Choose from the Audes Orpheus and the Reference 3A Episode

Transcription

No. 88 CAN $6.49 / US $7.69
RETURN LABELS ONLY
OF UNDELIVERED COPIES TO:
Box 65085, Place Longueuil,
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Printed in Canada
YOUR LAST LOUDSPEAKER? Choose from
the Audes Orpheus and the Reference 3A
Episode, right here on our cover
MORE REVIEWS: A four-box digital player
from Cyrus, an affordable DAC from
Cambridge, two phono stages from Blue
Circle, and lots more
PLUS: Buying super high-resolution music
to play from your hard drive, five decades
(nearly) of 007, and Paul Bergman on the
enigma of one-microphone “stereo”
ISSN 0847-1851
Canadian Publication Sales
Product Agreement
No. 40065638
Feature
Hi-Res Music on DVD-R
Reference Recordings offers you a copy of its
master recordings on HRx discs. And they’re not
alone. How good do they sound on your gear?
26
The Listening Room
Issue No. 88
Reference 3A Episode
Reference 3A’s wonderful Royal Virtuoso
loudspeaker grows up…all the way down to the
ground
30
Audes Orpheus
A one-time supplier to the Red Army takes on the
loudspeaker state of the art
34
A Two-Box Player From Cyrus
Actually, it’s a four-box player. And it has room for
your computer to join the party
38
Cambridge DACMagic
There are new reasons to get a standalone DAC,
but can you buy a good one at this price?
42
Blue Circle Fon Lo Thingee
44
They may look like Blue Circle’s “Thingee”
computer link, but they’re as analog as they can be
Cover story: Two upscale loudspeakers reviewed in
this issue. The black one is the Audes Orpheus, from
Estonia. The lighter one is the Reference 3A Episode,
from Canada. In the background, an early winter
scene.
AblePlanet Headphones
Most noise-cancelling phones are two notches
below dreadful. Can you get good ones on a
budget?
50
The Bond Franchise
Looking back on the highs and lows of 007 over
nearly a half century
18
22
61
The Music of Bond
68
Music can make or break a film, and the producers of the
Bond films figured this out a long time ago
Software Reviews
by Gerard Rejskind and Albert Simon
Nuts&Bolts
Remembering Stereo
by Paul Bergman
Not that stereo is gone, exactly, but what does it
really mean today?
48
Software
Cinema
Apple’s “Hobby”
The Apple TV does jaw-dropping demos, but its
shortcomings can make you crazy
Two BIS Cables
Analog and USB wiring from BIS Audio
71
Departments
Editorial
Feedback
Free Advice
Gossip & News
State of the Art
4
7
8
77
82
ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine    3    
UHF Magazine No. 87 was published in December, 2009.
All contents are copyright 2009 by Broadcast Canada. They
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4   ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine
Editorial
The Audiophile Boutique
Our on-line catalog might seem peripheral to our magazine itself, since our
raison d’être is information. However it is difficult to finance an independent
magazine like UHF purely on advertising, and that was true even before the
recent economic meltdown. We actually started our first store in 1988, offering a single record label and nothing else.
But back to The Audiophile Boutique (www.audiophileboutique.com). Its
original mission was to sell brand new but discontinued gear. When we set it
up we (well, actually, I) made a serious error. Though the site had a “who we
are” link, the Boutique was not visibly identified as a part of UHF. We tried
to put a healthy distance between it and the editorial side, and it backfired.
Why? Because “branding” (that familiar modern buzzword) is the key to
success. UHF has a hard-won reputation for reliability and neutrality, and
we had chosen to discard that advantage.
We have begun correcting the error. The familiar UHF logo is now on
every page of the Boutique. Of course it and The Audiophile Store share a
shopping cart, and you can mix and match orders from both sites. The process
of unification will continue. We have now added brand new non-discontinued
products, such as Thorens turntables, Goldring phono cartridges, and Moon
phono preamplifiers. Still available are the upscale electronics from Van den
Hul and tube headphone amps. As we have done since the inauguration of
the original Audiophile Store, we offer nothing we wouldn’t recommend to
our friends (which of course some of our readers are). In some cases, we have
written evaluations in PDF, and not everything in them is a compliment.
Looking for a review? Just Google one…or not
Sources of news may become scarcer because of the Internet (ask any newspaper publisher), but opinions are offered freely. Even in the area of high-end
gear, views are just a search query away.
You’ll forgive me if I don’t include actual URL’s, but I’ve been seeing
opinions of…how to say it? Dubious value? No, that’s too kind.
Just after we had completed our evaluation of one of the Thorens turntables
for our Audiophile Boutique (and we had put it on line, warts and all), we
ran across an extended review of the same model on a supposedly reputable
audiophile site. Only it may not have been the same model, because some of
the stated specs were wrong. The author had bought the model used. It had
been extensively modified, and he remodified it just as extensively before
evaluating it. He then trashed it with colorful language, well salted with
factual misinformation.
And then there are sites where you can read “reviews” by people who
have actually purchased the gear “evaluated.” Since most of them have just
bought the product, they are either (a) delighted (they did choose it, after all),
or (b) angry at having been (in their view) robbed, and ready to lash out. If
you’re looking for perspective, look elsewhere.
Naturally, it’s not only in audio and video that you get on-line opinions in
landfill quantities. Read the political blogs. Or check reader comments after a
political news article on any newspaper site. As with audio “reviews,” you’ll see
extremes, richer in invective than in command of elementary facts or grammar. You won’t come out of it knowing much more than you did before.
It may sound self-serving, but I think UHF still has an important role to
play.
“DOWN WITH THOSE DOG EARS!”
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Feedback
Longueuil, Québec, Canada J4K 5J4
[email protected]
Have you tested the Wadia iTransport Digital iPod Dock? If not, have you
considered it?
J.W.
Surrey, BC
We did consider it, and we have heard it
several times, including with our own iPod
plugged into it. However we now regard
devices like the iTransport as obsolete. Our
reasoning goes like this. You can’t put music
into your iPod without also having it on
your computer. And there are now such
satisfying ways to get music from computer
to music system (see Music Through the
Air in UHF No. 87 and Hi-Res Music on
DVD-R in this issue) that we no longer see a
reason to use the iPod itself as a source.
Over the past several issues you have
reviewed Audio Space products.
I seem to be able to only find one
importer, in the USA, Gini Systems, and
was wondering where you obtained these
products in Canada ?
I am located in Ontario.
Dale Clark
The Canadian importer is Charisma
(www.charismaaudio.com).
I read your review of the Audio Space
Galaxy 34 in UHF No. 87, and I do agree
with several of your findings regarding
the amplifier’s inaccurate instrument
separation. I also share your judgment
that it possesses an exciting sound,
particularly in triode mode.
Please allow me to pose this question
to you. If you were to place a dollar figure
in Canadian or US currency, what other
amplifier would equal its sound quality in
solid-state and tube design? I understand
that other amplifiers may have better
bass or sound-stage.
Namir J.
It may be more than a little unfair to char-
acterize the Galaxy 34 as having “inaccurate
instrument separation,” but we listened
mostly in triode mode, and the available
power was sometimes not quite adequate for
some of our chosen recordings.
That said, we have no short answer
to your question. No amplifier we know
of is perfect, and in any design there are
tradeoffs to be made. Audio Space has gone
for refinement at the expense of power, and
that tradeoff may or may not be right for
you. There are many paths to Heaven. If
we named an amplifier that bests the Audio
Space at something, it may not in fact be
superior in some other way. What we ask
of an amplifier, or indeed an entire system,
is that it get us involved emotionally in the
music. Beyond that, the technology is but a
means to an end.
After reading your review of the
Pioneer BDP-51FD Blu-ray player in
UHF No. 87, I visited the site of Pioneer
Canada. Not finding it listed, I called
four authorized dealers, who all told me
that the BDP-51FD hadn’t been in the
Pioneer catalog for a long time.
Between the time of the test and the
publication of UHF, the BDP-51FD had
time to disappear from the marketplace.
I think UHF should change its name to
VHF (Vintage High Fidelity). It would
be less frustrating for future purchasers
to search for products reviewed in your
magazine.
Michel Viau
VARENNES, QC
Sure, if you believe that it takes a mere six
months for equipment to earn a “vintage”
label. The big companies change models
frequently, as often as every six months, and
there’s nothing we can do about it. That’s
why we seldom review such products, but in
this case we did because we were acquiring it.
On the other hand, we did let readers know
what we thought through our blog…while it
was still current.
Margie’s
back!
And she’s at
The
Audiophile
Store
CDs
LPs
Accessories
Just for you
The
Audiophile Store
begins on
page 53
Free Advice
Longueuil, Québec, Canada J4K 5J4
[email protected]
Feedback
My system has had Totem Hawk
speakers for a number of years, and
they seem pretty good as far as depth,
soundstage and bass go. However, when
listening to symphonic music I get this
niggling sense of an almost binary sound
(i.e. on and off) from midrange versus
treble. I don’t get a really unified sense
of all the instruments at the same time.
Over time that interferes with the enjoyment I get out of my system.
Is this an artifact of a two-way
speaker system, or the crossover timing?
Or have I fooled myself into thinking
this — although I’m sure your expertise
doesn’t go into psychoanalysis. I haven’t
come across this issue in reading audio
mags. If this doesn’t seem like a really
weird complaint, should I be thinking
about an electrostatic speaker or a threeor four-way speaker?
Mike Stulken
NORTH VANCOUVER, BC
We wouldn’t suggest such a radical
(and expensive!) move just yet, Mike,
not until you are able to identify what
is really bothering you. We must admit
that your description doesn’t suggest
anything we’ve run across, but perhaps
we can outline a plan of attack.
Since you don’t mention what system
you are using with the Hawks, we don’t
have much to go on, but try inexpensive
(i.e. free) measures first. In case there’s
some sort of acoustical phenomenon at
work, try altering the speaker placement:
move them forward or back, farther
apart or closer together, perhaps angled
in relation to the wall. Don’t worry about
the decor just yet, because this is merely
an experiment, a “fact-finding trip,” as
politicians like to call their tours of the
Bahamas or Hawaii.
You can also try altering your seating
position. The closer you sit to the speakers, the more you will hear the speakers
themselves rather than the contribution
of the walls, floor and ceiling. Sit close
enough, and you will be experiencing
nearfield listening, which emphasizes
stereo effects.
We’re not sure what you’ll find, but
it’s certain you will hear major changes
in the music, for better or for worse. You
may or may not hit on a placement that
will solve the problem you’ve identified,
but we’re betting you’ll know exactly
what you need to do next.
Is it me or have Castle loudspeakers made a comeback? And yes, they
still have those interesting products.
Can UHF try one of their higher-end
loudspeakers? Why not the very interesting Howard in its current version?
Is it a worthy descendant of the famed
Winchester?
Benoît Labelle
GATINEAU, QC
Well, Castle is sort of back, Benoît,
which is to say that a Chinese company
purchased the name and the designs, and
is producing them again. We reviewed
the new version of the Richmond in
UHF No. 83. It was a disappointment,
not because the new company doesn’t
know what it’s doing, but because Castle
has always produced both gems and
duds.
The Howard was by no means a dud,
and it does look like a somewhat reduced
version of the Winchester (reviewed
with more than customary enthusiasm
in UHF No. 30). The Winchester was
unique, however, and Castle never produced anything like it again.
I own a dCS Puccini player and the
U-Clock. I listen to CD/SACD, and
listen to DVD and Blu-ray using one
of the Puccini digital inputs (connected
with an Atlas Opus cable). This leaves me
with a second SPDIF input and a USB
input on the U-Clock. My amplifier is a
Pass Labs X250.5.
My question is whether I could, without damage, skip the XP10 preamplifier.
The output of the Puccini is 6 V (maximum), with a rated impedance (balanced)
of 3 Ohms, maximum load is 600Ω (a
10kΩ load is recommended) according to
dCS. I don’t really understand the load
recommendation.
Then I have the Pass Labs X250.5
amplifier, for which the input impedance (balanced) is 30 kΩ. Finally, the
XP10: input impedance is 48 kΩ, and
the output (balanced) is 15 V maximum,
impedance 1 KΩ (balanced). Can I safely
try to directly connect the player to the
amplifier? From a theoretical point of
view, which solution is better, taking into
account that I have to use the preamplifier built into the Puccini anyway? Are
two consecutive preamplifiers better
than one?
Philippe Martiat
BRUSSELS, Belgium
We really can’t predict the result,
Philippe, but we can probably clear up
the impedance puzzle well enough.
Most digital players and preamplifiers
have low-impedance outputs, which can
be 600 ohms, and sometimes much less.
Passive preamplifiers are an exception,
often having high-impedance outputs,
but that is considered a problem, not a
feature. However the circuit will sound
best if it is “unloaded,” meaning if the
input of the next product has a much
higher impedance and makes no significant current demand on the upstream
component.
Let’s make the example concrete.
Let’s suppose your preamplifier has a
500 ohm output impedance. If the power
amplifier has an input impedance of
perhaps 30,000 ohms (a typical value),
the preamplifier will “think” it is driving an open circuit, and it won’t have to
work hard. But if the power amp has an
input impedance of, say, 1000 ohms, it
will draw significant current from the
poor preamp, which doesn’t expect to
work that hard. It will distort, perhaps
heavily.
Yes, you can safely leave out the
preamp, so it’s worth a try. The system
may sound better without it, or it may
not, but you’ll soon know.
I have been converting my LP collection to 24/96 audio DVDs for a few
years, but I am now looking for an alternative to disc playback with the same
resolution. All of the files are still in my
computer and could easily be transferred
to another device via USB connection.
I would then permanently connect the
device to my audio system and use USB
flash drives or cards to transfer future
individual projects. Obviously the device
would have USB ports and a very large
storage capacity, probably 1 TB or
more.
I have researched some units on the
Internet, but it is hard to tell on some
Web sites if device “A” or “B,” etc. would
do the job. I have looked at the Olive
Opus 4HD, as an example, but it has
Ethernet and wireless capability, which
does not interest me. Some Blu-Ray
players have USB ports, but the ones I
have seen will not play audio files from
them, and of course they do not have the
storage capability.
All I want is to store my hi-res music
on a high fidelity “juke box” that will
sound as good as or better than that
which I get from DVDs with my Arcam
DV-139 player. Are you aware of any
such devices that would handle 24/96
audio files?
Also, ideally, it would have remote
control and a front panel viewing
screen.
Lloyd Marshall
WHITEHORSE, Yukon
Lloyd, if you have a modern computer you already have a jukebox. The
challenge is to get the music out of the
computer and into your stereo system
without causing lethal damage.
We’re not enthusiastic anymore
about standalone audio jukeboxes,
because they become obsolete so fast.
There are no “high end” hard drives,
but buying one that is built into a high
end component pretty much guarantees
that you will be paying a premium, and
also that, as larger hard drives become
more common, you’ll wish you could
unplug the one in your component and
substitute a new one.
Now how do you get the music where
you want it to go? USB does work, but
unless your computer and your music
system are quite close that won’t help
you. You may want to read the article
Music Through the Air in UHF No. 87,
computer either through Ethernet or
wirelessly through a Wi-Fi network. Its
optical digital output can then connect
to your DAC. As you’ll see from our two
articles, that can yield very good quality
sound, much better indeed than what
you could expect from even many CD
players.
That leaves the matter of operating convenience. Several “jukebox”
programs are available for computers,
including Apple’s own iTunes (in both
OS X and Windows flavors). In the case
of iTunes, we control it remotely from
an iPod touch, which connects wirelessly
and lets you see all the music you have on
your computer, including the cover art.
What’s better than a screen on the front
panel? A viewing screen in the palm of
your hand!
Feedback
I was reading the article in UHF
No. 85, Do Connectors Matter, and found
it so interesting. I think connectors are
as important as the cable itself, and UHF
was the first to shout it out loud.
But the best connector is no connector at all, right ?
I tried to connect my speaker cables
directly from the amp to speaker, and
for some reason I found the sound better
with my good-quality bananas! Could it
be that good quality connectors help to
transfer the signal to the last molecule?
Robert Des Ormeaux
OTTERBURN PARK, QC
and the followup article in this issue,
Hi-Res Music on DVD-R. They’re relevant to what you want to do: play 24/96
files.
W hat you will need, no matter
which method you choose, is a good
audiophile-quality digital-to-analog
converter with 24/96 capability. If it has
a USB input, as some do, and if your
computer is nearby, then a USB cable
will work just fine. If not, we recommend
an inexpensive Apple product called the
Airport Express. It can connect to your
Well, yes, actually, Robert. Though
it seems perfectly reasonable to suppose
that the best connector is no connector,
as they say on the Internet, YMMV
(your mileage may vary). To put it
another way, it seems perfectly reasonable all else being equal.
But all else may not be equal. With a
low-impedance signal like that from an
amplifier (its source is typically a tiny
fraction of an ohm, many times lower
than the impedance of the loudspeaker),
a very tight connection is imperative, and
anything less will cause great perturbation in the Force, to say nothing of your
music. A lot of binding posts will not
maintain a tight connection on a bare
wire (or a spade either, but don’t get us
started). A good banana will get at least
that much right. We would guess that
was the difference you were hearing.
It is of course possible to get a tight
connection with a very good binding
post (they exist, and so do unicorns), if
the wire is solid core. If it’s stranded, the
connection is likely to be mediocre, and
it will get worse with every week that
passes by.
Just a couple of dumb questions. Now
that the television broadcasting industry
is moving to digital in the US and eventually Canada, can I assume that:
a) The Super Antenna MkIII (in The
Audiophile Store) will require a conversion
box, and b) will still work effectively?
Bruce Fraser
OTTAWA, ON
Bruce, we use our own Super Antenna
to pull in digital high-definition signals
(three of them are available in Montreal,
where we are). What will require a converter box is your television set, unless
it’s a modern one with a digital tuner.
Older analog sets will become useless
for over-the-air TV as of 2011 (and
they already are in the US). If they’re
connected to cable or satellite, they will
still work.
Our own HDTV doesn’t need a
converter box, but our DVD recorder
does, since it has only an analog tuner
(channels 2 through 69). We use that
converter with a Super Antenna.
I would like to get a 46” Panasonic
G10 television set. I subscribe to Videotron HD cable, and I have a Pioneer
DVD player. I’d like to know what to
expect in the way of resolution, not only
for HD channels, but also for non-HD.
A CNET review of the Panasonic says
the definition on SD channels is less than
terrific. Is this a worthwhile purchase?
André Plante
ST-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU, QC
André, if by SD channels you mean
analog channels, they’re going over the
dam in 2011 anyway, and in the US it’s
a done deal. An analog channel on an
HDTV can look very good, since its
theoretical definition of 480 vertical
lines is the same as that of a DVD.
But here’s the irony: it’s the HD
channels whose performance may
Get the complete version
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vary quite a lot, because some of them I have a FirstWatt f5 clone that, if it is and Arcam back then.
Twenty years later I am still in this
undergo a lot of compression on their built correctly (I didn’t build it), draws
way to you. With an explosion in the 180 watts during operation (it uses a hobby, but with much different equipnumber of specialty channels, both cable 3 amp slo-blow fuse rated at 2.5 amps, ment. I am now looking to upgrade my
and satellite distributors are running according to Nelson’s manual). Can I use CD source and have narrowed it down
to two homegrown products: the Brysshort of bandwidth, and they’ll often use this with the SPLC?
2. Is there anything that can go bad ton BCD-1 and the Moon CD-1, both
a shoehorn to get the available signals
over time with this unit (capacitors, of which you have favorably reviewed
into the available space.
recently.
You can get some idea of possible etc.)?
What are the essential sonic differPerry Howell
resolution by visiting a dealer whose TV
TORONTO, ON ences between the two players? Are they
sets are connected to cable or satellite
both priced at the point of significant
(the big box stores are more likely to use
No, this free version is not complete, though you could spend a couple
a Blu-ray player for the demos). Here’s a
A smaller amplifier should present no diminishing returns?
of hours reading it. Want the full version?
Carl Kung
tip, though: if your DVD player doesn’t problem, Perry. Do use a quality power
You can, of course, order the print version, which we have published
VANCOUVER, BC
have an HDMI output, you might want cord with it, however. The SPLC should
for a quarter of a century. You can get it from our back issues page.
to put its successor on the same bill as last a long time — ours must be around
But we also have a paid electronic version, which is just like this one,
18 years old, and we still use it. What will
Carl, you’ve probably already noticed
your new HDTV.
except that it doesn’t have annoying banners like this one, and it doesn’t
go bad is the neon bulb, which will begin one important difference: the Moon
have articles tailing off into faux Latin. Getting the electronic version is of
I just purchased a used Inouye SPLC blinking after its first year in service. CD-1 costs a lot less than the Bryston
course faster, and it is also cheaper. It costs just $4.30 (Canadian) anywhere
line filter, in the knowledge that you That’s harmless, if you place it so you ($1500 to the Bryston’s $2395 at the time
in the world. Taxes, if they are applicable, are included.
of our reviews). Our expectations were
guys used to use one in your reference can’t see it.
It’s available from MagZee.com.
pretty much in line with the prices, and
systems. After reading one of your
reviews, I came across the information
I have been reading your magazine the sound was too.
that the SPLC uses series components since the early 90’s and have always
To be more specific, the Moon
and is therefore not recommended for respected your points of view and didn’t have the solid bottom end of the
large power amps.
opinion on audio. In fact, it was your Bryston, nor its coherence, but it is a
I have two questions.
magazine which pointed me away from terrific partner for the Moon i-1 ampli1. What about small power amps? the likes of Sony and Yamaha to Rotel fier, which sells for the same price. The
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Bryston BCD-1 has more in the way of
high end ambitions, and in large measure
it delivers what it promises. Which of
these players you favor will depend on
where your system is going.
We should add that, if your future
system will include your computer as
a music source (for a lot of our readers
that’s the present, not the future), you
will be limited by the fact that neither
player has a digital input, allowing you
to get at its built-in converter. Bryston
has figured this out and now offers a
standalone converter. Simaudio doesn’t
yet, but we wouldn’t be shocked if one
were in the pipeline.
First, I’d like to thank y’all for an
excellent publication and well thoughtout perspectives.
I have a question about connecting
a subwoofer (KEF 2500) to my current
stereo setup (KEF IQ3). According to
you, the best way to connect a sub is
to use Y-adapters so that the signals to
the main speakers remain clean. But it
seems using Y-adapter will cause the sub
and the power amp to run in parallel.
I wonder if your FYA Y-adapters, or
Y-adapters of any other brands, have
any built-in electrical components. If
they are just plain simple connectors,
maybe I can easily modify my existing
interconnects to do the job and avoid
additional contact points.
A lso, what are your reasons for
favoring low-level sub connections?
REL seems to favor high-level sub connections. REL subs don’t have high-pass
output and are connected similarly to the
way you tested the Q-Sub D8 (sub rolled
off below the main speakers), but at high
level. If this kind of high-level connection is equally good, I can connect the
line-level input of my sub to the speakerout of the power amp in parallel with
the IQ3 using KEF-supplied RCA plugs
(there are some electronic components
built into the plugs).
Victor Wang
CARY, NC
Interconnects usually don’t contain
electronic components, Victor, nor do
devices like our Y-adapter. That said, the
three most common connection meth-
It is nice to know about your site
(through UHF). I think it is very helpful. I am a retiree, don’t have much
knowledge about electronic or sound
system.
From a garage sale I picked up an
R115 Luxman stereo receiver, D373 CD
player and cassette deck. They work
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ods have advantages and disadvantages,
and perhaps it would be useful to review
them.
First, you can use a Y-connector, or
(as you suggest) a modified interconnect,
to run both the main power amplifier
and the subwoofer from your preamplifier output. The preamp won’t have any
difficulty driving both, because its own
output impedance is low, say 500 ohms,
whereas the subwoofer and power input
impedances are much higher, 30,000
ohms or so. The preamp will “think”
it’s running with no load at all. That
connection gives the subwoofer the
cleanest possible feed. The drawback
is a Y-adapter adds extra connections
to the signal path, and that can affect
performance.
Second, you can feed the subwoofer
from the output of your power amplifier
(or from the connections at your speakers if that’s more convenient). That leaves
the signal path for your main speakers
as direct as possible, but the feed to
your subwoofer will have gone through
unnecessary amplification.
Since your KEF 2500 subwoofer,
unlike the REL, has a high-pass filter,
you could run a (presumably long)
interconnect cable from the preamplifier
output to the subwoofer, and another
from the high-pass filter to the power
amplifier. That has the advantage of
allowing you to use the subwoofer’s
controls to tailor the response of your
main speakers to match the characteristics of the subwoofer. However the extra
circuitry and the two long interconnects
result in a performance hit we wouldn’t
consider acceptable.
Not everyone is faced with such
difficult decisions. Some preamplifiers
have two sets of outputs, one for the
power amplifier and another for the
subwoofer. And of course surround
sound processors include an output just
for the subwoofer.
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together very well and produce nice,
warm sound but do not play with my
Lenco L75 vintage turntable. However
somebody told me to put a magnetic amp
between the turntable and the R115’s
phono. I did, but it works only if I connect it to the Signal Processor Output,
not the input or the phono, and the
Signal Processor has to be switched to
the off position. I find it funny, because
it goes to the output instead of the input,
but it works anyway.
I also have a Pioneer VSX D601
604-522-6168
receiver (home theatre), which plays
everything including the turntable.
I have a remote control for this unit but
the sound produced is not as good when
compare to the Luxman R115.
Can I put the Pioneer and the Luxman
together in order to take advantage of
the home theatre with remote control
plus the rich and warm sound from the
R115? I don’t want to blow everything
up. I really appreciate if you can tell me
which input and output from the Pioneer
goes into which input of the R115. If this
I have a Linn Ikemi CD player, YBA
Intégré amp, Vandersteen 2CE speakers, and YBA interconnects and speaker
wires. My Vandersteens were taken, so
I’m looking for speakers.
I’m thinking Monitor Audio GS20’s
would be a great choice. My favorite
music is Indian, like Ravi Shankar. Any
advice?
Jim Kattlus
VANCOUVER, BC
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The GS20’s would work quite well,
Jim. They are by no means the most efficient speakers available today — they’re
rated at 89 dB — but that’s 3 dB better
than your Vandersteens. And Shankar is
not exactly a rocker.
May we assume you’ve heard, and
not merely seen, the Monitor Audios?
They are very good, but they have a
character quite different from that of the
Vandersteens, which have a particularly
smooth and rounded top end. The top
end of the Monitor Audios, like that of
many other speakers, is somewhat hotter
and detailed. Make sure you won’t suffer
from withdrawal before pulling out your
credit card.
is not right, will you please kindly walk
me through whatever way you think it
should be.
If this works, I can take advantage
of the home theatre’s surround sound
system with remote control plus the nice
warm sound from the R115.
Am I right?
Patrick
VANCOUVER, BC
You are right, Patrick, and the
connection is easy to do, though we’re
glad you were kind enough to include
pictures of the rear of your receivers.
And there’s a complication we’ll get to
in a moment.
Here’s what you do. Plug a pair of
cables from the “Front Amp” output
jacks of the Pioneer to the “Tape 1
Monitor” jacks on the Luxman. Connect
your main (left and right front) speakers
to the Luxman, and the other speakers
to the Pioneer. When you want to watch
video, hit the “Tape 1” button (or switch)
on the Luxman, and — here’s the wor14   ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine
risome part — turn its volume control
all the way up. Then adjust the output
levels on the Pioneer so that everything
sounds right.
Why is this hookup worrisome? It’s
because, before you switch back to some
other source on the Luxman, such as the
tuner, you need to remember to turn
the volume down again. And you have
to remember every time. Except for
that little potential catastrophe, you’ll
have exactly what you want: surround
sound for video, but the warmer sound
of the Luxman when you’re listening to
everything else.
We’re not absolutely certain why
your turntable doesn’t work when it’s
connected to the “phono” input, but by
the time the Luxman was built, in the
late 80’s, a lot of consumer had (unwisely)
abandoned vinyl for CD, and the built-in
phono preamp had become an extra-cost
option. You can connect your outboard
phono preamp to any of the high-level
inputs that aren’t busy, such as CD or
Video Disc.
My Copland CTA-405 amplifier
needs KT88 power tube replacements.
As it was purchased used, I have no idea
what brand were the original KT88’s.
Mine came with a mismash. In searching for on-line information, I am now
suspicious as to what brands/sources are
legitimate. There seems to be a lot of
sleight of hand going on. As well, the
lack of opportunity to make direct
comparisons doesn’t help.
I recall mention in a past issue of a
respectable tube source. Are you still
aware of that source? Any recommendations for particular brands? I’m always
interested in value for money.
Richard Johns
CAMPBELL RIVER, BC
You’re right to be careful, Richard,
because vacuum tubes have become big
business — who would have thought
it? — and that has attracted the crooks.
There are bogus Russian tubes floating
around. And the high prices of NOS
(“new old stock,” which has been on the
shelves since tubes were mainstream) has
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caught the attention of miscreants too. only. While I can get around just fine on keyboard and mouse, which are easy to
If we remember, the small tubes in a computer, I am not a “computer guy.” stow when they’re not used, and an iPod
the Copland were from JJ Electronics, I don’t care if it is a PC, Mac, laptop or touch as a remote. And that’s all you
and the KT88’s from Ei in Yugoslavia. desktop. Being able to change songs need…
Oh, wait a minute…not quite. The
Divergent Technologies, which imports from my listening position would be
Copland, has in the past stocked the JJ’s. nice, and I don’t care how — long USB computer needs a monitor. They’re not
expensive, but they take up space, and
We’re not certain about the Ei’s, which cable? An iPhone?
I know this is a vague question but that’s not convenient if the computer
appear to be more difficult to obtain
(Tube Depot lists them as out of stock). the more specific you can be the better. is adjacent to your audio gear. You can
Scott Mercier make it a full-fledged computer setup,
The source you’re probably thinking of
BARRIE, ON but it will need to be within cable range
is partsconnexion.com, which grew out
of your DAC. If that’s possible, you’re
of Sonic Frontiers. It’s in Canada, though
its prices are listed in US dollars.
The cheerful news, Scott, is that you golden.
We don’t mean
this version,
already
know howIfit not,
works.
it It’s
getsa PDF,
more complicated,
definitely
don’t because
need theyou
$5000
liquidand
you
open
it
with
Adobe
reader,
etc.
I purchased a Wavelength USB DAC cooled rig, which is probably optimized because you’ll have to go wireless
weit.also
a paid electronic
is complete,
without
banners and
like your stereo
for hard-core
gaming.version,
What which
you need
between
the computer
and I have no computer to useBut
with
I have
this
one,
or
articles
in
fluent
gibberish.
know, that whole cart-before-the-horse is air-cooling, and preferably without a system. That means adding a Wi-Fi
That one,
it is That
complete,
has
to be ordered
a credit
To open one that broadnoisy fan.
points
directly
to one ofwithrouter
(wecard.
recommend
thing. While I like the convenience,
it is because
it,
you
also
have
to
download
a
plugin
for
your
copy
of
Adobe
Reader
or
Acrobat.
casts on 5.8 MHz), and a device such as
the sound quality that has me interested. your choices, the Mac mini.
You’ll
receive a userYou’ll
nameprobably
and password
allowofyou
to download
your
full copy
of
want to
a pair
large
the Apple
Airport
Express.
My research online has only
confused
the
magazine.
You’ll
need
the
same
user
name
and
password
the
first
time
you
open
me more, as anything from a $5,000 outboard Firewire hard drives, one to
magazine
youryour
computer,
the
time. AfterCan
that,you
it works
like
music,but
theonly
other
forfirst
backup.
advise
ofany
the size of your
liquid-cooled PC to a $600the
Mac
mini is onhold
other
PDF.
a “must have.” I hate to blow $5k of my You can connect it to your new DAC one “small” Alpha room?
For
details, visit
ourways:
Electronic
page.
To buy an issue
subscribe,purchase
visit
stereo budget on a computer,
especially
of two
a USBEdition
cable or
an optical
I’m or
considering
of Living
MagZee.
since they are about the only thing out cable. We suspect the optical will be Voice OBX-R speakers, but my room is
there that have worse resale value than slightly better, but it won’t cost much to quite small — 10’ by 12’ (3 by 3.6 metres).
hi-fi.
try both and see.
However it is very well damped and
I will be using the computer for music
To that we would add a Bluetooth acoutiscally friendly.
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Feedback
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I’m trying to get a sense of whether
these marvelous speakers will still have
magic in this smaller space.
Brian Martin
VANCOUVER, BC
Our Alpha room is a little bigger than
yours, Brian, with dimensions of about
11 by 14 feet (3.4 by 4.3 metres).
However the reason it is so small is
that the heavy-duty acoustical work,
done many years ago for what was to
be a radio production studio, shrank it
in every dimension, including height.
At higher frequencies it behaves as you
would expect, but at low frequencies it
is its original, considerably larger, size.
W hatever speakers you choose,
you’ll be listening from fairly close. The
Avatars may work well, but you’ll have to
work to find the ideal position.
Given that I had just finished reading
Gerard Rejskind’s latest article on hi-fi
dealers (UHF No. 87), I thought my
recent experience with true high-end
audio was quite timely.
During the past summer I began
using my 22-year old Dual CS-515 turntable again. I am using it with a Marantz
SR-8001 receiver, and bought a Cambridge Audio Azur 540P phono stage.
I had my local dealer do some maintenance on it, which included adding
a better quality interconnect. When it
was all set up I was quite impressed with
the sound quality, which was better than
regular CD, but not quite at the level of
XRCD or SACD.
My father had some old records that
he was no longer using, and I played
some of these on my system. One of
them, entitled Bongos, Flutes and Guitars,
is a 1960 pressing from a company called
Sparton Records of London, ON. The
disc itself is heavy, rigid vinyl, and the
sound quality is nothing short of astonishing compared to the other albums I
own. What immediately struck me was
the individual timbre of all the different
bongo drums. Each one of them had a
different sounding thwok that identifies the instrument as a bongo. There
is a great deal of fine detail as well. I
could go on, but suffice it to say this is
the best LP I have ever heard. There
is so much air around the instruments
and it is intensely musical. To put it in
perspective, it sounds better (ignoring
the cracks and pops) than the Thorens
125th Anniversary LP on 180 gram vinyl
that I bought shortly after getting my
turntable running again.
I felt that a number of these older
albums would benefit from a cleaning,
so I took them to a local high-end shop
that has a Nitty Gritty record-cleaning
machine. This shop also had a complete
McIntosh system set up — monoblocks
with preamp, turntable, giant Vandersteen floorstanding speakers, cabling
as thick as garden hoses — you get the
idea. The in-store price of this system
is $52,000. So naturally, I think that I
will have this Bongos, Flutes and Guitars
album cleaned, and then ask the owner
to play it on this system. If it sounded so
good with my old entry-level turntable
and modest gear, surely this system
would blow me away.
Well, amazingly, it did not sound anything like I thought it would. My system
sounded considerably better. This
system sounded flat and lifeless — gone
were the individual sounds of the instruments. The loss of overall musicality was
overwhelming. I did notice that a couple
of the wood block instruments sounded
more solid than on my system — but
that was the only improvement. One
thing that the owner and I noticed was
some distortion — he speculated that
the cartridge could be mistracking. I had
just had the record cleaned by him, so I
was thinking that something had gone
wrong during that process.
I got the album home and put it on
my own turntable. The sound was just
as I had remembered it, without all the
cracks, hisses and pops that existed
before having it cleaned. So it seems the
cleaning was indeed beneficial.
Do you have any idea as to why this
high-end system did not sound anything
like it should have? Could a mistracking
cartridge have degraded the sound quality to that extent? Recalling Gerard’s
article about the way that a customer
needs to be blown away by hi-fi in order
to make the argument for hi-fi work,
this system did absolutely the opposite.
This one was the highest-end system I’ve
ever auditioned, using price as the sole
consideration. And it just did not sound
good.
Obviously, there is no way that my
system should even be close, yet it was so
much better. Why?
Andrew Matthews
TORONTO, ON
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the list can be long. You saw the dealer
clean your record, but did he clean the
stylus? Just a suggestion.
We don’t really know what went
wrong in this particular demo. But we
have heard countless expensive systems
that should have been able to produce
great music, but didn’t. Indeed, when we
go to high end shows, such as CES, such
systems seem to be in the majority.
We ask the same question you do:
why?
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Well, Andrew, it certainly illustrates
the fact that mere money doesn’t high
fidelity make. However it is certainly
possible that the cartridge was mistracking. The demo recordings from the early
days of stereo had huge grooves that were
more than a little tough for the phono
cartridges of the era to make sense of.
You would think that modern cartridges
would be better at this than those from
1960, but that’s not necessarily true. The
moving coil cartridges found in expensive systems are relatively poor trackers,
though of course they have other virtues.
Fortunately, torture tests like these discs
of years ago are rare.
It might have been interesting to
bring some other records with you,
ones that were perhaps less challenging
technically, but which you have heard
sound particularly good on your own
system. Perhaps they would have made
the dealer’s expensive system sound
the way you would have expected. And
perhaps not.
There can be a lot of reasons a luxury
system may not sound the way its price
hints at. A poor choice of components,
or at least a poor match, can be a reason,
even though the dealer’s reason for
existing is proper matching. Speakers
may be poorly placed, cables left loose,
awful acoustics, misaligned turntables…
A QUIET REVOLUTION
Cinema
Apple’s “Hobby”
I
t’s not a TV set, despite its name.
It looks, in fact, like an Apple mini
that has been squished. The Apple
TV is an adjunct to your high-definition television set, but it’s not a set-top
box in the usual sense. It can lend itself
to some Apple-class “gee whiz!”
demonstrations,
but then you
begin to notice
all the things
it could do, but
doesn’t. Significantly, Steve Jobs
refers to the Apple
TV as a “hobby,” to
distinguish it from
t he compa ny ’s st a r
products.
So what is it?
The Apple TV (C$259
or US$229)connects to your
computer, the one that has iTunes
installed on it, via your Wi-Fi network or
by Ethernet. Through that network and
iTunes, it also connects to the Internet.
It includes a built-in hard drive (160 MB
as this is being written), and various
connections to your TV set, including
component and (much better) HDMI.
The set has to be an HDTV, though,
otherwise you’ll get a “stretched” image.
We got the same problem when we
connected the Apple TV to a computergrade LCD monitor.
We were puzzled by the considerable
heat radiated by the Apple TV even when
it is idle. With Apple working to build
up its “green” image, this is something
that needs looking into. The box has no
power switch.
The Apple TV can do the following
things.
1) It can let you listen to music that is
on the hard drive of your computer. In
this it duplicates the features of Apple’s
own Airport Express (see Music Through
the Air in UHF No. 87). It includes
analog outputs (which means using its
built-in digital-to-analog converter),
and it also has an optical output that can
connect to your own DAC.
2) It can let you view photos that are
stored on your computer on your large
HDTV screen.
3) It can let
you
view photographs from
Flickr.
4) It can let you watch video content
on your HDTV. Since this is the Apple
TV’s mainstream attraction, let’s look at
that function in some depth.
The Apple TV movie experience
The Apple TV does not of course
incorporate a DVD drive, so you’ll
need to get DVD material you want to
watch onto your computer (technically
illegal in some countries, including the
United States). And here comes a disappointment. Though the Apple TV can
stream video over its fast “n” network
connection, it can’t read the native DVD
format (the files inside the Video_TS
folder). You have to convert them to the
H.264 format (MPEG-4 also works, but
The Apple TV is loaded with eye-opening
ideas, but it’s time it
delivered on what it
seems to promise
with much lower resolution). Conversion
can be done with various free software
(such as Handbrake on the Mac), or
iTunes itself. That’s time consuming,
however, and this extra complication will
be a dealbreaker for a lot of videophiles.
You won’t be doing much spur-of-themoment watching.
Do the conversion and the streaming result in a performance hit? We
uploaded the DVD version of The
Princess Bride to our Apple TV,
and compared the playback to
that of the original DVD
on our Pioneer BDP51FD player. There
was (and we could
have pred icted
this) no comparison. It’s just as
well we didn’t try
to compare it to
our Blu-ray version!
One good piece of news: though most
North American NTSC-standard DVD
players will not play PAL DVD’s, the
Apple TV will. Of course that means
copying the movie and both decrypting
and dezoning it. We uploaded several
European PAL films to the Apple TV,
and they looked gorgeous, which is to say
better than the same movie played using
a portable computer as a DVD source.
Of course Apple makes no secret
of the fact that it considers silver discs
to be obsolescent, if not downright
obsolete. The Apple TV, no doubt for
that reason, is optimized for the iTunes
store. And here it offers some dazzling
possibilities.
You possibly know that the Apple
Web site is the go-to place for watching
trailers of the latest movies, including unreleased ones (www.apple.com/
trailers). The Apple TV can let you
browse those trailers and watch them
on your big screen. Some of the trailers,
though by no means all, are available in
HD, which stands for “high definition”…
sort of.
At top right on the next page is the
Apple TV’s main menu, easily navigable
with the supplied remote control. The
Cinema
Feedback
list may be enough to get you drooling,
but let’s see how much of the promise
Apple TV actually delivers on.
This is an incomplete article in the
free issue of UHF, The article is of
course complete in the print edition, and
in the paid electronic edition available at
MagZee.
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Cinema
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Cinema
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Nuts&Bolts
Remembering Stereo
T
his is hardly a new phenomenon, but perhaps it is time
we paid attention to it,
as consumers, and also
as producers of recorded music.
More than half a century ago, the
stereo LP launched a revolution
in the way that most of us listened
to music at home. There was, suddenly, a recognition that we have
two ears, not just one, and that
therefore we ought to be listening with two loudspeakers.
However, if you see a photo
of your favorite singer taken
during a recording session, he or
she will be standing in front of just
one microphone, not two. If you
listen to music with headphones,
as more and more people are
doing, it is difficult to avoid noticing that there is little difference
between the sounds reaching your
two ears. Has stereo become a relic
of the past?
As I hope to explain, “stereo” has
long had two quite different definitions,
and one of them is not inconsistent
with singing or playing into a single
microphone.
Stereo as 3-D sound
Audiophiles have quite a different
take on music recording from that of
most record producers. “True” stereo, in
the mind of knowledgeable audiophiles,
is associated with the work of British
engineer Alan Blumlein, who, in 1931,
took out a patent on improvements to
and relating to sound transmission, sound
recording and sound reproducing systems.
This was the now familiar technique of
stereo recording using two microphones
in a particular configuration, to provide
sound that would appear to the listener
to be three-dimensional.
Indeed, “stereo” is derived from
the Greek word stereos, which means
“solid,” or as we would say today,
by Paul Bergman
3-D. It may, then,
seem more than a
little surprising that
Blu m lei n h imself
did not use the word
stereo to describe his
system. Rather, he called
it binaural, which refers to two ears.
I shall add only that, in popular
parlance, “binaural” is today applied to
a recording system intended for headphone listening. This is fair enough,
since this was the playback system
initially promoted by Blumlein himself.
He considered that playback through
speakers was a compromise.
Not that it’s gone,
exactly, but we can
see it packing its
bags…
I need not belabor the obvious,
namely that, in the age of 7.1 or
more channels, the Blumlein
system has been left behind
by a good deal of the audio
industry.
It can be argued that
this is not entirely the case,
since some smaller record
labels continue to produce recordings explicitly using a “Blumlein
pair” of microphones,
or some variant, such
as the ORTF configuration, with its wider
sound stage, or the M-S
Side configuration. Such
systems are often used to
record classical music or jazz,
where it appears to be desirable to re-create the sound
of the actual event, and there
is no desire to actually create
sound in the studio.
Creating sound, as opposed to recreating it, is of course less common
in popular music recording. In that
field, the producer fancies himself as
much a creator as the artist, or indeed
more so (you may wish to Google the
name of Milli Vanilli). However, you
should not suppose that there were no
alternatives to Blumlein’s vision.
More than two ears?
If Blumlein’s patent seems to be from
a distant past, in fact stereo — that is, the
recording with multiple microphones for
playback through multiple speakers —
began in the 19th Century, not long after
the invention of the phonograph itself.
There was even a two-channel recording
and playback system from the age of the
horn phonograph. It was not actually
conceived as some sort of enhancement
to sound quality, but rather to its quantity: two horns could play twice as loud
as one.
It was later, but not really that much
later, that the first attempts were made
to use multi-channel recording to add,
quite literally, another dimension to
ow do you fit two separate channels of sound into the single groove
music.
of an analog record? It was easier than one might assume, for it could
In 1932, Bell Laboratories (the
be done by returning to a system that had been used in the early days
famous scientific research facility where,
of the phonograph, and which, indeed, had been at the heart of one
somewhat later, the transistor would be of audio’s many format wars.
developed) recorded the Philadelphia The winning side would be Berliner, who used lateral modulation of the groove
Orchestra in what we would recognize to represent the music signal. His commercial adversary, Edison, the man who had
as stereophonic sound, with two micro- invented the phonograph, chose a different system, vertical modulation, also known
phones, and two separate tracks cut onto as the hill-and-dale system. It was a poor choice, more subject to vertical vibraa recording lacquer. That first record- tion from the turntable motor, and with the cutting chisel often digging into the
ing was awkward to play back, since it recording blank’s aluminum base during loud passages. However, the two systems
required two tone arms and cartridges, did co-exist for a time, and I still recall old broadcast transcription turntables which
perfectly positioned on the appropri- could be switched from one to the other. These turntables were equipped with what
ate spots of their respective grooves (a were, essentially, stereo cartridges, complete with four connection pins.
decade later Emory Cook tried unsuc- It was in fact evident that this system could be used to play a stereo recording.
cessfully to commercialize just such a You could modulate one channel in the lateral direction, and the other in the vertisystem). By 1933, Bell Labs found a way cal direction.
to put the two channels of sound into a As I have indicated, however, vertical modulasingle groove, using the 45-45 encoding tion offered lower performance, which meant that
No,
thisLP
free
is not
complete,
though
spend
a couple
that would be used in the
stereo
ofversion
the two
channels
would
notyou
be could
of equal
quality.
of
hours
reading
it.
Want
the
full
version?
1958 (see the sidebar on this page).
The solution, quickly found, was what came to be
You can,
course,
order
we have
As you can see, the British
andofthe
known
asthe
theprint
45-45version,
system,which
in which
eachpublished
channel
for
a
quarter
of
a
century.
You
can
get
it
from
our
back
issues
page.
Americans were working on multi-chan- was angled at 45 degree from vertical.
But we also
have a paid
version,concept
which istojust
like this
nel recording quite independently,
and
Thiselectronic
can be a difficult
fathom,
andone,
in
except
that
it
doesn’t
have
annoying
banners
like
this
one,
and
it
doesn’t
their concepts were rather different.
electrical terms it was much simpler. The left+right
havetwo
articles
tailinginformation
off into fauxwas
Latin.
thethe
electronic
version
usedGetting
to deflect
cutting chisel
in is of
Whereas Blumlein used
channels
course
faster,
and
it
is
also
cheaper.
It
costs
just
$4.30
(Canadian)
anywhere
because we have two ears, Arthur Keller- the lateral direction, with the out-of-phase informathe world.
Taxes,tion,
if they
are applicable, are
included.
left-minus-right,
in the
vertical direction. A
man and his colleagues in
at Bell
Labs were
It’s
available
from
MagZee.com.
of the view that the more channels you simple matrix allowed recovery of the two channels,
had, the better could be the illusion of which could be of equal quality.
reality. By 1933 they were experimenting The adoption of the 45-45 standard caused most playback equipment to become
with three-channel stereo. There was obsolete. Mono cartridges were not designed to be compliant in the vertical directhen no practical way to record three tion, and would therefore wreak damage on a stereo groove. Many turntables
channels, and so these experiments suffered from massive vertical vibration, to which mono cartridges were immune,
were for live transmission of music, with but stereo cartridges were not. That was especially true of idler-drive turntables,
the orchestra in a concert hall, and an which largely disappeared in the years following the stereo revolution.
“overflow” audience listening in stereo
in a different hall.
microphone for every instrument, for three tracks. The departure from the
Even three channels was a compro- every singer. That’s one microphone, not two-ear concept is obvious.
mise, however, and the Bell engineers a Blumlein pair.
The initial reason for the third track
envisaged what could be a system with an
We can thus see that the idea of was to allow producers to reduce the
infinite number of channels, to reproduce putting just one microphone in front of “hole in the middle” effect so beloved
the full breadth of an orchestra. In a a singer or soloist would have seemed by producers of what was pejoratively
more practical system, there might be a perfectly reasonable to the people who known as “ping pong stereo.” Mercury,
microphone for each and every instru- gave stereophonic sound its name.
notably, used three microphones for
ment, and the signal from each would be
its post-stereo recordings. However, it
reproduced by a separate loudspeaker. Three-channel recording
was still attempting to use two-channel
Thus, we might suppose, a 70-channel
In the 1960’s, engineers sought to stereo to recreate a natural reproduction
system might be adequate for a good- extend the dynamic range of magnetic of the original acoustics, with the third
sized symphony orchestra. I should add tape, with new formulations (some of (central) channel to be evenly distribthat they were not, at the time, consider- which turned out to be disastrous), but uted between the two channels of the
ing the possibility of surround sound.
also by making the tape wider. So was commercial recording. For others, the
Let us now notice what this then- born the first recorder using 12.6 mm three channels were a convenience that
idealistic concept was calling for: a (half-inch) tape, on which were placed had little to do with either concept of
The 45-45 Stereo Groove
H
Get the complete version
Nuts&Bolts
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Nuts&Bolts
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stereophonic sound.
A possible example of a producer not
overly concerned with stereo, at least in
his earlier days, is George Martin, who
recorded the famous hits by The Beatles.
Martin did, of course, have experience
with stereo recording, since he had
been a producer with EMI’s classical
music division, but it took him some
time before realizing that the young
men from Liverpool were serious album
material, and of course
rock singles were then not
often released in stereo.
Accordingly, he used his
three tracks for purposes of
flexibility. When the early
Beatles music was eventually released in what was
billed as stereo, the voices
were on one channel, and
the instruments on the
other.
The rest of this article
can be found in the complete print or electronic
version of UHF No. 84.
Order the print issue from
www.uhfmag.com/IndividualIssue.html
(it’s case sensitive). Or subscribe at www.
uhfmag.com/Subscription.html. The
electronic issue is available from www.
magzee.com.
We now cont inue in im itat ion
Latin.
tisi.
tat.
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prat v ulputat iure dunt
verit lutpat nullam velesto
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at accumsa ndrercipsum
vent nullam, venis nim
ipisim irit num euisis nisl
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essim numsandrem verosto
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susci te magna feugait vel ut iniam, velis
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ing ercilit, velisci liquatuer il utatue
consequat.
do odit ilis dipit do euis eui te feugait niamcom modolor perilluptat. To commy
augait.
tisi.
Nuts&Bolts
Feedback
elenisi.
luptat.
ismodoloreet at.
ex exer sum.
Feature
I
Hi-Res Music on DVD-R
s there still interest in high-resolution music? Of course we don’t
mean “high-rate” MP3 or AAC, or
even 16/44 Red Book CD resolution. The poster boy for high-res music
has been SACD (and its short-lived rival,
DVD-Audio), but there is more.
Reference Recordings, one of our
very favorite audiophile labels, has long
offered an enhanced Compact Disc using
HDCD technology, yielding impressive
results, at least with a player that can
decode the hidden information. It also
released a sampler on SACD (Tutti,
RR-906SACD), though it’s not certain
whether there will be a second one. But
it also produces recordings in the HRx
format, essentially DVD-R copies of
Keith O. Johnson’s master recordings.
The catch for the moment is that no
player you (or we) own can play back
HRx. A prototype player, made by PS
Audio, was shown at the last CES. It
sounded spectacularly terrific…until the
buffer ran out of room, which happened
often because of the very high resolution
of the recordings.
What is that resolution? Johnson
records in 24-bit 176.4 kHz. Why not
192 kHz? The reason is that 176.4 kHz
is exactly four times the sampling rate of
a Red Book CD, and so downsampling
can be done without the ugly artifacts of
conventional downsampling.
Why sell HRx if there is as yet no
player? But in fact there is: your computer. The HRx box contains a DVDROM, with files meant to be copied to
your hard drive. And from there…
Well, it’s not that straightforward.
Odds are your computer hits a wall
beyond 96 kHz. That means downsampling Keith Johnson’s brilliant work,
preferably to half the original sampling
rate, 88.2 kHz. For this listening test
we borrowed a DAC newer than any of
ours, an Audiomat Tempo 2.6 (C$4995),
shown on page 28. It goes out to 24/192
with a whole lot of stops in between, and
would give us (we presumed) the best
quality we were likely to get from HRx.
We also tried two DACs we had on hand
(and which are reviewed elsewhere in
these pages), namely the Cyrus DAC X
and the Cambridge DACMagic.
Though it is certainly possible to
stream digital audio over Wi-Fi (see
Music Through the Air in UHF No. 87),
high-definition music files are likely to
strain the available bandwidth up to and
beyond the breaking point. For that
reason we transferred our test music to
the hard drive of a MacBook Pro laptop,
and connected its optical digital output
jack to the DAC with our fibre-optic
cable and a mini-TOSLINK adapter.
Though we could have used iTunes to
handle the music, the same audio engine
is available directly from the Finder
(the Mac counterpart to Windows
Explorer).
But our computers cannot yet handle
that sort of resolution, which meant we
had to downsample. Even so, we had to
rejig the settings on our computer to
give us 24-bit resolution and the highest
sampling rate it is capable of, namely
96 kHz. This is not done through a
preferences panel, as it really should be,
but through a program which smacks
of improvisation, included in the OS X
Utilities folder, called Audio and Midi
Configuration. It’s shown on the next
page. For playback on Windows, Reference recommends the Media Monkey
software (free at mediamonkey.com).
Even so, there’s a serious oversight
in the Apple OS. Though our MacBook
Pro’s input can be set to a sampling
rate of 88.2 kHz, its output cannot.
Although the DACs we had on hand
can handle 88.2 kHz, we were stuck
with downsampling to the awkward
rate of 96 kHz, with inevitable artifacts.
With Windows, what you can achieve
will depend on your hardware. In this
regard the Audiomat Tempo 2.6 is
future-proof: it can handle all commonly
used sampling rates up to and including
192 kHz. It lacks only a readout to let
the user know the sampling rate of the
incoming signal.
We then copied four of Reference
Recordings’ HRx files onto the computer’s hard drive. We also threw in
a 24/96 file from a Canadian record
company, Fidelio (available on DVD
or via download). In our Omega room,
we set up the MacBook Pro and the
Audiomat DAC. For each selection, we
had — for the sake of comparison — the
same music available on some other
format. In this session, we listened first
to the alternative format, and then to the
high-resolution version on hard drive.
Though what we discovered is not the
last word, all three of us were delighted
with what we learned. We think you will
be too.
ter acti
n
i
s
’
t
i
,
s
Ye
ve
Feature
Feedback
Dance of the Tumblers
This piece is from Nikolai RimskyKorsakov, and is included on the CD
Dances From the Operas (RR-71CD).
However it is also included on the Tutti
SACD, and that was the version we
played. Listening to it with our Linn
Unidisk 1.1 player, we figured it would And it was that CD we used as a point first time we played this selection it
be difficult for even HRx to sound any of comparison.
crashed. Oh, it didn’t bring OS X down
better.
We hesitated about this. Like all with it, but it stopped dead and returned
And we were right, though this was recent RR recordings, this one is encoded to the beginning. It later crashed again,
by far the best sound we had heard in HDCD. Our Counterpoint DAC has the only high-resolution file to do so.
coming from a computer. “It’s surpris- HDCD decoding, but we know that it
ing,” said Gerard, “and musically it isn’t can’t really hold a candle to our Unidisk Sussex Overture
inferior.” He praised the smooth highs player. We therefore played the CD with
Malcolm Arnold was perhaps not the
and solid lows, the pleasing timbres and the Unidisk, accepting that the dynamics most celebrated of 20th Century British
strong rhythm.
would be somewhat compressed (HDCD composers, but if you lend an ear to
some of his works you might well wonder
But we weren’t unanimous. “From decoding undoes the compression).
the very first notes there’s less authority,”
Predictably, the HRx version did why he wasn’t better known outside his
said Albert Simon. “Everything is there, very well against the CD, throwing up a homeland. He drew inspiration from
but what’s lacking is a certain depth of vast sound stage that was nothing if not the folk music of his country, like Ralph
texture…perhaps a certain thickness of impressive, and it seemed to “breathe” Vaughan-Williams, say, but his music
texture.” Toby Earp agreed. “There’s more than the CD. “The emphatic was even more infectious.
This p1991
lots of weight but less complexity,” chords near the beginning are richer
en? recording (released as
w ill hapgot
w whatRR-48)
Keith O. Johnson a Grammy
he said. “The dynamics were a little and subtler,” said e,
Toby,
“and
more
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compressed, there’s a little blurringk o
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e
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Just clicStill, between
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detail, and the flow isn’t as smooth.
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ments
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we had just heard the SACD
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T
h the the almost liquid flow its presence in the short HRx catalog,
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agreed,
s
rk
o
w
it
e
f cours
O
because Arnold himself conducted the
So far so good, but on the
next selec- of the woodwinds.
tion the HRx would be against weaker
Was the pacing as good as with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The
competition.
CD? Toby found it different, but noted HRx version couldn’t come close to what
that the movement we were listening to we heard from the LP.
That may not come as a surprise
Symphonic Dances
had the odd marking of non allegro, and
if, like us, you consider top-grade
This is a dramatic and delightful perhaps it should be like this.
orchestral suite by Rachmaninoff,
Albert was the holdout. He praised vinyl difficult to beat. Unfortunately,
orchestrated by Respighi. Note that, for the great energy and the detail, but analog recordings of that era were often
some reason, Reference Recordings has found instrumental timbres not truly recorded on the hottest new tape forreleased two versions of the suite, the faithful. “It’s like white bread,” he said, mulations. What no one then knew was
how swiftly those formulations would
second far weaker than the first. This “compared to whole wheat.”
is the original, available as RR-96CD.
Perhaps we should mention that the deteriorate.
tars and voice was much more natural,
without the brittleness of the Compact
Disc. The instrumental textures on the
HRx were very dense, but there was no
confusion.”
Déserts
We’ve mentioned that Reference
Recordings is only one of numerous
companies offering high-resolution
music in the form of computer files,
usually 24-bit with 96 kHz sampling
rate. We had put one aside to include
in this evaluation, a production of the
Canadian label Fidelio. The label offers
these high-definition recordings on
The LP (long discontinued, unfor- HDCD encoding, naturally), and now DVD, or via download. Either version
tunately) still sounds marvellous today, it’s available on HRx. We selected the costs $30, a considerable premium over
with a lively, powerful orchestral sound jazz standard Some of These Days, with its the price of the Red Book CD. However
characteristic of Johnson’s best work. In animated serving of guitars and violin, you can download individual tracks.
the HRx version, based on analog tapes as well as the voice of Hot Club founder
Déserts was reviewed by Albert Simon
that were nearly two decades old, the Paul Mehling.
in UHF No. 87, and he praised it both for
sound was decidedly less energetic.
Like Keith Johnson’s other record- its artistic vision and for the quality of
We agreed on this, though we focused ings, this is not a purist sound pickup the sound. It features an Early and World
on different aspects of the music. “I love with a single microphone pair. Keith will Music ensemble called La Nef (the name
the syncopation and the edgy brass in do whatever is needed to get the sound means “the nave,” which is the central
Arnold’s music,” said Toby, “but with he wants, including actually placing part of a Gothic church). It has recorded
the HRx version it’s less edgy. The space speakers right among the musicians to for several audiophile labels, including
is spread out, and it’s deep. The differ- provide ambience. In this session, done Dorian, Analekta, SRI, Atma, and now
ence is what you would expect changing at the studio of Fantasy Records, he reac- Fidelio. This was a joint project with a
turntables.”
tivated a long-disused echo chamber, an French ensemble, Alla Francesca.
Albert, for his part, noticed some- underground dungeon with speakers at
What is on this recording is not
thing odd in the lower midrange. He one end and a microphone at the other. period music, but what is now referred to
For years
now, we
been
publishing,
our as
Web
site,
a freeand
PDF
nonetheless rated the HRx sound quite
Of course
thehave
result
is what
counts,on
and
New
Music,
which Albert, in his
version
of
our
magazine.
acceptable, even if it lacked the transpar- in this case, as in so many others, the review, called “music without borders.”
was
The reason
We know you’re looking for
ency and sparkle of the LP. Gerard
result is
is simple.
stunning.
Weinformation,
selected the and
opening piece, Caprices
that
is
almost
certainly
why
you’ve
come
to
visit
our
site.
And that’s why
less happy. “The dynamics are pretty
We were split down the middle on d’une Dune.
wesaid,
give away
some competitors
to be a startlingly
good, but the highs are wrong,” he
this what
evaluation —
well, not consider
quite down
Good as large
the CD was, we mostly
amount
of
information…for
free.
“with a ‘phasy’ effect, like someone talk- the middle, since there were three of agreed that the high-definition file was
We would
give and
it allAlbert
away for
free, if we
stayyet.
in business.
ing through a mailing tube. That sucks
us. Toby
preferred
thecould
CD, still
better
“On the CD the oud (an early
Recent
figures
indicate
that
each
issue
is
getting
downloaded
as manynearly got lost, but
the life out of the music.”
with Albert pronouncing this the least plucked instrument)
as
100,000
times,
and
that
figure
keeps
growing.
In either format, though, this is successful of the HRx recordings. “It not with the digital file. The timbres are
Yes,
know,
we hadand
a nickel
for each download…
music worth listening to. What gives
us we
has
less if
energy
less presence,”
he more realistic. The thing with the CD
Truth
is,
we’re
in
the
business
of
helping
you enjoy
music
at homeyou up close, yet you
pause is that, apparently, the only truly said. “It’s like a two-dimensional
image
is that
it brings
under
the
best
possible
conditions.
And
movies
too.
We’ll
do
archival format we have is the LP. “Vinyl projected on a screen.”
still can’t what
hear we
all need
the detail. And the
to
do
in
order
to
get
the
information
to
you.
is forever,” commented Gerard.
Toby was a little more nuanced. “The forcefully-plucked chords were smeared
Of course,
alsoopen
wantup,”
you he
to read
spacewe
does
said, our
“butpublished
the on editions
the CD.”too. We
hope
that,
having
read
this
far,
you’ll
want
to
read
on.
The Hot Club of San Francisco
frequency balance is different. With
The percussion was particularly
This California jazz group is of the HRx it’s easier to separate the indi- improved. “Listen to the percussion at
course inspired by the original Club Hot vidual notes, but it’s harder to separate the rear,” said Gerard. “You can make
of prewar France, which featured such the melodic lines.” However, he added, out layers of sound in front of them,
stars as Django Reinhardt and Stéphane “Some people might prefer the HRx yet you can hear everything. And those
Grappelli. It made a couple of excellent version.”
tubular bells, if that’s what they are, are
recordings for the now defunct Clarity
And, right on cue, Gerard put up his edgy and artificial on the CD.”
label, and this recording, the Yerba Buena hand. “The musicians are not quite as
But Albert, despite admiration for
Bounce (RR-109) for Reference Record- close in, but I prefer them that way. On the greater depth of image and the rich
ings. It sounds superb on CD (with the other hand the top end on the gui- percussive sounds, was less happy with
Feature
Feedback
Why a free version?
the sound of the oud. “When you pluck
the strings of the oud, you can hear the
resonance of the body. Not here. On the
CD it sounds like an oud.”
Before we put aside the Audiomat
DAC, we should mention that its distributor, Mutine, also lent us a full set
of Actinote cables, nearly $14K worth,
asking us to listen to the full kit. We
did, and it all sounded glorious. The set
included interconnects, speaker cables
and power cables. This isn’t a cable
review, of course, but we were happy
to have the privilege of borrowing this
luxurious gear in order to give our new
high-resolution media their best chance
to live.
Waiting for the future
The f iles from bot h Reference
recordings and Fidelio are in WAV
format, which any computer can read.
Tomorrow’s computers will be able to
supply DACs like the Audiomat with
full 192 kHz or 176.4 kHz resolution.
By then, faster and denser chips will
allow players to handle these DVD-Rs
directly.
But we’re not sure that’s the future.
Even many audiophiles are transferring
their music to their hard drives. Can
you expect them to do otherwise with
high-resolution music?
As computers become more capable,
we will no doubt then notice new differences in optical transducers and even
computer power supplies. Tweakers and
modders will see ever newer opportunities in the quest for better sound.
But the sound is already pretty good.
Enjoy!
Feature
Feedback
The Cyrus DAC X
High-definition music will appeal
most to audiophiles who already own
very good systems, which is to say those
who have come up against the undeniable
limitations of the Compact Disc. But a
“pretty good system” may not include a
DAC like the Audiomat, to say nothing
of all those cables. We wanted to repeat
the experience with the two other DACs,
both reviewed in this issue.
The Cyrus DAC X is about half the
price of the Audiomat, but we listened to
it with its optional PSX outboard power
supply, which adds to both the weight
and the outlay. We decided that the
Symphonic Dances recording would tell
us the most, and we listened to it with
the Audiomat once more before moving
to the Cyrus.
Albert was so charmed he had difficulty calling up the (recent) memory of
the Audiomat’s sound, but Toby reserved
t he gold medal for t he Audiomat.
“This is very different,” he said. “The
woodwinds were particularly changed,
with some spurious harmonics, and I
didn’t really like the mixed woodwind
passage.”
Gerard agreed, but praised the Cyrus
for its tremendous control of transients,
and especially its dynamics. “It’s not just
during the loud parts. During softer
passages there’s a dynamic tension, as
I waited for the orchestra to explode
again.” The large optional power supply
was clearly an advantage, though the
Audiomat’s outboard supply is about the
same weight.
The Cambridge DACMagic
We had spent some days breaking
in new gear using, as source, our Apple
Airport Express and the Cambridge
DACMagic, and it was evident that
considering the price of this little box,
it packed some punch. We were eager to
hear it with more demanding material.
It sounded terrific, though this time
we had to compensate for the fact that
the DACMagic costs less than the sales
tax on the Audiomat. The dynamic range
added by the higher resolution remained
evident, and we were pleased to note how
much of the experience was preserved.
Albert noted with pleasure how easy it
was to follow the strong melodic lines,
and how well-separated the instrumental
timbres remained.
But of course we could also hear
what was missing. “Everything is a little
flatter,” said Gerard, “and a little greyer.
The strings aren’t as silky.” Toby noted
the way that the space was reproduced.
“There’s less grasp of the space. It’s as
though the music were projected on the
surface of bubbles.
“Soap bubbles?” suggested Gerard.
“Well, bubbles.”
The conclusion? We started out
thinking this Cambridge box was a terrific bargain, and nothing happened to
shake our confidence.
Listening Room
Reference 3A Episode
T
he bra nd is not ex ac t ly
unknown to us, since for over
a dozen years the speakers in
our Omega reference system
have been Reference 3A Suprema II’s.
Originally Swiss, with French roots,
Reference 3A was founded by Daniel
Dehay, but was purchased over a decade
ago by Canada’s Divergent Technologies, which continues to draw
from the deep well left by Dehay. We
have had several occasions to review the
company’s creations since, mostly with
enthusiasm.
One of the really good ones, —
though by no means the only one — was
the Royal Virtuoso (UHF No. 70). This
oversized two-way speaker with the
Corian sides was, essentially, just like the
top part of our Supremas. It is no longer
made, but the Episode is a reboot of the
Royal Virtuoso, now a floorstanding
speaker, with a third driver. The tiny
gold tweeter is actually a muRata
super tweeter. By coincidence, we are
using a freestanding muRata pair on
our Supremas.
Though Reference 3A is now
a Canadian company, several
aspects of the original designs
can be found in the Episodes.
First, look at the woofer diaphragm. We hesitate to call
it a “cone,” because its shape
is not at all that of the usual
truncated cone. This one
has a shape that Reference
3A calls “hyper elliptical,”
and it is of course made
from woven carbon fibre.
The front is dramatically tilted, partly to
keep the wavefronts
f r om t he d r i ver s
in step, and partly
to m i n im ize t he
s t a nd i n g w a v e s
that are a problem
with rectang ular enclosures.
The crossover
is reduced to
the strict
minimum, essentially Mundorf silver
capacitors there to protect the two tweeters from low-frequency energy.
Ot her materials include Bybee
Quantum Purifiers (Google it and be
amazed!), AVM (Anti Vibration Magic)
fluid, and Van den Hul cabling. The
four binding posts, which are nameless
but seem to work well mechanically, are
mounted on a massive aluminum plate.
Grilles are included, and if you need to
use them, well…then you do.
We decided to make this an allanalog session, as we sometimes do, and
so we pulled out some familiar and less
familiar recordings of different genres,
though the first and last are of music we
always use in loudspeaker evaluations.
The first is the long-discontinued
Center Stage from Wilson Audio, whose
Olympic Fanfare (composed for the 84
Summer Games in L.A.) has some rolling drum work that seems to give many
a speaker serious trouble. We also used
it to determine whether we would be
happy with the initial placement of the
Episodes: a little ahead of where our
Supremas sound best. We had placed
them just enough ahead that the centre
of the woofer was just where the front of
our Suprema’s woofer had been. A first
listen convinced us that no adjustment
was going to be necessary.
Thus reassured, we played the Fanfare again, notepads in hand.
The overall sound was well-balanced,
and indeed was not unlike that of our
own speakers. “You recognize the family
sound,” said Albert. “There’s the same
flavor, the same midrange richness, the
same definition in the brass and the
woodwinds, the same articulation.” He
thought that the central image was fuller
as well.
But what about those rolling tympani? On poorly-damped speakers
they become an undefined mass of
sound, quite unlike the sound of a real
percussion instrument. The Episodes
kept them in check, which is quite an
achievement for any tuned reflex speaker.
But of course they couldn’t match the
tremendous impact of our own speakers’
sound. All three of us were pleased with
the way this session was unfolding.
We had a second female voice,
recorded rather more naturally, that
of Jennifer Warnes singing Leonard
Cohen’s Famous Blue Raincoat, this from
the 45 rpm multidisc re-release. Properly played, this song — reinvented by
Warnes and Cohen for a female singer, is
a constantly renewable emotional experience. We were quite sure the Episodes
wouldn’t let us down, and they didn’t.
This is an intimate recording, without the challenge of extremes, in either
bandwidth or dynamics. Rather, its
impact depends on the subtle emotions
of Jennifer Warnes’ performance, and
of course the poetry of Leonard Cohen.
The overall sound was perhaps a little
less intimate, but the voice remained
gorgeous and expressive. Albert preferred the rich sound of the saxophone
with our reference speakers, but he
praised the Episodes for, once again,
Summing it up…
Brand/model: Reference 3A Episode
Price: C$5500 or US$5500 in standard finishes, slightly more for some
finishes
Size (HWD): 117 x 27 x 37 cm
Sensitivity: 91 dB
Impedance: 8 ohms
Most liked: Nearly perfect balance,
quick liveliness
Least liked: One more octave
wouldn’t be unwelcome
Verdict: Promises a lot, delivers
their effortless transparency. Steve
agreed. “Her voice is singing with the
instruments, not just next to them.”
Our next selection was the title
tune from a nearly forgotten LP from
José Feliciano, Angela (Private Stock
PS 2010). Feliciano, you may or may
not recall, was known in the 70’s for his
free-form version of Light My Fire.
This can be a diff icult song to
reproduce, but the Episodes did the job
nearly perfectly. “There’s an odd introduction to the song,” said Albert. “You
can really here those little bells right at
the beginning.” We could also hear the
woody resonance of the guitar, not just
Feliciano’s finger on the strings.
By this time comparisons were getting difficult to make, because we were
so caught up in the rhythm and texture
of the guitar, the violins, the percussion,
and Feliciano’s unique voice. It worked
wonderfully well. “Colors in nature
are always harmonious,” said Steve,
“and this is very much a harmonious
presentation.”
We had one recording left, one we
always use to end loudspeaker reviews.
Secret of the Andes is an exceptional
jazz album (originally on the Nautilus
label, later re-released as a JVC xrcd), but
the title piece is notable for an extended
sequence featuring a large variety of
Central American instruments, and
especially percussion instruments. Most
speakers we review do at least adequately
on this piece, but that’s only because we
try to avoid reviewing obvious duds. The
sequence is a trap. The drums are wood,
metal or stretched skin, and a poorlyULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine    31    
Room
Listening
Feedback
push-pull subwoofers, which come into
play below 50 Hz. There lay the difference. “With the reference I could feel the
impact in my bones, my chest, my legs,”
said Steve. “Other than that, the brass
is a little brighter, and more brash, and
the 3-D effect isn’t as striking.”
We had a second wind band piece
in t he lineup, t he medley from A
Chorus Line from Frederick Fennell’s
Beachcomber double album (Reference
Recordings RR-62). Keith O. Johnson
put a lot into its grooves, and listening to
it is a thrilling experience…if, of course,
the playback equipment, from phono
cartridge to speaker, is up to the task.
Once again there were important
differences in performance between
our reference and the Episodes, but the
Episodes handled this difficult music so
deftly that we spent little time concentrating on any shortcomings. The lively
energy of the music came through, and
it was easy to conclude that liveliness
is the defining characteristic of these
speakers, as it is for other Reference
3A’s. We were by now convinced that the
engineers had done what was necessary
to keep the cabinet rigid, because transients were quick and sharp, the rhythm
unstoppable.
Steve, who had expressed reservations
with the first recording, was coming
around. “The sound stage is not as wide
and flowing,” he said. “The Supremas
fill every square centimetre with music.
But the more I listen, the less difference
I hear.”
We continued with Israeli singer
Esther Ofarim, singing the French traditional song Rataplan, from her original
album of some years back (ATR 001).
This is not quite a natural recording, but
it’s always impressive, with Esther’s voice
clear and powerful, with the accompanying orchestra filling the broad space. You
want dynamics? She’s got them!
The Episodes reproduced this difficult recording amazingly well. Indeed,
the words (based on an old legend of a
king who covets a nobleman’s wife) were
actually even clearer than with our own
speakers, though this feat was accomplished without adding extra brightness.
There was a little less throat sound in
Esther’s voice, but both Steve and Albert
noticed the great transparency of the
damped loudspeaker cabinet will cover
their distinctive timbres with their own
homogenous resonance, making them
all sound the same.
Of course the Episodes got through
this sequence well. The little Andean
harp that opens and closes the piece
was particularly well articulated. The
drums seemed lighter than with our
larger Supremas, but the difference was
apparent for only a few seconds, and it
was then easy to accept their sound as
being right.
The more conventional jazz portion
was very good too, with Victor Feldman’s lively piano particularly enjoyable.
The cymbals were a model of finesse. “I
think I heard the contribution of those
super tweeters,” said Steve. “These really
are the younger brothers of our reference
speakers.”
Once we had (reluctantly) finished
with the listening, we set up our calibrated microphone a metre in front of
the main tweeter. The 100 Hz square
wave, shown on the previous page,
confirmed the quickness of the speakers,
though it showed some phase problems
related to the tilt of the cabinet front (the
drivers are set up to meld together at a
greater distance, not at one metre).
Frequency response, measured by
averaging third-of-octave warble tones,
is shown above left. Save for that unexpected sag at 10 kHz, it is very good.
The 40 Hz sag is a room effect, not a
shortcoming of the speaker. We were
actually pleased to see the bottom-end
response drop so sharply, because speakers that try to reproduce low frequencies
they can’t make sense of color the music
horribly. Note the nearly undistorted
sound wave above right: it’s 32 Hz at full
reference level!
The graph doesn’t indicate the contribution of the super tweeter, but our
microphone wasn’t in line with it.
No matter how well a loudspeaker
may do certain things, the key to satisfying performance is balance: nothing
exaggerated, nothing in excess. On that
scale, the Reference 3A Episode succeeds
admirably. It is extreme in only one
aspect, and that is liveliness. Don’t count
on us to complain.
Room
Listening
Feedback
CROSSTALK
As you probably know, most of the music
lives in the midrange, and these speakers
provide a superbly-rich dwelling for it. It
almost felt as though a solid, yet transparent, wall of sound were created in front of
me. But there was also the depth of a stage
and the precise effect of spotlights on each
performer.
Did I say the music was lively? It was
bursting with joy when called for, and
smooth as a lake at sunset during those
bittersweet moments. I also experienced an
unmistakable sense of balance as I listened
to one piece after another. Things were not
perfect (they never really are), but I knew
they made sense, they held together well,
they let me relax and get fully involved with
the music.
I knew that these speakers couldn’t reproduce the bass foundation as impressively as
our reference speakers, but I found myself
accepting that readily, as if the performers
were playing in a much larger hall.
Too bad each selection had become so
short!
—Albert Simon
Shopping for perfection is always more
than a little stressful. Trying to find a bargain at the same time adds to the challenge.
Then there’s your partner to please, unless
pleasing yourself is your only goal.
This speaker could help solve all of those
issues. Its playing instantly brought back a
clear sonic memory of the UHF reference,
its larger and more costly relative. A rich
and pure harmonic balance, an enormously
broad-in-the-beam sound stage, entirely
authentic instrument timbres. And it is seriously better looking. Slim and elegant, it’s
very easy on the eyes. Any one of the trio of
finishes offered will fit nicely into most every
musical pleasure dome.
The Episode moves the Reference 3A
family of speakers forward, its tradition
maintained.
—Steve Bourke
Sometimes the basic rightness of an audio
product, but especially a loudspeaker, strikes
you to the point where you pay no attention
to the technical aspects of its execution. At
that moment — I know I’m on well-trod
ground here — it’s all about the music.
That was also my impression the very
first time I heard Daniel Dehay’s original
3A speakers nearly two decades ago. Same
thing here. Put music into these speakers,
and what comes out is a living thing.
—Gerard Rejskind
Back Issues
THE ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION:
Issues No.7-19 (except 11, 15, 17 and 18, out of
print): nine issues available for the price of five
(see below). A piece of audio history. Available
separately at the regular price.
No. 87: Digital: We review the April Music Eximus
CD player, and we plug things into its digital
inputs. We also try to get great sound from the
increasingly popular Apple Airport Express.
Analog: We listen to the Audiomat Phono-1.6,
successor to our reference phono preamp, and
a hand-wound step-up transformer from Allnic.
Plus: A lovely little tube amp from Audio Space,
the Pioneer BDP-11FD Blu-ray player, and a
feature article on good sound in bad times.
No.86: Analog: We review the Scheu Analogue
Premier II turntable and Cantus arm, and we try
two phono preamps: the Allnic H-1200 and the
Moon LP3. Also: We continue our investigation
of speaker connectors by putting WBT nextgens
on our reference cable, we listen to Beats headphones, as well as the Shure SE530 and SE420
phones. We also put the Zoom H2 palm-sized
digital recorder through a tough test. Plus: color
space in home theatre, Paul Bergman on analog
in a digital world.
No.85: Integrated amplifiers: the luxurious
Sugden A21SE and the affordable Vecteur
Ai4. We evaluate Eichmann’s new Quiessence
cables, and chat with Keith Eichmann himself.
We listen to a very good mid-priced speaker
cable with four different connectors, and the
results leave us stunned. Plus: We choose
(and evaluate in depth) a new HDTV reference
monitor, Paul Bergman winds up his series on
acoustics, and we tell you how to transfer music
to hard drive without saying you’re sorry.
No.84: Digital streaming: the awesome Linn
Klimax DS and the Off-Ramp Turbo 2 interface.
Also: the classic Harbeth HL5 speaker, the
affordable Moon CD-1 and i-1 amplifier, and
a great phono stage from Aurum. Plus: UHF
chats with Linn’s Gilad Tiefenbrun and Harbeth’s
Alan Shaw, Paul Bergman discusses signals for
acoustic measurement, and we look at the prospects for 3-D…at home and in the cinema.
No.82: Amplifiers: A large sweet tube amplifier
from Audio Space, the Reference 3.1, and the
reincarnation of an old favorite, the Sugden A21.
Digital: Bryston's first CD player, and the Blue
Circle "Thingee," with USB at one end and lots of
outputs at the other end. Plus: the BC Acoustique
A3 speaker, a small subwoofer, two more London
phono cartridges, line filters from AudioPrism
and BIS, a blind test of three interconnects, Paul
Bergman on soundproofing, and a thorough test
of Sony's new-generation Blu-ray player
No.81: Digital: The newest two-box CD player
from Reimyo, and the magical Linn Majik
player. Headphones a new version of our long
time reference headphones, from the Koss pro
division, and the affordable SR-125 headphones
from Grado. Plus: The astonishing Sonogram
loudspeakers from Gershman, a small but lovely
tube integrated amplifier from CEC, and the
London Reference phono cartridge.
No.80: Equipment reviews: From Linn, the
Artikulat 350A active speakers, the updated
yields hi-fi from your computer. We review the
new Audio Reference speakers, the updated
Connoisseur single-ended tube amp, upscale
Actinote cables, and Gershman’s Acoustic Art
panels. How to tune up your system for an inexpensive performance boost. And much more.
Harmonic Technology, Eichmann), 4 power
cords (Wireworld, Harmonic Technology,
Eichmann, ESP). Plus: Paul Bergman on
soundproof ing, c ompar ing c omponents
in the store, big-screen TV’s to stay away
from, a look back at the Beatles revolution.
No.79: Digital players: Simaudio’s flagship
DVD (and CD) player, the Calypso, and Creek’s
surprising economy EVO player. Phono stages:
A slick tube unit from Marchand, and the superb
Sonneteer Sedley, with USB input and output.
Plus: the talented JAS Oscar loudspeakers, the
Squeezebox plus our own monster power supply.
Also: Bergman on what absorbs sound and what
doesn’t, what’s next in home theatre, Vegas
2007, and the secrets of the harmonica.
No.71: Small speaker: Reference 3a Dulcet,
Totem Rainmaker, and a low cost speaker from
France. A blind cable test: five cables from Atlas,
and a Wireworld cable with different connectors
(Eichmann, WBT nextgen, and Wireworld). The
McCormack UDP-1 universal player, muRata
super tweeters, Simaudio I-3 amp and Equinox
CD player. Paul Bergman examines differences
behind two-channel stereo and multichannel.
No.62: Amplifiers: Vecteur I-4, Musical Fidelity
Nu-Vista M3, Antique Sound Lab MG-S11DT.
Passive preamps: Creek and Antique Sound
Lab. Vecteur L-4 CD player. Interconnects: VdH
Integration, Wireworld Soltice. Plus: the right to
copy music, for now. Choosing a DVD player by
features. And all about music for the movies.
No.78: Integrated amplifiers: the affordable
Creek EVO, and the (also affordable) Audio
Space AS-3i. Loudspeaker cables: six of them
from Atlas and Actinote, in a blind test. Plus:
the astonishing Aurum Acoustics Integris 300B
complete system, and its optional CD player/
preamplifier. Whew! Also: Bergman on taming
reverberation, how to put seven hours of uncompressed music on just one disc, and the one
opera that even non-opera people know.
No.77: Electronics: The Simaudio Moon P-8
preamplifier, the successor to the legendary
Bryston 2B power amp, the Antique Sound Lab
Lux DT phono stage. Plus: the Reimyo DAP-777
converter, an affordable CD player/integrated
amp pair from CEC, and five power cords. Also:
Paul Bergman on room size and acoustics, how
to dezone foreign DVDs, and how to make your
own 24/96 high resolution discs at home.
No.76: Loudspeakers: a new look at the modern
version of the Totem Mani-2, an affordable ELAC
speaker with a Heil tweeter, and the even more
affordable Castle Richmond 3i. Plus headphone
amps from Lehmann, CEC and Benchmark, a
charger that can do all your portables, and the
Squeezebox 3, which gets true hi-fi music from
your computer to your stereo system. Bergman
on speaker impedance and how to measure it.
No.75: Amplifiers: The new Simaudio Moon W-8
flagship, and integrated amps from Copland (the
CTA-405) and CEC. Speakers: the Reference 3a
Veena and the Energy Reference Connoisseur
reborn. Plus the Benchmark DAC converter. And
also: Bergman on the changing concept of hi-fi
and stereo, a chat with FIM’s Winston Ma, and
the rediscovery of a great Baroque composer,
Christoph Graupner.
No.74: Amplifiers: Mimetism 15.2, Qinpu A-8000,
Raysonic SP-100, Cyrus 8vs and Rogue Stereo
90. More reviews: Atlantis Argentera speaker,
Cyrus CD8X player, GutWire MaxCon 2 line
filter, Harmony remote, Music Studio 10 recording software. Cables: Atlas, Stager, BIS and
DNM, including a look at how length affects
digital cables. Plus: the (hi-fi) digital jukebox,
why HDTV doesn’t always mean what you think,
and Reine Lessard on The Man Who Invented
Rock’n’Roll.
No.73: Integrated amplifiers: Audiomat Récital
and Exposure 2010S. Analog: Turntables
from Roksan (Radius 5) and Goldring (the
Rega-designed GR2), plus two cartridges, and
four phono stages from CEC, Marchand and
Goldring. The Harmonix Reimyo CD player,
Audiomat Maestro DAC, ASW Genius 400
speakers, and the Sonneteer BardOne wireless
system. Plus: Paul Bergman on the making of an
LP and why they don’t all sound the same.
No.72: Music from data: We look at ways you
can make your own audiophile CDs with equipment you already have, and we test a DAC that
No.70: How SACD won the war…or how DVD-A
blew it. Reviews: Linn Unidisk 1.1 universal
player and Shanling SCD-T200 player. Speakers:
Reference 3a Royal Virtuoso, Equation 25,
Wilson Benesch Curve. Other reviews: Simaudio
W-5LE amp, the iPod as an audiophile source.
Plus: future video screens, and the eternal music
of George Gershwin
No.69: Tube Electronics: Audiomat Opéra ,
Connoisseur SE-2 and Copland CSA29 integrated amps, and Shanling SP-80 monoblocks.
Audiomat's Phono 1.5, Creek CD50, GutWire's
NotePad and a music-related computer game
that made us laugh out loud. Paul Bergman on
the return of the tube, and how music critics did
their best to kill the world’s greatest music.
No.68: Loudspeakers: Thiel CS2.4, Focus
Audio FS688, Iliad B1. Electronics:Vecteur
I-6.2 and Audiomat Arpège integrated amplifiers, Copland 306 multichannel tube preamp,
Rega Fono MC. Also: Audio Note and Copland
CD players, GutWire MaxCon power filter. And
there’s more: all about power supplies, what’s
coming beyond DVD, and a chat with YBA’s
Yves-Bernard André.
No.67: Loudspeakers: An improved Reference
3a MM de Capo, and the Living Voice Avatar
OBX-R. Centre speakers from Castle, JMLab,
ProAc, Thiel, Totem and Vandersteen. One of
them joins our Kappa system. Two multichannel
amps from Copland and Vecteur. Plus: plans for
a DIY platform for placing a centre speaker atop
any TV set, Paul Bergman on the elements of
acoustics, and women in country music.
No.66: Reviews: the Jadis DA-30 amplifier, the
Copland 305 tube preamp and 520 solid state
amp. Plus: the amazing Shanling CD player,
Castle Stirling speakers, and a remote control
that tells you what to watch. Also: Bergman on
biwiring and biamplification, singer Janis Ian’s
alternative take on music downloading, and a
chat with Opus 3’s Jan-Eric Persson.
No.65: Back to Vinyl: setting up an analog
system, reviews of Rega P9 turntable, and
phono preamps from Rega, Musical Fidelity
and Lehmann. The Kappa reference system for
home theatre: choosing our HDTV monitor, plus
a review of the Moon Stellar DVD player. Antivibration: Atacama, Symposium, Golden Sound,
Solid-Tech, Audioprism, Tenderfeet. Plus an
interview with Rega’s turntable designer,.
No.64: Speakers: Totem M1 Signature and
Hawk, Visonik E352. YBA Passion Intégré amp,
Cambridge IsoMagic (followup), better batteries
for audio-to-go. Plus: the truth about upsampling,
an improvement to our LP cleaning machine, an
interview with Ray Kimber.
No.63: Tube amps: ASL Leyla & Passion
A11. Vecteur Espace speakers, 2 interconnects (Harmonic Technology Eichmann),
5 speaker cables (Pierre Gabriel, vdH ,
No.61: Digital: Audiomat Tempo and Cambridge
Isomagic DACs, Vecteur D-2 transport. Speakers:
Osborn Mini Tower and Mirage OM-9. Soundcare
Superspikes. And: new surround formats, dezoning DVD players.
No.60: Speakers: Monitor Audio Silver 9,
Reference 3a MM De Capo, Klipsch RB-5,
Coincident Triumph Signature. Plus: a Mirage
subwoofer and the Audiomat Solfège amp. Paul
Bergman on reproducing extreme lows.
No.59: CD players: Moon Eclipse, Linn Ikemi and
Genki, Rega Jupiter/Io, Cambridge D500. Plus:
Oskar Kithara speaker, with Heil tweeter. And:
transferring LP to CD, the truth on digital radio,
digital cinema vs MaxiVision 48.
No.58: Amplifiers: ASL AQ1003, Passion I10
& I11, Rogue 88, Jadis Orchestra Reference,
Linar 250. Headphone amps: Creek, Antique
Sound Lab, NVA, Audio Valve. Plus: Foundation
Research LC-2 line filter, Gutwire power cord,
Pierre Gabriel ML-1 2000 cable. And: building
your own machine to clean LP’s.
No.57: Speakers: Dynaudio Contour 1.3,
Gershman X-1/SW-1, Coincident Super Triumph
Signature, Castle Inversion 15, Oskar Aulos.
PLUS: KR 18 tube amp. Music Revolution: the
next 5 years. Give your Hi-Fi a Fall Tune-Up.
No.56: Integrated amps: Simaudio I-5, Roksan
Caspian, Myryad MI120, Vecteur Club 10, NVA
AP10 Also: Cambridge T500 tuner, Totem Forest.
Phono stages: Creek, Lehmann, Audiomat.
Interconnects: Actinote, Van den Hul, Pierre
Gabriel. Plus: Paul Bergman on power and current…why you need both
No.55: CD players: Linn CD12, Copland
CDA-289, Roksan Caspian, AMC CD8a. Other
reviews: Enigma Oremus speaker, Magenta
ADE-24 black box. Plus: the DSD challenge for
the next audio disc, pirate music on the Net, the
explosion of off-air video choices.
No.54: Electronics: Creek A52se, Simaudio W-3
and W-5 amps. Copland CSA-303, Sima P-400
and F.T. Audio preamps (two of them passive).
Musical Fidelity X-DAC revisited, Ergo AMT
phones, 4 line filters, 2 interconnects..
No.53: Loudspeakers:Reference 3a Intégrale,
Energy Veritas v2.8, Epos ES30, Totem Shaman,
Mirage 390is, Castle Eden. Bergman on biamping, biwiring, balanced lines, and more.
No.52: CD players: Alchemist Nexus, Cambridge
CD6, YBA Intégré, Musical Fidelity X-DAC,
Assemblage DAC-2. Subwoofers: Energy ES-8
and NHT PS-8. Plus: Paul Bergman on reproducing deep bass, and behind digital television.
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No.83: Digital: The Raysonic CD128 and a lowcost player from VisionQuest. Other reviews: The
Moon LP5.3 phono stage, the Castle Richmond
7i speaker, the upscale Mavros cables from
Atlas, and a retest of the Power Foundation III
line filter, with a better power cord this time. Plus:
The acoustics of speaker placement, the two
meanings of video image contrast, and a portrait
of super tenor Placido Domingo.
LP12 turntable, the Klimax Kontrol preamplifier,
and the Linto phono stage; ASW Genius 300
speakers, ModWright preamp and phono stage.
Also: Bergman on absorbing low frequencies,
emerging technologies for home theatre, and
coverage of the Montreal Festival.
Room
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Audes Orpheus
T
hough it’s t he f irst t ime
a speaker from Audes has
crossed our threshold, the
company is not completely
new to us. A large Audes model was
featured in our report on CES in 2001
(it’s on page 27 of UHF No. 61 if you
want to look it up). Its prominent ears
led us to the natural headline: “Your
speaker is ready, Batman.” All laughing
aside, we said it had more than respectable sound.
So does the Orpheus, the Estonian
company’s flagship speaker, and certainly its most luxurious.
Audes has decidedly non-hi-fi origins. In the days of the Soviet Union,
it made transformers and cable for the
Red Army (well, actually the Soviet
defense ministry). Even before the age of
perestroika, it had begun designing and
building home entertainment systems
under the brand name Estonia, eventually changing its name to the present
one.
(Audes is a town in the Auvergne
region of France, though we doubt that’s
the reason for the name.)
Audes makes small, relatively inexpensive speakers as well, but the Orpheus
is the company’s flagship. Check the ash
black burled wood sides (the panels are
from Italy), and you’ll see where some
of the money has been spent, but there
are lots of luxury touches inside as well:
Mundorf capacitors, Cardas binding
posts (just one pair, not two), and pointto-point wiring rather than circuit
boards. The tweeter is in a separate
vibration-absorbent housing, and so is
the crossover.
The cabinet is elaborate, with no
parallel surfaces to sustain internal
standing waves. It is massive, certainly,
but it is also narrow, in order to maintain
a strong stereo image. For that reason,
the 25 cm woofer has been mounted on
the side. The speakers are to be oriented
so that the woofers face each other (and
woe to anything that gets in between!).
Both the woofer and the midrange
drivers are proprietary, though the
tweeter is a SEAS Millennium. The midrange driver is very nearly a woofer in its
own right, because Audes has placed the
crossover point at a low 120 Hz. That
places a difficult job on the figurative
shoulders of that driver, which needs
to handle the five octaves from 120 to
1,900 Hz. They get away with it, as we
shall see, and in spectacular fashion too.
It offers a major advantage over the usual
practice in three-way speakers of having
the crossover point right around Middle
C. That would mean that, right in the
most important part of the music, there
would be two dissimilar drivers playing
at the same time.
This is a reflex speaker, with two
huge ports at the rear. It is, however,
possible to plug up the ports with the
massive supplied stoppers. Audes says
that may be advantageous for use with
tube amplifiers.
There are no grilles supplied, except
for the cloth covering the woofer. The
screws holding in the midrange and
tweeter are not really hidden, but they
are so unobtrusive you barely notice
them.
The speakers are shipped with rubber
feet, as you can see in the picture, but
you can (and should) substitute the
included spike tips. Our speakers had
been shipped more than once around
the continent, however, and half our
spike tips had been lost. Not wanting
to handicap them with rubber feet, we
placed them on machined Tenderfoot
cones instead.
During the break-in period (though
they weren’t factory new, they had not
been fully run-in) we were playing music
from a remote computer, funnelled
through an Airport Express, a Cyrus
tat.
elenisi.
luptat.
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converter and a single-ended tube amplifier. We could tell that the Audes were
going to deliver on their promise: they
sounded smooth, natural and rich, with
an almost chocolatey tone.
The rest of this article can be found in
the complete print or electronic version
of UHF No. 84. Order the print issue
from www.uhfmag.com/IndividualIssue.html (it’s case sensitive). Or subscribe
at www.uhfmag.com/Subscription.html.
The electronic issue is available from
www.magzee.com.
Latin.
tisi.
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ismodoloreet at.
augait.
Summing it up…
Brand/model: Audes Orpheus
Price: US$16,000
Size (HWD): 116 x 32 x 56 cm
Sensitivity: 88 dB
Impedance: 6 ohms
Most liked: Astonishingly refined
sound, powerful impact, limpid image
Least liked: Difficult to match to
some acoustical surroundings
Verdict: The looks say “luxury.” The
sound says the same.
tisi.
tat.
Cil et veraessisl utat, sed tio dion-
sendipit nit aliquisi eu facincidunt lobor
elenisi.
ut iusto.
CROSSTALK
on your list and be ready for an audition that
stretches on and on…
—Toby Earp
The listening session left me a little
unsatisfied, not because I was in any way
displeased with what I heard, but on the
contrary, because it would have taken much,
much longer to really savor what these loudspeakers can do.
Beyond the sound they give this artist
or that instrument, these loudspeakers ooze
refinement. Their sound is complex, as real
music is, and it invites closer listening. There
may be more to your recordings than you had
suspected, and these are the speakers that
can let you hear it. I heard them extensively
before the review session, while they were
being broken in. Countless times, I was off
doing something else, and they drew me in
from the other room.
Yes, they’re acoustically challenging, and
they will require serious work to make them
sound their best. But the potential rewards
are great, because the Audes Orpheus are
reference-quality loudspeakers.
—Gerard Rejskind
These speakers do a ton of things just
right. They let me enjoy some aspects of the
music I tended to disregard and brought to
my attention some elements that I had not
suspected such as the personal way in which
an artist utters some lyrics. And they’re
lightning fast too.
So why was I not relaxed during and after
the listening tests? You know what I mean.
When something sounds so good, your brain
eases its intense focus, letting the music flow
freely and you can almost feel your features
soften. Why did it not happen?
I suspect it had to do with what was missing. And no, I can’t be more specific because
it wasn’t always missing. Sometimes what I
heard was so good that I noticed only later
that something else was absent. I can hear
you say “Gee, why can’t this guy spell it out?”
I know how you feel. On edge, aren’t you?
That’s how I felt too.
—Albert Simon
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Well, that was an afternoon well spent.
Secret of the Andes — just another audiophile test disc, I thought, but oh no, it’s
good music! As a longtime reader, I know
UHF likes to use the complex percussion as
a speaker test, but the timing, the energy and
invention in the piano part was a revelation
with the big Audes speakers. They gave me
music when I wasn’t expecting it.
They also provided insight into the art
of Jennifer Warnes. I’ve heard Famous Blue
Raincoat many times and thought I knew it
all, but again, no. Warnes uses her sweet
voice to express bitterness only just held
back, and it touched me more subtly than
ever.
Was there something the reference did
better? Sure, the weight and impact of the
lower bass for one thing. On the other hand I
preferred the speed and slight warmth of the
Orpheus’ midrange. Even at this level there
are considerable differences among speakers.
If you’re looking for gear this good, you’ll
know you’ve found your speaker when you
hear it and can’t forget it. Put the Orpheus
The Four-Box Cyrus CD Player
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W
h atever happened to
two-box CD players?
They succumbed to a
new fashion: the singlebox player, and for good technical
reasons: breaking the player down into
two different chassis held together by an
expensive digital cable wasn’t heads-up
engineering. Today, however, even hard
core audiophiles are moving their digital
music onto the hard drives of their
computers, and they’re doing much of
their listening that way. They wish they
could use the expensive digital-to-analog
converters of their CD players for more
than playing CDs.
With a two-box player you can.
But…er, this is a four-box player. Let us
introduce you to the cast of characters.
At top right is the XtSE transport.
No, there isn’t a CD drawer. This is a
slot-loading drive, like the one in your
car and perhaps your computer. More on
this in a moment.
At top left is the digital-to-analog
converter, the DAC X. The knob is not a
volume control but a selector for setup. A
version with built-in preamp does exist,
however.
The two units at the bottom are
PSX-R power supplies. They are optional,
and can be considered an add-on, which
you can buy right away, or when your
credit card comes out of intensive care.
Cyrus — and Mission before that — has
long offered add-on power blocks. The
same PSX-R can be used with Cyrus
amplifiers as well.
We should mention that you can get
these goodies in a single-box player, the
CD8SE (C$2399), to which you can also
add a PSX-R. However we wanted to try
the Cyrus technology with computer
sources, and that is why we asked for the
separates. We did in fact use the DAC X
in evaluating Reference Recordings’
remarkable HRx recordings (see Hi-Res
Music on DVD-R in this issue).
Now let’s get a closer look.
The XtSE Compact Disc transport
Very few high end manufacturers
can afford the huge development costs
of an original Compact Disc transport
mechanism. With few exceptions, therefore, they buy off-the-shelf transports,
which may be from Sony or Pioneer,
but are nearly always from Philips. That
company’s products are chosen because
they offer certain advantages, to be sure,
but if you want to see steam coming out
of a manufacturer’s ears, ask him what
his dealings with Philips are like. (Actually the dealings are with a third party,
because Philips is a big company and
doesn’t talk to leprechauns.) And since
models change frequently, some buyers
of expensive players get left high and dry.
Ask us what happened to our original
$9000 Moon DVD player! On second
thought, who needs the aggravation?
So what’s the alternative?
In the past we’ve seen designers take
the economy road, and buy computergrade drives. The rationale: computers
have zero tolerance for errors — one
byte out of place and the program won’t
run — so what could be better? The
fly in the ointment (and the flawin the
reasoning): computers don’t have to read
data in real time.
But technology has advanced, and
a technique that was once premature,
to say the least, may have seen its time
finally arrive.
The major advance has been the
availability of large memory chips that
can be used as a buffer for the music
data so that it need not be read directly
from the physical disc. Computer audio
already works this way, and so do iPods.
The mechanism retrieves the data and
loads it into computer memory, a process
that can be done perfectly, just the way
data is retrieved from software discs.
The actual playback is done from the
data in the buffer, which doesn’t suffer
from the problems associated with the
often-shoddy mechanical parts of the
drive. Today, a memory chip with capacity for the entire contents of a Compact
Disc (0.7 GB) costs nearly nothing, and
indeed it is difficult to find one that
small.
So…is Cyrus actually using a computer-grade drive in its transport? Well,
it’s a slot-loader, so you figure it out.
If that truly is the case, the electronic
part of the transport, the one without
moving parts, is where the technical
cleverness lies. Some of the passages
from the Cyrus literature would need
Dan Brown to decode them, but the
main claim is that the transport has
been engineered “to retrieve data from
an audio CD with the fewest errors…
and to provide much better quality audio
than has been possible with conventional
drives.”
No objections from us.
The XtSE has a very good backlit
LCD screen, though as usual we wish it
were large enough to be readable from
across the room. It can be programmed
in various ways, for instance to remember to skip the song that was her favorite
before she walked out on you.
There are coaxial and optical outputs,
but no AES/EBU balanced jack, and
another pair of jacks for connecting to
the proprietary Cyrus MC Bus control
system. There is of course a five-pin XLR
jack for the optional power supply.
The supplied remote is large and
made from silvery plastic. Most of its
buttons are for other products, including Cyrus amplifiers and home theatre
surround sound systems.
The PSX-R power blocks
These are versatile add-ons, which
can be used with pretty much anything
Cyrus makes. We know the importance
of a robust power source, and we have
had occasion to use a PSX-R supply
with a Cyrus amplifier. Does it make a
difference? As Sarah Palin would say, you
betcha. When it comes to that, we recall
using a similar add-on power block with
Getting down to listening
By t he t ime we were ready for
this session, we had already heard the
DAC X, since it was one of the three
converters we used in the evaluation of
the Reference Recordings HRx DVDs.
It had done well, without quite the ultimate refinement of the more expensive
Audiomat Tempo 2.6 converter we had
borrowed, but it had brought to the
table added dynamic tension, seemingly
resulting from its PSX-R power supply.
We did most of our listening with
the PSX-R’s in place, comparing only
at the end. The digital cable linking the
transport and converter was an Atlas
Opus, in the usual 1.5 m length.
We found putting a CD into the
narrow slot initially unnerving, as if we
should fear that it wouldn’t give it back.
In reality, of course, a conventional
drawer can just as easily jam, and it was
merely a question of getting accustomed
to it.
We began the session with our
long-time choral favorite, Now the Green
Blade Riseth (the Red Book CD version,
of course, Proprius PRCD9093). This
wonderful recording is astonishingly
lifelike, but it falls apart completely if
there’s anything wrong in the playback.
Well, that certainly didn’t happen, but
there was a certain alteration of texture,
and all three of us noticed it.
What was it? “It’s gorgeous, there’s
lots of detail and the individual choral
voices are well defined,” said Albert, “but
there’s a price to be paid. The singers
sound good, but their voices don’t flow.
I won’t go so far as to say that the sound
is grainy, but the texture isn’t the same.”
Steve agreed, even finding a subtle touch
of harshness in the voices. Said Gerard,
“It’s pretty good, and it’s even smoothsounding, but…”
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The DAC X converter
The presence of a knob on the front
of the converter had us fooled, especially
since the analog output jacks are labelled
as a fixed output. Were the two jacks
adjacent actually a variable output? Was
this converter actually a six-input digital preamplifier? That sounded rather
exciting.
But no, the second pair of jacks is
for the same MC Bus, for integration
with other Cyrus products. The knob
is for selecting names for the inputs so
that they’re not merely called Input 1,
Input 2, etc. (you choose from a list, you
can’t call an input “Molly”). However
Cyrus actually does have a version with
a built in preamp, the DAC XP, for about
$2000 more. The preamp module is even
available as an upgrade, though we don’t
see that option on the price list.
There are plenty of jacks at the rear,
apart those already mentioned. The first
two inputs are optical, the next four
coaxial. There are three pairs of analog
outputs, one of them coaxial, two others
balanced. Finally there is an optical
digital output for whatever outboard gear
your system may include.
The DAC X has a backlit LCD
screen like that of the transport. It shows
the input selected (by name, if you’ve
assigned one to it), and also the sampling
rate of the incoming signal. In an age
of varied audio resolutions, we wish all
converters had that.
an amplifier from the Cyrus ancestor,
Mission.
The PSX-R has no controls of its
own beyond a front-panel power button.
It has a captive 55 cm power cord with
a female five-pin XLR connector. One
clever detail: if you turn off the product
it is plugged into, the PSX-R will go into
standby mode, and its green LED will
glow orange.
W hen it is used with the XtSE
transport, it takes over the powering
of the motors, leaving the transport’s
own power supply to take care of the
electronics. That division of labor means
the product being “helped” by a PSX-R
still needs its own power cord.
And that means our four-box player
needed four power cords! As usual, we
don’t handicap products we test by using
the cheap molded cords supplied. We
used four of our own shielded cords,
plugged them into a GutWire StingRay
hospital-grade power bar, and plugged
the power bar into our power line filter.
We strongly recommend that anyone
buying these components do likewise.
Room
Listening
Feedback
tat.
Summing it up…
Brand/model: Cyrus XtSE, DAC X
and PSX-R
Price: C$1,999 (transport), C$2599
(DAC), $1050 (PSX-R)
Price as tested: C$6698, equivalent
to about US$6296
Size (WDH): 21.2 x 34.8 x 7 cm, each
unit
Most liked: Tight, smooth performance, especially with the PSX-R
blocks
Least liked: Occasional alteration of
natural textures
Verdict: A great CD playback system,
with plenty of provision for the future
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CROSSTALK
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Room
Listening
Feedback
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on the strings. “Ghostly and synthetic,”
were the words chosen by Toby. He
continued: “Some notes need to sound
rich, such as the bridge notes between
sections, and the music loses a little of
its interest if they don’t have all of that
richness. The pace is still strong, but
without all of that wavelike swelling and
receding effect.”
We continued with Plainte d’amour,
an art song by Pauline Viardot-Garcia
set to a mazurka by her friend Chopin
(sung by Isabel Bayrakdarian, Analekta
AN 2 9903). Properly reproduced, it is
delicious in its dark tone of sadness and
longing. How did the Cambridge do?
ambridge is famous for being nient. The power supply is a 12 volt wall “Midway through I stopped comparing
one of the few companies wart, which made Toby Earp wonder because there was no point,” said Toby.
to bring bearable digital to whether you could hook up a battery to
We were able to identify the differwhat even non-audiophiles it. No, because the wall wart puts out AC, ences well enough. In this song, Bayrakwould consider affordable prices. The not DC, but of course a tweaker might darian’s supple soprano voice sometimes
company moved in the upscale direction want to find a better electrical source.
rises in pitch and volume to deliver lovely
with its Azur series, but it is still making
What country is the DACMagic trills. With the Cambridge those trills
an effort to deliver perceived value for made in? It’s from “an ISO9001 approved were harder, which took away from the
money. And this converter fits perfectly facility,” says the rear panel cryptically. effortlessness of the performance. The
into the tradition.
Before we performed this review ending in a minor key with deliberate
This is the second time around for we had already listened to it with high- dissonance (the theme here is no longer
the DACMagic name. The earlier one resolution computer audio (see Hi-Res love, but death) was less dramatic. “But
was reviewed in UHF No. 50. A later Music on DV-R in this issue), and we the song did manage to touch me in some
version, which was on the cover of issue knew it was at least pretty good. But now spots,” said Toby.
No. 62, was a combination digital-to- we were going to put it up against one of
He had fewer reservations concernanalog converter and anti-vibration our big guns: our Linn Unidisk player. ing Barbra Streisand’s If You Go Away
platform. Its second cable allowed it to
We do own a reference transport, a from the second disc of Love is the
“talk” with the matching CD transport, CEC TL-51X, but in order to avoid an Answer. “The performance is so intense
so they could keep their stories straight. uncontrolled variable we used the Linn that I was taken in from the start,” he
It then had HDCD decoding, too. Albert itself as the transport for the DACMagic, said. Barbra’s voice retained its warm,
still owns one.
connecting the two boxes with an Atlas intimate tone.
This new one is totally different, Opus digital cable.
There were, however, some unweland it is very nearly unique. Over the
We began
the listening
session with
come
changes.
“Theofsibilance is not
You know
how most
audio magazines
do their
reviews:
a number
past decade, one-box CD players have
one ofsome
our favorite
violin recordings,
really
said Gerard,
reviewers,
with doubtful
“reference” of
systems,
arenatural
assignedanyway,”
reviews of
taken over the market. Now, however,
Canadian
violinist James Ehnes playing “only now it contaminates not only the
individual
components.
a CD transport is just one of the digital
Dvorak’s
Romantic
Pieces maintains
(Analekta actual
FL 2 reference
“s” sounds,
but also
the “sh” and “f”
UHF,
on the
other hand,
systems,
on which
components audiophiles want access to.
3191). With
our reference
player theparticipate
tone sounds.
The
image
was weaker, with
all reviews
are done.
All our reviewers
in each
review.
The
The times they are a-changin’…back.mainof
Ehnes’
Stradivarius
perfectlyifbalto the left.on
“Her voice is still
article
is based
on thewas
concensus,
there Barbra
is one, more
but sometimes
The new DACMagic has updated
anced, and the accompaniment by pianist very much present,” said Toby approvdivergence.
specs, as it must have. It can handle
Eduard
sparkledgets
liketoa write
stream
in ingly, “but
it’s less encapsulated —
there’s
And
then Laurel
each reviewer
a “Crosstalk,”
a personal
comhigh-resolution 24-bit audio, at sampling
sun.may
“That’s
hard act
to follow,”
ment,the
which
even adisagree
with
the others.less of a feeling of a diaphragm, lungs
rates of 32, 44.1, 88.2 or 96 kHz. It has
commented
Toby. to confirm. What you read
and torso
at work.”
There
is no pressure
is really
what we
two digital inputs (coaxial or optical),
Indeed,
the UHF
Cambridge’s
We continued with a classic jazz
think. And
that isthough,
what makes
unique.
switchable from the front panel, and — version sounded very good, and would no recording, You Look Good to Me, from
this is unusual — it has a USB input so doubt have been rated highly by anyone the FIM re-release of the Ray Brown
you can connect up a computer that has making this sort of comparison. Gerard Trio’s We Get Requests. Did Brown’s
music files on it. There are both balanced was pleased by the smoothness of the thundering bass have less weight with the
and unbalanced analog outputs. Is there violin, with none of the awful screechi- Cambridge? Toby thought so, though
anything they’ve forgotten?
ness of bad digital sources, though he Gerard declared himself pleased with the
The box is compact, and a holder lets found it to be more discreet, without considerable bottom end. The swing that
you place it on end if that’s more conve- the delicious sound of the resinous bow Oscar Peterson put into his piano play-
Cambridge DACMagic
Room
Listening
Feedback
C
Another unique feature!
We ran instrument tests on the
DACMagic, still connected to our Linn.
We were surprised by the 100 Hz square
wave, above left, which had unusually
high ringing on the leading edge, though
not the trailing edge. The top is tilted,
indicating a mild but significant rolloff
of high frequencies. The DAC’s filter has
three settings (linear, max and min; we
used the “min” setting.
Summing it up…
Brand/model: Cambridge DACMagic
Price: C$529/US$479
Size (WDH): 21.5 x 19 x 5.2 cm
Most liked: Great connectivity,
modern innards, terrific value
Least liked: Less effortless than the
best players
Verdict: Is Cambridge the only company with its eye on the future?
The low level (-60 dB) 1 kHz sine
wave, above right, is contaminated by
noise, but it is otherwise well-shaped.
Of course this inexpensive converter can’t quite keep up with our very
expensive universal player, nor had
we expected it to, but at several points
during the session we expressed amazement that Cambridge has delivered such
performance at what we consider low
cost.
The DACMagic is resolutely new
school, too, and it has connections
that more expensive, and theoretically
“better,” DACs don’t have. Need coaxial?
Got it. Optical? Of course. What about a
USB connection for your computer? It’s
right there. That, we should add, is a feature that is an option from Benchmark,
an option that costs more than half the
price of the whole DACMagic.
The conclusion? The DACMagic is
a bargain.
CROSSTALK
The one-box CD player phenomenon
had pretty much swept affordable converters
like this one right off the market, and for
good reason, I guess. Putting everything
on the same chassis made sense. Only now
it doesn’t, because computers are more and
more coming into their own as music sources.
Yes, even among hard-core audiophiles.
This device has all the connections you
could want, and its performance is a delight.
It is thoroughly modern, with none of the
flaws I associate with junk digital: shrillness,
flattening of depth cues, or truncated bass.
At worst, on some recordings you can tell
it’s working hard. Even so, I wonder how it
would do with a better power supply.
As I write this I haven’t made a decision, but I am strongly tempted to buy the
DACMagic. I can think of a couple of places
I could use it.
—Gerard Rejskind
Is it fair to compare this little DAC’s
sonics to those of a player costing thousands
and truly capable of magic?
There are musical moments a piece of
gear has to reproduce, or one goes back to
the drawing board. The ritardandos in the
Ehnes violin piece, the pause near the end
of the Viardot-Garcia song, the intensity of
the Streisand performance, the rhythm and
pace of the Peterson trio — all came through.
There are loads of detail, perhaps a bit too
much. Ray Brown’s strings buzzed against
the fingerboard a bit too strongly for me. I
didn’t like the size and proximity of the fly on
the Beatles track. It should just help to set the
stage for a summer evening, but the DACMagic turned it into a big bug, and I wanted
to swat it. There is some midrange hardness;
I didn’t like the way Oscar’s piano notes lost
their shape and became percussive.
Still, the DACMagic does the basics
right, and it has really up-to-date connectivity. Let’s say that the most truly magical
thing about it is the fact that it does all it does
at its price.
—Toby Earp
Room
Listening
Feedback
ing remained communicative, though
the notes were more percussive. “Is
Brown singing scat in the background?”
asked Toby. He asked to hear the piece
again 2 dB louder. “Whatever it was,
there sure is a lot of detail,” he said. “In
any case, it was worth hearing a second
time.”
We ended with The Beatles’ Because
from the Love album. The harmony from
the three Beatles (actually six, because
John, Paul and George overdubbed
themselves) remained strong. “It’s a little
flatter and ‘whiter,’” said Toby, “but it’s
still great.” The subtle sounds of nature
inserted into the pauses were possibly
less subtle. The breeze became more
evident, and Toby was tempted to swat
the fly that buzzed by his right ear. Or
was it a bee, as Gerard thought it was?
When it was over we listened to the
DVD-Audio version from the second
disc of the set. Yes, it was a fly.
Blue Circle Phono
Room
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Feedback
I
t was an easy joke to make, but it
was all too pertinent. If you bought
these phono preamplifiers and
forgot them on a bus, the SWAT
team would establish a perimeter of
security!
The Fon Lo Thingee is from the
mind of Blue Circle’s Gilbert Yeung,
and he’s no newcomer to unique designs.
He’s the guy who once built a preamplifier into a woman’s bright red handbag…
with monoblock amplifiers in the matching shoes. To his surprise — and ours too
frankly — they sold in large numbers.
These products, like the excellent
Thingee USB interface we reviewed
in UHF No. 82 (and which impressed
us enough that it can be found at our
Audiophile Store), are built into rigid
pipes, and sealed in with translucent
epoxy. The pipe is lined with copper
for shielding, though the ends are left
open. The pipe at right, lying down on
the job, is the moving coil version of the
preamp. The pipe just to its left is the
moving magnet version. At the front is
the basic power supply you get with the
lowest-cost option of either version. At
far left is the Biggie Pipe power supply
(Gilbert doesn’t hold back on the whimsy
when he names his products either), and
the even fatter pipe next to it is the SP
Condenser Pack, another option which
gives the power supply ever increasing
muscle.
The Basic power supply has a captive
power cord and a red-and-white output
cord ending in an XLR connector. The
Biggie Pipe power supply is a bigger
version of it, but it has an IEC socket,
so that you can use the included molded
cord, or (if you’re wise) something else.
We, of course, used a shielded cord. The
optional SP Condenser Pack, which fits
between power supply and preamp, has
an XLR jack and one of those red-andwhite cords to lead to the preamp of your
choice.
We wish Gilbert hadn’t used a threepin XLR like the ones used in audio.
We picture a user, one dark and stormy
night, plugging an expensive microphone into one of the power supplies.
Laugh if you will, but remember that the
reason European security rules frown
on banana plugs is that, one such dark
night, a Swede just back from tossing
back a few with his friends decided that
there could be no better time to rewire
his stereo, and he plugged his speaker
leads into the 230 volt AC outlet!
The power supplies and the capacitor
plugs have pilot lights to indicate they’re
on, but you don’t see them, because
they’re on the inside of the epoxy sealant.
Their light can of course be glimpsed,
since the epoxy is translucent, and if you
unplug the units from the wall, the lights
on both the Biggie Pipe supply and the
SP Capacitor Pack will continue to glow
for several minutes.
Because this is a modular system, the
price a Fon Lo Thingee preamplifier will
cost you will depend on the modules you
choose (see Summing Up on page 46).
You can mix and match to your heart’s
content, as long as your choice includes
one preamp and one power supply.
Because these are (at least) two
distinct products, we pretty much had
to schedule two distinct listening sessions. We did, the same day and one
after the other, but in different reference
systems.
The Fon Lo Thingee MM
We held the first session in the Omega
room, where our Linn LP12 turntable is
equipped with the superlative London
Reference cartridge. Though it isn’t
actually a moving magnet cartridge (it
isn’t an MC cartridge either), its 5 mV
nominal output puts it in the M M
camp. We put the Fon Lo up against
our Audiomat Phono-1.6, plugged into
our Moon P-8 preamplifier with Atlas
Mavros cables. We listened to our
selected recordings with the Audiomat,
and then with the full Blue Circle kit:
the preamp, the Biggie Pipe and the SP
Capacitor Pack, using the same interconnect cables.
www.magzee.com.
Latin.
tisi.
Margie’s
back!
And she’s at
The
Audiophile
Store
Get UHF on your desktop
anywhere in the world!
M A G Zee
www.magzee.com
Join the
Back-to-Vinyl
Movement!
Wondering why the LP is coming back in such a
big way? Here’s what you need to explore.
Thorens turntables, designed in Switzerland
built in Germany, complete with arm and
pickup, starting at $599.
Order yours on line.
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See them at:
Room
Listening
Feedback
tat.
elenisi.
Summing it up…
Brand/model: Blue Circle Fon Lo
Thingee
Prices (in US dollars): MM & standard supply: $349
MM & Biggie Pipe supply: $549
MM & SP Capacitor Pack & standard
supply: $749
MM & SP Capacitor Pack & Biggie
Pipe supply: $949
MC & with standard supply: $374
MC & Biggie Pipe supply: $574
MC & SP Capacitor Pack & standard
supply: $774
MC & SP Capacitor Pack and Biggie
Pipe supply: $974
Dimensions: varied
Most liked: Good sound for a bargain
price, especially the basic version
Least liked: Heard of the wife
Acceptance Factor? You just think you
have!
Verdict: As the VW ads used to say,
“it’s ugly, but it gets you there”
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CROSSTALK
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winner over its much more expensive
competitor? Perhaps not quite. Albert
thought the performance was superb, but
had found the song more touching with
our own cable. Such differences are not
always easy to qualify.
The second selection was I Got Lost
in His Arms from Margie Gibson’s Say
It With Music (Sheffield CD-36). We
often consider it to be the best song on
an entire album of terrific songs, because
it’s so… Let’s just say you have to hear it
for yourself.
“You know,” said Gerard, “when we
first listened to the Unidisk player, this
was the song that persuaded me that it
had to become our reference. With this
cable the music is not quite as lively, but
the difference is subtle, and in musical
terms this version just works.”
Albert agreed. “Of course her voice
doesn’t have quite the same roundness,
as though there were less emphasis on
the bottom end. But what does come
IS Audio is one of those small to about US$450 as we write this.
through is reproduced with a remarkable
companies that would rather
We listened to them in our Omega mix of clarity and smoothness. Very
be known for making good system, placing them bet ween our interesting.”
products than for its growth Linn Unidisk player and our Moon P-8
Steve, for his part, wasn’t in the mood
rate or its revenue-to-equity ratio. It’s preamplifier. Our long-time reference is to search for flaws. “I liked the subtlety,
a cable company. We have had occasion from Pierre Gabriel, and cost about the the gentle vibrato in Margie’s voice,” he
to review a number of its products, same as the Expression…plus $1200 or said.
including interconnects, power cables so!
After this brief session Albert asked to
and power bars, and they have yet to
We selected two particularly reveal- listen to the Expressions at home, where
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disappoint us.
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before he puts them on the market. kling
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n
io
at
lt
su
n
co
What a concept!
Bayrakdarian’s
that’s a paid voice was clear, and took BIS Audio will disappoint us. Not this
.)
ls
ai
et
its
d in the palpable space (that of the time.
forplace
The BIS Expression interconnects
Oscar Peterson Hall in Montreal — no
There are three copper conductors in artificial reverb here). Pacing was excel- The BIS USB cable
this cable, even though it isn’t balanced. lent, and Isabel’s variations in tempo —
The what? We’ll forgive you for
The two that carry signal are arranged slow and languorous, to rapid, to a near being skeptical, because we went into
in a pair of inverse spirals. The third is stop — were especially effective. “I could this session not expecting much. Audio
a shield. You may recognize the con- hear her breathe more clearly with the cables — whether interconnects or
nectors, which are ETI’s Bullet Plugs. Expression,” said Steve, “and her highest speaker wires — carry the actual analog
We are on record as big fans of these notes were wonderful. They can be really representation of the music. Get any part
connectors.
of it wrong, and…well, it will come out
troublesome.”
The 1 m pair costs C$480 (equivalent
Was the Expression the ultimate wrong at the other end. But no analog
Two BIS Cables
B
Advice!
e
e
r
F
n
i
te
Participa
information travels directly along a
USB cable. It’s digital, so what can go
wrong?
But wait a minute, we’ve always said
(and our blind tests have borne out)
that digital cables do make a difference.
We use upscale digital coaxial cables
ourselves between a digital source and a
digital-to-analog converter. We’ve even
proved, through another blind test, that
the length of a digital cable has an audible
effect, and sometimes a radical one. Yes,
length matters…
But wait a minute, didn’t Denon,
last year, bring out an Ethernet cable its picture on page 34 of UHF No. 87). tone, full of angry, chaotic energy. In
(Ethernet is also digital) that cost $500? It is designed for audio recording on the softer passages following, the woodAnd didn’t they get hooted at for it by a computer, and so it contains both a winds had a particularly delicious tone,
the on-line hordes? Does a “hi-fi” USB DAC and its mirror image, an analog- their distinctive timbres coming across
cable make any more sense? After all, to-digital converter. Though some as totally natural.
bits are bits…well, you know the drill.
USB-connected products have their
“It seems to me there’s more of a
But there’s a difference between Eth- own power supplies, the Edirol draws feeling of space too,” said Albert, “and
ernet and USB. Ethernet is asynchronous, its power from the USB bus itself. The the orchestra has more weight, more
meaning that data is sent in packets that cable needs to carry that too, of course. substance.”
contain no clock data (a synchronous
For the sake of comparison we used
Finally, Margie Gibson’s CD, a favorversion exists, but is not widely used). the generic beige USB cable that came ite of ours, partly because it is so revealUSB is isosynchronous, which means that with the Edirol. We listened to three ing, but also because we hardly need an
several data streams are transmitted at music files that were on the MacBook excuse to play it again. We selected You
the same time. Is it then, conceivable, Pro, all of them of course without Keep Coming Back Like a Song.
that USB might have a cable-related compression.
It was superior with the BIS cable,
vulnerability that Ethernet
does
not?
We
began
with
one
of
the
selections
and
time there was no doubt about
The eight pages that follow are a catalog for The Audiophile this
Store.
In any case, the shortcomings
of
USB
we
had
used
in
the
first
cable
test,
Haï
it.
Both
Albert and Gerard indepenThe store belongs to UHF, and it is stocked with accessories and recordfor the transmission of audio
have
been
Luli.
Even
listening
with
the
generic
dently
wrote
down the same thing: more
ings that we recommend?
documented by music professionals
who
cable
we
were
reminded
how
good
presence.
Do we have a conflict of interest? Actually we don’t, because anything
wish it were better. There
havelike
been
computer
be. You
would
need
course
we don’t
doesn’t
make itaudio
to thecan
store.
We’re
not tempted
to Of
cheat,
be-presence is not something
complaints that, in a portable
computer
a
pretty
good
CD
player
to
beat
this.
Margie
Gibson
cause the credibility we’ve built up over the years is worth a lot more than lacks anyway, but the
with two USB connections,
of If
thea competitor
And with
thesomething
fancy USBbetter,
cable? so be it,impression
that she was actually in the
a fewone
sales.
makes
and we’ll even
two will “sound” bettersay
than
another.
Initially
we
weren’t
sure
(and
rememroom
was
enhanced.
“Listen to the way
so in a review.
That doesn’t appear to be theAnd
casethe
of the
ber,
we
hadn’t
come
into
this
session
she
glides
across
the
notes!”
said Gerard.
store actually protects us from potential conflicts.
MacBook Pro portable we
used
for
this
expecting
much
of
a
difference).
Were
Albert
admired
the
excellent
articulation
In the past, advertisers have attempted to shake us down, threatening
evaluation, but we concede
it
may
be
true
we
imagining
things?
The
piano
accomof
voice
and
instruments.
At
the very
to cancel their ads if we published something negative. It hasn’t happened
in some cases.
panying
the
song
seemed
to
have
more
end
the
cellist
draws
his
bow
against
for a while, but then everyone knows it won’t work. The Audiophile Store
“Ordinary” USB cables
considered
body.
“Her
voice
too,”
said
Albert.
“It
two
strings,
and
the
dissonant
effect
puts eight pages of advertising in every issue, and those are pages no one
suitable for either “slow”
USB
1.0
or
seems
to
be
richer,
with
more
roundwas
clearer
with
what
we
were
starting
can cancel.
“high speed” USB 2.0, can
between
think
the textcounterpart.
is easier to We
follow
think great
of as the “good” cable.
cost
Check
out the ness.
store,I ot
its on-line
thinktothere’s
$2 and $10. As far as westuff
had there.
been able
as
well.”
But
he
added
he
was
reserving
But
we
wanted to be sure, and so
If we didn’t think so, it wouldn’t be there.
to determine in the past, the cost dif- judgement until he had heard the other we listened again with the beige cable,
ference is due mainly to construction two selections.
then with the BIS cable. No more doubt
quality. That is nothing to sneeze at,
We then listened to the Scherzo from was possible. “With the cheap cable her
but it wouldn’t seem to be a fit subject Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9 (Reference voice has less body, and the piano is off
for a listening comparison. BIS claims Recordings RR-81CD). Once again, in its own bubble,” said Albert. “With
superior performance for its USB cables, even what we heard with the generic the good cable everything is right again.
which cost between C$120 and $180, cable surprised us. “No wonder so many And the sound is natural, it’s not some
depending on the length. We did our audiophiles are moving their digital sweetened version of reality.”
listening with the 1.8 m (six-foot) cable, music to hard drives,” said Gerard.
Conclusion? USB cables make a difwhich costs C$150.
Good as it was, it was noticeably ference. We don’t know why, but if the
For the comparison we pulled out our better with the BIS cable, with the full bloggers want to laugh at this company,
Edirol UA-25 interface box (you can see orchestra taking on more of a ferocious we’ll be here to defend it.
About the Audiophile Store
AblePlanet Phones
D
o you use headphones only
at home, where it’s nice and
quiet? More and more headphone fans wander out into
a decidedly noisy world. The ubiquitous
iPod is one obvious reason, but pretty
much everywhere silence has become a
rare commodity.
Hence the appeal of noise-cancelling
headphones. Dreadful as these phones
once were, they’re getting better…
sufficiently better that we’re willing to
put them up against our studio-grade
reference phones.
But don’t underestimate how bad they
used to be and for the most part still are
(we still have a pair of Jensen phones you
couldn’t pay us to wear). In UHF No. 86
we shook down the Beats by Dr. Dre,
and they were good enough we could
actually ignore the noise-cancelling
feature. Now along come the AblePlanet
NC300W (the “W” stands for “white,”
but it’s available in black as well). It offers
much of what the Beats do (exactly how
much, we shall see), at a lower price:
US$130 versus US$300 (street prices are
generally lower).
How does noise-cancellation work?
In fact it doesn’t, except at low frequen50   ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine
cies. A microphone picks up the ambient
rumble and mixes it out of phase with the
desired audio. And voilà, they cancel. Or
they’re supposed to. It’s difficult to pull
this off well, and cheaper noise-cancelling phones sound grungy. Of course
they require batteries, and some models
won’t work once the batteries die. The
Beats are silent if its two AAA batteries
run out of juice. The AblePlanets will
work without their single AAA battery
(supplied), though they don’t sound too
terrific that way.
Next to the on-off switch is an
exceedingly bright red LED which
reminds you that your battery current is
trickling away. That can make you look
a little like a borg when you’re wearing
them, but more than once we had overlooked the much more discreet LED on
the Beats, and found ourselves with no
sound.
The killer feature of the Beats was
their comfort, perhaps the best we have
run across. The AblePlanets don’t quite
meet that standard, but they’re more
than pretty good: light in weight, and
a good fit on the ears without excessive
pressure. Like the Beats, this model has a
detachable cord. It doesn’t have the slim
plug to fit iPhones, but it does have an
in-line volume control. That’s a handy
feature for a reason that may not
be obvious. Powered phones are
sensitive enough to let you
hear hiss from a headphone
amp. The in-line control lets you drop the
sensitivity.
We s u s p e c t
there’s some signal
processing going
on too. What the
compa ny calls
“Linx Audio” is
billed as allowing you to listen
at lower levels (and
thus not risking your
hearing) and st ill hear
everything you want to hear.
We connected out trust y Audio
Alchemy headphone amp to the record
out jacks of our Moon P-8 preamplifier.
We selected two familiar CDs, listening
to them with our reference (the Koss
Pro/4AAA we have owned for many
years), and then the AblePlanets. We
then listened to a third selection with
both phones, this one from our iPod
touch.
The first selection is a challenge: the
Bach Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (from
Organ Treasures, Opus 3 CD22031). This
is not some little organ in a small country
church!
It sounded impressive with our reference phones, but it was plenty impressive
with the AblePlanets as well. “But I have
the impression I’m seated farther back,”
said Gerard, “under the balcony, which
would also place me under the organ
chest.” That aside, the bottom end was
solid. Albert noted the considerable
contrast between soft and loud passages,
though he found the loud ones less than
effortless.
Because the phones are active they
are also abnormally sensitive. This is
an advantage if you’re using a portable
player, but with a headphone amplifier
you can make out some background hiss.
Lowering the volume with the in-line
control alters more than the volume,
however. Albert found a satisfactory
balance by playing with the control, but
Gerard set it to full on.
We continued with Margie Gibson’s
Soft Lights and Sweet Music from her
album Say It With Music. It sounded
smooth…in fact entirely too smooth,
“as though my head were wrapped in
cotton batting,” said Albert. Gerard
found much the same thing, and ceded
to the temptation to listen louder than he
normally would. “But that’s not a good
thing.”
The final song, from the iPod touch,
was Song of the Vagabonds from baritone
Earl Wrightson’s 60’s album An Evening
with Rudolf Friml. It came through very
well, with no sign of strain, and nu muddiness. Wrightson’s powerful voice was
solid, with what seemed to be extra detail
in his higher overtones — possibly not
really natural, but perfectly acceptable.
The words were easy to follow, perhaps
easier than with the reference. Albert
however found the orchestral instruments less detailed than he would have
wanted.
He asked to hear the same piece with
other headphones, and he played it with
the back-of-head Sennheiser PMX 40
phones Gerard uses out of doors. “It’s
something else,” he said, “completely
different. They give the orchestral detail
I was missing, but it’s accompanied by a
coloration I don’t find natural.”
We still had the Beats phones on
hand, and we listened to the Wrightson
piece with those too. Albert actually
preferred them to the reference for the
fatter bass, which had an extra dimension. Gerard thought the Beats brought
him closer to the music, possibly a good
thing, and he praised the effortless
extended range.
“Actually, all the headphones are
colored,” said Albert, “more so than the
best loudspeakers. But all in all I like the
AblePlanets. They’re comfortable, and
there’s something special about them.”
The AblePlanets share a drawback
with the Beats: they may keep outside
noise out, but they sure don’t keep music
in. You won’t want to use them next to
someone who is trying to sleep, and
you might even hesitate to run in tight
quarters, such as an airline coach section,
at least if your fellow passenger is bigger
than you are.
AblePlanet does intend this model for
travel, however. It comes with a very nice
semi-rigid travel case to protect them on
the go.
AblePlanet, we should mention,
bills these phones as “affordable,” and it
offers several others, up to and including
US$300.
Room
Listening
Feedback
Coming up in issue No. 89 of
Liquid Crystal HDTV:
Does LED backlighting make it the equal of plasma?
We get our hands on the latest.
.
We’ll bring you news of what we found at
CES 2010, with our usual unique take.
We’ll review a pair of floorstanding speakers with Heil
tweeters, an exotic tube preamplifier,
a very small tube headphone amp
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!
THE AUDIOPHILE STORE
SPEAKER CABLES
INTERCONNECTS
ATLAS MAVROS CABLES
ATLAS NAVIGATOR
Oxygen-free continuous
cast (OCC) cable: each
strand is a single copper
crystal. Two internal
conductors, plus double
shielding. The double shielding is copper mylar plus close-lapped
99.997% pure OCC copper multi-stranded screen providing 100%
RFI protection. This premium “All-Cu” version (shown here) uses
solid copper connectors that are also continuous cast. The copper
is then silver-plated and double-shielded. We use two in our
reference systems.
ORDER: ANA-1 All-Cu, 1m, $405, ANA-2 All-Cu, 2m, $495
ORDER: ANAB-1 All-Cu balanced, single crystal XLR, 1m, $675
ATLAS QUESTOR
We’ve adopted them for our Alpha system, which sounds better
than ever before. This is a four-wire monocrystal cable with
porous Teflon dielectric. We are not recommending them with
standard bananas or spaces, but we offer them either with ETI
Bayonet Bananas, at no extra cost, or WBT nextgen..
ORDER: AMBCu-3, 3 m pair, Bayonet bananas, $2150
ORDER: AMBCu-5, 5 m pair, Bayonet bananas, $3850
ORDER: AMSCu-3, 3 m pair, WBT nextgen bananas, $2390
ORDER: AMSCu-5, 5 m pair, WBT nextgen bananas, $4090
A big winner in one of UHF’s blind tests of speaker cables is
Hyper 2, an oxygen free stranded wire in Teflon dielectric.. Plus
connectors (we recommend Eichmann Bayonet Bananas, $99.95/
set, two sets needed for AH2, three for biwire).
ORDER: AH2, Hyper 2 cable, $29.95/metre
ORDER: AHB, Hyper Biwire cable, $49.95/metre
ATLAS EQUATOR
ATLAS ICHOR SPEAKER CABLE
Perhaps the best $150
interconnect cable you could
buy. Only it costs just $90. And
yes, that’s in Canadian funds.
Other lengths on order.
ORDER: AE-1, 1 m pair Atlas Equator, $90
ORDER: AE-2, 2 m pair Atlas Equator, $125
ATLAS QUADSTAR
Terrific in our blind test.
With Eichmann Bullet plugs,
or balanced with Neutrik
XLR's. Silver solder included with kit.
ORDER: AQS-1 pair Quadstar kit, 1m $124.95
ORDER: AQS-1A pair Quadstar assembled, 1m $199.95
ORDER: AQS-X pair Quadstar balanced kit, 1m $95.95
ORDER: AQS-XA pair Quadstar balanced, assembled, 1m $169.95
PRISMAL DUAL INTERCONNECT
Continuous-cast single-crystal cable, ready for biwiring. It costs
just $235 per meter of double cable (a 2 m pair has 4 meters of
wire). We suggest adding the Eichmann Bayonet bananas, $99.95
per set of 4, or Furutech connectors, $70 a set of 4..
SINGLE CRYSTAL JUMPERS
Not biwiring? Dump the free jumpers
that came with your speakers. Atlas
jumpers are made from single-crystal
copper, gold-plated spades.
ORDER: ACJ, four single crystal
jumpers, $99.95
DIGITAL CABLES
This Swiss-made cable has especially solid connectors. Teflon
dielectric. oxygen-free copper Toss your “free” interconnects!
ORDER: PD-1, 1 meter pair Prisma Dual Interconnect, $34.95
ATLAS COMPASS DIGITAL
MAVROS INTERCONNECTS
Truly terrific, a pair of these connects our phono preamp to the
preamp of our Omega system
Excellent performance at an affordable price. Single crystal pure
copper. The 1.5m version sounds way better than a 1m.
ORDER: ACD-1.5 digital cable, 1.5m, $160
ATLAS OPUS DIGITAL
ORDER: AMI-1, 1 m Mavros interconnect pair, $1195
ORDER: AMI-2, 2 m Mavros interconnect pair, $1895
TWO CABLES INTO ONE JACK
Need to feed two preamps into two
amps? This solid Y-adapter (two
jacks into one phono plug) is gold
over brass, with Teflon dielectric.
ORDER: FYA, one pair Y adapters, $20
CONNECTORS
EICHMANN BAYONET BANANAS
The Eichmann Bayonet
Banana uses a minimum of
metal, and tellurium copper
at that, but clicks tightly into
any binding post with spring
action. For soldering or crimping, or both.
ORDER: EBB kit 4 bayonet bananas, $99.95
EICHMANN SPADES
ATLAS HYPER SPEAKER CABLES
This could be the world’s lowest-cost
interconnect with single-crystal copper. It has
the same connectors as the Equator (below),
and we thought it sounded like a much more
expensive cable. However it is discontinued,
and we have only the 2 m length left.
ORDER: AQ-2, 2 m pair Atlas Questor, $180
53
We dumped our reference cable for this one! And to be at its very
best, it has to be this length.
ORDER: AOD-1.5 digital cable, 1.5m, $399
Ready to solder, in
gold-plated copper, or
pure silver. Two sizes,
plus extra narrow for
barrier strips (McIntosh,
Vandersteen, etc.). Price for sets of four.
A. ORDER: EXB, set of 4, barrier strips, (now discontinued)
B. ORDER: EXQ, set of 4, 1/4" (6.3 mm), $32
C. ORDER: EXQA, set of 4, 1/4" (6.3 mm), silver, $55
D. ORDER: EXF, set of 4, 5/16" (8 mm), $44
E. ORDER: EXF,A set of 4, 5/16" (8 mm), silver, $67
EICHMANN BULLET PLUGS
The first phono plug to maintain
the impedance of the cable by using
metal only as an extension of the
wire. Hollow tube centre pin, tiny
spring for ground. Two contacts for
soldering, two-screw strain relief.
Gold over copper. Got silver cable? Get the unique Silver Bullets!
ORDER: EBP kit 4 Bullet Plugs, $77.95
ORDER: EBPA kit 4 Silver Bullets, $154.95
EICHMANN CABLE PODS
Minimum metal, gold over tellurium
copper. Unique clamp system: the back
button turns but the clamp doesn’t.
Solder to it, or plug an Eichmann
banana into it, even from inside!
ORDER: ECP, set of four posts, $119.95
CONNECTOR TREATMENT
DeOxit (formerly ProGold)
cleans connections and
promotes conductivity. Small
wipes for cleaning accessible
contacts, or a squirt bottle for connections you can’t reach.
ORDER: PGW box 25 DeOxit wipes, $35
ORDER: PGS, can DeOxit fluid, $35
ORDER: PGB, both when ordered at the same time, $56
SILVER SOLDER
This is a lovely solder, from the
company that makes Enacom
line filters (which we also like).
Wakø-Tech solder contains 4%
silver, no lead.
ORDER: SR-4N, 100 g solder
roll, $59.95
TOSLINK OPTICAL DIGITAL
The best we’ve found yet,
though we’re still looking.
Add the mini-TOSLINK
adapter for Airport Express or computers with hybrid jacks.
ORDER: TD-1 TOSLINK cable, 1m length $22.95
ORDER: TMT mini-TOSLINK adapter, $3.95
www.uhfmag.com/AudiophileStore.html
SEE EVEN MORE PRODUCTS
IN OUR ON-LINE CATALOG
www,uhfmag.com/AudiophileStore.html
54
MORE CONNECTORS
ANALOG PRODUCTS
For crimping connections to certain connectors from WBT or
Furutech, we recommend the gold crimping sleeves from WBT,
and the special crimping tool.
Buy the tool at the same time as appropriate WBT or Furutech
connectors, and we’ll buy it back at the price you paid when
you’re through.
ORDER: WBT-0403 crimping tool (refundable), $125.
The sleeves are shown here, actual size.
WBT-0431
WBT-0432
WBT-0433
WBT-0434
WBT-0435
WBT-0436
WBT-0437
WBT-0438
0.75 mm sleeve
1 mm sleeve
1.5 mm sleeve
2.5 mm sleeve
4 mm sleeve
6 mm sleeve
10 mm sleeve
15 mm sleeve
$0.50
$0.50
$0.50
$0.50
$0.60
$0.70
$0.85
$0.95
MORE ANALOG…
EXSTATIC RECORD BRUSH
LONDON REFERENCE
The Super
eXstatic. Includes
a hard velvet pad
to get into the
grooves, two sets
of carbon fibre
tufts. We use it every time!
ORDER: GSX record brush, $36
Yes we can supply the awesome London
Reference phono cartridge that we have
adopted for ourselves. Other models on
special order. this unique cartridge has
a line contact stylus, and an output of
5 mV…right for an MM preamp.
ORDER: LRC cartridge, $4695
GOLDRING ELITE
If you have limited funds and
want an MC cartridge with
line contact stylus, this is a great
choice. It's a detuned version of the
very expensive (but discontinued)
Excel we still own.
ORDER: GEC cartridge, $745
J. A. MICHELL RECORD CLAMP
you
a
MOON PHONO PREAMPS
Simaudio has done it:
come up with a worldclass phono preamp that
does magic. The LP5.3 is
one of the best available.
Adjustable MM/MC.
ORDER: Moon LP5.3,
silver (black available on
special order), $1599.
WBT NEXTGEN CONNECTORS
Special price on interconnect, one with an LP5.3 order.
ORDER: ANA-1 Navigator All-Cu, 1m, $405, for $260
ORDER: ANA-2 Navigator All-Cu, 2m, $495 for $350
ORDER: ANAB-1 Navigator balanced, 1m, $675, for $475
ORDER: AMI-1, 1 meter Mavros, $1195, for $895
ORDER: AMI-2, 2 meter Mavros, $1895, for $1495
WBT makes banana plugs and spades for speaker cables, all of
which lock tightly into any post. All use crimping technology.
These nextgen connectors are far superior to previous versions
ORDER: WBT-0610 Kit 4 angled nextgen bananas, $130
ORDER: WBT-0610Ag Kit 4 nextgen silver bananas, $290
ORDER: WBT-0681 Kit 4 nextgen spades, $130
ORDER: WBT-0681Ag Kit 4 nextgen silver spades, $220
The high-tech minimum metal “nextgen” phono plugs. Easy to
solder, with locking collar. Silver version available.
ORDER: WBT-0110, kit 4 nextgen copper plugs, $170
ORDER: WBT-0110Ag, kit 4 nextgen silver plugs, $280
Even more
astonishing: the LP3
includes much of the
LP5.3 technology, still
offers MM/MC, but
costs only a fraction.
Lively and musical, it’s
difficult to match.
ORDER: Moon LP3,
$599
Special price on interconnect, one with an LP3 order.
ORDER AQS-1, Kit ,1 m Quadstar, $124.95, for $59.95
ORDER AQS-1A, Fully assembled Quadstar, $199.95, for $99.95
NOTE: The Moon preamps are shipped set for moving magnet
setting. We’ll reset it to your specification so you won’t have to.
LP RECORD CLEANER
Clamp your LP to the turntable
platter. We use the J. A.
Michell clamp, machined
from nearly weightless
aluminum. Drop it on,
press down, tighten
the knob.
ORDER: MRC Michell
record clamp, $75
ORDER: MRC-R clamp for
Rega and short spindles, $85
ATLAS QUADSTAR PHONO BOX
Got a tone arm with a 5-pin DIN
plug. Substitute this Quadstar cable
and box, and add the interconnect
of your choice. straight DIN (shown)
needs 7 cm clearance. If you have
less, get the version with an angled
DIN plug.
ORDER: AQPS, Quadstar phono
box, $248
ORDER: AQPA, Quadstar phono box, angled DIN, $248
TITAN STYLUS LUBRICANT
Amazing, but true: dabbing
a bit of this stuff on your
stylus every 2 or 3 LPs makes
it glide through the groove
instead of scraping. Fine artist’s brush not included, but readily
available in many stores.
ORDER: TSO-1 Titan stylus oil, $39.95
ZEROSTAT ANTISTATIC PISTOL
A classic
adjunct to
the brush is
the Zerostat
anti-static
gun. Squeeze
the trigger
and release: it
ionizes the air,
which becomes
conductive and drains off the static charge. By the way, it works
for a lot more than LP’s. No batteries needed.
ORDER: Z-1 Zerostat antistatic pistol, $94..95
LP SLEEVES
FURUTECH CONNECTORS
Rhodium-plated banana tightens under pressure. Installs like
WBT banana. The spade installs the same way too..
ORDER: FTB-R, set of four bananas, $70
ORDER: FTS-R, set of four spades, $70
Concentrated cleaner for LP vacuum cleaning machines.
Much safer than some formulas we’ve seen! Half litre, mix with
demineralized or distilled water to make 4 litres.
ORDER: LPC, $19.95
PRICES CAN CHANGE AFTER WE GO TO PRESS.
WE WILL ALWAYS GIVE YOU THE BEST PRICE
Keep your records clean and
scratch free. Replace dirty,
torn or missing inner sleeves
with soft-plastic-in-paper Nitty
Gritty sleeves.
ORDER: PDI, package of 30
sleeves, $30
IF WE DON’T LIKE IT YOU WON’T SEE IT HERE
VINYL ESSENTIALS TEST LP
This precision-made German test record lets you check out channel
identification, correct phase, crosstalk, the tracking ability of your
cartridge (it’s a tougher test than the old Shure disc was, and the
resonance of your tone arm and cartridge. When we need to test a
turntable, this is the one we reach for.
ORDER: LP 003, Image Hifi Test LP, $48.95
TURNTABLE BELT TREATMENT
What this is not
is a sticky goo for
belts on their last
legs. Rubber Renue
removes oxidation
from rubber belts,
giving them a new
lease on life. But what astonished us is what it does to even a brand
new belt. Wipe down your belt every 3 months, and make analog
sound better than ever.
ORDER: RRU-100 drive belt
treatment, $14.95
SUPER ANTENNA
MkIII
Ours has no stupid rotary switch to muck
things up, and with a 1.8m low-loss 75
ohm cable and gold-plated push-on F
connector, it has low internal loss. Covers
analog and digital TV bands as well as FM.
ORDER: FM-S Super Antenna, MkIII, $55
CLEANER POWER
MORE POWER TO YOU
Better access to
electrical power.
Change your 77-cent
duplex outlets for
these Hubbell hospital
grade outlets. Insert a
plug and it just snaps
in. A tighter internal
connection as well.
The cheapest improvement you can make to your system.
ORDER: AC-DA Hubbell duplex outlet, $23.95
ORDER: AC-D20 20A duplex, red color, $28.95
UHF 14 POWER CORD
No budget for a premium
cable? Make your own!
We use several ourselves.
Foil-shielded, to
avoid picking up or
transmitting noise.
Assembled or as a kit.
With Hubbell 8215
hospital grade plug and
Schurter 15 A IEC 320
connector. For digital
players, preamplifiers,
tuners, and even medium-powered amplifiers.
ORDER: UHF14-1.5K, 14 gauge power cable kit, $74.95
ORDER: UHF14-1.5 14 cable, assembled, $99..95
Need it longer? Add $20 per metre extra
20-AMPERE POWER CORD
The Power
Foundation III is
a bargain, and
does a wonderful
job of cleaning
the gunk from
the power line.
Requires 20A power cord (it has a different IEC connector. We
recommend the UHF14, shown at right.
ORDER: APF, Audioprism power line filter, $849
ORDER: UHF14-20-1.5 cable, $99..95
This is the one with the big IEC connectors whose contacts are
rotated the other
way. It’s for certain
large power amps
and the Audioprism
Power Foundation
filter. Marinco 20
amp hospital-grade
wall plug, which
fits only a 20 amp
wall outlet. Available with a 15 amp Hubbell wall plug instead.
ORDER: UHF14-20-1.5 cable, assembled, $99.95
Need it longer? Add $20 per metre extra
ENACOM LINE FILTER
UHF/FURUTECH POWER CORD
AUDIOPRISM POWER FILTER
Economy price, but astonishingly effective, we wouldn’t run our
system with less. It actually shorts out the hash on the power line.
ORDER: EAC Enacom line filter, $105
STINGRAY POWER BAR
Most power bars knock
voltage to your equipment
way down, and generate more
noise than a kindergarten
class. The Gutwire Stingray
Squared doesn’t. 12 gauge
double-shielded cable,
Hubbell hospital grade
connectors at both ends. Indispensable!
ORDER: GSR-2 Stingray Squared power bar, $285
We were so pleased with the performance of our UHF14 cable that
we wanted to hear it with
the upscale Furutech
connectors. Wow! Pure
copper IEC connector and
copper/gold wall plug.
ORDER: UHF14F-1.5K,
14 gauge power cable kit,
149.95
ORDER: UHF14F-1.5 14
cable, assembled, 174.95
GUTWIRE G CLEF POWER CABLE
Multiple shielding, including external electrostatic shield connected
to a clip. Used by UHF. Length 1.7 m, longer cords on order. G Clef 2
has 195 conductors, 3 shields providing 98% shielding. Available
optionally with 20A IEC plug (for amplifiers requiring special plug)
ORDER: GGC G Clef, Square 1.7m, $385
SEE EVEN MORE PRODUCTS
IN OUR ON-LINE CATALOG
www,uhfmag.com/AudiophileStore.html
55
INSTANT CIRCUIT CHECKER
Plug it into an AC outlet, and the three lights can
indicate a missing ground, incorrect polarity, switched
wires — five problems in all. The first thing we did
after getting ours was phone the electrician.
ORDER: ACA-1, Instant Circuit Checker, $21
IEC ON YOUR DVD PLAYER
Why do big name DVD players come with those
tiny two-prong plugs for their
cords? A good shielded power
cable will do wonders!
ORDER: DVD-A, GutWire
adapter, $39
HOSPITAL GRADE CONNECTION
When we put a quality
AC plug on our kettle,
boiling time dropped by
90 seconds! The best AC
plug we have ever seen is
the Hubbell 8215 hospital
grade plug. It connects to wires under high pressure, and it
should last forever.
ORDER: AC-P2 Hubbell cord plug, $25.95
Amazingly good at a
much lower price are
these two cord plugs
from Eagle. Male and
female versions.
ORDER: AC-P1 Eagle male cord plug, $5.95
ORDER: AC-PF Eagle female cord plug, $5.95
Making your own power cords for your equipment? You’ll need
the hard-to-get IEC 320 connector to fit the gear.
ORDER: AC-P3 10 ampere IEC 320 plug, $9.95
ORDER: AC-P4 15 ampere Schurter IEC 320 plug, $18.95
BETTER DIGITAL
IMPROVED CD WITH FINYL
The maker of Finyl claims it reduces surface
reflections and provides a higher contrast image for
the laser cell of your player. Use it just once. We get a
lot of repeat orders on it. One kit can treat over 200
discs. Or order the refill.
ORDER: F-1 Finyl kit, $40.00
ORDER: F-1R Finyl refill, $35.00
CLEAN YOUR PLAYER
After a few months,
your player may have
more trouble reading
your CD’s. Unlike
some commonlyavailable discs, the
Milty CD lens cleaner
is non-abrasive, so
we use it and rest
easy. Can be used wet
or dry.
ORDER: 2021 Milty CD lens cleaner, $35
56
SUPPORT SYSTEMS
THE SUPERSPIKE
TENDERFEET
Machined cones are wonderful
things to put under speakers or
other audio equipment. They anchor
it mechanically and decouple it
acoustically at the same time.
Tenderfeet come in various versions:
tall (as shown) or flattened, in either
anodized silver or black. Tall Tenderfeet have threaded holes for
a machine screw, or for the optional hanger bolt, which lets you
screw it into wood. If you have a fragile hardwood floor, add the
optional Tendercup (shown above) to protect it.
ORDER: TFG, tall silver Tenderfoot, $15
ORDER: TFGN, tall black Tenderfoot, $16.50
ORDER: TFP, flat silver Tenderfoot, $10
ORDER: TCP, silver Tendercup, $10
ORDER: THB, hanger bolt for Tenderfeet, each $0.80
ISOBEARINGS ARE BACK!!!
Long discontinued, this product from Audioprism
is back. Of the many anti-vibration products
we have tried, this is the one that is by far most
effective for both vertical
and lateral vibration
(unfortunately some of
the most famous ones
don’t work at all). Each
Isobearing consists of a
small ball and a cup to receive it.
There are two models, each with a weight rating. The rating
indicates the maximum weight each Isobearing should bear, but
for optimum performance it should bear at least half of its rated
weight. Use three or more Isobearings, placed according to the
weight of the different sections of the amplifier, digital player,
etc. We now use Isobearings on our DVD player, and we’re glad
they’re back.
ORDER: ISO-M, single Isobearing, 2 kg/4.4 lbs $25 each
ORDER: ISO-G, single Isobearing, 7.5 kg/17 lbs $40 each
It’s blue, and it’s a sort of modelling clay
that never dries. Anchor speakers to
stands, cones to speakers, and damp out
vibration. Leaflet with many suggested
uses.
ORDER: AT-2, Audio-Tak pack, $10
AN ON-THE-WALL IDEA
This is unique: a sealed unit containing a spike and a cup to
receive it. It won’t scratch even hardwood floors. For speakers
or equipment stands, on bare floors only. Four sizes of threaded
shanks are available to fit speakers or stands.
ORDER: SSKQ, 4 Superspikes, 1/4” shank, $75
ORDER: SSKT, 4 Superspikes, 5/16” shank, $75
ORDER: SSKS, 4 Superspikes, 6 mm shank, $75
ORDER: SSKH, 4 Superspikes, 8 mm shank, $75
WHAT SIZE SUPERSPIKE?
Do you prefer spikes for your speakers? Target spikes and sockets
mount in wood. Available with or without tools.
ORDER: S4W kit, 8 spikes, sockets and tools, $39
ORDER: S4WS kit, 8 spikes and sockets, $30
AUDIO-TAK
A good ruler will let you figure it out. The stated size is the outer
diameter of the threaded shank. Then count the threads:
1/4” shank: 20 threads/inch
5/16” shank: 18 threads/inch
M6 (6mm) shank: 10 threads/cm
M8 (8mm) shank: 8 threads/cm
OTHER
SUPERSPIKES
We have also have a Superspike foot
(at right) that replaces those useless
feet on CD players, amps, etc., using
the same screws to fasten them. And
there’s a stick-on version (not shown) for other components.
Need to fasten a speaker
securely to the wall? Nothing
beats the Smarter Speaker
Support for ease of installation
or for sheer strength. And
it holds the speaker off the
wall, so it can be used even
with rear-ported speakers.
Easily adjustable with two
hands, not three, tested to an
incredible 23 kg! Glass-filled
polycarbonate is unbreakable.
Screws and anchors included,
available in two colors.
ORDER: SSPS, pair of black speaker supports, $29.95
ORDER: SSPS-W, pair of white speaker supports, $29.95
TARGET WALL STANDS
We keep our turntables on these, secure from floor vibrations,
wonderful for CD players, amplifiers, and all components.
ORDER: VW-1 Target single-shelf wall stand, $225
ORDER: SSKF, 4 Superspike replacement feet, $80
ORDER: SSKA, 3 stick-on Superspike feet, $50
SPEAKER STANDS
Your “bookshelf” speaker shouldn’t be on a bookshelf. We have the
four-pillar Target stands, in 24” or 28” height, ready to be filled
with sand.
ORDER: MR-24, one pair 24” Target stands, $325
ORDER: MR-28, one pair 24” Target stands, $349
ORDER: VW-2 Target dual-shelf wall stand, $280
AUDIOPHILE RECORDINGS, RECOMMENDED BY UHF STAFF
REFERENCE RECORDINGS
Tutti (HDCD, SACD)
A terrific symphonic sampler from Reference, with dazzling music
by Bruckner, Stravinsky, etc. Also available as RR’s very first SACD
release. Wow!
30th Anniversary Sampler (HDCD)
A collection of excerpts from recent Reference albums.
Yerba Buena Bounce (HDCD)
The (terrific) Hot Club of San Francisco is back, with great music,
well-played, wonderfully recorded by “Profesor” Johnson!
Crown Imperial (HDCD)
The second chapter of the famous Pomp&Pipes saga, with the Dallas
Wind Symphony, in a set of perfectly recorded pieces in glorious
HDCD.
Organ Odyssey (HDCD)
Mary Preston, the organist of Crown Imperial, in a dazzling program
of Widor, Mendelssohn, Vierne, and others.
Beachcomber (HDCD) �
Fennell and the Dallas Wind Ensemble.Includes Tico Tico, A Chorus
line, and a version of 76 Trombones you’ll remember for a long time.
Serenade (HDCD)
A collection of choral pieces, wonderfully sung by the Turtle Creek
Chorale, with perhaps the best sound Keith has given them yet.
Holst (LP) �
From the composer of The Planets, 3 suites for wind band, plus the
Hammersmith Prelude and Scherzo.
Nojima Plays Liszt (HDCD)
The famous 1986 recording of Minoru Nojima playing the B Minor
Sonata and other works is back…in HDCD this time!
Trittico (HDCD) �
Large helping of wind band leader Frederick Fennell doing powerhouse music by Grieg, Albeniz, Nelhybel, etc. Complex and energetic.
Nojima Plays Ravel (HDCD)
Nojima’s other hit disc, now also in glorious HDCD.
Fennell Favorites (LP)
The Dallas Wind Symphony: Bach, Brahms, Prokofiev and more.
Fireworks on this rare Reference LP.
Garden of Dreams (HDCD)
David Maslanka’s evocative music for wind band.
Jazz Hat (HDCD) �
Pianist Michael Garson, in re-releases of some of his famous recordings
Blazing Redheads (LP)
Not all redheads, this all-female salsa-flavored big band adds a lot of
red pepper to its music.
Felix Hell (HDCD)
The young organ prodigy turns in mature versions of organ music of
Liszt, Vierne, Rheinberger and Guilmant. Huge bottom end!
American Requiem (HDCD)
Richard Danielpour's awesome Requiem mass is all about war, and
about the hope for peace too, with a dedication tied to 9/11.
World Keys (HDCD)
Astonishing young pianist Joel Fan amazes with music from all the
world, including that of Prokofiev and Liszt
Ikon of Eros (HDCD)
Huge suite for orchestra and chorus, by John Tavener. Inspired by
Greek Orthodox tradition. Overwhelming HDCD sound.
Say It With Music (CD) �
Margie Gibson sings Irving Berlin in what may be one the greatest
jazz vocal recordings of all time. And she’s right in your living room!
Growing Up in Hollywood Town (XRCD) �
The Amanda Albums (CD) �
How did they do it? The two complete McBroom recordings, Growing
Up in Hollywood Town and West of Oz, on one terrific CD
I’ve Got the Music in Me (CD) �
This was originally Sheffield’s LAB-2 release. If you haven’t heard
Thelma Houston belt out a song, you’re in for a treat.
Kodo (CD)
A Japanese neo-folk group plays astonishing music, including a 400pound drum that can take out a woofer. Or a wall!
Harry James & His Big Band (Gold CD)
Harry said he would have done this recording for free, because he
sounded better than ever.
Drum/Track Record (XRCD2) �
OPUS 3
Test Records 1, 2 & 3 (SACD)
A blast from the past! Here are 14 cuts from the samplers that
launched Opus 3. They sound better than ever, too
Swingcerely Yours (SACD)
An SACD re-re-release of tracks from superb vibraphonist Lars
HDCD transfer is luminous.
Unique Classical Guitar Collection (SACD)
An SACD, mastered from analog, of some of Opus 3’s long-discontinued classical guitar LPs. Terrific!
Levande (CD) �
The full recording from which “Tiden Bara Går” on Test Record No.1
is taken. Believe it or not, this great song isn’t even the best on the
album! A fine singer, doing folklike material…and who cares about
understanding the words?
Beyond (SACD)
The second recording by the versatile guitarist Peder af Ugglas (who
also did Autumn Shuffle, below), who plays every instrument there is:
jazz, rock, blues, country. From Sweden???
Autumn Shuffle (SACD/LP)
Ugglas plays a number of different guitars, and borrows from jazz,
Blues, and (yes!) country. Piano, organ, trombone, bowed saw, etc.
Showcase 2005 (SACD)
The latest Opus 3 sampler, with Eric Bibb, Mattias Wager, the Erik
Westberg Vocal Ensemble and lots more, in glorious SACD.
Organ Treasures (SACD) �
All those showpieces for big organ you remember hearing through
huge systems…only with all of the power and the clarity of Super
Audio. 4.1 channels, plus 2-channel CD.
Comes Love (HDCD) �
Another disc by the terrific Swedish Jazz Kings, led by saxophonist
Tomas Ornberg, proving again Sweden understands jazz. The sound
is luminous, sometimes dazzling.
SHEFFIELD
The King James Version (CD)
Harry James and his big band, live from the chapel!
Erstrand, from 1983 to 1995. Long overdue!
Just Like Love (SACD/LP) �
The newest from Eric Bibb, less oriented to Gospel and more to Blues.
Bibb’s group, Needed Time, is not here, but he’s surrounded by half a
dozen fine musicians. A nice recording. Hybrid SACD.
PLUS THESE HDCD RECORDINGS:
Pomp&Pipes (HDCD) �
Requiem (HDCD) �
From the Age of Swing (HDCD) �
Swing is Here (HDCD) �
Copland Symphony No. 3 (HDCD) �
Medinah Sessions, two CDs for one (HDCD)
Ports of Call (HDCD)
Bruckner Symphony No. 9 (HDCD) �
Ein Heldenleben (HDCD) �
57
It’s Right Here For You (HDCD) �
Is there, anywhere, a better swing band than The Swedish Jazz Kings
(formerly Tömas Ormberg’s Blue Five)? Closer to Kansas City than to
Stockholm, they are captivating.
Test CD 4 (SACD)
A sampler of Opus 3 performers, clearer than you’ve ever heard them
before. Hybrid disc.
Test CD 5 (HDCD) �
Another of Opus 3’s wonderful samplers, including blues, jazz, and
classical music. A number of fine artists, captured with the usual pure
Blumlein stereo setup. A treat.
Showcase (SACD/LP) �
Available as a hybrid SACD/CD disc, or a gorgeously-cut LP, with
selections from Opus 3 releases.
Good Stuff (DOUBLE 45 LP/HDCD/SACD) �
As soothing as a summer breeze, this disc features singer Eric Bibb
(son of Leon), singing and playing guitar along with his group. Subtle
weaving of instrumentation, vivid sound.
Spirit and the Blues (DOUBLE 45 LP/CD/SACD) �
Like his father, Leon Bibb, Eric Bibb understands the blues. He and
the other musicians, all playing strictly acoustic instruments, have
done a fine recording, and Opus 3 has made it sound exceptional.
Tiny Island (SACD)
If you like Eric Bibb and his group Good Stuff as much as we do, pick
this one up.
20th Anniversary Celebration Disc (HDCD) �
A great sampler from Opus 3. Includes some exceptional fine pieces,
jazz, folk and classical. The sound pickup is as good as it gets, and the
Concertos for Double Bass (CD/SACD) �
This album of modern and 19th Century music is a favorite for its
deep, sensuous sound. And the music is worth discovering. It is sensuous and lyrical, a delight in every way.
Across the Bridge of Hope (SACD)
An astonishing choral recording by the Erik Westberg Ensemble,
famous for its Musica Sacra choral recording.
Musica Sacra (HDCD/SACD) �
Test Record No.4 (LP) �
PROPRIUS
Antiphone Blues (CD) �
This famous disc offers an unusual mix: sax and organ! The disc
includes Ellington, Negro spirituals, and some folk music. Electrifying performance, and the recording quality is unequalled.
Antiphone Blues (SACD/HDCD) �
This is the Super Audio version, with a Red Book layer that is HDCDencoded. The best of both worlds!
Now the Green Blade Riseth (CD/SACD) �
Religious music done a new way: organ, chorus and modern orchestra. Stunning music, arranged and performed by masters, and the
effect is joyous. The sound is clear, and the sheer depth is unequalled
on CD. The new SACD version is the very best SACD we have yet heard!
Jazz at the Pawnshop Set (SACD) �
The entire set oin glorious SACD, plus a video DVD with interviews
with the set’s creators.
Jazz at the Pawnshop 2 (CD/SACD) �
From the original master, another disc of jazz from this Swedish pub,
with its lifelike 3-D sound. Now a classic in its own right.
Good Vibes (CD)
The third volume of Jazz at the Pawnshop. And just as good!
Cantate Domino (CD/SACD) �
This choral record is a classic of audiophile records. The title selection is stunningly beautiful. The second half is Christmas music, and
includes the most stunning version of O Holy Night we’ve ever heard.
Sketches of Standard (CD)
ANALEKTA
Violonchello Español (CD) �
I Musici de Montréal comes to Analekta, with a stunning album of
Spanish and Spanish-like pieces for cello and orchestra.
Vivace (CD) �
Classical or rock? Claude Lamothe plays two cellos at the same time
in an amazing recording of modern compositions.
Pauline Viardot-Garcia (CD) �
Soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian steps into the role of 19th Century
singer and composer Pauline Viardot so convincingly that listening
to her is like going back in time. One of the best classical recordings
of all time!
58
Romantic Pieces (CD) �
How does James Ehnes manage to get such a sweet sound from his
Stradivarius? Czech pieces from Smetana, Dvorak and Janacek. The
playing is as glorious as the tone, and the sound is sumptuous.
Cantabile (CD)
The Duo Similia is made up of striking blonde twins, who play flute
and guitar. Familiar airs from Mozart, Fauré, Elgar, Ravel, lots more.
Fine listening.
Nota del Sol (CD) �
The Labrie twins are back, with a delightful recording of flute and
guitar music by Piazzola, Pujol and Machado. Joyous works, wonderfully played and recorded
Fantasia (CD)
A third, gorgeous, recording by the twins, on flute and guitar.
Fritz Kreisler (CD)
Possibly the best recording of Kreisler’s delightful violin music: James
Ehnes and his Strad bring a new magic to this fine disc.
French Showpieces (CD) �
Awesome violinist James Ehnes, with the Quebec City Symph. takes on
Saint-Saëns, Berlioz, Chausson, Massenet, and more.
Handel (CD) �
Superb soprano Karina Gauvin is joined by the Toronto chamber
ensemble Tafelmusik in a series of glowing excerpts from Handel’s
“Alcina” and “Agrippina.” The sound is smooth and lifelike, with an
acute sense of place.
Little Notebook of Anna Magdalana Bach (CD) �
Over 30 delightful pieces, most by Bach himself. Soprano Karina
Gauvin’s voice is mated to Luc Beauséjour’s harpsichord work. The
sound is deep, detailed and warm, truly of audiophile quality.
Vivaldi: Motets for Soprano (CD) �
The wonderful soprano Karina Gauvin tackles the gorgeous but very
difficult vocal music of Vivaldi: two motets and a psalm.
AUDIOQUEST
Mississipi Magic (CD/SACD)
The legendary Blues, Gospel, rock and world beat singer and musician Terry Evans, in an energetic recording we loved.
Come to Find (CD) �
The first by Bluesman Doug McLeod, as impressive as the second, and
no Blues fan should resist it.
You Can’t Take My Blues (CD) �
Singer/songwriter Doug MacLeod and colleagues present one of the
most satisfying Blues records ever made.
Unmarked Road (SACD)
The third disc from the great blues singer and guitarist Doug McLeod
is every bit as good as the first two.
Bluesquest sampler (CD)
Styles (CD)
Is this ever a surprising disc! Violinist Marc Bélanger worked up these
string études for his music students, but they actually deserve to be
put out on a gold audiophile disc! The more strings he adds, the better
it gets.
Fable (CD)
Easygoing modern jazz by Rémi Bolduc and his quartet, on this gold
disc. Some exceptional guitar and bass solos.
Musique Guy St-Onge (CD)
One-man band St-Onge plays dozens of instruments — scores for
fourteen films which never existed outside of his imagination. Fun
pretext, clever, attractive music that makes you wish you could see
the films!
HI-RES MUSIC (FOR DVD PLAYERS)
Tres Americas (CD)
A gold audiophile disc of lively Latin fusion music. Irka Mateo and
Tadeo de Marco sing and play, drawing their influence from Africa as
well as their native Brazil. Clear, close-in sound.
Sonatas for Flute and Harp
These same great artists with sonatas by Krumpholz and Damase, as
well as Spohr and Glinka. Oh yes, and a spectacular solo harp version
of Ibert’s hilarious Entr’acte .
Norman Dello Joio (CD) �
This contemporary composer delights in the tactile sound of the wind
band, and the Keystone Wind Ensemble does his music justice. So
does the sound, of astonishing quality!
Carmina Burana (CD)
The celebrated Carl Orff oratorio sends chills down your spine, thanks
to the huge orchestra, gigantic choir, and of course the clarity and
depth of the Klavier sound.
Obseción (CD)
The Trio Amadé plays Piazzola, Berstein, Copland, and Emilion
Cólon…who is the trio cellist. The Colón and Piazzola is definitely
worth the price of admission. Lifelike sound.
Brazilian Soul (24/96 DVD)
Guitarists Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd, plus percussion and
bass, in an intimate yet explosive recording of samba and bossa nova
music. Great!
Misbehavin’ (CD)
The superb Denver Brass does Gershwin (Cuban Overture, Porgy and
Bess), plus On the Town, Sweet Georgia Brown, and of course Ain’t
Misbehavin’. Great sound.
Jazz/Concord (24/96 DVD)
It's 1972, and you have tickets to hear Herb Ellis, Joe Pass, Ray Brown
and Jake Hanna at the Concord Jazz Festival. You won’t ever forget it.
You can be there, with this high resolution disc that goes in your DVD.
Hemispheres (CD)
The North Texas Wind Symphony with new music by contemporary
composers who know how to thrill. Some of the best wind band sound
available.
Rhythm Willie (24/96DVD) �
Guitarists Herb Ellis and Freddie Green, With bassist Ray Brown and
others. This is an uncompressed 24 bit 96 kHz disc that can be played
on any video DVD player. Awesome!
Illuminations (CD)
Absolutely great chamber musicians take on music by Villa-Lobos,
Malcolm Arnold, and some composers you may not know but you’ll
wish you did. Sublime sound, nothing less.
Trio (24/96 DVD) �
Pianist Monty Alexander with Herb Ellis and Ray Brown. “Makes CD
sound seem as if it’s coming through a drinking straw.” Playable on
any DVD player, uncompressed.
Kickin’ the Clouds Away (CD)
Gershwin died more than 60 years ago, but you can hear him playing
piano in glowing stereo. Nineteen of his pieces are on this fine CD,
including a solo piano version of the Rhapsody in Blue.
Seven Come Eleven (24/96 DVD)
Herb Ellis and Ray Brown again, but this time with guitarist Joe
Pass (he and Ellis alternate playing lead and rhythm), and a third
guitarist, Jake Hanna. This is a live recording from the 1974 Concord
Jazz Festival.
FIRST/LAST IMPRESSIONS
Soular Energy (24-96 DVD/ 24-192 DVD-Audio) �
Perhaps the world’s greatest bassist, the late Ray Brown, playing with
pianist Gene Harris, whom Brown called one of the greats. The proof
is right on this 24/96 recording, made from the analog master. Side 2
has a 24/192 DVD-A version.
KLAVIER
Evolution (CD)
Lowell Graham and the USAF wind band, with two superb suites by
Holst, plus music by Nelhybel, Hanson, etc. Lively, tactile sound with
impact by Bruce Leek..
Poetics (CD) �
A superb wind band recording which includes a breathtaking
concerto for percussion.
SILENCE
Djembé Tigui (CD)
This gold disc features the voice and percussion of African artist
Sekou Camara, captured by the famous Soundfield microphone.
Camara died just before the disc was released. A long-time best-seller
worldwide
Caprice (CD) �
Can harp be spectacular? Believe it! This famous Klavier recording
features Susann McDonald playing Fauré, Glinka and Liszt, is a
powerhouse! Engineered by Keith O. Johnson, with a great transfer by
Bruce Leek.
La Fille Mal Gardée (XRCD)
A fine ballet with the Royal Ballet Company orchestra, from the
original 1962 Decca recording. Exceptional
Film Spectacular II (XRCD)
The orchestra of Stanley Black plays some of the greatest film music
of bygone years. From the original Decca Phase 4 tape.
Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante (XRCD)
Igor and David Oistrakh with the Moscow Philharmonic, in a glorious
1963 recording, from the original master tape
Artistry oi Linda Rosenthal (HDCD) �
The great violinist Rosenthal plays favorites: Hora Staccato, Perpetuum Mobile, Debussy’s Beau Soir, etc.
Suite Española (XRCD) �
The Albéniz suite, gorgeously orchestrated by Rafael Frühbeck de
Burgos, who conducts the New Philharmonia. Beautifully remastered
from the original 1963 tape.
Audiophile Reference IV (SACD) �
A stunning sampler, with recognizable audiophile selections you have
never heard sound this good!
Songs My Dad Taught Me (HDCD)
Jazz pianist Jeremy Monteiro and three other musicians, with a retro
collection of unforgettable tunes.
Café Blue (HDCD/CD) �
Gold HDCD version of jazz singer Patricia Barber’s 1994 classic, an
audiophile underground favorite. Or get the original CD, at lower cost.
MISCELLANEOUS
Pipes Rhode Island �
John Marks recorded this tour of the organs of the tiny state, with
amazing tones, captured in astonishing sound
All We Need to Know �
Jazz singer Margie Gibson’s first album since Say It With Music, on
Sheffield. No one sings the way she does!
Classica d’Oro (CD)
All of the classical world’s most important heritage, on 50 audiophilequality gold CDs, at under $4 per CD. Fine artists from Germany,
Austria, the UK, Eastern Europe. Listen to excerpts on line.
59
Neil Diamond: Serenade (CD)
Just eight songs on this European CBS disc, but what songs! I’ve Been
This Way Before, Lady Magdalene, Reggae Strut, The Gift of Song,
and more. Glowing sound too.
Nocturno (CD)
Some are saying that this is Bïa’s best and most touching album since
Sources. See if you agree. You won’t be disappointed.
Harry Belafonte (CD)
We haven’t heard Belafonte sound like this except on analog. The 16
songs include Island in the Sun, Jamaica Farewell, Midnight Special,
Michael Row the Boat Ashore, Brown Skin Girl, etc.
Duke Ellington 70th Birthday Concert (LP)
A double 180-gram LP set, recorded live in England Includes Take the
‘A’ Train, Satin Doll, Perdido, many others.
Sources (CD) �
A wonderful recording by Bïa (pronounced Bee-yah). She’s Brazilian,
lives in France, recorded this terrific album (in 5 languages!) in
Montreal. Just her warm voice and guitar,
La mémoire du vent (CD)
The original recording by Bïa, in French, Portuguese and English. If
you love her second one, don’t hesitate.
Carmin (CD) �
The third by Bïa. Different this time, with more money for production,
but it has been spent wisely. Superb songs, gloriously sung in Portuguese, French and the ancient Aymara language.
Blues for the Saxophone Club (HDCD) �
Swing jazz pianist Jeremy Monteiro, with guest artists, including
saxophonist Ernie Watts. The HDCD sound is explosive!
My Foolish Heart (CD)
A collection of live and atudio pieces by Monteiro and other musicians, notably saxophonist Ernie Watts
Coeur vagabond (CD)
Bïa sings French songs in Portuguese, Brazilian songs in French. A
delight, as usual from this astonishing singer
PURE PLEASURE LPs
Is That All There Is? (LP)
Yes, it’s a 180-gram vinyl version of what must be Peggy Lee’s most
famous album. Includes Me and My Shadow, I’m a Woman, Don’t
Smoke in Bed, more.
Blue Rose (LP)
In the 50’s, Rosemary Clooney was at the top of her form, with a
technique that sends chills down your spine. She is accompanied by
Duke Ellington and his musicians. She does definitive versions of
Ellington songs, such as Sophisticated Lady, It Don’t Mean a Thing
If It Ain’t Got That Swing, I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good. This is a
mono LP, but listen to hear how great mono could be!
After Midnight (LP)
A mono double-album of Nat King Cole’s greatest performances,
with his own trio. Includes Sometimes I’m Happy, Caravan, It’s Only
a Paper Moon, Route 66, You Can Depend on Me. A great classic,
available on premium vinyl once more..
Payment by VISA or MasterCard, cheque or money order (in Canada). All merchandise is guaranteed unless explicitly sold “as
is.” Certain items (the Super Antenna, the EAC line filter, and most standard-length cables) may be returned within 21 days less
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60
VINYL ALBUMS
After Midnight (2 LP)
W782
Autumn Shuffle
LP22042
Blazing Redheads
RR-26
Blue Rose
CL872
Duke Ellington 70th B’day (2 LP)60001
Fennell Favorites
RR-43
Good Stuff (2 LP)
LP19603
Is That All There Is?
ST-386
Jazz at the Pawnshop
7778-79
Just like Love
LP20002
Showcase
LP20000
Spirit and the Blues (2 LP)
LP19401
Test Record No.4
OPLP9200
Trittico
RR-52
Vinyl Essentials (test)
LP003
48.00
27.95
25.00
36.00
48.00
25.00
47.95
36.00
65.00
27.95
27.95
47.95
27.95
32.00
48.95
NEW MEDIA (SACD, DVD, ETC.)
Across the Bridge of Hope
CD22012
24.95
Antiphone Blues (SACD)
7744SACD 37.95
Audiophile Reference IV
SACD 029
40.00
Autumn Shuffle (SACD)
CD22042
24.95
Beethoven/Mendelssohn
5186 102
29.95
Beyond (SACD)
CD22072
24.95
Brazilian Soul (DVD)
HRM2009
24.95
Cantate Domino (SACD)
PSACD7762 29.95
Conc. for Double Bass (SACD) CD8522
37.95
Good Stuff (SACD)
CD19623
37.95
Jazz at the Pawnshop (3-SACD)PRSACD7879 90.00
Jazz at the Pawnshop 2 (SACD)PRSACD7079 37.95
Jazz/Concord (DVD)
HRM2006
24.95
Just Like Love (SACD)
CD21002
24.95
Mississipi Magic (SACD)
AQSACD1057 24.95
Musica Sacra (SACD)
CD19516
24.95
Now the Green Blade Riseth PRSACD9093 29.95
Organ Treasures (SACD)
CD22031
24.95
Rhythm Willie (Audio DVD)
HRM2010
24.95
Seven Come Eleven (DVD)
HRM2005
24.95
Showcase (SACD)
CD21000
24.95
Showcase 2005 (SACD)
CD22050
24.95
Soular Energy (DVD/DVD-A) HRM2011
24.95
Spirit & the Blues (SACD)
CD19411
24.95
Swingcerely Yours
CD22081
24.95
Tchaikovsky: Symph. #6 (SACD) 5186 107
29.95
Test CD 4 (SACD)
CD19420
24.95
Test Records 1-2-3
CD19520
24.95
Tiny Island (SACD)
CD19824
24.95
Trio (Audio DVD)
HRM2008
24.95
Tutti (SACD)
RR-906SACD 24.00
Unique Classical Guitar (SACD).CD22062
24.95
Unmarked Road (SACD)
AQ1046SACD 29.95
Whose Truth, Whose Lies?
AQ1054SACD 29.95
RED BOOK COMPACT DISCS
20th Anniversary Celebration
30th Anniversary Sampler
Alleluía
All We Need to Know
An American Requiem
Antiphone Blues
CD19692
RR-908
AN 2 8810
GG-1
RR-97CD
7744CD
19.95
16.95
21.00
21.00
16.95
21.95
Artistry of Linda Rosenthal
Bach Sonatas, violin & harpsi.
Bach Suites, Airs & Dances
Beachcomber
Best of Chesky & Test, vol.3
Best of the Red Army Chorus
Beethoven Symph. 5 & 6
Blues for the Saxophone Club
Bluesquest
Bossa Nova
Bruckner: Symph. No.9
Café Blue
Café Blue (HDCD gold)
Cantabile
Cantate Domino
Caprice
Carmin
Carmina Burana
Classica d’Oro (50 CDs)
Come to Find
Come Love
Companion
Coeur vagabond
Concertos for Double Bass
Copland Symphony No.3
Djembé Tigui
Drum/Track Record
Ein Heldenleben
Evolution
Eybler Quartets
Fable
Fantasia
Felix Hell
Flm Spectacular II
French Showpieces
Fritz Kreisler
From the Age of Swing
Garden of Dreams
Gitans
Good Stuff
Good Vibes
Growing up in Hollywood Town
Handel
Harry Belafonte
Harry James & His Big Band
Hemispheres
Illuminations
Infernal Violins
It’s Right Here For You
I’ve Got the Music in Me
Jazz at the Pawnshop
Jazz at the Pawnshop 2
Jazz Hat
Jazz/Vol.1
Keep on Movin’
Kickin’ the Clouds Away
Kodo
La Fille Mal Gardée
La mémoire du vent
Les matins habitables
FIM022VD
27.95
AN 2 9829
21.00
FL 2 3133
21.00
RR-62CD
16.95
JD111
21.95
AN 2 8800
21.00
AN 2 9891
21.00
26-1084-78-2 21.95
AQCD1052 21.95
JD129
21.95
RR-81CD
16.95
21810
21.95
CD 010
39.95
AN 2 9810
21.00
7762CD
21.95
K11133
21.00
ADCD10163 21.00
K 11136
21.00
GCM-50
149.95
AQCD1027 21.95
CD19703
19.95
22963
21.00
ADCD10191 21.00
OPCD8502 21.95
RR-93CD
16.95
SLC9605-2 22.00
10081
21.00
RR-83CD
16.95
K11161
21.95
AN 2 9914
21.00
SLC9603-2 22.00
AN 2 9819
23.00
RR-101CD
16.95
XR24 070
35.00
FL 2 3151
21.00
FL 2 3159
21.00
RR-59CD
16.95
RR-108
16.95
Y225035
24.95
CD19603
19.95
PRCD9058 19.95
LIM XR 001 38.95
FL 2 3137
21.00
295-037
19.95
10057-2-G
24.00
K11137
21.00
K11135
21.00
AN 2 8718
21.00
CD19404
19.95
10076
21.00
PRCD-7778 19.95
PRCD9044 19.95
RR-114
16.95
JD37
19.95
AQCD1031 19.95
K77031
21.00
12222-2
21.00
XR24 013
38.95
ADCD10144 21.00
GSIC-895
21.00
Levande
OPCD7917
Leyrac chante Nelligan
AN 2 8815
Liszt-Laplante
FL 2 3030
Little Notebook of Anna M. BachFL 2 3064
Masters of Flute & Harp
KCD11019
Medinah Sessions
RR-2102
Mendelssohn: 2 Violin Conc. FL 2 3098
Misbehavin’
K77034
Mozart Complete Piano Trios AN 2 9827-8
Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante XR24 069
Mozart: Soprano Arias
FL 2 3131
Musica Sacra
CD19506
Musique Guy St-Onge
SLC9700-2
Musiques d’Europe centrale 88001
My Foolish Heart
26-1084-92-2
Neil Diamond: Serenade
465012-2
Nocturno
ADCD10227
Nojima Plays Liszt
RR-25CD
Nojima Plays Ravel
RR-35CD
Non-Stop to Brazil
JD29
Norman Dello Joio
K11138
Nota del Sol
AN 2 9817
Now the Green Blade Riseth PRCD9093
Obseción
K11134
Opera for Two
FL 2 3076
Organ Odyssey
RR-113
Pauline Viardot-Garcia
AN 2 9903
Pipes Rhode Island
CD101
Poetics
K11153
Pomp&Pipes
RR-58CD
Ports of Call
RR-80CD
Requiem
RR-57CD
Rio After Dark
JD28
Romantic Pieces
FL 2 3191
Sans Domicile Fixe
19012-2
Say It With Music
CD-36
Serenade
RR-110
Sketches of Standard
PRCD 9036
Songs My Dad Taught Me
FIM0009
Sources
ADCD10132
Spirit and the Blues
CD19401
Styles
SLC9604-2
Suite Española
XR24 068
Swing is Here
RR-72CD
Telemann Sonatas for 2 Violins FL 2 3085
Test CD 5
CD20000
The King James Version
10068-2-F
Tres Americas
SLC9602-2
Trittico
RR-52CD
Tutti (HDCD)
RR-906CD
Ultimate Demonstration Disc UD95
Villa-Lobos
FL 2 3051
Violonchelo Español
AN 2 9897
Vivace
AN 2 9808
Vivaldi: Motets for Soprano
FL 2 3099
Vivaldi: Per Archi
FL 2 3128
World Keys
RR-106
Yerba Buena Bounce
RR-109
You Can’t Take My Blues
AQCD1041
19.95
21.00
21.00
21.00
21.00
16.95
21.00
21.00
27.50
38.95
21.00
19.95
22.00
24.95
21.95
16.95
21.00
16.95
16.95
19.95
21.00
21.00
19.95
21.95
21.00
16.95
21.00
15.95
21.00
16.95
16.95
16.95
19.95
21.00
24.95
21.00
16.95
19.95
27.95
21.00
19.95
22.00
38.95
16.95
21.00
21.95
21.00
22.00
16.95
16.95
20.00
21.00
21.00
21.00
21.00
21.00
16.95
16.95
21.95
Software
The 007 Franchise
T
he Ian Fleming books seem
dated now. The later ones
were the product of the Cold
War, but it was clear that Ian
Fleming’s sensibilities were formed in an
earlier era, that of World War II. This
matters little in fact, because the famous
series of 22 (or more) Bond movies
have only a tenuous connection with
the novels whose titles they sometimes
borrowed.
I didn’t enter 007’s web until Goldfinger, the third of the Bond films, and
arguably one of the best ones even today.
You may remember the scene before the
main titles: Bond arrives in a diving suit
and overpowers some guards so that he
can plant a time bomb in…well, an oil
storage depot, or in any case something
that can blow up spectaculaly. So far
so mundane. But then he swims out,
emerges from the water, unzips his
diving suit to reveal that he is wearing
a white dinner jacket, and he pauses to
place a red carnation in his lapel.
I was hooked!
Of course I needed to catch up,
and — what luck! — the very next week a
neighborhood cinema (remember them?)
was showing Dr. No and From Russia
With Love as a double feature. That was a
by Gerard Rejskind
lot of Bond, but it got me up to speed.
Since then I’ve caught them all, the
good, the bad (oh, they did get pretty bad
at times), and the indifferent. I mostly
adjusted to Bond’s changing face and
style, as new actors stepped into the
role, sometimes with more success than
others.
By the time Goldfinger was released,
the format of the story was pretty much
established. The villain was not, typically, working for a foreign power, even
if it might seem that way. Rather, he
was connected with a shadowy criminal
organization, such as SPECTER, an
acronym for SPecial Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and
Extortion. Extortion is actually their
main game, though if Bond has eliminated a member of the organization in
a previous film, it can go in for a little
James Bond must
be about 85 by now,
but secret agents are
forever…
revenge too. Sometimes the organization is a little more up-to-date, like the
terrorist clan whose Chief Financial
Officer is Le Chiffre (Casino Royale).
Sometimes the villain works only for
himself, like Auric Goldfinger.
There are two recurring themes:
extortion and cornering the market.
The extortion is often based on the
theft of some sort of weapon, and especially nuclear weapons, as in Thunderball,
to be used in a rather irresponsible way,
unless… In Moonraker the space shuttle
is stolen right from the back of the
Boeing 747 ferrying it.
A frequent element is the existence of
the villain’s lair, which is usually remote
and difficult to get to. It may be on an
island, as in Dr. No and The Man With
the Golden Gun, it may be a floating city,
as in The Spy Who Loved Me, or it may
even be in orbit (Moonraker). Wherever
it is is located, it is loaded with expensive
high-tech accoutrements that have been
added for no obvious purpose. Bond
always succeeds in getting in, of course,
because there is inevitably a weakness in
the defense system, though the real trick
is to get out in time. And oh yes, to save
the Bond girl, who will burn or drown
or be sucked into outer space if her hero
is not there for the rescue.
It seems evident that the villains’
high-tech gadgets didn’t come out of the
Brookstone catalog, but where do you go
to pick up all these flashy devices including (for instance) an elevator which, at
the tap of a button on a console, will drop
you into a giant aquarium with sharks?
That’s from The Spy Who Loved Me.
At the same time, we know that the
lair installations have not gone through
even elementary security tests, because
it will take very little to cause them to
burn, sink or (nearly always) explode
spectacularly. In The Man With the
Golden Gun, for example, Scaramanga’s
solar energy installation has vats of fluid
at “absolute zero” (would they then be
fluid, even if absolute zero were attainable?), with a warning sign that the vats
must remain at absolute zero. When
Bond’s ditzy assistant Mary Goodnight
Software
Feedback
catapults an evildoer into the fluid, thus
raising its temperature, the system does
not fail gracefully. It catches fire and
begins to explode, casting into doubt the
security of solar energy! Even the many
monitoring instruments explode. By the
time Bond and Goodnight get away the
entire island, somewhere off China, is
wiped off the map. Haven’t these people
ever heard of fuses?
Bond himself has plenty of gadgets at
his disposal, even if they’re less cumbersone than those of the opposition, and
seeing them rolled out is an important
part of the fun. British intelligence has
its own research lab, headed by the dour
Q, who little appreciates what happens
to his gear “in the field.”
Ever yone’s favorite, I
think, remains the Aston
M a r t i n DB6 (show n
at top) that costars in
Goldfinger (and makes
a repeat appearance in
On Her Majesty’s Secret
Service, even though it
was demolished in the
earlier film). One of the
best scenes with Q is the
one where he is showing
Bond the buttons for the
rotating license plates,
the smoke screen, the
oil slick, the bulletproof
shield, the machine guns,
and finally the ejector
seat.
“Ejector seat?” says
Bond. “You’re joking.”
“I never joke about
my work, 007,” replies
a weary Q, confirming
what we have come to
suspect about him.
The rest of this article
can be found in the complete print or electronic
version of UHF No. 88.
Order the print issue
from www.uhfmag.com/
IndividualIssue.html (it’s
case sensitive). Or subscribe at www.uhfmag.
com/Subscription.html.
The electronic issue is
available f rom w w w.
magzee.com.
Latin.
tisi.
tat.
“Gun Barrel” Sequence?
That’s the opening sequence shown on the previous page (that is one from
Dr. No). We’re not certain where the “gun barrel” appelation came from, butit is
clearly wrong, because no gun barrel looks like that. The spiral pattern is that of
the diaphragm of a human eye, seen from the inside. It is in fact that of the victim
of 007’s shot.
Note, by the way, the hat on what we presume to be James Bond himself. Men
once wore those, summer or winter. Once Roger Moore took over the role, 007
was bare-headed in that sequence.
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The Bond “Girls”
N
second Bond girl of the film, shown
below, has the evocative name of Pussy
Galore (played by Honor Blackman of
Avengers fame). It is fairly solidly established, or as solidly established as it could
be in a 1964 Hollywood picture, that she
is a Lesbian (she runs an all-girl flying
corps, and she assures Bond that “you
can turn off the charm, I’m immune”).
But one forced kiss later…
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o, the series hasn’t evolved
socially to the point where
we can speak plausibly of
the Bond women. These are
girls in the original, macho sense. They
may be grown up (indeed, they’re big
girls if you see what I mean), but they
mostly haven’t acquired an identity.
Bond won’t take no for an answer, and
the Bond girls for the most part don’t
stick to that no for very long.
Certainly it took a lot of classes in
gender sensitivity before movies — any
movies — treated women as full-fledged
humans. There’s a quick flash in the 1964
film Goldfinger, in which Bond runs
across his CIA pal Felix. He introduces
him to the young woman who has been
giving Bond a massage called Dink.
“Felix, say hello to Dink. Dink, say
goodbye to Felix.” She begins to protest.
He gives a tap on the bum. “Man talk,”
he explains.
Over a number of films there were
always two Bond girls. There had to be a
second one, because the first one invariably came to a bad end. Take the example
of Goldfinger. Bond meets an accomplice
of Goldfinger, Jill Masterson (Shirley
Eaton), and easily converts her to his
side, and then of course beds her. The
indiscretion costs her dearly, as she finds
herself covered with gold paint, quite
dead (there is a cock and bull explanation involving “skin suffocation”). The
tat.
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The Villains
A
The man with the prominent smile to
the immediate right is Christopher Lee,
who plays Francisco Scaramanga in The
Man With the Golden Gun. If you think
you’ve seen that smile before, perhaps
you have. He was the star of Horror of
Dracula and lesser vampire films. His
outgoing and engaging personality made
him an excellent foil for Bond.
Just below him is Mads Mikkelsen,
who plays the terrorist financier Le
Chiffre (meaning either “the number”
or “the cypher”) in Casino Royale. Note
the blood in the corner of his eye. He and
James Bond play a high stakes game of
poker at the casino of the title, with th
poker game continuing even once they
both leave the table.
Le Chiffre has an accomplice. But
whom?
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super hero like 007 requires a
worthy adversary. The typical
Bond villain is a megalomaniac
who want to rule the world. If
he is from an identifiable country, he
usually turns out to be a renegades —
you don’t make the villain a Bulgarian
if you think you can sell your movie to
a Bulgarian cinema chain.
Whatever the villain’s identity, for
him to be worthy, he (or she, now and
again) must be played by a first-rate
actor.
One reason Goldfinger (above) was so
good was that the title role was played
by the fine German actor Gert Fröbe.
Subsequently he was in Is Paris Burning? playing the last German governor
of occupied Paris. He’s fun to watch,
though not quite enough for me to root
for him to win.
At upper right is the late Canadian
actor Joseph Wiseman as the first of the
Bond villains, Dr. No. Of course he came
to a bad end, and wasn’t seen again.
But he was referred to in a later film,
because his boss at SPECTER, Ernst
Blofeld, wants to avenge him in From
Russia With Love. He doesn’t succeed.
Blofeld was played by a number of actors,
including Anthony Dawson (the man
with the eyepatch in Thunderball) and
by the formidable Max von Sydow (lower
right), complete with the traditional cat,
in Never Say Never Again.
The Henchmen
D
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id I say that a good Bond
film needed a good villain?
Yes, of course it does, but
it helps if it also has a good
henchman.
Henchmen (Bond-heads actually
call them that) are accomplices, or at
least secondary villains, who make the
sybaritic life of the main villain possible.
They are menacing, amusing, and willing to sacrifice themselves for the good
(actually the evil) of the cause.
In the picture above is, possibly, the
most successful of the Bond henchmen, Oddjob. A Korean manservant to
Goldfinger, he is strong enough to crush
a golf ball in the palm of his hand (try
it, if you think it’s easy). When Bond
rushes him, he simply bounces off. His
secret weapon, the one he is preparing to
unleash in the picture, is his derby hat,
whose brim is not exactly soft felt. He
throws it like a Frisbee and decapitates
a statue, and not much later he takes on
an even more…statuesque target.
Of course he cares more for his boss
than for himself. In the Fort Knox scene,
when Bond is trying to defuse an atomic
bomb (which has a convenient digital
readout to let passersby know how much
time they have left), Oddjob unleashes
his considerable strength to prevent him
from succeeding. Where do you find help
like that?
The most blatant case of gay stereotyping came in Diamonds Are Forever.
Mr. K idd and Mr. Wynt (they call
each other that) are caricatures of a gay
couple. What their motivation is, I’m
not sure is clear, but they come to an
explosive end.
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The Music of Bond
T
ing titles, a mistake that would not be
made again. Starting with Goldfinger,
with few exceptions the sequence was
the same: there would be the so-called
gun-barrel introduction, to be followed
by an action scene that was usually, but
not always, unrelated to the main story,
then the titles, featuring nude and seminude women in silhouette, while the title
song was sung by the star of the hour.
(Actually, there is some doubt about the
“semi,” as you can see from the image
above, from Diamonds are Forever.)
Of course the song had to be more
than merely catchy. It also had to lend
itself to orchestration to suit different
scenes in the film. Goldfinger, sung by
Shirley Bassey (another UK star of
the day, shown on the next page), is a
powerful, upbeat song, but the melody is
reorchestrated by John Barry as a tender
ballad that can suit quieter scenes. Note
the almost romantic arrangement, complete with harp arpeggios, during the
scene when Bond is trailing Goldfinger’s
Rolls Royce on a scenic Swiss road.
The James Bond Theme is the one
piece that has followed the Bond franchise from film to film. Monty Norman
composed it for piano, and it was John
Barry who did the orchestration and
the adaptation into its different forms.
Indeed, Barry claimed that Norman got
the credit for contractual reasons, but
that he himself deserved the lucrative
copyright. Though Barry did very well
for himself, writing scores for nearly
a dozen Bond films, The James Bond
Theme was in all of them too, earning
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he right music can make
a film, and directors have
known that for a long time.
Think about the scores from
(to choose a few at random) Breakfast at
Tiffany, Casablanca, High Noon, The Third
Man, Life is Beautiful, Schindler’s List,
and the countless spaghetti westerns.
The first of the Bond films had a couple
of mood pieces from Jamaica (where
it was set), including a rollicking, and
ultimately sinister, version of Three Blind
Mice. It also featured a lively instrumental score to accompany action scenes, to
be known as The James Bond Theme.
Subsequently, however, the producers of the Bond series hit on a lucky idea.
The right song could turn out to be a hot
marketing opportunity. Find the song,
find the artist, and build the promotion
around it.
The formula really came together
with Goldfinger, but it was already in
place with the second film, From Russia
With Love. The idea was to commission
a catchy song whose title happened to
be that of the movie. A big name would
be hired to sing it well in advance of the
film’s release, in order to insure that it
had time to become a hit and get lots of
radio play. And then, once the film was
released, potential ticket buyers would
already know the title, and indeed be
humming the tune.
The “name” hired for the second film
was Matt Monro, then well-known in
the UK, though not so much in North
America. Monro sang the song during
the closing credits rather than the open-
Norman continued royalties, and of
course continuing credits in each of the
Bond movies.
In fact it lent itself well to more than
the signature chase scenes, because it
has a distinctive introduction that can be
played by itself to build tension, or even
be attached to the film’s main theme.
The sequence is a familiar one:
C, C-sharp, D, C-sharp
repeated twice.
John Barry, however, wrote his own
theme to add tension to certain scenes,
with its repeated staccato notes. Known
simply as the 007 Theme, it was first used
in From Russia With Love, where you can
hear it during the gunfight at the Gypsy
camp.
Barry actually wrote the music for no
fewer than 11 of the Bond films, leaving
aside the disputed Dr. No authorship.
Sometimes, however, choosing the
singer also meant choosing the composer. In the case of Live and Let Die, for
instance, the title song was composed
by George Martin, the Beatles producer. The reason: the singer was Paul
McCartney. That song, incidentally, was
particularly successful, earning a 1974
Oscar nomination as best original song.
In the US it got to second place in the
pop music charts. McCartney was rather
happy with the song, and kept it in his
repertoire. When he was invited to sing
at the 2005 Super Bowl, that was the song
he chose.
The Man With the Golden Gun followed the usual formula of having a
song with the same title as the movie,
but there’s some controversy as to which
song it was to be. Alice Cooper has a song
of that title on one of his albums, and he
maintains that his was the song that was
to be used in the film. Certainly hiring
Cooper to do the Bond song was in keeping with the marketing policy of using
big names, but perhaps the producers
were not familiar with the Alice Cooper
sound.
In any case, the title song was finally
sung by Lulu, a Scottish singer with little
international reputation. John Barry
wrote the music, but calls it the weakest
of the Bond songs. Perhaps in part for
that reason, the film was initially not well
received, though — like all Bond films —
it made money for its producers.
The Spy Who Loved Me broke with the
formula in a different way: it was the first
Bond film whose commissioned song
had a different title. Sung admirably
by international star Carly Simon, the
song was titled Nobody Does It Better, an
obvious reference to…well, an obvious
reference. Even so the film and the
song meshed. The lyrics do contain the
film title, and the posters for the film
included the claim, in large letters, that
“Nobody does it better.”
With Moonraker, the marketing component of the song fell apart. The producers dithered too long before making
a choice. They might have a chance to
get Frank Sinatra, which would be a big
catch. But well, perhaps they ought to
cater to a younger crowd and use Kate
Bush. But the discussions didn’t lead to a
contract, let alone a recording date, and
there were only weeks to go before the
film launch. Finally they returned to the
singer who had already done so well with
Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever,
Shirley Bassey (in the picture above).
But it was too late to do the proper push,
and Bassey, perhaps realizing she was a
third choice, wasn’t enthusiastic about
promoting it.
Incidentally, there are two versions
of the song, a ballad for the usual main
titles with the semi-clad women in sil70   ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine
houette, and a disco version for the
end titles.
Incredibly, the same error was
repeated with For Your Eyes Only,
despite the two-year gap between
the two films. Ever eager to cater to
a younger audience, they turned to
Debbie Harry, lead singer of the rock
group Blondie. Though Blondie did
sing a song with the film’s title, Harry
ultimately declined the contract, and
so at the last moment the producers
got Sheena Easton to sing a different
song with the same title. To persuade
her to do it, she was given screen time,
becoming the first artist in a Bond
film to be seen singing.
The next film, Octopussy, was a
challenge. The title is really from
Ian Fleming, who wrote a short story
titled Octopussy and The Living Daylights (the second half of the title was
given to a later movie). But the Bond
song had to be moved up the charts
where (gasp!) children would hear it. The
song couldn’t have that title.
And it didn’t, but it was a major
success. Titled All Time High, it was a
magnificent song for Rita Coolidge,
spending four weeks at top spot on the
US Billboard chart, and still played on
radio even today.
Would it have done all that with the
title Octopussy? You think?
Producer Cubby Broccoli, however,
continued to see rock music as a marketing tool to push his successful 007
movies even harder. Legend has it that
bassist John Taylor approached Broccoli at a party and asked, rhetorically,
“When are you going to get someone
decent to do one of your theme songs?”
The result was that the song in A
View to a Kill were sung by the rock
group Duran Duran. It was a huge hit,
fulfilling at the same time its purpose:
to build advance awareness of the movie,
and put people into seats.
The Living Daylights was the first Bond
movie whose song was performed by a
non-English-speaking group, Norwegian pop group a-ha (perhaps they don’t
like upper case letter in Norway). The
score was the last one from John Barry,
who had scored most of the Bond films,
except Live and Let Die. Barry wasn’t the
one who chose a-ha, and he didn’t like
their music, choosing to overdub his own
additions overtop theirs. Of course his
version was in the movie, but a-ha used
its own version on its album. Live and let
live, we might say.
The excellent guitarist Eric Clapton
was asked to do the song for Licence to
Kill, and so was Vic Flick. It was finally
sung by Gladys Knight, and included
elements from the best-known of the
Bond songs Goldfinger. The producers,
of course, had to pay extra royalties. One
innovation: Patti LaBelle sang a different
song, If You Asked Me To, over the end
credits. That would later become a major
hit for Céline Dion.
Goldeneye, the first Bond film with
Pierce Brosnan, had Tina Turner singing a song from Bono and The Edge.
By this time there was no longer much
collaboration between producers and
artists, and none of the song was adapted
to the score. As a promotional vehicle it
fell flat.
Tomorrow Never Dies had two songs, at
the beginning and end, sung respectively
by Sheryl Crow and k.d. lang. Curiously,
the title of the film was worked into the
lyrics of both songs. David Arnold had
written the score of the film, and would
score the next three as well. He wrote the
music for the next film, The World Is Not
Enough, which was sung by the grunge
group Garbage. It was a hit, and — like
so many other songs — helped support
the film it was written for.
Madonna composed and wrote the
title song of Die Another Day. It has lots
of electronic elements, not the first Bond
song to have them. It got Golden Globe
and Grammy nominations, but it also
earned a Golden Raspberry for “Worst
Original Song of 2002.” Madonna does
that to people.
Chris Cornell wrote and sang You
Know My Name in Casino Royale. The
song’s theme is substituted for the James
Bond Theme, until the end, when Bond
really becomes Bond.
Jack White and Alicia Keys sang
Another Way to Die, the opening song
of Quantum of Solace. Barbara Broccoli
is in the saddle now, having taken over
from her father, and it may be that we
will never again see a Bond song with
the same title as the movie.
It was a blast while it lasted.
Software Reviews
by Gerard Rejskind
and Albert Simon
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Tombeau pour Mr. de S.te Colombe
Andrea de Carlo, et al.
M•A M069A
Rejsk i nd: Ma ny people, on f irst
encountering the string instruments
known collectively as the viol family,
assume that they must be the ancestors of
the modern (well, early Baroque) string
instruments: the violin, viola, cello and
double bass. In fact the viol is to modern
strings as the chimpanzee is to humans:
a cousin with a common ancestor.
The supposition is maintained by
the fact that a bass viol looks much like
a modern double bass. There are in fact
notable differences. The viol has frets,
like a guitar, and gut strings rather than
steel. The tuning scheme is different as
well. And its distinctive sound…well,
those who find it grating suggest that
it is not happenstance that the word
viol is pronounced vile. In recent years,
however, there has been renewed interest
in and taste for this ancient family of
instruments.
That interest was accelerated by
A lain Corneau’s 1991 film Tous les
matins du monde (English title: All
the Mornings of the World), in which
the major characters are Monsieur de
Sainte-Colombe (to whom this CD pays
homage), and Marin Marais, his pupil,
and the composer of the music on the
disc. Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe is
so little known (he considered public
performance to be a defilement of his
art) that we don’t know his first name.
Played by Jean-Pierre Marielle, he is a
lonely widower who retires to a garden
shed to play his viol. A young man, none
other than Marin Marais (played by
famed French actor Gérard Depardieu
as an older man, and his son Guillaume
as a youth), creeps regularly underneath
the shed to listen to him, and persuades
the reclusive musician to take him on
as a pupil. The film is filled with solo
viol music, and it became an overnight
sensation.
I know this, because at the time
the soundtrack CD was listed at our
Audiophile Store, and it remained a bestseller for as long as we were able to get
it. We also then listed a recording of viol
music on the Pierre Verany label (with
better sound, it should be said), and that
too sold in prodigious quantities. So
much for its “vile” character!
Now comes a recording of Marin
Marais’ music that is sonically superior
to either of those older recordings, and
has the potential to bring the haunting
sound of the viol to a new audience.
Though Sainte-Colombe (the spelling on
the disc is a common archaic rendition)
was a prolific composer, his works are
seldom played today, and we know him
mainly through the works of Marais.
The “tombeau” (tomb) is actually the
title of the final movement of the Suite
en mi mineur, 2e livre, one of three suites
on this recording.
The bass viol played by soloist
Andrea de Carlo sounds not unlike a
double bass, but with a richer sound,
filled with harmonics, sounding at
times like a cello. Its texture is however
totally different from that of the more
familiar instruments, less smooth, with
more string sound accompanying the
deep resonance from the instrument’s
body. If you’re not familiar with the viol
family (except for the viola da gamba,
the sole family member that survived
to be played alongside the modern
instruments), you’ll find it disconcerting
at first, wondering why the “double bass”
is being played in that fashion. Once
you get used to this distinctive sound,
it becomes haunting. No wonder the
young Marin Marais would spend hours
under that shed (he rather liked SainteColombe’s daughter too, but let’s not get
sidetracked).
The bass viol has plenty of body,
but it is with the appearance of Leonard
Garcia Alarco’s harpsichord and Dolores
Costoya’s theorbo that the music really
lifts. A second bass viol, played by
Sergio Alvarez, joins in for the Suite en
ré mineur, 1er livre.
The sound on this recording, done
in Switzerland in 2004, is lively, with
fine focus and detail, but also a wide
reverberant field that gives the music a
three-dimensional aspect. I doubt there
is a better introduction to this often
neglected instrumental clan. Of course,
if you are already an enthusiast, you need
no invitation.
O Nata Lux
Musica Intima
Atma ACD2 2577
Rejskind: Tired of the usual Christmas
recordings, featuring Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer, I’ll Be Home for Christmas
and (gack, choke!) The Little Drummer
Boy? Relief is at hand. Over the holidays,
put on this CD, and hit the “repeat”
button.
It’s my experience that the less talent
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singers have, the more the (presumably
desperate) producers feel the need to
pile on the massed strings, the jingle
bells, and the percussion. On the other
hand, if you have a number of truly
talented singers, competently conducted,
you don’t need accompaniment at all.
Those are the winning conditions on
this recording, which features a dozen
singers (three each of sopranos, altos,
tenors and basses), in Christmas songs
you may not hear over shopping mall
loudspeakers.
Musica Intima (the name says it)
is a Vancouver choral ensemble that
doesn’t always sing a capella, nor is it
specialized in traditional music. It has in
fact premiered a number of works of new
Canadian composers. On this recording
their arrangements, often in canon form,
are so well done that you may get two
or three songs in before you realize that
there is no accompaniment.
Though the CD begins with the
familiar In Dulci Jubilo, and it includes
Ce matin, j’ai rencontré le train (if you
can’t place the title, the melody will be
instantly recognizable as The March of
the Kings), there are much newer pieces
as well. Benjamin Britten contributed
two: Jesu, as Thou Art Our Saviour and
A Hymn to the Virgin. Gabriel’s Message
is a unique arrangement of a traditional
Basque carol by Jonathan Rathbone,
former director of the scat singing
group The Swingle Singers. Sing Lullaby
meshes perfectly with traditional music,
though its flowing verses are from 20th
Century composer Herbert Howells.
Adam Lay Ybounden features a telling
of a chapter of the book of Genesis,
probably from a 15th Century wandering
minstrel, with wholly appropriate music
by modern composer Matthew Larkin.
The voices of these singers are a
pleasure to hear. Recorded by AnneMarie Sylvestre at a church in Mirabel,
Québec, that has been used for many
exceptional recordings, it sounds very
fine too, with a lot of space around the
singers.
With Christmas coming up, it may
be time to retire Bing Crosby.
Tonos y Tonadas
Ensemble La Chimera
M•A M072A
Simon: Unlike the rest of Europe, writes
Adrian Besné in the highly informative
liner notes, Spain was not producing
Baroque instrumental music, and both
highbrow and lowbrow literature existed
side by side. Tonos y Tonadas (tones and
ballads) seeks to offer us a glimpse of the
musical world that existed in the last 30
years of the 17th Century. An interesting
connection is reflected here between a
declining Spain and its new colonies in
the Americas, more specifically an area
along the Andes mountain chain.
As I expected from the folks at
M•A Recordings — who really know
how to record st rings accurately,
incidentally — the sound is wonderfully
reproduced, no excesses, no need to
impress their audience, just a superbly
played set of songs and ballads from
another era, sung by Barbara Kusa
and Isabel Monar’s outstanding voices.
Luis Rigou’s powerful voice has an
impressive presence in some of the songs,
and Adrian Besné’s recitations are an
interesting addition. Everything sounds
so polished and impeccably done. The
Ensemble La Chimera is a treat to listen
to, with modern and period instruments
featuring lute, guitars, viola da gambas
and southamerican (yes, that’s the way
they like to spell it) flutes.
However, considering that the style
is in such contrast to the religious music
of the time, I can’t keep from imagining
how they might have sounded at that
time; I see two musicians, a singer with an
unpolished yet highly expressive voice,
belting it out at passersby in narrow
dirt-covered streets, accompanied by a
lone guitar. Or were they going at it late
at night, attempting to be heard over a
noisy crowd at the local inn?
If you’ve ever listened to the original
“street” version of Ariel Ramirez’s Missa
Criolla and compared it with the relatively
more recent, polished “operatic” version
featuring tenor José Carreras, you’ll
know what I am talking about. (By the
way, if you know that piece, you’ll notice
similar percussion sounds heard twice
on this CD.) You should also know that
I love both versions, just as I love this
version of a distant past when this music
was closer to people and was meant for
ordinary folks. True folklore with superb
sound.
And as I am writing this, the air
around me is filling up with the sounds
of fluttering flutes and deep percussion.
That’s how this album ends, with the
instrumental piece aptly named Canto
al silencio.
Llama
Silvia Pérez Cruz, Ravid Goldschmidt
M•A M070A
Simon: Don’t raise the volume as
you hear the first soft notes on the
hang appearing in space between your
speakers. Wait, and let the voice of Silvia
Pérez Cruz rise, and suddenly reach the
poignant level of Flamenco laments. It is
an acquired taste, they say. Do you like
it? If you do, it gets better as you discover
all the possibilities of this unusual
combination of voice and hang.
Based on the steel pan drums of
Trinidad and Tobago, the hang is built to
perfection by two instrument designers,
Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer of
PA NArt in Bern, Switzerland. It is
played here with finesse by the swift
Britten’s Orchestra
Stern & Kansas City Symph.
Reference Recordings RR-120
Rejskind: I must confess to having past
reservations concerning the music of
Benjamin Britten, and especially his
operas. However I have always had
the greatest enthusiasm for The Young
Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, composed
just after the Second World War for a
British educational film, to be called
Instruments of the Orchestra. It takes up a
third of this quite short CD, and I would
rate it as the best version I have heard of
this attractive suite.
For t h is com m ission, Br it ten
borrowed a melody by 17th Century
British composer Henry Purcell, from
incidental music for a play with the
disturbing title of Abdelazer, or The
Moor’s Revenge. It was of course common
at one time for composers to borrow
themes, with or without credit, and to
write variations around them. I should
warn you that, if you choose to look up
the original, you will have difficulty
putting it together with the brilliant
Britten suite. Purcell (possibly the last
great British composer before the 20th
Century) may have provided the seed,
but the work of genius that is the Guide
is entirely Britten’s own.
I have not seen the film, and I rather
wonder how much impact the antiquated
sound, played through the small openbacked speakers of the typical school
auditorium, might have had on the
young persons of the title. I know that, as
a child, my own exposure to symphonic
music was through such primitive gear,
and the sound was so unlike that of
real music that it gave me little taste
for further exploration. When, in my
teens, I finally heard the sound of a live
symphony orchestra, it was so new an
experience that I was left thrilled to my
very core. It was, I believe I can say, a
life-changing event.
The suite is a delight, a voyage
of discovery through the resources
marshalled by a modern symphony
orchest ra. More t han si x decades
after its composition, it remains a
persuasive plea for the continuation of
acoustic music, which sometimes seems
menaced by genres with much less vivid
colors. Playing it must be a treat for the
members of the Kansas City Symphony
too, because each section gets a solo. All
of them rise to the occasion, all for our
greater pleasure.
The suite is followed by the Sinfonia
da requiem. It is not in mourning for the
millions of deaths that were the legacy
of the War (that would come in Britten’s
War Requiem composed after the end of
hostilities), but rather in mourning for
the millions yet to die. Oddly, it was
commissioned by the Japanese in early
1940, when Japan was busy with China
but was not yet an official member of the
Axis. The commission was ostensibly in
honor of the 2600th anniversary of its
ruling dynasty, but Britten, a pacifist
and conscientious objector, could see
where events were leading, and he added
the word requiem to the title in order to
make it a plea for peace. Japan rejected
the work, not for its implicit anti-war
message, but on the dubious pretext that
it borrowed titles from the Christian
liturgy and was therefore insulting: the
three movements are titled Lacrymosa,
Dies irae and Requiem æternam. The
young Britten (he was then 26) wrote
a conciliatory letter, but shortly after
Japan signed its pact with Germany and
Italy, and there could be no more talk of
peace. The work was finally premiered
by the New York Philharmonic.
There can be no doubt that, like
the later War Requiem, this Sinfonia is
a work of genius. The Lacrymosa enters
with powerful drums that shake the
hall (the drums of war?), followed by a
chant of great sadness from the lower
strings, with new occasional outbursts.
The Dies irae (which means literally
“days of anger”) is a rapid movement
for lower strings and trumpet, rapid
and terrifying. Here too, the tympani
contribute to the foreboding, even
the terror. The final movement is a
sorrowful extended melody that must
not have pleased the Japanese much as
they were preparing to participate in the
worldwide holocaust. No wonder they
rejected it!
Not w it h s t a nd i n g m y e a rl ie r
comment on Britten’s operas, the suite
from Peter Grimes is of great beauty
(I’ve actually seen the opera, sung by
Britten’s favorite tenor, Peter Pears, and
it didn’t leave me the same impression).
The violent and unappealing story of
Peter Grimes may have affected me, but
the fictional character Grimes was a
fisherman, and the suite evokes the sea.
These orchestral excerpts include the
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hands of Ravid Goldschmidt, a young
and talented Israeli musician, now living
in Barcelona, who loves playing in the
streets, favouring direct contact with his
audience. He met Silvia Pérez Cruz at
one of the local concerts. She also plays
saxophone, and she is involved in an allfemale flamenco quartet known as Las
Migas.
The sound of the hang and the
textures that Ravid produces with his
hands on his instruments are unlike
anything you can actually compare to.
There are many tracks where his solos
appear to be interludes, so to speak, but
they are wonderful pieces on their own,
often introspective. I’m sure you’ll be
back again and again to hear them,
as I was. Silvia’s young voice is on the
light side, but it sounds original, with
superb control, best suited for Flamenco
and Fado. It has that haunting quality
that tears the air in sheer desperation.
However, it needs to acquire more
maturity, more living, more suffering,
I would say. And it is not suited to jazz.
Her interpretation of a jazz piece called
Smiles was disappointing to these ears.
You’ll find the sound on this CD an
unmitigated pleasure on each track, with
natural reproduction of the performers
within the recording venue, a little church
in the Barri Gotic quarter of Barcelona.
A nd as usual for M•A Recordings,
the best technical means were used to
produce an album intended for the most
discriminating audiophiles.
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Four Sea Interludes and the Passacaglia. As
in the other works, the music showcases
Britten’s remarkable mastery of the
orchestra.
T he K a n sa s C it y Sy mphony,
conducted in masterly fashion by Michael
Stern, is pretty much flawless in its
execution of music which depends so
much on the beauty of the instruments,
and of the powerful effect they have on
the emotions.. The sound is of great help
as well. Keith O. Johnson has brought
forward all of the many colors and shades
of the orchestra in most subtle fashion,
though there is nothing subtle in the
percussion and full orchestral crescendos
that are found in all three pieces. I
listened to it with full HDCD decoding,
and more than once the music and the
sound gave me major goose bumps.
Perhaps symphonic music is not your
thing, but pick up a copy anyway, and
spend some time with The Young Person’s
Guide to the Orchestra. Perhaps you’ll have
the epiphany I did, and if you do, it can
change your life.
Don’t say you weren’t warned.
West of the Sun
Joel Fan, piano
Reference Recordings RR-119
Rejskind: The New York-born Fan’s
earlier recording for Reference, World
Keys (RR-106) was sensational, and
brought him to the attention of a wider
public, beyond the concertgoers who
knew very well of what he was capable.
Of course Fan is hardly a child
prodigy. Despite his youthful looks he is
now 40, and he has a lot of playing time
behind him. That experience explains
his awesome musicianship, but also his
natural sensitivity to the emotional side
of music, and control of fine nuances.
World Keys revealed his eclectic
side, because the pieces selected from
the usual West European repertoire
were accompanies by ot hers from
such countries as Turkey and Egypt.
This time he has selected music from
a little farther west, specifically from
the Americas, Of course that is a rich
treasure, perhaps too much to serve as
the source for a single album. It made me
think of an album I once ran across titled
Piano Music of 18th and 19th Century
Europe. It lasted all of 40 minutes!
Joel Fan’s playing is still superb,
at once sensitive and effortless, with
a mastery of rhythm, which figures
prominently in several of the works he
has chosen, The choices are, to my taste,
uneven, and I was less enthusiastic than
I had been about his inaugural disc.
My favorites first. Brazil’s Ernesto
Nazareth contributes a tango, Vem cá
Branquinha. The booklet notes list Scott
Joplin as one of his influences (along
with Chopin), and that’s no surprise. I
loved the offbeat Suis moi! Caprice from
Louis Moreau Gottschalk, who was sort
of a rock star before his time in 19th
Century New Orleans. Villa-Lobos’
Chôros No. 5 is always a pleasure to hear,
in whatever form it is presented. There is
also a lovely piano Sonata (the Opus 26)
by Samuel Barber.
Two women are represented. Amy
Marcy Beach’s poetic Firef lies is a
delight, and makes one wonder whether
she might be yet another example of
a composer overlooked because of her
gender. Troubled Water is inspired by
the Negro Spiritual Wade in the Water.
It is from Margaret Bonds, mentioned
as the first Black American to solo with
the Chicago Symphony. It is very much
worth repeated hearings.
On the other hand I was looking
forward to a milonga prelude from Astor
Piazzola titled Flora’s Game. It turned out
to be more chaotic than Piazzola’s music
usually is, without a clear rhythmic line,
and it left me cold. Also on the album is
a piano sonata by Argentina’s Alberto
Ginastera and Nine New Bagatelles from
modern American composer William
Bolcom.
The HDCD sound is, of course,
very clear. Fan’s Steinway is farther back
and more reverberant than if he were in
the room with us, but the sound is clearer
and more detailed than if one had good
seats to a concert.
It’s Never Too Late
Dan and the Electros
Opus 3 CD22091
Rejskind: So what’s going on at Opus 3?
Are you nostalgic for the days when
Jan-Eric Persson would chase away with
a stick any musician who didn’t play a
purely acoustic instrument, and would
spend most of the first day finding exactly
the right place for his two (not one, not
three) microphones?
Well, that day moved into the past
tense a while back. It was years ago that
Jan-Eric first included Blues numbers
with such instruments as electric organ.
Electric guitars and bass? He’s done
not one but two albums with eclectic
guitarist Peder af Ugglas, who definitely
knows why his guitars have cords. Now,
welcome to Opus 3’s very first rock’n’roll
album.
Act ually it’s billed as a tribute
rock’n’roll album, though whom it’s a
tribute to is left to your imagination and
perhaps to your musical memory. The
specific billing is as “The Dan & the
Electros Inspiration Tour 1954-1963.”
Why those years? It seems obvious. The
year 1954 saw the musical tsunami that
was Elvis Presley. And 1963 was the final
year for pre-Beatles rock. After that, you
couldn’t play the same way ever again,
except perhaps in taverns. So what we
have here is a group of Swedish musicians
(including the “Dan” of the title, Bert
Dan Östlund) playing original soft rock
pieces that are meant to evoke memories
of a simpler time.
If you ask me the theme doesn’t work
at all, at least not as a tribute album, but
that may not matter, because it’s hugely
entertaining, and if there had been
this sort of music around when I was
a kid I’d probably have bought it. The
instruments include Östlund’s Fender
Stratocaster, a Hammond L-100 organ,
a tenor sax, a 1961 Danelectro bass, a
harpsichord (and why not?), an upright
piano with thumbtacks shoved into its
hammers (on Greyhound Ride), a normal
(grand) piano, and — oh yes — a couple
of female singers (on Hey Man and
Downbeat), plus banjo and…I’m probably
forgetting something here.
The sound is lively (this is an SACD
after all), with just enough of the slightly
raw early rock sound to add pseudoauthenticity to the production.
It may not be vintage Opus 3, but
heck, I liked it.
Love is the Answer
Barbra Streisand
Columbia 48283 2
Rejskind: One of Barbra Streisand’s
concert tours bore the title Timeless,
and she truly does appear to live outside
of time. She is now 67, and she is not
diminished in any sense. She just keeps
getting better and better. Her vocal
range has evolved downward into chesty
tones she once could not have reached,
but her range goes as far up as it ever
did. Not only can she hit the high
notes — she doesn’t have to “talk” her
way through difficult songs, the way
even many younger singers must — but
she can hold a note longer than seems
humanly possible, and she doesn’t even
let the strain show.
But I realize I’m misrepresenting
her, because I don’t mean to suggest that
she sings really well for her age. If she
were shy of her 30th birthday, I would
still rate this as one of her best albums
ever.
One caution before I proceed,
though. Don’t take this CD to the
cashier unless you see the mention that
it’s a double CD. There’s only a couple
of dollars difference between the single
album and the double, and if you’re like
me you’ll listen exclusively to the second
CD, which everyone has been calling
“Barbra’s jazz album.”
Here’s why. The recording was
produced by Canadian jazz pianist Diana
Krall, and Krall’s piano accompanies
Barbra on most of the songs, sometimes
with bass, acoustic guitar, and the subtlest
of drumming. But that’s the second CD.
Barbra Streisand is a major international
star who can expect to sell millions
of records, and most of those million
purchaserss don’t listen to jazz. And so
on the first CD (the only one if you snap
up the wrong version) there will be extra
layers of orchestration that everyone
expects on a mainstream album. There
will be strings added, to “sweeten” the
sound. True, the sweetening is closer to
Aspartame than to fructose, but what are
you gonna do?
Most of the songs are ballads,
something Streisand has always done
with exquisite style and emotion. My
favorite (which we pressed into service
in some of our equipment reviews in
this issue) is Jacques Brel’s Ne me quitte
pas. The English version is titled If You
Go Away, but she sings one verse in
the original French. This classic song,
the story of a jilted lover who will do
anything, anything, to keep her lover,
is achingly moving if it is sung with
an understanding of that story. Barbra
uses her astonishing control of tone and
pace to add an extra poignant touch.
Listen to the way the song ends…you’ve
never heard even Barbra Streisand do
something like that.
Other particularly beautiful songs:
Here’s to Life, In the Wee Small Hours of
the Morning, Make Someone Happy and
Smoke Gets In your Eyes. But in fact it’s
good from first to final track.
The first disc? Offer it to someone
you know, someone who — if I dare say
it — has no taste.
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ReVisions
Jen Chapin
Chesky SACD347
Rejskind: Singer Jen Chapin comes by
her musical talent honestly, which is to
say genetically. Her father is singersongwriter Harry Chapin, and her
mother Sandra was his frequent lyricist
(they co-wrote the hit song Cat’s in the
Cradle). In this remarkable recording she
puts her strong voice to work in singing
a dozen of Stevie Wonder’s best songs.
These are not cover versions, but actual
(to use her word) ReVisions.
The accompaniment is simple,
but it is all the more powerful for
its simplicity. On either side of her
are the bass of her husband, Stephan
Crump, and the saxophone of Chris
Cheek. You could buy the album just
for Cheek’s startling sax exclamations.
As for Crump, he maintains a strong
rhythm in counterpoint to Cheek’s sax
and Chapin’s singing.
Stevie Wonder’s songs probably don’t
require much in the way of introduction.
Included in Chapin’s reinterpretation
are Master Blaster, Higher Ground, She’s
Gone and Big Brother. Chapin’s voice is
strong and clear, and you’ll discover,
if you didn’t know already, that Stevie
Wonder is no Moon-June songwriter.
He has things to say.
The recording was done with a
modified version of the celebrated
Soundfield microphone, a sort of 3-D
evolution of Alan Blumlein’s coincident
pair recipe. Not only is it clean and
natural, but the sense of real space is
about as good as you’ll find on any
recording.
This recording is a winner, and I
recommend it in the highest terms.
the 60’s, she says. My initial impression
was that she sang it exactly the way she
had on the record, when she was only 21
years old. I pulled out my original LP
to check, and I was wrong. Though her
vocal range still reaches great heights,
especially at the very end of the song, she
has a lot more weight to her voice today,
adding a serious note she could not have
accomplished when she was younger.
Very simply, she has lived, and she can
more acutely understand what she is
singing about. Her performance was
astonishing then, and it is astonishing
now!
Barbra remains of course a stunning
woman, and even the sharpness of Bluray never betrays her. There is but one
detail that indicates that a long concert
has become a physical strain: she climbs
the stairs to the stage in slippers, and
on the second last step she pauses while
a dresser removes the slippers and
straps on high-heeled sandals. After the
intermission she has ditched the sandals
and continues barefoot.
I did mention it’s a long concert,
though I never got the sense it was a
second too long. She sings a number of
songs that are well known (and loved):
Starting Here, Starting Now, The Way
We Were, Somewhere, Don’t Rain On My
Parade. In a clip of spectators streaming
in, someone expresses the hope that she
will sing Happy Days Are Here Again,
which he had heard her sing many years
before. She does. She even sings the very
first song she ever wrote (out of about
ten, she claims). The title: Ma première
What long-time readers tell us they most like about UHF is that it
Live in Concert 2006
But I was aware he loathed anyone who chanson.
does more than review amplifiers and speakers.
Barbra Streisand
was any good, and that prompted me to On several occasions she shares
In every issue, we discuss ideas.
Rejskind: Just before I received the go out and pick up an album, her second the stage with the international singing
We try to tell you what you need to know, besides what CD player to
CD Love is the Answer that I’ve just one. I played it twice in a row, but long quartet Il Divo. Nice.
buy.
been writing about, I had viewed this before the end I was a convert. A few I know I sound like an unabashed
It’s one of the features that makes UHF Magazine unlike any other
2006 Florida concert in a superb Blu- days later I mentioned her to a colleague fan, but I’m not alone. Barbra gets a
audio magazine.
ray production. It too is amazing. My at the CBC, where I then worked, and standing ovation after every song! When
amazement is especially tied to one he dismissed her with a prediction that the camera sweeps across the spectators,
particular song, which I remember in six months no one would recall who which include such recognizable faces as
from her very beginnings, or at least she was. I beckoned for him to follow those of Nancy Pelosi and the Clintons,
from the time I first became aware of me into the studio, where I played him a everyone appears to be enraptured, as if
her existence. Forgive a digression into song from the second side, Have I Stayed being there at that instant was the best
Too Long at the Fair?
a personal anecdote.
thing that had happened in their entire
When it was over there were tears lives.
I had been alerted to Streisand by a reviewer who then frequently wrote running down his cheeks.
Get it. By the way, why don’t DVDs
I was reminded of that event, because and Blu-ray discs have numbers, the
on music in both US and Canadian publications, and who loathed her with a in the second half of the concert she sings way sound recordings do? Never mind,
passion one usually reserves for maggots. that very song, for the first time since you’ve got the title.
Not just hardware…
Gossip&News
MartinLogan Going Mid-Fi?
Is this a sign of the times? A celebrated
high end speaker manufacturer, MartinLogan (it now spells its name with no
hyphen) has a new Canadian dealer, and
it’s not whom you’d expect. It’s Future
Shop, a clone of its US owner, Best Buy.
Why?
For one thing MartinLogan has
been spinning off its technology to
lower-priced products, which might be a
natural for a big box store. The argument
of MartinLogan’s Canadian distributor,
Plurison, is that this initiative will help
all dealers by getting the MartinLogan
brand name better known, but that specialty dealers will still carry more models,
especially upscale models, the ones that
the second-time buyer may be looking
for. All the regular dealers need to do is
stay alive until that second sale arrives.
So, as you might suppose, skeptics
abound.
Here’s what they’re saying. Even the
supposed economy ML products are not
what a Future Shop buyer thinks of as
cheap. When we checked the site it had
no speaker cheaper than a $700 centre
model. The trashy acoustics of a big box
store are not ideal for showing off the
subtleties of good sound. Their “associates,” whose salaries require that many
of them live with their parents, probably
won’t be the best people to advise buyers
on what matches what. And finally these
stores are not known for carrying the
sort of amplification that electrostatic
speakers require anyway.
But you know what? Drop by the
parent company’s US store (bestbuy.
com) and there’s MartinLogan.
One other detail: Plurison president
Daniel Jacques is quoted by Marketnews
as reassuring dealers that Future Shop
won’t undersell them. But hold on a
second. Canadian law doesn’t allow that
sort of enforcement. (Neither did US
law, until a US Supreme Court decision
last year.)
We’re guessing that if MartinLogan’s
order books were full, this would not be
happening, and we’ll be interested in
seeing how this plays out. We’ll check
back on the Future Shop site a year from
now.
Better Music through the Air
Over a number of issues, we’ve we were doing fairly well, choosing a and no longer a “draft” standard). Sure
been writing about transferring music less crowded channel (channel 11) rather enough, the greater speed got rid of the
to computer hard drives, as even hard than one of the default channels of dropout problem. But what we hadn’t
core audiophiles are doing anyway, and popular routers. We had rare dropouts, expected was that changing bands also
getting it off and into a quality music though, and we thought we could solve greatly improved the sonic quality of
system with a minimum of casualties. that, and other problems, by switching what the Airport Express gave us. It has
In our last issue we wrote about using bands.
now become comparable with what we
an inexpensive device (about $100) to
can expect by connecting directly to the
do it wirelessly, Apple’s tiny Airport
computer holding the music. Frankly,
Express. See Music Through the Air in
that’s rather exciting.
UHF No. 87.
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band. It had to share bandwidth with for an Apple Airport Extreme, which accept a mini-TOSLINK optical cable,
a lot of traffic, including other Wi-Fi can broadcast on the far less crowded thus providing a clean digital signal for
networks in the neighborhood, cordless 5 GHz band (it can actually broadcast a standalone digital-to-analog converter
phones, baby monitors, wireless cameras, on both bands at the same time), using or one of the growing number of CD
and even microwave ovens. We figured the faster 802.11n protocol (now official, players that include digital inputs.
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HD is being used in increasingly
Thiel Will Go On misleading
fashion. And misleading
radio systems share that little drawback,
but they don’t use the initials HD.
When we heard about the death of is not even a strong enough name,
Oh yes…t he HD in HD Radio
loudspeaker genius Jim Thiel in Septem- because it aids and abets blatant fraud. originally stood for “hybrid digital,”
ber, it was a shock, because we knew him,
Check this out: the new ZuneHD.
not “high definition.” Its promoters
are now claiming it doesn’t really
esteemed him, admired him. So imagine
stand for anything at all (and what a
the shock for co-founder Kathy Gornik
shame that we’re misunderstanding
and the rest of the Thiel team.
it! That wasn’t their intention at all).
There’s a second reason for the HD
in the Zune’s name. Unlike the iPod,
whose video content can be viewed only
in standard (DVD) definition, the Zune,
if you buy a $60 accessory, can feed your
TV a “high definition” signal. But that
claim too is misleading. It’s 720p rather
than the 1080p of “real” high definition,
and even so it’s compressed to within a
hair’s breadth of its life. It may have the
lines (or at least some of them), but that
doesn’t translate into actual image detail.
This misuse of the term HD is
found elsewhere: at the iTunes store,
which sells or rents “HD” movies, or
in the predictions that Blu-ray will fail
because you can download HD movies
over the Net. No you can’t. And real
HD files are so huge that there is little
The Zune is Microsoft’s entry for the prospect of such downloads being
elusive stakes in the search for an iPod available in the foreseeable future.
Go with them if you want, but don’t
killer. In its first incarnation it carved
out a niche among music players that call them HD. And if you do, we call
Unlike with were
a physical
magazine,
which forces
you to turn
pages, the
fraud.
not iPods,
but Microsoft
has loftier
on-line version of
UHF
Magazine
helps
you
along
with
technology.
For
ambitions. The ZuneHD is intended to
instance, click on
any
title
in
the
table
of
contents
(on
the
previous
page),
take on the iPod touch, and it is similarly
and you’ll
be whisked
to thenot
article
itself.it (it will
The company went through
a period
priced.right
We have
reviewed
Turn
to
the
table
of
advertisers
on
page
way,
is a
And
speaking
of iTunes…
of mourning, which is natural, but the not be available outside of 81
the(and
USthat,
for by the
link),
and
click
on
the
name
of
a
product
or
company,
and
an
an
instant
company will go on. Jim was meticulous reasons that turned out to be evident). Last Summer, the research firm NPD
you’llbut
be looking
at thereviews
ad itself.are largely favorable, issued one of its periodic reports on who
not only in his speaker designs,
also Early
And
then
try
clicking
on an
ad… problem with its the big music retailers are in the US.
in his careful documentation of those but we have
a serious
If
you
are
connected
to
the
Internet,
you’ll be taken right to
the adverNotwithstanding
the dark foredesigns. A team of engineers has been name.
tiser’s
Web
site
in
your
default
Web
browser.
hired, and Jim’s ideas will live on.
“HD” does not mean what you might casts of the end of Compact Discs,
interactive
features
were
for the paid
version
N PD says
t hat format st ill domiWe’re delighted to hear it. Those
The conassume.
Indeed,
it designed
helps perpetrate
a electronic
of
UHF,
but
they
work
every
bit
as
well
on
the
free
PDF
version
you’re
trary would be a tragedy.
trend to fraudulent use of what consum- nates, with 65% of music sales. But
looking at. We hope
you enjoy
it. “high definition.” digital sales belong to iTunes, which
ers assume
means
And Microsoft is not alone in this. has a whopping 69% of the digital music
One reason for the HD in the new market, and a quarter of all music sales.
Zune’s name is the presence of an HD Walmart is the runner-up, with
Radio receiver. Some reviewers, taken 14%, spl it bet ween it s CD sa les
in by the name, have parroted the claim a nd it s US -on ly dow n load store.
Are you getting the impression that that HD Radio is “clearer” than FM. It’s But there are a couple of gotchas in
“HD,” the buzzword of the half-decade, not. This bastardized USA-only digital these figures. First, the figures are only
is being applied so widely it’s getting broadcasting service piggybacks on for the United States. Second, NPD
way, way out of hand? See the headline conventional AM and FM frequencies, doesn’t count the “all-you-can-eat” onabove? We actually saw it on the label of and uses such radical lossy compression line stores. A worldwide survey, if such a
a pair of sunglasses. Cheap sunglasses. In that less than 20% of the data is actually thing could be done, might reveal a very
a dollar store.
transmitted. True, other (failed) digital different picture.
Gossip&News
Feedback
UHF on line is interactive!
CD Still Rules
Now with HD
Lenses
Clean Machine
We’ve said it before and we’ll say
it again: cleanliness is next to...high
fidelity! The way to clean LPs is with
a vacuum machine. Lots of companies
make them, and in fact the issue of UHF
with plans for a DIY machine (issue 58,
close to being out of print) was our alltime best-selling issue. But at the other
end of the price scale is the original LP
cleaning machine, the Keith Monks.
and iPhones, but many Canadians are
wary of what the government is up to.
Last time a bill to overhaul the law was
presented (it died on the order paper
when an election was called), it was
widely seen as even more restrictive than
the draconian DMCA in the US. Put a
single movie you had paid for onto your
iPod, and you could face a fine of $20,000
(popcorn and large Slurpee extra). And
that’s merely an example.
Anyway, hearings were held in a
number of cities. At the Montreal hear-
ings, the Union des Artistes demanded
that buyers of iPods and other music
players (this would take in most modern
cell phones) pay a stipend that would go
to “compensate” artists whose works are
“stolen” by being transferred from one
device to another. Sigh!
We suspect the recent rumors of
an impending election (squashed for
the moment) have prompted Heritage
Canada to put the issue on a slow
simmer. But we’re keeping an eye on this,
and we suggest you do too.
The UHF Reference Systems
Equipment reviews are done on at least one of
UHF’s reference systems, selected as working
tools. They are changed as infrequently as
possible.
The Alpha system
Our original reference is in a room with special
acoustics, originally a recording studio, letting
us hear what we can’t hear elsewhere.
Copyright Hearings
Anybody hear a peep out of the
Canadian government on its plans for
the next copyright law?
Us either. Earlier this year there were
government hearings on the question of
“modernizing” Canada’s copyright law.
True, the law looks a little quaint in the
age of always-on broadband Internet
The Omega system
It serves for reviews of gear that cannot easily
fit into the Alpha system, with its small room.
Digital players: shared with the Alpha
system
Turntable: Linn LP12/Lingo II
Tone arm: Alphason HR-100S MCS
Pickup: London Reference
Phono preamp: Audiomat Phono 1.6
Preamplifier: Simaudio Moon P-8
Power amplifier: Simaudio Moon W-8
The Kappa system
This is our home theatre system. As with the
original Alpha system, we had limited space,
and that pretty much ruled out huge projectors and two-metre screens. We did, however,
finally come up with a system whose performance gladdens both eye and ear, with the
needed resolution for reviews.
HDTV monitor: Samsung PN50A550
plasma screen
DVD player (provisional): Pioneer BDP51FD Blu-Ray player
Preamplifier/processor: Simaudio Moon
Attraction, 5.1 channel version
Power amplifiers: Simaudio Moon W-3
(main speakers), bridged Celeste 4070se
(centre speaker), Robertson 4010 (rear)
Main speakers: Energy Reference Connoisseur (1984)
Centre speaker: Thiel MCS1
Rear speakers: Elipson 1400
Subwoofer: 3a Design Acoustics
Cables: Atlas, Van den Hul, MIT,
GutWire, Wireworld
Line filter: GutWire MaxCon Squared
All three systems have dedicated power lines,
with Hubbell hospital grade outlets. Extensions
and power bars are equipped with hospitalgrade connectors.
Gossip&News
Feedback
They don’t come cheap, and you need
to own a pretty good collection to justify
one. That goes double for the new Keith
Monks Ruby, a limited edition version of
the Omni which is being made in limited
quantities…like 40! (Not coincidentally,
this is the 40th anniversary of the
original Keith Monks.) The Ruby could
get by on looks alone. It has a rather
handsome cabinet, including a matching
wood lid, and a vacuum gauge styled to
look like a dial from a Mini Cooper. You
might be surprised to learn that it doesn’t
clean both sides at once, as the top Nitty
Gritty does, but a two-sided machine
couldn’t have the finicky features of
the Keith Monks. Besides, whassa
matter, you can’t turn the record over?
The price? Not stated, but if you have
to ask...
Main digital player: Linn Unidisk 1.1
Additional CD player: CEC TL-51X
belt-driven transport, Counterpoint
DA-10A converter with HDCD card.
Digital cable: Atlas Opus 1.5m
Digital portable: Apple iPod 60 Gb
Turntable: Audiomeca J-1
Tone arm: Audiomeca SL-5
Pickup: Goldring Excel
Phono preamp: Audiomat Phono 1.6
Preamplifier: Copland CTA-305
Power amplifier: Simaudio Moon W-5LE
Loudspeakers: Living Voice Avatar
OBX-R
Interconnects: Pierre Gabriel ML-1,
Atlas Navigator All-Cu
Loudspeaker cables: Atlas Mavros with
WBT nextgen banana connectors
Power cords: Gutwire, Wireworld Aurora
AC filters: Foundation Research LC-2
(power amp), Inouye SPLC.
Loudspeakers: Reference 3a Suprema II
Interconnects: Pierre Gabriel ML-1,
Atlas Navigator All-Cu, Atlas Mavros
Loudspeaker cables: Pierre Gabriel ML-1
for most of the range, Wireworld Polaris
for the twin subwoofers.
Power cords: BIS Audio Maestro,
GutWire B-12, Wireworld
AC filters: GutWire MaxCon Squared,
Foundation Research LC-1
Acoustics: Gershman Acoustic Art panels
The Montreal Salon on the Move
not made of cardboard. On the down side,
with the Home Show in the same venue,
the underground parking lot is going to
be saturated. Then again, the Bonaventure sits atop its own Métro station.
You can visit the Salon’s Web site,
at www.salonsonimage.com. We wish
the Salon well, and of course we will be
covering it on line from start to finish.
For our part, we’re not sorry to say
goodbye to the Centre Sheraton.
So long
Justice Audio
Feedback
Gossip&News
You probably noticed that audio distributor Justice Audio and its companion
corporation, Just May Audio, were no
longer at their usual place on the inside
front cover of our last issue.
Yes, there will be a 2010 edition of the
Montreal Sound & Vision Salon. But not
at the usual place. The Salon, now over two decades
old, is still hurting, as are most trade and
consumer shows. The past year, with its
economic meltdown, has not been a good
year for either trade or consumer shows.
If you’re going to cut back on either
food or show expenses, it’s an easy call.
And show organizers are reacting. The
Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas
is branching out (adding, for instance, a
large Apple-themed pavilion, in the hope
of cannibalizing the ailing Macworld).
Its rival, T.H.E.Show, is moving from
the isolated Alexis Park to the Flamingo
Hilton, which is right on the Strip.
And Montreal’s Salon Son & Image is
moving too. To the building shown here.
For the past few years it has been at the
Centre Sheraton, which is well equipped
with large rooms for major exhibitors.
Only those exhibitors were nowhere
to be found at the 2009 Salon. And the
Sheraton’s small hotel rooms, with their
narrow entranceways, were unpopular
with high end exhibitors, many of
whom were quite vocal about their wish
for the Salon to return to the Delta,
where it had held sway for many years.
The down side to the Delta: the
paucity of elevators, and the absence of a
loading dock, which made moving in and
out a nightmare. Instead, the Salon will
move to the Hotel Bonaventure, which
shares this massive building with what
was once Montreal’s largest convention
centre.
The hotel is perched high upon Place
Bonaventure, long considered one of
Montreal’s architectural jewels…and
this in a city renown for its architecture.
It includes a spectacular rooftop garden,
and even an outdoor four-season swimming pool, in which you can swim next
to a snowbank. You have to see it to
believe it.
The Salon will be held a little earlier
than in recent years, running from
March 25th through the 28th (the 25th
is the trade-only day). The dates were
selected to run concurrently with the
National Home Show, which will be
held in the Bonaventure’s huge convention space March 20th through 29th.
Salon organizers hope that new visitors
will attend thanks to the home show.
The Bonaventure is of course well
equipped with loading docks, and that
will be handy. And, as you can guess from
the photo of the complex, the rooms are
The reason? President Nabil Akhrass,
finding his time taken up by the grave
illness of his mother, Alice, sold the
company. Alice died shortly after. Our
heartfelt condolences go out to Nabil,
to Nizar, whose May Audio Marketing
continues in Niagara Falls, NY, and to
the whole Akhrass family.
So what happens now?
The assets of Justice/Just May have
been purchased by another prominent
audio distributor, Tri-Cell, which has
taken over the premises and some of the
brand lines, but not the name.
Nabil, for his part, has launched a
new venture, Liberty Trading. He has
picked up two brands Tri-Cell turned
down, Atlas and GutWire, and he has
just picked up Canadian distribution for
Audes (the Audes Orpheus is reviewed in
this issue)..
He’ll be at the Montreal Salon in
March. New name, same stand.
You’re lucky if the name
Will the Album information?
of the artist is on the sleeve (or booklet)
album.
come Back? of anThird,
CD prices have tumbled with
demand, and these pseudo-albums will
have to be pretty cheap to compete.
Fourth, our take on the Apple
Tablet (though we could be proven
wrong early next year) is that it will
never happen. Microsoft launched a
product like that some four years ago,
and it was a resounding failure. Apple
itself once built the Newton Message
Pad, a product Steve Jobs killed before
his name was even on his office door.
Fifth, it was only last year that downloadable music, at iTunes and elsewhere,
began appearing without copy protection. Enthusiasm for new copy-protected
incompatible formats is going to be low,
low, low.
What the record companies need is a
time machine. Set it to arrive in 2009.
Better than a
Wall Wart
It seems more and more electronic
gear runs not from an internal power
supply, but from little plastic boxes
known as wall warts. You know, those
things that take up two outlets when
you’re already short of them.
We often see this as an opportunity.
With the power plug so accessible, you
can substitute a more potent power
source, as we did a few issues back with
the Logitech Squeezebox.
But those are ad hoc solutions. Red
Wine Audio has launched the Black
Lightning, a device that can plug right
in where the wall wart is meant to go.
1877Phono. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Allnic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 2
Arcadia Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Audes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Audiophileboutique.com . . . . Cover 4
Audiophile Store. . . . . . . . . . . 53-60
Audio Space. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Audiyo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Audio Zendo. . . . . . . . . . . Cover 3
BIS Audio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Blue Circle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Charisma Audio. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Cyrus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Diamond Groove. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Divergent Technologies. . . . . . . . . 11
ELAC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Entre’acte. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
ETI (Eichmann). . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Europroducts International . . . . 13, 17
Hammertone Audio. . . . . . . Cover 2
Liberty Trading. . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
MagZee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Marchand Electronics. . . . . . . . . 12
Moon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Mutine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 3
And it’s better than you might think.
It’s a battery supply, with voltage regulation and its own built-in charger. We
think the potential is enormous.
Of course, it’s not what you’d call
cheap, starting at US$625. We won’t
be using it on our iPod dock! But we’re
looking at the possibilities…
Reference 3a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Simaudio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Tri-Cell Enterprises. . . . . . . . . . . 51
UHF Back Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . 34
UHF Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Feedback
Gossip&News
Actually it never went away. Sure
everyone talks about music downloads,
authorized or otherwise, and downloaders may think that “everyone” is
getting their music that way, but in fact
album sales — of CD and the resurgent
LP — dominate.
Only for how long?
The big record labels are happy that
their albums are still selling through
the few remaining record stores, but
downloaders mostly buy singles. That’s
because they consider albums to be composed mostly of filler, often written for
contractual reasons. Sure, you can buy a
whole album from the iTunes store, but
most people don’t. Remember “concept
albums”?
Those are so 1970.
But record executives tend to live in
the past, as we know, and they would love
for album sales to take off again. They
are hatching not one but two plans to
revive them.
The first is called CMX (which stands
for…oh, let’s see now), which is yet
another copy-protected format, which
will include a full album (including
crappy lossy cmpressn) plus album art,
lyrics, videos, and other shovelware. It
seems that CMX was offered to Apple,
which wasn’t interested.
In the meantime, however, Apple is
said to be working on its own (incompatible) version, called the Cocktail Project.
The rumor mill has the Cocktail Project
being launched at the same time as an
Apple tablet computer, sort of an oversized iPod touch.
There are a number of problems with
these scenarios, and in fact we barely
know where to begin.
First, you don’t need either system to
get lyrics, which you can grab right off
the Internet, and you can add them right
to the files of some players (labels began
adding lyrics to albums right about the
time multi-track recording came out,
since you could no longer make out the
words on the songs themselves).
Second, album art pretty much died
as of the Beatles’ White Album, which
was released forty years ago! Album
ADVERTISERS
D
State of the Art
oes the quality of the parts
used to build an audio product matter, or does the qualit y of the design trump
everything else?
Perhaps you think I’m setting up a
straw man, a dubious proposition put
out just so I can say “D’oh!”
Not so. You can find lots of hi-fi
collectors who deplore that “they don’t
make ’em like they used to,” and that
for the best quality you have to look for
speakers and amplifiers built 20 years
ago, or perhaps 30 years ago. True?
At the very least it’s an oversimplification, but let’s climb into that musty
collector’s attic and get a good look at
one of those amplifiers from two or three
decades ago. I have pleasant memories of
listening to it, and perhaps you do too,
but what is it made from?
Well, let’s get a look at what’s visible,
such as the input jacks. I’m used to seeing
phono jacks that are shaped from nothing
more than sheet metal wrapped around a
plastic core, but today at least the metal
is gold-plated (or at least gold-flashed,
but don’t expect the manufacturer to
point out the difference). The ones on
the expensive classic amplifier? They’re
nickel-plated, or at least they were until
the years began to take their toll. Don’t
even ask what’s underneath the nickel
plating. Then again, sometimes the parts
weren’t even plated, just tinned, which
made them even easier to solder to.
When you think about the fact that the
plugs on interconnects were then made
of the same nickel or tin, it’s a miracle
the amplifier worked at all.
Let’s look at the output binding
posts. Actually, there aren’t any. There
aren’t even those dreadful “guillotine”
connectors that were once all the rage.
No, the output connectors are merely a
row of screws mounted on a dark strip of
what looks like Bakelite, a prewar plastic
made from phenolic resin and wood dust.
Nickel plating? But of course.
If this is a tube amplifier, pull a tube
(gently!) and get a look at the socket. If
you’re lucky it’s also Bakelite. Much of
the time, especially in the case of output
by Gerard Rejskind
tube sockets, they’re made of cotton
paper hardened with epoxy. As for the
pins…do I need to spell out what they’re
made of?
And it’s worse than it looks. Like
the phono jacks, the metal used for the
socket pins is not tempered, so it will
bend under pressure, but it won’t spring
back. With parts like that, time is not on
your side.
Now lets’s open the chassis and look
around. The selector switch? Good ones
would be ceramic, but what do we have
here? Our friend, the cotton paper and
epoxy, and the contacts are made of a
metal that is now starting to look all
too familiar. Of course the contacts are
right out in the open, with no protection
against dust.
I could go on, but I’m sure you’ve
gotten the idea. In years past equipment
designers didn’t understand the importance of top-grade parts (I know, because
I was one of them), and they probably
couldn’t have found such parts if they
had.
Of course we did know about the differences that clever design could make,
STATE OF THE ART:
THE BOOK
Get the 258-page book
containing the State of the Art
columns from the first 60 issues
of UHF, with all-new introductions.
See page 6.
and that is for the most part what made
the difference between one product and
a competitor. Unable to buy silver solder,
Teflon-insulated oxygen-free wire, goldplated anything, we looked for ways to
get more out of the circuit itself. Can we
stabilize the output to prevent oscillation
on transients with capacitive loads? Can
we design a solid state buffer with higher
impedance? Can we find a better way of
inverting phase? Can we get away with
eliminating inverse feedback, or perhaps
use it in some other way? Collectively,
designers came up with great ideas.
Imagine if we’d had the parts you can
buy today!
But what is the situation today?
Certainly using first-grade parts is an
option, and a supplier is only a Google
search away. Some companies do in fact
seek out the best connectors, switches,
sockets, capacitors and wiring, and that
may allow them to make a product that
will outperform anything from years
gone by. Others make do with whatever
is going to cost them the least, figuring
it can’t make that much difference.
And who are these miscreants? It’s
tempting to jump to a conclusion that
might be a bit hasty. Are the Chinese
the guilty parties, putting glitz on parts
that work but only just? Sometimes, yes,
but not always. I know of one Chinese
amplifier manufacturer so preoccupied
by quality that it buys its connectors in
the US. I also know of manufacturers in
North America and Europe who spend
on quality parts only where they’ll show,
and make do with trash inside. Yet others
figure that buying the most advanced
connectors and switches will make for a
good product, even though they themselves couldn’t get 60% on a second-year
electrical engineering exam.
Ultimately, everything matters. It is
possible to make a system sound good
without using the ultimate in parts —
and I know this because that’s how nearly
all the great classic products were made.
Parts alone won’t make it great, though.
The designer is the magician who hopes
to dazzle us. The parts he uses for his
products are his magic wand.
Why do
UHF readers
start reading
their magazines
at the back?
Countless readers have confirmed it over the
years: when they get their hands on the
latest issue of UHF, they open it to the last
page.
The reason all of them mention: Gerard
Rejskind’s last-page column, State of the Art. Since
the magazine’s founding, the column has grappled
with the major questions of high end audio. It has been
acclaimed by readers around the world.
Now, the columns from the first 60 issues of UHF are
brought together into one book. Each is exactly as it was originally
published, and each is accompanied by a new introduction.
Order your copy today: $18.95 in Canada or the US, C$32
elsewhere in the world, air mail included.
Luxury audio electronics of unique value and reference quality at unique prices.
Some of the best-built high-end products ever made
The legendary Van den Hul amplifiers and preamps at less than half the original price
M-1 Monoblocks, US$7350 now C$3400
S-1 Stereo power amplifier, US$3795 now C$1900
A-1 Preamplifier, US$3895 now C$1785
See them at:
New, with one-year North American warranty
Shipped from points in either Canada or
USA. Billed in Canadian dollars, currently trading between US$0.93 and $0.96.
ALSO AT THE AUDIOPHILE BOUTIQUE:
Moon phono preamplifiers, Goldring phono cartridges with line
contact stylus, tube headphone amps, Thorens turntables.
audiophileboutique.com
a division of UHF Magazine
[email protected]
(450) 651-5720
What do we know about
indoor FM and TV antennas
that they don’t?
A lot, it turns out. With the stampede to satellite and cable
over the past 20 years, the design of dipole antennas has been
left to the makers of junk.
It was years ago that UHF designed a high-quality antenna for its
own use. It was so good we offered it for sale as the Super Antenna,
and saw thousands of them sold. Why? Because it’s better.
In this, the Super Antenna’s third incarnation, we buy one of
those trashy antennas, rip everything out until we are left
with the rods and the case, and we rebuild it. We add our own
high-quality transformer (can you believe the junk antenna
didn’t even have one?), and a luxurious low-loss shielded cable
with a 24K gold-plated slip-on F-connector.
The broadband design covers the range from analog channels 2 to 69, including
the entire FM band. And yes, it does a fine job with digital channels, including
over-the-air HDTV.
SEE THE SUPER ANTENNA MkIII at The Audiophile Store, page 55

Choose from the Audes Orpheus and the Reference 3A Episode

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