The Absolute Sound 2003 10-11 (144)

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i n th is i ssueISSUE 144 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2003

v iewpointsFROM THE EDITOR 4

LETTERS 8

MANUFACTURER COMMENTS 148

co lumnsFUTURE TAS: Products on the Hor i zon 18

INDUSTRY NEWS 20

ABSOLUTE ANALOG 26

Stephan Harrell spins a trio of European importsRoksans Radius 5, Thorenss TD850, and Nottinghams Horizon.

tas journa l30TH ANNIVERSARY FEATURE 32

From our third issue, HPs groundbreaking review of the Audio Research SP-3 preamp, theproduct that launched a tube revival, with a contemporary comment from HP.

EDITORS CHOICE AWARDS 36

Our second annual assemblage of the very best products reviewed in these pages.

SPECIAL REPORT 67

Alan Taffel listens to the Acura/ELSs breakthrough DVD-A Auto Sound System.

equipment repor tsSOPHIA ELECTRIC BABY AMPLIFIER 73

Baby indeed! Wayne Garcia listens to this tiny, good sounding,and inexpensive tube amplifierand shes cute too.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE: NINE POWER CONDITIONERS SURVEYED 75

Chris Martens gives you the lowdown on 9yes 9!ways to improve your AC power.

AYRE AX-7 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER 85

Robert Harley likes what he hears from Ayres tasty new integrated amp.

THIEL CS2.4 LOUDSPEAKER 89

Thiels latest floorstander gets a workout from our man in Studio City, Neil Gader.

MERIDIAN 502 ANALOGUE CONTROLLER 93

AND 559 POWER AMPLIFIER

Just right is how Sue Kraft describes this mid-priced pair from Meridian.

SOUNDLINE AUDIO SL2 LOUDSPEAKER 97

Robert E. Greene checks out this hybrid design,and tells you how to save a few bucks, too.

SUTHERLAND PH.D. BATTERY-POWERED PHONOSTAGE 101

No AC = very quietLP playback. Wayne Garcia on the latest from the mind of Ron Sutherland.

MUSICAL FIDELITY TRI-VISTA CD/SACD PLAYER 104

The companys name describes the player, according to Shane Buettner.

the cut t ing edgeLINNS MARVELOUS MUSIK MACHINE: THE KIVOR DIGITAL-AUDIO SERVER 111

Nicholas Bedworth checks out Linns 21st Century music box.

BOULDERS 2008 PHONO PREAMPLIF IER, 119

1012 DAC/PREAMPLIF IER, AND 1060 POWER AMPLIFIER

Paul Seydor takes an in-depth look at these gorgeously built and ultra-pricey components.

HPS WORKSHOP 133

Surround Sound in Action: The Recordings, A Cross Section of Some Hits (and Misses)HP on the current state of multichannel sound.75

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WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 3

musicCLASSICAL 151

Handel:Rinaldo;Aci, Galatea e Polifemo

Sibelius:Rondo of the Waves

Prokofiev:Romeo and Juliet, The Stone Flower

Eighth Blackbird: Thirteen Ways

Chopin: Piano works, Mozart: Piano Sonatas, Schubert: Three Piano Sonatas

SACD

RECORDING OF THE ISSUE: Rainbow Body (Atlanta/Spano)

Paris: La Belle Epoque (Yo-Yo Ma)

Beethoven: Symphonies 5 and 7; Puccini:La Boheme

Lloyd: Fourth Symphony, Harris/Gould: Symphonies, Schuman: Credendum

DVD-A

Elgar/Payne: Symphony No. 3, Shostakovich: The Bolt, Jazz Suites

JAZZ 163

Randy Weston: Randy Weston box set

Shirley Horn:May the Music Never End

Joel Harrison: Free Country, Adam Levy: Get Your Glow On

Lee Konitz with Alan Broadbent:Live-Lee

Ralph Alessi: This and Thatand Vice & Virtue

Apa Ini:Apa Ini

Miles Davis: The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions box set

SACD

John Coltrane: Blue Trane, Bill Charlap:Star Dust, Miles Davis:Steamin

POP & ROCK 171

Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Greendale

My Morning Jacket: It Still Moves

Cheap Trick:Special One

Bela Fleck:Little Worlds

Absolute Audiophilia:A Mighty Welcome Wind: Joan Baez and Ian & Sylvia on Cisco LP

SACD

The Man Who Invented Soul: The Sam Cooke ABKCO remasters

Nickel Creek:Nickel Creek and This Time

The Kinks: Everybodys In Show-Biz andLow Budget

DVD-A

Steely Dan: Everything Must Go

Deacon Johns Jump Blues

ON THE FRINGE

New records from The Mars Volta, Caf Tacuba, Tomahawk, Mondo Generator, EELS,Northern State, and various 60s surf-rock legends.

tas re t rospect ive 184Neil Gader reminisces on the early days of his lifelong love affair with audio.

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As youll see in this issues Letters, our Recommended Systems feature in

TAS 143 stirred up quite a controversy. At issue is how much of ones

overall system budget should be allocated to loudspeakers. I had recom-

mended driving an $11,700 pair of Wilson Audio Sophia loudspeakers

with a $1550 Naim Nait 5 integrated amplifier. Juxtaposed with this

system was Jonathan Valins recommendation of a $128,832 package, of whichjust $19,000 was spent on loudspeakers. Both of us have lived with and enjoyed

our respective choices, and both of us felt confident recommending them as sys-

tems we would buy ourselves. But which approach is correct?

In the early days of hi-fi, the conventional wisdom held that because the

loudspeakers actually produced the sound, they were the most important compo-

nent and deserved the lions share of the budget. Implicit in this argument was the

belief that turntables, preamps, amplifiers, and cables had little or no effect on the

sound. This idea was stood on its head in the early 1970s by Linn Products

founder Ivor Tiefenbrun, who virtually single-handedly demonstrated to the world

the turntables effect on reproduced sound.

Thus began the movement that held that the further upstream the component,

the more influence it had on the overall sound. Source quality was paramount.

This school of thought holds that if the signal isnt pristine at the start of the

chain, nothing downstream can ever make it better. In fact, better loudspeakers at

the end of a poor-quality reproduction chain actually sound worse than less good

loudspeakers because the better loudspeakers more accurately reveal upstream

flaws and distortions.

I understand the logic of this position, and partially subscribe to it. Believe

me, you dont want a grungy, bright, hard, and flat CD player or digital processor

feeding high-resolution electronics and loudspeakers.

Nonetheless, my recent experience with very high quality and easy-to-drive

loudspeakers, combined with exceptionally musical and affordable amplification,

suggests that theres still a strong argument for putting most of your hi-fi budget

into loudspeakersprovided that the components are chosen and matched extremely care-

fully. High-sensitivity loudspeakers with a flat impedance curve can be driven tosatisfying levels with low-powered (read low-priced) amplification. And there are

a few precious gems of inexpensive amplification that deliver outrageously good

sound when matched with the right loudspeaker. Find the right combinations of

these components and you get the best sound for the least money.

This is, of course, not the approach one takes when cost is secondary to sound

quality. But it works when bang-for-the-buck is a priority. Its like a Subaru

WRX; it gets you much of the BMW 330 experience for a fraction of the price,

but no one would choose the Subaru if cost were not the primary consideration.

Thats why we present such a broad spectrum of prices and approaches in our

Recommended Systems feature.

Putting together a musically rewarding stereo system requires vastly more

insight and sensitivity than an x percentage should be allocated to the source, x

to the amplification, and x to the loudspeakers mentality. Component matchingis an art, with rules and guidelines about how to assemble a system. It therefore

seems appropriate to close this piece with a quote from Michael PolanyisPersonal

Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy: Rules of art can be useful, but they

do not determine the practice of an art; they are maxims, which can serve as a

guide to an art only if they can be integrated into the practical knowledge of the

art. They cannot replace this knowledge.

Robert Harley

f rom the ed i to r

founder; chairman, editorial advisory board

Harry Pearson

editor-in-chief Robert Harley

editor Wayne Garcia

associate editor Jonathan Valin

managing & music editor Bob Gendron

acquisitions manager Neil Gader& associate editor

copy editor Mark Lehman

music sub-editor Andrew Quint, Classical

equipment setup Scot Markwell

editorial advisory board Sallie Reynolds

advisor, cutting edge Atul Kanagat

senior writersJohn W. Cooledge, Anthony H. Cordesman,

Gary Giddins, Robert E. Greene, J. Gordon Holt,

Fred Kaplan, Greg Kot, John Nork, Arthur S. Pfeffer,

Paul Seydor, Kevin Whitehead, Roman Zajcew

reviewers and contributing writersShane Buettner, Dan Davis, Frank Doris, Allan

Freeman, Roy Gregory, Stephan Harrell, John

Higgins, Sue Kraft, Mark Lehman, Arthur B. Lintgen,Anna Logg, Chris Martens, David Morrell, Aric Press,

Derk Richardson, Dan Schwartz, Gene Seymour,

Aaron M. Shatzman, Alan Taffel

design/production Design Farm, Inc.

web editor Jerry Sommers

Absolute Multimedia, Inc.

chairman and ceo Thomas B. Martin, Jr.

publisher Mark Fisher

advertising reps Cheryl Smith(512) 439-6951

Marvin Lewis, MTM Sales

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copyright Absolute Multimedia, Inc., Issue 144, October/November 2003.

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COLOSSAL IGNORANCE

Editor:

Having just read the latest issue

(143), I confess I find myself aston-

ishedI never dreamed, after all these

years as a subscriber, that I would find

myself insulted by The Absolute Sound!

However, after reading Mr. Yogi

Saxenas letter I find myself in a state of

outrage. This may come as a shock to

Yogi (he of the 30 years in the high

end), but there are actually readers of

The Absolute Sound who own some of

those supposedly outrageously priced

products he saw so fit to lambaste. Evenmore shockingly, we think we got a bar-

gain. (I consider anything a bargain that

will give me a lifetime of pleasure,

regardless of price.) So yes, I own

[Nordost] Valhalla, both the speaker

cable and interconnects. And, I actually

drove them home in my Porsche. (Only

after I had made sure I had enough time

by checking my Rolex.)

However, my outrage only increased

when I read your From the Editor sec-

tion, in which, to my eyes, it seemed as

though you were being a borderline

apologist for the criteria used in select-

ing Product of the Year.

To quote you, reader Yogi Saxena

raises some interesting points about

high-end audio. No, he doesnt. Yogi

raises no point worth even a passing

thought. He does not speak for me, nor

does he speak for the thousands of other

high-end enthusiasts he claims to be one

of. We, the folks he seems to detest, arethe reason that the high-end evolves,

because it is we who purchase the $19k

amps and $23k speakers. The fact that

we do this enables companies like

Wilson Audio, Burmester, and Talon to

survive, and propagate their cutting-

edge technologies into lower-priced fare,

from which folks like Mr. Saxena benefit.

His letter whines and raves about a

product that, most likely, he will never

own. Yet, he fails to realize that these

products simply do not appear in a vac-uum. They are the result of thousands of

hours of research and the outlay of seri-

ous capital. Capital generated, I might

add, by folks like yours truly.

Let me conclude by being blunt: we

Porsche-driving, Valhalla-listening,

Rolex-wearing heathen do not buy and

read The Absolute Soundto hear our tastes

being trashed in print by what can only

be termed colossal ignorance. We buy it

to stay informed, entertained, and up to

date on what the high-end arena has tooffer us. If The Absolute Sound should

start pandering to the Lowest Common

Denominator (we were glad to see fewer

exclamation points on your most recent

cover), then we will go elsewhere, and

you will have alienated a crucial core

constituency of the high end, to the

detriment of all. STEPHEN J. KENNY

MULTICHANNEL QUESTIONS

Editor:

I most enjoy Harry Pearsons and J.

Gordon Holts columns, and I must ask

Harry a few questions.

Why would one need, when listen-ing to classical music, a multichannel

speaker system where each of the sup-

porting (side and rear) speakers are full

range? I ask the question assuming that

this supporting information is limited

in volume and frequency response.

Your positive comments regarding

the Acarian Elite speaker remind me of

very positive comments made some time

ago about the Innersound speaker. Some

comparative comments would go a long

way toward explaining how these twodifferent, similarly priced speakers com-

pare, and the virtues of each.

HENRY GROSSBARD

HP REPLIES: To take your first question first, the

supporting channels sometimes contain full-

range information and not just ambient infor-

mation. There are classical compositions that uti-

lize surround sound, and many of todays

younger generation of composers write with that

kind of spatial deployment in mind, and, no

doubt, more will do so. Im not sure, based on myexperimentation (still in its neo-natal stages),

L E T T E R S

I N T H E N E X T I S S U E

B&Os BeoLab 5 Loudspeaker

Massive SACD and DVD-A Player Survey

Golden Ear Awards

Recommended Source Components

YBA Passion Integrated Amp

Conrad-Johnson Premier 140 amplifier

Exclusive: Vandersteen 5A Loudspeaker

The Most Significant Products of

the Past 30 Years


6/112


that you have to have full-range speakers in the

center or rear, as long as the speakers are of simi-

lar manufacture and cover most of the frequency

range, to wit, the Coincident Technology system I

used in the initial SACD sessions, or the

Magnepan system I have been listening to of late.

Surround is in its infancy and no one, to

my ears, has yet mastered the technology. We

still await the recordings that use spatial

dimensions to create a greater illusion of the

real thing. Given that drawback, you proba-

bly can see why I am hedging my response: I

just dont know enough yet, and it isnt for

want of trying.

As for your second question, the two speak-er systems do not sound at all alike. The only

thing they have in common is my enthusiasm

for their musicality. I know I am swimming

against the tide of modern reviewing in say-

ing this, but I believe the only significant com-

parison to be made is between any given speak-

er system and the real thing. However, it ought

to be self-evident that the Innersound with its

electrostatic panel and cone-type woofer system

will have discontinuities that the all-cone

drivers of the Alon dont have, as well as a

much narrower listening window. By conversemeasure, the electrostatics will give you a kind

of resolution youll get from no cone-type speak-

er that presently exists, while you wont have to

sit with a head vise on to get stereo staging.

SHOCK ABSORBERS AND TURNTABLE

SUSPENSIONS

Editor:

Issue 142 has an especially meaning-

ful turntable assessment by Robert E.Greene. The Well Tempered review chal-

lenges popular notions in a way Mr.

Greene expresses quite lucidly. He right-

fully defends the old notion of comparing

the sound of the turntable to the sound of

the master tape!

Damping at the cartridge end is an

idea whose time has come, even if it has

not been commercially successful in the

past. No car goes on the road without

shock absorbers, but most turntables

take on the tracks without them.

HPs mention of VPIs peripheral

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clamp is also an idea for our times.

Clamping LPs at the label is good

enough, but clamping at the periphery

solves obviously audible wow [problems],

which is easily confirmed by looking at

the arm swinging up and down

with peripheral warps.

Thanks for the continuing light into

phonograph reproduction.

CARLOS E. BAUZA

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ABSOLUTE

SOUND?

Editor:

First, Im a long time subscriber and

fan of TAS, which is clearly experiencing

a renaissance in quality and focus.

HP has mused recently about the

conundrum one faces upon hearing the

state of the art in solid-state and tube

amplification gear. To paraphrase HP, at

their finest, both paradigms take the lis-

tener closer to the absolute sound than

weve ever been before. But if thats so,

why should the results still sound so dif-ferent from each other?

Well, what if we were comparing

beautiful women instead? I would pro-

pose Grace Kelly, Charlize Theron, and

Catherine Zeta-Jones for our thought

experiment. All perfect, all distinct from

each other. Even if you substitute your

own idea of perfection, (whether the

topic is women or amplifiers), should we

be surprised that perfection manifests

itself in such a way that two (or more)

creations might share certain attributes,yet be dissimilar, simultaneously perfect

andunique? DENNIS POGGENBURG

RECOMMENDED SYSTEMS

CONTROVERSY, PART I

Editor:

I have enjoyed reading The Absolute

Soundfor many years and recently re-sub-

scribed to your magazine. I was surprised

and disappointed at the sometimes

incomplete and misleading information

provided in your Recommended Systems

article in the June/July 2003 issue.

First, the entry-level systems do not

include inexpensive but quality turnta-

bles, e.g., NAD and Pro-Ject, that

would not add a great deal to a systems

cost. More importantly, the retail prices

quoted do not include necessary inter-

connect cables or speaker wires, or pow-

erline filters or system cabinetry. These

items would provide a more realistic

estimate of the total price of a high-

fidelity system.

What was most surprising were the

speakers chosen for three of the latter sys-tems. It is incompatible one would spend a

whopping 61% (System Six), 76% (System

Seven) but then just a meager 15% (System

Nine) on speakers. I consider myself an

Audiophile-In-Training (AIT), and may

never be sure if there is a perfect formula of

what percentage to spend on an item, but

believe one should always strive for balance

among components.

When spending over a 1/10 of a mil-

lion dollars on a cutting edge/cost-no-

object dream two-channel system, one

would probably not want to buy speak-

ers that will not fill out the bottom two

octaves...nor will they give you...mid-

bass authority...will not sound quite as

airy or extended as the best ribbon

tweeters...nor will they be quite as seam-

less and low in distortion as the best

electrostats. JAY MANDEL

RECOMMENDED SYSTEMS

CONTROVERSY, PART II

Editor:

For better or worse I have been an

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avid reader of all your issues starting

with Issue 1 and own all of them. Eventhough at times I had felt irritated with

some reviews and chagrined by [your]

not reviewing equipment I thought you

ought to I refrained all these years from

writing to you about my reservations.

But now comes your Issue 143 with its

Recommended Systems and [I] find it

truly irritating. For starters, you feature

nine of them clustered as follows: four

systems priced between $1500$5000,

four systems between $11,000$20,000,

and low [sic] and behold: one lonely sys-

tem priced at $130,000!

Statistically speaking, these prices

are not normally distributed. From a

logical and practical point of view you

should have offered systems in the range

of $40,000$60,000 to fill the yawning

gap between these two extremes.

But now for my real beef with

Jonathan Valins contribution. I fail to

see his logic in recommending a

$130,000 system which includes

$19,000 speakers, $41,000 in electron-

ics, $35,000 in analog front end, and$20,000 in assorted cables and power-

line enhancer. Any knowledgeable and

high-end savvy person will tell you that

speakers are the most critical component

in a system. To spend a mere 14% of a

very costly system on speakers which are

great but incapable of filling out the

bottom two octaves and will not

sound quite as airy or extended makes

no sense.

There are turntables which cost half

the price, and electronic gear whichcosts much less, not to mention cables

which are more reasonably priced to

leave enough money to buy excellent

speakers which will cover the entire

range with accuracy, speed, authority,

and closeness to the real thing. Think

of the big Kharma, Wilsons MAXX,

the Adrenaline, and others. I for one

would have allocated $130,000 entirely

differently and achieve[d] as good or

better results. For now I have to make

do with a $50,000 system.MICHAEL NATHANSON

ROBERT HARLEY REPLIES: Thank you, Mr.

Mandel, for suggesting we include turntablesand cables in the entry-level systems. Well keep

that in mind next year when we put together

the next Recommended Systems feature.

To address the budget-allocation issue

raised by Mssrs. Mandel and Nathanson,

the Recommended Systems feature reflects

the different tastes and sensibilities of our

editorial staff. For example, I was perfect-

ly happy to drive the $11,700 Wilson

Sophia with the $1550 Naim integrated

ampli fier. If given a $20,000 budget, Id

probably spend more than half of it on

loudspeakers and seek out the extraordinary

values in electronics and front ends. But

thats just my approach.

Jonathan Valin has a different view, as

his recommendation (which he lives with on a

daily basis) shows. Jonathan has had in his

home, and has ongoing access to, some of the

worlds largest and most expensive loudspeak-

er systems. Nonetheless, he has chosen to live

with the system he described.

Finally, HP was slated to recommend a

system between $20,000 and our top system

at $130,000, but he was unable to turn inthe copy before deadline.

JONATHAN VALIN ADDS: The notion that a

stereo system should be put together strictly

on a percentile basis is, in my opinion, idi-

otic. What I recommended was not the

upshot of a cut-and-dry formula, worked

out meticulously by calculator or in consul-

tation with an accountant, but a real-

world hi-fi system that Ive lived with for

better than a year and whose parts were cho-

sen because they have proven to worksuperbly well together (regardless of indi-

vidual prices or percentage points).

Moreover, this is a system that will fit into

virtually any listening room short of the

palatial, and that will play there as accu-

rately and musically and pleasurably as

any Ive heard, including many that cost

tens of thousands of dollars (and tens of per-

centile points) more. Sure, the Kharma

Reference Monitor 3.2s have their limita-

tionswhich I listed. But so does every

speaker Ive heard, regardless of price.Moreover, in the aggregate, the 3.2s limita-

tions are far less noisome than those of these

others, including all of the ones that Mr.Nathanson mentioned. That loudspeakers

are arguably the most important part of a

system does not mean that they need be the

most expensive part of the system. It

depends on the loudspeaker, doncha think?

(Which is precisely why the Kharma

Reference Monitor 3.2s are such an extraor-

dinary deal.) I might add, in passing, that

before spending more money onor allocat-

ing more percentage points toloudspeakers,

Id spend less. Id pick the Magneplanar

20.1s, the Sound Lab M-1s, and the Quad

electrostatsall of which cost substantially

less than the Kharmasahead of any of the

behemoths Mr. Nathanson and, by implica-

tion, Mr. Mandel apparently have in mind.

And, no, I wouldnt cheap out on the front-

end or on electronics or cabling for these

either. A good speaker is only as good as

what comes ahead of it. And frankly what

comes ahead of it can turn good into great.

FM TUNER FANS

Editor:I wish to thank everyone, especially

Neil Gader and Robert Harley, for the

excellent June/July issue of The Absolute

Sound. Of particular interest to me was

the tuner survey. As one of the co-

founders of the Tuner Information

Center and the FM Tuner discussion

group it does my heart good to see

interest in FM tuners. We have a young

Web site for this very interest. Our

Web site [www.fmtunerinfo.com] was

established to give the music lover,hobbyist, and FM DXer a place to

learn and contribute to the advance-

ment of FM. We have information

pages, reviews, and how-to modifica-

tions to help improve sound quality on

classic and even modern FM tuners.

Our discussion group is at 1000 mem-

bers worldwide and consists of all

types of folks from young members

starting out to engineers and hobbyists

bent on squeezing out the best from

their tuners and sound systems.JIM RIVERS

L E T T E R S


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ACOUSTICS PRIMER

Editor:

It has occurred to me that it has

been a very long time since any articles

on room acoustics have appeared, as they

did in the days of future past. Given how

revealing all our equipment is, it

would seem timely to enlist the advice

of an acoustician in how best to maxi-

mize the room to eliminate bass modes.

HP has, periodically, reminded us to

damp the first and second reflection

points, which is great. However, bass

nodes are most likely still a mystery tomost readers, and a short explanation of

what they do and where they will show

up would be helpful. Even reminding

people not to put their couches in the

middle of the room (incoming wave-

form!) might be a helpful tip.

The equipment most of us have is

probably very good, but the chance of us

getting everything out of it that we can is

unlikely. Given TASs influence, why

dont you help out the readership and save

them some money? Robert E. Greeneseems the logical choice for such an arti-

cle, scientistand pragmatistthat he

is, but its past time for an article like the

ones between issues 38-50. G. MCLEOD

A THOUSAND QUESTIONS FOR HP

Editor:

The reprints of original articles from

The Absolute Sound [our 30th

Anniversary features running in Issues140145] is [sic] impressive in the dis-

play of wisdom, eloquence, and funda-

mental style (in the way Bogart or Orson

Welles had it, as opposed to stylish) that

is clearly inimitable. The editorial staff

appears well aware of this, which makes

the obvious disconnect it creates, at the

very least, disconcerting. The immedi-

ate, overwhelming feeling one has after

reading them (more so for people the

articles are new to) is How does this

connect to the present? What happened

to this equipment or the people that cre-

ated it? Did they dissipate their creative

energies or move on to new things?

What happened to the ideas embodied

in these products? Are they represented

in other equipment to the same degree

since then or now? A thousand questions

to be sure, but you have the source to

draw upon to answer them. The maga-

zine, your readers, and the public at

large would benefit enormously if you

prevailed upon Mr. Pearson to put it all

in perspective, to give it context. There

has never been anyone nearly so success-

ful at sketching out powerful themes

and historical perspectives in regards toaudio (and no doubt visual) media. Who

else could talk about the zeitgeist of the

times then and now while making pro-

found sense and never sacrificing

artistry[?] I am sure he has all manner of

stories to tell from behind as well as in

front of the scenes. No one doubts he has

led an interesting life; let him tell us

about it. Basically, get him to expand on

all the possibilities and themes hinted at

in these articles and build upon that. It

would be good if he could respond to aquestion or two each issue from readers,

as well. He responds colorfully and well.

It could easily lead to valuable insights.

The dynamism of these exchanges are

not easily duplicated elsewhere. Im sure

this will get you thinking in a number

of directions regarding HP. This is

entirely the point. Whatever direction

you have him galloping in, its bound to

be fruitful. JOHN PENTURN

Ask and ye shall receive. See this issues30th Anniversary feature. RH

OF SUBWOOFERS AND SINE WAVES

Editor:

I agree with Mr. Holts assertion

that the use of subwoofers in an audio

system can improve the overall perform-

ance in the bass region. However what I

take umbrage with is his assertion that a

test using a sine wave is proof that a

subwoofer cannot be localized while

playing music. Music is a complex sig-

nal made up of sine waves, not a single

sine wave as in his testing method.

I suggest a similar test, but instead

of using a static sine wave use white

noise, pink noise, or perhaps actual

music (what a novel concept). Turn the

main amplifier off so that the signal is

being reproduced by the subwoofer only.

Then do the blindfold test. The results

will vary depending on the crossover

design and the crossover frequency

employed for the test. The ability to

localize the signal is greatly enhanced

when a complex signal is used.I believe the key to obtaining seam-

less integration between the main speak-

ers and a subwoofer system is the quali-

ty of the crossover used. This is where

most subwoofers fall far short of the per-

formance audiophiles expect from their

systems. The only subwoofer that I

would use in my personal system is the

Krell MRS [Master Reference Subwoofer

Ed.] The Krells crossover has the flexi-

bility necessary to allow proper system

integration. Unfortunately the MRScosts what a nice automobile does, so my

audio system remains subwooferless. I

prefer faults of omission rather than

faults of commission, i.e., no bass is bet-

ter than bad bass. MR. HARRISON

J. GORDON HOLT REPLIES: Of course real music

consists of fundamental and harmonic sine

waves (plus transients). The whole point of

using a bass sine wave for my test is to demon-

strate that, without the presence of higher fre-

quencies (which virtually all bass instrumentsproduce), our ears are unable to tell where bass

frequencies are coming from. As you point out,

it is the function of the subs crossover network

to ensure that those musical frequencies high

enough for us to locate are sufficiently attenu-

ated (and routed to the upper-range fronts) to

place them where they belong. A properly

designed crossover will do this.

Believe me, there are powered subwoofers

available for far less than the MRS costs that

will produce superb low end without distortions

of bass directionality. Read the subwoofer

reviews in TAS and The Perfect Vision.

L E T T E R S


10/112


futureTAS

Products on the Horizon Neil Gader

NEAT Sending The Ultimatum

N

eat Acoustics of the UK has been well regarded for the sonic consistency of its traditional, though rather staid

loudspeakers. The U.S. debut of its Ultimatum line should show Neat in a completely new light. The imposing

MF9 is a multi-chamber/multidriver enclosure using six proprietary 6.5" mid/woofers (redesigned to meet

Ultimatums requirements), an inverted titanium-dome main tweeter, plus two upward-firing EMIT supertweet-

ers. The other Ultimatum models incorporate a similar smorgasbord of features including critically braced birch-plywoodcabinets, tri-laminate baffle-coupling, compound (isobaric) bass-loading, and upward-firing area-drive supertweeters. These

include the scaled-down MF7 and MF5, and the MFS mini-monitor. A range of finishes can be supplied, including wood

veneers and a high-gloss piano lacquer.

Prices: MF9, $17,000; MF7, $13,500; MF5, $9500; MFS, $5500. For more information call Toffco at (314) 454-9966

Headphone Amps In Hi-Res?

In a complete inside-out redesign, Musical Fidelitys

X-CanV3 tube/transistor headphone amp now features very

low output impedance in order to drive even the lowest sen-

sitivity, load-challenging headphones. The circuit topology is

nearly identical to that of the MFs Tri-Vista SACD player, except

for its ECC88 output tubes (in place of the Tri-Vistas 5703s).

Frequency response is rated to 100kHz, with an ultra-low-distor-

tion of 0.008%THD from 20Hz20kHz. Channel separation is

rated at 76dB. The high-quality Alps volume control is said to

keep channel balance within 0.2dB. The low-feedback circuit is

housed in a new non-microphonic extrusion, and the font panel is

machined from mil-spec aluminum billet.

Price: $395. www.musicalfidelity.com

Upsampling Alive And Well At Arcam

Arcams FMJ CD33 CD player upsamples to 192kHz, using four Wolfson WM8740 DACs per channel. The

Wolfsons are said to employ analog averaging between DACs to increase linearity and reduce distortion. In

comparison with the FMJ CD23T, which it replaces, Arcam says that listeners should hear improvements in

soundstaging and imaging, high- and low-frequency extension, detail, and dynamics. Like its predecessors, the

CD33 uses independently regulated power supplies for digital and analog circuitry and employs dual transformers, includ-

ing an ultra-low-noise toroid for critical audio stages. As with all models in Arcams FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) line, the

CD33s faceplate is machined

from a solid 8mm aluminum

extrusion, and the chassis is con-

structed of Acousteel, a three-

layer laminate utilizing con-

strained layer damping to great-

ly reduce chassis resonance.

Price: $2499

www.audiophilesystems.com


11/112


Plinius Takes ThePlunge

Replacing critically

acclaimed products is

always a risky business.

Plinius, however, is con-

fident that its new 9200 and 9100

integrated amplifiers (adios 8200

and 8100!) will match the per-

formance of separates. Both ampli-

fiers have received a thorough

reworking. The 9200 received the bulk of the improvements, including a faster power-amp circuit with an output stage

tuned for better high-frequency performance. And as in Plinius advanced SA series, each amplifier channel has its own

input section regulator. Power output has also increased to 200W, due mainly to a larger transformer. The 120W 9100

boasts many of the same upgrades, as well as a preamp section similar to that in the 9200. New curvaceous cosmetics

are derived from Plinius multichannel Odeon amplifier.

Prices: 9200, $3495; 9100, $2295

www.pliniususa.com

Noises OffOr Waiter, Cancel That Hash!

Since 1991 DH Labs has been quietly yet consis-

tently producing cables of exceptional value.

Noted since its inception for its use of silver,

DH now offers the Power Plus Reference

Series AC power cord. Handcrafted of high-purity cop-

per for improved conductivity, the Power Plus is also

said to use noise-canceling geometries to lower the intra-

conductor interactions that create noise or hash in the

audio and video chain. The Power Plus features two 12-

gauge conductors and a ground, and is wrapped in an attractive

custom insulation that the company claims reduces coloration and

improves overall transparency.

Price: $200 (2-meter length) www.silversonic.com

Upsampling Affordability From Simaudio

In another sign that audiophile companies are not conceding the hi-rez ground to SACD and DVD-A, Canadas

Simaudio has released the Equinox, one of the most affordable components in its elite Moon Audio Reference Series.

The Equinox combines the styling of the Moon Eclipse with the audio cir-cuitry of the Nova and the Orion. With an upsampler

that reputedly converts the signal to 24-bit/352.8kHz,

the Equinox employs a Philips-based transport and

in-house developed software. Separate digital and

analog power supplies boast seven stages

of voltage regulation. Burr-Brown

BB1730E 24-bit/96kHz DACs and an

8x-oversampling filter handle the con-

version process, while a 25ppm digital

clocking system should reduce jitter to

very low levels.

Price: $1995 www.simaudio.com


12/112


Wilson Audio, already a for-

midable player in high-end

loudspeakers, has taken a

significant step forward

with the recent introductions of the

WATT/Puppy 7 (see my review last

issue) and Sophia loudspeakers. As a

result of several new design techniques,

these products share a sound that repre-

sents a departure from the traditional

Wilson sound. Indeed, it was the dis-covery of these new techniques that

inspired Dave Wilson to embark on his

all-out assault on the state-of-the-art in

loudspeakers, the new $125,000 X-2

Alexandria.

To learn more about how Wilson

loudspeakers are made, and to get an

advance listen to the X-2 Alexandria, I

visited the Wilson factory in Provo,

Utah. The factory, which employs 50

people, was built twelve years ago

specifically for manufacturing loud-speakers.

The tour began in the cabinet shop

where raw sheets of Wilsons M and

X materials are machined into cabinet

components (see sidebar). The machined

panels are glued together and held for

seven days in a clamp. Dozens of adhe-

sives were tested before arriving at the

current combination of glues. No dowels

or hardware are used in the cabinet con-

struction to ensure that the entire enclo-

sure behaves as a single unit, both forimproved sonics and longevity.

The glued panels are deliberately

made larger than necessary so that they

overhang each other to provide a

stronger and tighter joint than if the

panels had mated exactly. After this

excess material is machined off, the cab-

inets are inspected and touched up via

hand-sanding.

The next stop is the gel-coat booth

where a 1/16th-inch-thick layer of a

polymer-based plastic is applied to thecabinet. Gel coat, used mainly to seal

fiberglass boats against water, seals the

loudspeakers cabinet joints, protects it

from humidity, and provides a uniform

painting surface. The coated cabinets are

then hand-sanded to a very tight toler-

ance: I saw a worker using a thin feeler

I N D U S T R Y N E W S

A Look Inside the Wilson Audio Factory

Robert Harley

Raw X material awaits machinin


13/112


gauge and a straight edge to check panel

flatness, and then sanding certain areas

over a vacuum table that instantly sucks

dust out of the room.

The cabinets are painted with two

coats plus an automotive-like clear coat,and left to cure for seven days. This cab-

inet construction reportedly takes ten

times longer than conventional tech-

niques based on wood- or vinyl-veneered

medium-density fiberboard (MDF).

In another part of the factory, raw

loudspeaker drivers are modified, tested,

labeled, cataloged, and prepared for

insertion in the cabinets. The drivers fre-

quency responses are measured by

mounting the drivers in a jig attached to

a small anechoic chamber. The drivers

are measured twice, before modification

and after. Each driver is matched to the

other drivers that will go into a finished

loudspeaker, and its individual character-

istics are archived. If a customer needs a

replacement driver, Wilson looks up theserial number of the loudspeaker and

checks the archived characteristics of the

The so-called X and M mate-

rials used in all Wilson loud-

speakers were developed by

Wilson Audio in conjunction

with the materials-technology laboratory

at Brigham Young University. The goal

was to develop a loudspeaker-cabinet

material with the ideal properties of low

resonance, quick decay of those reso-

nances, and structural rigidity. A loud-

speaker cabinet made of such material

would contribute less sound of its own,

allowing the loudspeaker to exhibit

lower coloration, greater resolution, and

higher transient fidelity.

After experimenting with and meas-

uring dozens of different materials over

several years, Wilson settled on what he

calls X and M materials, both of which

are epoxy-based composites. X material

contains no wood products, is machinedlike metal, and according to Wilson, has

vastly better resonance and damping

characteristics compared to the medium-

density fiberboard (MDF) typically used

in loudspeaker cabinets. The top-of-the-

line X material has the rigidity of steel

and is very heavya 3"-thick sheet

measuring 2' x 2' weighs 115 pounds. M

material is slightly less dense, contains

3% wood products, and is used in less

critical applications as well as in upper-

range enclosures where its properties

make it ideal for mounting small drivers.

(You can see the combinations of X and

M materials in the raw cabinet photos

X is the darker material.) X and M are

sometimes augmented with blocks of

lead to increase the mass. The upper pan-

els of the X-2 and the WATT side pan-

els, for example, contain lead inserts fit-

ted into machined-out cavities.

I saw dozens of cumulative-spectral

decay plots (a measurement that shows

the frequency and duration of resonances)

for different materials, and M and X were

orders of magnitude better than MDF.

Dave Wilson has the luxury of asking the

factory to make identical loudspeakers

except for the cabinet material, and after

listening to many different combina-

tions, can identify some cabinet materials

by their sonic signatures.

M and X materials are reportedly asmuch as fourteen times more expensive

than MDF. Moreover, they take much

longer to cut because they machine more

like steel than woodone side panel for

the X-2 loudspeaker takes eight hours to

machine. Because the material is so hard,

the cutter must move slowly and be

withdrawn periodically to cool. Despite

the high cost and slow manufacturing

associated with these materials, Wilson

believes they are essential to producing

loudspeaker enclosures. RH

X and M Cabinet Materials

Gel-coat sanding

Drivers are measured in the small anechoic cha

A WATT cabinet is clamped for assembly


14/112


driver in that customers particular prod-

uct, thus ensuring that the replacement

is a perfect match.

The crossovers are made with point-

to-point wiring rather than on a circuit

board. This technique has many advan-

tages, including the ability to positionand orient crossover components for

lowest interaction among them.

Although capacitor tolerances are typi-

cally 10% (or worse), Wilson achieves

0.3% precision by measuring every

capacitor and then trimming it by

adding smaller-value capacitors to real-

ize the target capacitance. This not only

ensures that the crossover performs

exactly as designed, but also guarantees

a perfect match between left and right

loudspeakers. The inductors are cus-tom-wound in the Wilson factory, and

feature core materials developed by

Wilson. The entire crossover assembly

is mounted in an enclosure (either plas-

tic, machined aluminum, or machined

The great library in Alexandria,

Egypt, was the repository of all

knowledge in the ancient world.

Dave Wilson thinks of the X-2 as

the manifestation of everything hes learned

about loudspeaker design over the past thir-

ty years, hence the name of his new flagship

product.

The X-2 employs two woofers (a 15"

and 13") in a front-ported cabinet, two 7"

midrange drivers, an inverted-dome

tweeter, and a rear-firing supertweeter.

Sensitivity is rated at 96dB, and the min-

imum recommended amplifier power is

just 20 watts. Each X-2 weighs 750

pounds uncrated.

The X-2s predecessor (the X-1) has

long used modules that move forward and

backward on tracks to achieve correct time

alignment. For the X-2, Wilson devel-

oped a technique called Aspherical Group

Delay in which the midrange and tweeter

modules tilt as well as slide back and forth

to deliver perfect alignment of the drivers

The X-2 Alexandria

Buffing a finished cabinet


15/112


X material, depending on the

loudspeaker) and potted. Even

the internal wiring harness that

connects the crossover to the

drivers is made to exact specifi-cations, with a precise number

of twists in the wire, an exact

length, and a specific type of

wire for each driver.

The finished crossovers and

drivers are mounted in the enclo-

sures, and then packed in wood-

en crates in front of a loading

dock.

The entire process is slow

and laborious. For example, it takes just

under seven weeks to make a WATTand Puppy from start to finish. I came

away with the impression that the

Wilson factory is more of a large-scale

handcrafting shop rather than a small-

scale industrial factory. &

at any listening distance. This not only

improves time coherence, but also allows

the X-2 to be used in smaller rooms with

closer listening distances.

After the factory tour, I had an oppor-

tunity to spend about 90 minutes with the

X-2 Alexandria and my own CDs at DaveWilsons home. We first listened to the

ten-year-old X-1 to establish a reference

baseline. Id heard the X-1 at shows, but

Wilsons setup was by far the best Id heard

this loudspeaker sound.

Switching to the X-2 was revelatory;

the new design was not only higher in res-

olution than the X-1, but vastly more

musically involving. Driven by a pair of

Mark Levinson No.33 amplifiers (fed by

240V lines) and an Audio Research

Reference 2 Mk.2 preamp, the X-2 had

staggering dynamic contrasts, a huge

three-dimensional soundstage with precise

imaging, and a gorgeous rendering of tonal

colors (the latter was not the X-1s strong

suit). The X-2 also beautifully resolved

individual instrumental lines in complex

passages. After such a short audition, any

listening impressions must be considered

preliminary, but based on what I heard, the

X-2 Alexandria appears to be a significant

achievement and a serious contender for

the state of the art. RH


16/112

From my first turntable in

1979, the Micro-Seiki DD-7,

Ive been intrigued by the var-

ious approaches available to

and chosen by analog design-

ers. Given the myriad variables, each has

its strengths and shortcomings, and the

trick is finding the right balance in the

implementation.

Some do many things well. Few do

it all. And by doing it all, what Im

really saying is doing little; ideally the

device is getting out of the way of the

musical signal. Most of us can agree on

some desirable goals: low noise floor,

stable and proper speed, rapid recovery

from disturbances, dissipation of

unwanted resonance across a broad fre-

quency range, and, of course, the ability

to make music come alive in our homes.

The three tables on hand, rangingbetween $1000 and $2000 (including

arm), are different in appearance, design

principles and, among other things,

sheer physical weightranging from a

low of fifteen pounds for the Roksan to a

high of forty-eight pounds for the

Thorens (whose platter alone weighs in

at nearly nine pounds). The only things

they have in common are that all come

with pick-up arms, spin vinyl, and lack

suspensions and dustcovers.

Rhythmically Insistent

The Roksan Radius 5

Clearly (and not just in the case of

the Plexiglas version, as the Radius 5

comes in a gloss maple finish, too), this

is not your fathers Roksan. The Radius

5 looks like no Roksan that came before

it, though the drive mechanism does fea-

ture the companys resiliently mounted

pulley fitted to a custom synchronous

motor.

The main plinth (housing the motor

assembly) is decoupled at three points

from the subplinth (housing the main

bearing, platter, and pick-up arm), an

approach that is said to minimize

acoustic breakthrough. The platter is

machined from solid acrylic; three

adjustable spike feet allow for leveling.

Overall fit-n-finish strikes me as excel-

lent at this price point.

The NIMA arm is the only unipivot

in this survey. It features a stainless steel

bearing, aluminum alloy arm tube, and

acrylic yoke and headshell. Setup of the

arm was a bit more challenging than

with the other models under review. The

special, flexible PCB (as in printed cir-

cuit board) ribbon arm cable requires

careful handling, because its not really

all that flexible. Also, since the azimuth

and VTF rely on a common counter-

weight, its challenging not to impact

one while setting the other.

The Radius 5 was great for grooving

to Isaac Hayes Hot Buttered Soul[Stax].

Its most obvious characteristic is that it

is rhythmically insistent. The Roksan is

physically compelling, powerful, well-

paced, beat-based, andbelieve it or

notdoes all this while running a bit

slow. Considering that Ive heard a num-

ber of turntables which ran at correct

and precise speed that couldnt get me

into the groove of the music, this struck

me as interesting.

During a chat with Ken Lyon (man-

ufacturer of the Neaunce isolation plat-

forms by Greater Ranges) I mentioned

this and his response struck me as quite

cogent: Doing pace, rhythm, and tim-

ing involves maintaining and preserving

the shape and architecture of notes.

A B S O L U T E A N A L O G


Three European ImportsStephan Harrell


17/112


Speed is only one aspect. How well the

table maintains the relationships

between its various drive/suspension and

pickup sub-components, and how rapid-

ly it can recover from disturbances and

suppress resonance evenly across a broad

frequency spectrum are equally if not

more important than how rapidly the

information passes beneath the stylus.

We do know that an elevated speed

could provide a psycho-acoustic effect of

being uptempo but does nothing at all

to preserve musics architecture and gen-

erally harms it.

Moving on, ambience is respectableat this price and the presence of per-

formers is credible, though they tend to

linger at the front half of the stage. The

rich harmonica and dobro on Dylans Oh

Mercy [Columbia] were well delineated

on The Man with the Long Black

Coat. The wailing lead guitar on Dire

Straits Six Blade Knife [Warner]

made a surgical strike through the

humid summer air in my listening room

definitely an attention-getter.

What I didnt get was the extendedtrailing edge (decay) of notes that pro-

vides the nuance and related level of emo-

tional connection that I crave. If youre

into that kind of detail, or emotional

insight, this unit wont be your best

choice. But it did engage me, kinetically.

Big, Bold, Pure

Thorens TD850

Thorens has been around through

the past three centuries. In 1883, it

began building cylinder-and-disc move-

ments; in the early 1900s it made

Edelweiss and Helvetia music boxes and

other disc mechanisms, and its turnta-

bles, including the TD124 and 124II

(made from 1957 to 1966) and the

TD125 (from 1968 to 1971) are widely

renowned.

At the turn of this century, Thorens

experienced some challenges and by 2002

had announced a restructuring to begin a

step-by-step re-launching of the brand.

The new 800 series begins with the

$1299 TD800, while the $1999 TD850

is the second in the series. The chassisdesignsaid to improve signal behavior

and resonance absorptionis a sand-

wich made of two pieces of thick high-

density wood flexibly bonded to a

slightly thinner steel plate. Three poly-

mer-damped adjustable feet support the

heavy base. The table features a silent-

running bearing made of two sinter

bushes with a polished stainless steel

axle inside. The tungsten ball at the end

runs on a self-lubricating bearing point.

An outboard motor controller allows theuser to select speed. Like the Roksan,

this table also was a bit slow.

The TD850 came mounted with a

Thorens TP300 (looks like a Rega to

me) with VTA adjustability. Other ton-

earms up to 10 inches can also be used.

This table did a good job of reveal-

ing production values. The title track

from Laurie Andersons Strange Angels

[Warner] was big and natural with the

lead guitar boldly showing the way. It

was deep and articulate on the drivingbass and keyboards on Monkeys Paw,

and this immediately helped me connect

kinesthetically. Timingwhich is fun-

damental and manifests itself at all lev-

els of music, including individual notes

and subtle shifts and cueswas mostrespectable.

The biggest, and first draw, for me

was the Thorens tonal purity. Again, on

Monkeys Paw, it was easy to pick out

Bobby McFerrins vocals from the mix of

six other supporting characters.

Though I detected some midbass

overhang on acoustic bass at high vol-

umes, the purity of tone everywhere else

was admirable. Whether on the adamant

tempo of Choctow Hayride or the

seductive Let Me Touch You for

Awhile from Alison Krauss New

Favorite [Rounder], the 850 delivered

pace on par with the Roksan, plus some

of the nuance and finer detail that allows

me to connect more than physically to

the music.

Music emerged from a dark and

quiet backdrop. With a bit of the audi-

ble groove rush I hear on every table,

the Thorens slipped right into the big

ambience of Chet Bakers Chet

[Analogue Productions]. His horn was

large, loud, subtle, detailed, andnuanced, with precise imaging. I prefer

more organic images (densely saturated

with an acoustic bloom as the sound

moves toward you), but again, thats the

good thing about having choices.

In short, purity of tone, fine attack,

and more roundness to notes than the

Roksan. It isnt as insistent as the Radius

5, but can do big and bold (and speak in

more hues of color).

Balanced, Smooth and Coherent

Nottingham Horizon

As if its tables werent already

unusual looking, Nottingham has gone

a step further with this most recent

and least expensiveoffering. The

Horizons platter (slightly slimmer than

the one found on the Space Deck) sits in

a well at the center of a plank-of-a-chas-

sis that houses the main bearing. The

well holds an Admiralty bronze bearing

with soft inner and hardened outer spin-

Thorens TD850


18/112


dles, and is oil-filled. To the right is the

simple to set up and easy to love Rega

250 arm that uses a split-collet mount

to allow easy VTA adjustability. To the

left is Nottinghams low-torque motor

system with just enough power to keep

records spinning at proper speed (which

they did), once started by hand. A pul-

ley about two inches wide drives the

comparatively thick belt.

Designer Tom Fletcher says, Like

all Nottingham turntables, if wed put a

[power] switch on it we would not want

you to buy it, because if the motor start-

ed the turntable from a standing startthere would be too much power in the

motor when it reached the right

speedtoo much power means reso-

nance, and the record and tonearm

vibrate. Just try writing a letter when

the table is moving!

The Horizon demanded a significant

amount of time to settle. Until the 60-

hour mark, I heard a lot of hardness in

the midband. After that, things

smoothed out nicely. While not in the

same league as the Space Deck (which is2.5 times the cost), height and depth of

stage were admirable at this price. The

presentation was good for pop and most

jazz, but this combo couldnt handle

classical; absent was the gravitas that


19/112


made for the mood. That is, until I

switched from the AT OC-9 to the

Dynavector 20x-l cartridge, which was

clearly a better match.

Piano attack and rubato on RayBrowns Soular Energy [Concord] were

very good. I was definitely swayed by

the tone of the Laurindo Almeidas gui-

tar on the direct-to-disc version of

LA4s Just Fri ends [Concord]. The

Dynavector seemed slightly noisier on

the Horizon than on the Space Deck,

but it brought correct weight to instru-

ments. Bloom was allowed to build

(appropriately) instead of being smoth-

ered or smoothed over. And I could

more easily sense the body/volume ofinstruments, when it was there on the

recording. The lively snap from percus-

sion was consistently available.

Without going over the whole

playlist again, the bottom line is this:

Immediately, and over the long haul, the

Horizon does not draw attention to

itself. In fact, you may find it boring. It

does not have the drive of the Roksan,

but it does play the beats. It does notoffer precision imaging, but thats not

something that I demand. It shares, to a

lesser degree, many of the attributes of

its big brother (reviewed in Issue 138).

The images on the stage are slightly less

saturated, but still full and dense. The

Horizons not as nuanced, not as extend-

ed at the frequency extremes, and so on.

But, more importantly, it is well bal-

anced within itself.

It does, after time, gently pull me in

by revealing the flow, texture, and har-monic coherence of musical lines. To my

ears, that ability goes a long way

towards the goal of capturing the intent

of the performer. And that, at this price,

says a lot about its value. &

D I S T R I B U T O R I N F O R M A T I O N

Roksan Radius 5

MAY AUDIO MARKETING, INC.

2150 Liberty Drive, Unit 7

Niagara Falls New York 14304

(716) 283-4434

www.mayaudio.com

Price: $1295

Thorens TD850

TRIAN ELECTRONICS, INC.

5816 Highway K

Waunakee, Wisconsin 53597

(608) 850-3600

[email protected]

Price: $1999

Nottingham HorizonAUDIOPHILE SYSTEMS, LTD.

8709 Castle Park Drive

Indianapolis, Indiana 46256

(317) 841-4100

www.audiophilesystems.com

Price: $1000


20/112

Manufacturer: Audio Research Corp., 2843 26th Ave., South,

Minneapolis, Minn., 55406. Price: $595. Units tested: No.

274021-5 and No. 277211-4. Source: On memo from Audio Research.

The debate over tubes vs. transistors still rages, with the

current crop of Great Experts telling us that there is no inherent

difference between the way each sounds. The differences, we are

assured, rest in the way each device distorts, in the circuit

designs, in the dynamic characteristics of tubes and transistors.

The reason, by the way, there is still a debate: Music lovers

have begun to rediscover tubes; that is, they have discovered

that tube-type equipment often sounds better than even the

most elaborate solid-state devices.

That brings us, rather prematurely, to Audio Researchs SP-

3. It was designed by Bill Johnson; it was designed around

tubes (although there is a transistor in the power supply); it is,

by contemporary standards, hideously expensiveand likely to

get more so in the next few months.

A properly functioning SP-3 is, in my opinion, the best

sounding preamplifier available in America today.

I did, however, have problems in coming to this conclusion.

Part of the problem was, at least partly, psychological. Not my

own psychology but the psychology of some of the more artic-

ulate Audio Research owners, who have a mystique of their

own. Part of their rigidity in attitude (The SP-3 is the best and

that is the end of that) is, I believe, the result of a defensive-

Audio Research SP-3 Preamplifier(from Volume 1, Number 3, Fall 1973)


During this magazines infancy in the early Seventies, solid-state gear was the norm. But a fledgling company

from Minneapolis named Audio Research would soon (and forever) change the shape of the high end with

this, its first readily available product.


21/112


ness that is the end product of the notion that they are the

keepers of the flame against transistorized techno-freaks. Well,

the technocrats do say tubes are old-fashioned. Certainly

Johnsons circuitry is rather basic and conservative, with nogee-whiz noise-reduction-decompression-chamber gollies.

Still, if you love music and if you know how it sounds in live

performance, you need make no apologies for the SP-3. Rather,

it seems to me, the transistor crowd ought to be on the defen-

sive telling us why, after a decade, no one can design a solid-

state preamp that has more transparency and more openness

(particularly in the mid-range) than the Audio Research.

Still, I was rather keen about having the Audio Research

preamp for testing. And I was positively astonished when the

first unit borrowed from Audio Research (No. 274021-5)

sounded not one whit superior to the Citation 11a, just differ-

ent. Fat to the point of sloppiness in the bass; reverberation even

when there was little present in the recording (a la Command

discs), and rather rounded, though satisfactory, in transient

detailing. Most amazing of all: It wasnt particularly transpar-

ent. I thought then for sure that Audio Research owners were

hearing things not available (by ear anyway) to the rest of us.

With the help of Alvin Foster, founder of the Boston Audio

Society (the classiest audiophiles group in the nation), I con-

cluded that the SP-3 varied rather noticeably from the RIAA

equalization curve at opposite extremes of the frequency spec-

trum. (RIAA compensation, inherent in disc cutting, is usual-

ly specified from 50 to 15,000 cycles. Stewart Hegeman,

among others, holds the dark suspicion that the main reason

there are audible differences between preamps is because ofnonlinearities in RIAA compensation.)

We postponed the scheduled review of the SP-3. Later, in

discussing the preamp with Audio Research, I described symp-

toms that made the companys representative conclude there

were defects in my unit (although I have not learned, to this

day, what they were). Unit No. 2 arrived shortly.

Instantly I heard a transparency that shattered my compla-

cency about the SP-3. The audible sensation was one of open-

ing a window on the music. That is to say, the second SP-3

sounded instantly and identifiably more authentic, the closest

to the live experience of any preamplifier in my experience.

There was, though, a slight hardness about the sound (notgrain, not grit, but something considerably colder and glassier.)

Still, in several long listening sessions, we were able to hear

audible colorations in the Citation 11a, including a faintly nox-

ious hooded effect in the mid-range that, on voices particu-

larly, made vocalists sound slightly hoarse, as if their voices had

been transposed downward about a quarter-octave. The

Citation also exhibited, by comparison, a certain steeliness in

the upper mid-range when it was pushed hard. We had, hith-

erto, assumed that to be a function of American disc-cutting

and equalization practices. The Citation 11a is exceedingly

crisp up and down the entire range of music. The SP-3, how-

ever, particularly in the mid-range, reproduced music with a

freedom and a touch of liquidity (that liquidity may be a col-

oration for all I know) that is considerably more like the real

thing than the sparse dryness of the Citation 11a.

The bass on the second SP-3 is still fat, though not over-

bearingly so, and the bass detail reminds me of the bass detailattainable with the better Decca Mk V cartridges. That fatness,

I would imagine, could be an asset if youre using an acoustic

suspension speaker such as the Adventor if you use American

recordings, nearly all of which start rolling off at 50 cycles. The

bass end of Mark Levinsons preamp outclasses the SP-3. But,

limiting comparison only to the extreme bottom, one would

have to say its an aesthetic tossup between the Citation 11a and

the Audio Research. (The 11a does have a subsonic filter, which

the SP-3 does not. The subsonic filter is, like it or not, an

absolute necessity in nearly every decent audio system.) The

11a is, subjectively, leaner and tighter when it comes to repro-

ducing extreme bass. In the extreme highs, 10,000 to 20,000

cycles, the SP-3 floats along, openbut without being crisp,

verging on graininess in loud passages. In distortion and signal-

to-noise ratio, the Audio Research wipes out all competition.

If its looks and convenience you want in a preamp, forget

the SP-3. Its tone controls, for example, color the sound. Its

contour control does not, to my ear, achieve anything resem-

bling the Fletcher-Munson curve (but then neither does any-

body elses). The thing is, in appearance, the Margaret

Rutherford of preamps, although I understand Audio Research

will give you a different panel and Marantz-type knobs for an

extra $50 if your sensibilities are ravished by the SP-3s looks.

And, as we suggested before, Audio Research seems to be

having some problems with quality control (which they should-nt when they charge this much for a product). Technical con-

sultant Frank Richards opened my SP-3 and found, on the

phono circuit board, a number of less than satisfactory solder

connections. (The other circuit boards were beautifully assem-

bled.) After he doctored these, the sound become even more trans-

parent. (I do not know how to explain this. I just know it is so.)

With the solder connections improved, the hardness we

sometimes noticed on SP-3 No. 2 simply disappeared. The

sound, at this point, was translucent.

The bass could be tighter, I think, and the very top octave

a touch more lucid. But these are really quibbles, because, when

all is said and done, the Audio Research is incomparable in themid-range (where most of the music is) and it is for this reason

more than any other that Id be willing to flatly pronounce this

preamp the best. HP

HP COMMENTS: Upon re-reading this review, which had an

almost revolutionary impact in its day, I realize how innocent we

(all) were, and how very little we understood compared with the

hindsight we have acquired in days since. Looked at through

todays eyes, I find my comments left much to be desired.

In the innocence department, we can all chortle, perhaps

wistfully, when I call this $600 unit hideously expensive.

Who knew then what lay ahead, once Joe Grado, with his

Signature cartridges, started an audio arms race in pricing? I


22/112


regret that I hadnt yet discovered the

three-dimensional soundfield, for one of

the things (I learned later) that the

Audio Research did that comparable

transistorized preamps couldnt was to

recreate a sense of front-to-back depth.

Also in the who knew department is

the absence of any commentary, though

much was to come, on the ARCs expan-

sive headroom in handling phono car-

tridge outputs, a factor that trumped the

limited overload characteristics, with

their attendant distortions, from the

transistor sisters.

I also note my obsession with sub-

sonic filters, whose necessity was then

occasioned by the primitive turntable

isolation systems of the time, a problem

compounded by the 45/45-degree

groove cutting of the stereo disc. I would

spit in the eye of a sub-sonic filter today,

knowing how it would color and distort

the bottom octave performance of a

revealing system. We didnt really have

the multiplicity of revealing speaker sys-

tems then that we have today, a com-

manding reason why I insisted, from the

outset, that we concentrate on midrange

accuracy as our cutting-edge paradigm,and hoped we could get good treble

(which we had from the electrostatics of

the day) as well. Deep bass? That was in

the works, and from Hartley with its 30-

inch subwoofer, not an entirely practical

device for most of us.

The real strength of the original SP-

31 (and how I would love to hear it again

with todays ears and associated gears)

lay exactly in its ability to create a see-

through effect in the midband, one we

called transparency. We failed to sayexactly what we heard that wasnt

transparent about the solid-state com-

petition, notably, our then reference, the

Citation 11, a unit whose virtues reced-

ed quickly over time. Much of that lack

originated from the inherent grain and

texture, or electronic glaze, that all

solid-state devices of the day exhibited,

that is, until John Curls JC-2 was com-

missioned by the real Mark Levinson

(who now ironically is promoting tubed

units). What Curl would do and what

his preamp did was lower, by a seeming

order of magnitude, the transistor col-

orations we had grown accustomed to.

Lower, but not eliminate. And part of

the lowering came from the very dark-

ness of the units top-octave response.

The SP-3 may not have had much exten-

sion at the top, particularly above, say,

10kHzbut what it did have sounded

both natural and like unto the real

thing, that is, the sound of unamplified

music in a real space. And it had that

touch of what I called liquidity to offset

the Sahara sereness of the solid-state

gear, though, even then, we suspected a

bit too much of that.

I dont think wed have been as for-

giving of the bottom end of the SP-3s

behavior as we then were, but, as noted,

flat, uncolored response in the bottom

two octaves lay two decades or so ahead

of us. The 3, in the context of its time,

had bass that compensated for the equip-

ment shortcomings of the day.

Over time, I have come to believe

that the essential difference between

even the best solid-state gear and state-

of-the-art tubed designs lies, not in the

circuitry, but in the nature of the devices

themselves. Tubes produce a continuousflow of electrons. Transistors are, at

heart, switching devices. Wish I had

been the guy (it was Doug Sax,Ed.)who

said: Digital finishes what the transis-

tor started. I think we perceive, howev-

er subliminally, those switchings. And

that our minds have to work a bit hard-

er to coalesce these into something

approximating the continuousness we

hear in everyday sounds, musical or oth-

erwise.

I said the review was revolution-ary. I think, pardon my seeming

immodesty, that, in its time, it granted

intellectual respectability to tubed cir-

cuitry, convincing some of us that wed

been sold a prematurely-hatched bill of

goods with solid-state and, despite the

shortcomings of this review, of that I am

profoundly glad.

1The times were so hard for those searching out tubedesigns that there developed a lively trade in old DynaPAS preamps, which Johnson, in the very early days,modified, largely a custom business. Hence, the numer-ical designations of his early Audio Research gear, a latheir Dyna ancestors.

&


23/112


LOUDSPEAKERSUnder $500

PARADIGM ATOM$189www.paradigm.com

A killer value, Paradigms tiny

Atom does an awful lot right and

possesses no glaring flaws. With

a smooth frequency response, an

open treble and natural midrange,

this little guy only falls short in

the bottom two octaves, though it

will display a coarseness when

pushed too loud. (Reviewed by

Robert Harley in Issue 133)

PSB ALPHA B$249www.psbspeakers.comAlthough it lacks the detail, neu-

trality, and refinement of the great

British minis, PSBs Alpha Bnonetheless does what a good

mini shouldsounds open and

spacious, with precise imaging

and good three-dimensionality.

The midrange is honest and musi-

cally engaging, though bass and

dynamics are of course limited.

MONITOR AUDIOBRONZE B2$399www.monitoraudio.comWhile rather generic looking, this

two-way from Monitor Audio is

unusually clean, open, detailed,

and dynamically nimble in the

midrange. The

bass is remarkably

weighty and power-

ful, while the

metal-dome tweet-

er is airy and

detailed, without

edge. (Reviewed by

Wayne Garcia in

Issue 140)

$500$1000

PARADIGM MONITOR 5$549www.paradigm.comThe prominent top-end

mandates careful

placement, equipment

matching, or preferably

a tone control;

the midrange

has a tiny

nasality; and

the portexhibits some

boom when the speakers

pushed too hard. Nevertheless,

the Monitor 5 has a lively, engag-

ing sound with a tonal balance

that isin a crude way not unsug-

gestive of Quads.(Reviewed by

Paul Seydor in Issue 133)

B&W 602.5 S3Price: $700www.bwspeakers.comRecently spiffed-up

with fresh cabinetry,

Nautilus tweeter

technology, and a

newly fashioned

Kevlar mid/bass

driver, B&Ws 602.5

Series 3 is dynam-

ic, taut, and

detailed. Like an

English schoolmas-

ter, it lacks warmth

and forgiveness,

but its speed, detail, andabsence of overhang allow the

best recordings to shine.

(Reviewed by WG in Issue 137)

SNELL QBx 20$750www.snellacoustics.comThe pint-sized QBx 20 sets a stan-

dard in build quality, cabinet finish,

and rigidity in this range. Though it

doesnt quite match the overall

transparency and extension of the

larger Snell K, except for restricted

bass output it has no serious

shortcomings either.(Reviewed by Neil Gader in Issue 135)

PSB IMAGE 5T$799www.psbspeakers.comRich, dynamic,

spacious, and

easy-going, the

Image 5T is yet

another remark-

able performer

from CanadasPSB. What it gives

up in ultimate del-

icacy and detail, it

more than makes

up for in every

other way.

(Reviewed by WG in Issue 137)

SPENDOR S-3/5$949www.qsandd.comIts dimensions are Lilliputian, so

its dynamic and bass limitations

are real, though it lacks neither

warmth nor richness. Used asintended, this mini-monitor

exhibits neutrality that rivals

Spendors SP 1/2, while demon-

strating wonderful openness,

transparency, and imaging. (The

$1250 SE version trades

midrange warmth for improved

transparency, resolution, and

dynamic range.) (Reviewed by Paul

Seydor in Issues 119 and 143)

NHT ST-4$1000www.nhthifi.com

For not much more than mass-market chain-store speakers, the

Welcome to TAS Editors Choicea complete

listing of The Absolute Sounds

Recommended Products. Several

formatting changes have been

instituted since last years ver-

sion. First, and most obviously, we have

dropped our Class ratings (just as weve

already done with our regular Recommended

Products features). Although that ranking

system served a purpose, it proved too arbi-

trary for our taste. Instead weve adopted the

more straightforward method of ranking prod-

ucts by price category, in order of ascending price within each

category. You may also notice that there are price ceilings for

each component group. The super-expensive

gear will get its day in the sun in next issues

Golden Ear Awards. Those products aside, what

follows is a list of the stuff thatout of all the

components reviewed in these pageswe

would buy.

Also note, a Best Buy designation is

awardedsparinglyto models that we

feel, no matter their price, offer the highest

value within their categories.

Finally, complete reviews of the majority of

these components can be found on our Web site, AVGuide.com.

editors choice


24/112


ST-4s provide a

heaping helping of

high-end sound,

offering extended

high- and low-fre-

quency response,

open and articulatemidrange, excellent

dynamic agility, and

a tweeter/midrange

driver combination

that speaks with

one coherent voice.

Imaging and overall

balance are fine,

too, provided youre

careful with setup. (Reviewed by

Chris Martens in Issue 141)

$1000$1500

TOTEM ARRO$1100www.totemacoustic.comA minor miracle, is

how Editor-in-Chief

Robert Harley

described Totems

Arro, combining

extraordinary resolu-

tion, transparency, and soundstag-

ing for the price. It is built to the

same standard as mega-buck

loudspeakers, but on a much

smaller scale. You also get a

beautiful wood-veneered cabinet,

not a vinyl-wrap box.(Reviewed by RH in Issue 124)

DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGYPOWER MONITOR 700$1200www.definitivetech.com

Possessed of a solid

midrange and an

extended treble that,

nevertheless, doesnt

fully bloom, the

PowerMonitor yields

unstoppable dynamics and bass

flat to 30Hz, eliminating the need

for a subwoofer. With corner-to-

corner soundstaging, the

PowerMonitor sounds much larger

than it is. (Reviewed by NG in Issue

133)

PROAC TABLETTE$1200www.proac-usa.comDinky dynamite, the Reference 8

is a loudspeaker for connoisseurs

who prize precision. It needs a

fast subwoofer to keep up with its

transient acrobatics. Highs are

open and the soundstage three-

dimensional. Despite its obvious

dynamic and amplitude limits, this

speaker is required listening.

(Reviewed by NG in Issue 141)

RED ROSE MUSIC SPIRITSTUDIO MONITORS$1200www.redrosemusic.comPossessed of excellent imaging and

soundstaging, reasonable volume

capabilities, and respectable bass,

the Spirit is beautifully balanced,

offering plenty of resolution, butwith a smooth,extended treble and

a gentle middle-of-the-hall per-

spective that tends not to overem-

phasize recording flaws. (Reviewed

by CM as part of the Red Rose Spirit

system on AVGuide.com,April 2003)

INFINITY INTERMEZZO 2.6$1500www.infinitysystems.comWith a curvilinear aluminum enclo-

sure,ceramic-com-

posite drivers, pow-

ered midbass,and

Infinitys R.A.B.O.S.system, which

smoothes the domi-

nant resonant peak

of the room, the

2.6 has a transpar-

ent, cool, some-

what clinical personality. Unflappable

at nearly any volume, with excellent

bass extension. (Reviewed by NG in

Issue 134)

$1501$2000

VANDERSTEEN 2CE

SIGNATURE$1549www.vandersteen.com

This time- and phase-accurate,

three-way floorstander has striking

timbral accuracy, spatial focus,

and resolution. The baffle-less

design imbues it with an open-

ness reminiscent of planars or

electrostats. Benefits from bi-wiring and attention to adjusting

the back-tilt via stands. (Reviewed

by Shane Buettner in Issue 139)

MEADOWLARK AUDIOKESTREL2$1695www.meadowlarkaudio.comMeadowlark replaces its Kestrel

with the Kestrel2a two-way,

time- and phase-aligned, transmis-

sion-line design built with premi-

um-quality parts and materials.

Youll be drawn in by its energetic

dynamics, thrilled by its articulateand extended bass, and stunned

by the huge, deep, high-resolution

soundstages it creates.

(Reviewed by CM on

AVGuide.com, May 2003).

MAGNEPAN MG 1.6$1725www.magenpan.comMagnepans 1.6 planar i

The Absolute Sound 2003 10-11 (144)

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