TONEAudio MAGAZINE The Concierge of High End Audio

AVSF is proud to present a Very Special evening on Monday November 19th 7-9pm in cooperation with Capital Records.

This event will focus on the release of The Beatles acclaimed original studio album remasters on long-awaited stereo vinyl. We will have a Jeff Magid from Capital Records here to talk about the production of the records. We will feature 2 all British HiFi systems (one entry & one hi-end) featuring Naim Electronics, Rega Turntables and KEF Loudspeakers. Check out http://www.thebeatles.com/#/news/Vinyl/” for the details on the release!! Also if you purchase the vinyl from us you will receive a FREE very special limited edition T-shirt. Please RSVP @ info@audiovisionsf.com

AudioVision S.F.
1603 Pine St.
S.F.,Ca. 94109
415-614-1118

Listening to Serge Gainsbourg’s low drawl, mixed with groovy, early 70’s melodies and sparse instrumentation reminiscent of a beat movie, it dawns on me that even though I don’t speak a word of French, I don’t care because the Bryston BP 1.5 phono stage is really drawing me into this vintage recording.

Its low, low, noise floor adds to the splendor of this record, barely getting above a whisper.  Surface noise would be a bad thing right about now, but the BP 1.5 is CD dead quiet, combined with the AVID Volvere SP turntable, SME V tonearm and Ortofon Cadenza Bronze MC cartridge.

The BP1.5 isn’t an inexpensive phonostage.  MSRP is $3,195 without power supply.  Bryston loyalists already in possession of a BP series linestage, need just plug in – the MPS-2 has more than enough juice to cover both components.  If you fall into this category, the BP1.5 is an outright bargain.  Everyone else will need to add the MPS-2 for another $1,695. Thanks to Bryston’s 20-year warranty, this is a product that you can buy with confidence.  While this does sound impressive, they wouldn’t offer it if their stuff spent a lot of time in the shop with the hood up.  I don’t think I’ve ever met an unhappy Bryston owner.

Getting down to business

A matched pair of AVID turntables simplifies the task of comparing analog components, and it takes aural memory out of the equation.  Switching back to the Monk – Audio phonostage that I’ve been using in room two was a revelation. Even with a pair of modestly priced Dynavector 20X2L cartridges, the increase in weight and dynamics the Bryston offers is staggering – so much so, that I had to turn the REL G2 subwoofer down three clicks.  But then I’m a sucker for any phonostage that has a huge power supply.

A quick comparison between the BP1.5 and a few other phonostages, both more and less expensive establishes that the Bryston is properly priced. Returning to the AVID/SME/Ortofon combination for the remainder of the evaluation is an excellent combination.  The BP1.5 has a single RCA input and output.  The front panel has an on off switch with an LED that turns from red to green when the unit is fully powered. I suggest leaving it on all the time for the most musical results. (As I would with any solid state phonostage) While the BP1.5 only requires a few days to stabilize and does not change tonal character after about 50 hours, there is a definite fog in the presentation when first turned on, as with all solid-state gear.  It sounds much more lifelike after being powered up for a day or two.

A quick taste of Led Zeppelin II, reveals plenty of sock in John Bonham’s bass drums, and the level of texture present in his bongo playing during the drum solo in “Ramble On” is phenomenal.  The precise attack and decay goes a long way towards painting a highly realistic musical picture.  As the album slows down for “Bring it on Home,” the harmonica just fades gently, slowly into nothingness with a smoothness that’s tough to come by in the digital world without spending a lot more of your hard earned paycheck.

Aimee Mann’s Lost In Space has become somewhat of a workhorse around here because it has such a big soundfield, along with a myriad of small, electronic sounds and texture that make it easy to get a quick read on the spaciousness present in any analog component.  The BP1.5 does not disappoint, portraying things flying all over the room, yet Mann’s voice stays anchored just slightly left of center.

Stays locked in place

The BP 1.5 delivers rock solid musical pace. The more dense the recording, the more you will be impressed with it.  Tears For Fears recent MoFi remaster of Songs of Love again illustrates how well the BP 1.5 not only maintains clarity throughout the album, keeping the multiple layers of lead and backing vocals distinct, it stays  tonally neutral and does not embellish.  The BP1.5 will not help the records in your collection that sound awful, but it will take the well recorded ones into new territory.  It strikes a perfect balance in the tonality department, being neither thin nor overly forward.  Yet you will never mistake this one for having valves under the hood.

You might suspect that a phonostage with a larger power supply than the main chassis would have excellent dynamic range, lower bass slam and control.  The BP1.5 meets all these requirements, and if there is one strength standing out from a very balanced performance, it is the BP1.5’s LF weight and No matter what the program source, I was always impressed with how much energy was now coming through down deep.  The Dynaudio Confidence C1s used in my reference system gained more authority than I’m used to with the Bryston BP1.5 in the reproduction chain, and these speakers are no slouch to begin with.

Because the BP1.5 has such a low noise floor, it is a master of low-level detail. This is its other strength.  Those stepping up from a phonostage in the $1,000 – $2,000 range will experience a revelation with their vinyl collection that should make for many late night listening sessions.  The healthiest competitor for the BP1.5 I had on hand was the equally excellent, but different, Zesto Andros PS1 that we reviewed in issue 48.  Vacuum tube all the way, the Zesto has an extra bit of air and front to back depth that the Bryston does not, but it doesn’t have the rock solid LF performance either.  Your personal objectives and system synergy will determine if the BP1.5 is the perfect match for you.

One of the last listening sessions confirms the straight-ahead tonality of the BP1.5 is the latest release from the Portland Cello Project, Homage. This record is of only fair quality and comes across somewhat flat in comparison to something like the Jung Trio’s The Jung Trio Dvorak Piano Trio, Op.65, which is flawlessly recorded.

A variety of test-drives

The BP1.5 has modest adjustments, but you’ll have to pull the cover to get at them.  Fortunately the 35dB gain setting for MM (41db available) or 57.5dB setting for MC (51.5 or 63.5dB available) will handle most cartridges.  Because transformers are used for step up, the impedance of your cartridge will affect synergy.  Dynavector, Lyra and Ortofon cartridges proved a great mix, while my Sumiko Palo Santos was only ok, lacking a bit of dynamics with this setup.  The Grado Statement 1, a moving iron cartridge with a 47k impedance, yet only .5mv of output is not a perfect match with the BP 1.5, however the wood body Grados with 5mv output are an excellent combination for someone desiring a bit of tonal saturation, with a substantial shot of solid state punch.

Is it your cup of tea?

The Bryston BP 1.5 phono stage is a top performer and makes no missteps, but understand its honest presentation will not favor cartridges and/or systems that are already biased towards the forward and analytical.  Both the Sumiko Blackbird and Lyra Titan-i proved way too revealing for my taste.  I suspect a more neutral or even slightly warm cartridge is going to be your slice of analog heaven.

Build quality is superb and Bryston’s reputation is well deserved.  Perhaps the only question, with the BP1.5 tipping the scale at just over $5,000 is whether a single input is enough and having to open the case every time loading needs to be changed is a deal breaker. Those more firmly planted in the “set it, forget it, and spin records camp” will love the steadfast consistency of the BP1.5.  The more fiddly ones in the audience may end up preferring something easier to adjust.
All other considerations aside, judging the Bryston BP1.5 solely on it’s sonic performance, it delivers the goods and compared to other phonostages we’ve auditioned in the $4,000 – $6,000 range, is well worth the price asked.

The Bryston BP1.5 phonostage and MPS-2 power supply

MSRP:  $3,195 (BP1.5) $1,695 (MPS-2)

www.bryston.ca

Peripherals

Analog Source                        AVID Volvere SP, SME V tonearm, variety of phono cartridges, mentioned in review

Preamplifier                          Burmester 011

Power Amplifier                    Burmester 911 mk. 3

Speakers                                Dynaudio Confidence C1 II, REL G-2 Subwoofer

Power                                     Audience aR6-TSS, PowerChord AU24

Cable                                      Cardas Clear

Accessories                             GIK room treatment, Furutech DeMag and DeStat, Audio Desk Systeme RCM

While you might be overloaded with phonostage choices at the entry level, finding one at the top of the heap is still a fairly narrow path.  Even as you approach the pinnacle, you still must choose wisely and as always, define just what you are looking for, keeping system synergy at the forefront.

One of the biggest questions is always to go with tubes or solid state? I often agonize over this, and the ultimate tonality that the VPS possesses sways me back on the valve side of the fence.  The goal is always to get that extra bit of bloom tubes seem to provide, yet without the inconvenience that often comes with tubes.

A Nagra through and through

For those of you not familiar with the sound (or lack of it) of Nagra gear, it is some of the most neutral equipment I’ve experienced.  The PSA power amplifier leans slightly towards the analytical side of solid state/neutral, while the PL-L linestage we auditioned has just the slightest bit of “tubeyness” that gives it a tonal richness that won’t be mistaken for solid state, yet is not overly romantic or colored.  It is a perfect match for Nagra’s PSA and PMA amplifiers. From the minute the VPS was powered up, it was obvious that it had an extremely similar tonal character to that of the PL-L.

The VPS has a small enclosure similar to the PL-L linestage (and identical in footprint), without the big meter on the front.  It merely has a standard Nagra rotary switch with three positions; A, B and mute.  Yes, the VPS has two inputs folks, and that what catapults it straight to the top of my list.  I have too many turntables to live with a single input phono preamplifier.

You can purchase the base VPS configuration for $5995 with one MC input.  An additional MC card is $1495, while a MM card is only $395.  The review sample came with MC and MM cards installed,  a perfect combination for my reference Raven Two table with its Dynavector XV-1s and the Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood, both mounted on SME tonearms.

Extreme versatility

The VPS is easy to integrate into your system.  The rear panel has a pair of RCA inputs and one pair of RCA outputs, along with a grounding post.  There is also a pair of XLR’s, but this is not a fully balanced device, so there is no major advantage to using the balanced outputs.  An umbilical cord goes from the VPS to the same ACPS II power supply that powers the Nagra PL-L linestage or their CDP CD player.

Each of the inputs on the VPS can be configured for MM or MC cartridges, utilizing different cards to achieve the proper amount of gain. The VPS can actually be a hybrid phono stage, with an additional solid state gain stage that you can switch in via the back panel.  Those with line stages in the 12-20 db range should be able to use the tube section without additional gain.  It offers 34 dB of gain and a maximum output of about 0.3V.  The CJ Act 2/series 2 has 21.5db of gain, allowing the VPS to shine in tube mode.

The MC board uses a pair of very high quality transformers provide 11 dB of gain to bump the gain of the VPS to 45 dB with tube outputs and 60dB using tube and solid-state buffer. Using MC cartridges from .23mv output up to .7mv, proved no problem.  Cartridge loading is adjusted by setting different jumpers on the MC card.  There is another set of jumpers that come from the factory to accommodate the standard RIAA phono EQ curve.  The VPS can also be set to the 1976 IEC curve, which rolls off slightly below 50hz.  Most of you with high performance turntables will not need this, but chalk it up to Swiss attention to detail that they include it.  Even if you never need or use this feature, it’s nice to know they are there.  Another part of the Nagra experience that I enjoy.

Those changing cartridge loading often, will might grump at having to take the cover off the VPS and use the supplied pliers to set the tiny jumpers that are similar to those on a hard drive.  Fortunately, my three reference MC cartridges all work well at 100 ohms, so I was able to set the VPS and forget about it. I must admit the remote controlled loading of the ARC PH7 is pretty enticing, but for me, the two inputs far outweigh the remote. With analog, I’ll always forgo a little bit of convenience for performance when forced to make a choice.

As I mentioned earlier, the VPS is a perfect match for an all Nagra system, but it integrated into six other system combinations (tube and solid state, balanced and unbalanced), so I do not predict any synergy issues.  I also begrudgingly let a couple of other staff members try the VPS, but only for a very short time!

Transistors: in or out?

While the Nagra engineers have done an exceptional job to make the transition from all tube to hybrid phono stage undetectable, there is still a slight difference between the two, which I actually enjoyed.  Leaving the solid stage gain stage out of the circuit provided slightly more warmth, which worked incredibly well with the MoFi 3.5C cartridge, the Lyra Argo i and the Sumiko Blackbird.

Switching the transistors in offers a touch more slam and punch in the lower register, which suits the Dynavector XV-1s, Lyra Olympos and Grado Statement cartridges.  In either setting, the VPS was extremely quiet and I’m sure the attention to circuit layout and only two tubes inside the box helps tremendously.

For those of you in the audience that love to roll tubes, don’t bother.  Trying a few different NOS tubes in both positions reveals no improvement over the hand picked EH tubes Nagra supplies with the VPS.  Megabuck NOS Telefunkens prove warmer, but at the expense of resolution.  A few other choices yield the same results – a difference in one area comes at the expense of something elsewhere.  The stock tubes cost peanuts to replace and will last 5-10 thousand hours. This also saves you the quest for another magical set of NOS tubes in a few years.

An upgrade that you do want to invest in

The one upgrade that is worthwhile is the Nagra VFS (vibration free support) platform that is built to go underneath the VPS (or any Nagra preamp or CD player). Considering what some of those Telefunkens sell for these days, think of this $1,495 platform (and included spike kit that is available seperately for $349) as the cost of about four unobtanium 12AX7’s that you never have to replace.

The VFS makes a substantial upgrade in all dimensions and is not an improvement you will need to strain to hear. The already taut and tuneful bass becomes tighter, dynamics improve and the sound stage appears wider, as if I had moved my speakers about another foot or two apart. The VFS also makes it easier to hear the difference between the SS and hybrid modes.

The proof is in the listening

The VPS engages without being overly lush or exaggerated and should serve you very well no matter what kind of music you enjoy.  I noticed the VPS’ low noise floor instantly, on both MM and MC inputs, in either tube or hybrid mod, with little increase in noise going strictly valve.  The VPS has that inky black feeling by which music just rises up from the background without the intrusion of noise artifacts.

Many high performance components excel in one area or another, while falling flat in others, yet we accept them for their brilliance. The VPS excels in low level detail retrieval, tonal accuracy and transparency equally well without weakness.  It also offers plenty of weight in the lower registers with a three dimensional picture that big, yet realistic, without being overblown. The VPS is not a phono stage favoring only pristine recordings. I can offer a list of award winning pressings that sound fantastic via the VPS, perhaps one of the most impressive was the Classic Records release of Sibelius’ Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 for Violin and Orchestra. This quick test of tonality and dynamics will put the pretenders in the dirt.  You can’t fake that kind of realism, and any good violin recording is a great tonality torture test for any system, one the VPS easily passes.  Yet the true beauty of the VPS is its ability to hear further into average pressings that you are infinitely familiar with.  BTO’s Not Fragile never sounded so good.

The VPS allowed me to hear a lot further into some average pressings that I’ve heard hundreds of times over the years and some new favorites that are only so-so.  This is the true beauty of this preamp for the hard-core listener, because I’m betting that many of you don’t have all stellar pressings in your collection.

Works well with MM and MC

The VPS worked flawlessly with the eight cartridges at my disposal – and  I particularly enjoyed the flexibility of two inputs, one MM and one MC.  When not squarely in the sweet spot, or auditioning used purchases, I really like to give them a spin on the Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood first, to make sure the record cleaner hasn’t missed anything.  Again, for those less than perfect 70’s rock recordings and some of today’s music that has been produced in more of a low budget situation, the combination of the Clear cartridge and the VPS proves a fantastic combination, offering a ton of musicality and  extra warmth that helps IDA just as much as it does Bruce Springsteen.

Switching to input B and the Dynavector XV-1s made for some of the most enjoyable analog I’ve had the pleasure to listen to.  Those with a world-class analog front end, rest assured it is up to the task. With a little time left on the clock auditioning the Continuum Criterion, the Raven Two and the SG-2 from Spiral Groove all here at the same time, it was a couple weeks of turntable nirvana!  The VPS had more than enough detail and extension to easily distinguish the character of each of these great tables.

The only option I could not explore with the VPS with was a fairly high output MM cartridge.  The Virtuoso Wood only has an output of 2.7mv and all of my MC cartridges fell in between the .23 – .6 mv range, so nothing at my disposal pushed it anywhere near distortion or compression.

In the end, an extremely musical device

The key to the VPS is nuance balanced with power.  It reveals all of the subtle details that will make your record collection come alive, yet is not the least bit fussy.  If you don’t have two turntables, when you purchase the VPS, I guarantee that you will have a second one before long – it’s just too easy not to have two turntables with this phonostage.

While there are a few phonostages offering even more performance, they are priced accordingly.  The Nagra VPS’ combination of audio performance, understated elegance and ease of use puts it at the top of my list. I highly suggest adding the VFS while you are at it!  – Jeff Dorgay

The Nagra VPS Phono Preamplifier

MSRP:  $5995-7490, depending on configuration

Manufacturers Information

www.nagraaudio.com

Peripherals:

Turntables                   Rega P9 w/RB1000 arm, Oracle Delphi V w/SME 309 arm,  TK Acustic Raven Two w/SME iV.Vi arm

and SME 309 arm, Spiral Groove SG-2 table w/TriPlanar arm

Cartridges                    Lyra Olympos, Lyra Skala, Lyra Argo-i, MoFi 3.5C, Dynavector

XV-1s, Dynavector 17D3, Clearaudio Maestro Wood, Grado Statement

Nordost is now shipping the Red Dawn™ power cord as part of its premier line of Leif Series cables for audio and video components.

Its heavier gauge (14 AWG) stranded construction uses our proprietary Micro Mono-Filament FEP technology and has a power handling rating of 10 amps.

Nordost redefines alternating current power cable performance with the use of their Extruded FEP manufacturing techniques. By drawing a twisted FEP Mono-filament thread around the conductor in a helix pattern, insulation contact with the conductors is reduced by more than 80%. Extruded FEPinsulation is superior to all other materials in that it has very low signal loss and a high thermal efficiency- meaning it will dissipate heat very quickly. This allows greater power to be transferred more efficiently. In addition the use of precise mechanical construction improves all aspects of its performance and lowers power loss.

The Red Dawn power cord uses three Flexible, Multi-Strand 99.9999 oxygen free, copper 14 AWG conductors to ensure increased power transfer and optimum performance. Sonically, you are left with a precision that gives a real sense of three-dimensional space to the soundstage.

Each power cord is handcrafted at the Nordost factory in Holliston Massachusetts using high quality gold plated connectors. Wrapped in a red, medical grade jacket, the power cables use high-grade IEC connectors with triple gold plated Oxygen Free Copper for improved conductivity. The design of the connector eliminates stress so that heat cycling and vibration will not loosen the contact points.

The Red Dawn™ power cord is shipping now and is priced at $349.99/1 meter length (additional half meter increments are $75.00.)

For further information, or to request product to review, please contact Paul Ritchotte at 508-893-0100 orpaul@nordost.com

When “Perfect Sound Forever” debuted in 1983 in the form of the CD, I doubt that anyone seriously imagined the LP would still be with us in 2011.

The compact disc immediately ignited an analog/digital debate among hardcore audiophiles, and while true believers on each side are still holding tight, it’s the CD, not the LP, whose future remains uncertain. No wonder many analog loving audiophiles continue to upgrade their turntables, tonearms, cartridges, and phono preamplifiers.

If you happen to be in that group, Red Wine Audio’s luscious new Ginevra LFP-V Edition Phono Preamplifier should be on your short list. It’s a fully discrete Class-A FET gain stage/buffered tube output, passive RIAA equalization network, and battery-powered design. And that makes the Ginevra the first tube design I’ve seen that doesn’t work off AC power. That said, it’s not all that tubey, and there’s no overt electronic signature. Indeed, the Ginevra’s sound is totally organic. It has substance and weight, so it sounds like live music.

Intriguing Design and Construction

Red Wine founder Vinnie Rossi favors the 6922 (E88CC) dual-triode vacuum tube, and uses it in most of his designs. If you like to experiment with “tube rolling,” feel free to try some 6DJ8/ECC88, 7308/E188CC, 7DJ8/PCC88, 6N23, 6H23, 6N11 or 6GM8 tubes. Since the Ginevra uses just one tube, it won’t break the bank to keep a few tubes on hand, allowing you to change the sonic flavor when the mood strikes.

Moving-magnet cartridge gain is spec’d at 40dB and loaded with 47k ohms. Moving coil gain, at 60dB, is moderate, so owners of really low-output coils may not have enough juice; Rossi recommends using a step-up transformer if you need more gain. Moving-coil loading options are 75, 82, 90, 100, 350, 500, 1k, and 10k ohms, settable via internal DIP switches, and load sockets for individual resistors are provided for owners that prefer custom loads. While separate connectors for moving magnet and moving coil cartridges are provided, the owner’s manual cautions against connecting both types of cartridges at the same time.

It should be noted that Red Wine doesn’t just pack the Ginevra with a bunch of “D” cells and call it a day. No, the preamp boasts state-of-the-art 25.6-volt “Lithium Iron Phosphate” (LFP) battery technology. These low-impedance battery packs are exclusively manufactured for Red Wine Audio and designed for long life. The battery pack includes a built-in, custom-designed cell management board that balances individual battery cells, both optimizing reliability and battery pack performance. The pack is also user-replaceable, and doesn’t require any soldering to install.

Best of all, the Ginevra completely operates “off-the-grid,” meaning the preamp is electrically decoupled when it runs off the battery supply. A full charge lasts approximately eight hours, but for all-night parties or background music, you can run the Ginevra off the AC power supply. The battery charges whenever you play the preamp with AC power and when you switch off the Ginevra.

The Ginevra’s nicely machined, anodized black front panel is the preamp’s most interesting design feature—it’s a very plain-looking black box. The unit measures a scant 12″ wide, 9″ deep, and 3.5″ high. Sans the separate battery charger, it weighs 8 pounds. Giving a determined nudge to the power button triggers an internal relay that disconnects the charger’s negative and positive AC feeds to the preamp. And the “piezo” switch, with a rated cycle life in the millions, is made in Israel with aircraft-grade aluminum.

Let the Listening Commence

I listened to the Ginevra with a few tubes: the standard JJ Electronic Russian 6922, which possess a sweet demeanor; a similar-sounding Holland-made Amperex 6DJ8; and a significantly more aggressive Sovtek 6922. A $225 EAT ECC88 tube that comes with an attached red anodized heat sink upped the resolution a notch or two over the others, but Rossi’s stock tube is very listenable.

With my VPI Classic turntable and van den Hul Frog low-output moving-coil cartridge at the ready, the Ginevra’s gain definitely proved lower than that of my Whest TWO phono preamp. Still, I never felt like I needed more gain. The Whest is no slouch, but it’s distinctly cooler-sounding and leaves a lot of music on the floor. The Ginevra is grainless, sweet, and beguiling—this preamp is not the sort that dazzles with displays of audiophile “speed,” “detail,” or “resolution.” It’s much more musically honest. Treble is purer, better, and more natural than I’ve heard from most SACD and DVD-A discs. Moreover, the Ginevra is very quiet in battery mode; switching over to AC raises the noise level. Hence, I ran with battery juice most of the time.

The importance of power supply design in phono preamps also can’t be overstated. Rossi’s battery pack delivers pure DC current just perfectly, which is crucially important when amplifying miniscule voltages generated by phono cartridges. Since the preamp automatically decouples from the AC line when operating on battery power, Ginevra owners will never be tempted to buy pricey power cables or power-line conditioners.

With the Ginevra, record surface noise, clicks, and pops are not necessarily lower in level, but they recede into the background more than they did with my Whest. And the Ginevra’s deft portrayals of the quieter parts in music are remarkable in their own right; dynamic shadings and expressive nuance really shine through. In short, music sounds more natural and less like hi-fi. Always a good thing.

I also love the way the Ginevra allowed the sound of Egberto Gismonti’s guitar on his Duas Vozes to radiate in three dimensions. Each pluck and every strum fill the studio space to holographic effect. In addition, Nana Vasconcelos’ evocative vocalizations and palpable percussion accents populated a broad and deep soundstage.

In listening to the Persuasions’ We Came to Play, the Ginevra absolutely nailed the ensemble’s a capella sound. I hung around these guys at a few Chesky recording sessions, so I have a good fix on their individual voices and group vibe. I closed my eyes and the Persuasions simply appeared—voices, foot shuffles, thigh slaps, finger snaps, the entire package. This session record led me to The Intimate Ellington, which starts off with Duke talk/singing “Moon Maiden” and gently playing a celeste keyboard. I’ve spun this LP countless times, and this much I know for sure: Hi-fis rarely get this close to sounding so expressive and downright human.

Making a Tangible Musical Connection

Moving on to more contemporary recordings, like Tom Jones’ all-analog, live-in-the-studio Praise & Blame, put a big smile on my face. Jones is no youngster, but his pipes are in great shape, the bluesy, gospel-infused record is loaded with great tunes. By comparison, the Cowboy Junkies’ Trinity Revisited sounded cooler, brighter and, well, more modern. Its more upfront nature, sparkly treble, and tighter, more direct-sounding bass stood in sharp contrast to the older, all-analog LPs in my collection. Don’t get me wrong. The Junkies’ record is nice, but the Ginevra’s sweet temperament didn’t smooth over the differences.

Paul Simon’s brand-new So Beautiful or So What is likely a digital recording (the LP comes with a free 96/24 download), but it’s a delight nonetheless. The material is wonderful, and the sound clear and clean, with the musical connection on LP is a wee bit stronger than what I gleaned from the high-resolution file. The Ginevra also lit up the English Beat’s stellar I Just Can’t Stop It LP. The ska revivalists’ beats are as nimble as they come, and the band’s tunes are tops. Bass definition was excellent, tuneful, and rich.

I couldn’t stop putting LPs on the platter. Giorgio Moroder’s dense synthesizer tapestries drifting through the Cat People soundtrack kept me up late at night. The record’s high-frequency shrieks and sputtery flourishes floated high above the rest of the soundstage, and I couldn’t get enough of the throbbing beats and eerie whooshes. All so 1982! Those were the days, before the CD came onto the scene.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

If you’re in the market for a phono preamp that’ll get you closer to the by-the-number sound of the better solid-state alternatives, the Ginevra probably ain’t it. But if you’re like me, you might be in love at first listen. And while the LFP-V is sold factory-direct with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, I can’t imagine many customers ever sending their units back.  -Steve Guttenberg

Red Wine Audio Ginevra LFP-V Edition Phono Preamplifier

MSRP: $3,000

http://www.redwineaudio.com/

Peripherals

Analog Source: VPI Classic turntable with a van den Hul Frog cartridge

Digital Sources: PS Audio PerfectWave DAC & Transport, MSB Technology Platinum DAC & Data CD Transport, Oppo BDP-83 Special Edition

Electronics: Parasound JC 2 and Pass Labs XP-20 preamps, Whest TWO phono preamp; Pass Labs XA100.5 and First Watt J2 power amps

Speakers: Dynaudio C-1, Mangepan 3.6, Mangepan 3.7

Cable: XLO Signature 3 interconnects and speaker wire; Zu Mission interconnects, speaker cable; Audioquest Sky interconnects

(Ed. note:  This review originally ran in issue #21 of TONEAudio. While some of my reference components have changed since this review, the SuperLine/SuperCap combination is still part of our reference fleet. Our enthusiasm for this phonostage is as high as it was almost three years ago.)

I agree with Naim that a hefty power supply goes a long way to achieve big, natural dynamic sound.

My other reference phono preamplifier, the Aesthetix IO,  also has two external power supplies, and in my book, is the pinnacle of analog reproduction, but it’s full of tubes.

These days, I just can’t get behind 32 vacuum tubes to play a record. The 12AX7’s of only moderate quality can fetch $50 each and the exceptional ones can cost three times that.  As SpongeBob likes to say, “That’s crazy talk.”  Enter the Superline solid-state phono preamplifier:  all of the analog goodness, none of the tube hassle.

Don’t put me in the valve-hater category. I still enjoy them in small doses, but I spend a lot of time with my system fired up, and there’s nothing more frustrating than getting a tube preamplifier sorted to perfection only to lose the magic when it’s time to retube.  This happened to me recently, so I am on a quest to eliminate, or at least minimize, the glowing bottles in my system.

When asking Naim why they  produce a premier phonostage when they don’t even make a turntable, the answer was simple.  As a company that goes way back with analog, they still wanted to produce what they feel is the best phonostage they are capable of making. It’s their way of giving something back to the analog community.

Like a Butterfinger, the surprise is inside

In understated British fashion, the Superline looks like a little black box, slightly narrower than a standard Naim component and lacking even a power switch on the front panel, just a backlit green Naim logo.  When you pick it up and realize it weighs more than a Nait 5i integrated amplifier, it sinks in that this is a serious phono stage.

The circuit board is suspended, floating inside the case, much like Naim’s approach to the CD555 CD player.  The actual preamplifier is a single-ended, Class-A design, with no op amps in sight.  The wiring is executed with surgical precision and features 25 internal regulators while borrowing thermal isolation concepts from Naim’s flagship NAP power amplifier.

Powerful Options

Some criticize Naim for taking the separate-power-supply approach, but I applaud it.  I hate getting rid of gear to which I get attached, so I prefer components with an upgrade path.  The Superline itself retails for $2,950 without a power supply, but it offers a number of power options.  This allows you to purchase a top-shelf phono stage that you can upgrade as your system improves by merely changing the power supply.

If you own one of the SuperNait integrated amplifiers, or a Naim preamplifier, you can power the Superline with that.  I started my journey plugging the Superline into the SuperNait and was quite impressed.  If you will use the Superline in a non-Naim system (or just want more power) you can mate it with their entry-level FlatCap 2x ($1,100), a HiCap 2 ($1,900) or the SuperCap2. ($5,950)  If you are on a tight budget, you can usually find an original FlatCap used for about $500 from a Naim owner moving along the upgrade path.  Still with me?

You also have the option of purchasing the Superline in a standard (58db) or high-gain (64db) model.  I had the high-gain version here, which worked fine with my Dynavector 17D3 with its .23mv output and it had no problem handling the 2.5mv output of the Sumiko Blackbird without overload. So it should work well with whatever cartridge you have.  Keep in mind, though, that this phono preamplifier is not intended for MM cartridges.

Lightning fast setup

When first setting up, be sure to remove the two transit screws that keep the floating circuit board secure (the manual warns you not to use the Superline with the screws still in place) and I suggest putting them in a Ziploc bag and taping them to the inside of the shipping carton, just in case you ever need them.  Keep the Superline level and over a table while you are removing the screws and then carry it gently to where it will be used, as it is now floating free.

Once the Superline is connected to your power supply, the next step is to set loading and input capacitance.  Naim supplies four resistive plugs and three capacitive ones, giving you loading options of 100 ohms, 500 ohms, 1,000 ohms and 10,000 ohms.  Chris Koster from Naim USA suggests a 440-ohm plug with the Lyra Olympos cartridge, and he sent along a custom loading plug.  Should you have a cartridge that requires different loading, your Naim dealer can have custom sets made for you at $60 each.  The plugs are tightly matched for value and channel balance, so I’d advise against doing this yourself.  I used the minimal capacitance loading with all of the cartridges tested.

I still had my ASR Basis Exclusive when the Superline first arrived, and the first thing that struck me about the Naim was that it is every bit as quiet as the battery-powered phono stage that was off the grid entirely!  So chalk up an immediate victory for the engineers at Naim.  The ASR depends on very high-quality op amps, however, and is not nearly as grain-free as the Superline, even while plugged into the SuperNait.

Four cartridges were used for the primary evaluation of the Naim combo – the Dynavector XV-1s, the Lyra Skala, the MoFi 3.5C and the Lyra Olympos.  Thanks to the ease of changing the loading on this preamplifier, it was easy to optimize for each cartridge.  Koster was kind enough to send an extra 470-ohm loading plug, which he felt would be optimum for the Olympos.  The Skala found happiness at 220 ohms while the other two preferred 100 ohms.

Snaic or Burndy?

I did not get a chance to audition the Superline with the FlatCap power supply; the rest of the review period was spent with the HiCap2 and the Supercap.  If you are not a current Naim user, you will need to familiarize yourself with their various cable and connection options.

Plugging into a SuperNait, requires a Snaic, as does the FlatCap or HighCap2.  This is a five-pin cable that brings current to the Superline and high level audio output back to the power supply.  You plug your tonearm cable right into the Superline and you take another cable (Din if you have an all Naim system or a Din-to-RCA cable in a non-Naim system) out to your linestage; this works the same with all three power supplies.  The SuperCap2 will require the higher-capacity Burndy cable, which goes where that big plug is on the back of the Superline.

Analog bliss, a stage at a time

Those who have heard the Superline with one of the smaller supplies may wonder what all the fuss is about.  As an addition to your Naim preamplifier or SuperNait, the Superline makes a good showing and is well worth the asking price.  When the HighCap2 is added to the equation, you start thinking something pretty special is lurking inside that little black box.  And by adding the SuperCap2, you are taken somewhere very special indeed.

It is always a challenge to describe a component this good because all the great audiophile clichés have already been taken.  Cutting to the chase, I’ve never heard a phono preamplifier reveal more information from the black grooves than the Superline/SuperCap2. What puts the Superline/SuperCap2 solidly on the top of the mountain is the presentation; those seeking tonal neutrality and boundless dynamic range will be in heaven.  This combination knocks down the walls of your listening room, expanding the presentation in all three dimensions.

I like that big, big sound, and the Superline/SuperCap2 gets it right.  It doesn’t make everything sound big, but it has a very precise ability to capture dynamic contrasts and spatial cues, doing a good job at convincing your brain that what you are hearing is happening right in front of you.

The Superline had plenty of hours on its clock from using it for the SuperNait review, and I thought I was very familiar with the sound.  But after the addition of the SuperCap2, I was on another planet.  I haven’t been this impressed with a phono preamplifier since the famous Vendetta Research of the ’80’s, which was the last time I had a major paradigm shift in analog listening. In my system, the Superline/SuperCap2 opened the window to the music wider than it has ever been.

The Superline/SuperCap 2 hits you first with its weight and power, but it keeps you riveted to your chair with subtlety and nuance.  Naim enthusiasts always like to talk about the immediacy of their gear, and the Superline/SuperCap 2 has that quality in spades.  Everything else I’ve heard in comparison sounds moderately hazy.  As expected, the perfect tonality of this preamplifier is intact, even with the basic configuration, but as you increase the power supply you get more dynamics, less noise and a more-sorted view of the music.

The Naim Superline with SuperCap2 power supply is the closest I’ve heard to analog perfection.  It neither adds nor subtracts from what’s in the groove and faithfully offers what I’m looking for in any component.  It offers a staggering level of resolution without being harsh or forward. while offering tremendous musicality without being overly romantic or rounding off the edges of musical transients in an effort to sound polite.

Not an audiophile component

Phenomenal recordings will send you into bliss, yet even average recordings will yield sonic rewards that with surprise you.  While the Superline/SuperCap2 does not romanticize, should you want that sound, you can always mate it with a romantic-sounding cartridge.  I could have easily lived with either the lush presentation of the Lyra Olympos or the slightly more neutral, yet dynamic, presentation of the Dynavector XV-1s.  Every one of the cartridges in my stable sounded fantastic!

One of the biggest complaints I hear from people with mega systems is that they only sound good while playing a handful of “audiophile-approved” records.  This couldn’t be further from the truth with the Superline/SuperCap2 combination.  Sure, the best pressings gave their all, but I have a substantial collection of just-average records.  So I went on a power pop binge and listened to a lot of my favorite but fairly lousy-sounding  records one night, and I was astonished at how much was actually lurking in those grooves.

On Cheap Trick’s self titled album, when Tom Petersson’s bass line kicks in on “Mandocello,” I felt like that Maxell guy in my chair.  Substituting a popular $1,000 phono preamplifier and playing that cut again (with the $10,000 Lyra Olympos), it became flat and uninvolving, completely lacking any depth.  I moved on to a few of my favorite Elvis Costello records, Squeeze, XTC and The Sinceros before calling it a night with “Christmas with the Chipmunks.”  Damn, even that sounded good.

Should you install a Superline/SuperCap2 into your system, I guarantee the phono stage will no longer be the weak link in your system. It will not bring back the parts of your marginal recordings that suffer from compression, but it will extract every bit of music your turntable, tonearm and cartridge are capable of delivering.

With the average records sounding fantastic, the fantastic records sound dreamy.  When listening to Ella Fitzgerald on the “Ella Sings the Cole Porter Catalog” box set, she was in the room, six feet in front of my listening chair. In a completely different vein, the LP version of The Beastie Boys’ The Mix Up was a true psychedelic event.  Though a little crunchy on the extreme high end, this record is a giant, surreal soundscape, with bongos, synthesizers and crunchy guitars floating all over the place, with big, thumping bass lines running in and out of the music.  Again, on a lesser analog setup, it just sounded flat and CD-like, but through the Superline/SuperCap2, I was amazed at how much information lurked on this disc.

Super squared

I’ve owned a Naim CD555 for nearly two years with no diminishment in enjoyment whatsoever.  It’s looking as if another pair of Naim boxes are in my immediate future, and I’m anticipating the same result with the Superline and SuperCap2.

My biggest expectation for a five-figure component is that it should take me somewhere that I’ve never been.  The world of the Superline/SuperCap2 is one of those places, and I always have a hard time leaving it and coming back to reality.  When I was proofing this article, Microsoft Word wanted to keep changing Superline to Superfine.  Maybe the ghost in the machine had a point.

Peripherals

Turntables                   Continuum Criterion w/Copperhead Tonearm, TK Acustic Raven Two w/SME 309 and SME iV.Vi tonearms, Spiral Groove SG-2 w/TriPlanar vii

Cartridges                    Dynavector 17D3 and XV-1s, Lyra Skala and Olympos, MoFi 3.5C, Sumiko Blackbird

Tonearm Cables          Furutech

Preamplifiers               Conrad-Johnson ACT2/series 2, Nagra PL-L, BAT VK-32SE

Power Amplifiers       BAT VK-55SE, Conrad-Johnson Premier 350, Nagra PSA, Naim SuperNait (integrated)

Speakers                      Harbeth Monitor 40.1, MartinLogan CLX w/Descent i subwoofers, Verity Audio Sarastro II

Power                          Running Springs Dmitri and Jaco Power Line Conditioners, RSA Mongoose Power cords, Shunyata Anaconda Vx power cords

Interconnects              Shunyata Antares, Cardas Golden Reference

Speaker Cables            Shunyata Orion

Accessories                 Furutech DeMag, Shunyata Dark Field Elevators

My pet peeve with audio sales people and audio reviewers is that they tend to decide for the customer what they can and can’t afford.

For the most part, writing about HiFI gear or selling it isn’t a high-roller job, so it’s often easy to fall into the trap thinking the customer doesn’t have any more change in their pocket than you do.  Hence the idea of putting a five-figure value on a component in a realistic manner is often out of reach.

As their 40^th year of doing business comes to a close, part of the price tag on ARC’s Reference Series of components is justified by the amount of engineering and manufacturing wherewithal that exists under their 48,000-square-foot roof.  As Dave Gordon took me on a comprehensive tour of their facility, he told me that they used to have a 60,000-square-foot facility. After they moved to the current location, the old factory was leased to Best Buy.com for their online data center.  “Ironic, isn’t it?” Gordon laughs as we go through the engineering and purchasing departments out into the factory proper.

If you had to describe Audio Research in one word, it would be “precise.” Nothing in their assembly process is left to chance. All of their circuit boards are stuffed and soldered by hand, with each board compared with a reference board that is on hand.  From what I could see, they had a reference board for almost every piece of gear they have ever made, except for a couple of really old pieces.

Every final board is tested, populated with tubes that have all been burned in for 50 hours, measured and numbered.  As we go through a gigantic holding area where power tubes are being burned in, Gordon says, “This way with everything measured and marked, if you do have a tube failure, you can just tell us the number.  We can then ship out a tube with the same measurement so you don’t even have to re-bias your amp.”  We went past piles of transistors, resistors and capacitors that had not passed muster; all of the components on those circuit boards have been hand measured.  And when the component is built to the point where all it requires is a front face plate and the signature ARC rack handles, it’s tested again.

Then, upon completion, the gear is auditioned in one of the sound rooms before being packaged and placed on the shipping docks.  If you have ever owned an ARC product, you know how thorough they are, with each box being inserted into an outer box, protected by a thick inner shell of high-density styrofoam.  Again, nothing left to chance.

As we get shooed away from the listening area by Warren Gehl, the man who does the final listening on the ARC gear (something new in the sound room, that he doesn’t want the press to see…), we strolled past the area where all of the vintage gear is serviced and updated.  I also get to see row upon row of ARC’s massive parts inventory, full of electronic parts and sheet metal for all of their past and current products.  Again, everything is meticulously numbered and cataloged.  When I asked Gordon how they inventory all of these tiny parts, he said, “We do it by the pound, actually…”

There was another complete work area dedicated to amplifiers and preamplifiers of different vintages, and some going way back to almost the beginning of the company’s history underscoring the philosophy that any ARC component you purchase today, will be supported in the future.  This is why ARC components have always had such high resale value, something worth considering as you get ready to write a five figure check.

After lunch, we got to visit the sound room and listen to a full system of REF components, including the REF Phono 2 that was in my studio for this review.  Mated to a pair of Wilson speakers, they’ve assembled a highly resolving yet highly musical reference system, using an Immedia RPM turntable (the precursor to my Spiral Groove SG-2) with a TriPlanar arm and Lyra Skala cartridge.  It’s almost like being back home!

A skilled workforce and meticulous attention to detail – in essence, precision – is what makes Audio Research components some of the most coveted items in high-end audio today, a reputation well-earned by 40 years of great customer service.

When was the last time you set up an entire music system in under five minutes?  I’m guessing never.

In case haven’t had the opportunity to use one, the Meridian Sooloos digital music server, now called Meridian Digital Media System, it is by far the worlds easiest to use – and I’ve used them all. The larger and more diverse your music collection, the more manageable it is, with all your music right at your fingertips, allowing you to sort through it and ultimately listen to it on multiple levels.
For those in the choir that I’m already preaching to, have you tried a pair of Meridian active speakers?

Listening to the M6 speakers connected to a Meridian Media Core 200, which holds up to 2000 CDs in a small box, barely larger than a Mac Mini, I ponder just how far the British hifi industry has come in the 55 years since my trusty Quad 57’s hit the scene.

In the time it took my next door neighbor to grab refreshments from the refrigerator, the M6s were set up and playing music, in this case “Egypt by Air,” courtesy of the Bombay Dub Orchestra.  While there are multiple connection options, depending on which Meridian front end you care to use, all that is needed between the Media Core 200 and the right speaker is a length of RJ-45 cable.  Home Depot cable will do, but I suggest the Meridan SpeakerLink cable, because it’s not that much more, is expertly terminated and is very thin, fitting into your décor very unobtrusively.  It is available from your Meridian dealer in lengths from .5m to 15m. String one more length from the right speaker to the left and plug the two power cords into the wall.  Done.  Those using the Audio Core will connect left and right channels separately, as in a standard hifi system.

Always curious to what those not of the audiophile brotherhood think about the latest hifi gear, I made it a point to have a few extra guests over to peruse the M6/Media Core 200 system while it was here. It was precisely the hit I anticipated – and then some.  Most of my friends know I’m a bit off the deep end, but the combination of these speakers and 2,000 CD’s, all controllable by an iPad proved too much for even the most anti hifi person to resist.  Not a single wife or girlfriend uttered the four word death knell to all things audio, “not in my house.”

Beautifully Built

These speakers epitomize high style and high quality. Barely a foot in diameter at the bottom, gently taper to about four inches at the top, their cylindrical shape covered in a tight black fabric, with a brushed aluminum top cap.  While the 5-½ inch woofer faces downward, the full range driver (crossed over at 200 Hz) does face forward, so this is not an omnidirectional speaker, though it does have very wide dispersion.  The small Meridian logo on the base indicates the front of the speaker and which way you should aim it. A slight bit of toe in worked well in room two, with the speakers about 8 feet apart.  The cabinet is made from a strong yet lightweight composite material, very similar to what Meridian uses for their F80 and M80 compact audio systems.  The M6s are built at Meridian’s facility in Cambridgeshire.

The M6 utilizes Class D amplification rather than the Class A, discrete amplification in the other models, making the compact shape possible. The M6s tip the scale at just under 40 pounds, so they are easy to set up and move about your listening space.  These speakers also lack the Meridian System Remote of the larger speakers, and separate SPDIF digital input.  Speaker Link is the only option for the M6, limiting source components to other Meridian products.

Quick and easy, yet highly versatile

Once plugged into the wall, and wired thusly, the band at the top of the M6s glows with a medium blue tone, indicating they are powered up and in standby mode.  Upon pushing play, the glow turns to a soft white.  With nary a fancy wire product in sight, the M6s delight.  The traditional audiophile might suspect heresy, but the music lover will be delighted.

A number of system options await you.  One of Meridian’s Media Cores or their new Audio Core 200, that looks like a compact stereo receiver, adding DSP speaker control, bass and treble level controls and the ability to add analog sources, like the output of your television or even a turntable. (Via outboard phono stage)  Like the larger DSP series of Meridian speakers, the Audio Core 200 lets you optimize LF output in accordance with where you have the speakers placed in the room, however, the Media Core 200 does not offer this functionality. For those with a Meridian Digital Media System system already installed, the M6s can be connected in another location with network access via the Media Source 200, which allows complete access to your music library, yet running a separate data stream.

This makes it a snap to indulge your musical tastes in one part of the house, while the rest of the family is enjoying something else in the living room.  All controllable via iPod, iPhone or a networked computer, though maximum functionality is only available with the Control 15, or an iPod, via a free app on the App Store.  This lets you scroll through your music by album cover, as you no doubt remember it best.

Serious ability

Meridian’s DSP speakers have always offered phenomenal bass response and these slender cabinets to not disappoint.  Cranking up the volume control as Rory Gallagher’s “Brute Force and Ignorance” hits the play queue reveals that the M6s ability to rock the house.  A series of heavy tracks leaves the M6s unfettered and prove that they can play at considerable volume without listener fatigue. The dense bass line on David Byrne and St. Vincent’s latest Love This Giant gives pause that these diminutive speakers can offer so much heft.

Sampling the Bad Plus’ For All I Care reveals how well the M6 provides room filling sound at low to modest volume.  This mixture of piano and acoustic bass is rendered across the soundstage convincingly, reinforcing the way the M6 paints an acoustic landscape – this is not a “pinpoint imaging” experience, but somewhat more diffuse. More like a pair of Magnepans than a pair of mini monitors in this sense.  The more reflective your room is, the more the presentation extends beyond the speaker boundaries.

The low crossover point lets the Meridian full range driver do much of the work, so the critical midrange frequencies are not split up. This adds to the effortless character the M6 provides, highly noticeable with vocal recordings.  Whether listening to Joni Mitchell or Frank Sinatra, the lack of midrange grain and phase anomalies usually caused by a crossover network in this range is a treat.  It helps with acoustic instruments as well – both piano and violin shine played through the M6.

Thanks to their wide dispersion and powerful LF output, a pair of M6s is easy to place in the listening room and is not as position specific as many other speakers we have auditioned. If you’re looking a pair of high performance speakers that go with the couch, these are the ones.

Practically a complete system

At first blush, $9,000 for a pair of speakers is more than a casual expense, but remember, the M6s are much more than a pair of speakers; they include a pair of stereo power amplifiers (150 x 2 for the woofers 100 x 2 for the full range drivers), an active DSP crossover network, a DAC, and a preamplifier.  Not to mention all of the ancillary cables that you don’t have to purchase to make it go.  Perhaps best of all, you won’t have to look at all of that stuff in your room.  You could easily spend a healthy percentage of the M6 price tag on three pairs of interconnects, a pair of speaker cables, a few mains cables and an equipment rack, perhaps more – and you’d still need to buy a system!

If you are a traditional audiophile that relishes an altar consisting of a large rack full of gear, a massive loom of cables, and all the anxiety that surrounds this affair, the Meridian M6 speakers will not fulfill your requirements.  In the past, “lifestyle” has always been a risqué word when applied to audio, suggesting B & O at best and Bose at worst, yet Meridian produces a winner here, proving sculptural beauty and cutting edge audio performance can indeed coexist. However, if the concept of a music system that doesn’t intrude upon your environment is appealing, look no further.

I urge you to visit your Meridian dealer and avail yourself to just how effortless this system can be.

The Meridian M6 Active DSP Loudspeakers

MSRP: $9,000

www.meridian-audio.com

Associated Components:  Sooloos Media Core 200, Sooloos Control 15

Micromega of France, enjoys a very respectable presence here in the US, and has been introducing new products with a vengeance recently.

The company currently designs and builds a full line of electronics from sources to amplification.  In the last few years they have taken a distinct interest in wireless technology and it’s incorporation into high-end audio playback in the home without compromise.  Enter a very unique product, the AS-400 Integrated amplifier, priced at $4,595.  The AS-400, which shares it’s name with a famous IBM midrange computer, is much more than a standard integrated amp.  It produces 200 wpc, (400 wpc into 4 Ohms) of Class D solid-state power, and is available without the Airstream functionality for $3,595.

The rear panel has three line inputs, a preamp output, and you can drive the power amp section with an outside preamplifier. There is also an analog iPod input, and a headphone jack, but the most surprising on such a 21st century device is the MM phono input!  The unit weighs a whopping 33 lbs., and is built to an extremely high standard. With seamless casework and a volume control that is smooth as butter to turn, something often overlooked on digital devices these days.

Still more lurks under the hood. The AS-400 is equipped with AirStream, a proprietary wireless network protocol, based on Apple’s iTunes software and AirPlay feature, allowing for untethered streaming of your iTunes library. Further inspection reveals the Cirrus Logic CS 4351 24-bit/192kHz DAC chips, a custom precision low jitter clock, and an Ethernet jack. Oddly, there are no digital inputs or outputs of any kind.

Easy use and setup

Not a member of the Apple ecosystem, I found the AS-400 easier to set up than I anticipated. I don’t use iTunes, and I don’t own any iDevices, but I do catch myself pondering the new iPhone 5, so it could happen sooner than later. My computer audio setup is based on a Logitech Squeezebox Touch, an Ethernet network, and a Bryston BDA-1 DAC in one room, and a Musical Fidelity V-DAC II in another.  A Mac Mini acts as a server, with all files saved in FLAC format.

For the purposes of this review, I converted about a dozen albums from FLAC to AIFF, and imported them into iTunes. A quick download of the iTunes Remote app for my Android tablet had me rocking in no time.  Pairing the AS-400 with the Opera Seconda speakers (reviewed in Issue #49 of TONEAudio) via Transparent’s MM2 Super speaker cables and their PowerLink power cord made for a sweet system that was as easy on the eyes as the ears.  The next step after powering up the AS-400 is to select “Which speakers to use” from the iTunes menu.  Simple!

Trust that first impression

I instantly noticed an authority and a dimensionality to the sound, making clear that Micromega’s wireless implementation is a huge success. The first track streamed, John Legend’s “P.D.A. (We Just Don’t Care)” was rendered with a huge, forceful bass line, great palpability on the vocals, with highly convincing tonality on the piano.  This track is a very familiar reference and the AS-400 nails it.

Running through multiple listening sessions, concentrating on familiar albums, like Norah Jones’s Little Broken Hearts, I remain excited with the AS-400. Grizzly Bear’s terrific new album, Shields, is densely layered art pop and through the AS-400, it sounded coherent, with all the layers easy to decipher, with soaring melodies and jagged guitar parts in evidence, never getting lost in a digital fog.

The AS-400 is amazingly quiet when connected via Airtunes/AirStream, with the quietest passages of music unadulterated. The WiFi signal of the privately created network between the AS-400 and my Mac Mini was never interrupted, flawless in operation for the duration of the review period.  Those using Apple devices can stream via AirPlay. Input switching remains muted and is as smooth in operation as the volume control mentioned at the beginning of the review.  I was surprised, however, that the AS-400 does run somewhat warm to the touch, despite its Class-D design.

Standard duties

Using the AS-400 as a traditional integrated amplifier, connecting a transport and and DAC to it’s analog inputs proves that this is a serious, stand alone amp. Delivering tons of clean power to the Opera speakers, with excellent bass control, the finer points of transparency and resolution are well on par with other integrateds I’ve sampled in the AS-400s price range – and they don’t have an on board streamer.

A side by side comparison of tracks streamed wirelessly over AirStream to ones played back via my Musical Fidelity M1CDT transport and Bryston BDA-1 DAC gives the nod to the MF/Bryston combination, but this is probably more of a shortcoming to using iTunes.

The Ethernet jack allows for streaming of files with other premium playback software brands. Additional software for your computer would be required as well. However, I don’t think many will opt for this option. The elegance of the iTunes/AirStream interface is tough to beat. Plus, there are much cheaper solutions for wired playback like the Squeezebox Touch.

An excellent combination

Back in full force in North America after a few years of minimal activity, Micromega proves they have a full product line that is both cutting edge in regard to technology and visually attractive.

The AS-400 is a full function integrated amplifier, iTunes streamer, and wireless DAC making for a very impressive one box solution that does not compromise performance for convenience. The hassle free setup and operation clearly makes this the perfect component for those who want to set it, forget it, and just enjoy their music collection.

The AS-400 is not perfect, but its shortcomings are minor.  The major limitation is Apple’s AirPlay, which limits resolution to 44.1 khz, 16 bit files. So no higher resolution downloads can be heard in their native sampling rate and bit depth, as they will be down sampled. While three analog inputs might not be enough for a few users, but considering the convenience orientation, it should not be an issue.  The remote is well laid out, but feels a bit lightweight for a $5,000 component.  In a primarily streaming environment, an iDevice app or Android app will probably be used by most, if not all owners. But the true beauty of the AS-400 is that setting and using it requires virtually zero expertise in networking or computers.

The AS-400 has multiple strengths: It’s clean, authoritative, and dynamic sound will easily drive most speakers and its bass articulation is a particular strength, which is typical of Class D designs.  The build quality is impressive, and the pride of ownership factor very high. If you are an audiophile seeking to simplify your setup, yet still have analog sources and use iTunes to catalog your digital music files, the AS-400 demands a close look.

Additional Listening

As Andre is a “digital only” guy, (And after chasing the analog rabbit for some time I can’t say I blame him.) I ran the AS-400 through its paces with a Rega RP6 turntable with Rega’s Exact MM cartridge mounted.  Keeping in step with what one might spend on a turntable for a device like this, the RP6/Exact combination comes in just under $2,000.  And it works brilliantly with the AS-400, with a low noise floor and full-bodied sound.  The on board MM phonostage is easily the equal of the external models we’ve auditioned in the $300 – $500 range.

A number of other cool features make the AS-400 an even more versatile component.  Separate preamp and subwoofer outputs allow system expansion along with an RS-232 port.  Incorporating the AS-400 into a system with both the Dynaudio Confidence C1 speakers and a pair of Magnepan 1.7s, proved that it’s robust amplifier drives both of these relatively inefficient speakers with ease.  And thanks to that subwoofer output, a number of powered subwoofers on hand from MartinLogan and JL Audio were easily incorporated into the system.

Headphone maniacs will still opt for a higher performance headphone amplifier solution, but occasional headphone listeners will enjoy the convenience offered here – combining streaming and controlling things via your wireless device of choice and lounging in your favorite comfy chair. Both my modded Grado SR-60i phones and the latest offering from Focal made an excellent match with the AS-400.  Even my notoriously tough to drive AKG 701 phones worked well, having sufficient dynamics.

This is the component I will be suggesting to my non – hifi friends when they invariably say, “I just want great sound, I don’t want to futz with an elaborate system like yours.  What should I buy?”  Considering how much is under the hood, and the fact that you won’t have to buy a gaggle of cables and power cords, I’m happy to give the Micromega AS-400 one of our Exceptional Value Awards for 2012.

-Jeff Dorgay

The Micromega AS-400

MSRP: $4,595, without Airstream as the AI-400: $3,595

Manufacturer contact:

www.micromega-hifi.com    (Manufacturer site)

www.audioplusservices.com  (North American distribution)

Associated Equipment:

Loudspeaker: Opera Seconda

Cables: Transparent MM2 Super, Stager Silver Solids, Transparent PowerLink

DAC: Bryston BDA-1

Streamer: Logitech Squeezebox Touch

Transport: Musical Fidelity M1-CDT

Computer: Mac Mini running Snow Leopard & iTunes 10

If you pose the question, “What turntable should I buy for $1,500?” on an internet forum, have your hazmat suit on and be prepared to be bombarded with insults and advice.

You’ll get suggestions from all over the audio spectrum; new, used, and modded this or that. Of course, everyone knows what’s best for you and God forbid that you question any of the self-proclaimed experts should you choose not to take their advice.

All spirited debate aside, two of the top choices seem to be the Rega P5 and the VPI Scout. While I must admit my bias goes more towards the Rega than the Scout , I’ve even tried the highly modded Technics SL-1200 with good results and currently have a vintage Denon direct-drive table sitting on top of one of my equipment racks that’s spinning records rather nicely, so I’d like to think I’m not too closed minded.

However, the $1,500 price point is probably the hottest part of the turntable spectrum, because it represents a healthy jump up from a strictly budget turntable; by the time you add a decent phono cartridge in the $500 – $1,500 range and a similarly priced phono preamplifier, you’ve invested a substantial amount of change to support your vinyl habit. But you will get a huge jump in performance from the budget LP spinners as well. For many, this is the sweet spot where many will stay and for good reason.

I submit a new guest to the party – the Clearaudio Concept. Priced at $1,400 without cartridge, the Concept brings a lot of Clearaudio’s engineering excellence to the table at a price that most audiophiles can afford. To sweeten the pot, Clearaudio dealers are offering a package price when you purchase the table with the Concept MM cartridge for an additional $100, or step up to the Concept MC for $2,000. These are the only two cartridges that ship from the factory preinstalled, however your friendly neighborhood Clearaudio dealer is offering a 20% discount on any Clearaudio cartridge purchased with the table.

As the Clearaudio Maestro Wood MM cartridge was already in my reference fleet of cartridges, it made perfect sense to investigate here rather than with the bottom of Clearaudio’s cartridge range. For those unfamiliar, the Maestro Wood is Clearaudio’s top moving magnet cartridge that has an MSRP of $1,000. Definitely at the top of the price range for an MM cartridge, but remember, you won’t need to have a Moving Coil preamplifier or other step-up device, so the Maestro is indeed a bargain.

Speed is easily switched between 33, 45 and 78 r.p.m. with the selector switch on the left side of the table. While you will probably want a different cartridge to accommodate your 78 collection, the Concept could easily be pressed into service as a “78 only” table at minimal cost, if you have a large collection. Definitely another plus.

Top shelf construction

The Concept is a belt drive table, featuring a DC motor that is powered by a wall wart power supply. The platter is made of the same “POM” material that is used on their Innovation tables, albeit not as thick as the Innovation platter. The tonearm looks stunningly familiar to the Schroeder arms that also use a magnetic bearing in the place of a traditional bearing. This is the debut for a new series of magnetic bearing tonearms that will begin to be featured on some of their other turntables in 2011. If this is the entry level model, I can’t wait to listen to the models further up the range.

If you buy the Concept with one of the cartridge options, it will arrive with the cartridge installed and optimized at the factory, so all you will need to do is install the counterweight and set the tracking force. Be sure to hold the tonearm with one hand while installing the threaded counterweight, as it fits very snugly and could damage the arm otherwise.

The factory VTA and anti-skate settings worked perfectly for the Maestro, and setting tracking force was a snap with the Clearaudio Weight Watcher scale. A quick check of the speed with Clearaudio’s Speed Light confirmed that everything was perfect. This is another table, like the Rega’s that will have you spinning records in about 10 minutes.

The sound

The Concept has a very neutral overall sound, with a weight and openness that I’ve yet to experience at this price point. I’ve used the Maestro Wood on a number of different tables at various price points and it is one of my favorite MM carts, offering a high level of detail and punch, without being harsh.

Listening to Madeleine Peyroux’ latest release, Bare Bones on MoFi, you’ll notice that this record, like her others have somewhat of a loose, natural, whumpy, almost underdamped sound in the lower registers. Where the Scout tends to overdamp the bass and the P3 doesn’t have quite as much bass there, the Concept comes through with enough weight to reproduce this accurately. I was as impressed with the quantity as well as the quality and definition of bass that this table was able to extract from the grooves.

It’s rare that a table at this price point has enough low-level detail to really define the hall characteristics of the recording, but again the Concept passed with flying colors. Extended listening to Neil Young’s Live at Massey Hall on Classic Records, or Cream’s 2005 Royal Albert Hall performance opened up a level of three-dimensional sound that I didn’t expect.

During a moment of temporary madness, the Maestro was swapped out for Clearaudio’s $5,500 DaVinci MC cartridge, a master of detail retrieval. Granted, the small but mighty Concept did not offer as big a presentation as it did when mounted to the Clearaudio Innovation we reviewed a while back, but it wasn’t bad. If you are a real vinyl fanatic, I don’t think this table would be out of it’s league with your favorite cartridge in the $1,000 – $2,000 range if you care to take it that far, so this is definitely a component you won’t easily outgrow.

Extra credit

For those of you in the audience that can’t resist the urge to tweak your gear, here’s an easy upgrade for the Concept, take it off the grid! After the first peek at that inexpensive wall wart, I suspected that there was room for improvement with this table. A quick trip to Radio Shack confirmed my findings; making a custom cable for my Red Wine Audio Black Lightning power supply and running the Concept on pure DC made a marked upgrade to the sound.

Not quite convinced to drop another $700? Grab a pair of MN-918 6V lantern batteries from Batteries Plus (http://tinyurl.com/2a6tncx) and wire them in series for 12VDC. The middle post of the plug going to the table should be positive, which you can easily verify with a voltmeter. If you don’t have a voltmeter, you’ll know it’s wrong if the table spins backwards, so don’t put a stylus down on the record until you confirm the direction.

The first track played for comparison was “Day Dream” from Allen Toussaint’s The Bright Mississippi. Immediately after switching from AC to battery, the music comes alive with more texture and low-level resolution. Toussaint’s’ piano went from being constrained inside the space of the speakers to being about two feet beyond the speaker boundaries, with the other instruments having a better delineated space. I had similar luck with solo vocals and any other recordings having a lot of low level, airy passages. If you find yourself wanting to take the Concept to 11, this is an easy, no fuss upgrade. While you’re at it, pick up Clearaudio’s Concept clamp; this too wrings a bit more performance out of the table, especially with slightly warped records and is only an additional $100.

Conclusion

Whether you power the Clearaudio Concept with the standard issue power supply or take it a step forward with pure DC power, I feel this table is the new benchmark in its price class. It combines simple setup with stunning good looks and performance to match. We are happy to award the Clearaudio Concept one of our Exceptional Value Awards for 2010.

Manufacturer’s Information

www.clearaudio.de
www.musicalsurroundings.com (US distribution)

Peripherals

Preamplifier: McIntosh C500
Power Amplifier: McIntosh MC1.2kw monoblocks
Speakers: B&W 805D with JLAudio Gotham subwoofer
Cable: Cardas Clear

The secret, in other words, is out. Vinyl ain’t going nowhere. It’s here to stay. As a result, not just LP manufacturers, but audio companies are going into overdrive to produce goods to satisfy a small albeit growing market. One such company is Pass Labs.

Its eponymous name derives from fabled designer Nelson Pass, and it’s now producing a phonostage called the XP-25. Does the latter sound good? No. It sounds stellar. For $10,000, it should sound excellent. But the XP-25 represents a sonic breakthrough at that price level. Its combination of refinement and vanishingly low noise floor make it a winner.

When International Record Store Day came and went in April, it attracted a good deal of attention in the mainstream media. 


The New York Times, for example, devoted a piece to the resurgence of turntables. It was even written in a respectful fashion rather than suggesting a bunch of weirdoes is clinging to an obsolete contraption from the past (though, even if people were, it wouldn’t necessarily be cause for shame).

Massive Dynamic

To test the XP-25, I ran it extensively with my Continuum Caliburn turntable, which I’ve owned for almost five years, and my new reference cartridge, the Lyra Atlas, which claims an amazing ability to separate instrumental lines and possesses superb dynamics. It served as a great platform to assess the XP-25’s performance. Pass has recently issued a number of new products, including a megawatt $85,000 amplifier called Xs-300 that looks as though it has arc-welding capabilities. The XP-25, by contrast, is not in that price category. Nor does it appear particularly prepossessing. It comes in two fairly utilitarian-looking boxes. The first houses a sophisticated power supply; the second, the phonostage itself. The units are connected via a single computer cable, thin and extremely flexible.

The XP-25 is a fully balanced design with both balanced and unbalanced outputs. If you own two turntables, then you’re all set with the XP-25, which boasts two single-ended inputs. The XP-25 features three levels of gain: 53, 66, and 76dB. I opted for 66, which should prove more than ample for most systems, unless you’re trying to blow your preamplifier to kingdom come. It also has a mute switch, a rumble filter, and separate knobs adjustments for capacitive loading of cartridges. All in all, a no-nonsense unit with just enough functionality to please most audiophiles.

If silence is golden, the XP-25 has definite bullion-like qualities. For one thing, it doesn’t produce hiss or buzz. The black backgrounds are sensational. The lack of grit or noise allows the ear to relax on what amounts to a sonic pillow. There’s no hunching of the shoulders waiting for an aggressive treble transient to hit here, the kind that makes you wonder whether if it wouldn’t be saner just to listen to the car radio rather than trying to dial in a high-end system.

Indeed, the XP-25 creates a blissful experience. Yup, it has plenty of pop and slam. But that’s not really what the unit is about. Rather, it’s about tranquility and nuance. Instruments just seem more present, to pop out in space more vividly when the backdrop is jet-black, as it is with the XP-25. The Pass is clearly a champion in the no-noise department. Via a Persuasions LP, I am particularly struck by the sense of space between the singers—it’s possible to hear feet shuffling and other tiny auditory cues that enhance the sense of sonic realism.

Sure, it’s a little hi-fi when you play gospel records in such a manner, but it sure can impress the heck out of your friends and neighbors, and it’s good to have some fun with the system. This hobby is most emphatically not supposed to be about a bunch of audiophiles pretending to be white-coated lab technicians sitting in front of their stereos. Let it be, as the Beatles said.

Strength in Details

Does the lack of noise also add a degree of finesse? To an extent. I listened very closely at a fairly low-volume setting to an Arkiv LP of Vivaldi’s Lute Concertos and Trios. The XP-25’s silence allows a particularly fine rendering in the slow movements, and where the tinkling of the harpsichord behind the lute and violin is barely audible, each note is clearly and finely rendered. So the Pass is very good at low-level detail retrieval.

Does the lack of tubes mean that its sound, as audiophiles are wont to say, is too “solid-state”? No. Intriguingly, the XP-25 sounds more tubey than some tubed units. Consider the recent remaster of Shelby Lynne’s Just a Little Lovin’. On the cut “Anyone Who Had A Heart,” her voice is smoother and more seductive than through some tubed units I have heard. How Pass pulls off this feat is an interesting question. Capacitors or wire or circuit design? I presume Pass would answer “all of the above.” Whatever the technical response, the XP-25 definitely does not fall into the lean or astringent camp. Quite the contrary.

The smoothness of the XP-25 comes across most clearly on a wonderful remastering of trumpet great Lee Morgan’s The Procrastinator [Music Matters]. On “Rio,” which has a bossa-nova feel, I’m simply bowled over by the degree of finesse, filigree of detail, sheen of the cymbals. It made me realize once more what a terrible loss Morgan’s early death, at the hands of his aggrieved common law wife, who shot him in February 1972 at the East Village nightclub Slugs, remains.

Top of the Heap
Despite its prowess, the XP-25 faces stiff competition. No, not at $10k. At that price level, it becomes a matter of taste and preference. As stated above, I’m hard-pressed to think of a phonostage that will surpass the XP-25’s performance in its price region. Sure, move up into nosebleed territory and you can get more. For more money. My own Ypsilon phonostage takes up the performance one more notch in terms of dimensionality and sinuous musical lines. But it also costs more than twice as much. For anyone owning a megabuck phonostage, the XP-25 is likely to give pause. Is it really necessary to spend more? Will there be a quantum leap in performance above the Pass? Nope.

Given the state of the hobby, the XP-25 represents a good value. It comes near the bleeding edge in performance, but its price—expensive by any reasonable measure—is not stratospheric, at least by current standards. Another plus is that, unlike some more exotic equipment, the Pass exudes reliability. Its build quality seems rock-solid. It’s difficult to imagine anything going wrong with it. The model exudes the appearance of a piece of equipment that does nothing but sit there and play and play.

Anyone in the market for a high-end phonostage should consider auditioning the XP-25. You may find yourself most impressed by what it does not do. I am.

-Jacob Heilbrunn

Additional Comments

Pass is certainly popular here at TONEAudio. Contributor Lawrence Devoe also uses the XP-25 in his reference system, and I will be keeping the XP-25 after it returns from Mr. Heilbrunn. I concur with Heilbrunn that there are still a few more molecules of analog performance to be mined, but nothing else wraps ease of use, versatility, and overall high performance into one package like the XP-25.

While the XP-25’s performance is commensurate with the sticker price, analog enthusiasts that own turntables with multiple tonearms and/or removable headshells, and who are often prone to switching cartridges, will be in heaven. All the adjustments are right upfront and easy to read, making fine-tuning a snap.

Auditioning the XP-25 with about a dozen different cartridges from the meager Shure M97 all the way up to the Lyra Atlas is a treat. Nothing threw this phonostage a curveball it couldn’t hit. Turn it on and forget about it. It reaches full bloom after about three days of being continuously powered up. Those worried about their carbon footprint, rest assured: At .15/kwh, the XP-25 costs about $2.50 per month to leave on. In these days of $100 monthly cable bills, it’s a small price to pay for sonic bliss.

– Jeff Dorgay

The Pass Labs XP-25 Phonostage

MSRP: $10,600

www.passlabs.com

When Peachtree Audio brought out their Decco amplifier/DAC combination three years ago it was an amazing product for $800.

It featured a 50wpc integrated amplifier with a tube in the input stage to add a little bit of warmth to its basic 16/44 DAC smoothing out some of the digital grunge. It featured a slot on the back for a SONOS controller and a decent headphone amp on the front panel. Anyone wanting a basic system only needed to add a digital source, some inexpensive speakers and voila! Instant HiFi. The sound quality was excellent for the price point but if you moved up on the speaker food chain, you could hear the limitations of the Decco pretty quickly.

The guys from Peachtree didn’t let the initial success go to their heads with their sophomore effort the NOVA. At first glance it looks almost identical to the Decco, but it has been improved in every way. This is a serious piece of HiFi gear, folks.

The amplifier’s power has been upped to 80 watts per channel and they kept the tube in the preamplifier, offering you the option to switch it out of the circuit, running the amplifier all solid-state. It uses a single 6922 and for the life of me I wouldn’t know why you would want to do remove it from the signal path, because it still adds a welcome touch of warmth and body. If you swap that 6922 for a vintage NOS Mullard, the NOVA takes another big step in the musicality department and one exotic tube won’t break the bank. But the switch it is a very cool convenience feature, if you just happen to blow a tube late one evening and don’t have a spare you can just push the button on the remote and you are back in business. A very nice touch.

The outer case of the NOVA is available in a gloss black, rosewood or cherry finish. Our review sample came in cherry and was very attractive. When powered up, the NOVA’s power button glows red until warmup, then becoming blue, with whatever input you’ve selected pulsing with a blue glow until the signal is playing. The buttons have a damped feel to them, but the volume control feels somewhat benign. Of course none of this will matter if you use the handy remote control, and at this price level, I’d rather see a manufacturer scrimp in the feel department to maximize the sonic capabilities and that’s exactly what has happened in the NOVA.

Very versatile, plenty of inputs

The NOVA has three sets of analog inputs, with one of them switchable as a HT pass through, a pair of RCA S/PDIF digital inputs, a pair of Toslink digital inputs and a USB input. There is a fixed level output and a variable output, which allows you to use a powered subwoofer with the NOVA or just use it as a preamplifier, feeding a different power amplifier. There is one pair of speaker outputs, with the standard Chinese plastic coated binding posts. I’m not a fan of these but on a $1,200 integrated I can certainly live with them.

The slot for a Sonos still exists and I can’t think of a better match for a Sonos system than the NOVA. This has to be the most painless way to ingrate a music server into a 2-channel system. The front panel features a standard ¼-inch headphone jack and offers first class sound. I had the opportunity to use the new Sennheiser HD 800’s and was very impressed with the NOVA’s performance on a pair of headphones worth more than the NOVA itself! For the headphone listeners in the audience, I had no problems driving my Grado GS1000’s, Sennheiser 650’s and AKG K701’s; the NOVA’s headphone amplifier is very versatile.

However, the NOVA’s digital versatility was what impressed me the most. Using the budget Pioneer 563 and a Marantz Pearl K1 CD players as transports, I also had the Wadia 170i and a Mac Book Pro connected to the NOVA to give it a thorough workout.
The NOVA has taken the biggest step up from the Decco in the DAC department, now featuring the ESS 9006 chips from SabreDAC, the company that supplies McIntosh with the 9008 chips used in their MCD 500. Those expecting the performance of the Mac for $5,000 less will be disappointed, but if you are looking for a very musical DAC with an integrated amplifier thrown in, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks to the analog inputs, I spun some records as well, adding the Cambridge Audio 640P and my modded Technics SL-1200 to the mix, again proving what an excellent all around achiever the NOVA is. Thanks to this flexibility, the NOVA should be able to cover any future expansion plans you have for your system.

The Sound

I started my listening sessions with the NOVA with my recently acquired set of Spica TC-50’s because they offer incredible performance for the dollar (If you can find an unmolested pair) and possess a degree of resolution that you’d be hard to match with today’s’ budget mini monitors under $1,500 a pair.

If you’ve been around the HiFi world for a long time, you might remember when the NAD 3020 integrated amplifier hit the scene. For about 200 dollars, it was amazing in it’s ability to offer serious high quality sound for such a low priced amplifier and held its own with separates costing a lot more. Perhaps the (highly overused, these days) phrase “giant killer” came from reviewers listening to that famous little integrated. The NOVA does well to hold up this tradition.

To round out the review, I used a number of monitors from KEF, Snell, ProAc and Harbeth to investigate the amplifiers’ performance with more upscale speakers before the NOVA ended up in my living room system, paired with the ZU Essence speakers. The Zu’s are a little unfair because they have a sensitivity of almost 100db, so most anything can push them to way more than adequate levels, but they are an excellent reference because they are so detailed and offer great midrange tonality. If an amplifier is going to fall down, the Zu’s are merciless at revealing its shortcomings. Again, I was highly impressed with the combination and pairing the NOVA with the Zu’s provided incredible dynamic range. The NOVA is much cleaner sounding throughout the range than its predecessor and the extra power goes a long way to make it compatible with a much wider range of speakers.

The NOVA worked particularly well with ERA’s D5 mini monitors (also available from Signal Path International) and at $995 a pair, makes a pretty unbeatable combination. There’s no way you can get close to this level of sound quality at a mass market shop for $2,000. Watch for an upcoming review of the D5’s.

After extensive listening, all of the NOVA’s sins are those of omission. It could certainly use more refinement in the highs and control in the lows. But then it would cost $4,000. The difference between the NOVA and the higher priced gear is in the fine details. When listening to solo piano or violin recordings, the extreme highs became somewhat brittle and the level of tonal richness that you would expect with higher priced gear was absent.
Also, overall soundstage shrunk compared to the MCD 500 or the Marantz Pearl. This was expected though, as these players are $6,000 and $3,000 respectively.

When comparing the NOVA with an inexpensive transport to a number of CD players in the $800-$1,200 range, it was consistently as good or better. The minute you switch to Pearl Jam or Yello, your worries will disappear.

Well worth the pricetag

And remember, you are getting a preamplifier, headphone amplifier, power amplifier and DAC for $1,200! I dare you to come even remotely close for twice this amount of money with separate components.

While the NOVA was an exceptional performer no matter which way I used it, I think the killer application is as the hub of a computer based playback system, because the NOVA’s USB implementation is excellent. I enjoyed this amplifier the most when playing uncompressed WAV files from my Mac Book Pro. With the low price G4 Mac Minis are fetching on eBay, you could build a complete music system that you could control from your iPhone for peanuts. A Squeezebox would also be an excellent choice.

Playing within its abilities, the NOVA will never cease to amaze you.

The NOVA is an outstanding value

The Peachtree NOVA offers so much performance and versatility for $1,195 that it is more than worthy of one of our Exceptional Value awards for 2009.

Whether you are an audiophile on a budget, need a great second system or are sending your kids off to college; anywhere you need high performance audio without a stack of components, the NOVA is the best suggestion I can make. I’ve never used the word best in TONEAudio’s history, but this is one of the best budget HiFi components I’ve  had the pleasure of using. – Jeff Dorgay

The Peachtree Audio NOVA

MSRP: $1,295

Manufacturers Information
Signal Path International
909-309-4884
www.peachtreeaudio.com

Peripherals

Digital Sources Pioneer 563, Marantz Pearl K1 CD player, McIntosh MCD 500 CD player, MacBook Pro, Squeezebox, QSonix music server, Wadia 170i

Analog Source Sound HiFi Technics SL-1200, Cambridge Audio 640P, Sumiko Blackbird

Speakers Zu Audio Essence, Harbeth Monitor 40.1, ERA D5, Spica TC50

Cables Audience AU24 S/PDIF digital cable, Zu Libtec Speaker cables, ED 422 interconnects

Accessories Shunyata Hydra 2 power conditioner, Shunyata Venom power cord¬¬¬¬

Now that it costs about $75 to gas up your car, a $199 phono preamplifier is a real bargain, especially one that digitizes your vinyl collection via the onboard USB connection..

If that isn’t enough, the NAD PP 3i even has a line input so that you can digitize your cassette collection (and 8-tracks). The PP 3i comes with Mac/PC compatible AlpineSoft’s VinylStudio Lite software or it can be downloaded with a quick visit to the NAD website , allowing you to save WAV files of your favorite albums; that’s another review for another day.

The PP 3i is powered by an included 24-volt wall wart and is always on. It only draws a couple of watts from the power line, so those worried about being green can sleep easily, knowing that leaving the PP 3i on 24/7 won’t cause glacial meltdown. Setup is straightforward, with no switches or added ephemera. You just power it up, plug in your turntable, and roll.

Begin Your Vinyl Journey

If you are just dipping your toe into the waters of analog, the PP 3i is a great place to begin building your budget analog front end. The PP 3i has inputs for MM and MC cartridges, surprising given this price. While there are only a handful of budget MC cartridges on the market, the NAD’s match with Denon’s DL-110 ($139) proved amazingly good.

Three budget turntable/cartridge combinations put the PP 3i through its paces: The AudioTechnica AT-LP120 (now discontinued for a new model with a phono preamp/USB link built-in) with Denon DL-110 MC cartridge; the new Rega RP1 turntable with stock Ortofon OM5e MM cartridge; and a freshly refurbished Dual 1219 from Fix My Dual, fitted with a brand-new Grado Red cartridge. A pair of Audio Art IC-3 interconnects ($110) transferred the signal to the Croft pre and power amplifier combination, both played through the latest Klipsch Heresy III loudspeakers.

What Does $199 Get You?

Amazingly, a lot more than I expected.  While we won’t be having a detailed discussion about finesse, air and extension, this little box did a very respectable job at getting the analog essence to the speakers. The onboard phonostage in the Croft preamp was still miles better than the little NAD, so I did what any self-respecting slacker would, and lowered my standards.

Swapping the Croft amp and preamp for a few vintage 70s receivers revealed that the NAD outperformed a couple (the Pioneer SX -424 and 535), was on par with another (Harmon Kardon 330), and fell a bit short of what was on board with the Marantz 2230. Honestly, in the day where four- and even five-figure cartridges are more commonplace than one might think, just the fact that this thing even plays music for $199 is pretty impressive.

Excels With Digital Transfers

While you might get a little bit more soundstage depth with something like the Bellari VP130, it costs more, is a lot noisier, and it won’t digitize your vinyl. Even if you don’t use the PP 3i to play music in the context of a budget hi-fi system, which it does well, its real strength is its ability to capture some of your favorite LPs for enjoyment in your car or on your iPod. So shell out another 30 bucks (or half a tank of gas) for the full version of VinylStudio and get to work.

And this is the real strength of the PP 3i, folks. If you are a true vinyl enthusiast, you will obviously end up going for much more, but ripping a stack of your favorite LPs to your iTunes library couldn’t be easier. VinylStudio makes it painless to chop your tracks up into album format and add metadata. Surprisingly, less-than-audiophile-quality records transferred to iTunes in the Apple Lossless format sounded as good if not a little better than ripping their CD counterparts, at least on a budget system.

The fun didn’t stop there. Digitizing some of my favorite hip-hop treasures from cassette yielded results that were as equally as good as the vinyl rips. Not only is Cash Money’s Where’s the Party At? now available in my iTunes library, I’m revisiting K-Tel’s Super Hits of 75 from my 8-track collection, too. Plug your 8-track deck into the high-level input and connect the PP 3i to your laptop via USB, and you are in business.

You Need It

No matter the degree of your vinyl obsession, I suggest buying the NAD PP 3i. It’s a perfect entry-level phonostage with benefits for the neophyte, and it works well to digitize some of your analog rarities. Plus, it comes in handy should your megabucks phonostage have to make a return to the factory for repairs. Some music is always better than none.

-Jeff Dorgay

www.nadelectronics.com

What is it about phonostages? More than almost any piece of audio equipment, they seem to exert a decisive impact upon the sound—at least when it comes to playing analog equipment.

I still remember the day when I fired up my Linn LP-12 and listened to the differences an Audio Research PH-3 made on my Snell E-IV loudspeakers. Suddenly, as if by magic, an enormous soundstage and deep bass emerged. It then became palpably clear to me that a phonostage could expand or crush the sound of a good turntable, and inject air into the soundstage or make it seem lean and emasculated. Much of this probably has to do with the tiny signal that the phono preamplifier sees coming from the cartridge. Over the years, I have never ceased to be shocked at what critical roles phonostages play in making vinyl sing (or not).

Features Are More Than a Curiosity

My experience helps explain why I looked forward to the Monk phonostage with more-than-ordinary curiosity. No, analog’s roaring comeback during the past decade isn’t a secret. New cartridges, ‘tables, and tonearms seemingly appear every week. But the Monk has special qualities that separate it from its peers. For starters, the model possesses no less than five equalization stages, including separate ones for Decca and Columbia LPs. It permits you to adjust the gain up to a whopping 70 dB. With that amount, you’ll never have any troubles driving a black disc to peak levels.

And, not least, it’s equipped with a plethora of capacity and impedance switches. Oh, I almost forgot: It also comes with three phono inputs. If you’re one of those people that own multiple turntables, the Monk might be ideal. Finally, the Monk’s appearance is quite nifty—it’s compact, and can be easily tucked under your arm if you have to move it about. The diminutive size, however, in no way reflects its actual performance. This is a superb unit.

Holographic Width and Depth

A low noise floor, the sine qua non of fine audio reproduction, is the first characteristic that comes to attention. Few things are more obtrusive than a noisy phonostage, the audio equivalent of a flickering television screen. Inevitably, noise, whether hum or tube rush—or, heaven forbid—both at the same time, also masks detail and disrupts the soundstage. Nothing of the sort occurs with the Monk. Instead, while listening to a very well-recorded LP of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 played by the Concertgebouw Orchestra on the Philips label, I’m immediately and most favorably impressed by the soundstage’s depth and width. You can almost hear the string players shuffling their feet or turning a page of sheet music. When noise is banished, there’s a sense of ease. As a piece begins, music emerges from black space in a more holographic way.

The Monk provides a real feeling of space and scale, as well as delicacy. It gives you an idea of the cavernous character of a concert hall, a trait upon which I place a high premium. Stereo systems sound more “live” when you can discern spatial cues. At the same time, the Monk’s timbral accuracy is quite good. On the Mahler Fourth, the strings shimmer and possess a genuine sheen, while the brass sections have the blat only a good phonostage can convey. It’s also easy to discern the different sections of the orchestra. Due to the Monk’s lack of smearing, music does not simply sound like a homogenous blur.

Nor does the Monk falter when it comes to reproducing the Concertgebouw at full volume. Mahler is often hard to duplicate simply because his orchestral works erupt into thunderous, anguished crescendos that overwhelm stereo systems that can’t really handle so much volume and detail. The Monk remains unfazed.

Loud and Clear

This phonostage communicates infectious excitement—it makes you want to listen. The Black Motion Picture Experience features the Cecil Holmes Soulful Sounds and “Across 110^th Street,” a cut on which blaring trumpets and throbbing bass provide a clear path to detecting the performance of any piece of equipment in the chain. The Monk does very well indeed.

No, the trumpets are not as distinct as they are my reference Ypsilon phonostage. Nor is the sound quite as natural. But consider the price differential: $3,500 versus $26,000. I’m not missing all that much on the Monk, and what I do lose is more a matter of sins of omission rather than commission. The blunt truth is that the Monk allows the music’s raw, surging power to come through loud and clear.

Such grip and clarity are partly attributable to the fact that the Monk is a solid-state unit. Here, we arrive at the divide between tube devotees and solid-state fans. The differences are well known. Solid-state tends to have more grip and sheer impact, at least in the nether regions. Tubes, by contrast, offer a billowy soundstage and warmer midrange. Are some of the qualities associated with tubes simply colorations? Sure. But then again, tubes seemingly mirror the sound you actually hear in the concert hall.

The Monk lands firmly on the solid-state side; it sounds a shade more electronic in timbre than a tubed unit. On the other hand, tube virtues are firmly in evidence. And the build quality looks impeccable. I’d be very surprised if the unit doesn’t prove ultra-reliable. Best of all, the Monk delivers the musical goods. It never blushes when called upon to deliver full-scale rock or classical works. At the same time, it’s more than capable of providing subtle dynamic gradations. I’m more impressed by what it does than by what it does not, to say nothing of the fact that the price point for excellence keeps getting reduced.     -Jacob Heilbrunn

Additional Listening:

The desires of the true vinyl enthusiast are diametrically opposed to the desires of the Highlander: there can’t be only one – cartridge, that is.  As your collection becomes more diverse, it will require at least one if not more cartridges in your arsenal to get the maximum listening enjoyment from all of your records.  The Monk Audio Phonostage does this at a much lower price than any of the other affordable multiple input phono stages we’ve reviewed.

Considering the brilliant performance of the Monk, adding a second or third turntable (or tonearm if your table has the option) is simple.  With all the necessary settings on the front panel, you can move between setups at will, and if you possess a table with removable headshells, the possibilities are infinite.  I suggest one highly resolving setup, perhaps one a bit more forgiving and maybe a mono cartridge for those new to turntable polygamy.

The Monk takes a slightly different approach to cartridge loading, offering multiple options for MM cartridges, with a range of 15k to 220k offered.  I’ve never experienced a cartridge requiring a 220k loading, but the ability to go up to 56k was a bonus with my Shure cartridges.  MC step up is via a pair of high quality transformers, and a special hex screw on the case made opening the case out of the question for now to further investigate.  Switching between Koetsu, Denon, Rega and Lyra MC cartridges was no problem.

All the right boxes are ticked with the Monk.  It is extremely quiet, possesses great dynamic range and contrast, remaining highly musical while doing so.  Those longing for even blacker backgrounds can ditch the wall wart power supply and add the Red Wine Audio Black Lightening battery supply for a substantial performance upgrade.

With a second (or third) analog setup at your disposal, you’ll wonder how you ever got by with only one.

-Jeff Dorgay

Monk Audio Phonostage

MSRP: $3,500

Manufacturer Information:

www.monk-audio.com (mfr)

www.avataracoustics.com (US Importer)

Kiss never brought the fervor of its live shows to the studio, but on its fourth album, Destroyer, the quartet came close.

Six months after the legendary Alive!, the band is at the top of the world and at one of its highest creative peaks. All of the songs on Destroyer are solid, and the record delivered four memorable singles.

“Detroit Rock City” and “Flaming Youth” remained favorites for years to come, and “Shout it out Loud” took the place of “Rock and Roll All Nite” as the collective’s then-major anthem. The piano ballad “Beth” took everyone by surprise. For this budding audiophile, in 1976, Destroyer sounded much better on a pair of JBL L-100s than audiophile-approved Magnepans.

The new Destroyer (Resurrected) mix features producer Bob Ezrin back behind the console, adding here, embellishing there, with good results—until you read the phrase “digital copies of the original tapes” in the liner notes.  Ugh. Word of the original tapes being remixed almost always spells disaster in the rock world, but here, Ezrin’s affection for the band is a work of art. This record might have even been bigger if these changes were employed t he first time around.  The effort is now certainly more epic. Isn’t that what Kiss is all about?

Forget the $90 SACD released in 2010. It’s a marginal improvement over the original vinyl, still sounding flat and two-dimensional. And forget the new vinyl, mastered by Bob Ludwig for Universal. With barely more than half of each side of the LP devoted to musical information, you can guess what happened—compression. Epic fail. There’s no bass and it does not rock.

A quick comparison to the original pressing reveals that the new pressing has the same anemic dynamics and is slightly smoother on top. But zero dynamics means death to all that would otherwise rock. And that’s having played the vinyl through the Lyra Atlas cartridge and Qualia Indigo phonostage via two massive Audio Research tube monoblocks. I guarantee it will suck on your system.

If you love Kiss, and you still don’t have the ability to listen to high-resolution digital, there’s no better reason than Destroyer (Resurrected) to invest in the technology. This is the way a rock record is supposed to sound: thundering bass, over-the-top dynamics, and a wall of guitars that sounds larger than life. And I’ve been there since the first tour.

Excitement builds on the HD Tracks version the second the car door slams in “Detroit Rock City.” The opening guitar riff sinks the hook into the listener, and is firmly set by the first chorus. Long-term members of the Kiss Army will either relish the Resurrected version or spurn it as blasphemous. However, if you’re in the former camp, the 24/96 rendition contains many surprises.

Guitar interplay between Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley is clearly delineated, as Stanley’s rhythm licks are no longer buried in the mix. The child in “King of the Night Time World” has its own space that stays separate from the rest of the band. Best of all, Gene Simmons’ bass playing not only has more pace, but the convincing weight it deserves.  Also, the chorus on “Great Expectations” no longer sounds like it was recorded in a high-school bathroom. And that’s just side one. Another bonus? The alternate mix of “Sweet Pain.”  Ezrin mentions “fixing something that has bothered him for decades.” I won’t spoil the surprise.

A confessed HiFi nut, Andre lives and works in sunny Irvine, California. A contributor to a number of hifi magazines/websites, he’s another music enthusiast who was bit by the bug early, thanks to his dad’s Mcintosh system. Never one to stress over VTA, you’ve got just as good a chance at finding him on the tennis court as you do the record store.

Onkyo has introduced the DS-A5 iPod/iPhone/iPad Docking station, which adds AirPlay wireless streaming capabilities to Onkyo A/V receivers and many other audio products.

The Onkyo DS-A5 allows owners of recent Onkyo A/V receivers – as well as older models lacking a USB port or an Ethernet connection – to enjoy all the benefits of AirPlay wireless streaming for iOS devices, including the new iPhone 5.  The DS-A5 includes a secure digital-to-digital docking and charging connection for most iPod, iPad, and for iPhone up to model 4S.  The DS-A5 is Wi-Fi certified and also has an Ethernet port for connection to a home network. In addition to streaming from portable iOS devices, AirPlay also enables high fidelity wireless audio streaming of audio files from iTunes-equipped personal computers.

When the device is docked, a digital audio output can be employed to deliver signals directly to a receiver’s DACs for clearer, more expansive sound. Analog stereo audio outputs are also provided to provide compatibility with virtually any component that has analog stereo inputs. A composite video output on the DS-A5 makes it easier than ever to view photos and video on the big screen with room-filling cinema sound. Furthermore, the user can control playback with the supplied remote as their iOS device is recharged.

When the DS-A5 is linked to an Onkyo A/V or stereo receiver via the supplied RI (Remote Interactive) cable, the user may power up the system simply by selecting content on their iOS device, and tapping the AirPlay icon. RI has the added advantage of incorporating DS-A5 functionality into the main system remote controller.

The DS-A5 can also be used to add AirPlay capability to non-Onkyo hi-fi and AV systems, standalone DACs, etc., minus, of course, the above stated benefits of RI connectivity.

The introduction of the DS-A5 demonstrates that Onkyo is committed to providing its customers with greater levels of performance, convenience and value – whether by extending the life of a legacy product or looking to add the finishing touch to their stunning new Onkyo entertainment system.

The Onkyo DS-A5 iPod/iPhone/iPad Dock will be available in October with a suggested retail price of $199.

Watch for a full review as soon as we can get our hands on one of these!

Since even the very best hi-fi systems rarely sound like real live music, the first question one might ask about the sound of any component immediately becomes: What does it add and what does it take away from the music?

Creating the perfect recreation of live music in the home may have yet to happen, but it’s not totally the fault of the hi-fi. Few recordings are made with the intention of capturing reality; artists, producers, and engineers are usually searching for the sound they think best suits the music. And since music is recorded in an endless variety of venues and recording chains, it’s no wonder that recordings all sound very different from each other.

That said, my favorite systems are those that reveal such differences between recordings every time you change a disc. The less a system adds or subtracts from the sound, the easier it is to really hear what’s going on in the recording. By this standard, Simaudio’s MOON 310LP phono preamp is a winner.

Surprises on the Inside

The MOON 310LP replaces Simaudio’s MOON LP5.3 phono preamp. The new model isn’t a radical rethink of the previous design, but it combines superior parts and a quieter power supply to achieve better performance. And for those that invest for the long haul,the MOON 310LP comes with a 10-year warranty.

Taking off the easily removable case cover reveals the MM and MC settings. MC gain has three options: 54, 60,and 66db through RCA outputs, with an additional 6db available through XLR outputs.  Five impedance settings (10, 100, 470, 1K, and 47kΩ) are available for both MM and MC, meaning those with a Grado or SoundSmith moving-iron cartridge can take advantage of the higher-gain settings. Capacitive loading can be set at 0, 100, and 470pf—a bonus for MM users, as it offers more flexibility. The 310LP even offers a jumper setting for RIAA or IEC equalization. While not terribly convenient to access, such functionality isn’t often seen at this price point.

The unit’s rear panel hosts single-ended RCA inputs and outputs, plus balanced XLR outputs. The 310LP is nice and compact, just 7.5″ x 3.2″ x 11.2″ and weighing it at 7 pounds.

Redefines Quiet

Usually, on most phonostages, associated noise occurs when lifting the stylus from the groove at a high volume level. I can often hear such noise from my listening position, which is about ten feet from my Magnepan 3.7 speakers. However, with the 310LP, I only detected the faintest of noise, and only when my ears were pressed right against the speakers—a good sign. Even more importantly, the 310LP sounds cleaner when the music is cranked up, meaning that the contrast between quiet and loud instruments is more apparent than what I’ve experienced from other phonostages in this range.

Richard Barone’s Cool Blue Halo was recorded live at the Bottom Line on May 31, 1987. I was at the show, so listening to the LP is like traveling back through time. I loved that club, and saw hundreds of shows there. Plus, the Bottom Line always had an above-average sound system. However, Barone’s live sound that late spring night wasn’t very good, and it comes through on the LP. Just like the actual concert, there’s too much reverb. But Barone’s vocals sound great, and the Bottom Line’s vibe is there. The 310LP brings it all back to life just as I remembered.

Emotional Rescue, one of the Rolling Stones’ last all-analog efforts, also lit up my speakers. On the title track, drummer Charlie Watts, bassist Bill Wyman, and singer Mick Jagger dominate the mix. Via the 310LP, their pounding groove instantly grabs my attention and connects me to the music. Similarly, “She’s So Cold” transfixes, as I love the way Keith Richards’ rhythm-guitar licks punctuate the beat. I’ve never enjoyed this record more than I do with the 310LP. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ debut possesses even more analog richness than Emotional Rescue. Again, the 310LP helps portray the big soundstage present on this record with ease.

In the female vocal field, Linda Rondstadt’s Don’t Cry Now sounds tighter and more produced—like a recording where every musician is recorded in total isolation from one other. Her take on Neil Young’s “I Believe In You” is simply gorgeous on the 310LP. The latter is undoubtedly a high-resolution design, but one that doesn’t throw detail at you in a way that becomes fatiguing.

On the LP310, some of the better 1950s-era jazz recordings sound more natural to me, perhaps because they have little equalization or studio processing. Clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre’s LPs are so present and tonally accurate that the instruments seemingly appear in the room with me. I didn’t even notice at first that they’re mono recordings!

Back to Basics

Initially, I used the 310LP with the optional 320S power supply, which looks nearly identical to the 310LP. A dedicated and optimized design that only works with the 310LP, it features four stages of DC voltage regulation in a dual-action configuration and a special “pi-type” filter in conjunction with a dual-voltage regulation system to further reduce the 310LP’s already low-noise level.

Fully acclimated to the sound of the 310LP/320S combo, I unhitched the power supply, a change that involves moving a couple of internal jumpers. Listening to the 310LP a la carte, the sound becomes a tad softer. And, in comparison to hearing them via the Simaudio duo, dynamics are blunted, with low-level resolution and air also somewhat diminished.

Those with fairly resolving systems will have a tough time living without the 320S. The device is well worth the money, yet it’s also nice that Simaudio gives you the option to buy into its phonostage one step at a time.

Turn Me On

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing the Red Wine Audio Ginevra LFP-V Edition phono preamp. It’s a battery-powered, hybrid tube/solid-state design. Yet, it’s very tubey in the sense that the sound is rich and velvety smooth, albeit never lacking in detail. It proved a great experience, but the 310LP turns me on in a very different way. The Ginevra’s beguiling sweetness softens the top- and bottom-end response, whereas in these areas, the 310LP is more neutral.

Dr John’s In the Right Place, arranged and produced by the great Allen Toussaint in 1979, yields pure thrills through the 310LP. The Doctor’s mojo fires on all cylinders, and the Sim unit simply lets be the yummy, bold, 3D, and oh-so funky sound. Sure, some of the better and vastly more expensive phono preamps can get you even closer to the music embedded in the grooves, but in its price class, the 310LP is as colorless a device as you’re going to find.

The TONEAudio staff agrees, and hails the 310LP/320S as a recipient of one of the magazine’s 2011 Exceptional Value Awards.

Manufacturer Information

Simaudio MOON 310LP and MOON 320S

MSRP: $1,800/$1,400

www.simaudio.com

Peripherals

Analog Source: VPI Classic turntable with a van den Hul Frog cartridge

Digital Sources: PS Audio PerfectWave Transpost and DAC; MSB Technology Platinum Data CD IV Transport and Platinum Signature DAC IV; Oppo BDP-95 Special Edition

Electronics: Pass XP-20 preamp; Whest 2.0 phono preamp; Pass Labs XA100.5 and First Watt J2 power amps

Speakers: Dynaudio C-1; Mangepan 3.7

Cable: XLO Signature 3 interconnects; Analysis Plus Silver Oval interconnects and speaker cables; Audioquest Sky interconnects

If you aren’t old enough to know about John Curl, suffice it to say that he was responsible for more than a handful of legendary designs and one of the world’s greatest phonostages, the Vendetta Research—a product still held in great esteem by many audiophiles. Don’t believe me? Try and find a used one. I still regret selling mine from the early 90s; it’s like that vintage sports car you always wish you still had. And Curl hasn’t stopped to rest on his accolades, instead continuing to work on interesting designs, many of them available as Parasound products.

Thanks to his association with Parasound, Curl’s designs take advantage of Parasound’s economies of scale. His latest attempt, the JC 3, doesn’t cost as much as it might if it were, say, a boutique product. At $2,350, the JC 3 is by no means an entry-level phonostage. Contrary to the size suggested by the photographs, the actual unit is larger than you might expect and takes up a full shelf on an audio rack.

Opening the case reveals two aluminum boxes, each marked “Single Channel Phono Stage.” The JC 3 does not utilize hand picked FET’s like the original Vendetta, relying instead on op amps.  Those pooh – poohing this approach need look no further than the excellent ASR phono stages for vindication.  Richard Schram of Parasound put it in perspective, “We’ve used the IC’s with other devices in a unique way that Curl developed to maximize their performance, operating more class A with less noise, both measured and subjective.  A Vendetta today would cost over $8,000 if it could be built at all – there are no FET’s made today that are as quiet as the ones used in the original.”

While aural memory is tough to maintain for minutes let alone hours, quietness is the one thing I remember about the Vendetta. (At the time, I was using the legendary Audio Research SP-10 mk.2 preamplifier, which had one of the best phonostages of its day. With vinyl on the way out the door, it seemed pretty wacky to spend almost $2,000 on a phonostage. Yet it made a major difference in my system’s presentation.)

With only three loading options, all from the rear panel, the JC 3 easily integrates into any system. There’s a pair of RCA jacks for a single input and a pair of RCA and XLRs for the output. The front panel sports a power button and a mono button, which will thrill those with more than a few mono records in their collection.

The Sound

Today, $2,000 won’t buy a pair of shoes in some places, so with that thought in mind, the JC 3 is already remarkable. It shares the ultra-quiet presentation of its older sibling as well as an expansive soundscape. And yes, the JC 3’s tidy layout and shielded amplification modules significantly contribute to the final result.

I didn’t start serious listening tests until about 100 hours of signal had passed through the unit. Once the break-in period concluded, I was immediately impressed. Having logged countless hours with the AVID Volvere SP/Triplanar/Denon DL-103R combination (which just happens to sound its best when loaded at 100 ohms) with numerous phono preamplifiers, I had this combination burned in my head. I admit: The Denon is one of those rare cartridges that performs way better than its modest $379 price tag suggests, and when good synergy is achieved, makes for a spectacular sonic marriage.

Another combination with which I had excellent luck was the Shelter 501II mounted on an SME 309 arm, and fitted to the AVID Diva II SP. Thanks to the 47k/high gain setting, the JC 3 also made an excellent showing with my older Grado Statement moving iron cartridge. The latter requires 47k loading, but only has an output of .5mv, like a moving coil cartridge. It’s slightly on the warm side of the tonality scale, but possesses great inner detail, a characteristic that perfectly mated with the JC 3’s speed and low noise.

Since the Denon cartridge is always well suited to classic rock, I loaded up on it like any 70s-loving, meat-eating male should. The drums and plucky acoustic guitars in Dire Straits’ Communiqué literally leapt out of the speakers in a way that I’ve never experienced with a phono preamplifier at this price. Indeed, the Nagra BPS is the only other $2,500 phono preamplifier I’ve experienced with such a level of refinement. Yet its presentation doesn’t possess the JC 3’s size and weight.

The JC 3’s lack of grain also became apparent after a few long listening sessions, and was on par with that of higher-priced phono preamplifiers. On some of my favorite acoustic-based tracks, I noticed an unexpected tonal purity. Groove Note’s The Jung Trio, rapidly becoming a warhorse in the TONEstudio, offers exquisite renditions of violin and piano—deeming it essential for critical listening sessions. The JC 3 passed the test easily, keeping the instruments well separated and sounding as they should.

A quick comparison to two slightly more expensive phono preamplifiers with vacuum tubes under the hood proceeded as I expected, with the ARC PH6 and Red Wine Audio Ginevra (both reviewed in Issue 37) claiming a bit more image depth and palpability. Neither was as dynamic or quiet, yet the battery-powered Ginevra came very close.  The JC3 also had a deeper, more powerful presentation in the lower register. The bass line in Run-D.M.C.’s “Can You Rock it Like This” from King of Rock showed off more grunt than the two tube preamps could muster, offering up the kind of bass I actually felt through the JC 3.

While the JC 3 has “on board power conditioning” that will no doubt aid many users, it nonetheless benefited from an upgraded power cord (a Shunyata Python CX) and being plugged into the Running Springs Dmitri. The effect was palpable, as if going from stock tubes to matched NOS models in a tube preamplifier. So, if you invested in a high-quality power line conditioner, don’t hesitate to plug the JC 3 into it.

Singular in Purpose

The JC 3 offers high performance within a slightly narrow range of parameters. For this writer, that’s a good thing. Another product at this level that comes to mind is the excellent Ayre QB-9 DAC—hardly all things to all people but, for those requiring only a USB input, a superlative DAC for the price. The JC 3 takes a similar approach. Provided you have a cartridge that works well with 100 or 47k loading, the JC3 should check off all of the boxes on your must-have list. Even at the $2,500 level, I’d rather have one input and excellent sound than multiple inputs and functionality with average sound. Your requirements, of course, may be different.

The JC 3 will make a $1,500 turntable/cartridge combination sound much better than it has a right to, yet will keep pace with your favorite $10,000 turntable package— making it a component with which you can really grow. Having both RCA and XLR outputs should help this phonostage survive multiple system upgrades, no matter what direction you choose for your linestage.

If you are already heavily invested in something that requires 500–1000 ohm loading, move on. But if you are willing to first invest in the JC 3 and then find a 100 ohm cartridge that you love, the JC 3 could be the last phono preamplifier that you need—unless you are buying a megabucks analog front end.

High build quality with simple but solid casework from a company you can trust and superlative sound make for excellence in our book. Hence, I am happy to give the Parasound JC 3 a TONEAudio Exceptional Value Award for 2011. Priced under $2,500, the unit is nothing short of a miracle.

Note: Watch for our follow-up article in the coming weeks. One of our staffers still has their Vendetta, and it’s on its way to my office. It will be interesting to compare and contrast the new and the old, with all other variables eliminated.

Parasound JC 3 Phono Preamplifier

MSRP: $2,350

Manufacturer’s info: http://www.parasound.com/halo/jc3.php

Peripherals

Analog source                        AVID Volvere SP turntable w/Triplanar VII arm;  Shelter 501II and Denon 103 cartridges

Preamplifier                          Burmester 011

Power Amplifier                   Burmester 911 mk. 3

Speakers                                 GamuT S9

Cable                                    Shunyata Aurora I/C and Stratos SP

Power                                  Running Springs Dmitri, Maxim and Elgar power conditioners, RSA and Shunyata Power cords

Accessories                        SRA Ohio Class XL platform (under Burmester 911s), Furutech DeMag and Loricraft record cleaning system

It’s been a long time since Burmester has produced a phono stage.

Their last model, the 838, was produced in the 80’s.  However, with vinyl making such a comeback, Dieter Burmester felt the time was right to build a phono stage that was worthy of his current Reference Line components.  And in typical Burmester fashion, it addresses every aspect of the analog domain – it can even be ordered with a studio quality ADC (analog to digital converter) on board, so that any vinyl enthusiast migrating to the high quality digital world has all of their bases covered.

Occupying the same amount of rack space as my reference Burmester 011 preamplifier, the sleek casework and mirror finished front panel makes for a perfect aesthetic match. When viewed under studio conditions on a bright white background, you might think the Burmester gear “too shiny,” but when it is in place in your listening room, it mirrors your environment and disappears – a pleasing aesthetic illusion.

Your final configuration determines the price: The 100 Phono outfitted with two phono preamp modules, (sans the ADC and Burmester’s Burlink interface card) has an MSRP of $22,995.  The base model with one phono card and no ADC or Burlink specs out at $16,995. This probably isn’t going to be your first phono stage, but it could very well be  the last one you will need to purchase – thanks both to Burmester’s legendary build quality and their commitment to product upgrades.  Like other products in the Burmester range, the 100 will never become obsolete.  Think of it as an investment in your vinyl future.

Ultimate flexibility

The 100 can be configured to your specification with your choice of one or two inputs.  Either input can be designated as MM (moving magnet) or MC (moving coil), but once the choice has been made, the 100 must be sent back to your dealer for one of the inputs to be changed.  The MM gain can be adjusted in six steps from 37 db to 52 db and the MC stage (also six steps) from 57 db to 73 db, so even the lowest output cartridges can be accommodated.   Capacitance can be adjusted on the MM side from 68 pf to 400 pf and MC input loading has six options:  33, 75, 220, 390, 1000 and 47k ohms.  MC purists may be put off at the odd choices, but I had no problem using cartridges that I would normally load at 100 ohms with the 75-ohm setting or the 390-ohm setting for cartridges that I would use 500 ohms on another phono preamplifier.

The subsonic filter worked well with a few older, more warped records that have not had a session with the Furutech flattener yet and I was unable to hear any difference in low frequency output.  If the wide range of gain settings still isn’t enough, the 100 has the ability to boost the output by an additional 6db, so there should never be a situation where the 100 Phono does not possess enough gain.

Burmester’s “auto adjust” feature, when used with the supplied test record, will make up for channel imbalance in your phono cartridge. It compares the left and right channel signals, adjusting the level between channels to .2db, able to make the compensation up to 6db, though I can’t imagine a premium phono cartridge having this much channel error.  The only thing missing is a mono switch.

Setup

The Model 100 sounded slightly flat out of the box compared to my other Burmester components that have been powered up for over a year now, but because there are no capacitors in the signal path, there is no long drawn out break in with this preamplifier.  It opens up dramatically after a few days of constant play, and after it’s been on for about a week, you’re 100% there.  If you don’t have 12 hours a day to spin records, I highly suggest a Hagerman Technologies Reverse-RIAA between your CD player and the 100.  Leave it on repeat 24 hours a day for a few days to speed up the process. If you are one of the audiophiles that pooh-poohs component break in/stabilization, play your favorite record on the 100 straight out of the box and then again after a few days of burn in and you will be stunned at the improvement.

All controls are easily available on the front panel and clearly marked, so finding the proper loading and gain settings for your cartridge couldn’t be easier.  If you have multiple turntable/cartridge owners will be instantly at ease with this flexibility that few other phono stages match.

For those incorporating the 100 into a non-Burmester system, there is a phase reversal switch that works with the RCA outputs as well as the balanced XLR outputs.  This is particularly important because Burmester uses pin 3 for signal positive and 2 negative, while most other manufacturers do just the opposite.  A quick flip of the switch keeps everything in phase.

Burmester feels that keeping the signal path balanced all the way through, so the 100 only has balanced inputs.  This will require cable retermination or using the supplied XLR to RCA adaptors.  Considering the additional benefit to running a phono cartridge balanced, I would highly suggest having your tonearm cable terminated for balanced operation.  I used a Cardas Clear Phono cable and the Burmester Silver Balanced Phono Cable ($1,595) The Burmester cable was perhaps a bit too revealing for my taste, but again like any other cable, this is a tone control that needs to be fitted to your taste.

The Sound

Having used Burmester amplification as my reference for almost two years now, I’ve become very familiar with the “Burmester sound” or perhaps lack of it.  A year ago, I proclaimed the 911 mk. 3 power amplifier “The best power amplifier I’ve ever heard” and I still feel that way.  Dieter Burmester has managed to design and build electronics that bridges the gap between solid-state and vacuum tubes, offering the known advantages of both with the disadvantages of neither.

Burmester electronics have always offered a tonal richness that is usually associated with vacuum tubes, yet has an equal helping of dynamic contrast and weight that normally can only be achieved with the best solid-state gear.  If you are an analog lover, it’s much like the difference between hearing a master tape and a great pressing of your favorite record – the tonality has not been altered, but there is an ease, an extra level of naturalness that the record doesn’t have. If you haven’t heard the master tape you don’t know what you are missing, yet once you have, the difference is easy to discern. This is the ease in which Burmester electronics present the music.

Listening to the current Chris Bellman remaster of Van Halen II brought the first major strength of the model 100 to the front – impact.  This recording now has a lot more punch, and some serious low-end energy and the model 100 was able to capture every bit of Eddie Van Halen’s guitar harmonics.   It was also much easier to hear the differences between Eddie Van Halen and Michael Anthony singing harmonies on “Women In Love.”  Most excellent.

Classical and ambient music lovers will appreciate the subtlety of the subsonic filter.  When auditioning the vinyl edition of Brian Eno’s Small Craft on a Milk Sea, which features incredibly low synthesizer tones, I was able to play this record considerably louder than I could with the subsonic filter out – yet it never felt like there was any less bass energy on the record.  Granted, this is something you probably won’t need often, but a nice feature to have available. In combination with the GamuT S9 speakers and a pair of Burmester 911 mk. 3 amplifiers, I was able to achieve sound pressure levels that you would expect to hear in a club without strain – and without a touch of acoustic feedback.

High frequencies – sublime.  Again, when listening to your favorite acoustic music, the speakers just melt into the room and allow you to forget about the gear.  Spinning at least half a dozen of the latest Blue Note remasters from Music Matters Jazz I was always taken back at how natural cymbals and drum heads were sounding; always with perfect attack and smooth decay.  The true sign of an exceptional piece of gear, the 100 did not favor any particular type of music.

A few things always stand out with the Burmester experience beyond perfect tonality; ultra low noise, massive weight and lightning quick dynamics.  The 100 stays true to the rest of my Burmester gear.  Spinning the latest ORG pressing of Joni Mitchell’s The Hissing of Summer Lawns and their latest remake of Tom Petty’s Damn the Torpedoes revealed even more detail than I was used to with these two perfect pressings. This ultra quiet background always made for huge dynamic swings on records that had the scale, but also revealed a stunning amount of low-level detail as well. The 100 is one of those rare additions to your system that will offer a further look into recordings you thought you knew intimately.

This realism is further enhanced by the 100’s ability to start and stop instantly.  It exhibits lightning fast response during the attack phase of a musical transient, but exhibits no overhang, stopping instantly as well.  This contributes to the 100’s complete lack of fatigue when listening for long periods of time.

A few quick comparisons

To keep the playing field level, I captured some tracks at 24/192 files with my Nagra LB pro digital recorder, as I do with the other phono stages I’ve used in the last year.  This offered an  for an indirect comparison to the ARC REF Phono 2 and the Boulder 1008 to the 100 Phono.  While this does not reveal 100% of what each of the respective phono stages can do, it’s a great way to compare phono stages past, without relying on memory alone.  When comparing the high res digital samples of Hissing of Summer Lawns, it confirmed what I suspected: The Boulder offered slightly more bass grunt, and my ARC REF Phono 2 had slightly less than the Burmester. When comparing the REF to the Burmester in real time, the Burmester was definitely an order of magnitude quieter – quite possibly the quietest I’ve ever heard.

The order was reversed when listening for that image depth; here the vacuum tubes in the ARC offered a bit larger musical image with the 100 seeming to make the room a bit smaller, with the Boulder now in last place. The 100 exceeded the other two in terms of dynamic contrast and the lowest noise floor. Considering adjustability, ease of use and the thought of never having to search for vacuum tubes, makes the 100 the big winner in my book.  Keep in mind that the order of magnitude we are discussing here is very small – indeed much of these differences could be minimized by cartridge choice.

When listening to Andrew Bird’s 2005 release Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production of Eggs, I was consistently impressed by the low level detail and clarity presented. If you value a wide soundstage where images are painted in a very specific place across that sonic landscape, the Burmester is at the top of this category as well.  While I haven’t had the privilege of listening to all of the top $30k – $60k phono stages yet, the Model 100 is at the top of my list in regards to everything else I’ve heard in the 10-25k range.  And we still haven’t discussed the ADC…

The deciding factor in choosing the 100 over something else up in the stratosphere of phono stages will boil down to the sound you prefer and synergy with the rest of your components.  Of course if you have an all Burmester system, just write the check, it doesn’t get any better or any easier.

And now for something completely digital

If you’ve been curious about high quality digital capture and are either thinking about digitizing some of your favorite LP’s for a music server or just archival purposes, the extra $2,995 spent on the ADC module is a bargain.  Capturing files via USB and my MacBook Pro was fairly straightforward, (as I’ve been doing my fair share of this with other tools lately) though the instructions are fairly cryptic.  Those completely new to digital capture will probably be lost, so insist that your dealer give you a good run through on this part of the process.

All digital captures taken with the 100 feature 24-bit resolution, with a choice of 48khz, 96khz or 192khz sample rates.  Obviously the 24/192 files were of the highest quality, but the 29/96 files were not far behind and the 48 khz files were probably the most impressive, because they still offered excellent playback.  Even using the Burmester 088 CD player as a DAC, the difference between these and the original vinyl was minimal.

Though my Nagra LB digital recorder is easier to use and more user friendly than the Burmester, the Burmester offers a significant jump in recording quality. If you have ever thought about adding this functionality to your system, the Burmester does a fantastic job. Unfortunately, you will have to transfer your files somewhere and transcode to 16/44.1, should you want to burn any of these digital files to a CD.  Again, I would have liked to see this as an option in the ADC, so as to not have to perform yet another option in the digital domain.

Conclusion

If you only require one phono input and do not possess an all Burmester system, the 100 Phono is probably a bit on the high side of the price spectrum, but it becomes more reasonable (at least as reasonable as a $20,000 + phono stage can be…) as you add the second input and even more so if you make the ADC part of the bargain.

Nervous audiophiles that swap gear gear fairly often may not appreciate what makes the Burmester components such a great long-term value.  They are built with the precision of a Porsche engine and placed inside casework that is fitting of the best Swiss watches.  If you are someone that desires high quality audio equipment that you will live with for years to come, the Burmester 100 Phono will sound as great in 20 years as it does today.  And that, on many levels is its highest value.

The Burmester 100 Phono

MSRP:  $16,995 – $22,995 (depending on configuration)

Manufacturers Information:  www.burmester.de

Peripherals

Turntables                        Spiral Groove SG-2 w/Triplanar, AVID Acutus Reference SP w/SME V, AVID Volvere SP w/SME 309 and Rega P9/RB1000

Cartridges                        Dynavector XV-1s, Koetsu Urushi Blue, Grado Statement 1, Lyra Skala, SoundSmith Sussurro Paua

Preamplifier                      Burmester 011, McIntosh C500

Amplifiers                      Burmester 911mk. 3 monoblocks, McIntosh MC 1.2kw monoblocks

Speakers                         GamuT S9

On a hot and sultry evening in SoHo NYC at the Botanica Bar, a local hangout with a house special Ginger and Lime drink reminiscent of Jamaica (not Jamaica Queens, thanks), things cool  down inside with the music being played by a dozen or so Guest DJs as I grab the attention of Eilon Paz, a photographer with a passion for music, whose work has been published worldwide.  This very personal and ambitious project came about as a means for Eilon to combine both passions.

He aims to capture in “the most intimate way” the vinyl collections and the colorful and unique personalities of the collectors, as well as documenting the history of vinyl and the musical heritage represented therein.

The project starts out with friends who have large collections of vinyl referring their friends to Paz, and has grown exponentially through word-of-mouth, blogging and social media.

Paz says that he is a vinyl lover to the core, “looking for something to do and this clicked…” and when asked about the difficulty of finding other vinyl aficionados with large collections, he muses, “It’s not really hard – you get one person who has a nice collection, usually they tell their friends, who tell their friends- and that’s it – like it’s a network. Once I started blogging about it, then people started approaching me.”

He has already photographed and interviewed about 45 collectors, not all who have been published – yet (Paz says they will be published at some point). When he finishes his 30-city U.S. tour sometime in 2013, he expects to have at least another 35 profiles added to the book.

Not the average collectors

The possibilities seem endless. Could there be two books? Paz says it’s a hard chosen selection, and not everyone makes the cut.  It’s not just generally large collections of vinyl per se that he’s after – he’s more interested in collectors with a “point of view” as well as the “diversity” of the collectors. So he’s not necessarily looking at the obviously folks: DJ’s, music reviewers and people from the music industry who one would assume would have huge (and mostly freely acquired) collections of vinyl. Paz wants to present the whole range of collectors, from “people who live in the basement” to high-profile collectors.

He’s looking for so-called “normal” everyday people with a passion for vinyl who have managed – thru buying, on eBay, garage sales, inheriting collections and whatever means necessary – to garner huge Hoarder-type record collections.

“A lot of times, this is how it starts – with the younger generation,” Paz continues, “whose parents give them their old collections.” He’s also been fortunate enough to find a lot of older people who “stick with their collections. Usually – “it’s a man’s world” – it’s the fathers that pass their collections – and their knowledge – onto their kids.

Not necessarily audiophiles, either

Pondering whether the passion for vinyl translates into being an audiophile, or at last having kick ass analogue gear on which to play your precious collections, Paz makes it clear that high end analog gear is not the main thing he’s looking for. “It’s totally random,” he says. For many, probably the more serious collectors, of course they clean and maintain their records as one might expect. At the other end of the spectrum are the Hoarders who are infected with collector-mania, so for them it’s more about quantity rather than quality.

“I’m sure on this trip, now, in the U.S., I’m going to find a lot of audiophiles, because I’m already getting a lot of messages from a lot of people who describe their collections, but they’re also describing their set-ups.”

Paz and his crew haven’t yet decided on their itinerary but they’re going to start going through “major hubs” including New Orleans, Chicago and Los Angeles, and from there, they will branch out into the smaller towns, to really remote places where he hopes they’ll discover some interesting treasure troves of collections. The road trip was planned for September but has been delayed in order to make the book will be even better and bigger. (Note: They just reached their secondary Kickstarter goal which will allow a Hardcover edition.) And apparently there are some “new, positive” developments that he couldn’t speak about. However, when the suggestion that the trip leant itself to being recorded by a camera crew with an eye towards some kind of series … Paz smiles: “You said it.”

So be on the lookout for a “Dust & Grooves” reality show next Fall.

Live report and photo by Lois Long

Steve Deckert, the man in charge at Decware Audio, has just announced his new, full scale assault on the monoblock tube amplifier.

The Zen Torii Monoblocks are 60 watts each with a single pair of KT88 tubes.  A quick peek at the Torii Monoblock website reveals that NO compromises have been made with these amplifiers, from parts quality to assembly methodology.  He’s even incorporated a pair of jeweled movement Simpson meters to adjust tube bias and balance.

Now available for order at $5,596 to $5,846 (depending on base finish), Decware does not charge your credit card until your amps are ready to ship.  Considering the backlog on his Zen Torii II, which we favorably reviewed last year, these will probably have a long waiting list.  Decware amps are built with meticulous care by hand, and the Torii Monoblocks carry a LIFETIME warranty.  This is American craftsmanship at its finest.

We look forward to reviewing these amplifiers as soon as Steve can free up a pair to send our way.

We’ve just received the Mozart Grand speakers from Vienna Acoustics for review.

Clad in piano black, these compact speakers strike a stunning presence, yet are compact enough to fit in most rooms.  A 6-inch two and a half way system with 90db sensitivity won’t tax your amplifier.

You can read more details here. And watch for more info on our Facebook page as the review progresses.

Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the hifi journey is discovering something new, especially on a heavily traveled road.  It’s like discovering that cool coffee shop down the street, only to find that it’s been there for years and you just passed it by.  The same could be said for the Unison Research S6 integrated amplifier, now in production for over a decade.

Moderately powered tube amplifiers based on the EL34/6CA7 output tubes have a legion of followers, myself included.  I’ve owned many variations on the theme – from the legendary Marantz Model 8 and the Dynaco Stereo 70, to current production amplifiers from Conrad Johnson, Prima Luna, Octave and now the S6, reviewed here.  I’ve even built a few in my younger days.  While I’ve never met an EL34 amplifier I can’t enjoy, the folks at Unison or Conrad Johnson need not lose sleep over my making a career change anytime soon.

This pentode tube almost always produces a more mellow sound than the 6550/KT88, which usually delivers about twice as much output power per tube.  The midrange of the EL34 is usually described as having a warmer, more romantic, tonally rich sound than many of the other output tubes, these lower powered amplifiers often render inner detail with more delicacy than most of the higher powered tube amplifiers.  (Those thinking 6550’s can’t offer subtle inner detail, look no further than the Octave Jubilee monoblocks)

Design Differences

Regardless of the flavor you choose, amplifiers built around the EL34 tube rarely disappoint when it comes to midrange magic – and the Unison Research S6 is no slouch, yet it offers so much more.

Rather than a traditional push-pull configuration, the S6 employs three EL34 tubes per side, in parallel, driven in single-ended, Class-A triode mode.  Mixing it up even further, the S6 features a combination of auto bias and adjustable bias, fine-tuning the operating point of the output tubes to perfection.  With a pair of stylish meters and front panel adjustability, no tools are needed – meaning no tools to lose or misplace before a listening session.  It’s wise to keep an eye on bias when your S6 is brand new, checking every few days. After about a month, the tubes settle in and a casual check now and then will suffice.

Standard issue tubes continue to improve and the current TungSol EL34’s supplied with the S6 proved close enough to the megabuck vintage EL34s on hand for comparison, that for all but the most fanatic and well heeled tube roller, you can rest assured the S6 sounds great right out of the box.  The controlled biasing combined with not running the output tubes terribly hard should make for ample tube life.  The 12AX7 driver tubes should last in the 10,000 hour range, making this an easy amplifier to live with long term.

I did not spend a lot of time tube rolling, and swapping a few different EL-34s for the Tung Sols provided different sound but no overall improvement, so I submit the designers have done an excellent job voicing around current tubes.   This amplifiers character can be changed more (and for less money) successfully merely substituting the two 12AX7s.  A pair of Telefunkens or Bugle Boys will push the sound more towards the classic syrupy tube sound, while my favorite 12AX7, the EAT gives the S6 a lower noise floor and even more HF extension and less grain.  Regardless of where you stand on tube rolling, the stock tubes are an excellent choice and should be fine for all but the most OCD tube roller.

The rest of the amplifier is straightforward, with volume, power and input selector on the front panel and five single ended inputs around back.  Unison claims the S6 compatible with speakers in the 4-8 ohm range and provides a single set of output binding posts.  Even the remote is unique, eschewing the standard kids meal remote that many products at this price feature, in favor of a more stylish remote with a wooden body.  The S6 covers all the bases to be qualified as a premium product.

Mightier Than Its Power Rating Suggests

Audiophiles fixated on specs might pass on the S6 because of its modest power rating – yet its 35 watts per channel will suffice for all but the most inefficient speakers when playing at reasonable levels.  This robust amplifier works well with all of the test speakers at our disposal, from the 85db Dynaudio Confidence C1s, to the 91 db Sonus Faber Ellipsa SEs.

The S6 produces some of the most lifelike bass response I’ve heard from an EL34 design – tonally rich, yet controlled throughout the range.  Put to the full test with my reference GamuT S9 speakers that are only down 3db at 18hz, the Unison amp proved it could deliver major bass grunt when required.  Whether I was playing Genesis, Snoop Dogg or Stanley Clarke, it was always easy to discern what was being played.

The S6 is also a perfect companion for my freshly refurbished Quad 57s.  After a recent attack of audiophile nervosa, auditioning over a dozen amplifiers with the Quads, the S6 enchants with a mix of solid, well-controlled bass, a three dimensional soundfield and an extended high end – the latter the most tough to achieve with these speakers.  If you happen to be a 57 owner, you know what I mean. The S6 did not have enough juice for the woefully inefficient Acoustat 1+1s, (81db) or the power hungry Magnepan 1.7s to more than a whisper, but that is a challenge no low power amplifier can pass.

However, the S6 is perfection for a listener in a modest room with a high quality pair of small speakers.  In room two, (which is 13 x 15 feet) mating the S6 with either the Harbeth Compact 7ES-3s, Dynaudio C1’s or the Penaudio Cenyas makes for a symbiotic relationship far greater than the sum of its parts.   Combining the S6s liquid midrange with the imaging of these speakers in a small room makes for an immersive listening experience that’s tough to argue with. It’s almost like a giant pair of Stax headphones.

That’s just my take on the bass and imaging.  The true beauty of the Unison Research S6 is the smooth, yet defined midrange and the ease that it transitions into the upper registers.  Cymbals sound reach out and touch them real and solo vocalists are divine.  A quick spin of the latest Doors remasters from Acoustic Sounds on 45 rpm vinyl reveal layer upon layer of vocal and instrumental texture in a way that most vintage gear does not.  The S6 follows the musical pace well, producing texture and tonal contrast without sounding warm, syrupy and slow.  A perfect match of old and new school design ethos.

Simplicity, Form and Function

I love the simplicity that a great integrated amplifier provides.  Add a source or two, your favorite pair of speakers and call it a day.  $4,895 spent elsewhere will no doubt buy you more power, but you’ll be hard pressed to find the finesse, both electronically and aesthetically that the S6 offers.  This amplifier is more than just a nice tube integrated; it is a work of audio art.  It’s an amplifier that should be put on a pedestal with a wonderful painting above it.

Unison supplies tube cages for the S6 to protect kids, cats and pups, but the amplifier is so much more attractive with them removed, it seems a shame to have to use them.

If 30-35 watts per channel is enough to rock your world and you’ve been itching for something special, audition the Unison Research S6.  I think you will agree that this is a unique product.

Unison Research S6 Integrated Amplifier

MSRP:  $4,895

en.unisonresearch.com   (mfr.)

www.colleencardasimports.com (US distributor)

Peripherals

Analog Source: AVID Volvere SP/Durand Talea arm/Miyajima Kansui

Phonostage: Zesto Andros PS1

Digital Source: dCS Paganini Stack, Sooloos Control 15

Speakers: Harbeth Compact 7SE-3, Penaudio Cenya, Dynaudio Confidence C1 II

Cable: Cardas Clear

TOP TONE: Our Favorites for 2012
By The TONE Staff

Power Amplifiers

Preamplifiers

Integrated Amplifiers

Superspeakers

Small Speakers

Speakers

Subwoofers

Analog – Cartridges

Analog – Turntables

Analog – Phono Preamps

Digital

Accessories

Previews

Burmester 111 Musiccenter

ARC REF 250 Monoblocks

From the Web

Zesto Andros PS1 Phonostage

Unison Research S6 Integrated Amplifier

Reviews:

Coffman Labs G-1A Preamplifier
By Jeff Dorgay

Sonus faber Elipsa SE
By Jeff Dorgay

Manley Chinook Phonostage
By Lawrence Devoe

McIntosh MEN220 Room Correction System
By the TONEAudio Staff

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — At CEDIA 2012, HARMAN Luxury Audio Group is showcasing its Mark Levinson 40^th Anniversary № 52 Reference Dual-Monaural Preamplifier. The № 52 is the finest preamplifier ever created by Mark Levinson, combining extraordinary performance and versatility with a distinctively elegant appearance.

“We are excited to offer the № 52 to music lovers and audio connoisseurs worldwide,” said Jim Garrett, Director of Marketing and Product Management for HARMAN Luxury Audio Group and Loudspeakers. “The № 52 embodies the uncompromising technological innovation, superlative sound, unmatched build quality and striking design that has made Mark Levinson synonymous with ultimate-performance audio for 40 years. We designed the № 52 to deliver the highest level of sonic accuracy and musical involvement.”

The № 52 is an all-analog, true dual-monaural design with a two-chassis configuration that separates the critical analog audio circuitry from the control section to maintain the purest signal paths possible. It provides a comprehensive complement of inputs including three balanced XLR and four unbalanced RCA line-level inputs, and a dedicated phono input that is selectable for moving coil (MC) or moving magnet (MM) operation. Two sets of XLR and RCA stereo preamplifier outputs are provided, along with an auxiliary pair of XLR and RCA outputs that can be configured for fixed or variable level output with independent source selection. This enables the auxiliary outputs to function either as a third preamp out, a pass-through full-range subwoofer output or a record output.

The Mark Levinson № 52 offers a unity gain SSP (surround sound processor) output that provides the ability to integrate the audio sources that are connected to it into a home theater system, while maintaining optimal and independent stereo operation for music sources. The № 52 provides extensive control and system interface connectivity via Ethernet, Mark Levinson’s proprietary ML Net, 12V trigger and IR control ports. In addition, a USB port facilitates possible future software upgrades. The № 52 is supplied with a remote control that can also be used to operate other Mark Levinson components.

The № 52 is built to an extraordinary level of refinement. Its control section features mirror-imaged DC power supplies and AC regeneration circuits for remarkably clean and stable power delivery and signal purity. Individual left and right DC umbilical cords are used to connect to the audio sections in the second chassis, and control signals are delivered via a third cable to keep them isolated. The audio chassis is laid out in a mirror image, left/right configuration with isolated and independent circuit boards for the volume, main and auxiliary signal paths, and extensive shielding for critical components. The chassis is constructed from heavy aluminum extrusions and plates.

Like all Mark Levinson components, the № 52 is stunning in appearance, with a rich, brushed metal black and silver faceplate accented by red illumination against a glass center panel.

The Mark Levinson № 52 Reference Dual Monaural Preamplifier will be available in January 2013.

Quietly unpacking the top secret box from KEF containing their latest X300A speakers didn’t cause much of a fuss at the TONEAudio office, because these tiny grey boxes are so understated. And we’ve been heaving around some pretty massive speakers lately.

But the minute I cranked up Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy, I knew these speakers were indeed one step beyond.  “No Quarter” had big bass, a lot of snap and a stereo image that extended six feet beyond the speakers.  Imagine a pair of Quad 57’s with a giant sweet spot, bass extension and the ability to rock. That’s the KEF X300A.

Now imagine a pair of 75 watt per channel amplifiers, a 24/96 USB DAC and the ability to stream from your favorite wireless device thrown in with the deal.  Are you sitting down?  $799 for the pair.  That’s right. While we have never used the tired audiophile cliché “jaw dropping” here at TONEAudio, there were some mouths opened rather wide upon hearing these little miracles for the first time, with MP3 files.

Having recently spent quality time with the flagship KEF Blades, the family resemblance is shocking.  KEFs patented Uni-Q driver places the tweeter right in the center of the midrange (in this case full range speaker) providing a seamless coherency that is not at all unlike a great pair of ESL speakers.  This is what 50 years of engineering and manufacturing excellence brings to the table.

The best part of the job

There’s nothing more fun than getting people excited about hifi sound for the first time and the X300As make it an easy sell.  Only 7”w x 11”h x 9” d, the XA300A will fit anywhere, provided you can leave a few inches behind the cabinet for the bass port.

Combining the Uni-Q driver with powerful class AB amplifiers, gives the necessary headroom to fill small and large rooms with sound.  Initial listening was done solely with MP3 files, 128kb and 256kb/sec respectively, so even if your music collection is solely from iTunes, the X300As will take you to a level of musical appreciation you never thought possible.

Crosby, Stills and Nash’s debut album and the current Best Coast album via MP3 files had more than a reasonable share of airiness and decay, with plenty of vocal palpability.  Moving up in quality to standard 16/44.1 CD files lifted a software-induced veil, yet the biggest surprise was sampling recently downloaded 24/96 selections from HD Tracks.  KEF has given these speakers serious audiophile cred.

Upping the ante to high res files really shows what these speakers are made of.  The Doors classic, “Riders on the Storm” was a perfect segue into audiophilia – these speakers have fantastic pace!  The opening bass line in the track stays firmly planted in its own space somewhere in front of the ocean and Jim Morrison’s voice, while the keyboard just tinkles in ever so lightly throughout the mix. Keith Jarrett’s The Koln Concerts illustrates how well the X300s take care of the critical midrange on his solo piano masterpiece.  Again, the coherence of the Uni-Q driver feels like you are listening to far more expensive speakers.

Solo vocalists, check.  Whether I was listening to KD Lang or Johnny Cash, the time alignment of the Uni-Q driver furthered the illusion of “is it real or is it Memorex.”  Timbral accuracy, check.  Jazz and classical music fans will love the realism that the X300As provide.  Herbie Hancock’s piano via the title track of Maiden Voyage is rendered with a realism well beyond what you’d expect from an $800 pair of speakers – but remember, this is an $800 system. And of course they rock.  A superset of Slayer, Metallica and Sleep pushed these diminutive speakers without fatigue. 

Fab functionality and setup

You can get your music to the X300As via the USB port on the back panel of the right speaker, or take advantage of the optional dongle (A $99 value that KEF sends you free upon registration) to stream via AirPlay.  The Apple AirPort Express can also be used, but resolution will be limited to 16/44.1.

A 3.5mm analog input is also provided, for those wishing to go the hardwired approach, yet this opens up another possibility – add a turntable!  A nearby Technics SL-1600 table with Shure M97 cartridge and a Hafler HD-101 preamp with phono stage proved a perfect low cost analog addition, still keeping the total system cost under $1,000.

The X300As are right at home on your desktop or on a pair of stands and there is a switch to optimize bass performance for desktop or in room.  The speakers worked flawlessly between my 27-inch iMac, providing an enveloping experience.  The Uni-Q driver integrates well near field and thanks to the integrated amps and DAC maximizes space in the often cluttered desktop environment.

Again, the big surprise was bringing these speakers out in the main 16 x 25 foot listening room on a pair of 24-inch Sound Anchors stands. These stands cost almost as much as the X300As, but with a little blu-tack and careful attention paid to placement, deliver audiophile results.  Non audiophile friends kept asking, “where’s the rest of the system?”

The X300As deliver the goods

KEF has created nothing short of a major miracle for $799.  All you need to create an awesome hifi system is your smartphone or laptop and an iTunes playlist.  However the beauty of the X300As is their ability to play well with both camps.  If you just want to put them on your desktop or bookshelf and enjoy them, that’s fine.  Your Bose-owning friends will squeal with agony when you tell them what a great bargain the KEF speakers are. Yet you can be as audiophile as you care to.  Add a pair of good stands and make them the cornerstone of a high performance, yet compact music system, thanks to the 24/96 DAC and additional analog input.

In closing, it wouldn’t be a party without some KC and the Sunshine Band.  Importing a 24/96 capture of their first album on MoFi vinyl had everyone in the office jumping around.  So shake your booty, get down to your KEF dealer and buy a pair of these.  And grab some Depends on your way home, because you’re going to mess yourself when you hear them – they’re that good.

The KEF X300A

MSRP:  $799/pair

www.kef.com

When a new automobile hits the market, it’s common to see it on the cover of all of the major car magazines, often all in the same month.

Of course that’s the press doing their job, but what has become of the latest BMW or Corvette a season later?  Our generally Fox Terrier – like society has moved on to the newest shiny, bouncy thing, with last months toy relegated to has been status.  It’s often the same thing in the audio industry, with consumers caught up on whatever is moving and shaking; losing track of solid products.

The Zesto Andros PS1 continues to maintain high excitement among audiophiles at hifi shows around the world since its introduction last year, remaining a topic of discussion on any number of audio forums, with nary a complaint – no small feat in today’s interconnected world.  Designer George Counnas and his wife Carolyn have been buried filling orders on the Andros PS1, George has managed to find the time to develop a linestage as well, the Leto.  We’ll cover that another time, but for now it’s time to take another look at this phono stage.

A lifelong music and audio enthusiast, Counnas began his career working for Decca Navigator in England, designing navigational systems for the Royal Air Force.  He’s taken those years of experience full circle to his initial passion, hifi.  The Andros PS1 follows in the tradition of some of the best classic tube circuits utilizing four 12AX7s to get the job done, along with step up transformers to provide additional gain in the MC stage.  In MM mode, the Andros PS1 offers 45db of gain, 65db in the MC mode, with adjustable loading from 20 ohms to 1000 ohms.

Straight to the source

With an MSRP of $4,300, the Andros PS1 is a few steps beyond the journeyman enthusiast.  Even those with a table/arm/cartridge combination in the $1,000 – $2,000 range will find the PS1 provides a substantial step up in performance, but the PS1 really comes into its own coupled to a better source.

For this review, three turntable combinations were used, all with excellent results.  A wonderfully clean, albeit stock Thorens TD-124 along with an SME 3009 tonearm (carefully restored by Alfred Kayser at smetonearms.com) sporting a NOS Ortofon VMS20 mk.2 MM cartridge, A VPI Classic 1 table with VPI arm and the Ortofon Cadenza Bronze cartridge, and AMG’s V-12 turntable, 12” tonearm and the Lyra Kleos cartridge.  A number of other cartridges were tried with various gain and loading requirements to see if a curve could be thrown to the Andros PS1.  It performed without issue using cartridges having outputs from .23mv to .6mv.

Thanks to the 20-ohm setting, the Andros PS1 works particularly well with the Rega Apheta MC cartridge, which doesn’t always play well with others, but when the right combination is achieved turns in a brilliant performance.  The Andros PS1 is one of the few phonostages that can tame this great MC cartridge. One other very cool feature that the Andros PS1 offers is the ability to float the ground via a switch.  If you’ve ever been vexed by hum in your phono section, this thoughtful feature will set you free.

Taking Care of Business

Instead of talking tech forever, let’s play records instead.  Zesto puts 50 hours on each unit before they ship, a boon to the anxious audiophile.  Sounding inviting straight from the box, the Andros PS1 opens up somewhat after another 50 hours, but the delta between initial turn on and down the road isn’t dramatic.  By the time the first few albums had spun, I knew it would not be going back to the manufacturer when the review was finished.

There are some amazing phonostages up around the $10,000 level, but there aren’t many amazing units available at the $4,000 range.  Highly competent, yes, exciting – no.  The Andros PS1is a very exciting phonostage.  Elvis Costello’s Imperial Bedroom just arrived from Mobile Fidelity at the beginning of this review and even with the Thorens/Ortofon combination it is easy to discern between the two pressings, taking advantage of the additional clarity present on the remaster.

Ok, one quick geek moment.  As good as this phonostage sounds as shipped, spend another couple hundred bucks on a better set of 12AX7’s and you will be greatly rewarded.  Switching from the stock JJ’s to a set of EAT tubes rocks the Andros PS1 to an entirely new level of performance, with a major leap in dynamics and an even quieter background. The slight bit of HF etch at turn on disappeared with the installation of the EAT tubes, bestowing even more value on the Andros PS1.

Mind you, it does take about 90 minutes to fully stabilize, which seems to be more common among 12AX7 designs than those based on the 6H30, and both have their own unique sonic signature.  You either dig the 12AX7 sound or you don’t.  Where solid state phonostages seem to come out of a fog over the first few hours, the Andros PS1 starts with a somewhat small soundstage that just keeps getting bigger with time as it warms up.

Go with the flow

The Andros PS1 has a tonal correctness that becomes more evident as the hours go by.  There is a sense of flow, with notes flowing up and out of the presentation, distinctly rendered.  Oboes sound like oboes, not squawky and violins sound natural, not squeaky or harsh.  The soundfield produced by this phonostage is humungous and it helps to make the speakers disappear that much easier.

Compared to the other two exceptional phonostages in this neighborhood, the ARC PH6 and the Pass XP-15, the Zesto does not have the ultimate quiet of the ARC or the slam of the Pass, but neither possesses the flow of the Andros PS1 and this is its charm. Each of these phonostages will appeal to a different listener and offer top synergy in a different system.

What is given up in terms of precise placement across the soundstage, is returned in depth and clarity. The Stanley Clarke Trio’s recent release, Jazz in the Garden shows off the individual talents of Hiromi on piano, Lenny White on drums and Clarke on bass.  The record is very sparse, with each musician occupying plenty of space.  White’s drumming on the first cut, “Paradigm Shift” is mostly light cymbal work. The Andros PS1 renders fine tonal gradation, with the cymbals decaying into nothingness gradually, with no truncation in even the quietest sounds.  All this while Hiromi’s piano gently floats off in the distance, well behind the speakers, moving right up front as she takes prominence, then fading back again.  The result is highly convincing.

The textures revealed push the Andros PS1 into “excellent” territory.  You can feel Clarke’s fingers slide up the neck – this is not one note bass, or the least bit warm and slow.  For this reviewer, the Andros PS1 possesses that perfect mix of air, texture and tonality; retaining resolution without ever being harsh, with a tonal richness that doesn’t get muddy or lacking in pace.

Dense recordings prove easy for the Andros PS1, another area where lesser phonostages fall down.  Queen’s News of the World is fairly compressed and overmodulated throughout, keeping Freddie Mercury’s lead vocal out in front of the mix instead of being trapped in the huge ball of sound that is Queen.

Up and down the ladder

Comparing the Andros PS1 to a few higher priced phonostages (the ARC REF Phono 2, Pass XP-25 and Sim 810LP) and a few lower (Manley Chinook, EAR 834P and Sim 310LP) reinforce that the pricing of this unit is indeed spot on. Even the class leading Manley doesn’t extract the amount of information from a record that the Andros PS1 can portray.  Using a pair of identical AVID Volvere SP turntables, both with matching Dynavector DV-20X2l cartridges and SME 309 tonearms makes the comparisons a snap.  As it does moving upscale.  The Andros PS1 is a well-executed product that is intelligently priced.  And mighty nice to look at on the equipment rack as well – it’s obvious that a lot of care went into its construction.

Sampling a wide range of cartridges proved exciting.  Thanks to a high/low output MC switch, everything from the .23mv Miyajima Kansui to the .6mv Lyra Kleos, nothing proved an obstacle.  While a handful of phonostages in the $800 – $1,500 range are more heavily weighted to be MM, with the MC stage more an afterthought, the exact opposite is often true with big buck phonostages.  Conventional wisdom is that someone running a big dog phono stage is automatically running an equally spendy MC cartridge, yet the Andros PS1 takes no prisoners with its MM performance.

If you have easy access to the rear panel of the Andros PS1 in your rack, you can run one turntable with a MM cartridge in the MM input and another with MC in the MC input, using the rear panel switch to choose between them.   Which is precisely what I did, bringing the newly acquired Thorens TD-124/SME3009 combination into the mix.  The SMEs removable headshell allowed easy cartridge swaps and the NOS Ortofon VMS 20Mk. 2 (usually found for about $100) and the $1,100 Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood both turned in stellar performances.  The combination of the idler table and the VMS 20mk.2 made for an explosive rendition of many of my favorites from the early 70s.

Nothing but good news

After a solid month of intense audition, the Zesto Andros PS1 exhibits no weaknesses whatsoever.  While it has a beautiful visual aesthetic, it continues to be a joy to listen to and is ultimately musical.  With many audiophiles on a quest for gear that is increasingly more resolving, it might be easy to overlook the Andros PS1, but truly wise LP lovers will treasure the Zesto because the balance is just right.  Much like a car with perfect 50/50 weight balance, along with equal amounts of stop and go, the Andros PS1 doesn’t maximize any one parameter at the sake of another and that is its magic.

Selfishly, the only change I’d make to this phonostage if I ran the show would be to move the MM/MC switch to the front panel, but I’m guessing the rear panel placement is due to signal path optimization.  Only a minor nit to pick.

This one is the teachers pet in the under $5,000 category.  Very enthusiastically suggested.

-Jeff Dorgay

The Zesto Andros PS1 Phonostage

MSRP:  $4,300

www.zestoaudio.com

Peripherals

Preamplifier              Robert Koda K-10

Power Amplifier        Pass Labs XA200.5 monoblocks

Speakers                    GamuT S9

Turntables                 AVID Volvere SP, AMG V-12, Thorens TD-124  (arms and cartridges per article)

Cable                          Cardas Clear

Power                          Running Springs Dmitri and Maxim PLCs

Accessories                 SRA Scuttle rack, Furutech D-Stat, Furutech DeMag, Audio Desk Systeme RCM, MoFi sleeves, GIK Room Treatments

Indy Audio Labs is releasing two more power amplifiers to round out their line:  The 8008 and the Iridium monoblocks.

Rick Santiago, CEO and co-founder of Indy Audio Labs says the Iridium is the company’s flagship single-channel differential monoblock amplifier, and the 8008 is a dual monoblock amplifier that features two independent channels. Both are designed, built and tested in Indiana.

“Unlike many amplifiers on the market, these are designed to remain neutral sounding and stable for a variety of loudspeaker loads,” he said. “CEDIA EXPO 2012 is the perfect event to present our solutions to the industry’s need for combining high-performance audio for home theaters and listening rooms with state-of-the-art, easy-to-operate automation systems.”

And, they look cool as hell.  Watch for a review as soon as we can get our hands on these.

www.indyaudiolabs.com

I rarely get just one of anything I like.

From cars to shoes and especially turntables, I love things in pairs.  Maybe it’s a throwback to those psych experiments at the University of Wisconsin, where we always had a control group and an experimental group.

Thanks to a very nice guy from the AudioCircle forum, I managed to score another TD-124 that not only has a much higher serial number, but is in even better shape than the first one I purchased last month, that will be treated to the full series of Swissonor upgrades, courtesy of AudioArts in NYC, the exclusive distributor for Swissonor and Schopper.

With the arm board drilled, and SME 3009 mounted (along with an NOS Ortofon VMS20 cartridge) the sound, even at this stage is solid and tuneful.  I can see already why so many audiophiles dig this table.  As Stereophile’s Art Dudley likes to say, it’s about the flow.

Audio Technica has just announced their latest direct drive turntable, the AT-LP1240.

It features a direct-drive 16-pole, three phase motor ensuring speed stability with easy back-cueing, forward and reverse play and quiet operation at 33-1/3, 45 or 78 RPM. The turntable features an S-shaped tone arm with adjustable tracking force and anti-skate adjustment and a removable universal cartridge mount. The tone arm has locking height adjustment to dial in the vertical tracking angle, crucial for achieving the most accurate record playback.

With a sleek gloss black and silver design, the AT-LP1240USB is ideal for any music or home entertainment system. A built-in switchable phono preamp allows use with a wide variety of receivers, powered speakers and other A/V components, while its USB output makes for easy connection to a computer without the need for any special drivers. The turntable is therefore perfect for transferring records to digital music files that can be played back on portable MP3 players including Apple’s iPod, iPhone, iPad, in the car or at home.

In addition, the AT-LP1240USB boasts myriad DJ-friendly features including a damped cast aluminium platter with stroboscopic markings and slip mat, illuminated speed indicator and adjustable pitch control, start/stop button, a removable stylus target light, dedicated tone arm grounding lug, a hydraulically damped lift lever and locking tone arm rest.

The AT-LP1240USB comes bundled with PC and Mac compatible software, a USB cable, audio adaptor cables, removable dust cover, 45RPM adaptor, adjustable levelling feet and accessories. The supplied Audacity software offers simple digitisation of vinyl records and audio editing features including equalisation and click/noise removal.

With the Technics SL-1200 now out of production, could this become the new standard? With a price tag of $529, this could be a winner.  Review in the works.

www.audiotechnica.com

From the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, the MC 20 was one of best-selling low output moving coil cartridges and a welcome surprise when compared to the other paltry options available.

An alternative to Japanese offerings from Denon, Supex, and Fidelity Research, it graced many a high-end turntable. As luck would have it, the Super version came out in 1985, just as CDs began to take off in popularity. Bummer. But if you missed it back then, here’s your chance to enjoy it anew.

The 25^th anniversary edition comes nicely packaged in a mini aluminum case reminiscent of a Zero Halliburton metal briefcase. Inside, one finds the gold aluminum-bodied cartridge, requisite mounting hardware, and an NOS universal Ortofon headshell that also offers azimuth and overhang adjustments. Considering that it’s just $800, the MC 20 Super doesn’t shirk on presentation.

Staying True to Retro Roots

Thinking that a retro cartridge might work well in a retro tone arm, I recently purchased the ten-inch version of the SME M2, the closest one can come to getting a classic 3009 arm these days. It even has an identical mounting method, as the arm fits into the mounting cutouts into which the older arm fit. To complete the retro theme, I tried the arm/cartridge combination on a vintage Luxman PD-121 direct-drive turntable. The combined arm/cartridge resonant frequency turned out to be in the ideal range of 9.6Hz.  Once properly aligned, and with the tracking force adjusted to the recommended 1.8 grams, the setup looked outstanding. Keeping everything in the SME vein precluded use of the Ortofon headshell that will now be put to good use in one of my other turntables.

I evaluated the MC 20 Super with a PS Audio GPCH phonostage that’s modified with a full range of Cullen Circuits upgrades. While Ortofon recommends loading the cartridge with greater than 10 ohms, 100 ohms yielded the best results in my system. Anything less proved too bright and dulled transient attack.

Slight Break-In Required

Initially, the sound tilted toward bright and steely, so I put about 30 hours on the cartridge before settling down to critically listen. After the MC 20 Super traced its way through a handful of albums, the sound significantly smoothed out and took on a much more engaging character.

Pure Pleasure’s recently released reissue of Keb’ Mo’s Peace, Back By Popular Demand proved a new joy to hear. The singer/guitarist’s cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” showed off two of the Ortofon’s biggest strengths: bass attack and dynamics. The bass drum boasted a “punch you in the chest” quality while the percussive wood block appeared in the soundstage with a sudden “crack.” Vocals were unstrained, very natural sounding, and without the bloat that many budget MC cartridges instill in the interest of providing a warm presentation.

Next, to get a better feel for the acoustic performance, I tried the first Gateway recording by John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, and Jack DeJohnette. During “Back-Woods Song,” Holland’s bass lines were clearly delineated while DeJohnette’s busy, melodic drumming remained punchy on the snare and shimmering  and airy on the cymbals. At once ethereal and biting, Abercrombie’s guitar floated above the rhythm section. On “Waiting,” the cymbal attacks were fast and ideally detailed, and the stand-up bass full and resonant. I immediately forgot about the cartridge and enjoyed the music.

To increase the torture test and find out how the MC 20 Super would reproduce a full orchestra, I chose Sir Adrian Boult conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s performance of Elgar’s Falstaff-Symphonic Study on EMI/Odeon. Here, the full width and depth of the concert hall revealed itself to scale, providing extremely accurate string sound sans artificial or annoying artifacts—a tough hurdle to jump even with the best cartridges. The realistic swell and ebb of the dynamic peaks is tough to track all the way through, yet posed no problem for the MC 20 Super.

Finally, to get a handle on the Ortofon’s ability to accurately portray vocals, I spun John Coltrane And Johnny  Hartman, one of the most natural vocal recordings ever made. While many listeners use female vocals for evaluation, I believe male vocals are the more difficult of the two for gear to resolve. The Ortofon put Johnny Hartman in the room squarely between the speakers, and without any undue spotlighting. Once again, the all-important mid-bass region remained totally devoid of coloration. In addition to the superb vocal performance, Coltrane’s sax came across as round, breathy, and smooth.

Head of the Class

Competition is fierce once you approach the $1,000 level in phono cartridges, especially considering that there are plenty of great models moving magnet, moving coil, and moving iron cartridges from which to choose. Such cartridges lack the level of refinement and resolution that high-dollar models provide, so musicality rules the day when shopping in this neighborhood. And musicality is what the Ortofon MC 20 Super offers in abundance. Highly recommended.

You can purchase an MC20 Super from The Needle Doctor here…

The Ortofon MC 20 Super Phono Cartridge

MSRP:  $899

Manufacturer Site:  www.ortofon.com

The current version of TONEAudio’s Gear Index is now available for free download.

We admit after 47 issues, that’s a lot of content to go through when you’re looking for
that one review.

Now you can find them all here in one spot.  Take 15 sec to download our PDF, which
has every review, divide by category – revealing the issue that it was originally published.

Click this link to begin the download.

Enjoy!

Whether talking about cars, beer, or sneakers, off-the-beaten-path solutions aren’t necessarily for everyone, no matter how cool they might seem. But this one is rather intriguing.

Ortofon’s SPU moving-coil phono cartridge came to life in 1959, designed by Robert Gundmansen (a 50-year veteran of the Ortofon company) as one of the first stereo phono cartridges. SPU stands for “Stereo Phono Pickup.” The model was also one of the first moving-coil cartridges, and originally intended as a broadcast pickup.

The cartridge’s seductive sound quickly made its way to the era’s audiophiles, and represented a perfect fit for SME and other tonearms utilizing a universal headshell-mounting system. The somewhat low-compliance SPU is heavy (30 grams) and includes an integral headshell comprised of Bakelite.

Eight variations on the design currently exist, and three are mono versions. Most share the conical stylus design of the original SPU, but the $999 model reviewed here is the Classic GM E Mk. II, the only entry in the lineup featuring an elliptical stylus profile. It tracks at a fairly heavy 3.5-5 grams. Load to taste somewhere between 100 and 500 ohms, and keep in mind this vintage beauty only puts out .2mv. Hence, those with 58db phonostages will not be able to make optimum use of the cartridge.

Pick a ‘Table

If you’re thinking this cartridge would combine fabulously with a Technics 1200, you’re partially correct. However, the SPU’s luscious sound is not the best fit for the dark sound produced by the stock SL1200. Swapping the stock arm for an SME 3009 (akin to the one we’ve had rebuilt and rewired by SMEtonearms.com) is the cat’s meow: The arm provides the subtlety required to extract maximum performance from the SPU.

While publisher Jeff Dorgay uses the SPU with a similar SME arm and AVID Volvere SP turntable, Stereophile columnist Art Dudley actually inspired my obsession. His love for many things vintage and tubey parallels my own, and getting more in touch with the sonic essence of the music made for a great recon mission. The SPU grabbed me at first listen; this is indeed a special sound.

Installed in my SL 1200/SME 3009 ‘table, the integral headshell eliminates most of the set-up anxiety, as only azimuth and tracking force need to be set. The best balance of tracking and high-frequency response occurs at 4.1 grams.

When the Shoe Fits

This cartridge will not be for everyone and every record, and unless you live on a steady diet of music from the 50s to the mid-70s, forget about employing it as a solitary cartridge. But that’s what makes the 3009 so enjoyable; cartridge swaps are easy.

The SPU claims a likeable warmth and unmistakable tonality. If you’re on a quest for tonal accuracy, pass, but if it is character you desire, you’ve come to the right place. The cartridge is the antithesis of the current A90, a fantastic performer, for certain, but then again, musical soul isn’t always about high resolution. Think of the music played on many of today’s best MC cartridges as a picture shot with the latest Leica M9 with a badass 50mm Summilux aspherical lens. Music played on the SPU is the same photo taken with a Leica M3 and similarly vintage 50mm lens and Kodachrome.

Do you prefer a crystal clear image with perfect fidelity, or do those tiny color fringes add romance and character? If you fall in the latter camp, the SPU will entice you. The SPU is all about major tonality. Set the conical stylus down on a Jimi Hendrix album and prepare to be blown out of your chair, Maxell style. Hendrix’s guitar oozes so much soul, you can almost feel the grille cloth on his early Marshall cabinets flap. As it is with John Bonham’s bass drum on the first two Led Zeppelin albums; it’s more than just about adding weight to the presentation. The SPU provides a distinctive level of tonal saturation.

The key to successfully enjoying the SPU stems from playing favorite records that have a slightly compressed tonal range. Then, let the SPU do the work. Even some of today’s pressings prove a perfect match for the SPU. If the LP sounds a little flat on your standard cartridge, there’s an excellent chance it will come to life on the SPU. And if that sounds a little like a tone control, so be it.

Both Sides Now

Remember, what the analog gods give, they also take away. Recordings with a ton of dynamic range come off sounding slightly lifeless. Music Matters’ Blue Note pressings, which blast out of the speakers, are more subdued with the SPU, where the older originals really shine. It’s exactly the opposite with a modern, high-performance MC cartridge; vintage discs are less exciting, yet the Music Matters discs explode.

While the SPU’s lower register is a bit under-damped (which can be awesome in the right system), the high-frequency side is smooth and extended. And if you guessed that the elliptical stylus makes for a great tracker, you are correct, even the idea of a little piece of diamond undulating through the groove walls at 4 grams is a bit unnerving.

Mids are where the music is at, and it’s here where the SPU excels. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young’s classic Deja Vu offers great harmonies, and the SPU clarifies their individual voices with gusto. Play to the SPU’s strengths and you might get spoiled for anything else.

Much like a pair of Quad 57s, the SPU does its thing with panache and might be better at painting a warm, musical, soulful picture of your records in a manner no other cartridge can. I’m now anxious to investigate other SPU models to see what they offer.

MSRP: $999

Manufacturer:  www.ortofon.com

Purchase here at Needle Doctor:

Hailing from Perth, Australia, Audiofly designs, manufactures, and markets premium in-ear headphones for discriminating music lovers and musicians.

The company is announcing the availability of its award-winning in-ear headphone product line-up in its home country of Australia. Audiofly will be featuring its “best in class” AF45 headphones at the upcoming Westfield Good Design Exhibition for the Australian International Design Awards. A week long interactive showcase of the latest in innovatively designed products for 2012. The show will be held at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney, August 2-8 2012.

“This year has been quite a journey for the Audiofly team. We launched the company at the International CES show and have had overwhelming success in the U.S. Now we are pleased to be bringing the availability of our products home to Australia,” said Audiofly CEO, Dave Thompson. “We are musicians at heart, and our products are designed with the sound quality standards of a muscian in mind. As a brand, we want to connect with those who resonate with music at a life level.

The Products

There are four Audiofly premium in-ear headphone products: The AF 78 series, AF56 series, AF45 series and the AF33 series.

You can view them all here at their online store…

Audience announces their latest Auricap XO capacitors, premium-quality high-resolution components that are designed to provide superior sound quality.

Ideal for high-end audio components, musical instruments and professional audio equipment, Auricap XO capacitors are the result of rigorous evaluation and testing of every aspect of capacitor design.

“In creating our new Auricap XO capacitors, we reconsidered all of the factors involved in capacitor manufacturing and determined where we could make improvements to create a capacitor with greater sonic transparency,” noted John McDonald, president of Audience. “When used in audio components, XO caps allow listeners to hear farther into the music, and in musical instrument applications like electric guitars, they provide greater clarity and detail and allow more of the inherent sound of the instrument to come through.”

Audience Auricap XO capacitors are made using the highest quality polypropylene film available. The leads are made from Audience Auric OHNO high-purity continuous cast copper wire. Factors such as the amount of tension on the internal windings, baking times, cryogenic treatment and other proprietary procedures have all been optimized through empirical testing and listening evaluations.

These and other proprietary design elements result in a capacitor that acts capacitive to a higher frequency (for a greater effective bandwidth) and provides a lower impedance with lower losses than competitive products. The audible benefits include improved retrieval of low-level musical detail and greatly reduced sonic colorations, noise and microphonics.

More info at the Audience website:

And, stay tuned for a DIY project with the Auricap XO’s.  Staff member Jerold O’Brien and our publisher will be firing up the soldering iron soon…

What can really be said about Bob Dylan that hasn’t already been said by the world’s preeminent music critics?

Nothing, really, so it’s best to focus on the sound of this wonderful Mobile Fidelity release.

As with Beatles records, you’ll either find the stereo releases intriguing or heresy, but even those in the latter camp should get out of their comfort zone and give this version a try—you’ll be pleasantly surprised. While the original Columbia mono release has a certain midrange body absent from the stereo version, this edition comes damn close. And it exceeds the finest original pressings in every other way.

The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan is mostly Dylan, his guitar, and harp alone in a recording studio. Because this is the stereo mix, the harp does sound larger than life, and from time to time, the engineers’ panning creeps into the presentation. But who cares? What’s truly amazing is that the master tape is still in such good shape. MoFi removes so many layers of sonic crud here, there’s no need to try and seek out an early Columbia pressing.  This is the definitive rendition. And there’s another bonus: the newfound air and detail showcases Dylan’s skillful guitar playing.

Throughout, the record combines every molecule of Dylan’s unique intonation with a perfect blend of natural room decay and judicious reverb, conveying a delicacy that fools you into thinking the man is sitting on a stool in between your speakers. Playback on my newly rebuilt Quad 57s is simply stunning.

You can sum this record up with two words: “clarity” and “quiet.”  Josh Bizar at Music Direct (the parent company that owns MoFi) recently mentioned that the firm spent a “pile of money” upgrading the mastering chain at MoFi. So, add another word to the summation: “WOW.”  Dylan records have never been praised for their fidelity, but if this one doesn’t grab you immediately, have someone check your pulse.

Cary Audio has just introduced their HH-1 headphone amplifier, which is a hybrid design, offering the best performance of both tube and solid-state circuits where they can be utilized to their greatest advantage. Tubes make their best contribution to the overall sound when used in the input stage and they use a pair of 6DJ8 tubes (one per channel). The output stage is a single-ended current-sourced MOSFET working in Class A at all times.

As in all Cary Audio products, much thought has gone into the power supply, which has a major impact on the sound quality and reliability. In the HH-1, the power supply is fully regulated for lowest possible noise, including the power supply for the tube heaters, and it uses a high performance audio grade toroidal transformer.

Cary Audio president Billy Wright comments: “We realize how important excellent headphones are to many audiophiles, and made a concerted effort to develop a truly world-class headphone amplifier in a very compact form. By using the best qualities of both tubes and solid-state, we have come up with a dedicated headphone amplifier whose performance rivals that of our famous CAD-300SEI tube integrated amp, considered by many to be among the very best amplifiers in the world. We’re very excited to introduce this new headphone amplifier and establish Cary Audio as a leader in this new market.”

The American-made HH-1 hybrid headphone amplifier will begin shipping on July 30, 2012.

www.caryaudio.com

Weight:  10 lbs.

Dimensions:  14.5” L x 8.5” W x 4” H

Retail Price:  $1,595

Spinning Jaco Pastorius at 45RPM rules.

Originally produced in 1976, arguably when records pressed at Columbia were at their sonic worst, this record now finds its volatile tracks split onto a pair of LPs. What a difference.

Released at the beginning of the instrumentalist’s tenure with Weather Report, the record includes heavy hitters Lenny White, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter, to name a few. The mix is not straight-ahead jazz, but it’s not fully locked into fusion, either. Some pieces sound like they could have been culled from the outtakes of Hancock’s Blow Up sessions. Beginning with the only cover tune on the list – Miles Davis’ “Donna Lee,”  Pastorius takes the lead on bass as Don Alias is his sole accompaniment on congas.  The congas, which sound horribly flat on the original, come alive on this 45 r.p.m. masterpiece, floating around the middle of the soundstage, setting the tone for what lies in store on the rest of the record.

Track four, “Continuum” is much more spacey and free form, the foundation of the sound Pastorius goes on to create with Weather Report, with loose drumming and gentle Fender Rhoads riffs in the background.  While this record contains a handful of stylistic changes, Pastorius’ mastery of the bass guitar is consistent throughout.

Bernie Grundman takes the production helm here and fully utilizes his lifetime of jazz-related experience to give this masterpiece the attention it deserves. Pastorius’ bass is finely depicted, his parts effortlessly gliding through the soundstage. Hancock’s piano soars, liberated from the sonic grunge of the original. My speakers can barely contain this record!

Note: To naysayers claiming today’s remasters lack the vitality of the original recordings, grab this record now and await pleasant discoveries.

Click here to purchase this album at Music Direct.

Recorded in December of 1980 at San Francisco’s Warfield Theater, these three mega guitarists convened to create one of history’s most memorable acoustic-guitar records.

Five of the seven tracks are duos, and the final two feature the trio. Bernie Grundman, the original mastering engineer, returns for remastering duties on this sweet ORG pressing. All the compression in my 1A original is swept away; spreading the music over two discs yields myriad benefits.

If there was ever an acoustic disc that encourages you to crank the volume, this is it. When the applause swells up at the end of songs, it’s easy to close your eyes and be transported to that magical winter evening. Every nuance gets captured; every toe tap, every whack of the guitar body comes alive, and if your system is up to snuff, these guys sound as if they are right in the room. You can almost hear the guitar strings picking up weight as they become coated with sweat as the performance progresses.

The most exciting aspect of this recording, now restored to full brilliance? A toss-up between the rapid attack of the players’ blazing speed and the low-level detail in the quietest passages. It’s a shame unreleased material couldn’t be included; this legendary evening begs for bonus tracks.

Put those Patricia Barber and Eva Cassidy albums away, and give something else a try.

For those unwilling to forgo female vocalists as part of their audiophile heaven, Priscilla Ahn’s debut is a good way to expand your repertoire.

Issuing the album on LP for the first time, Mobile Fidelity strips away the merciless compression present on the CD and leaves Ahn unsquashed. The perky, Pokemon-esque singer paints a rosy soundscape, with arrangements often resembling those of It’s a Beautiful Day. Ahn’s purity of tone and delicate phrasing should make vocal aficionados swoon, and while the top end crushes that of the digital version, it’s still slightly on the hot side. This one will undoubtedly score more points with the vintage tube crowd than those that own ultra-resolving systems.

Another bonus: The pressing includes three bonus tracks not on the original CD.  Keeping in character with the rest of the album, yet more sparsely arranged, they possess fairly little dynamic range, allowing seven tracks to fit on a side without compromising fidelity.

Click here to purchase from Music Direct.

A common view among some more senior digital audiophiles (those that remember the CD spinners of the 90s) is that newer delta-sigma (single bit) chips can’t reproduce the rhythmic impact and dynamics of their multi-bit forerunners.

Mention multi-bit in the right company and words such as ‘analogue’ and ‘smooth’ get bandied around.  A surge in delta-sigma implementations means that such multi-bit DACs are beginning to fade from mainstream consciousness.  Whilst the audible magic isn’t just in the chip itself – there’s power supply and output stage to consider – there might be some truth to the superior ‘rightness’ to DACs that sport, say, a Philips TDA1541 or a Burr-Brown PCM1704.

A New Player in the Digital Arena

Kowloon-based Audio-gd might be new to some readers. They are one of several emerging Chinese manufacturers who have taken the slow boat to reputation building.  The design ethos of chief engineer He Qinghua (“Kingwa”) is empathically ‘old-school’.  Pop the lid on any one of his products and you’ll be exposed to the work of man obsessed with power supply quality.  He’s also a keen proponent of the decoding chips of yesteryear.  Texas Instruments’ PCM1704 forms the nexus of his higher-end (<US$2000) designs.  Despite a brief flirtation with ESS Sabre models, Audio-gd’s cheaper DACs (<US$1000) rotate around a Wolfson WM8741 axis.

Audio-gd’s (8 x PCM1704) flagship Reference 7.1 DAC still wows with snap-attack micro-dynamics and tonal beauty; something that often eludes many delta-sigma designs, especially at sub-$1000 price points.  Delta-sigma chips are presumably chosen by manufacturers for their lower production-cost impact and on-silicon extras (e.g. up-sampling, filtering, volume control).  Audio-gd has infiltrated this space also. In Australia at least, Kingwa’s NFB-2.x has long been seen as the go-to digital decoder for five hundred bucks.  A crown that has only been recently challenged by Schiit’s Bifrost.

The Reference 10.2 DAC/head-amp/pre-amp is new for 2012. It runs with four slabs of PCM1704 multi-bit silicon. Two per channel for a fully balanced topology.  Right off the bat, this unit’s panache with pace, timing and rich tonal colours (as per the Reference 7.1) is easy to pick. However, with an absence of (fixed) line-out connectors, pre-amplifier and DAC stages are fully inter-twined to feed *variable* single-ended or balanced outputs as well as Audio-gd’s own current-domain ACSS connectivity.

A switch on the rear allows the use to specify linear (70 steps) or exponential (99 steps) volume attenuation as well as volume setting memory; useful if you have sources of varying loudness.  The pre-amplifier adds a maximum of 13db gain with 0db points are located at 46 (out of 70) or 65 (out of 100); useful for running in DAC-only mode.

The brushed aluminium chassis is as deep as it is wide, rounded corners being the only aesthetic concession to lift it beyond the rudimentary. You’re not paying for exotic casework here.  Neither are you paying for a deluxe remote control – it’s a fairly standard aluminium billet. Peeking inside: an R-core transformer feeds each of the three fenced-off subsections: left channel, right channel and digital (which bowls down the middle). The Altera Cyclone II chip handles digital filtering (“DSP-1, Version 5”), data re-clocking and – therefore – jitter minimisation. Connected to this CPU-esque square are jumpers for setting over-sampling options (2x, 4x, 8x or NOS).  A DIR9001 receiver board handles S/DPIF inputs of up to 24/96 but the TE8802 receiver board from Tenor is the new star of the digital input show: it’s asynchronous, USB Audio Class 2.0 and handles up to 24/192 – but drivers for both OS X and Windows are a must. Prior to installation on a Snow Leopard-y 2010 MacMini audio consistently crapped out after 10 seconds of playback, Once installed, audio ran seamlessly from both the aforementioned MacMini and 2011 MacBook Air (Lion)

Multiple Inputs

All too often with boxes like this USB ends up playing second fiddle to a good quality S/PDIF feed. For many multi-input DACs even a modest USB-S/SDIF convertor will best the sound quality of the in-built USB port can muster.  Improvements usually present as a more effortless presentation and less evidence of ash-tray grey in the treble.  Whilst the Reference 10.2 is no exception, the Tenor board is a sign that in-built USB (done right) can get close to its neighbouring S/PDIF input. In a broader sense it’s encouraging to see a manufacturer taking USB seriously.

However, end users of even this Audio-gd unit are still advised to go with a good USB-S/PDIF convertor if they want to drag the VERY best from their source PC/Mac. In my listening tests either a JKSPDIF MK3 and Empirical Audio Synchro-Mesh were required to juice the most vivid presentations of Lampchop’s Mr. M from MacMini and Squeezebox Touch respectively.  Both set-ups bested the Tenor USB implementation with jumpier micro-dynamics and broader believability.

My world vs your world. With a fresh copy of Music On Vinyl’s 180gm re-issue of Bowie’s Heathen on the turntable, a digital vs vinyl stand-off was set. Could the analogue-fancier’s favourite DAC chip hold a candle to a most modest vinyl rig (Ortofon Blue + Rega RP1 + PSAudio GCPH)? The latter was hooked into the first of two line single-ended inputs on the rear of the Audio-gd.  An Empirical Audio Synchro-Mesh and Squeezebox man-handled the FLAC rip.  Chris Sommovigo’s Black Cat Morpheus interconnect and Silverstar digital interconnect stitched it all together.
The digital take on opener “Sunday” is emphatically more dynamic, wider of staging and more three dimensional.  Conclusive winner? Not quite. On vinyl, this emotionally-detached Bowie album comes across as softer and more supple of musical joint. The Audio-gd pre-amplification injects a soupçon of effervescence into the RP1, which can at times sound top-end-neuterered when heading source-direct into the Audio EL34 amplifier.  Think Audion single malt with a squirt of Audio-gd soda.

Comparisons

What about digital vs digital in the headphone space?  As a standalone DAC/head-amp, the CEntrance DACMiniPX’s sound is shinier, more chrome-polished than the Chinese unit.  The American serves up more room ambience and transients run with more bite.  The Audio-gd doesn’t wear such flashy pants.  Instead, it takes the listener by the hand through darker, smokier rooms. That’s not to say it is at vague with detail retrieval.  It isn’t.  Typical of other multi-bit/delta-sigma DAC showdowns, the Audio-gd is more unassuming; it doesn’t shout about what it’s found.  Quick-switch A/B comparisons between CEntrance and Audio-gd might lead the more impatient listener to favour the former.  The Audio-gd demands more time – only after several weeks of listening do it talents begin to unfurl. Think of the darkest chocolate demanding a more mature palette for better appreciation of its higher cocoa (and less sugar) content.

Working as a standalone decoder, the DACMiniPX line-out was then lassoed to the second line input of the Audio-gd DAC/Pre-amp. A predictable sonic half-way house was reached: the DAC detail sparkle of the American mixed infused with the richer-flavoured Chinese headphone stage.  Kingwa’s power supply delineation – one R-core for each of channel and one for the digital stage – is exceptional at this price point. This is not not to downplay what Michael Goodman achieves with 19V of switch-mode juice but to marvel at what can be achieved with a dedicated Chinese production facility aiming for a sticker of under US$2K. It’s abundantly clear why both companies have a formidable reputation amongst more seasoned head-fi-ers. I could live with either unit as daily headphone amplifier.  Both handle AKG K-702s with aplomb – something you can’t say about many rival all-in-one units.

Consider the Audio-gd if your current headphone experience borders on the overly-bright or if you want to dig deeper into the mix with a balanced connection. Having said that, the balanced topology of this amplifier means even quarter-inch-ers benefit.  Furthermore, if you’re op-amp reluctant or have cans that are a more challenging drive, the Reference 10.2 could also be for you. This fully discrete headphone stage’s output is specified as furnishing 6000MW into 50 ohm, 3500MW into 100 ohm, 1200MW into 300 ohm and 600 MW into 600 ohm. The Reference 10.2 combines the bleach-clean signature of Audio-gd amplification with the caliginous detail trawl of their top-of-the line DAC. A classic car augmented with go-faster stripes. Sound incongruous? Nope. What we hear is neutrality that’s not tainted by synthetic glare. A digital swiss-army-knife front-end that sounds anything but artificial.

It’s easy to be impressed with trophy hifi. Or showroom demo theatrics. Audio-gd won’t allow for either. I’ve yet to hear a multi-bit-chipped DAC that I didn’t enjoy.  With knockout power regulation as much a part of the recipe, the Reference 10.2 is no exception. It gently nods to the empirical rumblings and ramblings of old timers. That Kingwa can bundle in fully-balanced preamplifier and headphone amplifier for less than $2k renders this black box a serious contender from the fringes of mainstream choices.  If you can live with the prosaic casework and have no need for home theatre bypass it offers a genuine alternative to the ESS Sabre-chipped offerings. Furthermore, Audio-gd’s promotional copy is free from unfulfillable jitter-destruction promises.  It puts its sound where its promotional mouth should be and it scores pretty much every time you listen.  -John Darko

Pub Note:  For more of John Darko’s insightful audio reviews, visit his site – Digital Audio Review

The Audio-Gd Reference 10.2

MSRP:  $1,850 (USD)

Manufacturers Information:

www.audio-gd.com

Peripherals

2010 MacMini / 2011 Macbook AirSqueezebox TouchEmpirical Audio Synchro-MeshJKSPDIF MK3Rega RP1PSAudio GCPHAudion EL34 Sterling power amplifierCEntrance DACMiniPXZu Omen bookshelvesProAc Tablette Reference 8AKG K-702

Cabling

Black Cat Silverstar digital interconnectBlack Cat Morpheus interconnectGrave Science speaker cableQED USB cable

If you’re an automotive enthusiast, chances are you’ve had a car or two that you’ve always regretted selling. Hifi enthusiasts often face the same dilemma.

For me, it was always getting rid of my Quad 57’s (problem solved recently) and the Aleph 3 from Pass Labs.  A one owner model made it’s way to me and I couldn’t be more excited.

A 30 watt per channel (into 8-ohms) amplifier, the Aleph3 is fully biased Class-A and is a single ended design, just like your favorite SET tube amplifier.  The result is that single ended smoothness you get from a 300B amplifier, because the output transistors never shut off and there is no crossover distortion.  The Aleph sounds spookily like the best 300B you’ve ever heard, with major bass control and no problems driving a complex speaker load – welcome the Quad 57s. Remember, Class-A means hot. Give the Aleph 3 plenty of ventilation – as much as you would a tube amplifier.

This amplifier is bulletproof with no bias adjustments needed, so if you’ve got a clean one, hang on to it and enjoy it.  A quick call to Pass Labs service department confirms they are seeing no particular mortality on any of the components, including the power supply electrolytics. If you do have an Aleph that requiring service, the necessary parts are in stock and they can be easily repaired. As Kurt Doslu at Echo Audio likes to say, “Just don’t play catch with it!”

For those interested, you can read Stereophile’s original review of  the Aleph 3 here.  It certainly convinced me to buy one!

Stay tuned as we continue to build sound room 2.  We are almost sorted with the addition of the Aleph 3.

Recognizing the importance of music streaming to today’s tech-savvy consumers, Onkyo has added streaming capabilities to its remote control apps for iPod Touch/iPhone and Android/Kindle platforms, and introduced a USB Bluetooth adaptor that provides similar capabilities through a hardware gateway.

The upgraded Onkyo Remote 2 App for iPod and iPhone allows users to stream music stored on their iPod Touch or iPhone directly to Onkyo’s 2012 model networked receivers through their wireless home network. Streaming through this app is done at CD Quality, 44.1/16bit rates and supports Track name, Album name, Artist name, Album Art and Time Data. The improved Onkyo Remote App for Android now supports streaming music directly from the Kindle Fire. In addition, these new apps were also improved to manage remote zone functions and support music playback in these zones.

Onkyo is also shipping its UBT-1 Bluetooth USB Adapter, which will allow Bluetooth enabled wireless phones, tablets and other devices to stream music to Onkyo’s 2012 network receivers

The Onkyo UBT-1 adapter is configured with CSR’s aptX™ compression reduction codec which restores the natural dynamic range to audio files. It provides a remarkably flat frequency response over a 10-Hz to 22-kHz bandwidth, a dynamic range of 92 dB, and algorithmic delay of less than 1.89ms. It also uses the latest Bluetooth version 3.0 with improved audio bandwidth capability to deliver sound quality approaching that of compact disc.

The Onkyo UBT-1, which is similar in size to a USB flash drive, plugs into the front USB port of a 2012 Onkyo Network receiver (models TX-NR414 and higher). Once the adapter finds a Bluetooth pairing with the wireless device, all the user has to do is hit ‘play’ on their music software. The adapter supports the AAC file format. Control functions include Auto Power-On and Direct Input Change function on hybrid standby status.

These free improved Remote Control Apps will be available at the end of the month from the Apple App Store, Google Play and Amazon App Store for Android as well as via links at www.onkyousa.com. Follow Onkyo USA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OnkyoUSA for the latest status updates.

The Onkyo UBT-1 Bluetooth USB Adapter is now available with a suggested retail price of $59.

Mobile Fidelity continues their streak of Elvis Costello classics with Imperial Bedroom.

Hitting the charts in the summer of 1982, Imperial Bedroom marked what would eventually be only one of the many turns Costello’s career would take. The twang of Blue now put to bed, Costello returns to the pop side of the fence, yet former producer Nick Lowe is absent on this record.  Turning to Geoff Emerick as producer and engineer, Imperial Bedroom takes a spin towards the Beatle-esq, with a wider range of orchestration and a few longer tracks peppering his standard faire of short, quirky pop songs.

Whether the allusion to a husband’s affair in “A Long Honeymoon,” affirmation of nervous love pervading “Man Out of Time,” or spousal abuse in “A Boy With a Problem,” don’t let Costello’s smooth tone fool you.  Beneath the smoky melodies an angst-ridden world still lurks.

Sonically, this record is an analog triumph.  The benefit of the using original mastertape is immediately evident. The MoFi album possesses a world of width and depth that is virtually nonexistent on the original US and UK pressings.  Where the cymbals are truncated in tone and dynamics on the Columbia version, they now fade to infinity, sounding much livelier.

Costello’s voice has a warm, throaty, reverb laden body throughout and audiophiles seeking the “pinpoint imaging” effect will enjoy the MoFi treatment of this classic, whether through their speakers or headphones. Now full of uncovered low level detail,   this version of Imperial Bedroom is destined to become a major hit with headphone listeners.

Be warned, there is so much new information on this record, ADHD audiophiles may freak out; the real standout is the liberation of Steve Nieve’s keyboard playing. Buried in the original mix like Michael Anthony’s bass lines on an early Van Halen record, it’s far easier to understand his contribution to the overall sound. His varied keyboard riffs are a great addition to the overall sound.

Often it is argued that todays remastered records rarely reach the level of excellence that the early original pressings do.  In this case, MoFi has exceeded the original in every way – the increase in clarity emphasizes the genius present on both sides of the mixing console.

You can purchase this album from Music Direct here.

Gavin Fish, of Audio Evo fame, has embarked on a project to build a free directory for all things audiophile; a personal project dedicated to creating the most comprehensive directory of the world’s high-end audio companies.

With the help of an army of e-volunteers, Gavin hopes to maintain an up-to-date directory that will become a useful tool for high-end companies and audiophiles like.

Forgot to pack the directory from the last audio show you visited?  Chances are in a few months, it will be here.

Gavin Fish announced on July 13 the launch of the Audiophile Directory Project: a personal project dedicated to creating the most comprehensive directory of the world’s high-end audio companies.

You can peruse it here:

In a world of five-figure phono cartridges, a serious audio aficionado might pass on the Denon DL-103R because it’s too inexpensive. Wrong decision.

They’d be missing out on one of the high-end’s best bargains. A decent moving-coil cartridge for $379? Heck, a decent cartridge for $379? Yes and yes. If you love analog, the DL-103R is a cartridge you should not be without. First introduced for broadcast use in the early 60s, it brought a new level of detail to analog playback.

The DL-103R has always used a spherical stylus and boasts a relatively low output of .25mv. It’s also undergone constant refinement over the years, with the current model featuring 6N copper coils.

Simple Setup

Unlike some others in the Denon line, the DL-103R is a low-compliance cartridge, which makes it easier to implement in most of today’s tonearms. The conical stylus profile aids with the DL-103R’s easy setup; it’s not at all fussy. While the .25mv output didn’t pose a problem for any of the phono cartridges I had on hand, double check that your phonostage has at least 60db of gain—a little more won’t hurt. DecWare’s newest step-up transformer proved a perfect match for the Denon, should you not want to add another box with a power cord. Just be sure to tell DecWare what cartridge you are using so the company can optimize the transformer for the 103. And per Denon’s spec sheet, 100 ohms proved the optimum loading point for a conventional moving-coil preamplifier.

A quick listen with the Rega RP-1 resulted in an amazing budget analog setup that wasn’t crazy money. Stepping up to the P3-24 offered greater resolution across the tonal spectrum, and more bass weight. However, I did most critical listening via the Triplanar VII mated to the new AVID Volvere SP. And no, this cartridge was not the least bit embarrassed by an $11,000 table/arm combination.

A Touch Too Much

With virtually every bit of new vinyl being pressed from digital masters, most LPs are too hot in the upper registers and sound rather CD-like. If you’ve just scored a new turntable, and listening to some of your favorite recordings on LP leaves you a little bit cold, this cartridge is the answer. The DL-103R possesses a tonal balance that’s ever so slightly on the warm/romantic side, giving everything you spin a little extra bump of tonal richness.

Granted, the cartridge didn’t have enough richness to overcome the inherent brightness of the new 12” maxi single of C-Low Green’s “F**k You!,” but it went a long way at making the hit song much more listenable. But it worked wonders on the Twilight Singers’ Dynamite Steps (reviewed by editor Bob Gendron, last issue). The record is the perfect example of an album comprised of brilliant music with a bit too much ProTools in the final mix. Play it back with the SoundSmith Sussurro Paua cartridge—which reveals way too much detail for this particular record—and you will be running for the Tylenol bottle; it’s sure to give you a headache. Yet the warm midrange magic that the DL-103 brings to the sonic picture tames the beast and allows actual engagement.

With so many classic albums from the 60s and 70s being re-pressed—albeit rarely from the original analog tapes—the “new vinyl sound” isn’t always warm and magic like it was in the 60s. Moreover, many such records were knocked out with little care invested in the original production. So, as much as you might think everything wine and roses from analog’s early days, the dirty truth is that a lot of these records need a little help—and the Denon DL-103R is just the cartridge to provide assistance. Recently remastered pressings of VanDerGraaf Generator’s The Aerosol Grey Machine and the Tangerine Zoo’s Outside Looking In are both older albums that, while pressed on vinyl, retain a decidedly digital edge. The DL-103R also made a number of my favorite 70s MoFi records more enjoyable and my Nautilus pressings listenable.

Posh Performance

The biggest surprise came when using the DL-103R with the Rega P9 or AVID Volvere. I wasn’t prepared for how much performance was lurking! A more stable platform allowed the DL-103R to show off its much more solid bass performance and imaging abilities. The AVID/Triplanar combination extracted the maximum from the cartridge, throwing a large soundfield well beyond my speaker boundaries. When using this ‘table in System Two (C-J tube electronics, B&W 805D speakers), I easily fooled some of my audiophile cronies into thinking that a much more expensive cartridge was at work.

Forgiveness

“Forgiving” is the word that best describes the DL-103R. It won’t retrieve that last bit of minute detail from meticulously recorded albums; that will cost you $3–$10k. But, what it will do is give average records in your collection a new lease on life. The Denon DL-103R is one of the few components I’ve experienced that truly serves two masters. In more modest turntables (Rega P3, SL1200, etc.), it goes a long way at making up for the shortcomings of low-budget records. Yet it also performs incredibly well in fairly expensive turntables.

While the best pressings in the analog domain seemingly join the endangered species list on a daily basis, there are still plenty of acceptable LPs to be had in the $3-$6 range—a perfect place to build a music collection without breaking the bank. Whether you use the Denon DL-103R as a primary or secondary cartridge, I guarantee you will enjoy it.

Denon DL-103R

www.denon.com

Peripherals

Turntables                  AVID Volvere SE/SME 309, AVID Volvere SE/TriPlanar, Rega P9/RB1000

Phonostage               Audio Research PH8

Preamplifier              Conrad-Johnson PV-12 (upgraded to current status)

Power Amplifier       Conrad-Johnson MV-50 (upgraded to current status)

Speakers                     B&W 802 Diamond

Cable                           Cardas Clear

Shelter is no stranger to the audiophile world, with their 501 and 90x cartridges winning their fair share of awards along the way.

Having owned both, the 501 is always a top choice for those wanting a big taste of analog magic, with a healthy dose of tonal warmth thrown into the presentation – it’s a cartridge that makes even average records sound better than they should at times.  The 901 was always a red headed stepchild, having more detail albeit at the cost of that wonderful midrange magic that the 501 has.  For those with a larger budget, the 90x was an excellent fusion of both cartridges, offering wonderful tonal contrast with extension.

We were all very curious to sample the 7000 and 9000 to see what the next generation would provide.  If you were a fan of the 90x, chances are good you will enjoy the 9000 even more. At $4,195, the price of the Shelter 9000 has gone up substantially since its introduction at an even $3,000, with the 90x tipping the scale at about $2,800.

Setup

Though the 9000 spent a little bit of time on the Rega P3-24 to get some hours on the clock, it was definitely overkill for this table.  It is an excellent match with the Continuum, the TW Acustic Raven Two, and finally landing on the Oracle Delphi V with Rega RB1000 tonearm.

The 9000 weighs about 11 grams, so it will work well with most counterweights, though some arms may require a heavier weight.  The RB1000 was at the limit of its adjustment range with the stock weight, upgrading to the heavier tungsten weight proved better. With a suggested loading of 100 ohms, the 9000 works well with both active and transformer based phonostages.  The .6mv output should work well even with MC phonostages of modest gain and still provide maximum dynamic range.  Suggested tracking force is a range of 1.4 – 2.0 grams and 1.9 proved optimum in the RB1000 arm.

A Lively Dance Partner

The 9000 turns in an excellent performance with the SME 309 arm as well, proving livelier through the midband, with more air in the upper registers when paired with the Rega arm – both on the Raven and also on the Rega P9 (a 2mm spacer is required here).  However, the best balance from top to bottom was with the RB1000 arm mounted to the Oracle Delphi V, the inherent speed of the Oracle a perfect match for this cartridge.

Slightly grainier and smaller in scale than my reference Dynavector XV-1s, the 9000 is an excellent performer for about $1,500 less – so that’s a call only you can make.  The 9000 also renders an extremely quiet background, minimizing surface noise, much the way the Koetsu cartridges do.

The Shelter 9000 offers more resolution than previous models, yet gives up none of the tonal richness in the process – an across the board improvement.  It’s even finished in a cooler color, a nice shade of platinum silver versus the stark black that used to grace Shelter bodies.

A side by side comparison using identical SME 309 arms on the Raven reveals the 9000 to be the champion in high end extension – but a cleaner, faster midbass response as well.  The opening bass riff on “Woman in Chains” from Tears for Fears Sowing the Seeds of Love, has more attack and much less bloat when the 9000 is engaged.  Switching back to the 90x, sounds slow in comparison with the triangle playing in the background is lacking in sparkle and presence.  Throughout the album, the layered backing vocals also take on more of a distinct space, adding to the three dimensional illusion.

Much as I love the 90x, it still has some of the upper bass bloat that makes the 501 so romantic and on many levels, enjoyable – especially with less than outstanding recordings.  Should you enjoy that bump and perhaps mistake it for actual bass response, a quick romp through a few bass heavy tracks will reveal not only more extension but again more texture.  Jaco Pastorius’ “Ocus Pocus,” from his self titled album works well here – trying to follow his lightning fast fretwork on the bass is a torture test for any cartridge and again the 9000 is the clear winner.

The analog front end is a system and while the SME/Raven combination was very good, the RB1000/Oracle proved a bit more lively and to my liking. The former combination is weightier, while the latter somewhat more nimble – favoring highly dense recordings, with only slightly less bass “oomph.”

Tonal balance is excellent and the overall presentation of the Shelter 9000 still more forward than my Koetsu RSP or Dynavector XV-1s.  Of course some of this can be tempered by your overall system balance and choice of phonostage.

A worthy successor

The Shelter 9000 passes muster quite well indeed.  Tonally, it is very neutral, offering a big helping of what the cost no object phono cartridges offer for a more reasonable price – though many might think $4,195 is still crazy money for a phono cartridge.

If you’ve been a Shelter fan for years and ready to trade up, the 9000 will make you feel right at home in a way that trading up to a slightly newer model of Porsche or BMW would.  Everything is similar to the old model, but the refinements make themselves obvious after the first few miles.

For those new to Shelter, I would highly suggest this cartridge to anyone with an overall system balance from laid back to neutral, perhaps even slightly forward, but should your system already be somewhat forward, the 9000 may be too revealing.

Ultimately, this cartridge is an excellent performer and is certainly on par with the level of music it reveals in comparison to comparably priced offerings from other manufacturers.

This review was originally featured in TONEAudio #16.

The Shelter 9000 Phono Cartridge
MSRP:  $4,195

Manufacturers Info

www.axissaudio.com

Peripherals

Preamplifier                            Conrad Johnson ACT2/series 2

Phono Preamplifiers               Nagra VPS, Audio Research PH7

Turntables                               TK Acustic Raven Two w/SME IV.Vi arm and Rega

RB1000 arm, Rega P9 w/RB1000 arm, Oracle Delphi V w/RB1000 arm, Continuum Criterion w/Copperhead arm

Power Amplifier                     Conrad Johnson Premier 350

Speakers                                  MartinLogan Summit with Descent i subwoofer

Interconnects                          Cardas Golden Reference, AudioQuest Sub 3

Speaker Cables                        Shunyata Orion

Power Conditioning                Running Springs Dimitri and Jaco