, brass sections, and percussion instruments seemed to defy the boundaries of typical soundstage reproduction by allowing the entire front two-thirds of my listening room to be encompassed in the soundfield. This expansiveness is not to be mistaken for forwardness: Images were placed behind the plane of the speakers but then seemed to “breathe” into the room, taking on additional solidity as the 7T imbued them with immediacy and presence. This happened with small instruments like triangles and maracas as well as large ones. How does Aerial do it? Extensive effort lavished on the enclosure, for starters. Putting aside the “controlled resonance” cabinet approach, most designers of dynamic-driver loudspeakers strive for a non-resonant, rigid, and sufficiently massive cabinet that will least interfere with the drivers’ own pistonic motion. Aerial addresses the trade-offs among MDF panels (which tend to flex) and stiffer materials (which tend to ring) by using eight layers of curved MDF with an important structural enhancement. The layers “are laid up wet, pressed into a precise curved shape with steel tools in a hydraulic press, and held for 48 hours until the glues are hard. This locks strong stresses into the material, fundamentally stiffening it and improving its mechanical properties.” The resulting curved pieces are veneered inside and out and then locked together with the front and back through tongue-and-grove joints and seven, full-sized, interlocked braces. So, in theory, you have an enclosure that meets the non-resonant, stiff, and sufficiently massive requirements. Each finished speaker weighs 96 pounds. The two-inch-thick baffle uses a constrained layer approach that combines a heavily painted MDF outer baffle with an asphaltlike compound between it and the underlying cabinet front. The review sample looked fantastic in gloss rosenut with its slightly curved metallic gray front baffle and black base. There are also eight hidden neodymium magnets that hold the grille in place. Everything about the 7T—from the fit and finish, to the large spikes (or blunted footers—your choice), to the velvet slipcovers and 48-pound, MDF-lined shipping boxes—gave me the feeling
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EQUIPMENT REPORT - Aerial 7T Loudspeaker that I was dealing with a well-thought-out, high-quality product. The 1" tweeter is a ScanSpeak soft ring radiator with a custom aluminum plate and waveguide. The 5.9" SB Acoustics midrange uses a papyrus-blend cone and a cast-magnesium frame. The twin 7.1" ScanSpeak woofers use bi-laminate composite cones and also have cast-magnesium frames. Crossover points are 400Hz and 3kHz using fourth-order Linkwitz-Riley slopes. The 7T has two pairs of binding posts for bi-wiring or bi-amping. Sensitivity is rated at 89dB, impedance at 4 ohms. I can confirm that the 7T is not difficult to drive. A friend’s 70-watt Berning ZH-270 OTL tube amp had no trouble with the 7T in my 12.5' x 17' room (or in his much larger room). This loudspeaker can be successfully mated with medium-powered tube amps, and that represents a real boon to folks who would rather not deal with a high-quality, higher-powered amp. Aerial specifies the frequency response as +/–2dB from 28Hz to 25kHz, and a –6dB point of 23Hz—and those low-end figures are completely credible. The 7T’s overall sound is clear, lucid, and very revealing. It is transparent to upstream gear and sources, and it will let you know if something is not quite right. I think part of this ability comes from an honest upper midrange and lower treble balance, one that does not skew things to make flawed recordings sound good. There is no so-called “Gundry Dip” which softens output a little in the 2kHz to 4kHz range, where the ear is most sensitive. Alanis Morissette’s voice on “That Particular Time” from Under Rug Swept [Maverick] is highlighted in her upper register to an extent that distracts from the song as a whole—an overemphasis that I have heard with other speakers but that was laid bare by the 7T. During the review period, I made some signal and power cord changes, and each adjustment was registered to a greater degree than I have ever experienced in my system before. Listeners who are willing to put in the effort to carefully sort out system-matching and setup will be richly rewarded by the 7T’s resolution and realism. As already mentioned, the 7T’s dynamic capabilities are very good. Couple that with taut, tuneful, articulate and deep bass, and you have the makings of a very engaging speaker. I have had the pleasure of reviewing some nice small speakers over the last year or so and am a fan of fine stand-mounted, two-way speakers, but I have to confess...I am a sucker for the authentically extended bass from a good floorstander. Mind you, I would prefer to just forgo the lowest octave if it is muddled or poorly integrated with the rest of the spectrum. Having said that, I just loved the 7T’s bass performance. The sense of weight and ease that the 7T brought to bear was exhilarating. Low bass notes in orchestral and pop recordings made the entire experience more involving, more present. Here is, for all intents and purposes, a full-range speaker that can be used successfully in small rooms—up to a point— with sufficient care in placement and room treatment. I found a spot where the 7T threw a deep, wall-to-wall soundstage and had precise imaging without bass overhang. I should clarify this more. The 7T was actually slightly recessed in the 70Hz–120Hz zone in my room, which is where bass can typically sound bloated and annoying. My room also tends to elevate bass below about 35Hz just a bit, so very low notes in the 30Hz-and-lower region were actually a little stronger with the 7T than notes in the midbass. While not strictly neutral, I tolerate this bass performance. OK, I admit to actually liking some aspects of it. The 7T did not exhibit 120 December 2011 the absolute sound
this same slight low-bass emphasis in my friend’s larger room. The 7T has great bass anyway you slice it. As briefly touched upon earlier, soundstaging and imaging are fantastic: deep, wide, continuous, and focused, with an apparent mid-hall perspective. Highly revealing, the 7T’s resolution also allowed me to “see” back and sidewalls of orchestral stages with greater ease than I am used to. Large and small instruments were not mushed together in an undifferentiated mass but more fleshed out and lucid. This kind of resolution helped me appreciate Stravinsky’s work even more than I had in the past when listening to Song of the Nightingale [RR]. The last two movements in particular are filled with subtle orchestration that helps explain why so many of us marvel at Stravinsky’s unique talent. Pure genius. Sometimes, I have listened to these movements and given in to the impulse to skip over some passages. Not so with the 7T. This speaker makes the little things come alive. I sat rapt and listened all the way through. Needless to say, the Aerial 7T is fun to hear. With care in setup, it will seduce you during quiet passages and wow you during bombastic ones. Its considerable dynamic range and resolving abilities make it worthy of a place on your short list at its price level—and higher. Much of music’s natural power and appeal are well served by the 7T. Impressive, indeed.
SPECS & PRiCiNG Type: three-way, vented-box system Drivers: t two 7.1" bi-laminate bass, one papyrus blend midrange, one soft ring radiator Frequency response: 28hz to 25khz (+/-2db), 23hz (-6db) Sensitivity: 89db/2.83v/1M v v/1M Impedance: 4 ohms Power handling: 600 watts Recommended amplifier power: 25 watts, minimum; 100W or more, recommended Dimensions: 9.7" x 44.5" x 15.3" Weight: 96 lbs. each Price: $9850 (pair), gloss cherry, gloss rosenut, and neometallic black Warranty: three years parts and labor, fully transferable AERiAL AL ACOuSTiCS 100 research drive Wilmington, MA 01887 (978) 988-1600 aerialacoustics.com
ASSoCiAted A Ated equipMent Analog Source: basis debut v turntable with v vector 4 tonearm, benz-Micro lp-S cartridge Digital Source: Ayre C-5xeMp Phonostage preamp: Ayre p-5xe Linestage preamp: Ayre K-1xe Integrated amplifiers: hegel h200, Music Culture MC 701 Power amplifier: gamut M-200 monos Speakers: dynaudio Confidence C1, b&W 805 diamond, Music Culture rl 21 Cables: Shunyata Anaconda interconnects and speaker wire, Shunyata Anaconda power cords A/C Power: t two 20-amp dedicated lines, fiM receptacles Room Treatments: primeAcoustic Z-foam panels
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Equipment Report
TAD Reference One Loudspeaker An Overnight Success 35 Years in the Making Robert Harley
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ost audiophiles don’t know this, but in 1975 Pioneer Electronics created a kind of “skunk works” to develop highly advanced, cutting-edge loudspeaker technologies for the professional audio market. This division, called Technical Audio Devices (TAD), operated much like a completely independent research laboratory. The combination of solid funding, contributions from some of audio’s brightest thinkers, and a mandate to create products that broke new ground resulted in several patents, Audio Engineering Society papers, and some remarkable inventions. This division’s very name speaks volumes about their charter; no flowery language or marketing spin, just 122 December 2011 the absolute sound
the words “technical,” “audio,” and “devices.” One of the innovations that arose from this development effort was driver diaphragms made from beryllium. Beryllium is the hot buzzword today—and for good reason. It is extremely light and stiff, making it the ideal material for driver diaphragms. Rockport, Magico, and Focal are among the ultra-high-end loudspeaker companies now using beryllium tweeters. But 35 years before this renaissance in beryllium, TAD developed proprietary processes for working this notoriously difficult metal into the specialized shapes of loudspeaker cones and domes. In fact, the techniques they employ today remain unique.
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EQUIPMENT REPORT - TAD Reference One Loudspeaker In 2000, TAD decided to create a division that would bring to the consumer market some of the technologies the company had developed for the professional audio world. They hired the talented loudspeaker designer Andrew Jones, who had spent much of his career at KEF working with legends of British loudspeaker design including Raymond Cooke, Laurie Fincham, and Peter Baxandal. Jones’ first product for TAD was the Model One, an audacious ground-up design whose massive cabinet was built from horizontally stacked birch ply. This construction was revived a few years later by Magico in the Mini, scaled down in size by an order of magnitude. The Model One was a sonic success (our Anthony H. Cordesman bought a pair), but the enclosure turned out to be just too difficult and expensive to manufacture. The Model One was notable not only for its heroic enclosure, but for its concentric midrange/tweeter, both made from beryllium. Many of the best loudspeaker companies design stiff cabinets, but a concentric midrange/tweeter driver is quite rare. In a concentric driver, a tweeter is mounted at the center of the midrange cone. One advantage is perfect coherence between the drivers no matter what the listening position in relation to the loudspeaker. Jones had long worked with concentric drivers, specifically KEF’s Uni-Q concept. But TAD was no stranger to concentric designs. When Jones did a patent search while researching prior art in preparation for filing his own patent application for a concentric driver, guess who owned the late-1970s patents on concentric technology? That’s right—Pioneer and TAD. Reference One Overview This background brings us to the subject of this review, the TAD Reference One. The direct descendent of the Model One, this new loudspeaker is based on the same fundamental principles of a stiff cabinet along with a concentric beryllium midrange/ tweeter. The first thing you notice about the Reference One is its rounded, graceful shapes. Within the bullet-shaped enclosure is a second bullet-shaped structure that is an extension of the front baffle. The lack of flat surfaces and parallel lines not only softens the Reference One’s appearance, it also contributes a technical function in reducing diffraction. The main enclosure is veneered in gorgeous pommele sapele wood buffed to a high sheen. The matte-black baffle forms a beautiful contrast with the natural wood. The driver complement features dual 10" forward-firing woofers and a 6.5" beryllium cone midrange. Within the midrange cone’s center is a 1-3/8" beryllium-domed tweeter. The midrange cone acts as a waveguide for the tweeter, and the concentric configuration confers many technical advantages. A large horizontal port runs across the bottom of the baffle. A flat aluminum plate, mounted at the curved enclosure’s apex, holds two pairs of binding posts for bi-wiring. The plate also serves as a heat sink for the crossover. The enclosure itself is mounted on an aluminum base that provides support as well as threads for screwing in the three short spikes. I found that the spikes were not quite long enough to penetrate my thick carpet and pad—TAD should include a choice of spike length. The Reference One’s sensitivity is 90dB and the loudspeaker has a 4.1-ohm minimum impedance, suggesting that it’s not too 124 December 2011 the absolute sound
difficult to drive. At 330 pounds out of the crate, each Reference One is heavy, but not unmanageable. Listening Setting up the Reference One was quite simple and fast—about 90 minutes from crates in the garage to final placement. The speakers seemed remarkably unfussy about location, but that could have been an illusion owing to designer Andrew Jones’ vast experience in setting up his creation. I was surprised by the amount of toe-in Jones selected; the axes crossed in front of the listening position rather than at the listening seat or behind it. If you want an example of just how low in distortion and coloration, and high in resolution, speed, transparency, and dynamics the best of today’s loudspeakers have become, look no further than the TAD Reference One. This is one clean, quick, uncolored, and dynamic loudspeaker that exemplifies the advances in loudspeaker technology over the past ten years. The Reference One’s most salient characteristic is a pristine purity and clarity, starting in the midrange and extending to the top octave. There is simply no trace of grain, hash, or grit overlaying timbres. There is also no hint of micro-tonal colorations, resonances, or frequency response anomalies through the mids and treble. The entire midrange and treble region is forefront in the presentation, giving the Reference One a lively and vivid character. Upbeat music, such as big band or Latin jazz, is particularly well served by the Reference One’s incisive presentation and visceral immediacy. The Reference One
SPECS & PRiCiNG Type: three-way floorstanding loudspeaker in a vented cabinet Driver complement: t two 10" woofers, one 6.5"/1.375" concentric midrange/tweeter Frequency response: 21hz– 100khz -10db (-3db point is 27hz) Crossover frequencies: 250hz and 2khz Sensitivity: 90db (2.83v v at 1m) Maximum SPL: 115db Nominal impedance: 4 ohms (4.1 ohms minimum) Dimensions: 21.75" x 51" x 27" Weight: 330 lbs. each, net Price: $78,000 per pair ASSoCiAted Ated CoMponentS A bAlabo bC-1 Mk-ii preamplifier and bp-1 Mk-ii amplifier, Constellation Altair preamplifier and hercules power amplifiers; Meridian
808.3 and Meridian Sooloos system (ethernet connected), dCS puccini/u-Clock, and berkeley Audio design Alpha dAC, custom fanless and driveless pC server with lynx l AeS16 card; iMac server with berkeley Alpha uSb interface; basis inspiration turntable with basis v vector 4 tonearm, Air tight pC-1 Supreme cartridge; Aesthetix rhea Signature phonostage; Shunyata v-ray v2 and Audience ar6tS power conditioners; Shunyata Cxx xseries AC cords; transparent t xl reference interconnects; t transparent xl reference loudspeaker cables; Shunyata Anaconda interconnects and loudspeaker cables; billy bags equipment racks, ASC 16" fullf round tube t t traps
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EQUIPMENT REPORT - TAD Reference One Loudspeaker could get away with this somewhat assertive rendering because of the complete absence of glare, grain, or hardness of timbre, freedom from tonal coloration, ability to maintain clarity at any listening level, and sheer sense of openness, air, transparency, and top-octave extension. This presentation is consistent with TAD’s roots in professional monitors, loudspeakers that are designed to reveal to the recording engineer exactly what the microphone feed or mastertape sounds like. If you want a soft, forgiving, and romantic sound, look elsewhere. But if you want a transducer that presents every last bit of musical detail in your favorite recordings, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more resolving loudspeaker than the Reference One. The presentation through the Reference One is dense with musical information—the inner detail of instrumental timbres, the fine micro-dynamic structure of woodwinds for example, and subtle inflections of dynamics and timing that create a sense of contemporaneous music-making. No part of the music
escapes the Reference One’s microscope. It is interesting to hear how every increase in the source resolution, from CD to SACD to 176.4kHz/24-bit files to 45rpm LP, is laid bare and seemingly heightened by the Reference One. A large part of the Reference One’s sense of life and realism comes from this loudspeaker’s stunning portrayal of transient detail; the Reference One reproduces the leading edges of transients with a speed and articulation that approach that of live music. Take an LP like Friday Night in San Francisco, a virtuoso live acoustic guitar performance by Al DiMeola, John McLaughlin, and Paco de Lucia. On many loudspeakers, the multiple ultrafast guitar lines can smear slightly, causing the music to congeal into one big sound rather than resolving into three individual instruments. Needless to say, this phenomenon reduces the music’s coherence and expression. Through the Reference One, I had a greater impression of three distinct musical lines combining into a meaningful whole. In addition, the Reference One’s mighty
Technical Description Andrew Jones was charged with developing the nextgeneration driver technology, and had at his disposal TAD’s rich history, technology, and unique manufacturing capability. The concentric driver he developed is unlike any other in the world. In addition to a beryllium-dome 1-3/8" tweeter, the Reference One’s 6.5" midrange diaphragm is also made from beryllium. Except for TAD’s tweeter, all true beryllium tweeters today are made by stamping a dome in beryllium foil under high temperature, a process that precludes complex shapes. TAD had developed, in the 1970s, a vapor-deposition process for creating beryllium diaphragms in any shape or size. In addition, vapor-deposited beryllium has a different— and reportedly superior—grain structure compared with rolled beryllium foil which is stamped into domes. Vapordeposited beryllium is stiffer than rolled beryllium, but is unbendable and will shatter under pressure. TAD is the only company in the world making vapor-deposited beryllium driver diaphragms. Vapor deposition also allows TAD to make the large midrange cone, which would be impossible with stamping techniques. The entire concentric driver is made by TAD in Japan, including casting the baskets, building the magnet assemblies, and creating the spider and suspension. Incidentally, Andrew Jones mentioned to me that in his 27 years as a loudspeaker designer, he has never used an offthe-shelf driver in any of his products; all the drivers have been designed from scratch for specific applications. The concentric driver is a true point-source, with no nodal cancellation that results when the midrange and tweeter are physically separated on the baffle. The midrange and tweeter outputs sum perfectly regardless of the listening distance, listening height, or listening axis. In addition, the midrange cone acts as a waveguide for the tweeter, controlling the tweeter’s dispersion so that at the lower end of the tweeter’s frequency range, the tweeter’s dispersion more closely matches the midrange driver’s dispersion. These qualities 126 December 2011 the absolute sound
allow the crossover to be simpler and less intrusive. The Reference One’s dual 10" woofers are made from scratch in TAD’s Japanese factory. The factory makes every element of the driver, from the baskets to the spiders. The woofer features a unique magnet geometry that linearizes the magnetic-field strength in the gap. When this magnet is coupled with a very short voice coil, the result is a more linear drive throughout the diaphragm’s entire excursion. Dual spiders help to stabilize the diaphragm at high excursions. The diaphragm itself is a tri-laminate construction of an acrylimide core sandwiched between two layers of aramid fibers. The voice coil has a whopping 100mm (nearly 4") diameter. The enclosure is made from 16 layers of 3mm MDF augmented with layered plywood. A spine at the enclosure’s rear apex is 6" thick. This apex has been machined to a flat outer surface to hold the 1" aluminum plate that supports the crossover on the inside and binding posts on the outside. There are actually two separate baffles—the inner structure that is part of the main cabinet, and the outer part that is painted black. They are bolted together, and the woofer mounting bolts pass through both baffles. The total thickness is nearly three inches. Inside the enclosure birchply braces stiffen the cabinet walls. Cabinet resonances have been tuned to be above the woofer’s passband so that they are less likely to be excited. In addition, the concentric driver is mechanically decoupled from the enclosure. A slight tilt back of the baffle provides some degree of time alignment between the woofers and the concentric driver. The cabinet is made in TAD’s Chinese factory. The crossovers are asymmetrical and feature non-classic shapes. Because of the coincident driver, the crossover has no effect on the radiation pattern or the way the drivers’ outputs sum acoustically. RH
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EQUIPMENT REPORT
TAD Reference One Loudspeaker resolving power conveyed a wealth of subtleties in fingering, dynamics, and expression. The TADs vividly brought this recording to life. Some listeners might find the Reference One a bit too vivid on this LP, however. Al DiMiola’s guitar, the brightest of the three, could get a bit etched and fatiguing. A guitar recording with a softer tonal balance, the stunningly natural LP Misterio from Strunz & Farah recorded by Kavi Alexander on the Water Lily Acoustics label, was absolutely transcendental through the Reference One. The TAD beautifully conveyed the delicate and intricate musical lines of the two guitars, revealing subtleties in the performance that fostered a deep connection with the musical expression. Similarly, comparing the CD and new SACD of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Couldn’t Stand the Weather, I found the Reference One really benefited from the reduced glare and smoother treble of the terrific Mobile Fidelity remastering. I loved the Reference One’s big, powerful, and dynamic bottom end. The region below 100Hz had a wonderful warmth, weight, power, and richness, yet with no sacrifice in articulation or pitch definition. The midbass was a bit leaner than that of the Rockport Altair or Focal Stella Utopia EM, but with tremendous precision and pitch definition. This combination served orchestral music and rock equally well; basses and timpani were rendered with equal parts sonorous richness and tremendous dynamics, and bass guitar and kick drum formed a solid foundation for rock, blues, and some jazz. Moreover, despite the bottomend impact, the bass was extremely articulate and “fast,” the Reference One conveying a wealth of subtlety in pitch and fine dynamic nuances. I could clearly hear the intricacies of virtuoso acoustic bass performances, from Ray Brown on the Bill Evans LP Quintessence (45rpm Analogue Productions reissue) to Stanley Clarke on The Rite of Strings. The Reference One’s bass power extended all the way down to the mid20Hz region, but didn’t quite reach into pipe organ territory (Track 9 of Rutter’s Requiem on Reference Recordings, for example), at least in my room. This last point is moot for most listeners;
very few recordings have information below 25Hz. The bottom line is that the Reference One has extremely satisfying bass reproduction, both in its visceral power that appeals to the body and in its articulation that appeals to the intellect. The Reference One has a world-class sense of openness and transparency, engendering a strong impression of the loudspeakers disappearing. Vocals seem to hang in space, perfectly focused exactly between, and slightly in front of, the loudspeakers. The overall perspective is slightly forward and immediate rather than laid-back or reticent—no broad midrange dip here. Conclusion The TAD Reference One is among a handful of the world’s great loudspeakers, epitomizing low coloration, tremendous micro- and macro-dynamic agility, low distortion, high resolution, and a stunning sense of transparency. The overall presentation is lively, incisive, immediate, and highly detailed, qualities that contribute to the Reference One’s ability to replace the playback hardware with a feeling of contemporaneous music-making. There might be some listeners who find the Reference One too resolving, detailed, or “technical” sounding. There’s no question that this is an unforgiving loudspeaker that provides an unvarnished view of your playback electronics and the recording chain—for good or for ill. It’s therefore important to match the Reference One with very clean sources and electronics. For listeners who like a dash of lush romanticism that rounds dynamics and softens timbres at the expense of resolution, transparency, and timbral realism, the Reference One probably isn’t for you. The TAD Reference One is clearly a world-class loudspeaker in every respect, from the innovative design through the beautiful execution. If you want to hear all the music locked away in your library with as little editorial interpretation as possible, and with the maximum conveyance of musical information, the TAD Reference One is hard to top.
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the cutting edge
Conrad-Johnson GAT Preamplifier and ART Monoblock Amplifier Tubes Triumphant! Jonathan Valin
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t’s been a long time since I’ve reviewed a conrad-johnson component, but back in the seventies and eighties I owned as much c-j gear as I did Audio Research. Indeed, there was a time when I wouldn’t have dreamed of owning anything but these two marques—and certainly nothing with transistors in it. But…times change. Nowadays, the best solid-state preamps and amps—like the Technical Brain TBC-Zero EX and TBPZero EX, the Soulution 720/700 and, quite possibly, the Spectral, Constellation, and Ypsilon electronics that I heard in Munich— compete with tubes in those timbral, textural, and dimensional areas where glass audio has traditionally reigned supreme, while the best tubes have made massive inroads into solid-state’s home territory of low noise, high bandwidth, and superior transient speed. It is almost as if the ground on which tubes and transistors have traditionally perched has begun to collapse, and both gain strategies are slowly sinking into the divide that once stood between them. The way I see it this is a good thing. High fidelity is what we’re after (or at least what I’m after) in a stereo system—and anything 130 December 2011 the absolute sound
that increases transparency to sources by lowering noise, raising resolution, and disappearing as a sound source gets my vote, no matter how it goes about doing it. Which brings me to conrad-johnson’s latest flagship products—the $20k Class A-triode GAT linestage preamplifier and the $35k (per pair), 275-watt, push-pull pentode, 6550-based ART monoblock amplifiers. Before I talk about the sound of either, a confession. In spite of what I said about owning and using c-j gear back in the day, I rather fell out of love with conrad-johnson in the late 80s and early 90s. Unlike ARC preamps and amps, which tended to the light, bright, airy, non-tubey side of neutral (the “high-definition” transistor-like side, if you will) and have progressively moved closer and closer to a colorless mean, vintage conrad-johnson components were anything but colorless. Warm, ripe, forgiving, and famously “golden” brown in timbre, they flouted their Old School tube heritage unmistakably. There are those—HP among them—who have always preferred that tubey c-j warmth and richness and gilded tonal
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THE CUTTINg EDgE - Conrad-Johnson gAT and ART palette to ARC’s leaner, brighter, higher-resolution presentation. All I can say is that, as time passed, I did not. For all its beauty and undeniably lifelike presence (particularly on well-recorded voices), the vintage c-j presentation was, for the most part, not the way music sounded to me in life or on record. Although both ARC and c-j imposed a sonic template on LPs, the fact was I could always hear more of the mix through ARC gear than I could through conrad-johnson and, when that mix was good, more of the sound of the real thing. Despite its comparative leanness of timbre, ARC was just that much more colorless, that much more transparent to sources, that much lower in tubey artifacts and higher in fidelity. As a result, throughout this decade I’ve stuck almost exclusively with ARC, and although I did review the c-j ART preamp and a c-j phonostage many moons ago (both of which I liked, in spite of the fact that they still had vestiges of vintage c-j coloration), I have not reviewed anything from the company since. This was a deliberate choice. I both admire and like Lew Johnson and Bill Conrad, and I didn’t want to put myself (or them) in a situation where I had to call one of their babies ugly. Indeed, I was more than a little leery about reviewing the GAT and the ART, even though I’d heard both sound startlingly lifelike at CES 2011 with the Scaena 3.4 loudspeakers. Secretly, I suspected that, even today, the ripe, gilded, tootoo-gemütlich-for-mytaste c-j sonic template wouldn’t have disappeared completely enough to win me over.
Warm, ripe, and “golden brown” in timbre, vintage c-j electronics flouted their Old School tube heritage unmistakably. Well, not for the first time or (trust me) the last, I was wrong. I am pleased—and more than a little surprised—to report that neither the GAT preamp nor the ART amp sound anything like c-j gear of yore. Save for one or two important areas that I’ll come to by and by, they don’t really sound much like the impressive two-box ART preamp, either, although c-j says they both grew out of the ART’s circuit. What do they sound like? Well, that’s a toughie, perhaps best approached by describing what they don’t sound like. First, as noted, they don’t sound at all like vintage conrad-johnson tube gear. There is none of the “golden brown” coloration that tended to make c-j electronics sound the way bronzed baby shoes look, no added aggressiveness in the upper mids, no roll-off in the top treble, no extra weight or thickness in the mid-to-upper bass, no slight opacity in the midrange proper, no sluggishness on transients, and no loss of detail at the front of the stage, the sides, or the rear. Second, they don’t sound particularly like ARC tube gear, either, although the differences between the two aren’t as starkly defined at they once were. There is none of the ARC Ref 5 or the now-discontinued 610T’s slight forwardness which tends to make more closely-miked instruments or those at the lip of the stage sound larger and more “present” than those that are less closely miked (or at least mixed in at lower levels); there is none of the 610T’s very soft burr or grain, which tends to make 132 December 2011 the absolute sound
instrumental images seem just the slightest bit porous (albeit bloomy and expansive), the way half-tone photos look compared to continuous-tone ones; there is somewhat less upper-midrange and treble presence and realistic bite, although the c-j is no more forgiving of mic-preamp clipping (as on certain mid-to-upperoctave sforzandos in Martha Argerich’s fine, fiery performance of the Prokofiev Third [DG]) than ARC gear is; and the GAT and ART have a bit less plumminess and a bit more definition and “grip” in the bottom octaves than the 610T did (indeed, the ART is one push-pull pentode amplifier with superb bass). Other things the c-j gear doesn’t sound like: It’s not quite as explosively
SPECS & PRiCiNG GAT Triode Preamplifier Tube complement: t two 6922s gain: 25db Maximum output: 20v rMS Output impedance: under 100 ohms THD: less than .15% Frequency response: 2hz to more than 100khz Hum and noise: 100db below 1.0v Dimensions: 19" x 4.81" x 15.375" Weight: 35 lbs. Price: $20,000 ART Monoblock Amplifier Tube complement: one M8080, one 6n30p, p, eight 6550s p Power output: 275 watts from 30hz to 15khz at no more than 1.5 % thd or iMd into 4 ohms (also available connected for 8 or 16 ohm loads) Sensitivity: 1.8v v to rated power Frequency response (at 10 watts): 20hz to 20khz, +/-.25 db Hum and noise: 108db below rated power Input impedance: 100k ohms Dimensions: 19" x 7.13" 18.75" Weight: 83 lbs. Price: $35,000/pr. JV’S REFERENCE SYSTEM S Loudspeakers: Magico q5, t d Cr-1, Martinlogan Clx, tA Magnepan 1.7, Magnepan 3.7, Audio physic Avantera
Linestage preamps: conradjohnson gAt A At Phonostage preamps: Audio research reference 2 Power amplifiers: conradjohnson Art, rt lamm Ml2.2 rt, Analog source: Walker Audio proscenium black diamond Mk iii record player, da vinci AAS gabriel Mk ii turntable with davinci grand reference grandezza Mk ii tonearm Phono cartridges: ortofon MC A90, benz lp S-Mr, davinci grand reference grandezza Digital source: t to be determined Cable and interconnect: Synergistic research galileo Power Cords: Synergistic research t tesla, Shunyata King Cobra Accessories: Synergistic Art system, Shakti hallographs (6), A/v room Services Metu panels and traps, ASC t tube traps, Critical Mass t MAxxuM equipment and amp stands, Symposium isis and ultra equipment platforms, Symposium rollerblocks and f padz, Walker prologue fat reference equipment and amp stands, Synergistic research tesla power conditioner, Walker t v valid points and resonance Control discs, Clearaudio double Matrix Se record cleaner, hifi-t i-t i-t tuning uning silver/gold fuses
CoMMent on thiS ArtiCle on the foruM At A AVGuiDE.COM
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the cutting edge - Conrad-Johnson GAT and ART
quick and unbelievably detailed as Technical Brain electronics of amplifiers and preamps that I haven’t heard, with technology (nothing I’ve yet heard is). This said, it is very detailed and certainly drawn from the superb Reference 40 preamp) and with any solidmuch faster, clearer, and cleaner than c-j gear used to be, and in state I’ve auditioned to-date. overall balance comes considerably closer to dead-center neutral I’m not sure what changes have made the c-j components less than other c-j tube electronics I’ve owned or tested. If you can classically tubey sounding and more neutral and transparent, imagine the Technical Brain gear with the warmth and saturation but there is no doubt that changes have been made. My best settings turned up a beguiling notch or two, you’ll get the idea. guess is that advances in the quality of metal-foil resistors and What this conrad-johnson duo is that none of these other Teflon capacitors (upon which c-j puts such emphasis) and the great marques (and just about everything else I’ve heard) is is use of solid-state devices for buffering, voltage regulation, and virtually grainless. Here is where the GAT preamp and ART amp power supply in combination with c-j’s elegantly simple tube do remind me of the original ART preamp, although I think circuits (a single amplification stage comprising two 6922 dual they’ve taken the ART’s singular virtue a step further. As I said in triodes for the preamp, and a three-element gain stage for the my reviews of the Maggie 3.7s, grain (no matter what its source amp, comprising a voltage gain amplifier [a single triode] directly or whether it’s an overlay or a coupled to a cathode-coupled backdrop) is distracting. Ipso facto, it phase-inverter [with a triode The new GAT and ART are (by a reminds you that you are listening handling each phase] driving an to electronics. It also adds a burrconsiderable margin) the highest- output stage of four pairs of like quality to transients and upper6550s) are largely responsible for resolution, lowest-noise c-j midrange timbres, veils ambience, the GAT and ART’s much faster, electronics I’ve ever heard. causes (as noted) instruments to higher resolution, lower coloration, sound a bit like half-tones look (as more transparent sonics. if they were made up of solid dots of tone color and blank dots I can tell you this for a fact: You won’t need a golden ear to of noise), and assorted other ills. The GAT and ART have fewer hear what this amp and preamp are now doing extraordinarily of these deleterious effects than any electronics, solid-state or right. Just put on an LP—say Melody Gardot’s terrific album tube, I’ve yet auditioned. The net result is rather like having the My One And Only Thrill [Verve]—and, well, listen. If you have guy who is incessantly rummaging through his popcorn bag in sufficiently transparent speakers (like Maggie 3.7s or Magico the seat behind yours thrown out of the movie theater. There Q5s or Audio Physic Avanteras), a first-rate ’table, arm, and is simply less noise and distraction, which, among other good cartridge (like the Walker Black Diamond III and the Clearaudio things, means that you are free to focus more fully on the music. Goldfinger Statement), and a great phonostage (like the ARC This would make for a triumphant “disappearing act” in Reference Phono 2, which combines exceptionally well with and of itself—one less (very significant) electronic artifact the GAT and ART, by the bye), the c-j gear will make Gardot standing between you and the presentation. But it would be less sound jaw-droppingly “there.” I mean “fool-ya” realistic. And impressive if it weren’t accompanied by a substantial lowering it will do this by reproducing every detail of her soft, agile, of other tube-like colorations and a subsequent substantial kittenish voice—from the whispery tremolos and pianissimos increase in transparency to sources. Getting rid of the scrim that of “If the Stars Were Mine” to the yat-like fortissimos and stands between you and the stage is swell, but it wouldn’t count gay barks of laughter on that New Orleanean romp “Who Will for much if the stage were left half in darkness or you couldn’t Comfort Me.” hear the actors clearly. Happily, the GAT and the ART are (by I know I’ve said this before, but the resolution of these fine a considerable margin) the highest-resolution, lowest noise c-j dynamic and timbral details isn’t just a hi-fi trick intended to wow electronics I’ve ever auditioned—fully competitive with the best “detail-freaks.” The simple truth is that those details and that preamps and amps I’ve heard to-date from ARC (although it fidelity are essential to the illusion of realism. Without them, should be noted that ARC is coming out with a whole new line voices, instruments, ensembles sound, more or less, the way store 134 December 2011 the absolute sound
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the cutting edge - Conrad-Johnson GAT and ART mannequins look (or digital audio of any kind sounds)—shorn of the distinctive features, the animation, the vitality that makes human beings human. Obviously, we cannot actually see performers performing on a stereo system, but with the right stuff we can hear in incredibly lifelike detail precisely how they are making music, and in hearing this can almost summon up their presence—can almost see them by means of hearing them more plainly. Components as exceptionally transparent and delicately nuanced as the GAT and ART are cases in point. In reproducing the way Melody Gardot uses her mouth, her lips, her nose, her throat to add expressiveness to sustained notes (and the way she eases off the tremolo pedal and adds sheer lung power to louder staccato passages), the c-j combo isn’t just making fuller “hi-fi” sense; it is making more complete human sense—adding distinctive features, animation, and vitality to the sonic image. When components recover this level of information about performer, performance, and music at pianissimo levels and do so with the same ease and discernment with which they recover information at fortissimo ones, artists like Melody Gardot (or David Byrne or the entire Berlin Philharmonic, for that matter) seem so much more fully present, so much more distinctively lifelike, so much more completely “there” that the effect is literally thrilling—and oh so engaging. Speaking of thrills (and David Byrne), take Melody off your ’table, put the Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense on and, as they used to say on Rolling Stones album jackets, “Play this record loud.” Once again, you won’t need a golden ear to hear what the GAT and ART are doing incredibly right, although you may not at first believe that electronics capable of the kind of delicacy that you just heard on the Gardot disc can also rock out like megawatt transistor gear. However, I’m here to tell you (and other listeners who’ve been to my digs can confirm it) they most certainly can. In fact, I don’t think I’ve had an amp and preamp in my house that can deliver the lightning-crack report of Chris Frantz’s final drum stroke on “What a Day That Was” with more realistic speed and power, or, for that matter, reproduce Tina Weymouth’s thrilling bass line at the start of the Heads’ sensational rendition of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River” with better pitch definition or more goosebump-raising authority than the conrad-johnson duo does. The ARTs are supposed to be 275W monoblock amplifiers, but I couldn’t run them out of headroom—and I typically play this album at 100dB+ average SPLs (with 110dB peaks). At the same time that the GAT and ART are doing these motocross maneuvers, you will also note that the they are reproducing the unusually complex instrumentation (and almost unbelievably rhythmically precise performance) of the Heads’ numbers—which, astonishingly, were recorded live—like tubed versions of Technical Brain gear. Which is to say, you will hear everything—from the intricate percussion schemes to buriedin-the-mix guitar and electronica fillips to background vocals to foreground lyrics to engineering edits—with utter clarity. And you will hear it on a stage that is as broad, deep, and high and as densely textured with musical information as any I’ve experienced short of a concert hall. To ice this already delicious cake, take Byrne and Company off the ’table and put on, oh, that RCA chestnut (via Decca, Kenneth 136 December 2011 the absolute sound
Wilkinson, and Kingsway Hall), Venice. This is a famously gorgeous-sounding recording of thoroughly forgettable music. But I don’t think I’ve heard it sound more gorgeous (and thereby appealing) than it does through this conrad-johnson duo. String tone is just plain ravishingly beautiful (and the orchestral choirs as finely detailed in disposition, timbre, dynamic, and texture and as panoramically staged as I’ve experienced). Let’s face it: In spite of all I’ve said about the GAT and ART’s newfound transparency and neutrality, the c-j duo still uses tubes. And tubes still have an inherent tonal and textural magic. At their best (and they are certainly at their best in the GAT and ART), tubes can reproduce strings, winds, brass, percussion, vocals with the diaphanous transparency of the very best contemporary transistor gear, without sacrificing (as some, not all, highly transparent transistor gear still does to an extent) the natural warmth of timbre that makes a violin sound like a violin rather than a glass box with cellophane strings. It is strange and wondrous that the GAT and ART can make the seating of an instrumental ensemble so “see-through” clear that you can literally count the number of players in each choir, but still retain in full the natural tonal color of each instrument and the expressive style with which each is being played. Yes, these c-j components are like the proverbial open windows when it comes to transparency. But, source permitting, they’re also like open windows that look out on beautifully colorful vistas.
The c-j combo isn’t just making fuller “hi-fi” sense; it is making more complete human sense, adding animation and vitality to the sonic image. I don’t want to leave the wrong impression. The GAT and ART don’t sound colored (or constrained) in any of the ways that c-j gear once sounded to my ear. They are strikingly open, fast, neutral, detailed, and dynamic, with, as noted, one of the most panoramic soundstages—perhaps the most panoramic—I’ve yet heard from any piece of electronics, tube or solid-state. They are also, as noted, extremely transparent to sources, both hardware and software. But I would have to say that they are inherently fuller in timbre than, oh, Technical Brain, Soulution, Spectral, or even the last generation of ARC gear I’ve heard, although this richness of timbre does not constitute an overall “color cast” (as it used to with c-j) nor is it at all unrealistic. On the contrary, it is very realistic. However, I suppose their increased density of tone color and touch of sweetness in the top treble could be called “tube-like” qualities. What this c-j preamp and amp are, above all else, is astonishingly alive-sounding—and because of their incredible width and depth of field, depth of color, depth of image, and seemingly inexhaustible dynamism (this is, as I’ve said, the most powerfulsounding 275W monoblock amp I’ve yet heard) and because of their unusual grainlessness and lack of electronic artifacts, they do that most marvelous of things any piece of electronics can do: They disappear in most ways as sound sources leaving the music hanging there in space as if conjured out of thin air, and in so
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the cutting edge - Conrad-Johnson GAT and ART doing they make the speakers they are driving seem to disappear more completely, too. To my mind, this is a singular virtue. To hear the Magico Q5s driven by the GAT/ART is—trust me—something very special. I thought I’d heard these speakers “vanish” in the past, but, no, I hadn’t. There is this, as well, because of the slightly warmer and fuller presentation of the GAT/ART (particularly when fed by the fabulous new Walker Black Diamond III—about which you will read in the not-too-distant future—or the fabulous new Da Vinci Mk II record players that I reported on in Issue 214), the bottom octaves of the Magicos, which some find a bit lean in the mid-toupper bass (I do not), are filled out in a way that is most beguiling and exciting, without any loss of the transparency and continuity that makes the Q5s’ bass octaves sound so seamlessly blended with its midband. I can safely say that the Magico Q5/GAT/
ART—at least in a room my size, when fed by vinyl sources and the truly great ARC Reference Phono 2—is one of the magical combinations, making what is, to my ear, this most transparentto-sources loudspeaker as fully appealing to absolute sound and as-you-like-it listeners as it is to fidelity-to-mastertapes types. Since I’ve heard the GAT and ART perform this exact same magic with speakers as diverse as MartinLogan CLXes, Magnepan 3.7s, Audio Physic Avanteras, TAD CR-1s, and (memorably) the Scaena 3.4s, I can confidently say that they are truly great electronics—among the very best the high end has to offer. Naturally, the conrad-johnson GAT and ART earn my highest recommendation—and my enthusiastic vote for TAS’s 2011 High-End Preamplifier and Amplifier of the Year Awards.
Setting Up the GAT and ART The GAT and ART are relatively easy to use and beautifully made. Everything about them bespeaks quality, from the way the tube cages are damped (so are the tube circuit boards, which sit on a suspension system designed to reduce microphonics) to the gold-plate-over-silver-plate oxygenfree copper input and output connectors. The preamp can be operated manually by microprocessorcontrolled pushbuttons built into the faceplate of the handsome burnished chassis or via a substantial wireless remote control supplied with the unit. Level and balance are adjustable in 100 steps of approximately .7dB each. Muting is available onboard and by remote. An oval LED screen in the center of the GAT’s faceplate shows volume and balance for each channel in large, easy-to-read numbers (ranging from a minimum of zero at mute to a maximum of 100), making setting (or resetting) volume or adjusting balance a snap. Since the GAT uses only two dual-triode 6922s, even a neophyte will find it easy to install the tubes, which sit in Lucite cages to either side of the control panel. Bucking the trend in most current high-end electronics, the GAT’s inputs and outputs (and the ART’s inputs) are single-ended only. There is a school of thought that maintains that single-ended circuits sound better than balanced ones (even though they may potentially be higher in noise and lower in gain). I’ve no position on this, since I’ve heard wonderful sound from both types of circuits, although the GAT and ART certainly set a new standard for wonderful sound in unbalanced components. Since, by design, the GAT has only one gain stage (the absolute minimum), it is a phase-inverting preamp. Which means that when using it with the ART amplifiers you will have to reverse polarity at your speakers by connecting the ART’s positive (+) terminal to the speaker’s negative (-) binding post and the amplifier’s negative terminal (-) to the speaker’s positive binding post (+). This is scarcely a chore. The ART monoblocks use ten tubes per side, including 138 December 2011 the absolute sound
eight 6550 output tubes. All of the tubes come numbered by socket for easy installation. Biasing of the output tubes is done the old-fashioned way, via a supplied red rod, whose blade end fits into screws beside each of the output tubes. When the tubes are improperly biased (and they will be on installation), LEDs located (like the bias-adjustment screws) by each output tube’s socket glow red. The object is to insert the bladed rod into each screw and rotate it until the LED associated with the tube you’re biasing stops glowing and goes dark. You want to rotate the screw just enough to turn the LED off—no more or less. You will perform this biasing about a half-hour after initial turn-on. A half-hour-to-anhour after that you will trim the pots again (if any of the LEDs have started to glow anew). From that point on, you should be done with biasing until you need to replace a tube. (Conrad-johnson says its tubes should last for two to three years). Although the GAT and ART are substantially lower in what one might call “internal noise” than any other c-j gear I’ve heard or used, they are still a bit more prone to picking up “external noise,” such as AC-line hum, EMI, and RFI, than other components I’ve had in house (at least, recently). This slightly higher susceptibility to “external noise” may also be a function (or a side effect) of c-j’s purist single-ended design. Given sufficient care in locating the units, grounding them, using the right interconnects and cables (actively shielded cables, such as my Synergistic Research Galileo, may not be ideal for this application, although the overall gain in resolution may be worth slightly more hum), I could reduce induced noise to a very acceptable minimum, although I could never achieve the dead quiet that I got with certain balanced gear, such as that of Technical Brain and ARC. I should point out—again—that I’m a worst-case scenario for hum and RFI, living, as I do, in the midst of broadcast towers. It is unlikely you will experience any problem in this regard in your digs; nonetheless, I feel duty-bound to mention it. JV
the cutting edge
Wilson Audio Alexandria X-2 Series 2 Loudspeaker and Thor’s Hammer Subwoofer Pushing the Envelope Jacob Heilbrunn
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f such a place as a Stereo Hall of Fame existed, then David Wilson would surely occupy a prominent place in it. For several decades, Wilson has been building and refining his loudspeakers. To view Wilson simply as a loudspeaker manufacturer, however, would almost be akin to calling Thomas Jefferson a politician or Duke Ellington an entertainer. Wilson is what in the old days was called a man of parts— someone who has a keen curiosity, disciplined mind, and numerous interests. When I gave him a copy of an essay on American foreign policy, for instance, he showed it to me the next day covered with comments. No doubt Wilson’s capacity for exposition can sometimes almost become overwhelming as he launches into a mini-tutorial on the sonic and engineering qualities of a CD or LP that he’s about to demo on his home system. But it’s always worth listening to Wilson the man as much as it is to his loudspeakers. After all, he’s engineered a number of recordings himself, from classical to rock (his legendary remastering of the The Apocalypse Now Sessions, played by the Rhythm Devils, is pegged at a lofty $400 on one Web site). When it comes to audio, the question isn’t: What has David Wilson done? It’s what hasn’t he accomplished? A visit to Wilson’s home, where the imposing Alexandria X-2, Series 2 and two Thor’s Hammer subwoofers are proudly situated in a vast living room—about 30' x 40' peaking to a 16' cathedral ceiling that is off-center—dedicated to two-channel reproduction only reinforces those feelings. A Basis turntable, Audio Research Anniversary Reference preamp, and VTL Siegfried monoblocks round out the system. The soundstage is enormous. The sheer size of Wilson’s room allows him to achieve a degree of physicality on voice and piano that I doubt very many audiophiles have ever heard apart from a concert hall. Put bluntly, this is the sound that Wilson seeks to attain—big, bold, and beautiful. Just like the snowcapped mountains that tower over his home. Though I had visited the factory about two years ago, the chance to see it once more drove home the fanatical attention to detail that goes into a Wilson loudspeaker. As little is left to chance as seems humanly possible when it comes to cabinet construction and testing the properties of various drivers. The rap on Wilson—and, let’s face it, almost every high-end company gets worked over by audiophiles in some way—has been that it 140 December 2011 the absolute sound
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THE CUTTINg EDgE - Wilson Audio Alexandria X-2 Series 2 & Thor’s Hammer doesn’t manufacture many of its drivers. But what sound does the loudspeaker make? Do you like it? Does it sound beautiful? As audiophiles get wrapped up in the minutiae of technology that, I would guess, a fair number probably barely understand, it’s hard to avoid the sense that a lot of missing-forests-for-trees is taking place. Certainly the Wilson inverted titanium dome tweeter, which is sourced from Focal and is the chief target of audiophile ire, can and should be improved upon. But it’s worth taking a step back and considering the overall presentation of the loudspeaker. These musings are prompted by listening extensively to the marvelous full Wilson rig that consists of Alexandria X-2s and a pair of Thor’s Hammer subwoofers in my own house. I had listened to the Magnepan 20.1 for about a decade. I reviewed and greatly enjoyed the MAXX 3 loudspeaker, but the gap between it and the Alexandria is significant. The MAXX did not get me to abandon the Magnepans. The Alexandria did. From the instant that I turned it on, I was gobsmacked. Yes, the speaker improved as it got some playing time on it. But from the get-go it sounded mesmerizing. The Alexandria was one of the few cone-driver loudspeakers that had the spaciousness that the Magnepans provided, coupled with a tremendous increase in dynamics and sensitivity. The Alexandria’s supertweeter, I think, allows it to create the sense of an airy treble, and the Stygian bass reproduction endows the entire frequency spectrum with a smooth and generous sound. And near as I can tell, the aspherical propagation delay that Wilson employs really does allow each driver to be adjusted to create a coherent soundstage. There is an ease of presentation about the Alexandrias, a felicitous and lissome quality that makes it sound as though they are never straining. The music pours effortlessly out of them, something that became most apparent to me when I had the chance to listen to them at length in Los Angeles. By contrast, the Achilles’ Heel of planar design remains their grotesquely inefficient performance—they require gobs of power to get off the ground. The Alexandria, by contrast, registers at 96dB at one watt, which makes it suitable for a wide variety of amplifiers. Initially, TAS editor Robert Harley asked me if I’d like to write a follow-up review to his of the Alexandria. A few months later Wilson itself sweetened the pot. The company’s national sales director, John Giolas, inquired if I might be interested in reviewing the Thor’s Hammer subs. Given the sheer size of the subs, I at first hesitated. The blunt fact was that the Alexandrias were more than satisfactory. On every level, I was bowled over by their performance—by the effortless dynamics, by the minute details they reproduced, and by the seamlessness of their presentation. But then I started to meditate about the Thors. It wasn’t a solipsistic case of “I want, I want, I want!” as Eugene Henderson memorably declares in Saul Bellow’s 1959 novel Henderson the Rain King. I wasn’t wanting for more. But I did start to wonder what it would be like to add two massive subs to the mix. Was there even more to be had? In Norse mythology, Thor is the god of thunder and his Hammer—the Mjolnir—is endowed with mystic properties. For one thing, you have to be worthy to be able to lift it off the ground. I wasn’t sure if a similar rule applied with the Thor’s Hammer subwoofers. Would I have to prove worthy for them to function properly? It did not take long to discover the answer. A few weeks later 142 December 2011 the absolute sound
the crated subs arrived. It’s simplicity itself to extract them from their containers. I had them set upright, unscrewed the cover, and gently rolled out the subs and into my listening room. Strictly speaking, this task should be performed for safety reasons by two people, but until you permanently situate the subs with the help of spikes, you can easily roll them around on their casters. The subs themselves feature double-spider 15" woofers as well as Wilson’s trademark “X” material, a phenolic resin of extreme density and hardness. It’s impossible for the driver to move other than pistonically, says Wilson’s John Giolas. The design itself originates from the Watchdog driver. The cabinet is 3" thick on the baffle and 2" on the sidewalls. The idea at Wilson is, as far as possible, to tame cabinet resonances. Though the sub is not as stylishly flared as the Alexandria, it isn’t obtrusive. Nor is it quite as large as its 7' tall predecessor, the XS. It is slightly less sensitive than the XS because it doesn’t have as much volume. But one of the things that piqued my curiosity about the Thor is precisely its large size, much larger than most other subs on the market. Wilson rates the subwoofer as 89dB sensitivity (at one meter at 100Hz). It goes down to 10Hz (–3dB). The subwoofer sounds best used below 60Hz. The two ports look like submarine torpedo tubes. The sub is passively tuned to the lower frequencies, which offers the advantage of low distortion. “You can work with laws of physics, but you can’t repeal them,” notes Giolas. In other words, size matters. Basically, there are two approaches to subwoofers. One is the digital approach where you take a driver and equalize it, which allows for a smaller box. The second is Wilson’s Old School— and, in my eyes, purist—approach. Wilson forgoes equalization. It doesn’t want to torture the driver. Instead, it recognizes, as the saying goes, that there is no replacement for displacement. To produce lots of tight bass it’s necessary to have a lot of air
SPECS & PRiCiNG Wilson Alexandria x-2 x Series 2 Tweeter: 1" inverted dome Supertweeter: 1" rear-firing Midrange: t two 7" pulp-fiber diaphragm midrange Bass: one 13" and one 15" pulpfiber diaphragm woofer Weight: 605 lbs. each Dimensions: 73" x 19" x 26.5" Cost: $165,000 Thor’s Hammer Subwoofer Woofer: t two 15" dual-spider Dimensions: 59" x 20" x 25" Weight: 411 lbs. Frequency response 10hz300hz Price: $21,500
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the cutting edge - Wilson Audio Alexandria X-2 Series 2 & Thor’s Hammer volume. In other words, a big cabinet is essential. The bigger the cabinet, by the way, the higher the sensitivity of the subwoofer. The Thor clocks in at 94dB at 40Hz, which makes it very easy for an amplifier to drive. Wilson’s purist approach extends to driving the subwoofer itself. There is no built-in digital amplifier as is commonly the case with subwoofers. In this case, the consumer must supply an amplifier of his or her choosing. I deployed an extra set of Classé CM-600 amplifiers, which drove my pair of Thors (yes, I opted for two) without even breaking a sweat. The sub is thus run actively; a custom crossover made by Richard Marsh is supplied by Wilson. It has a high-pass section, which is seldom used other than in rooms with truly dreadful bass problems. It’s a completely analog device, further heresy on the part of Wilson, bucking the trend of digital crossovers. Nevertheless, it permits the end user to adjust phase continuously in the analog domain. You can also tailor the frequency cutoff and slope. I used the 18dB-per-octave slope. Needless to say, the addition of subwoofers adds a big degree of complexity to any system. More cables. More amplifiers. More space for the subs themselves. Is it worth it? If you have the requisite space, the answer is an unequivocal yes. The X-2 loudspeaker, which has a front port, can produce deep, tight, and satisfying bass in any fairly sizable room. I don’t mean to suggest that the Alexandria X-2 will be found wanting by any enthusiast. In my listening room, bass is extending into the 20Hz range. But the introduction of the Thor subwoofers produced an instant improvement, even before Wilson’s John Giolas and Peter McGrath visited me to perfect the setup. The first thing that I noticed was an increase in the size of the soundstage both in depth and width. But this paled in comparison with the improvements that were attained once the lads from Wilson got to work. Careful positioning and dialing in of the subs is a must, particularly to avoid cancellation effects. The tricks that bass can play on the ear mean that measuring, preferably with a real-time analyzer, is essential. As always, the goal is to get as much oomph with as little output as possible from the sub. The most noticeable change introduced by the Thors was a change in venue. This was a subtle but audible shift. The humidity of the room, if you will, was altered. It was as though the music became more three-dimensional, suffusing the air. To call this mere “palpability” does not suffice. Instead, the Thors greatly increased the sense of dimensionality—a visual analogy might be that it was akin to watching a movie in 3-D. The frequency spectrum sounds even more continuous, more of a piece. On the splendid LP Coronation Anthems [Arkiv], it was pretty spooky to hear the solo voices enter out of black space, declaring “My heart is inditing,” before the choir comes in. The Thors appeared to smooth out the treble and add a sense of space. The voices sounded smoother and suppler than I had remembered. Something similar happened on German jazz trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff ’s album Tromboneliness [Sackville]. On cuts such as “Bonn,” the walls of the studio he was playing in were clearly audible. Now it’s true that subwoofers should, as a rule, increase the sense of space and help collapse boundaries. But I have never experienced a subwoofer that was both as powerful and as supple as the Thor. Much like the Alexandria, it excels at pulling off a Houdini-like vanishing act. Houdini was very tight-lipped about 144 December 2011 the absolute sound
his magic tricks, but in the case of the Thor it seems fairly easy to identify the reasons for its performance. The Thor’s cabinet is simply inert whether it is pounding out a Mahler symphony or a rock tune. Another plus is that the subwoofer appears to increase the transient speed of the main loudspeaker. Perhaps this is a result of the sense of a wall of sound coming at you with instruments zooming in and out, for example, on the famous Columbia recording of Gabrieli’s canons by the combined forces of the Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York Philharmonic brass ensembles. It’s most noticeable, of course, on bass itself. On Ray Brown’s Soular Energy [Concord], the Thor helps increase the sense of the percussive hit when he slaps the bass on several numbers. A similar effect could be discerned on Root Down [Verve] which features Jimmy Smith. On the cut “For Everyone Under the Sun,” the percussion emerges with particular ferocity. Tonality also improves. Take the SACD on PentaTone featuring Bram Beekman playing the De Rijckere organ in the Netherlands. The Thors seemed to convey a sense of the damp walls in the church as well as the superbly reedy quality of the organ on hymns by Gottfried August Homilius. You could listen for a very long time to that kind of sound, and I did. Another SACD that showed off the improved sense of tonality was the cut “Nancy” on a reissue of a famous Riverside album that features Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans. Percy Heath, who played for many years with the Modern Jazz Quartet and is an immortal, shines on “Nancy,” and the Thors provided a sense of the groaning character of the bass. But the ultimate pleasure of using the Thors, of course, is the solid foundation that they lay down, which, come to think of it, is what basses do either in an orchestra or jazz ensemble. A bass can propel everyone else along rhythmically. The sheer gutwrenching quality of the Thor’s bass, the enormous rumble in the nether regions was amply on display in a Canadian Brass quartet rendering of Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor. The tuba solos for the first couple of bars, descending to some Stygian depths for about a half note, which can shake the rafters if you have rafters that can be shaken. The same goes for Keith Johnson’s marvelous recording of the Dallas Wind Symphony performing William Walton’s “Crown Imperial,” which, incidentally, was also played at Westminster for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Walton pulls out all the stops on this one, and there is a bass whack toward the latter part that never fails to freeze me in my tracks when the Thors are on duty. Before I had a chance to compare any of these tracks at Wilson’s home with my own system, I innocently asked David Wilson, “How’s your system sound?” He looked a little taken aback. But I couldn’t resist tweaking him a little. In the end, though, he had the last laugh. Together with Neil Gader I listened to the M&K Records recording of drummer Eddie Graham playing “Caravan.” Neil sat in the lead chair. As the rim shots and drum kicks resounded into the room, Neil looked as though he was going to go into a state of cataleptic shock. Whether it was drums, trumpets, or songs, the Alexandrias shone. “Beauty is truth, and truth beauty—that is all,” John Keats wrote. When it comes to a big system that combines finesse with power, the Alexandrias and Thors are the most beautiful and truthful combination that I’ve ever heard.
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The Epitome of Romanticism Peter Breuninger
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a longtime concertgoer, albeit at first a reluctant one. I was exposed at an early age to the sound of the live and unamplified instruments of the Philadelphia Orchestra at the world-famous Academy of Music. My father had season ticket seats ten rows back in the Parquet section, better known as the floor, right in front of the stage. I was dragged to concerts when Mom was too tired to go. At first it was like a trip to the barbershop. I would kick and scream, but once in the chair with the feel of the warm clippers and the old-fashioned hand-massager, I would be in heaven.
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s those fabulous Philadelphians played, something inside me clicked. I quickly learned to let the music wash over and envelop me and to connect with the 100-plus players working their magic up on the very stage where Stokowski, Ormandy, and Rachmaninoff once stood. Those times flew by, and before I knew it I was ten rows back from Emerson, Lake & Palmer opening for a new British band named “Yes” at a new Philadelphia institution, the Spectrum Stadium. Commander Cody, Jefferson Airplane, and the Grateful Dead would follow soon as my concert-going experiences grew and my musical horizons expanded. Fast-forward to the day I first heard the MBL 101. The very moment the sound came on I was flooded with visions of the Academy of Music, my dad, my rock concert buddies, ELP, Yes, and the Grateful Dead. All live, right there in front of me. I knew, in a nanosecond, that these odd-looking R2-D2 look-alikes were something special. The more I listened, the more I knew this new loudspeaker design was revolutionary. Imagine a single door leading right into Boston Symphony Hall, La Scala, or the Vienna Musikverein (considered by many to be the finest concert hall in the world). Now dream you have the best seat in the house, as well. Madison Square Garden, ditto. Sydney Opera House? Indeed. Each hall, with its own private entranceway, in your home. Now for the over-the-top part: Picture dining with Mozart, dancing with Lady Gaga, or entertaining guests with John Coltrane, all through that very same door. Well it can happen, and it does happen to many people throughout the world. The one thing they all have in common is simple; they all own an MBL music-making system. Attending a concert is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Going out, enjoying a fine meal, a glass of wine. Then strolling over to the hall, seeing the people, and finding your seat. Waiting for the lights to dim, the anticipation… you know that feeling. When the show starts, you’re instantly mesmerized by the performance, the music, the sound. It’s overwhelming and it’s wonderful. In the snap of a finger you lose yourself in the concert experience. It’s not just the music; it is the sound, scale, and scope of actually being at the hall or arena. There are few things in life that equal this, and fewer yet that you can actually own for yourself to use and enjoy anytime you desire. Experiencing an MBL system is all this; it’s a personal concert hall experience each and every time you listen. It’s not a lifestyle product; it is life itself. And it is epitomized by the MBL 101E MkII, perhaps the most believable music transducer man has yet devised. The newest edition of this loudspeaker from German stalwart MBL takes audio reproduction to a higher and more majestic level than any transducer before it. The MBL 101E MkII does what no other loudspeaker can do; it takes your favorite artist or orchestra and “presents” them to you with the romantic realism of a live event.
If you sample all of audio, you will find many schools and thoughts of aesthetic ranging from the sublime of the single-ended triode to the exactitude of the studio monitor. Walkürenritt, better known as “The Ride of the Valkyries,” occurs at the beginning of Act III of Die Walküre, the second of the four operas by Richard Wagner that make up Der Ring des Nibelungen. In my view, this (about) eight-minute orchestral “song” musically and emotionally embodies the pinnacle of romanticism. Wagner’s use of song and theme or leitmotif was unique. He created a new technique where music and song were used to denote a character or emotion or event. Leitmotif adds an additional dimension to operatic production. It’s the crowning achievement of the Romantic Movement (musically), that cultural about-face to the Age of Enlightenment, and also a revolt against the “new science” of nature embodied by Darwinism. Its tentacles are deep-rooted in art, music, and literature. It’s a statement of reaction to change and it paints its protest of the highest degree through the art of Richard Wagner. Romanticism is big and bold and a reflection of the vividness of life. 148 December 2011 the absolute sound
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What Wagner’s leitmotif is to romanticism, the MBL Reference Series is to high-performance audio; MBL adds a new dimension to audio performance. If you sample all of audio, you will find many schools of thought and aesthetics, ranging from the sublime of the single-ended triode to the exactitude of the studio monitor. Bits and pieces of the MBL listening aesthetic can be heard in the Harbeth or British-style of audio as well as the multiple-driver Wilson Alexandria Series II or the Scaena. MBL takes a little of this and a little bit of that and then serves it back,
perhaps as a protest, against any one school of engineering design. The result is a pure “absolute sound” experience. TAS Executive Editor Jonathan Valin (JV) coined the ingenious three-listener concept. You remember: the fidelity-to-mastertape listener, the sounds-good (to them) listener, and then the “true”-to-concert-sound listener (this publication’s founder, Harry Pearson’s “absolute sound” standard). The hallmark of HP’s concept is to reproduce “live and unamplified” instruments in space. As JV so correctly points out in his Magico Q5 review (Issue 214), this listener “type” has a tough time when challenged with what the “real sound” of Jimi Hendrix’s Stratocaster or Lori Anderson’s electric violin is. Speakers that reproduce absolutesound experiences are not known as ideal transducers of amplified instruments. In yesteryear we had the Infinity IRS V as the statement product that attempted to bridge this gap. It sure sounded “good” and offered up a believable concert experience, but when it came to realistic accuracy of the absolute sound December 2011 149
MBL 101E MkII REfEREncE SERIES timbre and mastertape-like truth, it fell flat on its face. It had too much of its own sound. It also suffered from another problem: The IRS was huge. Standing almost seven feet tall, weighing close to a ton, with four separate speaker towers, it not only dominated the room, it was the room. Nonetheless, in many ways the IRS was and remains a holy grail of “absolute sound” loudspeakers. Its reproduction of concerthall realism and overall “good” sound were incomparable. Many will concede it was the 1980s and 1990s standard of reference. Luckily for us, we live in “today.” The reference products available to us are truly extraordinary. Colorations have been reduced to the point of near elimination (witness any Magico or the Coincident Pure Reference Extreme). We can now have that same absolute sound cake and serve it on a mastertape-like plate. In other words, we can have a live, unamplified instrument in real space experience and then go right into Madison Square Garden and “feel” a chestpounding rock concert—all while “seeing” back through to the mastertape. I’m not going to suggest the MBL equals the Magico Q5 in mastertape realism, but I will stand firm in stating that the MBL will exceed the Magico in “sounding good” almost all the time (even when the instruments aren’t particularly well or accurately recorded) and mimicking a concert hall experience each and every time (even when the concert isn’t particularly well or accurately recorded). Back to that first day MBL experience… the new speaker not only filled the room with the intensity and impact of an Infinity IRS; it also charged the room with a neverbefore-heard three-dimensional realism. I was in awe. The inventor, Wolfgang Meletsky, was standing off to the side smiling when he saw my face light up. He knew I “got it.” That first MBL 101 went where no other loudspeaker went before; it turned your room into a concert hall. Oh, it had issues and was far from perfect. There was an annoying electronic haze surrounding each instrument, and it had a chuffy “one-note” bass. You could hear the loudspeaker’s ports as they pumped the air in and out, exaggerating certain frequencies and deviating from flat response (or truth). 150 December 2011 the absolute sound
Surprisingly, the Radialstrahler units were conceived with a deck of playing cards. The designer was “toying” around with a card, bending and flexing it between his thumb and forefinger when the idea struck. Why not design a loudspeaker drive-unit based on this flexing principle? Further, why not design it with the “playing cards” in a circular configuration and the magnet above or below—thus creating a new type of driver, a direct substitute for the traditional loudspeaker’s round forward-firing cone? The resulting wavelaunch is accomplished throughout a true 360 degrees—a spherical launch that embodies all dimensions. Like Wagner, employing libretto, music, and visual art into a single “greater than its parts” aesthetic, the MBL takes loudspeaker design to a new and unique level. No other loudspeaker sounds like an MBL, just as no other composer sounds like Wagner. Melezky and another engineer (Bienecke) started the company thirty-two years ago. Soon after, a third engineer (Lehnhardt) was brought in to make the innovative design work in actual use and production, thus the name “MBL.” Challenges continued, and a new and gifted engineer Jürgen Reis was hired in 1985 to assist the company’s founders with all MBL product designs. Reis is the engineering brain trust of MBL. He designed the carbon-fiber tweeter and employed new materials for the lower midrange unit. He brough the orginal idea to production levels and it came to market as the MBL 101. In 1996 Reis added a subwoofer and it became a 4-way design with the 101D designation. His refinements have placed MBL at the top of the high-performance luxury-audio market. As happens with many successful companies, the founder exited in 2009 (“exited” is a venture-capital term for “sold”), and Reis remains as the company’s Chief of Engineering and Development. The new owner Christian Hermeling has “raised the bar” for Reis and challenged him to make the best speakers that money can buy. No cost-cutting allowed. No overseas parts. Only the best German-made or German-sourced components can go into today’s MBL products. In fact, MBL, in an effort to improve distribution, opened its own North American company to distribute its products.
Obviously, much attention was placed on improving the low-frequency reproduction of this already outstanding loudspeaker. The speaker under review is the newest version of the MBL 101E MkII. It was shipped directly from the AXPONA Atlanta show with less than 100 hours use and break-in. Along with the speaker I received a full MBL Reference Line system of electronics with which to test and review the loudspeakers. The MBL Reference Line is MBL’s cost-no-object gear. It is designed for the listener who demands the best of the best. There are two loudspeakers in the Reference Line: the $70,500 101E MkII, and the $263,000 101 X-treme. The X-treme is effectively a doubled up 101E in an MTM-type configuration with separate woofer towers. JV reviewed the X-treme in Issue 189, declaring it one of the world’s great loudspeakers. I’m an MBL 101E owner myself, so what you read next is based upon five years of MBL listening experience. The heart of all MBL loudspeakers is the use of proprietary and patented Radialstrahler 360-degree drive elements. “Radialstrahler” translates from German to English as “round spotlight,” an apt description of the MBL surround-like listening experience wherein instruments appear “spotlighted” in all three dimensions within your listening room. In the 101E MkII, the Radialstrahler units are deployed for the lower-midrange frequencies, midrange, and high frequencies. Traditional woofers are used for the lowest frequencies in these and all MBL loudspeakers. The lower midrange has been nicknamed “the melon” because of its shape, which is like and about the size of an actual watermelon. [[See Jonathan Valin’s review and factory tour in Issue 189 for a full technical exposition of the Radialstrahler. —RH —RH] The 101E MkII utilizes its three Radialstrahler units to form a vertical array. The tweeter sits on top above the midrange, which in turn sits above the lower midrange “melon.” The entire array is attached to the low-frequency enclosure housing traditional woofers. The MkII revision includes newly designed bass drivers and stronger internal cabinet-bracing. The crossover was completely redesigned to address not only the new bass unit/drivers but
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also to better integrate the tweeter with the midrange unit. The result is superior lowfrequency extension and pitch definition. On bowed acoustic bass you can really hear a difference between the MkI and the MkII. There is also less of a “onenote” character to the low end. This is a substantial improvement over the MkI. In fact, if I blank out my mind, I would think that these are two speakers from two different companies—that’s how profound the difference between the new MkII is over the MkI in low-frequency reproduction. I am a firm believer in the hypothesis that if you get the bottom end right with the lowest possible coloration, the frequencies above it will be reproduced more accurately. There are new rings surrounding the bass ports, as well. Obviously, much attention was placed on improving the low-frequency reproduction of this already outstanding loudspeaker. The high frequencies also better integrate with mids on the MkII. I believe the top is somewhat less “hot” on the MkII. This took a little a time to get used to. I like a full frequency response even if it includes a little overextension on top. The MkIs offered up a huge “openness” in the upper frequencies that I found appealing. The MkIIs are a little softer on top and better integrate with the midrange. This results in a more accurate portrayal of how an instruments sounds in real life. In other words, it tips the MkII more into the mastertape-type listener camp. The MBL will never be a Magico or a Coincident Pure Reference Extreme, but it’s 152 December 2011 the absolute sound
now flirting with attributes these mastertape-type speakers excel at. I see from photos that the grille has been redesigned as well. (I never took the grilles out of their boxes with the MkI, so why should I have bothered with the MkII—hardcore audiophile that I am?) The MkII stands about two inches lower than the MkI. I believe this adds to the improvement in driver integration, as each driver is closer to the others. I got some flack from a member of my listening panel for using the (worn-out) term “more of a single cloth” when describing the MkII, but it’s true. The speaker is now more of a “single transducer,” instead of being a sum of its parts. As noted, the system I tested the 101E MkII in was a complete Reference Line setup including the massive and mind-bogglingly powerful $53,000 (each) 9011 amplifiers in a monoblock configuration. These monsters put out 840 watts into 4 ohms and 1390 watts each into 2 ohms. The 101E MkII’s rated sensitivity is 82dB, one of the lowest-sensitivity loudspeakers on the market. This means you need lots and lots of power to drive them. The two other MBL Reference Line components included the $28,700 1611F D-to-A converter, and the $26,500 6010 preamplifier. When set up between the piano-black 101E MkII loudspeakers, the all-black MBL components screamed unadulterated luxury. These products transcend mere audio components. They have established a new product category in the world of extravagant consumer-audio products. I invited several listening companions over, and the first words out of each and every mouth were: “Oh, my God.” The striking beauty of the system was breathtaking in itself. Listening to the system, as you may guess, was a life-altering experience. As mentioned, I am an MBL 101 owner but not a full Reference Line owner. This was the first time in a familiar listening room for the full MBL “kit” for this listener. I set the speakers in an equilateral listening triangle in room number one. (Please see my listening room configurations on AVGuide.com in the Forums section under Reviewer Background information. You’ll see a diagram/pictorial of my rooms—the Bozaks were, of course, removed.) The massive 9011 amplifiers surrounded the 6010 preamplifier. With just about any recording, in that millisecond before the music starts, a huge holographic soundfield enveloped the room. I had never heard so much low-level atmospheric detail on any system before. The room was charged with it. It created a profound sensation of spatial realism on my first test recording, the exceptionally well-recorded Dudamel performance of the Stravinsky Rite of Spring on Deutsche Grammophon that I mention in my Lamm ML2.2 review. The bass thwacks were beyond belief as the walls of the listening room melted away. I was being MBL’d and I loved it. After settling into the atmospheric abilities of the system I began experimenting with numerous test tracks ranging from Ricky Lee Jones to Lori Anderson to Kronos Quartet. This MBL “full metal jacket” Reference system was like no other system I’ve ever heard. The impact and enormous size of the acoustic space were frankly beyond belief. Laurie Anderson’s Homeland CD is a disc I’ve played multiple times on the MkI’s. It offers multitudes of enveloping sonic landscapes. It’s captivating and fun at the same time. Anderson is indeed a master of computer music-programming. She pioneered many vocalprogramming techniques; in fact, many people think that she sings with a male partner when in reality it’s her voice lowered in frequency and delivery-speed via custom computer-modeling. She’s at the top of her form on her Homeland CD, and the track “Falling” will demonstrate the outstanding room-charging ability of the MBL 101E MkII. It begins, innocently enough, with Anderson singing, “Maybe if I fall, maybe if I fall asleep they’ll be a party there.” Her voice hangs in the center of your room in its own three-dimensional pocket. It’s as if she’s standing there, right there, singing through her digital processor, directly in front of you. Suddenly a haunting soundscape enters your room with an ominous soft gong pinging across the vast soundstage. You are lost in it. Your mind is grabbed by the presence and the power of the contrasting digital images. It’s goosebumps galore. Then the electronic bass keyboard enters and explodes across the lower half of the stage with the haunting soundscape intertwining through it. Through this mix Anderson laments: ““Americans unrooted, blowing with the wind, they feel the truth, if it touches them.”” You mind is lost in your own memories of 9/11 or the economic nightmares facing someone you know. She personalizes it through song, mood, and “sound,” and the MBL 101 delivers it in all dimensions to you… in your own personal concert.
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MBL 101E MkII REfEREncE SERIES Another test of the power and glory of the MBL is Kate Bush’s excellent double CD set Aerial Aerial. The track “Pi” will stagger you with the MBL’s ability to detonate and explode live music’s dynamics right in your room. Bush, like Anderson, relies on much electronic keyboarding with lots of arpeggio programming. Unlike Anderson, Bush records more actual instruments like strings or guitar alongside her (lessmanipulated) voice. She layers and weaves these instruments throughout her signature electronica-based mix. The arpeggio bass line is what grabs you here with the chorus singing above it. The MBLs do not disappoint; the interplay between the bass line and the “he loves his numbers” chorus is spread across the stage in a tremendous holographic effect. The bass itself reaches down to the center of the earth. These speakers deliver real 20Hz–20kHz frequency response. Perhaps Lori Anderson is a better spokesperson than this listener to sum up the MBL electronica experience. Back to the Homeland CD and the track “Another Day in America.” Anderson takes the bat out and swings it with her “man voice” right in your face—her electronic violin opening barely preparing you for the size of the Anderson “man voice” exploding through the MBLs across the front of your room. Her lamenting libretto is captivating. You are no longer listening to high-performance audio; you are listening to electronic poetry. It’s not mastertape pure: You cannot see into the actual digital mastering layers like you can through other outstanding speakers. It’s more lifelike; it’s more “there,” just like the front row seat at the Annenburg Center, years ago, when Anderson’s eyes locked upon mine as she sang songs off her Bright Red album. We connected, as she sang to me… the artist singing to an audience of one. That’s the heart of the MBL experience. There’s nothing like it in the world of audio. Loudspeakers that have the ability to crush you with huge dynamic swings and room-busting soundstaging are not known to excel with acoustic music—be it symphonic, chamber, or vocal. It’s that old dichotomy: A speaker for classical music is 154 December 2011 the absolute sound
not a speaker for rock-and-rolling, and vice versa. Unless you’ve lived with an MBL you would be quick to read “from” reviews and show reports that the MBL thing is all about spatial reality and sonic holography and not so much about instrumental tonal accuracy. This is one of those the great audio misunderstandings, along with the assumption that MBLs need huge solid-state amps to “get up and go.” I’ll address the latter first and then expand upon the former later.
SPECS & PRiCiNG Type: f four-way dynamic loudspeaker Driver complement: radialstrahler 360degree tweeter, midrange, and lower midrange; 12" cone subwoofer in ported enclosure Crossover frequencies: 105hz, 600hz, 3.5khz Crossover type: linkwitz-riley 4th-order Frequency response: 24hz–40khz Sensitivity: 82db Impedance: 4 ohms Power handling:: 500W continuous, 2200W peak Dimensions: 16" x 67" x 18" Weight: 176 lbs. each Price: $70,500
ASSOCiATED ATED EQuiPMENT Digital source: Mbl 1611f, f d to A converter, Sony vaio v desktop, emu 1616 soundcard. Analog Source: goldmund Studio/t3f f arm, Wyetech ruby p-1 phono stage, phase tech t p-1g g low output moving coil cartridge Preamplifier: Mbl 6010 Power amplifier(s): Mbl 9011 in monoblock configuration Speaker cables: tara t labs omega Interconnects: tara t labs “the Zero” Power Cords: tara t labs “the one” Accessories: vpi t turntable Stand, Sound Anchor amplifier stands (Mbl bl 6011), Stillpoints with risers, Walker valid v points.
MBL NORTH AMERiCA, iNC. 263 West end Avenue, Suite 2f new York, nY 10023 (212) 724-4870 mbl-northamerica.com CoMMent on thiS ArtiCle on the foruM At A AVGuiDE.COM
I’ve tested and mated numerous amplifiers to the MBL 101E ranging from classics such as the Threshold SA1 to various Krells, Rowlands, and others. One day I decided to mate a 200Wpc conrad-johnson Premier One to the MBLs. I thought that this would be a no, no. But, it was a match. In fact, the MBLs locked into the c-j better than they did with several of the solid-state behemoths. I then tried the new Bob Carver “Cherry Sevens” (they are cherry red in color) and, bingo, another match. I then did the unthinkable, I tried the 18watt, vintage, tube Eico HF-81. It ran out of steam fast on the Grammy Award-winning Cleveland Quartet’s fine performances of the Beethoven string quartets, but the sound was balanced and not marred by an impendence mismatch. As we know, the frequency response of a loudspeaker/power-amplifier pair can be affected by the amplifier’s output impedance. The higher the output impedance of the amplifier, the more essential the matching of the speaker becomes (the speaker should have a flat impedance curve). You’ve read reviews that accuse speakers of being muddy or rolledoff on top when, in fact, the speaker was not the culprit; the amplifier match was. Tube amplifiers have higher output impedances than solid-state amplifiers. On paper, the MBL’s severe sensitivity problem would prohibit you from thinking “tube amp,” but in practice it was all systems go for thermionic amps. Back to the other myth: MBLs are speakers for rockers and turn-it-up power-music listeners (I plead guilty here). There is no doubt that the MBL sound is well-suited to these listeners. The flip side is that the new MBL speakers cater to the serious classical music listener as well. The MkII’s better driver integration and bass response provide an overall more accurate sound that classical lovers and lower-volume listeners can now enjoy. The MkIs liked to be cranked up, the MkIIs, less so. And that’s a good thing. Listening to Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra from the Ormandy Original Jacket Collection demonstrated the finesse of the new MBL sound. The basses and cellos that begin the opening movement were clear and concise; they sounded more “real” due to a lessening of low-frequency coloration and port chuffing. When the violins enter you are drawn more into the sensation of live instruments in space in front of you. By the time the trumpets trumpet, you are not listening to the sound, you are listening to real trumpets. This is something MBL 101E
MkI owners will understand. Often, during my classical listening sessions I would become overwhelmed with the sound and the holographic imaging and not the illusion of real instruments. Certainly, the MBL MkI was captivating musically, but realistic timbre with mastertape purity? I’m not sure those are the terms I would use. Now, with the MkII you get more because you get less. That is, more realism due to less coloration. Jürgen Reis has reduced the speaker’s “color” while maintaining its holographic abilities. That folks is very cool. This is the essence of the new MBL listening experience: tonal reality combined with that patented MBL three-dimensional imaging. The speaker was, and still is, explosive in dynamics but now there is more timbral realism due to less coloration and far improved driver integration. I’ve heard many world-class loudspeakers do certain things right such as timbre, mastertape purity, or soundstaging, but not as many things as the new MBL. The MBL 101E MkII is one of the great artistic and engineering achievements. It will take your breath away.
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HP’s WORKSHOP Previews of Coming Attractions An Abundance of Riches Harry Pearson
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t must be the perversities of adversity. The audio industry, like much of the rest of our presentday economy, has got a bad case of the blues, one that extends from some of the very best manufacturers to what is beginning to seem like a vanishing institution, that of the highend audio dealer singing songs of woe. Woe be me, woe be us, woe be gone And yet. And yet. We are, as far as I am concerned, rather conversely, in the midst of an explosion of fascinating audio developments, in the refinement of classic designs and of creativity and innovation. Much of this has happened in recent months and almost simultaneously with what I’ve been working on—including several components that have turned into major long-range evaluations. Thus, reviews of many products I’ve previously mentioned or hinted about have necessarily been put on hold, since virtually all of my references have either been updated, superseded, or replaced, which has made for considerably more than one moving target chez Pearson. One of the most exciting and even revolutionary conjunctions has been the breakthrough in the development and design of transistor gear and its circuitry. And one can no longer safely or axiomatically say there is a solid-state “signature” there, at least not shared in common among the new breed. The first glimmerings, ones I did not at first see as the beginning 156 December 2011 the absolute sound
or harbinger of a new era, came with the new generation of products at Bryston, specifically the huge Model 28B 1000-watt monoblock amps, which I thought the most realistic-sounding of the behemoth powerhouses. I was a bit stunned. After all, Bryston started out as a tiny high-end company in Canada, turned into a firm whose products were aimed toward professional users, and had a “rep” for reliability, but not much more than that—to wit, good enough, but not enough to set the barn doors of the home user afire. Seemingly from out of the blue, the original 28B was a good deal more than “good enough,” refreshingly free from most of the distortions so common among such designs, and particularly so in the topmost octave (the bête blanc of transistor designs). And, in its succeeding iterations, which followed quickly, the refinements in the SST versions of the 28 Series achieved an almost spooky and virtually complete relaxation of the usually itchy, glassy, and textured sounds at the diode’s frequency extremes, without losing a whit of the near-legendary Bryston reliability. Since then, the magic (under the direction of James Tanner) has evolved downward, and I have, to my increasing pleasure, used the Bryston B-100SST integrated amp and BCD CD Player (B-100, $4695 without remote, BCD-1 $3195 with remote) at the heart of a relatively modestly priced bookshelf system I’ve assembled for those just starting their voyages sailing the highend seas, a system I have been living with in my study for many
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HP’s WORKSHOP months now, hoping I’d be able to finish my notes in time for a review in this particular issue. In honor of our many friends to the North, I used speakers also made in Canada, specifically from Reference 3a, the deCapos ($2990 in American maple and red-cherry wood finishes, $3290 in glossy black and select finishes), modestly scaled bookshelves with more than a passing audio kinship to the classic KLH speakers of yesteryore, once so bewitching to HP. I found the deCapos, at their size, almost too good to be true. You may recall a similar enthusiasm in our review of the company’s “statement” speaker system, the Grand Veenas, which along with the equally coherent, if different sounding Magneplanar 3.7s, established an octave-to-octave standard of balance and continuity, an excellence that couldn’t and can’t be beat at nearly ten times the price. I threw two ringers into the design of this system to keep the price low and the availability wide. Of course, you don’t have to have these extras, the system will make music as it stands, but I find myself well nigh mortified to acknowledge no reliable commercial sources of vintage equipment. For this system, I recommend the nowdiscontinued and excellent amplified subwoofer from Nola, the Thunderbolt, and the longer out-of-stock AMC AM/FM tuner, itself another almost-forgotten little sonic wonder. (Too bad so few really good FM stations are around anymore. But, in the New York area, the AMC justifies the power you’ll put into finding it.)
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Our assessment of this system is up and coming. But, in the meanwhile, getting back on target, let’s return to the new generation of solid-state designs. I very recently gave a set of Golden Ears to Jeff Rowland Research’s Corus linestage and 625 stereo amp, so impressed was I with its sweetness and purity (if not its dynamics). Since then, I have spent as much, if not more time with new and colorationfree units from Vitus, including a phonostage priced at $72,000 or so and built with the skill and mass of a huge amplifier, and a new linestage from Meitner Labs, the $19,995 Pre2, with vanishingly low coloration, indeed perhaps as neutrally transparent in overall character as any such device I’ve heard and priced accordingly. (Again, as in the Rowland, dynamics seem to have taken a back seat to audio purities.) But just as I was getting accustomed to the sound, or rather lack of it, and struggling to work out a fresh definition for the “new” sound of solid-state, along came a solid-state monoblock from Japan, the Concert Fidelity ZL120 ($23,000 per pair), which actually is indistinguishable from a good tubed unit in its overall sound, and this proved to be something of a shock for this guy, since, like true tubed units, it seems to add something to the original sound instead of, like the new breed, taking things away. The surprises weren’t over. After a much too long silence, there just appeared, along with its designer, Dieter Burmester
HP’s WORKSHOP (in a triumphant return to form), the Burmester Model PH-100 phonostage ($16,995 to HP’s version, $22,995), which, at first blush, in the here and now, would seem to be the last word in the amplification of signals from deluxe moving-coil designs (with all sorts of features, including provisions for those who wish to transfer their analog discs to digits), and, perhaps, coincidentally at the same time, the new Clearaudio Statement cartridge ($15,000, up $3k from the previous Goldfinger), now a neck-and-neck rival and seeming response to the top-of-the-line Benz that won out our recent moving-coil survey. And this “statement” from Clearaudio itself arrived just as a spectacular statement from Bob Graham did, the Graham Phantom II Supreme ($5500, only $600 more than the Phantom II), an update to the plain ole P-II, and one so much more alive-sounding that it revivifies the Clearaudio with what one might, with apologies, call a kind of “living presence.” To regress back to the newfound character of the best contemporary solid-statements, I confess that I have been slowed down in my evaluations because, absent the usual signposts to the presence of solid-state devices, I have lost my bearings. The old and mostly noxious characteristics of such circuitry do mean we get greater transparency (absence of audible colorations) but do they also mean greater “translucency”? Yes, there is less in the way of your getting a more accurate sense of the absolute sound
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HP’s WORKSHOP
itself, but does that mean you are getting a more musical sense of that absolute, or more musical truth? One of the things I have begun to think standing in our way or a better conceptual basis of the absolute is that reproducing music ought to be looked at as trying to recreate a full-scale version of Mount Everest in your home environment. Overlooking the awkwardness of the simile, there are many facets to the original, rather like there are many aspects to a simulation of Everest itself—shadings, scaling, peaks and valleys (dynamics), coolness and heat, elevations and depressions. You might, without much in the way of apology, say that the older tubed designs made additions, usually euphonic (in a twist I think ironic, the solidstate Concert Fidelity has those tube-like, analog-ish euphonics), to the scalings and dimensions of our hypothetical Everest(s), while older solid-state subtracted, generally, from these realities. By contrast, conrad-johnson has come forth with a new line of audio components—its best in many years—and these have been so challenging that I have been taking my time listening to them on the main reference system in Room 3 here in Sea Cliff. The gear? The $20,000 GAT linestage, the first application of the company’s anniversary reference triode technology to an amplifier, the $35,000/pair ART III monoblocks, and the TEA phonostage (itself so quickly discontinued that I have omitted it, but I may mention it, or may not, a bit later in opposition or apposition to the Burmester 100). What has fascinated me about the linestage and amplifiers is their uncanny way of the transmission of timing cues, phase information, and way the c-js get those arrival times so right that the transient information seems, to these ears, to gain a new more vivid realism. This latter observation, incidentally, became much more pronounced with an extensive capacitor modification in the huge $110,000 Scaena 1.4 towers from Teflon film and tinfoil capacitors to the much more expensive copper foil and Teflon film capacitors. The difference in clarity, dynamics, resolution, and the differentiation of high-frequency harmonics was/is worth an essay unto itself, one, it would now seem, best accomplished in a discussion of the c-j improvements and the coming improvements to the Scaena tweeter strips themselves. (See JV’s review of the conrad-johnson GAT preamp and ART amp on p. 130 of this issue.—Ed.) 160 December 2011 the absolute sound
But, wait, there is yet more. Upgrades to the battery-operated Veloce line and phonostages (Veloce Platino LS-1 linestage, $18,000; Veloce Platino LP-1 phono module, $3500) arrived while all these sessions were going on and, to my surprise, were clearly audible with even greater transparency, although the company wasn’t at all eager to designate the changes with a new model number. And if there weren’t complication enough, Silver Circle Audio ventured forth with a new and refined version of its power conditioner/isolation transformer, now designated as the Golden Eagle (of course, it costs more), with even more line garbage and interference missing than before. My problem here was simply enough: All of these changes were being made as I was in the process of reviewing the new gear and though I had, in almost every case, a genuine recognition of the improvements being wrought, I had not done all the work necessary to make the definitive conclusions (which I am now just about ready to do). There were certain basic pieces of gear whose character and quality were immediately evident and I will write about them next time out, including two superlative bargains from the new Nordost Leif line of cables: the modestly priced Purple Fliare, a more colored but still openly honest version of the latest generation of Red Dawn, itself a best buy if ever Nordost issued one. Those who remember know I didn’t care much for the first-generation Red Dawn interconnects. Happy to say that the current crop borders on the sensational. And lest we forget, I have just begun testing, and at the same time as the Clearaudio Statement moving-coil cartridge (that supersedes the Goldfinger v2) and the Graham Phantom Supreme, the ultra-deluxe Odin phono wires (balanced, of course, for the Burmester). An abundance of riches.
MANUFACTURER Comments Aerial Acoustics 7T Loudspeaker We would like to thank Kirk Midtskog, Robert Harley, and The Absolute Sound for taking the time and effort to review our new Model 7T so thoroughly. The 7T represents an important new statement for Aerial, comparable to that made by our first product, the Model 10T. Over the years Aerial has worked to make neutral, natural sounding speakers while improving resolution and transparency. The 7T offers exceptional performance, second only to our 20T V2, along with a striking exterior design and finish, all at a reasonable price. It can be driven to satisfying levels with modest amplification. We hope this might open the door to more listeners. Mr. Midtskog points out a defining characteristic of a high-resolution speaker. It will not hide problems in amplification, cabling, or source material. If a recording is harsh or unnatural, it cannot make that recording sound wonderful, but will reveal the source and nature of the problem. On the other hand, only a well-balanced, high resolution speaker will allow a good recording to shine through, revealing subtle musical and acoustical details, and making the next jump toward immersion in a real, live, moving experience. We hope that avid listeners will seek out the 7T, to hear for themselves what Kirk found so special about it. Thanks again for a wonderful review. Michael Kelly Aerial Acoustics
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Music
MARK ARK WALDREP WALDREP Knows wHat He’s doing Andrew Quint
O
n what seems to a visitor from the steamy East Coast an impossibly beautiful July afternoon, I’m sitting at Dr. Mark Waldrep’s mixing console, in cool semi-darkness. I’m in Los Angeles to meet Waldrep, the man behind AIX Records and iTrax, for a demonstration of his live action music 3-D Blu-rays. Waldrep isn’t here: he’s been called to Nashville to caucus with Naxos regarding distribution of his chronically underappreciated recordings, a major coup. But the engineer/producer has suggested that I stop by anyway. We talk by phone for a while, then an assistant plays me selections from AIX’s 3D Bluray music demo disc that range from a Mozart string quartet to solo jazz piano to Mark Chesnutt’s country band to Rita Coolidge belting out “Brickyard Blues.” The 3-D video aspect is interesting—if, for me, unessential. But the multichannel audio, emanating from five B&W 801 loudspeakers, is quite simply the most realistic and involving instance of recorded sound I can recall, from any source format. Mark Waldrep knows what he’s doing. The Ph.D., by the way, isn’t in electrical engineering or some other scientific or technical discipline, as I’d assumed. The degree is in music composition: at UCLA, Waldrep submitted the first-ever electronic music doctoral dissertation. He took a dummy “binaural” head and a NAGRA IV-S battery-powered field recorder into various acoustic environments—a cave, the beach, up in a hot air balloon—and used these stereo recordings as the raw materials for a musical work. Waldrep’s musical activities in those days were quite diverse, to put it mildly. He wrote musique concrète, but was also a capable 162 December 2011 the absolute sound
rock guitarist. He studied composition with Mel Powell and Morton Subotnick, and was selected to attend master classes with Pierre Boulez while a student at Cal Arts. Yet around the same time Waldrep landed an engineering job at Mama Jo’s Recording in North Hollywood, where he worked with the likes of the pop/rock band Ambrosia. It was in the context of all this musical activity that Mark Waldrep’s recording philosophies developed. Watch the videos that accompany many AIX DVD-Audio and Blu-ray releases and you’ll note stereo pairs of microphones positioned close to individual instrumentalists and vocalists. “It’s not panning a mono signal among speakers or adjusting reverb and dynamic levels that gets you the sense of physical placement in a surround field or even a stereo field,” Waldrep told me. “It’s about
the mechanisms of what we have built into the sides of our heads—our ears— and the processing of that information in our brains.” Waldrep elaborates: “There’s a reason why we have two ears and it’s not just so that we can tell whether a perceived sound is coming from our left or right. A far more important aspect of binaural sound is the ability to discern how far away a particular sound source is from us. This evolutionary development ensured that humans and animals would have an early warning system when it came time to get away from predators. It’s the same reason why we have two eyes and experience the world in full stereovision. It’s all about ‘depth’ of vision or sound. Unfortunately, most traditional studio/ commercial recordings are done using a single microphone placed near the instrument. The recorded sound is then electrically panned between an array of speakers, artificial reverberation is added, and the perceived distance to the sound is controlled exclusively by the amplitude of the track; the lower the volume, the farther away the object producing the sound is. The problem with this type of audio engineering is that the reproduced sound never breaks the perimeter of the monitor speakers. Getting inside or outside of the ‘circle’ of speakers is almost impossible using mono sources. However, if you record with the space in mind using a stereo pair of mikes and carefully arrange them in the mix, it can make the speakers disappear and transport you into the space where the original performers were playing.” AIX typically includes two multichannel mixes (in addition to a stereo version) on its releases—a traditional “Audience
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Music Mix” and a more aggressively enveloping “Stage Mix.” Waldrep’s preference is clear. “The sound of highly reverberant classical recordings is not something that I personally value,” he says. “As a guitar player, I’ve played in a number of bands and always enjoyed being close to the sound coming from the other guys in the group. My epiphany moment came when my piano instructor, Gaylord Mowrey, invited me to one of his recitals. On the program that afternoon was a single piece of music, a two-hour-long solo piano work by Morton Feldman. As I walked into the Roy O. Disney Hall, a modular room with no stage or raised portion, I saw the piano in the middle of the space. There were no chairs. The audience area, which surrounded the piano, was covered with rugs and pillows. Listeners were invited to recline for the lengthy program. My teacher came up to me as I entered the space and told me he’d reserved a very special location for me—directly underneath the nine-foot Steinway grand piano! That afternoon, as I listened to Gaylord playing the Feldman piece, my perspective on the traditional audience placement during a music performance changed. So it was natural for me to think about being on stage with the musicians, in the midst of the performance. In fact, this is the default on our releases because it forces the listener to confront a mix that fully immerses him in the music. People have said ‘Well, this is another conductorwannabe mix and I feel like I’m standing on the podium.’ Well, what’s the matter with standing on the podium? Look, if everybody had the opportunity to be up there with [Gustavo] Dudamel or Zdenek Mácal and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, you might come away with a different appreciation of Pines of Rome— with 120 decibels hitting you from 30 feet away, as opposed to being in the 20th or 30th row. It’s all about personal taste. For me, the more involving, the better.” A sore subject with Waldrep over the years has been his decision to use the DVD-Audio platform for his highresolution recordings, rather than SACD. He’d bristle if the obvious was pointed out in print—that DVD-A was fading fast as a commercial endeavor. Of course, with the ascendance of Bluray—including its use as a music-only 164 December 2011 the absolute sound
carrier—Waldrep has been vindicated by the evolving dominance of PCMbased recording over the Direct Stream Digital methodology. “I’m not a fan of DSD technology and have a hard time comprehending the ‘success’ of SACD over DVD-Audio. I can only guess that Sony/Philips did a much better job of marketing its ‘revolutionary’ archival technology than the forces behind DVDAudio did. “I’m a member of the CEA Audio Board and another board member distributed a handout that was meant to illustrate the benefits of DSD over CD-quality PCM. There were two spectragraphs on the piece of paper. The upper frequencies on the PCM graph were clean and surrounded by black—no sound—as you would expect. However, the DSD graph of the same music had a very definite ‘purple haze’ in the band between 25kHz and 35kHz. This was the result of the noise-shaping algorithm of the DSD process. Most mastering engineers simply roll off these unwanted HF components. So the question I asked myself was: ‘If one of the goals of the new formats is to increase the HF extension and accuracy of the recording, which does it better, PCM or DSD?’ I made my choice and only use HD PCM to represent the digital audio we capture. And Blu-ray offers the best combination yet for combining HD surround music and HD video. Where we previously had to down-convert our videos from HD to anamorphic SD video and use a lossy audio encoding technology like Dolby Digital or DTS for the surround mixes, now we can have uncompromising HD audio and HD video quality, thanks to the next generation of optical disc technology, the Blu-ray Disc. I couldn’t be happier with the sound and accuracy of the TrueHD encoding methodology from Dolby Laboratories. It’s a continuation of the Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP) algorithm of the DVD-Audio format and provides 100% accurate reproduction of the master digital files.” Another subject about which Mark Waldrep has strong feelings—very strong feelings—is high-resolution downloads. He launched iTrax in 2007 for the online sale of AIX recordings and the site also has material from a few other labels,
including Harmonia Mundi and 2L. Waldrep is prickly about what counts as a high-resolution music file. A banner on the AIX Web site sums it up: “Home of REAL High Definition Recordings.” “I define high-definition audio— whether it comes from a disc, memory stick, the ‘cloud,’ or wired file transfer— as audio that was recorded, at the time the original musicians were present, using equipment that has the capability to achieve or exceed the dynamic range and frequency response of human hearing. In the language of PCM digital encoding, this translates to a sampling rate of at least 96kHz and word lengths of at least 24 bits. I’m not willing to debate the upper range of human hearing: if a musical instrument/singer produces frequencies above the traditional 20kHz ‘highest’ end of human hearing, producers/engineers should capture those frequencies and deliver them through the playback systems to consumers. I know there are high partials above 20kHz in the sound of cymbals, violins, and a trumpet using a Harmon mute: I’ve seen them and experienced them. We have speakers that can reproduce frequencies this high, so why not provide them to music fans? It’s about coming as close as possible to the actual music-making event. According to Nyquist, a sampling rate of 96kHz provides recorded frequencies up to 48kHz and gives equipment designers much greater flexibility in the implementation of filters in their ADCs and DACs. It also minimizes the interaural delays that can happen between different recording channels, resulting in better spatial resolution and clarity. So it’s not just about extending the highest frequencies above the traditional range of human hearing. The use of 24 bits means that the full dynamic range of a musical performance can be maintained during the entire recording chain. This provides a theoretical upper limit of 144dB of dynamic range (the reality is closer to 120–125dB) but this is far better than the best analog tape machines can muster.” But doesn’t a Golden Age analog recording that is digitally remastered at 24/96 count as HD, representing as close an approach to the original mastertape as consumers can get? Waldrep doesn’t buy it.
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Music “Think about it. If you take an analog recording—which usually started as a 24track master that was mixed to another analog 2-track tape and then was mastered to another tape only to be copied to yet another tape—that has 55 to 60dB of dynamic range and transfer it into an HD PCM ‘bucket’ capable of 120dB of dynamic range, does the fidelity of the original analog tape adopt the sonic profile of the new HD environment? No, it stays the same as it was at the last point prior to the digital transfer. It’s true that you don’t lose any fidelity during the transfer but you don’t gain any additional dynamic range or frequency response either. It may sound ‘better’ than the original to some reviewers’ ears but that is likely due to creative remastering and not the additional fidelity possible with HD formats. A standard-definition recording will always be a standard-definition recording because the fidelity is locked in at the time of the original session. Those who would elevate analog tape and vinyl
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to HD status are essentially saying that we’ve had HD audio since the 1960s and that the advances in fidelity haven’t improved in the intervening 50 years. I don’t accept that. I believe there are lots of very high quality recordings that eclipse the best of the analog era.” The full-boat 24/96 two-channel and surround options for iTrax downloads are costly—$21.99 and $27.99 per album, respectively—and this is the case with other on-line purveyors of HD files as well. Waldrep is frank about the pricing of his iTrax offerings: “The price of a digital download is based on a number of factors, just as the price of physical goods is based on the cost of production, marketing, and distribution. There are costs associated with the bandwidth and monthly storage fees charged by the ISP, but they don’t warrant the wide variety of pricing that you find on the different HD download music retailers. I recognize that my productions are more costly than many other high-end music labels working with
digital releases. However, considering that audiophiles are willing to pay $30 to $50 for a single piece of vinyl or many hundreds of dollars for an analog tape copy of a standard-definition archival release and even thousands of dollars for interconnect and speaker cables, I don’t feel that spending around $30 for a true HD music album is out of line.” Early on, AIX offered a video version of a disc’s program along with the various audio-only options. I mention to Waldrep that when the visual perspective of a performance changes but the audio perspective doesn’t, it can be confusing, even jarring to many consumers. Waldrep told me: “This is the most commonly asked question I get whenever I give a demonstration in my studio or at a trade show. ‘I hear the drums on the right side of the surround mix but the drummer is located on the left side of the stage as presented by the video.’ My response is that AIX Records is a record company that specializes in producing some of the
Music world’s best music recordings. Because we record all of the musicians at one sitting, I decided it would be worthwhile to include video on the discs we release. After all, it’s just a matter of a few cameras and some editing time later, right? But the music comes first. “As the audio mixer and the video editor, I have a choice to make when working with both media. The video could be a single locked-off camera looking at the group from the audience with the audio mixed to match the position of the musicians on stage or I could edit the video to be more interesting than a single camera and disconnect from the physicality of the placement of the musicians. I chose to mix the music tracks independently of the visuals. Clearly, I could chase the visuals with the mix—have the drums instantly jump from one position in the mix to another as the video cuts. This is not a viable choice. Remember these are music albums with video and not the other way around. If the disconnect bothers a
particular listener then simply turn off the video.” Waldrep has a number of “firsts” in his resume. The AIX Media Group was the first to release an “enhanced CD” and, in 1997, the first to author and release a DVD. His company developed “motion menus” and Internet connectivity for the DVD format. Now, Waldrep can take credit for the first 3-D music Blu-ray Discs. “About a year and a half ago, I decided it would be fun to try and enhance the ‘private performance at home’ concept that AIX Records has pioneered over the past ten years. Panasonic Professional Products was in the midst of developing its first ‘semi-professional’ 3-D camcorder and I asked if Panasonic would be interested in providing four of its prototypes for a few days so that we could shoot the first 3-D music albums. Panasonic agreed. The 3D imagery was amazing. What I thought would be a curiosity or gimmick became a transformative experience.”
Mark Waldrep’s success derives, in part, from his unusual skill set, a rare combination of scientific discipline and artistic imagination. “I have a very strong left/right brain connection,” he says. “I can program computers and do math really well and I can write a melody and play the guitar.” It could be added that Waldrep also has a restless curiosity that keeps him on the lookout for the latest technological developments that might further elevate the experience of listening to music at home. “It’s not, for me, about the traditional audiophile goals of a producer or engineer to recreate the acoustic reality of a physical performance. That’s not my goal. It never has been. It’s to maximize the creative, expressive output of a composer’s musical thought using the best technology we can. We have much more flexibility to do that these days than we ever had before.” Yes, Mark Waldrep knows what he’s doing.
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Records International
A “Type Two” Classical Music Collector’s Delight Mark Lehman
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here are basically two types of dedicated classical music record collectors. Type Ones mainly assemble multiple performances of a limited number of well-known, much loved, “standard repertoire” works, seeking the most polished, expressive, or interesting renderings by musicians both renown and disregarded. The goals of Type Two classical music collectors are quite different. These insatiably curious creatures are constantly in search of new repertoire: less-known works that, they hope, will turn out to be overlooked or under-appreciated treasures. For this second kind of collector the “standard repertoire” is much too confining; like a restless, promiscuous sultan, he’s always in search of fresh and ever-more-alluring consorts. (Though unlike most such potentates he’s eager to share his evergrowing harem of recorded discoveries with his fellow music lovers.) I’m definitely and defiantly a Type Two. My credo is you’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs to find a few princesses, and I’m willing to expend the money, time, and effort to do that. In fact I’ve made finding little-known and unjustly neglected classical music—predominantly (though by no means exclusively) from the 20th century—one of the main activities of my life for the past half-century. I clerked at record stores throughout my college years, and since then spent many, many hours riffling through bins of LPs and (later) clacking through rows of CDs at libraries and record shops, scanning catalogues from mail-order dealers, scuffling through boxes at charity benefits 168 December 2011 the absolute sound
and garage sales, and searching on eBay and other on-line sources of both new and used recordings. Since its founding in 1977, one of my chief sources for new recordings of littleknown and hard-to-find classical music (LPs and, as the market evolved, CDs only) has been Records International. Based in Tucson, Arizona, RI combs American independent classical distributors for their most unusual repertoire releases as well as importing exclusively a handful of labels from abroad. All of RI’s offerings appear in its carefully annotated monthly catalogue listing new arrivals. The catalogue is mailed out in printed form, but the on-line version is better (recordsinternational.com); it includes the cover art of every release RI sells, as well as an easily searchable archive going all the way back to July 1997. And RI gets new releases sooner than other outlets, so it makes for especially fascinating reading, detailing one tantalizing title after another. An additional bonus is that when you call RI during business hours (weekdays noon to 6, Mountain Standard Time), you can expect the phone (1-888-8045513) to be answered by an actual human being—the proprietor, Jeff Joneikis. He’ll be happy to take your catalogue order, and special orders for any disc on the many (rarely seen or known in the U.S.) labels that RI carries, companies like Numerica and Portugalsom (from Portugal), FC (Finland), Convivium, Hallé, Metier, and BMS (England), Amemptos (Greece), Acte Prealable (Poland), Caprice (Sweden), Tudor and Pan (Switzerland), Northern Flowers and
Melodiya (Russian), Supraphon (Czech Republic), Hortus (Benelux), Anemos (Spain), and many, many others. Every one of RI’s monthly catalogue lists many composers and compositions that even the most knowledgeable aficionado won’t recognize, and many others that he will recognize as having been undeservedly neglected. RI’s September catalogue, for example, offers string quartets by Boris Tischenko and Ildelbrando Pizzetti and Leo Brouwer, piano trios by Andrzej Panufnik and Dora Pejacevic, piano etudes by Maurice Ohana, symphonies and concertos by Louis Spohr, Arthur Somervell, Benjamin Godard, Kamran Ince, and Hans Werner Henze, historical recordings of Smetana’s The Secret and original cast recordings (made in the 20s and 30s) of Kurt Weill numbers, Idil Biret’s 1979 recording of Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique transcribed for piano, Paul Stone’s Requiem for an Angel, Santiago Lanchares’ ballet Castor y Pollux. And more, much more. If you’re a Type Two classical collector and haven’t yet seen Records International’s catalogues, you’ve got a genuine treat to look forward to. I read them every month and invariably find several treasures I hadn’t known were out there. Luckily for me I can be very patient—as long as I don’t know I’m waiting. But once you’ve found something you want from RI, act promptly to order it. CDs (especially of rare repertoire) tend to go out of print quickly. One more reason why RI’s early-bird listings, wide selection, personal service, and fast delivery are much appreciated.
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Rock Music Reviews
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Rod Stewart: Gasoline Alley; Every Picture Tells a Story. Mobile Fidelity (LP). Occasionally, when writing a music review, I have a strong hunch that some readers will be so excited to discover something’s been released that my review is almost superfluous—just knowing the record exists will send them to the record store (or online, as the case may be). That’s how I feel about the two Rod Stewart LPs coming out on Mobile Fidelity’s new Silver Label Vinyl Series. If you were going to pick two back-to-back Rod records to give the audiophile vinyl treatment, I’m not sure you could do better than Gasoline Alley and Every Picture Tells a Story. Before he jumped on all the wrong 1970s and 1980s bandwagons, there was Rod Stewart in all his glory. We can squabble about whether certain records demand a reassessment—artistically a previous MFSL Rod Stewart reissue, Blondes Have More Fun, certainly falls far short of his earlier work, for instance—but these two new LP reissues breathe the most rarefied of air. Both albums belong to a period when Rod Stewart lived a double life. Faces was known for its loose and scrappy approach and received more praise after they folded than before. On Rod’s solo albums band members were more likely to break out acoustic guitars and mandolins to play music that was never going to sound overly pretty because—well, think of the singer. Rod’s solo work might have also have been overlooked initially were it not for “Maggie May” from Every Picture Tells a Story. Because of that song, Every Picture 170 December 2011 the absolute sound
outsold Gasoline Alley many times over, yet these LPs are very much of a piece, covering the same ground in similar ways. Both include gospel, folk, blues, soul, covers of lesser-known Dylan songs— just about anything rootsy his crew would play in a way that managed to sound both off-the-cuff and solid. There’s no question the MoFi versions of these LPs have greater clarity than the originals—in fact, the difference is quite pronounced. On both albums the crossstitching of acoustic guitars and mandolins is revealed in all its intricacy, and the bass lines are much more distinct. This is not to say that the MoFis are the final word, however. During backto-back playbacks of the title track to Every Picture, a friend and I nearly fell out of our seats when round two—the original pressing—came roaring out of the speakers with a life that original early 1970s rock pressings sometimes have in spades, not because they’re audiophile but because (partially) engineers knew enough to boost the volume levels in order to help obfuscate recording flaws. Listening to the MoFi recordings is closer to hearing the music from behind glass— but that ain’t all bad. By itself, the detail in Dylan’s “Only a Hobo” and “Tomorrow is Such a Long Time” was enough to convince me that revisiting these classics was worth all the fuss. So which version should you own? To some extent that depends on your preferences. Me, I want both. On Saturday nights I can relive my rowdy youth with the originals, and on Sunday mornings the MoFis can give me a clearer picture of what made this music click. Early Rod Stewart always had a rough-cut quality, but as the MoFi recordings reveal more than the originals, there was also a high level of artistry underneath the surface. Jeff Wilson
Further Listening: Faces: First Step; Jeff Beck Group: Truth
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Greg Brown: Freak Flag. (YepRoc). “I Don’t Know Anybody in This Town,” with its loping country beat and slinky lead guitar line, may be the sexiest song you’ll ever hear about homelessness, the need for human contact, and the U.S. empire in decline. The title track, delivered in Brown’s familiar worldweary vocals, is a folksy baby-boomer anthem that exorcises the ghost of 60s counterculture and provides an antidote to Tea Party hysteria. Daughter Pieta Brown contributes one song (“Remember the Sun”) as does Brown’s wife Iris DeMent (“Let the Mystery Be”). British rock-guitar hero Mark Knopfler lends tasteful licks to “Flat Stuff,” a dark view of the bleaker aspects of the Midwest. Longtime collaborator and guitarist Bo Ramsey produces and provides the rich textural soundscape. With wry, tender meditations on friends, family, domestic bliss (and not bliss), and the body politic, singer/songwriter Brown plays the road-worn sage. Yet though his songs may ask “What the hell’s wrong here?” his lyrics never succumb to bitterness. Freak Flag has the mark of a great Greg Brown album: it acknowledges that the most intimate parts of our lives aren’t always what they appear while offering a sonic balm for those who feel the world might be spinning off its axis. Grab hold. Greg Cahill Further Listening: Greg Brown: Songs of Innocence and of Experience
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The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams. Columbia.
Maria Muldaur: Steady Love. Stony Plain.
Michael Martin Murphey: Tall Grass & Cool Water. Rural Rhythm.
This is a dream project: 12 previously unreleased lyrics by country legend Hank Williams set to music by 13 recording artists and supervised by Bob Dylan. It seems that when Hank died in the back of his Cadillac on New Year’s Day 1953, at age 29, he left behind a worn leather satchel filled with unfinished songs. A half century later, Dylan, Merle Haggard, Lucinda Williams, Norah Jones, Jack White, Sheryl Crow, Levon Helm, Alan Jackson, Vince Gill and Rodney Crowell, Holly Williams, Patty Loveless, and Jakob Dylan have breathed life into these lost riches. On the strong lament “I Hope You Shed a Million Tears,” with a crying pedal steel echoing “I’m So Lonely I Could Cry,” Gill and Crowell have even added the sound of a scratchy vinyl album to the track. Still, gimmicks aside, these artists have given voice to a dozen classics in the making. Alan Jackson, on “You’ve Been Lonesome, Too,” comes the closest to channeling William’s vocal style. And, once again, pop-jazz artist Norah Jones shows her affinity for the country genre. But for a lot of folks, the surprise here will be the fine unaffected vocal by relative newcomer Holly Williams, 29, daughter of Hank Williams Jr. Fifty years after his death, the great Hank Williams keeps delivering timeless treasures. GC
On her stomping “Soulful Dress,” Maria Muldaur sings that ”I’ll be at my best when I put on my soulful dress.” Her enticing, smoky-voiced boast about how appealing she is in a certain figure-flattering garment is apt, for Steady Love is that garment, a potent, uplifting collection of thicktextured blues, gospel, and classic R&B with a Crescent City feel courtesy of stellar New Orleans players, in response to whom Muldaur rises to an exalted plane of feeling, finesse, and funkiness. Add faith to the alliterative litany, too, as her gritty testifying on the Rev. W.H. Brewster’s timely, topical gospel shuffle “As An Eagle Stirreth In Her Nest” has spiritual magnitude Mavis Staples would envy. She practically dances in the pulpit on the roof-raising “Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down,” with an amen chorus seconding her preacherly importuning about self-respect, and enhances “Please Send Me Someone To Love,” Percy Mayfield’s classic blues ballad plea for tolerance, with a gritty, lowdown attack while updating the lyrics to address a multitude of contemporary woes. Sonically, Steady Love is a hot, roiling ensemble mix that complements the heat our gal brings. She wears her soulful dress well. David McGee
Since abandoning his hit-making stint as a mainstream country romantic balladeer in 1989, Michael Martin Murphey has fashioned a productive if unlikely career singing western music. Now he’s up to six volumes of Cowboy Songs, with the latest arguably his finest yet. True to his recent embrace of bluegrass, his band here includes Sam Bush, Ronnie McCoury, Andy Leftwich, Charlie Cushman, Pat Flynn, and Mike Bub, and the result is a unique amalgam of southwestern plains and mountain music that revivifies cowboy songs as surely as did Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers in their 30s heyday. In fact, Nolan, the poet laureate of the western song, is represented by three tunes here, including a beautiful, laconic version of “Cool Water” that Murph sings with tender appreciation for the loner’s struggle against the forces of nature. Contemporary sources include Murph himself, a fine songwriter, whose loping ballad “Partner To the Wind,” featuring his instantly identifiable tenor croon enhanced by winsome atmospherics from Andy Hall’s dobro, is an exquisite love song to life lived in concert with the natural world. With a lean, uncluttered sound framing the evocative vocals, Murph and his co-producer son Ryan have fashioned a gem of new/old west testimonials. DM
Further Listening: Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute
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Further Listening: Ry Cooder: Pull Up Some Dust & Sit Down; David Bromberg: Use Me
Further Listening: Hal Cannon: Hal Cannon; Sons of the Pioneers: Classic Cowboy Songs
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Jake Schepps: An Evening in the Village. Fine Mighty.
Gillian Welch: The Harrow & The Harvest. Acony.
Jennifer Warnes: The Well. Impex (two 45rpm LPs).
Whatever you want to call the music that people like Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, Bela Fleck, Mark O’Connor, and Yo-Yo Ma have been recording the past decade, it’s taken a hard left into composer Bela Bartok’s world. Banjos and Bartok met in 1990 thanks to Bill Crofut, but this time the resulting sound is closer to the Appalachia Waltz album. Schepps has rearranged Bartok’s settings of Hungarian folk music (and one American tune) for banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, cello, and bass, and turned them into something new and appealing. Straight transcription is blended with improvisation; the solos feel laid back, but the rhythm section keeps a slight tension beneath the surface. My main complaint is that the energy level of “Progressive Acoustic” music has never matched that of its bluegrass roots: the style would be better off leaning more toward Bill Monroe than Mozart. Also, many of the tunes here are on the short side: more improvisation would have been welcome. Still, it’s a fascinating, enjoyable album of polished playing. Melancholy isn’t passed over, nor is Bartok’s particular harmonic zaniness (try “Mikrokosmos #153”); “Stick Game” has a sweet swing to it. Sound is just a bit dry and bassheavy. Stephen Estep
Eight years in the making and definitely worth the wait, this latest roots music collaboration from singer/songwriter Gillian Welch and guitarist David Rawlings uses spare vocal harmonies and simple folk instrumentation (guitar, banjo, and harmonica) to tell powerful stories rendered in lyrical verses heavy with memories and implication. Any one of these ten tunes could have been heard drifting from a front porch in Appalachia a century and a half ago. These dark tales of love, death, abandonment, and separation are timeless yet timely, and Welch’s smoky alto adds just the right amount of mountain mist. Rawlings’ harmonies lurk just beneath her lead vocals, and the resulting interplay between the two voices is subtle, unadorned, and haunting. There’s a stretch of unison in “The Way It Will Be” where it’s nearly impossible to tell the two voices apart. Always a pleasure to hear, Rawlings’ guitar playing stands out in particular on “Scarlet Town,” where it’s so precise and rhythmic that it sounds almost like a hammered dulcimer. Sonics are clean, clear, and uncluttered—perfectly suited to this austere music. All told, a fine follow-up to Welch’s recent collaboration with The Decemberists. Sherri Lehman
Jennifer Warnes is one of the most underrated pop singers of her generation. Her albums, though few and far between, brim with melody and craft—and lyrics both intelligent and emotionally weighted. The Well was originally released in 2001 but time hasn’t dulled its spirit. Along with the title track, standouts include “Patriot’s Dream” in duet with Arlo Guthrie, a stunning cover of Tom Waits’ “Invitation To the Blues,” and Dylan’s classic “Born In Time.” The songs are lovingly produced, inventively orchestrated, and stocked with a who’s who of studio musicians. But Warnes’ expressive vocals overshadow all. She’s a singer who asks a lot of her gifts, always searching for finer degrees of nuance and dynamics like a painter mixing color on a palette. The reissue from Impex Records (staffed by former Cisco émigrés) is a model for the premium LP industry. Its two-disc 45rpm 180-gram pressings are presented in an individually numbered wood box with a twelve-page, large format booklet that includes notes and lyrics. Bernie Grundman presided over the alltube remastering. Sonically this about as good as it gets from a studio-bred multitrack—fabulous acoustic textures, deep bass, and awesome ambience. A vinyllover’s dream come true. Neil Gader
Further Listening: Mike Marshall & Chris Thile: Into the Cauldron; Muzsikas: Bartok Album
Further Listening: Gillian Welch: Time (The Revelator); The Decemberists: The King Is Dead
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Further Listening: Mary ChapinCarpenter: Come on, Come On; Linda Ronstadt: Heart Like A Wheel
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Classical Music Reviews
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Live from the Marlboro Music Festival. Marlboro Recording Society (three individually available discs). The Marlboro folks issued these three live-in-concert recordings for their 60th anniversary (their Web site points you to www.arkivmusic.com for purchasing— search for “Marlboro”). The festival was founded in 1951 by pianist Rudolf Serkin (its artistic director for 40 years), violinist Adolf Busch, and others, and it provides a retreat where some of classical music’s best musicians rehearse and perform in a relaxed setting with up-and-coming talents. I hate to leave these great artists uncredited in this limited space, but Arkiv Music lists them all accurately. Had the notes not told me that Mozart’s String Quintet in D was recorded in 2005, I would have guessed the early Sixties, maybe, from the playing style. The shimmery tone, the leisurely pacing, the geniality and the tenderness seem to recall a less hurried time. The first two movements have positively Beethovenian silences; the Menuet has some of Mozart’s most charming melodies and is rendered with tasteful rubato from the players. Beethoven’s Archduke Trio is solid but lacks magic and fire; David Soyer, the cellist, had a habit of telling pianists they were too loud, and Mitsuko Uchida indeed sounds tentative, especially in the Andante Cantabile. She’s charming in the last movement, though. The Andante from Schubert’s E-Flat Trio is delightful and songlike except for the weighteddown climax. 176 December 2011 the absolute sound
The first movement of the Debussy String Quartet is slightly caffeinated, and the Scherzo pushes even more; the Andantino, gauzy though the texture be, has strength. There’s no milquetoast here: this is a surging, lively performance, clear in vision and stunning despite a handful of out-of-tune notes. Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro is subtly colored, and his String Quartet is played as ably as the Debussy, with a little brighter sound. Respighi’s Il Tramonto is a setting in Italian of Shelley’s poem The Sunset for mezzo soprano and string quartet; it’s slow-paced and understated, where it probably would have been turgid in German hands at the time (1914). Jennifer Johnson, the soloist, really shines; she has a pleasant, expressive voice, and her tone is very consistent throughout her range. Her diction, good in the Respighi, is clearer still in Robert Cuckson’s Der Gayst Funem Shturem (The Spirit of the Storm, 2003), a brilliant setting of five Yiddish texts for voice and instrumental octet. Shostakovich’s seldom-heard Songs on Hebrew Themes (sung in German) have a Western smoothness to them but are still quite effective; the tenor is light-voiced, but the women are fine, and quite spooky in “Concerned Mother to the Aunt.” The entrancing ending of “Song of the Maidens” is worth the whole disc. Taken as a group these three discs offer a good survey of the Marlboro Festival: over 200 minutes of well-played standards and a few rarities, all taped in front of appreciative audiences. About half the pieces sound a little distant (the vocal disc needs more heft on the bottom end), but the other half are nicely balanced and more immediate. The notes have texts and translations for the vocal music, and the musicians reminisce with frankness and humor. SE Further Listening: Gidon Kremer and Martha Argerich: The Berlin Recital; Sante Fe Chamber Music Festival (series)
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Bach: Ich hatte viel Bekummernis: Concertos and Sinfonias for Oboe. Heinz Holliger, oboe; Camerata Bern, Erich Hobarth. ECM. When I was about 12, a friend of my dad’s gave me Christopher Hogwood’s recording of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos; though I hear spotty intonation when I listen now, the bright sound and fresh playing won me completely, and I’ve been hooked on classical music ever since. Only a few times since has a Baroque disc come along that’s rejuvenated and charmed me so—and this one has, even despite its title (“I Was Much Beset with Care”). The C Minor Concerto is the Double Concerto with violin; the others are reconstructions (the A Major is most often performed on harpsichord). The D Minor uses the famous Arioso as the middle movement, and the ornaments especially are winsome. There’s also Alessandro Marcello’s D Minor Concerto, and three sinfonias from Bach’s cantatas interspersed throughout. The phrasing is expressive but not maudlin, and the tempos are judiciously chosen. The first movement of the Marcello gets a little bogged down, but Camerata Bern’s playing in the second is smoother, not stilted like I Musici’s in the earlier Holliger recording. The sound is almost cheerful in and of itself. SE Further Listening: Heinz Holliger Edition (Brilliant Classics box set)
the absolute sound December 2011 177
Classical Music Reviews
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Winging It: Piano Music of John Corigliano. Ursula Oppens, Jerome Lowenthal. Cedille.
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The Christmas Story. Theatre of Voices, Ars Nova Copenhagen, Paul Hillier. Harmonia Mundi (SACD).
John Corigliano, an honored stalwart among American composers, has written for the piano throughout his career. Ursula Oppens, joined by Jerome Lowenthal for a couple of two-piano works, surveys 50 years of music that’s amazingly consistent in its drama and technical assurance, even as it grows in emotional depth and stylistic flare. Earliest is Kaleidoscope for two pianos, composed in 1958 when Corigliano was a student at Columbia. This is a short piece with the sunny confidence of youth as well as of that time in America. The most recent offering is Winging It: Improvisations for piano, from 2007-2008. Three short movements were extemporized at the piano bench by the composer and processed with MIDI technology to produce a printed score that Corigliano could then gently refine. The final product indeed retains a large measure of inspired spontaneity. The most striking piece on the CD is Chiaroscuro, employing two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart— one instrument a ghostly reflection of the other. Completing the program are Fantasia on an Ostinato, Corigliano’s closest approach to minimalism, and Etude Fantasy, which fashions a coherent 17-minute fantasia from five brief virtuoso studies. The sound is weighty, dimensional, and impactful. Andrew Quint
Choral conductor and singer Paul Hillier has modeled this unusual and unusually attractive program around the Nine Lessons and Carols of Christmas services from his youth in Great Britain. For this recording, based on seasonal concert performances in Denmark (his home ten years now), he dispenses with reading the lessons because he doesn’t want a mixture of languages—a mistake, I think, as they help focus and contextualize the disparate selections, which ideally balance the familiar (but not too familiar) and the recherché. New to me are three Baroque “dialogue” pieces, precursors of the oratorio form, where singers take on dramatic roles. In Dum deambularet Domine (“As the Lord was walking in paradise”) the composer directs the voice of God be sung above and hidden from the others, Adam to be “somewhat hidden,” instructions the producer Robina Young and her engineer Brad Michel take to heart. Superior choral recordings have long been one of Young’s specialties, this new one, in marvelously lifelike SACD sonics, no exception. The performances, divided among Hillier’s Theatre of Voices and Ars Nova Copenhagen, are beyond criticism. Paul Seydor
Further Listening: Corigliano: Symphony No. 1 (Slatkin); Altered States
Further Listening: Paul Hillier: Traditional and Modern Carols; Feliz Navidad: Mediterranean Christmas Music from the Renaissance
178 December 2011 the absolute sound
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Albeniz: Suite Española. New Philharmonia, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos. ORG (two 45rpm LPs). This is an orchestration of Isaac Albeniz’s 1887 piano suite, here conducted by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos who did the—gorgeous!—scoring himself. So idiomatically and effectively did Burgos accomplish this task that you’d never guess the work was originally conceived for piano. The eight-movement assemblage is tuneful, picturesque, and brilliantly colored, its dancelike allegros overflowing with Chabrier-like vivacity and effervescence, its moody andantes sensuous, languid, lilting, tinted with the mystery and Moorish exoticism of the various Spanish locales which inspired them. ORG’s 45rpm remastering is terrific (as indeed are all of the ORG vinyl reissues I’ve heard). Comparison with the late60s London LP on which the Suite first appeared reveals sharpened and clarified attacks and articulations, more tightly focused individual strands, fuller and warmer string choirs, more resonant brass, more pillowy air around flutes, clarinets, and oboes, and more nuance and opulence in the orchestral blends. The total effect is to make Albeniz’s composition even more sweeping, rhapsodic, richly hued, evocative, and involving—and that’s saying something, considering how good the sonics are on this recording’s first incarnation. Mark Lehman Further Listening: Chabrier et al.: España (ORG); Mendelssohn: A Midsummer’s Night Dream (ORG)
Jazz Music Reviews
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Miles Davis Quintet: Live in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 1. Legacy. Miles completists may already have these recordings, which have been circulated in bootleg form for years. Culled from original state-owned television and radio sources documenting festival appearances in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, and Sweden, this super-sounding threeCD set (with a bonus DVD of concerts in Karlsruhe, Germany, and Stockholm, Sweden) is being made commercially available for the first time. This exemplary unit, regarded by history as Miles Davis’ second classic quintet, was solidified in September, 1964, when Wayne Shorter joined the band, replacing Sam Rivers, who had briefly taken over the tenor sax chair from George Coleman in the quintet. This outfit was first documented on the live Miles in Berlin, recorded on September 25 at the Berlin Philharmonie. Their first studio recording together, the landmark E.S.P., came four months later in January, 1965. And while this new unit established an almost immediate chemistry on the bandstand, their extraordinary rapport continued to deepen with subsequent recordings like Live at the Plugged Nickel (recorded December 22-23, 1965), Miles Smiles (recorded October 24-25, 1966), and Sorcerer (recorded May, 1967). By the time they left for a European tour in late October of 1967, Miles and his fiery young charges were hitting on all cylinders, naturally striding away from hard bop while moving toward the avant garde with an uncanny groupthink. 180 December 2011 the absolute sound
What instantly registers on these repeated renditions of tunes like “Agitation” (from E.S.P.), Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints,” Jimmy Heath’s “Gingerbread Boy” (from Miles Smiles), and “Masqualero” (from Sorcerer) is the sheer supersonic speed and manic intensity of the playing. It’s as if they collectively took things up a couple of notches from the studio versions while opening up the form with their rhythmically elastic, shape-shifting tendencies. Drummer Tony Williams, just shy of 22 at the time of these recordings, fuels the proceedings with relentlessly probing, polyrhythmic attacks and lightning-quick hands on the kit. Pianist Herbie Hancock pulls the harmonies apart like taffy on these vehicles (his sparse playing and inventive voice leadings behind Davis’s trumpet on ballads like Thelonious Monk’s “’Round Midnight” and “I Fall In Love Too Easily” are particularly arresting) while Ron Carter’s zen-like restraint on bass is like the eye of this musical hurricane. Tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, the most original voice on his instrument in the wake of John Coltrane, provides crackling vitality with his oblique improvisations while playing the puckish foil to Miles on the front line. The quintet’s fearless reinventing of familiar themes like “No Blues” and “On Green Dolphin Street” along with their hyper-kinetic readings of “Gingerbread Boy” (each wildly different from concert to concert) amounts to a perfect primer for what the late, eminent critic Whitney Balliet called “the sound of surprise.” 1968’s Filles de Kilimanjaro, with its introduction of electric piano and electric bass, along with a significant nod to Jimi Hendrix on “Mademoiselle Mabry,” would mark the beginning of a new phase for Miles that would lead to In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew, igniting the 70s fusion movement. But on this George Wein-produced “Newport Jazz Festival in Europe” tour, Miles still had one foot in the bebop camp while his young charges were urgently pushing him to explore new musical territory. Bill Milkowski Further Listening: Miles Davis: Live at the Plugged Nickel; Wayne Shorter: Footprints Live!
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Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra: MTO Plays Sly. Royal Potato Family. Perhaps more than any other jazz musician today, Steven Bernstein recovers the element of fun that withered in the stiffsuited renaissance at the close of the 20th century. On MTO Plays Sly, the master of the slide trumpet appends a “k,” like an exclamation point, to fun. But befitting his eclectic track record—Lounge Lizards, Sex Mob, Leonard Cohen, Levon Helm—Bernstein’s funk is as elastic as his jazz. His MTO was born in the spirit of the barnstorming dance bands that arose in the 1920s. Its two previous releases included covers of Count Basie, Fats Waller, Lennon and McCartney, the Grateful Dead, and Prince. This exuberant 13-track tribute to Sly Stone mines his psychedelic soul music, giving it a vibrant rainbow-hued reincarnation by Bernstein’s all-star nine-piece band (reeds, trombone, guitar/banjo, violin, bass, and drums) and distinguished guests in superbly executed arrangements that encompass jazz, gospel, and acid-rock. The instruments pop with crisp, lifelike presence, and singers Antony Hegarty, Martha Wainwright, Sandra St. Victor, Shilpa Ray, and Dean Bowman inject their own eccentric vocal soul into Family Stone classics from “Stand” to “Everyday People” and “Thank You for Talkin’ to Me Africa.” Derk Richardson Further Listening: Sex Mob: Dime Grind Palace; Steven Bernstein: Diaspora Hollywood
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Sonist Loudspeakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 sonist.com Sound Organisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 7 soundorg.com SoundOffers.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 soundoffers.com Synergistic Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 synergisticresearch.com T.H.E. Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 theshownewport.com Transparent Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 transparentcable.com True Harmonix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 trueharmonix.com Tweak Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 myavstudio.com United Home Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 unitedhomeaudio.com Upscale Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 upscaleaudio.com UsedCable.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 usedcable.com Valve Amplification Co. (VAC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 vac-amps.com Vandersteen Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 vandersteen.com Vienna Acoustics - North America . . . . . . 93, 98 vienna-acoustics.com Vincent Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 wsdistributing.com Vitus Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 vitusaudio.com Von Schweikert Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 vonschweikert.com Walker Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58, 99 walkeraudio.com WEA Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 recordstoreday.com Weinhart Design, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 weinhartdesign.com Wilson Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 wilsonaudio.com Wireworld Cable Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 wireworldcable.com Woo Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 WooAudio.com WS Distributing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66, 119 wsdistributing.com Wyred 4 Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 wyred4sound.com YG Acoustics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 43, 97 yg-acoustics.com
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Jazz Music Reviews
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Satoko Fujii Min-Yoh Ensemble: Watershed. Libra.
Wadada Leo Smith: Heart’s Reflections. Cuneiform.
Alex Hoffman: Dark Lights. Smalls.
If the prolific Satoko Fujii had an audience proportionate to her growing critical acclaim, the Japanese composer/ pianist might rival Esperanza Spalding as a popular jazz phenomenon. But Watershed’s prickly textures and dissonances signal that commercial appeal isn’t high on Fujii’s agenda. MinYoh means “folk music” in Japanese, and Watershed, one of three new Fujii CDs, is her take on the traditional idioms of her homeland—from an avant-garde jazz perspective. As she explores the jagged percussive and harmonic possibilities of the piano, her bandmates—trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, trombonist Curtis Hasselbring, and accordionist Andrea Parkins—improvise both frenetically and meditatively, often using extended techniques to coax bizarre and wonderful sounds from their instruments. Some passages, including much of “Limestone Cave” and “Hanagasa Ondo,” evoke cosmic transmissions and ghostly plaints, especially when Fujii reaches in to twang the piano strings and the other players generate small breathy noises. By contrast, the grand conclusion to the eight-andand-a-half-minute “Whitewater” achieves sonorous unisons worthy of an Ellington big band, and the closing “Estuary” is tenderly sad. The mix is clear and precise, emphasizing ensemble unity. DR
If you’ve been complaining that music has lost its epic sweep, boy have I got an album for you. Everything about this two-CD set is big—the 14-piece band, the song lengths, even the song titles. Stylistically these musical suites wander all over the map but continually lock back into funk grooves that call to mind electric Miles and Ornette’s Prime Time, with passages that can be simultaneously dense, chaotic, and danceable. What’s particularly appealing about Heart’s Reflections is the use of contrast: lyrical quiet sections gain power when set off against hi-voltage vamps, a strategy that’s particularly effective during the last movement of a song that fills an entire CD. Itself a 22:29 opus, “Leroy Jenkins’ Air Steps” explores free jazz terrain until introducing, six minutes into the piece, a righteous set of piano chords that launch increasingly impassioned solos each time it resurfaces. The top-notch personnel on Heart’s Reflections includes names you may recall from the days when the downtown scene was thriving, guitarist Michael Gregory, bassist John Lindberg, and drummer Pheeroan akLaff among them. Although this recording will show up in jazz bins, the scope of the music is so broad that everyone from Eno to Prince fans should give a listen. JW
As the liner notes point out, tenor saxophonist Alex Hoffman is a perfect fit for the hard-swinging, no-nonsense style of modern jazz that Smalls Records has been presenting over the past eight years. If I had heard Dark Lights without knowing anything about it, I’d have guessed it was a Smalls release, in part because of the immediately recognizable sound of Sacha Perry, who gets my vote every year as the pianist most worthy of wider recognition who records primarily for this label. Hoffman is a DC native whose tenor stylings are straight out of the hard bop era; he’s heard and digested the vocabulary of masters like Hank Mobley, Harold Land, and Tina Brooks, and uses it to tell his own stories. His solos are imaginative and engaging, as are those of the other featured soloists here, Perry and trumpeter Dwayne Clemons. The ensembles feature four other horn players, and the writing and arranging will remind hip listeners of greats like Melba Liston and Gigi Gryce. In an era when so much modern jazz is either painting by the numbers or searching for an identity, records like Dark Lights prove there are still musicians ready to deliver the goods, and labels willing to support them. Duck
Further Listening: SF New York Orchestra: ETO; SF and Myra Melford: Under the Water 182 December 2011 the absolute sound
Further Listening: Pheeroan akLaff: Fits Like a Glove; String Trio of New York: Rebirth of a Feeling
Baker
Further Listening: Sacha Perry: Not Brand X ; Across 7 Street: Made in New York
Five Faves Records Dedicated to the Music of Thelonious Monk
For many years Thelonious Monk was a prophet without honor in the land of jazz. He made such a giant step forward that it took a quarter of a century for other musicians to begin to catch up. When he died in 1982, there were only a handful of records completely devoted to his oeuvre. Now mainstream modernists see Monk as the most advanced thinker in their school, and avant-gardists regard him as a father figure. Duck Baker 1. Steve Lacy, Roswell Rudd: School Days (Eminem). Soprano saxophonist Lacy was the first person to study Monk’s music in depth, and the first to record an all-Monk program, in 1958. One could easily compile a five fave list of Lacy covering Monk, but my top pick is School Days, a 1963 live recording that gets right to the heart of things.
is a minor masterpiece which strikes a stylistic balance between Monk and the bop pianist Bud Powell. Davis captures the essence of the music and distills it in a way that does honor to both performer and composer.
3. Alexander von Schlippenbach: Monk’s Casino (Intakt). Von Schlippenbach’s lifelong fascination with Monk 2. Walter Davis, Jr.: eventually led him to form a In Walked Thelonious quintet to perform the entire oeuvre in a single performance (Mapleshade). Davis’ 1983 solo record In Walked Thelonious to be spread over several
nights in a club. The delightful three-CD set Monk’s Casino is taken from such an extended performance. 4. Peter Madsen: Sphere Essence: Another Side of Monk (Playscape). Though Madsen remains unfamiliar to many jazz fans, it’s hard to think of a contemporary pianist who brings more to the plate. He sets up an impressive series of challenges for himself on Sphere Essence, exploring not only aspects of each tune that aren’t immediately obvious, but all kinds of traditional and
non-traditional piano playing. 5. Scott Amendola, Ben Goldberg, Devin Hoff: Plays Monk (Long Song). Ben Goldberg first drew attention in the New Klezmer Trio. Here he again employs the unusual clarinetbass-drums lineup, but this is really a trio of equals. While Goldberg lulls us into thinking the impossible lines he’s playing are easy-peasy, Huff and Amendola provide commentary, digressions, and alternate theories. Dazzling!
Back Page Neil Gader
Karen Sumner, president, transparent Audio
Music was the foundation of my interest in high-end audio. I took my first piano lessons when I was 8. I picked up guitar in high school, and I sang and played my way through college. My first stereo system expanded my musical tastes. When I was 14, my dad and I built a stereo system from a Heathkit and RadioShack speaker drivers. I bought records with my allowance, and I started picking out my own arrangements from the records — folk, blues, and some rock. The amplifier blew up frequently. I was constantly seeking ways to get more information off my records. I have been a music lover and electronics geek since childhood.
time in 1986. I was the front person making contacts over the phone and travelling all over the United States to meet potential dealers in the early 80s. In the beginning, we couldn’t afford decent hotels. There were no cell phones or GPS. Asking directions or getting out of the car to use a pay phone was out of the question in some of the places I ended up while looking for my destinations. Thirty years ago, traveling was definitely not comfortable or safe for young women. If it had not been for the many wonderful people I met in the industry who welcomed me and were genuinely interested in what I had to say and demonstrate, I would never have persevered. Jack and Carl also provided valuable advice and encouragement. Mentors and fearlessness (and maybe some naïveté) were important.
How do you define high-end audio to someone unfamiliar with the hobby?
Yet women are still not a large part of this hobby. Why do think that is? And how will that change?
High-end audio experiences happen when a system makes you want to explore music and improve the performance of the system in ways that help you engage more completely with the music you love.
Women love music just as much as men do. Many more today have the discretionary time and money to seek out a great hi-fi system. These women are really no different than any other potential firsttime system buyer. They are drawn to the idea of putting together a better hi-fi system because they want to get closer to the music they love. Magazines and dealers could do a lot to make the hi-fi hobby more accessible to all potential first-time system buyers by talking more about the music listening experience in the context of an entire system of components rather than primarily focusing on the merits of the latest and greatest amplifier, speaker, or cable. We need to help neophytes, whether they are successful professional women in their forties or aspiring music lovers from the MP3 generation, unlock the mysteries of what to listen for in a wellbalanced audio system and provide some how-to guidance.
What ignited your interest in the high end? Did it come from the music side or the electronics side?
What is the first thing you listen for in a high-end audio system?
The natural balance of music’s fundamental tones to harmonic frequencies is the most important element because natural tonal balance helps our minds and bodies relax enough to be open to deep listening experiences. Poorly matched components and cables and improper system setups frequently skew tonal balance upward. This upwardly skewed tonal balance emphasizes harmonics and system noise more than fundamental tones. The sound can be tiresome and irritating. In contrast, one never grows tired of the sound of a wellbalanced system. It invites the listener to absorb the intent of the music performance totally, particularly when the system is capable of revealing other critical musical elements such as dynamics and low-level information. Women in leadership or executive positions were uncommon when you began in the high end. What was that like for you?
Jack Sumner, our friend Carl Smith, and I started Transparent Audio in 1980. They both continued with their careers and helped me evenings and weekends until they could join the company full 184 December 2011 the absolute sound
Outside of audio, what do you do for fun?
In the winter, I attend more than 30–40 live concerts, mostly classical orchestral, solo artist or small ensemble, and opera. I listen to a lot of music at home. I’m an avid golfer and sailor. I like to design gardens, houses, and interior and exterior architectural details. I collect art. I like cooking food that is beautiful to look at, delicious, and healthy. I paint and sketch when I get a chance. I really like to read, but I will pick up an article or book about current events, people, or history before I’ll read a novel or poetry (which I also enjoy).