Im still on a Joni Mitchell kick, but now that MoFi’s SACD pressing plant is back open after summer maintenance, it’s just the way things are shaking out.
This album, harkening from 1975 and 76, is a continuation of the more dense, jazzy groove that Mitchell started with Hissing of Summer Lawns. Most of this material was written during her breakup with drummer John Guerin, and according to her “very difficult to write.” The songs are personal, the playing incredible, and it really shows off the fretless bass skills of the late Jaco Pastorius.
Definitely not a casual listening hour album. One for a quiet, and blustery day. But highly rewarding and brilliantly captured by the MoFi crew here.
And best of all to this cheesehead, the photos were shot on Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin by the legendary rock photographer Joel Bernstein – though the portrait superimposed on the cover is from Norman Seeff. (notice the stylistic similarities with Van Halen’s Women and Children First?)
This column is sponsored by dCS, who’s Vivaldi ONE DAC/Streamer/Disc Player is my reference, and Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs, producer of exceptional audiophile vinyl and SACD releases.
The HANA-Umami Black continues the brand’s legacy of “Brilliant and Gorgeous” sound. Master cartridge designer Masao Okada-san of Excel Sound celebrates over 5 decades of innovation and excellence with his new masterpiece, featuring a diamond cantilever and new “OKD” High-Efficiency Moving Coil Generator. The Umami Black is much more than just an Umami Red with a diamond cantilever.
Unique Umami Black Features
Diamond Cantilever
In a category first for HANA, the Umami Black incorporates a diamond cantilever, the hardest possible material, ideal for signal transfer.
High-Efficiency “OKD” Moving Coil Generator
Another category first, the Umami Black uses the newly developed “OKD” with the world’s first “Integrated Pole Piece and Rear Yoke” and Inverted U-shaped Front Yoke, optimizing energy transfer from the diamond cantilever.
Inverted U Front Yoke
The U-shaped (bifurcated) inverted front yoke is engineered for both mechanical resonance control and magnetic field alignment, while also providing precise support for the diamond cantilever.
High-Power Rare Earth Magnet Unique to the Umami Black, the rare earth neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnet is used for the high-efficiency generator, delivering superior energy conversion.
Hybrid Carbon Armature A 2mm square hybrid Carbon permalloy armature, comprising 78% carbon-infused nickel-iron, is precisely hand-wound with 30-micron, 4N high-purity copper wire on Excel’s proprietary machinery. This ultra-light moving coil has an output of 0.3mV and a 5 ohm impedance.
Special Urushi Enameled Finish
The HANA-Umami Black features an exquisite Urushi lacquer finish, applied through a specialized thermosetting process, bonding to the aluminum body via vapor deposition.
Call the folks at musicalsurroundings.com for more info, and these beauties will be available for purchase after September 22.
As our “album of the day” column continues to get traction, we’ve decided to commit to an SACD at least once a week as well. Our friends at MoFi and dCS agree, so here we are. I honestly love the SACD format, (just like CD) because you can play both sides at one sitting. Sometimes it’s not convenient to get up and flip the record.
And no one is more committed to the SACD format than Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs.
It’s not tricky at all to enjoy one of hip-hop’s landmark albums in high-resolution digital style. Just grab a copy of Mobile Fidelity’s Raising Hell on SACD. If you can. Originally limited to 2000 copies, this one quickly sold out, as did Kings of Rock.
However, you can still get the first RUN-DMC album on SACD right here:
I didn’t need to watch the Netflix documentary on DEVO to shake the dust off my DEVO albums. I never stopped playing them.
However, that first record was pretty amazing, even in a day where punk was king, and new wave was a close second – DEVO was unique. It was a classic day in the record store that I worked, with the satin-jacketed guy from WB stopping in with the promo and concert tickets! Sometimes it pays off to work the night shift.
By this time, I’d seen them on Saturday Night Live and bought the first record, the one you see here – the tix were for the Duty Now For the Future album, at the Uptown Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the summer of ’79
But this record, produced by Brian Eno is so catchy, it sounds completely fresh today, full of animalistic drumming, buzz saw guitars and out of this world synthesizer bits. Of course, the anthem that made DEVO famous is here in all it’s glory, but this record is 34 and a half minutes of fun.
For those of you that are interested, our own Jaan Uhelszki did an incredible interview with Mark Mothersbaugh back in issue 26, that we’ve put back on the site here:
The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm. Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs Cables by Cardas Audio All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution
This article, originally titled, “Almost everything you want to know about Mark Mothersbaugh,” is written by Jaan Uhelszki, and was originally published in issue #26 of TONE, back in 2009. Considering the popularity of the recent DEVO documentary on Netflix, we felt it might be fun to look this one over again.
Mark Mothersbaugh would be loathe to be called a Renaissance man, but that’s what he is. Rather a savant for most of his years, he got the name and idea for his revolutionary science-cum-art rock band from a Jehovah’s Witnesses pamphlet, and nabbed the phrase, “Are we not men? We are Devo,” from a 1932 Charles Laughton movie called Island of Lost Souls. An odd title for a man who has a preponderance of soul, even if he is from Akron, Ohio.
In addition to being the bespectacled, robotic lead singer of Devo, the 59 year-old Mothersbaugh is a well respected film composer, with over 100 credits. He wrote the music for Pee-wee’s Playhouse in 1986 –and even got to sit on Chairy. He’s an accomplished artist in the “low brow school of art,” mainly because he incorporates flourescent pigments in the base of his paints so they glow when you least expect it — much like the occasional subliminal messages he inserts into the commercials he creates, signifying only one thing: With Mark Mothersbaugh, what you see is not what you get. But what you get is a lot.
With Devo back on tour and a new album in the works, our favorite spud boy is as busy as ever.
TONE: What’s the greatest misconception about you?
MM: Oh, good grief. The greatest misconception is that “Whip It” was the best thing I ever did.
That’s the song with the gift that keeps on giving, you know?
Yeah, all the way to being the theme song for the Swiffer Wet Jet commercial!
You did that commercial? Now, that’s de-evolution. I have to tell you it’s probably the worst product ever made for man.
It is. I got this little tiny old, inexpensive house out in Palm Springs, fixed it up really nice so it had a nice epoxy floor. And oh, there’s a little spot over there. I got the Swifter out. I’ll try it. It ate the epoxy right off the floor. Whatever it is, I don’t know, but I think it came from outer space. I don’t know if we’re even allowed to dispose of it in your trash.
You should retaliate and put subliminal messages in those commercials.
I love to put subliminal messages into commercials. It’s easy to do. We used to be into it more than we are now because nobody cared. I kept putting these messages in and nobody ever stopped or called me or got freaked out and said, “Take that out immediately!” People just acted like they didn’t hear it.
How did you feel when Target used “Beautiful World” to sell soap?
Well, we really liked the idea. The only thing is the ironic humor was lost on them. People that really know the song, and know “It’s a beautiful world for you / But not for me,” would appreciate it even if those words weren’t used in the actual commercial.
Tell me about the importance of being from Ohio.
Ohio had everything to do with my band and myself, the people in my band and myself, our vision of the world and the particular viewpoint that we have, and have had since we were angry young men. And now we’re grumpy old whatevers.
My mom always tells me that men get meaner as they age.
I don’t think men get meaner. I think what happens, as they get older and then as lust fades away, they become more like women.
Are you the oldest kid or the youngest?
I’m the oldest kid.
Did you fit in in school?
I was kind of a loner and I fought with the teachers and I fought with the other kids. I got my ass kicked by everybody when I was in school, so when I left, when I went to Kent State. I liked it because I was anonymous. At 3:30 the bell would ring and all the kids in my class, they’d all perk up … And then they’d head off for their fraternities and their sororities and their beer houses and all the things they did, and I just stayed right there and I used all the facilities in the art department and just kept doing art all night. Did it till one or two in the morning and then get up and go to my classes and just wait for everybody to leave again.
I remember in an interview in the ‘80s you said that you’re a picky eater, so was a big deal when David Bowie asked you out for sushi? Did you eat the raw fish?
I did. When David Bowie asks you to eat raw fish, you say “Yes.”
So David Bowie cured you of being a picky eater.
Yeah I pretty much got over my picky eating because of David Bowie. That, and seeing the world. But my eating habits were partly economic. I used to think food was like something to take your money away so you couldn’t afford to buy a roll of recording tape that week and record a song.
During Devo’s heyday, when everyone from Mick Jagger to Jack Nicholson to Eno were asking to be your guest list and saying that you were such a revolutionary band, did you think you deserved all that high profile attention? And were you nervous when people would come backstage?
I don’t know, I was kind of nerdy. I was the guy that was happiest sitting at, before there were computers, sitting at whatever instruments I had and making music or making visual art – that’s what made me happy. In a way, I wish I would have been more interested in meeting people and hanging out with the people that wanted to collaborate with us and stuff. And I did some collaborations. We worked with Eno and Bowie, of course. And I played on a Rolling Stones song, and I wrote some music for Hugh Cornwell and the Stranglers, and did some sessions but not all the stuff that we could have done or that we were offered to do, so it’s like in retrospect I kind of wish we would have been a little less insular as a band.
Yeah, but maybe that would have changed like your vision, too.
That’s what we thought: We don’t want to be a rock and roll band. We didn’t think of ourselves that way.
Yeah, Devo was more like an art statement.
That’s how we felt about it.
I always think that we’re all the same. It doesn’t really matter if Mick Jagger wants to collaborate with you unless you have had a meeting of the minds, you know? But I could see where there was some kind of intersection between Devo and Eno.
Yeah. That was during the Roxy Music days.
Eno always seemed like a space alien to me. Did he ever come off his pedestal? I mean, did you guys communicate well?
It was funny, Eno was one of the few people I had kind of like some sort of a reverential feeling for and I kind of lost it. I still think he’s a great guy, but … it’s really hard to pinpoint incidents, but you know, after we finished, I never thought of him in the same way. But having said that, I always thank him because he paid for the first Devo record for us, because we didn’t even have a record deal.
I read that Iggy was also instrumental in getting you signed?
Iggy, David, and Brian Eno all took an interest and actually were all proactive in helping us.
Now you spend most of your time scoring films and creating music for commercials. Did you feel like getting into the film music business was serendipity? Is it something you went after or did it just kind of fall into your lap?
Well, I always liked film music, but I didn’t go to school to be a composer. I went to school and didn’t know what the hell I was doing there, and then became obsessed with printmaking and then met Jerry [Casale], who I started the band with. Then everything just started falling forward.
I know you named your band for de-evolution, but don’t you feel like everything’s been like an evolutionary progression, like it’s built on each other? Or has it just been like a lot of random accidents?
I think there’s an intelligent design at work here. What’s all this bullshit about evolution and intelligent design? It’s de-evolution! Nobody knows, they’re just like ignoring the facts. Pay attention to what’s going on!
Was there a watershed moment when you really thought you got to a nadir of de-evolution, that you were prescient in your ethos?
To me it was MTV. MTV was exactly what we were predicting. Sound and vision. We were reading Popular Science. We knew about laser discs, and said, Oh, my God, it’s exactly the same size as an album but it has pictures to go with the whole thing. This is going to totally change who’s making pop art. It’s not going to be some guy sitting over there with a band in a bar, and it’s not going to be somebody that’s sitting on a hill painting a landscape, it’s going to be somebody that works in the pop media of our time. They’re going to be doing stuff that goes on television and it’s going to be music and pictures together. And that’s what we wanted to be. We wanted to be the new art form. And instead MTV came along, and it looked like, during first half a year or year, it had potential. And then all of a sudden, I remember having this realization that MTV was just Home Shopping Network for record companies.
It became less a thing of making albums; you were just making one song. And one song that was going to get on MTV because if it didn’t, you were fucked. And your whole project died, and all the money that you would have used to like seed yourself to keep going till you had your third album and maybe had a chance to have enough maturity to make a statement that was interesting from an art point of view, people never got there.
Make it one step more depressing. Oh, I know. Let’s change the format to CD’s, where now all of a sudden people feel like instead of writing 44 minutes of well-crafted music, they have to come up with 70 or 80 minutes of filler to go around the one song that’s on MTV. So you got one song for MTV and then you got 70 minutes of stuff just to fill up a CD.
Was that really anxiety-producing for you when you were in the band?
Well, by the time, our airliner was already heading to the ground where CD’s were concerned and we were weaving a cocoon to hibernate in at that point. So we saw it more than we felt it. It was already a virulent strain of anti-art that was like a gas permeating the industry, and for some reason it made record companies hopeful. It gave them a new lease on life because they reissued all their old shit. And then they went into horror when they realized, “Oh, but wait. Once we give it to them in digital form, then that’s it. They will share it with each other and they don’t need us anymore.”
When you were in the throes of Devo, did you know how cool it was? Did you have that sense that you were doing something really tremendous?
We felt like we were doing something big in the early days. There was that energy that started it. And then by the mid-to-late ‘70s, we had that power and that energy of things moving forward. And then we went into retrograde, then with the Freedom of Choice album it started heading downhill, there was this horrible feeling where we felt misunderstood. We felt like—”wait a minute, we have something to say, and there’s a lot of people that don’t have anything to say, and you should ignore them!” It was a frustrating thing. I never anticipated it, you know. I didn’t know then that things were cyclical and they came back. Like careers.
Your career came back when you did the music for Pee-wee’s Playhouse. Were you asked to do it because Paul Reubens was a big Devo fan?
Yeah, I’d known him for years, and he’d asked me to work on his live theater show. He asked me to score his film. And I was too wrapped up in Devo and I was traveling all over the world. I was interested, but you know how it goes. When the TV show thing came up, my drummer had just left the band to start another band. Greta, Greta. You don’t remember that? Nobody does.
When you worked on Pee-wee’s Playhouse did you hang out there a lot?
When you’re a composer, especially for TV but for film also, you spend a lot of time by yourself. It is much more solitary than you would imagine. I visited the set once when they were shooting in New York for the first season, and I sat on Chairy. The rest of them were all easier because they shot them in L.A. I’d go visit, but most of the time, I got a tape on a Monday and sent it back to them on Thursday, and watched it on the weekend.
Is the process different than writing a rock song? Do you have to use a visual kind of sense?
I don’t know how to compare that kind of writing to a rock song because when we did songs, we were thinking about sound and vision. And we oftentimes had ideas for films before we wrote the song. Write a song to go to a film idea that we were talking about, because we made our own little films, back when they were still called promo videos.
How did you get the gig doing the Rugrats music? Were the Clasky Csupo people prettywacky or were they fairly normal?
Gabor Csupo, of Klasky Csupo called me and wanted to license a song from Muzik for Insomniaks, a solo album I recorded in the early ‘80s. I offered to write him something new, and a great collaboration was born. All people in animation seem to be pretty wacky, yet somewhat normal.
And the Sims video games?
That was actually Mutato Muzika, my West Hollywood muzikal think tank (www.mutatomuzika.com) that scored many of those Sims games, but Devo would be a perfect fit… Wait, didn’t they license an unheard Devo tune called, “i’ve fallen in love, (with recombinant dna)” for a WB trailer, or something?
Mutato Muzika has scored many big games, and Devo has contributed to a number of games, also.
What was the greatest thrill being in Devo?
To actually be able to pull it off. I think it’d be great if everybody could at one time go to the Forum or go to Madison Square Garden and know what it’s like to have 35,000 people all looking at you, and you move your hand and feel everybody’s eyes watch what you’re doing. Or have them sing along with words that you made up in your basement about half a year ago when you were really depressed. Then all of a sudden there’s all these people singing it together, and you’re like, “Whoa, it’s cool.” You understand what evangelist preachers feel and to know what it’s like to have the power be so concentrated, and have the ability to use that power to go over and touch somebody and they jump back like they’ve been hit by lightning. That’s what being on stage with Devo in the early years was like.
I think that music has the power to change your life, and I do think it’s just like electronic force fields. It’s a great responsibility and a great buzz. Was it hard for you to go back to the film music and kind of be in the background rather than the foreground?
I know what you’re saying. But you know what? I saw those people that had been onstage, where I was five years before, waiting backstage, you saw the way they looked at you, and I go, “You know what? It’s not going to be forever and I’m going to enjoy it while it’s here.” And to be honest with you, Devo was a collaborative band. Although you’ll see people get credit for songs on albums, everybody contributed, because it was two sets of brothers originally. And to me, the idea of collaborating with a director and a producer, it feels more like Devo than if I would be just by myself doing solo records.
So you work well with others?
Yeah, I enjoy it.
Do you have a rule or a motto, something you say to yourself when you just don’t feel like getting up to do it in the morning?
God, I have no great quotes. I mean I try to live my life like a virgin.
What do you think your greatest strength is?
I enjoy solving problems. I’m a good problem solver everywhere in life. The big difference between Devo and KISS is, if the plumbing wasn’t working in the hotel room when we checked in, it probably worked when we left. And if the TV had snow on it we could, it was probably adjusted properly by the time we left the room. I can fix things, yeah. You know what? Save your brain for other stuff.
When you first came out with that line, “Are we not men? We are Devo,” was that a seminal moment in your life?
Yeah. It was a great moment. I was sitting in this shitty apartment in Akron, Ohio, $65 a month apartment, and I had quack religious pamphlets that I’d been collecting. I always invited Jehovah’s Witnesses in because they had great gravitas, and they were always attacking evolution. So they were the ones who got me thinking about all this great stuff – you know, things that I could use for pro-de-evolution. I could just use all their information so I would invite those people in and they’d stay around, and they’d walk around and look at all the masks I had on the walls, and I could hear them saying, “He has one room. He doesn’t have a bed. What is this? Is this a real apartment, or what is this? Hell?”
Would you overhear people saying, “Are we not men?” when you’d be out in the shopping mall or at the bank?
Yeah, but they always got it wrong. They said, “We are not men.” Dammit. Of course, a rhetorical question.
What’s something money can’t buy?
What can’t money buy? Peace of mind. No, it does buy it. What does it gain a man to have all the pussy in the world but to lose his soul? No, that’s not my motto.
What’s one thing that would surprise fans about you?
I think what surprises Rugrats fans is when they find out I was in Devo.
Let’s fast forward to today. In regards to the current tour, what prompted you to play thefirst two albums back to back as opposed to anything else?
The two-album-back-to-back concerts were inspired by Devo playing a string of parties back in London in May ’09. We were surprised that the first album, side 1 cut 1 through to side 2 last cut format worked so well, and wanted to let the Americanos get a chance to hear it.
Will the rest of the set list have some surprises for loyal fans?
Yes… and, uh, OK… yes! That said, I think the interesting part of this concept for a concert is, no surprises? Except extraordinarily good merch, for once.
Are you having a good time doing this music again? A while back you said you wouldn’t do DEVO again.
First off, it’s not about having a good time. We just do what we must do. I think I said “I wouldn’t ‘doo’ Devo, referring to wearing those uncomfortable plastic hair ‘doos’ we wore on the New Traditionalists album cover. Of course, none of us in the band have a lot of control over “doing” Devo; it’s in our genetic encoding.
How did the first two Devo albums end up getting remastered on 180g. vinyl? Was it a Devo decision or a Warner Bros. decision?
The vinyl remastering was spearheaded by Tom Biery at WB, I think. He loves vinyl as much as we do. I miss vinyl and not just for the sonic reasons.
Will we see the rest of the catalog remastered?
If WB hits black gold in some Burbank oil field soon, they may want to press a whole bunch of Devo albums.
What info can you leak to us about the new album? What else is up your yellow sleeves?
The new album is what our first albums would have been like if we would have had nurses to administer the drugs, and rascals to ride around on. Stay tuned.
It’s been a week or so, and I’m back in the Joni Mitchell mode again. My one-step copy of Court and Spark has arrived, and while this was Mitchell’s most commercial record, it remains a favorite.
Court andSpark was Mitchell’s transition to a more jazzy period. On a parallel track, she was also part of Tom Scott’s LA Express, and this record sees a major part of that crew sitting in on this record. Here’s a little tidbit I didn’t know: Jose Feliciano plays electric guitar on “Free Man in Paris.” Maybe I should give Wikepedia $5.
I have no idea what the “definitive” pressing of this record is. Discogs says there are 204 versions of this record, and that’s way too much work. The one-step is incredibly good. Dynamic and full of detail, Joni has never sounded better on my system. The pressing is flawless, and the background noise low, low, low. You might even hear some tiny bits throughout that you missed in the past. And that’s a big part of the fun.
And yes, there is still the slightest bit of overload at the beginning of “Car on a Hill.” Is there a version that doesn’t have this? I haven’t heard it. I’m not letting three seconds ruin the experience and you shouldn’t either.
If this is a record you cherish as much as I do, consider making the one-step part of your collection before they are gone. You will not be disappointed. Fingers crossed that MoFi is going to do Hissing of Summer Lawns as part of the series…
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The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm. Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs Cables by Cardas Audio All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution
This one goes way back to my early audiophile days, when anything that was “half-speed mastered” or “recorded on audiophile vinyl” caught my attention and my wallet.
A trip to my favorite hifi store of the day, Audio Emporium, just outside of Milwaukee, WI where they were playing Ms. Story’s Solid Colors on a pair of Magnepan Tympanis.
Recorded by well known engineer Steven Miller, and pressed at RTI (yep, that’s how long they’ve been around…) this was great music on the Windham Hill label before they got labeled with the new age moniker. Captured at 30ips on a 2-track Studer, this is some amazing piano playing that sounds fantastic. Who says audiophile quality equals boring?
You can still find a copy of this very reasonable. It’s pressed on JVC vinyl and is a good addition to your reference collection.
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The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm. Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs Cables by Cardas Audio All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution
Just the other day, the 10-album box set of Deep Purple’s classic: Made In Japan was released. This one features the main album remixed by Steven Wilson, and if you like what he’s done with classic Yes and King Crimson, there’s a great chance you’ll enjoy this rendition as well.
I’m usually not a fan of making 10 albums out of one, but there is so much cool bonus content here, I’m gonna have to listen to this for a week to get through it all! Recorded during their first tour of Japan in summer of 1972, it was released in the Japan on December 8 of 1972, and March 30 in the US.
It’s a killer record, containing one of the most recognizable songs/opening riffs ever – “Smoke on the Water,” and continues to endure.
I would not encounter Deep Purple live until their Stormbringer tour, back in my hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin nearly a year later. But it was an incredible first concert experience. What was your first show?
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The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm. Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs Cables by Cardas Audio All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution
There aren’t a lot of companies that have been making speakers for nearly 80 years, (2026 is their 80th anniversary!!) but Klipsch and the legendary K-horn are still here, better than ever.
With a sealed back since the AK6 model, they still really should be in the corner (as the late, great Paul Klipsch intended), but they have much more solid bass than ever. This mega-sensitive speaker (105dB/1-watt) doesn’t need a ton of power to shine. PrimaLuna’s EVO 100 with a full complement of EL-34s, delivering 40 watts per channel, is getting the job done nicely.
Klipsch says the KHorns will work in a room as small as 13 x 18 (Yeah, we tried that), but space is truly the final frontier. Out in the main listening room on the 24-foot wall, feeding into a 36-foot room, not only can the speakers really breathe in and out, but there is a much better sense of integration from the horn drivers about 18 feet back. And, boy, do these fill a room.
Now that the AK7 Klipschorn offers a three-way active crossover, there’s so much more of this story to tell – and that’s in the works.
For now, these $20k speakers remain an excellent investment. Much as we hate to embrace hard, fast rules in the world of music and audio, there is something undeniably amazing about listening to big music in a big room on a big pair of speakers.
With a massive power supply, and 120 watts per channel of solid Class AB power, this one will fool you into thinking you spent a lot more than the $2,900 MSRP would have you believe. When you pick it up, it’s solid, and when you open the case, there’s no free space – other that the small spot where you can plug a MM phono or a DAC board in.
Find a dealer near you in North America by contacting [email protected] otherwise the factory website will lead to you a dealer/distributor in the rest of the world.
While their popularity has never waned, (and the band continues to tour today) it might be argued that Los Lobos was at their peak of exposure in the early 1990s. Their soundtrack to the movie La Bamba, in 1987 sold two million copies, but Kiko was their biggest selling album, with close to half a million copies sold.
Kiko is one of those perfect records that remains as fresh and imaginative today as it did 30-plus years ago, with incredible musicianship and songwriting, propelled by an audiophile level of detail to the recording.
Go to tracks here for demo use are always “Kiko and the Lavender Moon,” and “That Train Don’t Stop Here Anymore,” but the entire album is full of sonic treats. Los Lobos is often pigeonholed as Tex Mex, or Americana/Roots rock, but Kiko – produced by Mitchell Froom (who also plays on the record) is much more experimental and creative to put in a box.
The Mobile Fidelity treatment of this record is incredible, and still available as a half speed mastered LP and SACD. As good as it gets, this one will truly show off the performance envelope of your system without resorting to stuffy, audiophile approved tracks.
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The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm. Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs Cables by Cardas Audio All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution
This one is a mega classic, albeit a bit before my time. However, I think many of us can agree that Hendrix’ debut, released in May 1967 was not only one of the greatest, but most successful rock records of all time.
The low distortion of the Acoustic Sounds pressing is thought by many collectors to be the finest rendition of this album, and the lack of tracking error in the Bergmann Thor linear tracking arm has Jimi’s guitar growling like never before.
Are You Experienced? is nearly 40 minutes of non stop energy, whether you have the 38:34 UK version or the 39:29 US version. Regardless of which pressing you have, this is a great album to enjoy start to finish.
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The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm. Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs Cables by Cardas Audio All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution
Long before “Yacht Rock” was a thing, there was Little Feat. Yep, if you dig a bit (or listen carefully) you’ll hear a few Doobie Brothers’ on this record. Come to think of it back in 1977, when this record was released, it was often spun in rooms full of smoke.
The late Lowell George and Paul Barrere, along with the rest of the Little Feat crew, always put a record together with catchy lyrics, flawless musicianship, and tight grooves.
Recorded at Warner Bros., Western Recorders, and The Record Plant, this album was full of the beach side attitude. Little did those of us that were there, that the men responsible for the cracking production would soon release a record that would change the world only six months later.
Ted Templeman as producer and Donn Landee, would soon bring Van Halen to life – and that was definitely not yacht rock. But more about that later.
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The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm. Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs Cables by Cardas Audio All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution
Lou Reed’s last solo album, released in January of 2003, is somewhat of a Spinal-Tap ish homage to Edgar Allen Poe.
His wife Laurie Anderson often talked about “Difficult Listening Hour,” but this one just might become an acquired taste. This link to the Wikepedia entry has a full list of the credits – and it’s pretty major. The two disc version is just over two hours long, and you’ll probably have to work up to a full listening.
However, I suggest “Vanishing Act.” This track is so intimate, yet big at the same time, it will get you to sit up and take notice. It’s also one of the most engaging male vocal tracks to see what your system is capable of. Great as the vinyl sounds, you might want to stream it first. You’ll either love it, or it will be nevermore.
The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm. Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs Cables by Cardas Audio All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution
Though the performance for the album was recorded in September of 1979, at the Santa Barbara Bowl in California, I had seen this show a month earlier at Alpine Valley Music Theater in Wisconsin. It still stands out as one of the most amazing live experiences I’ve had.
Mitchell has always surrounded herself with stellar performers, but this was a special lineup featuring Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, MIchael Brecker, and Don Alias. The setlist was the best of her material to date, starting with “In France They Kiss on Main Street” and “Edith And The Kingpin” from The Hissing of Summer Lawns, and ending with “Woodstock.”
Originally mastered by Bernie Grundman, the current remaster pictured here is also handled by Mr. Grundman. I can honestly say this is one of the few records I think I wore out. Whether you were there, and re-living the experience, or just someone who digs Joni Mitchell – this is a record you should own.
Considering how popular and loved Ms. Mitchell remains, this is a rare glimpse of her at her absolute peak.
The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm. Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs Cables by Cardas Audio All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution
As I mentioned yesterday, in collaboration with Supreme Acoustic Systems and Bergmann Turntables, we begin our quest to play a record every single day (though we usually do more than that) start to finish, and share it with you.
Today’s record is the Pretenders’ debut.
And while we’re at it, why not the Mobile Fidelity remaster? This version is available on MoFi SACD and Original Master Recording LP (MFSL-1-372). If you can find them, expect to pay about $50-$80. Side note: there was also a Nautilus Super Disc done (NR-38) from the mid 80s I think that is not half bad either.
But this is not a pressing shootout. And there are 208 different versions of this album. Including 8-track!
Released January 11, in 1980 the Pretenders self-titled debut found me working behind the counter in a hifi shop. Our manager burst through the door with a copy in hand, proclaiming “you have to hear this.”
He wasn’t wrong. Chrissis Hynde picked up the baton for women that really rock from Patti Smith and never looked back. It still has the same energy and urgency it had on that sunny January day. The sleeve instructs you to “play it loud,” and that’s all you need. Put this one on, crank it up, and enjoy this hard rocking record that the title classic is hardly enough praise.
On a recent visit to Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs in Sebastopol, California – mastering engineer Shawn Britton asked me “What was the first record you bought with your own money?”
Easy – Edgar Winter’s They Only Come Out at Night. Still have it and it’s still in perfect shape.
We’re collaborating with Supreme Acoustic Systems and Bergmann Audio to play a different record, every day for a year and showcase it on their Modi table and Thor linear tracking tonearm. For now the cartridge is a Lyra Helikon SL rebuilt and upgraded by Ana Mighty Sound in France. (They do fantastic work btw…)
The rest of the playback chain is rounded out with an XP-17 phono stage from Pass Labs and cable from Cardas Audio. All placed on top of the latest Pagode Master Reference rack from Finite Elemente, courtesy of MoFi Distribution. (with super-cool carbon fiber top shelf!) Clean power is being supplied by IsoTek Systems’ V5 Sigma.
So join me on a wacky journey for a year. It’s not like I’m not playing records all the time, but this is on one level, more fun because it’s a commitment to doing something every single day, at the start of the day. Morning coffee, then put a record on.
I can’t think of a better way to really evaluate this turntable and tonearm. Stay tuned and thank you in advance. And a heartfelt thank you to everyone helping make this happen.
If you’ve never heard a pair of single-driver speakers, the Songer S1-X might be too much for you to take in. They might freak you out. They are that good. And like a handful of speakers that are truly special, providing a sonic experience like no other, the S1-X is destined to join that rare category.
Our full review is in process, but these speakers deliver an experience that I’ve never heard in over 50 years, and I love, love, love single driver speakers and ESLs. With a pair of the legendary Quad 63s and a pair of 57s here on hand, I still consider the S1-X magic. Even more so with Songer’s $30k A3 integrated amp, a 300B SET design.
The difference here is that the S1-X is a field coil driver, which is much more complex than a standard full-range driver, such as a Lowther. (which we are still huge fans of as well – but this is next level) The driver is handmade by Ken Songer in a lengthy process.
We’ll have all the details in the upcoming full review, but suffice to say that even if this setup is not your cup of (or you think it isn’t), you should experience it at a show, Songer’s place, or our place. It’s a data point that will stick with you forever, even if your bag is something more like a gigantic pair of cone speakers. There’s so much more to tell you, but these are one of my top ten favorite audio experiences. Of all time. In over 50 years of listening. That good.
There is an intimacy to the reproduced notes via the complete Songer system that is, at the same time, wonderful, inviting, and unique. Forget everything you think you know about single drivers. These do more everywhere. And they rock. Don’t be surprised if you see these on the cover of February’s issue as our Product of the Year. They are that good. I’m scheming on how to finance a pair as we speak. That good.
We’ve just received the Canor Virtus I2 for long term review and it’s a beauty.
Available in black or silver, this 40wpc class-A tube integrated (with auto bias) uses KT88 tubes, and can be switched into triode mode for 20wpc, for a mellower sound or those using high-sensitivity speakers.
As we’re winding up the review on the YG Descent (a three-way floorstander), that is coming in at right about $30k per pair, and is the top of their Peaks range, the two-way, all-aluminum Carmel 3 has also landed. We thank YG’s new distributor Hiram Toto of Supreme Acoustic Systems for being kind enough to leave the Descents a few more weeks so we can compare and contrast, as they are similarly priced.
While YG is well known for their aluminum-bodied speakers, it is a controversial aesthetic choice, one that usually polarizes potential customers. Because the Carmel 3 is the entry level speaker in YG’s Reference lineup, we were curious to reveal the differences, as a potential buyer might.
You’ll have to read or full review for that, as it is outside the scope of a distilled piece. Suffice to say that the Carmel 3 on it’s own is a brilliant design, one that combines the tech of the XV, Sonja, and Hailey 3 (reviewed here) in a more compact cabinet. Even in our 24 x 36 foot room, the Carmel 3 delivers impressive bass response, and creates a massive soundfield, driven by the Pass Labs X600.8 power amplifiers.
The Carmel 3 delivers incredibly high performance, in a compact enclosure, and for those not having a room big enough to house the top YG’s, leaves precious little on the table in terms of ultimate resolution. Our test pair came fresh out of the box, and Toto tells us that good as they are already, they will continue to improve over the next week or so.
While the new Harbeth 40.5XD is a fantastic speaker (we’ve got a review going live any day…) don’t discount the 40.2s, especially when you can buy this pair, complete with stands for just over $10k at TMR.
If you’ve never heard the big Harbeths, they are quite special. Though these speakers are fairly large at about 30″ tall, 17″ wide and 15″ deep. They weigh about 85 pounds each, so tiny British monitors they are not.
But with big speakers comes big sound. If you’ve ever listened to a pair of smaller Harbeths and thought “If only I could get more of this…” The monitor 40 is the answer to your wishes. Even though the cabinet has a fairly large frontal area, these big monitors disappear in your room like a pair of LS3/5a’s, but with big bass and slam.
With an 87dB/1-watt sensitivity rating, anything beyond about 40 watts per channel will work, but if you can pair them up with a big solid-state amplifier, it’s a completely different movie. They take another big leap.
The top photo is merely for illustration, but this black pair complete with a pair of Tronger stands (A $2,000 value by themselves) is on the block at TMR for $10,499 in ebony. You know you want em!
If you are itching for a pair of crazy money headphones, but don’t have crazy money, check out the Focal Clear Mg. Now pushing close to $2,000 brand, spanking new, you can pick up this pair from TMR for $929. They even include a fresh pair of ear pads. (No small bargain, these are about $200 a pair all by themselves)
Where Focal’s top of the line Utopia phones use a beryllium driver, as their top range Utopia speakers, the Clear Mg uses a magnesium driver. (hence the Mg moniker) The biggest differences between these and the $4,000 Utopias is in ultimate tonal balance, and low level resolution. Both phones have great bass response and are super comfy for long term listening sessions.
The magnesium driver lacks a tiny bit of ultimate low level resolution compared to the Utopia, and the overall tonal balance is slightly warmer as well. Like me, you may actually prefer this sound to the Utopia regardless of price. The Clear is easy to drive with whatever you have, but you will be rewarded as your headphone amplifier gets better. We’ve used these with everything from a gen 6 ipod up to the dCS Lina stack. Not all top phones are this easy to drive – a definite bonus.
If you’ve been looking for a great streaming DAC that’s reasonably priced, look no further than the HiFi Rose RS250. This gently owned piece sounds great, and accommodates Ethernet, USB and optical inputs with HDMI, USB, and SPDIF digital outputs as well.
In case you don’t have a DAC, the RS520 does have an onboard DAC, taking advantage of the ESS/Sabre chipset and features a pair of RCA analog outputs. In addition, you can upgrade the internal 500GB disc to 8TB if need be, and have a complete music server solution.
Like all of the HiFi Rose products we’ve used, reviewed, and own – build quality is fantastic, sound quality is top shelf, and functionality as good as it gets. If that’s not enough, there is also an excellent headphone amplifier, with a jack on the front panel. Perfect for a personal listening station!
This gently pre-owned RS250 is tough to beat for $1,499.
The Luxman L-505u is a fantastic anchor for a high quality, no fuss, hifi system. With 100 wpc on tap, multiple inputs (including a single balanced input) tone controls, and an on board MM/MC phono, you’re on your way. Even if you aren’t doing a starter system – add a streamer, a turntable and your favorite speakers. Call it a day and enjoy.
These Luxman receivers have to be seen and heard to be believed. Being that Luxman is an evolutionary company, even though there is a new version of the 505u, this one still sounds fantastic. The built in power amplifier section can produce 100 wats per channel into 8 ohms and 140 into 4 ohms. What you aren’t getting here that you get in the bigger receivers is the bigger power supply and additional headroom they provide, due to larger power supplies and a more robust output stage.
However, matched to a nice pair of moderate sensitivity speakers, if you don’t need to blast your music to concert hall levels, the sheer quality of the music delivered by the 505u with really surprise you. The phono stage is excellent, and the overall build quality is identical to the $10k Luxman amplifiers.
And those meters! Super cool. What’s not to enjoy? This might be one of the best values going for a tick under $2,600.
There are so many things to like about the Aria Mk.3 from Rega. This small but capable solid-state MM/MC phono preamplifier does it all.
At the original MSRP of $1,695, Rega’s Aria Mk.3 is one of the best values going in analog. (As is nearly everything Rega makes) However, this slightly pre-owned example at $1,149 should be at the top of your list, if you are searching for a high-performance phono stage that’s reasonably priced – more money for records!
We’ve only reviewed the Mk.2, but the Mk.3 is on the way. Having heard the Mk.3, we can attest that everything that made the Mk.2 great is improved in the new model – and that’s the Rega way. Constant refinement.
The sound is natural and dynamic. Fortunately, the MC side of the Mk.3 has loading adjustments from 70 ohms to 400 ohms – which should cover nearly everything. Should you have one of the Rega MC cartridges, start at the 70 ohm setting and see what you think. Our experience has been that these cartridges are incredible loaded down low…
Aria’s half-width chassis makes it a perfect fit on the shelf for a Rega outboard power supply and speed controller. However, the thing we find the most exciting is the Aria’s ability to handle two turntables. Instead of just a gain switch, there are two seperate inputs – which makes this a fantastic way to plug two turntables into your system. The more you get into vinyl, the more useful this feature becomes.
Finally, the Aria Mk.3, like the Mk.2 has all discrete components in the signal path – no op amps. This is a big part of what makes this compact phono stage sound bigger and more dynamic than you might expect for the price. Definitely a class leader, even at full retail. But this one is a killer bargain.
The DWX Supreme is a high-sensitivity, high-fun-factor speaker – in every way.
If you’ve ever been to a Zu Audio room at a hifi show, you know they always have one of the most engaging rooms in the house. Sean Casey, Zu’s founder, and his crew serve up great music and put together systems that engage and offer high value.
And for the current future, with all the tariff monkey business in place, they are an even better, shall we say, supreme value – being all American-made? Zu says the DWX has “the same driver and guts” as the DW-6 floor-standing speaker. Thanks to the small size and front port, they can take advantage of room gain because they can be placed closer to the walls and room corners.
Everything centers around Zu’s own 10-inch Zu260 full-range driver, which extends up to 12 kHz; the rest is handled by their super tweeter. Nothing else sounds like a Zu, and that’s a great thing. With a 95dB/1-watt sensitivity rating, you can easily make use of a 9wpc SET amplifier or your favorite low-powered tube amplifier! Pass Labs First Watt amps crush it with Zu speakers, and if you have a vintage, low-power solid-state receiver (like a Marantz 2215 or a Pioneer SX-424/434), you’ll be blown into the weeds at how great this combo is as well.
The DWX is dynamic and articulate, featuring a front-firing port that makes setup as easy as it gets. The sound is unique – nothing else sounds quite like a Zu. And that’s a great thing, by the way. Our old pal Art Dudley often talked about audio gear being able to get (and keep) the groove. While this is somewhat ambiguous, Zu speakers do an excellent job of capturing the tonal contrasts and variations within a performance. They offer up a slightly saturated presentation – and that’s a great thing without being slow or soft in response. Actually, it’s quite the opposite.
The highest compliment we can pay Zu Audio is that no one is ever having a bad time in one of their rooms, and rarely, if ever, will you hear people blathering on and on about specs and such. If you love music – you’ll love owning a pair of these.
The full review is almost done. However, we suggest pushing the buy button on a pair of these. The only remaining questions are what color, and what upgrades? (Again, we suggest the Supreme version!)
$1,500 – $2,700/pair (finish and upgrade dependent)
Whether you stay in the family forever or not, a Rega turntable truly has to be part of your audiophile journey if you enjoy analog.
For over 40 years now, they’ve been quietly going about the business of making turntables that deliver class-leading performance at a price that music lovers can afford. They have offered their own line of MM and MC cartridges for a long time, and thanks to their three-hole alignment on the cartridge and headshell – setting a Rega table up with a Rega cartridge is the easiest in the vinyl world.
The release of their new ND3, ND5, and ND7 MM cartridges, which utilize neodymium magnet assemblies, has brought their in-house sound to a new stratosphere. The updates made to the P2 show just how serious Rega is when it comes to delivering a favorable price-to-performance ratio.
A direct comparison of the current P2 with the ND3 cartridge to a ten-year-old P3 with Rega’s former competitor, the Elys 2, reveals that the new combination delivers even more musical information. The bass is deeper with more definition, the highs are more accurately rendered, and there’s more texture in the midrange as well. The new P3 with ND3 has also been equally improved, but that’s another story.
Rega’s US Importer, The Sound Organisation, has held the line on pricing and is keeping this $795 combo aggressively priced, though this may change slightly in the months to come. Our advice: buy it now. Why would you not?
The P2 is easy to use, requiring almost no setup. Now, with the ND3 MM cartridge, you’ll swear you spent a lot more on a turntable. What’s not to love? It’s time to start your Rega journey.
This is the third product we’ve reviewed from Java HiFi, and we are definitely looking at three for three in terms of sound quality, build quality, and stylish excellence.
Matching the casework of their other designs, this solid-state preamplifier’s uniqueness comes from the LDR attenuator. Nearly all other preamplifiers use either a stepped attenuator with fixed resistors at each point or a very high-quality potentiometer.
The LDR circuit actually uses the volume control on the front panel to vary the light intensity of an LED striking a light-dependent resistor (hence the name) that changes value with the amount of light cast upon it. There are no mechanical parts to add noise or degrade over time.
Designer Martin Bell says it’s the quietest way to handle this function. Though we don’t have a non-LDR version of his preamplifier to compare, it is damn quiet. Like their power and integrated we reviewed, the Java pre features a neutral tonal balance, with smooth, grain-free high frequency response. Bass is tight and powerful.
Beyond the great sound, this preamplifier is tremendously flexible. With seven pairs of XLR inputs and three pairs of XLR outputs (two variable, one fixed), you can connect multiple power amplifiers, a powered sub, or even a tape deck! How great is that? However, there are no RCA inputs or outputs, so it will need to be in an all-balanced system. Finally, there is an onboard headphone amplifier that worked well with all of the phones we had at our disposal.
It looks super stylish. It has several different faceplate and casework options, so it should look great in any décor.
Now that it’s official that the CD is making a bit of a comeback, TMR has an incredible selection of slightly used players from OPPO (!!) under a thousand bucks, all the way to some more serious hardware like an EMM Labs player around $12k.
If you still have a collection of SACDs and DVD-a discs, this player is the droid you need. Not only does it sound fantastic, it plays all shiny disc formats. There are still some decent titles out there on DVD-a to be found and usually at a reasonable price, with so few players left in the field. This one of my personal favorites – and you can pick it up for a fraction of it’s original price. TMR has gone over it (as they do everything) to be sure all is right functionally.
This one has a few little scrapes, hence the great price. With balanced XLR and RCA outputs, you can put it in any system, and there is a digital output as well – it’s a very versatile performer. A recent call to Ayre confirms that they can still service this one down the road. Good to know on a digital player.
Here’s your chance to get a huge helping of what the big Focal Utopias deliver at a fraction of the price.
With price increases over the last couple years and the tariffs looming, this is your chance to get a gently used pair of Sopra 3’s for a fraction of a new pair. And they are red. Remember, Sammy Hagar said “Green ain’t me compared to red.”
The Sopra no.3 takes full advantage of Utopia technology in a more modest sized cabinet (though still about 150 lb. each!) These sexy French floorstanders go all the way down to 26Hz – more than enough to capture the lowest bass notes, regardless of your musical tastes, thanks to a pair of 8-inch woofers and a floor-facing vent. This also makes the Sopra no.3 that much easier to place in your listening environment.
These speakers feature a 91.5 sensitivity rating, so anything above 35 watts per channel will drive them, and from hands-on experience, they are very tube friendly.
A bit of time at a friends’ house listening to the Sopra no. 3 for the better part of a day led me to revisit my review, written some time ago, when the bright orange Sopra no.3 graced our cover, and became my personal reference for a few years. Staffer Earle Blanton still uses his Sopra no.3’s as his reference, along with a pair of REL 212SX subwoofers. A formidable combination.
For a few years, MartinLogan’s Summit was their flagship speaker, and it received worldwide praise. At the beginning of 2009, MartinLogan combined what they’d learned building the new flagship CLX full-range electrostatic speaker system and the Spire hybrid to arrive at the Summit X. Just like the Summit, it features a pair of powered 10-inch woofers, one facing toward you and the other firing toward the floor.
Though it looks similar to the original, the Summit X is an entirely different product. MartinLogan’s Devin Zell tells me, “We scrapped the CAD drawings for Summit X. The panel is new, the woofers are new, and the crossover is new.” ML also adds cool light-blue lights that fire from underneath, giving the speakers a glowy feeling in your room. “We just did that for fun,” Zell laughed on the phone as we discussed the added bling.
This may not be your bag if you prefer listening in complete darkness. But put me on the list of people who like it. I’d like it even more if they could only make them glow lime green to match the LEDs on my Naim and Burmester gear. One handy addition to the lighting is the added LED that lights up the 25 and 50hz settings on the woofer modules and works quite nicely. This makes fine adjustment on the speaker easier than it was with the standard Summit. And yes, you can shut it all off, which should keep all the mole men in the audience happy.
The Subtle and Not-So-Subtle Differences
For those of you not familiar with the MartinLogan product line, the Summit X has a rated frequency response of 24-23,000 Hz (+/- 3 db) comprised of an electrostatic panel mated to a pair of powered 10-inch aluminum coned woofers at a crossover frequency of 270hz. It also features a pair of bass level controls at 25 and 50Hz, making the Summit X easy to adapt to your room. The specs are identical to the original Summit it replaces on paper.
MartinLogan finished the production run of the Summit in 2008, and the Summit X became available in the spring of 2009. The Summit X carried a price increase of $3,000 over the Summit. Despite rumors that the Summit would be upgradeable to X status, this was not the case by the final release of the new speaker. Quite a few people at MartinLogan anguished over this, but by the time the design on the Summit X was finalized, there were too many physical changes in the new speaker to make the upgrade possible and cost effective for the customer as well as ML.
Where the last version of the Summit started at $10,995, the Summit X’s base price is $13,995. As in the past, a wide range of custom finishes is available through the MartinLogan custom shop.
Straightforward setup with care
The enclosed manual with the Summit X helps you set them up in short order. Legacy MartinLogan owners probably don’t need much input from me, and many of you have your own theory on how you like your Logans set up. Personally, I like ’em as far away from the side walls as possible.
While this is not convenient for everyone, the further you can get these babies from the side wall, the greater reward in soundstage width. The Summit X worked much better on the short wall (16 feet) of my studio than my reference CLX’s, when on the long wall (24 feet). With each speaker about seven feet from the side walls, they really opened up. If you can’t achieve this in your listening room, some modest room treatment just behind the panel and about two feet in front of the panel on the side wall helps tremendously.
Again, this is optional but well worth it if possible: get everything out from between your speakers. Because they radiate from the front and back, the stereo image really suffers with a big rack of gear and giant flat-screen TV between the Summit X—or any other panel speaker, for that matter.
The final listening position had the speakers just over nine feet apart, with the front surface of the panel 42 inches from the rear wall, slightly toed-in. This puts ear-to-speaker distance just shy of 10 feet. Consider purchasing at least a Radio Shack sound-level meter and a test tone disc to fully adjust the 25hz and 50hz controls on the back. Careful positioning will help smooth out the bass response of the Summit X giving you their maximum drive.
Identical to the last three MartinLogan Hybrid speakers I’ve used, the Summit X requires about 200-300 hours before sounding its best and achieving the maximum amount of integration between the dynamic woofers and the electrostatic panel. When you first fire them up out of the shipping cartons, the bass will sound somewhat slow and bloated, no matter where you have the woofer controls set. The biggest improvement will be in the first 100 hours, with incremental smoothness happening thereafter.
Not as sensitive to placement as the CLX, the Summit still benefits from careful adjustment. Once you have the speakers where you feel is the proper place, use your measuring devices of choice to get them identically placed from the rear wall in terms of toe-in and rake. If you can get each speaker within one-quarter to one-half inch of the other, this will help the image size and focus. Thanks to longer spikes than the Summit, the Summit X offers a wider range of adjustment on the speaker rake, making them easier to adapt to your listening position. If you like your seating position further back, angle the speakers backwards more. If you like to sit closer, you can now angle these speakers from 11 degrees to -1 degree.
The sound
All of the top-range MartinLogan electrostatic speakers share a similar sound; big, open, airy and very dynamic. As mentioned in the original Summit review, this is an electrostat on which you can play Metallica if you have enough clean amplifier power. They are not as dynamic as a pair of Wilson Maxx 3s or large horns, but the slice of musical heaven these speakers offer cannot be had by cone speakers.
The Summit X continues this tradition and improves on all of the Summit’s strengths with no downside (other than the increased price). Even though the frequency response specs are the same, this is a much improved speaker, primarily in the quality of the bass response and the integration of the cone drivers.
MartinLogan calls it “Controlled Dispersion PoweredForceTM Bass” (Say that ten times as fast as you can). You can read the full technical details on their website at:
The bottom line: it works very well. While the Summit X comes up a bit short in comparison to the flagship CLX in terms of upper bass speed and articulation, it takes hybrid speaker design to a new plateau.
Regardless of music you like to listen to, the Summit X will deliver the goods. The main strength of the Summit X is that it throws a huge soundfield in all directions, giving the listener a very immersive experience. This is the MartinLogan magic at its best. You will love them, or they will not be your cup of tea.
Thanks to that low 270Hz crossover point, the panel reproduces most of the music, and this coherency is what gives the Summit X its appeal. Male and female vocals are both reproduced exquisitely, and the speaker does an amazing job of disappearing in the room for its size.
When the low-frequency controls are properly adjusted, the Summit X has a substantial amount of deep, controlled bass that should satisfy 98 percent of its owners. If you listen to a lot of pipe-organ music or club music with a lot of deep bass and the 24Hz cutoff of the Summit X is not enough, you can add one or two Descent i subwoofers. When adding the Descent i to the system and, letting the Summit Xs run full range and crossing over the Descent at 35Hz, I was getting solid, wall-shaking output when playing the 20Hz test tone on the Stereophile Test Disc.
The Burning questions
Analysis paralysis is setting in but people want answers. I’m going to put my head on the chopping block. The Summit X is definitely an improvement over the original Summit and definitely worth $3,000 more than the earlier model. Listening to them side by side in the same system, the X model does a better job at bass integration with the panel. Thanks to the dual woofers, it should not need a subwoofer except for all but the most demanding applications, or for heavy-duty home-theater systems.
Just like the Spire, the midrange in the Summit X is slightly less colored than that in the original Summit, though you don’t notice it until you hear both side by side. The Summit X also edges out the Summit in terms of low-level detail retrieval and microdynamics. Cymbals and percussion instruments fade out with longer gradations than they did before, and very dense musical pieces are unraveled more easily. Both versions can play equally loud without fatigue, so this is an evolutionary upgrade.
This builds on the strength of the original Summit – the Summit X is a highly resolving speaker that can be used to judge source components costing considerably more. While $13,995 is not a budget loudspeaker, the Summit X holds its own in a six-figure system.
Tubes or transistors?
The other big question with the Summit X is what to drive them with, and there is a fairly wide range of discussion on this topic. Many people swear by “tubes and stats,” and I used to use my CLS’s with the legendary Audio Research D-79. But the current MartinLogan speakers dip to .7 ohms at 20khz, so if you have a tube power amplifier, audition with your amplifier before buying the Summit X, even if it means lugging your amp to your MartinLogan dealer.
The tube amplifiers with which I’ve achieved the best results with current MartinLogan speakers have been the BAT VK-55SE and PrimaLuna Dialog Monoblocks. Even though these are medium-powered amplifiers in the 50-60 watt per channel range, they offer low-output impedance taps, which improve the power transfer to these speakers. The Manley 250 monoblocks are another, albeit higher-powered amplifier that mates well with the MLs.
Mating tubes with the Summit X is a case-by-case situation. You’ll know when it’s wrong immediately. If your favorite tube amp doesn’t have the juice, the speakers that sounded great at the dealer will sound like they have blankets over them in your listening room. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Though these speakers have a fairly high sensitivity rating of 91db/1-watt, the more clean power you can throw at them, the better. The bigger amps offer more dynamic contrast.
A worthy successor
The Summit X is the Charles Barkley of loudspeakers. It plays better than it will probably ever get credit for and it would have been a superstar if Michael Jordan (the CLX) hadn’t come along at about the same time. But it’s still able to mop up everyone else on the court. Well, I can’t compare speakers to cars all the time, can I?
The good news is that the Summit X is about $10,000 less than the CLX, it has a lot more flexibility and it doesn’t require a pair of subwoofers to really give its all. It is a better value for all but the most demanding listener. The Summit was one of my favorite speakers of all time, and the new Summit X is even better. Properly setup with electronics to match, these speakers will paint a huge musical canvas for you to enjoy.
If you currently have the Summit, I’m guessing you will probably pass on the upgrade unless you can easily absorb the price difference. For those new to MartinLogan or trading up from further down the range, it is truly a fantastic speaker and a very worthy competitor in its price range.
About a decade ago, Audeze hit the scene with their original LCD-2 headphones that used planar magnetic technology. It was an instant success.
Up till then, the highest performance you could attain in the world of headphones was with electrostatic designs. These were bigger, bulkier, and above all much more costly, because they had to come with a power supply to keep those tiny ESL membranes charged. Just like a pair of Quads or MartinLogans.
While the Audeze phones are somewhat on the large side, they do manage to keep the weight down, and are always a comfy fit – even for long term listening sessions. The LCD-X here at TMR is a great buy at $899, with all the accessories and carrying case.
I still use a pair of Audeze LCD-2s and the LCD-X is a bit more resolving, yet still has that unmistakable clarity that comes with this brand. Also – they are extremely easy to drive, so whether you have an older iPad, a dCS LINA, or anything inbetween the LCD-X is a winner.
They provide a massive soundstage, delicate, defined highs, and extremely detailed bass. It’s almost like wearing a pair of Magnepans on your head! Well, that’s kinda what you are doing. This is an easy sound to get hooked on, whether you are a panel speaker fan or not.
Old School: The Focal XS Desktop system Audiophile Apartment: The SVS Ultra Evolution Tower Review: The Finale 300B EVO Integrated Amplifier Review: The Voodoo Labs Witchcraft™ cables Review: The Luxman D-07x DAC
Cover Review:
The Clarisys Auditorium Plus SpeakersMusic
MINE – It Should Be Yours:
Assorted fun things we think you’d like
Music
Playlists: We share our readers choices from around the world
New Zealand high-end audio manufacturer, JAVA Hi-Fi, is introducing six new models to its award-winning amplifier range in the coming months. Additionally, from May it will be updating its Single Shot and Double Shot LDR GaN FET integrated amplifiers with a new high-performance R2R ladder DAC.
JAVA Hi-Fi Founder and CEO Martin Bell says its CARBON edition integrated amplifiers have become the best-selling products in its line-up, even though they only launched in January 2024. The global interest from customers prompted JAVA to look at how it could apply this material to other products.
“A number of customers have asked whether we were planning to produce a CARBON version of our pre-amplifiers and power amplifiers. They spoke and we listened!”, says Bell.
Like the CARBON editions of the integrated amplifiers, the JAVA CARBON pre-amplifiers and power amplifiers feature several notable innovations that elevate the JAVA listening experience to new heights. These include:
Carbon fibre outer casework (9mm thick) for superior vibration damping and to mitigate the influence of RFI and EMI on circuitry
ETI Research Silver RCA connectors
ETI Research Kryo speaker binding posts (both models of GaN FET Power Amplifier)
Revised and upgraded circuit design on both models of the LDR Pre-Amplifier
IsoAcoustics Gaia IV feet for improved vibration isolation of circuit boards and other internal components
The new models are an extension of JAVA’s current amplifier range and will include:
JAVA CARBON Single Shot LDR Pre-Amplifier (MSRP US$8,495)
JAVA CARBON Single Shot GaN FET Power Amplifier (MSRP US$9,995)
JAVA CARBON Double Shot GaN FET Power Amplifier (MSRP US$11,995)
The CARBON editions of the pre-amplifier and power amplifier will begin shipping in June this year.
Range Expansion
Also new from JAVA Hi-Fi are several additions to its integrated amplifier range.
The JAVA Single Shot 400 doubles the power of the current Single Shot integrated amplifier from 200W/8ohms to 400W/8ohms. Meanwhile the Double Shot 200 keeps the fully-balanced configuration of the Double Shot integrated, but delivers 200W/8ohms (compared to 400W/8ohms for the existing Double Shot) at a lower price point.
Pricing for the expanded 8-strong integrated amplifier starts at US$8,995 for the JAVA Single Shot 200 and is rounded out by the flagship JAVA CARBON Double Shot 400 at US$16,995.
“These new models plug an important gap in our amplifier range and provide customers with the ultimate flexibility in terms of input options, power and price”, says Bell.
The other notable feature of the refreshed integrated amplifier range is a new high-performance R2R ladder DAC driven by its own dedicated linear power regulator.
Replacing the current Burr-Brown-based DAC, the new USB DAC features dual AD1865 chips from Analog Devices. These 18-bit non-oversampling chips can play files up to 768kHz and are renowned for their natural, organic and non-fatiguing sound. Digital glare, begone!
MSB adjustment is handled natively on the AD1865 DAC, fine-tuning the most significant bit (MSB) to improve the DAC’s linearity, particularly around the zero-crossing point. This ensures smooth transitions and allows any residual distortion error to be eliminated.The Double Shot models feature a dedicated DAC board for each channel in a fully balanced configuration to eliminate cross-talk and further improve measured performance.
The complete integrated amplifier line-up comprises:
JAVA Single Shot 200 (MSRP from US$8,995 in standard finishes)
JAVA Double Shot 200 (MSRP from US$9,995 in standard finishes)
JAVA Single Shot 400 (MSRP from US$11,995 in standard finishes)
JAVA Double Shot 400 (MSRP from US$12,995 in standard finishes)
$200 for a 200-watt per channel integrated? That you can hold in the palm of your hand? Really? And it will drive a pair of Magnepans? You bet.
I was really excited about the FX-Audio DS-07 DAC/PRE. We’ve just finished up a Distilled “first look,” and I have listened to both of these enough to give them a Product of the Year award in the upcoming issue.
The L-07 checks off more than the normal number of boxes for an entry-level component. It sounds great, looks great, and is easy to use. It’s easy to get carried away with mega-expensive gear, but what so many of us forget is that we all started our audio journey considerably further down the food chain. I know I did.
This amplifier is a model of design and engineering efficiency. It’s class-D, so the sound is more neutral than warm, but that’s a great place to start. With plenty of power to spare, you should be able to use any speakers with it and get great results – as I mentioned, it drives my Magnepan 2.7X speakers just fine. While you probably won’t pair this amp up with a $10k pair of Magnepans, you might pair it up with a nice pair of used $1,200 Magnepans and have a very musical system.
With one balanced and one unbalanced input, it’s easy to connect a phono preamplifier and your favorite DAC (or the great L-07). It also proved to be a great match for my vintage ESS AMT-1b’s out in the garage system. Bass is tight and controlled, and the highs are reasonably smooth. The amplifier also manages to throw a very wide soundstage. We’ll go into further detail and explore some more speaker combinations in the full review.
I love the L-07 because it’s a great place to start your audiophile journey on a reasonable budget. I bought the review samples to keep around as an example of what can truly be accomplished at this level. If you’re a well-heeled audiophile and want to get a friend or a friend’s kid into the game – buy them one of these, and away you go.
If you happen to be a moving coil cartridge enthusiast or are thinking about stepping up (pun intended), you’ll need a way to raise that signal to a level that your current MM stage can handle.
Inexpensive ($400 and under) cartridges usually sound dreadful, with only a few exceptions. However, there are a handful of great $300-$500 MC cartridges. Two of our favorites are the Denon DL-103R ($499) and the Ortofon Quintet Red ($399).
Another interesting option is a Step-Up Transformer (SUT), but again, good ones tend to be between $1,000 and $2,000. For these ears, the SUT option always presents a slightly softer (not that that’s a bad thing) presentation than an active gain stage because there is a lot of wire for that tiny signal to go through. Every approach has its fans.
Recently, some great trans-impedance phono stages have come to market that work in current mode instead of voltage mode. If you’re not super geeky about vinyl, what this means is the current stage frees your MC cartridge from impedance matching and associated resonance effects. The bottom line is that they sound cleaner and more alive. The bad news is that it’s usually a pretty expensive solution.
Jim Hagerman is a clever guy known for bringing high-quality, reasonably priced preamplifiers to the world of audio. He keeps costs to the bone by using simple, elegant circuits and casework to a minimum. No one will ever accuse his products of being “audio jewelry.” But we want performance. Right?
$269 gets you a current mode first stage that certainly is the equal or better of all the SUTs I’ve had the pleasure of auditioning. (But I only have so many data points, so keep an open mind)
Plug this into your MM phono preamplifier or MM phono section of your preamp/integrated and get ready for a major audio experience. The PZ is big, dynamic, and quiet. We tried this with the above-mentioned MCs and had amazing results, yet this thing is no slouch with higher-buck cartridges either, plugged into a couple of other tube MM preamplifiers, as well as some vintage gear. Or perhaps, a Hagerman MM phono stage.
Definitely a TONEAudio Exceptional Value Award Winner. You won’t be sorry.
Here’s a link to the Hagerman site, where the shopping cart is. We do not get any compensation from this. Jim is a cool guy, and deserves all the business he gets. We’re happy to pass the good word along!
We’re huge fans of Black Ravioli products; over the years, they have kept improving their process.
The latest Big Pad Plus is more efficient at isolating your components from vibrations in the environment that subtly blur the ultimate resolution of your system.
The best thing about a set of these pads is that you don’t know you need them until you have them and take them away. After putting them under about a dozen components in various sizes and levels of performance, they tend to do even more for tube components than solid-solid state. But we still suggest trying a pair under your favorite solid-state component. They also make a nice change for the better under a solid plinth turntable.
However, even placing a set under a used Dynaco PAS-3 significantly improves image focus and lowers the noise floor. Ditto for the PrimaLuna ProLogue ONE and EVO 100 integrated amplifiers.
BR suggests using the pads “pin up,” but our limited experience suggests they work better with components pin up and turntables pin down. Again, try both ways to see what delivers the best result in your system. We also noticed that they offer immediate improvement but improve further after settling in for a day or so. Try your favorite track or two upon installation, 12, 24, and 48 hours later, and see what you think. Do the same thing if you reverse them. A more detailed analysis is coming soon, but we suggest you try a set.
What we’ve got here is a very cool, very compact DAC and Preamplifier that is only about 5 inches tall, 3 inches wide, and 7 inches deep. (125mm x 80mm x 176mm to be exact)
What is so exciting about this mighty little DAC is the performance it delivers for such an approachable cost. Can it deliver 98% of the sound that my dCS Vivaldi does? Of course not, but that’s not the point. What it does offer is an incredible taste of true high-end sound for $199.
Why is that so awesome? Because for $199, you can get in the game. That’s exciting. If you’re new to hifi, you’re probably on a limited budget, and the more sound you can get for your budget, the more you will enjoy your music. Add the FX-Audio L07 amplifier (same price) and a pair of speakers, and you can be rocking for under $1,000 all in. Stream your tunes from your computer or laptop via the built-in USB.
The DS-07 decodes PCM files up to 24/768 and DSD up to DSD512 via the USB input. The coaxial and optical inputs, up to 192kHZ and DSD 64, are still very impressive. It even decodes MQA. The heart of this DAC is an ESS 9068AS chipset, and the analog stage features RCA and XLR outputs.
Overall, sound quality is excellent and on par with a handful of other budget DACs we have here that cost more. Plus, that optical input is a great upgrade for that old CD player you’ve got hanging around. Using it in our garage system with a vintage Sony ES player was a real ear-opener!
We’ve got a full review on the horizon. The DS-07 and the L07 have received Product of the Year awards in the upcoming TONE issue because they deliver so much value. To put this in perspective, back in 1980, when I was finishing college, a Pioneer SX424 was $199. $199 in 2025 dollars is about $43 in 1980. Let that sink in for a minute.
They only come in black. And I’m guessing that’s a part of how Dynaudio can offer this much speaker for this price – they don’t have to build four color combinations. Utilizing the same Esotar 3 tweeter as the $13k/pair Confidence 20 that is a personal favorite and a personal reference here at TONE, the Contour 20 has a similar but unique (to this model) 7-inch woofer.
Playing material with limited bass extension, it might be tough to tell the two apart at first listen, but the more expensive Confidence 20 plays louder, deeper, and with more authority. Let’s suffice it to say that Dynaudio has given you as much of the Confidence 20 in a similarly styled (but lighter) cabinet as they can at this price. Dynaudio’s top qualities: ease and smoothness, while retaining a high level of resolution – combined with the ability to create an enormous soundstage are all intact here. Also worth noting, these speakers are designed and built in Denmark.
As with every Dynaudio monitor we’ve reviewed, we suggest adding their stands to the package. They are custom-fit to the speakers, easily filled with sand or your favorite media to increase mass (suggested), and they look great. Why dilute that Danish style with something else?
The Contour 20s have only been here for a few days, but playing 24/7 to get hours on the clock reveals a highly musical character that should be ideally suited to small to medium-sized rooms. Do you need a subwoofer? That depends on the size of your room, how much drive your amplifier has, and how loud you need to listen. Though the sensitivity spec (86dB/1-watt) might have you guessing these require big power – it’s all about quality. With excellent results, they have already been used with a few integrated amplifiers in the 30wpc to 80wpc range.
We’ll have a full review shortly, but the initial take is highly recommended.
$8,000/pair Stand 20 stands/ adapter plate $599/pair (optional)
These are our picks in the last 14 months or so for our favorite products to go in smaller environments where space is at a premium, and an extra splash of style is a bonus. A few of these products’ full reviews will be posted in the next couple of weeks, but we wanted to get this out there to start the year on a positive. Stop by the TONE Facebook page (or email) and let us know what you think.
Nothing is better for the smallest of spaces than no components at all – just a pair of powered speakers. And Dynaudio’s Focus 10s (the smallest of the Focus series) not only fit anywhere, they deliver top quality sound. This is the sound you’d expect from separate components, and you could easily spend what a pair of Focus 10s will set you back on cables for an amp, preamp, and streaming DAC. They are available in the walnut you see here, black, and (our favorite) white. Bonus features include a subwoofer output, and inputs for an analog source as well as HDMI. In addition to the built in DSP to optimize for your room size and speaker placement, these will also work with a DIRAC subscription for the ultimate in room optimization. https://dynaudio.com/home-audio/focus/focus-10
Vera-Fi Audio Caldera 10 and 12 subwoofers $199, and $399
Speaking of subwoofers, if you need more bass in your limited space – and you’re on somewhat of a limited budget, these Vera-Fi subs both deliver top in class performance. Both are robustly constructed, with top quality drivers. The 10 delivers 200 watts, while the 12 offers up 500 watts. And they both feature Class AB linear amplifiers, with adjustments for phase, output level and crossover. https://verafiaudiollc.com/products/vanguard-caldera-10-active-subwoofer
Rega Planar 2 with ND3 cartridge $795
There may be a few P2’s left out there bundled with Rega’s Carbon cartridge, but for $25 more, you can have the ND3 MM cart, featuring a Neodymium magnet structure. Trust us, it’s WAY better and more involving. And just when you thought Rega couldn’t make the P2 any better. This is the perfect place to begin your vinyl journey – and it comes in a few more colors too. https://www.rega.co.uk/products/planar-2
HIFI Rose RS 520 Integrated Amplifier $3,695
We love integrateds, and the HiFi Rose RS 520 does nearly everything. With a built in streamer, DAC, 200 watt per channel power amplifier, and an internal bay for NAS storage, what else could you ask for? Well, it’s got an analog input to connect a turntable, and a parametric EQ. Awesome. In addition to native support for every digital file going (and it’s a ROON endpoint) the RS 520 also works as a 4k video streamer. Looks great, sounds great, and thanks to that big 12.6″ touch panel display is incredibly easy to use. Just add your favorite speakers. https://hifirose.com/RS520
EPOS ES-7N speakers $2,195/pr. (stands extra)
Speaking of great small speakers – the EPOS ES-7Ns come from the team of Karl-Heinz Fink, the man who designed the Fink team Kim and Borg. Both award winners at TONEAudio and outstanding speakers. The ES-7Ns show what can be accomplished with careful attention to details and construction – resulting in an incredibly high-quality speaker that doesn’t take up much space. Or do too much damage to your credit card balance. Plus, our publisher always has a soft spot for anything orange. https://epos-loudspeakers.com/products/es-7n/
Totem Kin One Speakers $595/pr. (stands extra)
We are huge fans of the powered Kin Play speakers from Totem, and this year they’ve made a smaller, unpowered version for those wanting to use their own amplification. As you can see by the bold color choices, these tiny 4-inch, two way speakers are all business – using the same tech as Totem’s flagship speakers. They may be small, but there are no compromises in their performance. (and free shipping!) https://kinbytotem.com/
Naim Uniti NOVA PE $9,995
Naim’s Uniti series just keeps getting more diverse as the years go by. Twice the footprint of the smaller Uniti models, the PE (Power Edition) serves up 250 watts per channel with Naim’s latest class D amplification along with your favorite digital files. Every aspect of the NOVA PE bears the influence of Naim’s top of the line Statement components, from the display to the industry’s most sumptuous volume control. Not to mention the cool factor when you turn it on. Of course, it’s a perfect match for a pair of Focal speakers (we’d suggest a pair of Sopra 3s) but it plays well with anything you care to connect it up to. And there are four analog inputs (two 5-pin DIN and two RCA) so you can add any other sources you might have in mind. https://www.naimaudio.com/products/nova-power-edition
Audio Art Copper Cryo Interconnects and Speaker cables $500/1M Pair (IC) $600/8ft Pair (speaker)
We crossed paths with Audio Art Cables back in the first year of TONE’s existence, and proclaimed their original interconnects and speaker cables Exceptional Value Awards immediately. They’ve grown tremendously over the years, building their reputation on amazing performance, top value, and excellent customer service as well. We are very happy to say that their AAC Copper Cryo cables are an even better value – delivering high performance wire at a very realistic price point. https://audioartcable.com/
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower $1,499.99 (each)
We have always been fans of SVS, but their latest crop of Ultra Evolution speakers make this company a serious competitor for some major audiophile brands that charge considerably more for less. Add a level of customer service that is way better than you get from the Porsche dealer, and it all adds up to a winning combination. Highly recommended as a fantastic anchor to your system. And if you need more bass, you can step up to one of the bigger models, or get a sub. (or two) You know where to go for that, right? https://www.svsound.com/products/ultra-evolution-tower
Think about cables for a few minutes. Then think about having only a pair of power cords in your system. If you’re in a small space, less is usually more, so this is not a bad thing for you.
The Dynaudio Focus 10 speakers only need a pair of power cords. You can link the two speakers together to get slightly higher performance from the high resolution digital input if you’d like, and you can add a turntable to the analog input. However, if you only want to stream digital files up to 24/96 resolution, two power cords is all you need. Nice.
Fortunately, these compact (7 1/8″ W x 12 3/8″ H x 10 1/4″ D) speakers, weighing 16 1/2 pounds each will fit nearly anywhere.
They also come with a built-in wireless (or wired) streaming DAC that is also a ROON – approved endpoint. This makes them the perfect powered music system. A subwoofer out jack is also included to use them with a sub to make a formidable 2.1 system. Even without a sub, Dynaudio’s built-in DSP delivers solid bass down to about 40hZ, and if you take advantage of DIRAC room correction, a little lower at moderate volume levels. These do not disappoint in any way – though we really like them with a sub. While we used them with a REL sub, Dynaudio makes their own subs that will be a perfect match with the Focus 10s.
In our 13 x 18 foot listening room, the combination of the Focus 10s with a (white, of course) REL S/510 subwoofer, we were able to play our favorite hip-hop, and electronica tracks louder than you probably need to listen to them without fatigue.
Thanks to Dynaudio’s expertise in the powered studio monitor world, the Focus 10s deliver a huge soundstage in a moderate sized room that will have you swearing you’re listening to a big pair of floorstanders. Considering we used the massive, 7-foot tall Dynaudio Evidence Platinum speakers as our reference for a couple of years, we say with confidence that the Focus 10s play BIG.
If you’d like a high-performance system with a minimal box count, consider the Sim Audio 390.
It’s a line preamplifier, streaming DAC, headphone amplifier and MM/MC phono preamplifier. It even has Bluetooth and HDMI inputs. Sim gear is as bulletproof as it comes. Having visited their factory twice now, the service department was not busy at all – so that’s a great sign.
Here at TONE, we’ve used a number of Sim pieces as reference components and always give them a thumb up when friends and readers ask the inevitable question.
Thanks to balanced and RCA outputs, you can combine the 390 with anyone’s power amplifier. All those digital inputs mean you can plug anything in to the 390 too. It’s ROON ready, should you need that functionality, and the headphone amplifier section is very good.
Overall, the sound quality is dynamic, neutral, and very quiet. We paired our review sample up (when we had one of these in house) with a number of different amplifiers from other manufactures’ with excellent result. Personally, I love this pre with a great tube amp, but that’s me. The phono stage works as well as anything you’d get in a $1,000 external box, and when you consider you are getting four components on one chassis that all work great together, you just saved a tidy sum not buying three more sets of interconnects and power cords.
For what it’s worth, when we did test the 390 at TONE, we were able to run a 25 foot pair of balanced interconnects with no problem, so if you wanted to place your 390 (and maybe a turntable) one place in your living/listening room, and a power amplifier down near the speakers, it’s no problem at all.
The MC275 from McIntosh is not only one of the all time classics, when it comes to vacuum tube amplifiers, it is quite possibly one of (if not the best) of their tube amps, in terms of value, sonics, and build quality.
This amplifier on so many levels is a king, because while it is not the very last word in dynamics or extension, it’s so darn good everywhere it’s impossible to fault. The 275 can also be bridged to become a 150 watt monoblock, adding to its versatility. The early versions of this amplifier had crazy barrier terminals for your speakers, inline level controls and RCA jacks only. Forget one of those unless you just want a museum piece.
A current model like this is definitely the droid you want. Thanks to a fixed bias setup, the four KT88 tubes will never need adjustment, and while rated at 75 watts per channel, I’ve never read a review with measurements where this amplifier didn’t produce 90-95 per. Best of all, Mac tube amps are always easy on tubes, so you won’t be changing them often. There is a tube cage, should you need to protect kids, dogs, and cats, but if you can get away without it, bask in the tube glow!
One thing that will be a love or hate, is the way the tubes glow green from underneath, thanks to LEDs. Think stanced Hondas drifting around in a parking lot glow. Fortunately, if you’d like your MC275 to be OG and just see the tube filaments, you can switch the LEDs off.
This amplifier has an ease about it, that few other tube power amplifiers do, and regardless of speakers chosen, the dedication to a natural, slightly on the warm side overall sound shows you why so many people all over the world love the MC275.
Build quality is top shelf, and McIntosh still winds their transformers in-house, in the Binghamton, NY facilities. By the same experts that have been doing it for decades. Another part of Mc that makes these amps so desireable.
TMR has two of these in stock right now, and this is a killer price. You’ll want to keep it forever.
Phil Sklar, Co-Founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum has just let me know that tomorrow, January 7, is National Bobblehead Day.
Located in my home town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, they’ve introduced three new Margaritaville Bobbleheads: The Parrot, Shark and LIzard.
Feel free to click on this link to visit their shop!
With just over three months to go, I’ve been asked to give an hour talk about vintage audio at this years Axpona.
I’ll be talking about your vintage journey, what to expect if you’re new to all this, repair issues, and whatever else comes to mind. I look forward to seeing you there – it will be on Saturday, April 12.
Visiting Echo Audio in Portland, Oregon always turns up something intriguing from my audio journey, and this day would be no different. Lurking in the back room was a pair of Magnepan MGII speakers that a customer had recently traded in. As Philip J. Fry in Futurama says, “take my money.” But I was a day too late, they had already been snagged by another customer.
Back in the early 80s when selling JBL L-100s (the originals) was a big part of my day job, and a pair of ESS AMT-1 Towers were my reference speakers, these big panels from a relatively new company in Minnesota redefined my perspective on what a speaker was capable of. Little did I know at the time that those Heil AMT tweeters I was digging would prepare me for what was to come.
Back in Milwaukee, Wisconsin my local high-end dealer, Audio Emporium was an amazing place just to hang out and take in all the latest and greatest things at a time that the industry was growing at a rapid pace. At one end of their main listening room was a pair of three panel speakers that looked like a Herman Miller room divider – the mighty Tympani. I’m pretty sure these were $1,995 a pair and were being driven by a big Threshold amplifier, either the 400A or the 4000A.
The sound was breathtaking and huge. I made the salesman, Jonathan Spelt (now co-owner of Ultra Fidelis in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) play “Pimp” by The Tubes from their recently released Young and Rich album. Classical music was playing earlier, so Spelt rolled his eyes at my taste in music. (as he often did back then)
While a $1,995 pair of speakers was out of reach that day, a customer had just traded in his MGIIs in for a pair of Tympanis, and they had a three- or four-hundred-dollar price tag affixed. Perfect. I honestly don’t remember how I got those nearly six-foot-tall speakers home, but I was excited. Unfortunately, at home they did not sound as breathtaking through my Nakamichi 600 series components as they did at AE. This would result in many more trips to AE and a radical shift in my personal priorities – but that’s another story for another day.
Today’s Magnepans
Forty-five years later, Magnepans are still built in Minnesota, not too far away from Audio Research, and they are still the champions of high-end audio value. Their basic look has been subtly refined, but much has gone on underneath the grille cloth.
Where an electrostatic speaker (think MartinLogan or Quad) uses a thin membrane coated with a conductive material, suspended between two charged panels (a grid in the Quads and the perforated metal in the ML) moving back and forth to push air, the Magnepans use a membrane bonded with a foil very similar to that in a ribbon driver, pushed and pulled by a fixed traditional magnet. Magenpan refers to this as a “quasi-ribbon design.” The 2.7x uses a quasi-ribbon woofer and midrange, mated to a 40-inch-tall ribbon tweeter, going nearly the full height of the 2.7.
The original Magnepan speakers had wires embedded into the membrane, which produced a slower sound than current Magnepans, and were prone to separation if owners placed them too close to windows with direct sunlight. A testament to Magnepans longevity and customer service, you can still get most vintage Magnepan speakers repaired and brought back to spec. In a world of new speaker companies emerging that merely source box, crossover and components from a Chinese factory, this is value few companies of any kind provide today. It’s another reason that Magnepans are a long-term purchase for so many music lovers. I’ve met a lot of audio enthusiasts over the years that started out with their Dad’s Magnepans.
Auto enthusiasts often quip, “there’s no replacement for displacement.” I’ve always felt the same way with panel speakers – the more panel area, the more lifelike they sound. That’s not quite as cool, is it? Exciting and dynamic as ribbon tweeters sound, they often come across as directional because they just don’t have the surface area that the Magnepan tweeter has.
Setup
If you are someone that does not read manuals or quick start guides, listen up:
When unpacking your Magnepans, you will notice a thin metal strip covering the ribbon tweeter on the rear side. Remove this extremely slowly with extreme care. Otherwise the pressure will destroy the ribbon tweeter element! (And I’m guessing this isn’t covered by warranty.). You’ve been warned.
Magnepan says to face the tweeters to the inside of the setup; moving them to the outside edges will make the stereo image more diffuse. This has always been my experience with the speakers as well. Much like other speakers, they suggest forming an equilateral triangle with your listening position, and more than three feet from the back wall.
In most rooms you will get a wider, more open sound stage if you can take advantage of the large wall. Once they start getting closer together, they start to sound like a big mono speaker, losing their ability to image as well. The triangle is a great place to start but optimizing the rear wall placement for the best balance of bass reinforcement with bass to midrange smoothness first and then moving them wider apart until the image just falls apart will make for the maximum stereo image. Having mine on a 24 foot wall allowed for a slightly wider setup, because the side walls were still not coming into play.
Magnepan claims response from 40-30kHz =/- 3db, and while we don’t do formal measurements, listening to a series of test tones sweeping down from 100 to 30 Hz, 10 Hz at a time the 50Hz tone is solid, the 40 tapers off a bit, and by 30Hz, no meaningful output.
There are jumpers between the woofers and midrange drivers, as well as the midrange and tweeter, so that they can be wired with single conductor speaker cables, but you will need bananas, (or adaptors) and they will have to be relatively small. The jacks that are used to plug the speakers in use a small set screw, so use the supplied hex wrench to screw them all the way out and insert the bananas with extreme care. Do not wiggle them side to side, or you may damage the circuit board they are attached to.
Amplifier choices
The 2.7x has a claimed sensitivity of 86dB/1-watt, so they are moderately inefficient. However, unlike some of the early Magnepan ribbon and quasi-ribbon designs, these speakers are very easy to drive. Great results are achieved with any fairly robust amplifier, tube or solid-state with about 80 watts per channel or more. Listening began with the BAT VK80i power amplifier which delivers about 75 watts per channel, but has speaker taps to accommodate lower impedance speakers. The PrimaLuna EVO 400 monos with KT150s deliver close to 200 watts per channel, and their ever so slight warmth in the mid bass region really suits the Magnepans well.
With three versions of Pass Labs amplifiers on hand (the XA60.8 monos, the XA200.8 monos, and the X600.8 monos) all provide excellent but different results. The XA amplifiers are full class A designs and sound more like tubes, where the X-series amplifier runs class A for about the first 50 watts, and AB for the rest. Personal preference, I’d probably choose the AB amp and give up a little warmth for the extra snap the AB amplifier provides.
Fantastic results was also achieved with the CH Precision i1 integrated, and the Java Hifi Double Shot Class D power amplifier (400 wpc) This too was a snappy, dynamic choice. Where I was Class D adverse for years, these amplifiers with their large power reserves really make the Magnepans come alive in a way they do not with lower powered amplifiers.
As always, experiment!
Listening
For old times’ sake, critical listening had to begin with The Tubes. Aural memory is often considered fleeting, yet when you’ve listened to several components from a manufacturer over decades, a generational memory evolves. And, it wasn’t that long ago I had a pair of Tympanis. (Purchased from Echo, of course)
The original Magnepans because of higher mass drivers, are not as agile with fast transients as the current models. Yet, when they were introduced, were lightning fast compared to cone and box designs of the time. The lightness of the quasi-ribbon driver removes the mid-bass flatness that Magnepans used to have. Listening to kick drums, and various other instruments reveals a very lifelike rendition, and the blend with the full ribbon tweeter is a lovely match indeed.
The signature Magnepan sonic size is still there in abundance, providing room filling sound, and while box and cone speakers have improved tremendously, there’s still something incredible about the sound field that a big panel can create in a room.
Moving along to more favorite tracks, weighing heavily on layered vocals, acoustic instruments, and smaller scale classical music plays to the spacious strength of the 2.7x. Listen to Joni Mitchell or CSN and you might never need to hear a mini monitor again. That sheer sonic size is captivating.
The current Magnepans go deeper with more clarity than past models as well. These still aren’t speakers you’re going to play Cardi B on at club level, but I did listen to a lot of Lenny Kravitz without an issue. Good as todays speaker manufacturers have become at eliminating cabinet-related effects, no cabinet at all is a unique experience.
More tech
While I haven’t heard the stock 2.7i ($6,000/pair) I have spent plenty of time with the 1.7 and it’s not as much about one particular virtue, the x delivers clarity, resolution, and tonal accuracy that the I does not. Is it worth another $4,000? I think it does. Some might ask the question “why not just eliminate the I,” and leave crazed audiophiles with only one choice?
To Magnepan’s credit, I feel leaving both models makes it a lot easier to approach their products. You may just not have ten grand for speakers right now. Being able to get into the i model and get started, leaves you an upgrade path, buying into the form factor you want right now.
Because the 2.7s are only about 50 pounds each, when you want to upgrade to the x model, (which is a straight $4,000 upgrade) you’re only out the cost of shipping them back to the factory. If by some chance you’ve managed to pick up a used pair, the x model becomes an even better value proposition.
As with every other panel speaker I’ve owned, which model to pick is usually more about room size. The more volume your room has, the more panel area you’ll need to fill it. This is why you might prefer a 2.7 to one of the larger or smaller models. That said, the 2.7s do a very good job creating a large three-dimensional image in my 24 x 36-foot room. They seemed slightly constricted in my 13 x 18-foot living room – I remember having excellent luck with the 1.7s in that room.
The magic of the x model is the attention paid to the upgrades over the i model. Enthusiasts have been making their own modifications to their Magnepans for years, installing better crossover components (resistors, capacitors, inductors, and wire) that hasn’t been sanctioned by the factory. Just as Mercedes-Benz eventually bought AMG and made their tweeks factory standard models (with full warranty) the x model Magnepans have this level of attention to parts quality, component matching, and assembly detail to bear. I know what I’d rather have.
This proves a couple of things – we were on to something all along, and the robustness of the actual Magneplanar driver is over engineered and capable of much more performance that what is delivered in stock form. Either way you win.
I have only two minor complaints with the 2.7x, and they may not be practical to address. I’d love to see these speakers with much better binding posts. They still use the same tiny binding posts the originals did, and cables have become bigger and heavier. I’d love to see more robust legs, even if it meant an additional upcharge. Should I end up purchasing the review pair, I may just get one of my car buddies to fire up the tig-welder and build some stronger stands that can be filled.
Equally important, one aspect of Magnepan design that they have improved dramatically is the stiffness of the speakers’ frame. If you owned earlier models, you know they were a little bit floppy, and this contributed to a slight loss in imaging specificity. There have been a few aftermarket solutions, but all unattractive. The new speakers have a simple elegance about them and Magnepan offers about 16 different frame/grille cloth combinations.
More listening
Going through a wide range of musical styles, the 2.7x plays a lot more music in a much more immersive way than past models, though they still have a few minor shortcomings. This still isn’t a speaker that you can play Tool, Slayer, Zeppelin, or other really heavy rock tracks at moderately high to really high levels, as you can with a cone speaker. Adding a high quality subwoofer will bridge that gap somewhat, and we will address the match up of the 2.7x with a pair of REL Classic 99s in another article. However, I’m guessing that if Tool and Slayer are a major staple in your musical diet, you’re not a panel speaker person to begin with. And remember there are a ton of small monitor speakers that can’t do this either, no disrespect to the Magnepans.
I only present this caveat to the uninitiated. At the end of the day, you still owe it to hear a pair of these, and decide for yourself. I suspect those with a wide range of musical taste will find the strengths of the 2.7x will far outweigh their few weaknesses.
The only other one is the speakers needing to get up above whisper level to come alive. And again, this is something nearly all panel speakers need to do, so they can move a bit more air. That big, planar surface isn’t moving a lot, so it has to get going!
Listening to a wide range of David Bowie’s late 70s/early 80s work is a joy. The discordant piano in “Aladdin Sane” delivers goosebumps, and “Scary Monsters” serves up an exciting level of pace. Closing it up with the three King Crimson records from that period, Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair take advantage of KC’s dense sonics but could use a touch more down deep. Switching program material for the etherial vocals of Kim Deal’s latest release, Nobody Loves You More, brings me right back into the rapture zone.
In the end
Keep the Magnepan 2.7x speakers operating in their optimum zone with music that plays to their strengths delivers an experience few speakers can match. There’s a truth in the mid 85% of the musical spectrum that is hard to ignore. Where similarly priced MartinLogans will play louder and go deeper (because they are a hybrid design with a DSP crossover and two active woofers) but that’s not really an apples to apples comparison, just as comparing an older Porsche Boxster with a six-cylinder normally aspirated engine to the current model with a higher-torque, four cylinder turbo model. They are still the same car from the same company, but the way they deliver the experience is very different – though each will be highly satisfying to a certain customer.
And if they are, you’ll probably never have another speaker. These are by far an exceptional value, though we are actually awarding these speakers one of our Masterpiece Awards at the end of the year. This award (and we only hand out two or three per year) is reserved for companies that make incredible products – delivering performance, value, and customer support, but have provided this for decades.
I can’t think of a company and product more deserving.
And on that tip, Dave Holmes is still selling Magnepans to happy customers. You can visit his site here:
Further exploration… By Chris Harr and Jeff Dorgay
One of the most over used cliches in the world of audio writing is that a cable delivers a “component level” upgrade. However, after Chris spending a ton of time with these evaluating and comparing – and me just stepping in at the last minute for a victory lap, I must say the Voodoo Labs Carbon Age Standard interconnects at $8,200 for a .8m pair are definitely at the top of what I’d pay for a set of cables, but to be very fair to Jan Geschke, the owner and designer of Voodoo Labs, worth the investment if you have a system that warrants it.
The grouchy ones in the crowd are going to freak out at this, however in perspective there are far more expensive cables than this offering far less improvement in system performance. A good comparison would be the jump in performance you hear from a mid-level Clearaudio MC cartridge to the Goldfinger.
Chris has a fantastic system, anchored by a pair of Focal Scala Utopia EVO speakers (with a REL Carbon Special sub), powered by the latest Mola Mola Perca power amplifier, and Audio Research LS-28SE linestage. Analog duties are handled by the Mola Mola Lupe phono stage, driven by the AVID Acutus table with a Kuzma 4-point tonearm and the Hana Umami Blue cartridge. Digital duties are handled by the dCS Vivaldi One.
Define better
What we look for in any component, especially a cable, is something that reveals more music in every way without merely being a tone control. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but in this instance especially – the increased ease and ability of the system from changing two sets of interconnects was not one of those moments where we sat straining to hear a maybe difference. This was a dramatic difference – all for the better.
Just as we were skeptical of VL’s unusual Gauss Magnesium Alloy cable lifters, (as we are with all of these types of system tweaks) we came away positively surprised and our independent observations were consistent. While we are focusing primarily on the two pairs of interconnects, the Voodoo Labs wine crate (made of made from NIMP 15 certified pine wood from sustainable forestation, by the Bordeaux casemaker working for Chateau Petrus.) also included a 2m pair of their VL Witchcraft speaker cable.
It always helps tremendously when one person can switch cables while the other can listen, and here, Chris gets the credit for doing all the legwork. This time we started in the opposite direction; I had spent about an hour listening to various favorite tracks I’m familiar with and then the cables were switched back.
Major clarity
As Chris listens to more Techno/Electronica than I do, he noticed the immediate increase in energy in the lower bass region, especially after downsizing slightly from a pair of REL Carbon Specials to one. I was working late and getting a lot of late night texts on his listening impressions. And after hearing them myself, I concur with all of his conclusions.
When tracking through some choice Thomas Dolby cuts, the snappiness and weight of his synth-bass lines are heaver, faster, and more well defined tonally. Chris notices the same thing with Massive Attack’s Heligoland, finding the lower octaves much more tactile, instead of feeling like one note bass.
Yet the increase in resolution is everywhere. We both notice the way the MA vocalists’ voices are present and three-dimensional, providing a realistic recreation in between the Focals. That sounstage size is everywhere, with synthesizer effects in “Flat of the Blade” sometimes appearing straight up and nine and three o’clock, while others feeling in front and behind the listening position. My fall back position of Aimee Mann’s Lost in Space offers a similar level of dimensionality, in ways I haven’t heard to that extent.
We both concur that this is an intoxicating experience, both with audiophile pressings and music we love that is not necessarily one-step material. Tracks like “Your Mine” from Portishead, and “Mary, Mary” both from RUN-DMC and The Monkees are less sibilant and more tolerant, without being muted or rolled off. Chris winds the listening sessions up by saying, “these cables provide a pleasing tonal balance, tonal density without bloat, air without blur or brightness and resolution without sounding dry.” What could I possibly add to that?
We’ll talk about the speaker cables in another review, but suffice to say they offer tremendous improvement as well – however not quite as dramatically as the interconnects.
The secret
The secret to these cables is their use of carbon nanotubes to pass the signal. There is no metal in the signal path, save the connectors. Mr. Geschke has obtained a German patent for his technology, so this isn’t a random attempt to merely extract money from our audience.
Cables at this price will not make sense for everyone’s system, just as a pair of the latest carbon fiber wheels and Michelin Cup Sport 2R tires make sense for everyone’s car. But if you have a highly resolving system, or a Porsche GT3RS, these are essentials to extracting the maximum performance.
The Carbon Age cables do just that, they extract maximum performance from your components without any penalty. And they don’t wear out in a couple thousand miles like a $3,000 set of Cup Sport 2R tires! Highly recommended.
You might think that hyperbole, but MoFi’s Master Phono is aptly named. It features two voltage gain inputs (what every other phono stage has) and a current gain input. These have recently become the rage, and also some of the most expensive phono stages going, from companies like CH Precision and a few others.
The crack design team at MoFi Electronics, headed by Peter Madnick (a man behind many of audio’s best designs) delivers a $5,995 phono stage that goes head to head with others costing 2-4 times as much. Sonically, this solid-state design is dead quiet, super dynamic, and very musical; painting an enormous sonic landscape in all three dimensions.
It offers incredible flexibility, with a wide range of gain and loading options, balanced and RCA inputs (and outputs) and looks awesome. The aesthetic is a perfect blend of current and classic audio design. The power switch has a 70s Yamaha feel, while the switches and knobs feel almost like vintage Levinson, and those incredibly cool meters look they were raided from the parts bin at Revox, wrapping it up with wood side panels. GORGEOUS and tasteful. This is a piece of gear you’ll want to show off.
And best of all, you can connect three turntables. Again, something you usually can’t have until you spend a lot more money. The Master Phono is truly a top phono preamplifier for the analog lover wanting more than one turntable in their system. There’s nothing we’ve seen yet that comes close to offering the combination of value, build quality, sonic performance and total versatility at anywhere near this price.
This one is way overdue… I’ve had the Lina from dCS for a long time. Long enough that I bought the review sample, yet it’s been a lot of exploration and comparisons.
If you are into premium headphone amplifiers, you’ve no doubt heard of the Lina by now. It’s a three piece, modular setup to be used as a headphone amplifier, with it’s own DAC and word clock. You can purchase the stack for $31,150 or the individual components. The Amp is $9,750, the DAC $13,650 and the Master Clock $7,750.
As strictly a headphone amplifier, with its own dedicated DAC, this is probably a bit on the spendy side, but when you consider what a Warwick Aperio system costs ($40,000) and good as it is, you can only use it with their headphones, the dCS doesn’t stack up so badly after all. And this is nowhere near close to what the big Sennheiser system is – nearly $100k these days.
The sound is pure dCS, neutral, dynamic and resolving.
The headphone amplifier will drive anything you’ve got to plug in, and is on par if not more revealing than a handful of other premium headphone amplifiers we’ve tried. The DAC and clock remind me a lot sonically of what was going on with my past Bartok, though the clock takes things to another level.
It also is capable of playing every streaming source possible (including MQA), with a plethora of digital inputs as well as an Ethernet input so it can be a streamer as well.
The big choices are would you like yours modular or all at once, or do you prefer black or silver?
When the Lina first arrived, it was only available with fixed outputs, but now that has changed to allow the Lina stack to have a variable output, so it can drive a power amplifier directly. And thanks to a single analog input, you can plug a phono stage in. This is the true value proposition here. We’ve used the Lina now with a number of great power amplifiers, tube and solid-state with excellent result.
So while nearly thirty two thousand dollars is a lot for a three box headphone player, it is not insane money for a premium DAC/Streamer, headphone amplifier and linestage. Especially if you purchase the headphone amp and DAC first, adding the clock later. But once you hear the Lina clock, you are going to want it, because the level of coherence it adds to the presentation can’t be ignored.
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