A dve ntures with subwoofers

N E W
Z E A L A N D ’ S
H I G H
F I D E L I T Y
M A G A Z I N E
Johnny gets
Cello’d in NYC
The ultimate reproduction!
July 1996
BA
S
S
The Final Frontier
Adventures with subwoofers
S o ny
NAD
Infinity
Energy*
Yamaha*
Denon*
UK
CAL Labs
Krell
Rotel*
Germany
ProAc
WBT
Elegant, accurate
speakers superbly
built, beautifully
musical
USA
Arcam*
Connectors and
cables of the highest
quality
USA
Sumiko
VTL
Phono cartridges and
accessories from
only $85
Pure tube amplifiers –
simply stunning
w
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UK
QED
USA
Magnan
Interconnect cables
from $64.95. Award
winning speaker cable
from $2.95/m.
Switchboxes from
$75. Digit DAC$399.
Vector remote preamp
$699. Systemline
Multiroom
Audiolab
M&K
First class
interconnects and
speaker cables
USA
UK
Paradigm
Michell
BIC
Connectors,
Tenderfeet,
Turntables
In wall speakers
Martin Logan
Sota
Turntables
Pioneer
Plinius
* not all brands available in Christch u rch
Lambert
Project
Theta
From Marantz KI-Signature dealers:
Eastern Hi-Fi – Newmarket and Wairau Park
Smiths Sound – Mt Eden
Manawatu TV & Sound – Palmerston North
Absolute Audio and Vision – Wellington
The Top Hi-Fi Shop – Christchurch
NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS
CAMBRIDGE ARRIVES
Cambridge Au d i o, a UK company that has been
receiving rave reviews for their range of affordable
components, is now available in New Zealand. The
current range includes the A1 amplifier (pictured),
CD4 CD player and DACMAGIC 2 D/A convertor.
Peter Gilbert Limited 0-9-302 2271
ALPHA CRYSTAL FROM CELESTION
Continuing their long association with small monitor loudspe a kers, Celestion introduce the Kingston
m odel . With an en cl o su re built from a den s e , acoustically inert po lym er material called Al pha Crystal, the
Ki n gston is designed as an ultra high perform a n ce
t wo - w ay loudspe a ker sys tem. The shape is ef fectively
triangular, with curved sides. A 165mm Cobex woofer
and 30mm aluminium dome tweeter make up the driver complement. Hi-Fi Marketing 0-9-415 9099
N E W PA R A D I G M S F R O M CA N A D A
There are several new models from Canadian
spe a ker manufacturer, Paradigm. The Referen ce
Speaker Systems range (pictured above) consist of four
models from the Studio/20 at $1299 to the Studio/100
at $3495. All drive units are designed and manufactured by Paradigm.
Paradigm have also released five su bwoofers. Two
models – the SB-90 ($499) and SB-110 ($599) – are
p a s s ive models requ i ring an ex ternal amplifier. Three
models, ranging from $1099 to $1499 have between
110 and 130 watts of built-in amplification. Audio
Technologies 0-9-478 2001.
Deflex Acoustic panels, designed for use inside loudspeakers, are distributed in NZ by Sound Creations. In stock are standard panels, foculpods and
corner blocks. Sound Creations 0-9-849 8108.
Jim’s Music Room have shifted. Their new ad d ress is 49 Grey Street,
Tau ra n ga. The new store has allowed a larger dem onstra ti on room , as well
as more room for both hi-fi and their CD range.
More inform a ti on on the forthcoming Rega CD player is now ava i l a bl e .
Ca ll ed the Rega Planet, the player should be available in October. Big Ears
Audio 0-9-379 3801.
NAD has alw ays had a good rep ut a ti on for their amplifiers and tuners .
So when you put a 312 amp and 412 tuner in the same chassis, and call it a
712 receiver, it could be very good . The 712 is ra ted at 2x25 watts, fe a tu res
six line inputs and includes a rem o te control, for $699. Hi-Fi Ma rketing
0-9-415 9099.
Also new from NAD is the 711 AV receiver, said to be the first AV amp
developed in-house by NAD (previous models were ventures with Onkyo).
The 711’s power output is 3x40 watts to the front and 2x15 watts to the rear.
Hi-Fi Marketing 0-9-415 9099.
4
PRISM TECHNOLOGY FROM B&W
AUSTRALIAN AMPLIFIERS
Developed by Peter Stein, ME
amplifiers are distributed in New
Zealand by the Hi-Fi Gall ery. The
range includes the ME240 integrated amplifier (pictured above,
$2100), four power amplifiers and
t h ree preamplifiers. Hi-Fi Gallery
0-6-835 2234
A new bookshelf model from B&W,
the DM302, continues an incre a s i n g
trend for afford a ble UK spe a kers to use
i n j ecti on - m o u l ded plastics for their cabinet con s tructi on . The DM302 incorpora tes a number of tapered wedges to
greatly reduce the internal reflecti on s
which cause reson a n ce co l o u ration in
spe a kers. The injection-moulded front
and rear baffles are rigidly held toget h er
to form a better cabinet construction. The
DM302 has a high sensitivity of 91dB.
B&W New Zealand Limited 0-3-0-3-365
5677
AUDIOLAB ADDS AN ‘S’
Audiolab have release a highly
f l ex i ble integra ted amplifier. The
8000S of fers 60 watts per channel
and comes complete with a remote
control that works not only the
amplifier, but also any Philipsbased CD players (Ma rantz,
Meridian, Naim etc). Sound Group
Holdings 0-9-415 6680.
HARMAN KARDON SHOCK!
In a shock move , Ha rman
In ternational have removed the
Ha rman Kardon agency from longtime distri butor, Hi-Fi Marketing.
AudioEnz understands that this is
p a rt of a world-wi de move to align
the agencies for HK, and another
Harman In ternational com p a ny,
JBL. Current JBL distri butor Jands
Electronics take over the Ha rman
Kardon agency as from Septem ber
1. Jands 0-9-366-7021
SCEPTRE REPLACES SABRE
Ru a rk have a new medium sized,
t wo way stand mounted spe a ker
called the Sceptre. Big Ears Audio
0-9-379 3801.
5
T H E S O N I C G L A D I AT O R
There is a light
and it never goes out
FA S T C A R S , FA S T W O M E N A N D H I - F I J O U R N A L I S M
“W
ell, it’s not like I’m deaf, or anything. Th a t’s a CD player, I’ve
got some CDs. What’s the problem? What’s this knob for? Look at the
pretty sparks when I touch these two wires
together. Where do babies come from?
Can I go play outside?”
And so it continued. Me, em p l oying
l ogic, re a s on , and blu bbing like a sissy, to
convince the Editor that I should be let
loose on an unsu s pecting piece of ex pensive hi-fi equ i pment, and Mi ke being
ut terly irrati onal and unre a s on a bl e , as if I
didn’t know what I was doing.
Yes I did, once, poke a screwdriver into
the back of a casset te deck wh en it wasn’t
playing at the correct speed.
And, yes, I did electrocute myself.
But if qualified technicians are required
for everything, why do they sell screwdrivers and soldering irons to the publ i c ?
Answer me that one, Mr. Clever Trousers.
The life of the Hi-fi j o u rnalist is su rely
one made in heaven.
Here’s several billion do ll a rs’ worth of
stereo equipment. P l ay a few stinky
albums capable of forcing the aged and
infirm indoors and giving small ch i l d ren
the screaming heebies, write a few savage
words to establish credibility, make a little
l ove, get down ton i ght, mix another martini. Can I have some more free stuff?
Still, the way I see it, you don’t have to
be a patronising half-wit with spiked
toaster stands to apprec i a te that Luscious
Jackson becomes even more luscious, or
that Chick-nobody-actually-likes-me-butt h a t - doesn’t - s top-them -pretending-theydo-Corea sounds even more mind-numbingly boring, if the Hi-fi wasn’t purchased
f rom “Honest Bob’s Bric-a-brac, and
Motorcycle Repair Centre”.
But, hell, the Playboy collection, stacked
neatly, still makes a brilliant pair of speaker stands.
Alright then, let us surmise that Mi ke
has been “given a talking to” by my friends,
Cru s h er and Knu ck l e s , and I now have in
the back of the Nissan Violet, a smashing
new, super-duper, extra good, sounds better than everything in the whole world,
compact disc player.
All that remains is to get it home in one
piece, and give it a jolly good listen.
6
However! As professionals, we are turns to tragedy, and there is alw ays one
expected to return all the great stuff kind- piece left over, with the label: “ In c red i bly
ly loaned to us for scathing analysis in Important Piece of Foam – Must Be
brand new condition, and everybody Packed First”.
knows that is just not po s s i ble to rem ove
Now that the offending appliance is
a nything from its box without getting exposed to my critical gaze, it has to be put
something stuck up your bottom or losing through its paces. Now, I ’ve read about
a loved one. No, I
this, and feel I have
do not know how
a pretty solid grasp
And so it continued. Me,
the remote contro l
of what’s required.
came to be glued to
It is important to
employing logic, reason,
the side of the box.
connect the appliAny more poi n t l e s s
ance to anything
and blubbing like a sissy, to you can lay your
questions?
Yes, it’s all fun
hands on, and to
convince the Editor that I listen to it in every
and games until
somebody puts an
ssible geogra ph i c
should be let loose on an po
eye out.
locati on in order to
Luckily, once the
narrow down its
unsuspecting piece of
box is wrested free
applications to a
of its contents, it
where , unless
expensive hi-fi equipment point
becomes a nifty fort
you move to Ti bet,
or pirate ship to sail
roger the Dalai
in when all your little fri ends come over. Lama, and use gold plated Sherpas as
Oh no, the high seas are never safe wh en interconnects, your enti re system will
there’s product reviewing to be done. sound like llama poo.
Don’t suppose I could easily explain the
Equ a lly vital, is the selection of tortu rskull and crossbones crayoned on the side ous, bad, bad, bad, music which raises
on the box.
your ex i s tential angst to levels you could
Moving right alon g, we have the ubi q- just die for.
u i to u s , oddly shaped, bits of polystyrene
Obviously, most good hi-fi manufacpacking that give off dangerous fumes tu rers will hunt you down and kill you if
when set alight.
you attem pt to play anything a bit “rough
Better than fizzy drink and crisps.
and tumble”, so my advice here is to make
I on ce made the most fabulous scale up some fictitious jazz musician, and rot
m odel of the Star Wa rs “Death Star” from on, ad nauseam, about the joyous kaleidothe polystyrene around a TV set. It had scope your sad existence has become.
laser guns and everything. In cluding my
No one will think to doubt the jazz
plastic Darth Vader, wh i ch I used to sell- musician’s authenticity, lest they appear
otape to the side of the Death Star, (he was ignorant. “Philistines!” we shall cry, and
nearly as big as it was, and co u l d n’t fit have them put to de a t h . Oh it’s all so perinside) and hurl at my yo u n ger bro t h ers, fect I could pop.
who quickly became disillusioned with
And never lose sight of the fact that the
being rebel troops.
purpose of the avera ge hi-fi arti cle is not
Of course it had to end in tears when to be informative or provocative, but to
the whole thing mel ted under enemy fire make yourself look great. How’s my hair?
on top of the heater one terrible night.
And there you have it. Earn no cash in
The wonderful part about the poly- the comfort or your own home by becomstyrene is that when the time comes to re- ing a hi-fi journalist. Must have own
pack the box , what was on ce intricately Captain Marvo secret decoder ring.
formed to fit the Marvo Really Quite Good
Next issue, look out for my review of
CD Player, has been cleverly re-designed CD players over three million dollars. The
to hold some sort of heat-seeking missile results will surprise you.
and a small pocket rad i o. Invariably, this
—Darren Knight
INCREDIBLE SOUND,
AFFORDABLE PRICE…
FOR MUSIC AND MOVIES!
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Polk Audio RT16 – just one of a superb range that includes…
Mini Monitor
$399 LS50 Floorstanding
$1999
RT3 Bookshelf
$499 LS70 Floorstanding
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RT5 Bookshelf
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$899 LSfx Surround Sound $1199
RT8 Floorstanding
$999 AB410 In-Wall
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RT10 Floorstanding
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RT12 Floorstanding
$1699 AB505 In-Wall
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RT16 Floorstanding
$1999 AB705 In-Wall
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RTfx Surround Sound
$999 AB805 In-Wall
$1399
M3 Surround Sound
$599 AWM3 All Weather
$699
RM2000 Satellite
RM3000 Sat/Subwoofer
RM5000 Sat/Subwoofer
RM7000 Home Theatre
CS150 Centre Speaker
CS200 Centre Speaker
CS250 Centre Speaker
CS350 Centre Speaker
PSW100 Subwoofer
AWM5 Commercial
SRT Home Theatre sys.
$999
$1999
$2199
$2799
$399
$499
$599
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Polk Loudspeakers are available from:
Whangarei – Hubands Retravision • Auckland – Eastern Hi-Fi, Link Drive and Newmarket • Thames –
Advanced Audio • Hamilton – Lakeland TV and Stereo • Tauranga – Simister Retravision • Whakatane –
The Electricity Centre • Rotorua – Eastern Hi-Fi • New Plymouth – Masons Appliances • Palmerston
North – Manawatu TV and Sound • Wellington – Absolute Audio and Vision • Nelson – Tasman Energy •
Christchurch – The Top Hi-Fi Shop • Dunedin – Good Hi-Fi • Cromwell – Gary Anderson Appliances
Polk Audio was founded in 1972 by
Matthew Polk and George Klopher.
Their dream was to make speakers with
the performance of the world’s best and
costliest speakers, but at a reasonable
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They did so by applying scientific
principles to speaker design and by
concentrating solely on the speaker
business.That’s why Polk is still known
as “The Speaker Specialists”.
Today Polk are one of the world’s
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performance and value.
Polk speakers have earned high
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well as dozens of awards for innovative,
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If you are considering investing in a
new pair of speakers or are looking at
Home Theatre you really should audition a Polk Audio speaker system. From
$399 right up to the $19,000 SRT Home
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speaker for your money.
Distributed by
Pacific Audio
PO Box 9171,Auckland.
Phone 0-9-524 8032. Fax 0-9-524 8037
THE SAGACIOUS AUDIOPHILE
The delicate art of subwoofing
BASS: THE FINAL FRONTIER
S
o you want more bass from your
stereo system? Sounds simple
enough, just add a subwoofer. If only
life was this easy. The sad truth is that
bringing the bottom couple of oct aves
into your listening room is expensive and,
more often than not, a disappointing
experience.
For the purposes of this article, bass
range has been taken as being 20Hz to
160Hz (three oct ave s ) . Deep bass:
20–40Hz; mid bass: 40–80Hz and upper
bass: 80–160Hz. Ma ny readers will own
spe a kers that do a reasonable job in the
upper bass region, attempt to make noises
in the mid 40-80Hz area, but contribute
absolutely nothing below that.
“ Ha ha,” s ays you, reaching for the
manufacturers specifications that came
with your pride and joy – this writer
k n ows nix. Clearly the specs state 20Hz–
20kHz. I must be getting deep bass. Sorry
fo l k s , there’s usu a lly a little figure fo ll owing this spec such as -10dB at 20Hz which
means that what deep bass is produced
will be so low in power relative to the total
sound level produ ced by your speakers, it
will be completely inaudible. The only
answer is to add a subwoofer.
SO WHAT’S TH E PROBLE M?
Reading advertisements for subwoofers
would lead one to think that all you do
after buying one is stick it behind the
co u ch (or any other inconspicuous place
of your ch oi ce), hook it up to your syereo
system and behold bass notes so powerf u l
your trousers legs flap, what hair you have
left on your head is blown straight back
and the poor old budgerigar – who has
never done anyone any harm – is stunned
into a unconscious state.
Your face has a smug, self satisfied
smile. The guy that said “the more bass the
better” sure knew a thing or two. Sorry
again folks! You’ ll soon tire of the ex perience. It’s over the top, unnatural and definitely not music. Even the most fanatical
home theatre buff tires of these bangs and
crashes eventually, but usually not before
he realises the family have all left home.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not anti bass,
quite the opposite – but quality not quantity is paramount. I do not just want the
physical feeling that bass provi de s ; I want
to hear precise pitch , lack of colourati on ,
and the sharp attack of plucked aco u s tic
bass. I want to ex perien ce the power and
majesty from thirty two foot organ pipes
and the sense of being pre s ent in a large
cathedral or hall. I want to hear every note
and nuance in fast, intricate bass playing –
not a muffled roar and thump session.
Unfortu n a tely this degree of bass qu a l i ty
is difficult for spe a kers to reproduce and
is further confounded by the size and
materials from wh i ch our listening rooms
are built.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Over the years I have tried around
seven subwoofers with my system, never
with much success. Only two of them produced the quality of bass I was seeking, but
even these have the unfortu n a te abi l i ty to
impose their voi ce on the all important
midrange of my own spe a kers. In other
words, they did not integrate with the rest
of my system.
For everything they added, they took
twi ce as mu ch away. For example, hu m a n
voi ces became indistinct, it was harder, if
not impossible to hear the words being
sung.
L i kewise, instruments such piano and
guitar lost clarity and attack up to about
440Hz (that’s the A above middle C. It’s
also the pitch to which modern symphony
orchestras tune their instruments.)
When a REL Stadium su bwoofer
arrived for review my hopes were not all
that high that here at last was the answer.
Designed by one Rich a rd E Lord, this
29Kg box measures 575x520x352mm
(WxHxD) and is beautifully finished in
Rosenut. It certainly looked the part – but
would they perform up to my expectations?
8
Quite Simply
NEW ZEALAND’S
FINEST AMPLIFICATION
An arrogant claim perhaps, but to our
ears the Genesis, at a mere $1299, is
by far the finest amplifier available in
New Zealand for the money.
It’s as simple as that.
Call (025) 854 989
for more information or an obligation
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DIY – Yes!
Build your own loudspeakers and get great
performance at a great price. Axent Hi-Fi
kits start from $190. They feature Axent
computer optimised crossovers and drive
units from Vifa, Philips or Axent.
• Axent Advance Speakers
• Subwoofers
• Custom speaker design
• Repairs and restoration
• Home Theatre Systems
• Speaker books and software
• Crossover components
• Grille cloth and accessories
25 Portage Road, New Lynn, Auckland
Ph 0-9-827 1220. Fax 0-9-826 0302
Quality
The Definition Never Changes
ALTO:
Where design innovation
meets sonic excellence!
Exceptional both visually and sonically the Alto amplifier
successfully handles many different musical styles with
ease. This charismatic amplifier (and the matching CD
player) are destined to be collectors pieces beyond 2000!
Available now in both black and chrome finish.
ALTO Amplifier (black)
$1299
ALTO Amplifier (chrome) $1499
ALTO CD Player (black)
$1299
ALTO CD Player (chrome) $1499
ALTO amplifiers and CD players
are available from:
Auckland Eastern Hi-Fi
Hamilton Lakeland TV and Stereo
Tauranga Simister Retravision
New Plymouth Masons Appliances
Wellington Absolute Audio and
Vision
Christchurch The Top Hi-Fi Shop
Dunedin Good Hi-Fi
Distributed by
Pacific Audio
PO Box 9174, Auckland.
Phone 0-9-524 8032.
Fax 0-9-524 8037
Dynaco CDV-1 Vacuum Tube CD Player
$1299 – 1 year warranty
Dynaco solid-state amplifiers from $1299–2100
Valve amps from $3495–$4200
Preamps from $1199–$1995
In stock now Stereo 160 75wpc tube amplifier $3995
Distributed and serviced by Feedback Enterprises Ltd
Ph/Fax 0-3-548 4068 or Ph/Fax 0-3-547 6012
Auckland Charisma Audio Ph 0-9-478 6448
Nelson Feedback Audio Ph 0-3-548 4068
9
SETTING UP
Earlier I mentioned the idea people
have that subs can be stuck any where in
the room – prefera bly out of sight. Now,
your listening may allow this, but the
ch a n ces are about the same as winning
Lotto.
My method for finding the best locati on is to place the su bwoofer at my normal listening position (no problem with
the REL as it comes with a three or four
metre interconnect), playing a 20Hz
test tone or a recording with plenty of
deep bass and moving around the room
l i s tening for the point wh ere bass appe a rs
loudest.
If ever you try this, you will be amazed
h ow at some points, bass com p l etely disappears and comes back again only centimetres away. At these locations, the shape
and size of your room has cre a ted standing waves which cancel one another out.
No use installing your new sub where this
occurs as you aren’t going to hear any bass
at your normal listening positi on when
playing music or watching movies.
So where was best in my room? Ha rd
against the wall behind my spe a kers and
slightly to the left of centre. Initially this
seemed a contradicti on . A subwoofer
located cl o s er to where violins and violas
come from ra t h er than the other speaker
REL subwoofers offer a number of connection
options and control over the subwoofer/main
system interface, as shown on the Strata model
10
where one hears double basses (in symphonic music). Later experimenting by
shifting the REL only confirmed the original choice of location.
Connecting the REL is simple. It is biwired from your amplifier’s speaker terminals. The advantage of this approach is the
REL is wi red in parallel with the main
speakers instead of in series – thus there is
no compromising crossover muddying up
the midrange as in other subwoofers.
I N T E G R AT I O N
This is just one area where the REL
Stadium excelled. First it has its own built
in 100 watt amplifier which has been optimised for bass, therefore there is no power
drain on your own stereo amp. Then with
the aid of a 40dB gain con trol plus coa rs e
and fine filters, obtaining correct levels is
a bree ze . It proved easy to set up by “ear.”
Ch ecking later with an SPL meter proved
I had managed to get it right within one
click of the fine filter.
In effect the REL is “brought up”
beneath your main spe a kers to the point
where their acoustic output is falling away.
This will vary from speaker to speaker and
room to room. In my case the cro s s over
point was around 47Hz. Installing the REL
Stadium in two other systems proved
equally simple.
T H E R E S U LT
Never in my experien ce has one compon en t , ei t h er ad ded to or su b s ti tuted for
another in my system, had such an immed i a te and positive effect. What stru ck me
first was not deep bass notes but a sense of
space. Large recording venues were just
that – large. Yet studio recordings were
obviously made in a much smaller area.
Ba l a n ce between instruments of varying sizes was bro u ght correctly into perspective, no better example than the
Proprius recording Antiphone Blues. This
CD, recorded in a cathedral, fe a tu res pipe
organ and saxophone. To me, this disc has
always given the impression that the saxophone was a larger, more powerful instrument than the organ. Now the roles were
reversed. It wasn’t heaps of loud, h e av y
bass notes from the organ, more a sense of
audible power coming from the pipes and
a feeling you were in the presence of a
truly majestic instrument. You were there.
You were part of the performance. An awesome experience.
Every disc listened to was a new experience. Sound was underpinned by rock
solid, tight, rhythmic bass. Discs which
contained true low bass just seemed to
keep going down and down allowing for a
total performance.
Perhaps the greatest benefit was
improved midrange performance from my
speakers. They seemed more able to get on
and do what they were re a lly best at. So
great was this improvement, a ny idea of
upgrading the spe a kers (I had been considering this for the past twelve months)
was forgo t ten. The other two systems, in
different homes, with wh i ch the REL was
tried showed the same effect.
Used in conjunction with home
theatre / surround sound, the REL proved
its worth once again. It not only produced
all the requisite bumps, thumps, roars and
crashes deemed necessary for this medium, but added subtlety to visual/audio
scenes which I had not experienced before.
Ta ke for example the scene from the film
The Priest. Caught in a traffic jam in an
Italian city, sounds from cars and people
all around you became uncomfortably
claustrophobic.
A SAD NOTE
There is a down side to this report. I
had to give the REL Stadium back. After
d i s con n ecting it, my sys tem sounded lifeless and small by comparison. Gone was
the invo lvement I had experien ced in so
mu ch music over the past seven weeks. It
is said “time is the great healer” – well, I
h ave re ad ju s ted to life without a REL but
as soon as house renovations are complete,
one is coming back into our lounge for
keeps. On second thoughts make that two.
Exce s s ive you say? Surely low bass is non directional. Well that’s another story and
I’ve run out of space.
The sum of $3550 is a considerable
amount to pay for the privilege of obtaining a couple of oct aves. Considering the
total cost of many systems I believe adding
a REL subwoofer is still the most co s t
effective upgrade you can make . It is
cheaper and far more effective than replacing your existing speakers with something
supposedly “full range”.
The good news is REL have three smaller models, The Storm at around $2650, the
Strata for around $1950 and the new
Stealth (known as the Q-Bass in Britain)
for around $1400. If money is no object
and you want the ultimate, a couple of
Studio’s for $11,000 each may well be the
answer.
—Charles Thomson
T H E
EXCLUSIVE
PA RA D I GM
DEALERS:
WHANGAREI
Hubands Retravision
0-9-430 0019
D A R G AV I L L E
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AUCKLAND
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0-9-418 0280
Axent Audio
0-9-827 1220
M ATA M ATA
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0-7-888 7458
THAMES
The Sound Shack
0-7-868 6768
TA U R A N G A
Guinness Appliances
0-7-578 3678
H A M I LT O N
The Listening Post
0800-80 44 34
W H A K ATA N E
Meilke’s Lifestyle
Centre
0-7-308 8069
ROTORUA
Meilke’s Lifestyle
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0-7-345 7716
OPOTIKI
Meilke’s Lifestyle
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0-7-315 6275
EDGECOMBE
Meilke’s Lifestyle
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0-7-304 9514
K AW E R A U
Meilke’s Lifestyle
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0-7-323 8693
TOKOROA
The Listening Post
0-7-886 4149
E L E M E N T S
O F
B E T T E R
S P E A K E R
D E S I G N
And the winner is…
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PARADIGM Eclipse / Bipolars
2. Mid-size floorstanding speakers of the year
PARADIGM Espirit / Bipolars
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PARADIGM Atom and SB110
4. Bookshelf speakers of the Year
PARADIGM Titan
6. Rear surround speakers of the year
PARADIGM ADP-150 dipoles
6. Subwoofer (12'' and over) of the year
PARADIGM PS-1200
7. Special recognition award for centre channel speakers of the
year category
PARADIGM CC-300 centre channel speaker
Since 1990 PARADIGM have won over 70 awards including numerous
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H AWK ES BAY
The Listening Post
0800-80 44 34
PAL M ER S TO N N OR T H
Leader & Watt
0-6-359 3395 & 0-7-356 5123
WA N G A N U I
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NE W P LY M O U T H
Computers R Us
0-6-757 4486
LEVIN
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0-6-368 5879
Leader & Watt
0-6-368 3726
WELLINGTON
Amplifier Consultants
04-478 6669
CHRISTCHURCH
The Listening Post
03-377 7299
TIMARU
Express Sounds
03-688 5755
PO Box 65-028 Auckland 10
Ph 0-9-478 2001, Fax 0-9-478 2010
PARADIGM is one of the most highly acclaimed speaker brands
with countless rave reviews and awards.
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Imported exclusively by Audio Technologies NZ Ltd, PO
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025-723 989 or fax him on 09-478 2010.
EUPHONIC EUPHORIA
The DIY’er who reigns supreme
JP MEETS MARK LEVINSON AND GETS “CELLO’D”
I
n the last issue of Au d i o En z I mentioned if you want something done
right, then do it yourself. Of co u rse
deciding ex actly wh a t’s right or not right
inspires some intere s ting and amusing
deliberations. But there is one man whose
do - i t - right, do-it-yo u rs elf dedication has
practically redefined music reproducti on
standards in both recording studios and
serious home listening.
From a point twenty five years ago with
basement manufacturing of his original
no com prom i s e , su perb audio electronics
to tod ay in his posh New York and LA
showrooms. Hi ghly re s pected recording
engineers, s erious musicians, artists, ri ch
and famous, and sensible keen listeners, all
come to Mark Levinson where he actually
delivers reproduced music heaven.
Last September while visiting New York
City, I chased up dear editor’s pre-faxed
request for a guided visit around Ma rk
Levinson’s new 62nd Street Cello Headqu a rters . With a gracious wel com e , it was
shoes-off (plush white carpet), and
upstairs to the breathtaking sight of the
Cello Reference System. Magnificent 2.2m
tall Stradivari Grand Master speakers with
18 drivers per side, and between them
12
eight serious chassis in bridged pairs of
two box Performance Amps which provide
roughly 2.5+ real kilowatts per side.
In this tastefully decora ted big studio
lounge room other notable odds and ends
in a rear sidewall rack were two Nagra 20bit digital recorders, a Forsell with Graham
Arm vinyl deck, and other audiophile and
s tudio desirables su ch as the Cello Audio
Su i te modular contro ller, Apogee
Aco u s tics digital boxes etc . In front of the
prime listening sofa, situated for easy
twi d dling on a cool plexi-glass trolley was
the legen d a ry Cello Audio Palette equ a l i ser- con tro ll er. There was also an old, dark
mahogany red do u ble bass lying near the
left speaker.
Ca tching my breath and poorly trying
to be NYC cool, I re a l i s ed this visit was
definitely not going to be a typical sniff
and snarl around the local hi-fi shop.
Espec i a lly since it was the obvi o u s ly bu s y,
yet very personable ML himself who was
quickly telling me about the installed RPG
diffusers in response to my feeble “n i ce
room” gasp. Until I could stop gawking
and get my jaw cl o s ed I figured it best to
chill out thro u gh first talking music by
greasing-up ML and telling him that I was
a big fan of his bass playing. He verified
my appreciati on and picked up his lovely
old (c. 1680) Italian double bass and began
plu cking a warm-up blues exercise cre a ting a particularly gorgeous, deep, harmonically rich sound. For a non-musical comparison it sounded like Rich a rd Burton
(on a good day) reading a dramatically
worded inheritance noti ce that your
ridiculously rich uncle Charley has just
croa ked and left you 100 zillion bucks.
Sweet, sweet sounds, more than just “a
record to die for”. Quite something you
could listen to for days on end without
interrupting to eat. Yes – that ri ch and
satisfying.
ML then poi n ted out that part of the
great sound I was hearing was due to this
specially prep a red room. Standing
between the big spe a kers he rubbed his
fingertips together and asked me, while
seated about five metres aw ay, if I could
hear him sof t ly scratch i n g. I said ye s , c a lluses and the smooth parts as if he were at
arm’s length. This, he pointed out was
“Part two of the Cello approach to quality
listening enjoyment. Not only optimally
match ed sys tem com pon ents as part on e ,
but total integration of architecture, lighting, and acoustic preparation in support
of ideal listening condition s”. Actually, I
twigged, the sensible path to listening
excellence.
ML con tinued: “The NYC Cello bu i l ding is a $US6 million investment that provides two options to properly hear and see
highest quality music and video reproduction. It provides and proves the solution
to getting off the high-end merry goround and being happy with your music
system”.
Before I could discuss high-end audioph i l e - n ervosa he said, “l i s ten to this” and
put what looked like a CD-R on a Marantz
player that I think had extra leads coming
out of it. I immediately identified trumpet
su premo Wy n ton Ma rsalis and a vaguely
familiar bass player doing a straight ahead
blues. I commented that Wynton was typically crowding the microphone, but the
bass playing sounded gre a t , then re a l i s ed
it was him (just like Homer, “doh!”) setting up the foundations for Wynton’s
bre a t hy moist blasts. Not exactly a pol-
Jim’s page
PLINIUS AMPLIFIERS – Now New Zealand’s top
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If you are considering a new
amplifier let us show you that
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Due shortly is a specialised phono preamplifier – call for more details. We have a full range in stock now
and will arrange a professional demonstration wherever you live. Send for the latest reviews and information on new products. Listen and be touched by the music. Visit the Plinius web site at
http://nz.com/webnz/audible/plinius.htm
NEW STORE
We’ve opened a new store to
180 gram Vinyl
serve you better. Found at 49
Send for our 180 gram catalogue of this amazing range of
Grey Street in Tauranga, the larg e r
reissued music. Titles from RCA Living Stereo, Verve, Decca,
premises allows for a bigger,
Analogue Productions, Mobile Fidelity, DCC and more. We
purpose-designed listening room.
have most titles in stock at all times and respond to orders
Still NZ’s only record and hi-fi
immediately, If you’re a vinyl lover please support us so that
specialist, Jim’s Music Room
we can keep providing a full up-to-date range of the latest
offers separate components from
reissues.
budget hi-fi upwards.
S I LTECH CA B LES
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musicality.
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Jim’s Music Room
49 Grey Street Tauranga
Freepost PO Box 13119 Tauranga
Phone 0800 FOR HIFI
That’s 0800 367 4434
Home of Hi-Fi
and Good Music
Contact us today and join our
mailing list - you’ll love our style!
ished release product, but definitely something to consider that he (ML) knows
what making music with “big guys” is
a bo ut . And most import a n t ly he can capture and reprodu ce that sound amazingly
close to the original in the correct acoustic
environment with his excellent gear.
T H E B A N D P L AY S O N
ML then put on an unedited master of
his just released recording of pianist Jacky
Terrasson’s tri o, and instantly there were
these guys talking and shuffling paper
ac ross the room just as realisti c a lly as ML
was chatting to me about this being part
of an upcoming Blue No te records “Cello
Series”. When the trio started it really
wasn’t reprodu cti on, it was a nice six foo t
“dark” smooth Stei nw ay, a clean unamplified bass, and a small drum kit unden i a bly spatially “t h ere” making won derful
jazz trio music for us. No matter hard I
tried, it was qu i te impo s s i ble to not vi sualise them being in there with us.
As my logical and sensory systems
became somewhat muddled-up I involuntarily got big shivers up my spine and
sprouted goose-flesh. This wonderful realism was practically spooky! Realising the
importance of my primal response, I fumbled thro u gh my ditty bag and hastily
offered up my classic Leica M-3 two-stroke
camera in down payment to ML. He
wouldn’t accept it, rats!
Getting on with listening to available
material, I got out a newly purchased
u n p l ayed 20-bit JVC Ti ger Okoshi CD
recorded by my old fri end Jim An ders on .
Yipes! Was I ever embarrassed because the
produ cer (A Takuchi) app a rently wanted
some nasty coloured reverb added to
Ti ger’s trumpet. I told ML that Jim
Anderson would never do that himself and
he just laughed and said “ w a tch this”. He
Cello’s Audio Pallette
did one or two quick fiddles on the Audio
Palette and magically the trumpet became
mu ch more to l erable. It still had tone and
bite with a proper ed ge , but som ehow the
Palette toned down the nasty bit but left
all the music intact. Bouncing eq in and
out with the Palette showed me that it
works miracles in correcting recorded
anomalies.
ML next had me tweak just a bit of
upper mids and top treble into an old alto
saxophonist Paul Desmond qu a rtet RC A
re - release that was dread f u lly dry and flat
sounding. Am a z i n gly, it too came to life,
and fantastically just like the above new
discs, those guys on the old disc were also
“really” in the room making music for us.
This absolutely flabbergasted me. “How
the hell”, I asked, “can that happen so naturally”? He replied that “the Audio Palette
works in broad bands where the ear is
most sensitive to natural musical response
a berra ti on s , and it also works around the
most frequent studio mon i tor dis-linearities. We are heavily working on getting The
Cello Reference Sys tem into as many studios as po s s i ble to get things stabi l i s ed in
the industry”. I commented, “good luck, it
can’t be soon enough”. He then mentioned
“Sony Music, G a tew ay Music, Ma s terd i s k
(Bob Ludwig), and several others are
installing the Cello Reference System”.
Af ter trying a couple more discs and a
few more little Audio Palette tweaks I was
seriously converted and sold. ML then had
to rush out som ewhere and I knew I had
to leave before I started begging and crying like any good audio dweeb, I want it, I
want it, I want it!
musical waveform with true accuracy and
dynamics takes lots and lots of clean
grunt. Within the Cello Referen ce Sys tem
there is more than enough transducer and
amplification available to fully present
every subtle and dynamic element in any
record i n g. And in using the Palette, t h ere
is honest “real world” correcti on available
for recorded faults such as overly close
m i c’ing on perc u s s i on, some digital glare,
lu m py bass and so forth. This means a
Cello System can be analytical and mu s ical in the extreme! Having your cake and
eating it, with ice cream, f u d ge sauce and
cherries too!
THE REAL THING
Th a t’s it, no splendiferous verbalisations. The real thing comes from the Cello
Referen ce Sys tem. Si m p ly without trying
or forcing your imagination, there “really”
are people with instruments just a few
metres away making real music. The musical message, the feel, the mood, the groove,
whatever you sense is there in the musical
offering comes through in an instinctively
correct way. The gear quickly vanishes and
the musicians naturally appear in your
minds eye. The high-end promise fulfiled,
wi t h o ut any hys teria or app a rent com p l ications. The honest to God, wonderful real
thing.
It’s nice to know pioneer physicist
Heinrich Hertz (as in 20Hz to 20kHz etc.)
actually has a modern de s cendant in ML
who has musical talent, great ears, business skill, and a stubborn do - i t - yo u rs elf,
do-it-right perfectionism to realise the
dream of truly realistic music reproduction.
WHY SO GOOD
Was I just overwhelmed by what superficially could be taken as a typical
American heavy horsepower, brute force
approach? Not really, because real music
m oves a lot of air, and reproducing any
THE GOAL
I love my Bryston and Plinius electronics and my old Tannoys , but they’re re a lly
just nice hi-fi toys and light-years from the
Real Thing Cello. Life’s short, i s o l a te and
insulate your listening room, forget the
yacht, forget the Porsche, forget the big
fancy OE. Get something that can give you
and yo u rs splendid thrills and ch i lls every
single day for years and years to come.
Anybody want to buy a classic nice old
Leica M-3?
—John Paul
Note:
The Ma rk Levinson brand name is now
owned by Madrigal Audio Labora tories.
Readers should note that there is no conn ecti on bet ween Mark Levi n s on produ ct s
and Cello products.
14
THE SHORTEST PATH BETWEEN YOU AND THE MUSIC
S u b w o o f e r s
Sound So Real
Yo u C a n F e e l I t
Many subwoofers on the market exceed
30%
distortion between 30Hz–40Hz.
Velodyne’s patented servo technology samples the physical movement of the cone 3600
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harmonic frequencies and allowing the fundamental frequency to be reproduced at less
than 1% THD (total harmonic distortion).
Available in Foundation and ULD series.
The result is a clean, dynamic, detailed bass
which will enhance any Home Theatre or
Stereo System.
For years audio manufacturers have fought
for low distortion amplifiers; why then introduce distortion into your hi-fi systems?
Judge for yourself, listen to the midrange
when auditioning a subwoofer (as the 1/3rd
harmonic of 30Hz is +/– middle C) a low distortion Velodyne will not effect the midrange.
The subwoofer frequencies 20Hz–40Hz will
add to the environment of sound and you
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PO Box 28-314, Auckland. Ph 0-9-302 2271 Fax 0-9-302 2270
Engineers have always known that the ideal connection to audio is a
straight wire. It’s common sense – if you’re trying to transmit audio or
video signals, you want the electronics or loudspeakers to receive all of
the information as accurately as possible. No attenuation or
degradation of that signal is the ultimate goal.
How to go about achieving this goal has become the subject of some
debate. But one premise is now universally accepted – the method of
connection from one component to the other is absolutely critical. It can
mean the difference between good sound and great sound, between a
tainted picture and a flawless one.
For over a decade STRAIGHT WIRE has dedicated itself to the pursuit
of the ultimate in cable technology. Each product is designed and
manufactured to the highest possible standards. Unlike other
companies that build a cable to fit a certain price point, all Straight Wire
products apply the fruits of out most extensive research. Whether
you’re considering a simple upgrade or assembling a no-compromise
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Interconnects…
Speaker Cables…
Concerto
$49/1m
Harmony
$69/1m
Musicable
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Flexconnect
$149/1m
Laserlink
$199/1m
Encore
$299/1m
Rhapsody
$399/1m
Maestro
$699/1m
Virtuoso (Gold or Platinum
available by order)
For your nearest dealer contact…
Waveguide 1.5
$6/m
Duo
$8/m
Waveguide 3
$10/m
Flex4
$20/m
Quartet
$30/m
Laser8
$40/m
Sextet
$50/m
Octave
$80/m
Duet
$120/m
Rhapsody, Maestro and Virtuoso
available by order.
Pacific Audio
PO Box 9174 Newmarket, Auckland or Fax 0-9-5248037
rising…
North
North Hi-Fi,
Hi-Fi, Whangarei
Whangarei 0-9-434
0-9-434 6810
6810 •• Shore
Shore Hi-Fi,
Hi-Fi, Auckland
Auckland 0-9-486
0-9-486 4494
4494 ••
The
The Audio
Audio Consultant,
Consultant, Hamilton
Hamilton 0-7-843
0-7-843 8436
8436 •• Sound
Sound Advice,
Advice, Hastings
Hastings
0-6-877
0-6-877 8875
8875 •• The
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Real Music
Music Co,
Co, Wellington
Wellington 0-4-385
0-4-385 8353
8353 •• Living
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Nelson
Nelson 0-3-546
0-3-546 8363
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Shop, Christchurch
Christchurch 0-3-365
0-3-365 2041
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Sounds, Timaru
Timaru 0-3-688
0-3-688 5755
5755 •• Sight
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Sound, Dunedin
Dunedin 0-3-477
0-3-477 7071
7071
15
…AND NOW TO THE LEFT
A music lover’s best friend
WE MUSTN’T LOSE TOUCH WITH OUR HI-FI AS A SYSTEM
L
ike most of you, my own hi-fi system
has not come about as a one-off purchase but as a carefully con s i dered,
usually expensive , string of building
blocks over some years. And like everyone,
I have made blunders in my selection of
components.
Nevertheless, we all feel the urge to
make changes to our hi-fi. The driving reasons or excuses that lead us to quit a CD
player here , an amplifier or casset te deck
t h ere, are of course nu m erous. Put simply
though, we make changes because we wish
to enjoy a better quality of sound than we
presently have.
Not wishing to remove any of the sport
in the hunt for that right component
(hopefully as your hi-fi moves from
strength to strength), you would agree that
a fair amount of h om ework is essen tial if
we are to end up with the right ch oi ce for
our wall et s , our ears and even the healthy
future of our hi-fi systems. The homework
I refer to usually invo lves hours of ph on e
calls, retailer visits, conversations with
friends and heaps and heaps of listening.
Based loosely around the premise that
we would all listen to more music if we had
good systems to listen to it with I’ve
launched into a running commentary that
should be useful next time we contemplate
any oustings, re s hufflings or promotions
among the ranks of our own hi-fi cabinet.
DETERMINE THE WEAKEST LINK
As The Sonic Glad i a tor will tell you
A LT E R N AT I V E C H O I C E S
TH OSE PE RE NNIA L REA SONS F OR MA KI NG CH AN GES TO OU R SYSTEMS
We feel the need to upgrade because we
want to hear (and own) a bet ter sound.
Is it that we grow too used to our existing systems and their inherent sound?
Quite often, we just feel the time has
come for a change. We take steps to
improve our hi-fi and there are endless
examples of the steps we take (or the
excuses we come up with) in getting that
bet ter sound. See if any of the following
justifications ring any bells!
M O R E B E E F, A N YO N E
More power, I gotta have more power!
And quite often this excuse is a valid one.
For instance , you have a small amp in a
large room. Or, a small amp driving ineff i c i ent speakers. Power is one thing, but
unfortunately a lot of amps with heaps
more grunt are weaklings in current
delivery to the spe a kers and invariably
sound ro u gh and re ady around the
edges. I guess that’s why some 60 watt
power amplifiers cost $600 and others
$6000. As we all know, but so often overlook, we should be thinking qu a l i ty not
quantity.
SNAZZIER SPEAKERS
The most obvious difference in sound
quality is often attributed solely to the
changing of spe a kers. Better spe a kers,
16
bet ter sound, su rely? If on ly it were that
easy! Agreed, we hear obvious differences
in sound through the spe a kers, but
always consider the other components in
the chain first. Are we better off improving our source component (CD,
turntable, tuner) or even amplifier before
looking at improvements speaker
i m provem ents? Rem em ber, the spe a kers
a re at the end of the chain. You may be
surprised at just how much better they
can sound with improvements further
closer to source in the hi-fi chain.
JUMBO SPEAKERS
Recently, fellow writer and best buddy
Sonic Gladiator auditioned a large pair
of L a m bert floors t a n ders in his small i s h
listening room. The verd i ct was “n i ce
spe a ker, but too big for the room!”.
Bigger spe a kers over his JPW Sonatas
would sure fill his room better but
although the Lamberts sounded much
better, they were visibly and audibly
overwhelming the Glad i a tor’s lounge.
Remember, the speakers need to be
matched to the room as much as they
need to be matched with the system’s
other components.
GETTING LAZY?
Multi-disc CD players, who needs
( h e’s a phys i o t h erapist you see) we’re not
really making progress until we can put
our finger on the root of the problem.
What applies to the human body equally
applies to our conglomeration of electronic devices. In the hi-fi chain, we know this
root as the weakest link.
Our interest, our focus must lie in seeking out the weakest link in the sound system chain if we are to increase our mu s ical enlightenment. We could tackle this
task with the simple and methodical
process of elimination.
My own personal background in hi-fi
has taught me to start with the source.
Any problems, a ny room for improvement, try at the beginning of the hi-fi
chain. By this, I mean listening to each
s o u rce com pon ent, in turn, and if nece ssary the comparison of our own compon ents with borrowed ones from fri ends or
willing retailers.
The realisation that our recently
acqu i red CD player (at a steal, of course)
is actu a lly a slow, l i feless and rather saggy
messenger of all things musical, is only
commendable if we actually admit that we
bought a lemon! We’re on the right side of
the proverbial humble/pig-headed fence
should we own up to this fact.
How many of us have bought a socall ed steal from the paper, from a friend,
f rom anywh ere, on ly to have the component taint, torment and damn well asphyxiate the music from your hi-fi! How many
of us? Most, I’d say.
Having inve s tigated the cause of concern, with big ears and mu ch trep i d a ti on ,
now consider the remedial action.
CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
If we can con f i dently point our finger
at the cause then we’re a long way to effecting a positive change to our hi-fi. Quite
of ten , however, the soluti on is not simply
the replacement of one component, but
two.
A good friend of mine was recen t ly in
this exact predicament. His existing amplifier and spe a kers were both get ting a little
long in the tooth and he sensed that either
(or both) components were letting the side
down. The main front end components of
CD and turntable were of a higher quality
Miller & Kreisel
The Nakamichi AV1 Dolby Prologic Amp/Tuner upholds the
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Clean powerful sound is ensured by 2x100 watts rms into the
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Advanced Digital Signal Processing technology is used to
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enhancing surround localisation, ambience and movement
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The AV1 is fully featured with a learning remote, full pre-out
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AV1 Amp/Tuner .......was $2950 .......now $2000 cash/chq
MB3S CD player .....was $1475 .......now $1300 cash/chq
DR3 Tapedeck.........was $1150 .......now $1000 cash/chq
The new M&K subwoofer range is the result
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With over six different models available
M&K have a high performance subwoofer
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M&K subwoofers have built-in high
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variable crossovers and adjustable level.
M&K VX-7B $999
8-inch long-throw driver, 50 watts RMS
10”H x 13 3/4”W x 10 1/2”D
“(The) VX-7B produces an amazing
depth of bass from a modestly-sized
box”
Hi-Fi Choice May 1996
Mission 734 speakers are designed to produce
clarity and deep, powerful bass resulting in a
musically refined speaker which will also deliver
room-shaking home theatre.
“…lively presentation with a wide range of music,
stupendous bass!”
What Hi-Fi?, May 1995
Nakamichi/Mission Home Theatre Package
Nakamichi AV1 Amp/Tuner
Mission 734 front speakers
Mission 73C centre speaker
cash/chq
Mission 73S rear speakers
$4000
M&K V-75 $1299
12-inch long-throw driver, 75 watts RMS
“…it’s a subwoofer with attitude,
bass-heavy but speedy and musical
too”
What Hi-Fi? Oct1995
“There’s just one word to describe
the M&K V-75 performance –
stunning. The bass is plentiful, tight
and pronounced.”
Best Buy
What Home Video August 1995
PAUL MONEY HI FI
PAUL MONEY HI FI
PH (09) 63 88 555
PH (09) 63 88 555
83 VIEW ROAD, MT EDEN, AUCKLAND • OPEN 7 DAYS
YOUR HOME THEATRE SPECIALISTS
than that of the amp and spe a kers. Our
initial attempts at balancing the system led
us (and a local retailer) to focus on the
speakers.
The general rule of thumb, that of cons i dering the source firs t , s pe a kers last, was
duly app l i ed. However, all of us listening
were in agreement that the loudspe a kers
should be the first to go. There was an
appreciable sound improvement to be had
by just improving the speakers. In making
’em! We need one of these because we get
sick of having to get up every hour to
change discs. Does this sound familiar?
Well, what a bummer. OK, multi-disc
players are indisputablely essential for
s h ops and restaurants etc , but I’ve yet to
hear a multi player sound as good as a
single one of the same value. If increasing quality of sound reproduction is
sought, then I know where I’d stick my
money! It isn’t really that much of an
inconvenience to get up, is it?
WORTHIER THAN MOST
In considering amplifiers, I was a classic case of naively believing that two
boxes are always better than one. Ma ny
moons ago, and at different times, I
bought Plinius and Naim pre-power
combinations. Both combos were early
and not particularly refined models from
each respective marque. It didn’t take
long to realise that the Creek Audio
4040S2 integrated amp stood head and
shoulders above the Plinii in terms of
rhythm, i n formation and sheer expre ss i on of the mu s i c . Si m i l a rly, the dy n a mics and tonality of the Creek 4140S2 integra ted outshone the little Naims. I’m
always a little su s pect of pre - power amp
combos that cost the same pri ce or less
as a decent integra ted. Over recent ye a rs
the quality of single box amplifiers has
improved remarkably, don’t overlook
them.
PUMP UP THE POWER
With separa te amps, we may think
that we’ve got a superi or sounding amp
than an integra ted, not to mention the
beginnings of an upgrade a ble sys tem. But
we shouldn’t sell ours elves short wh en it’s
upgrade time by merely thinking bi gger
is bet ter. My ex peri ence is that we get better musical ben efits by moving into a better quality amplifier and not merely a bi gger power amp. That is to say, the upgrade
may in fact be the pre (or control) ampli-
18
this dec i s i on , all of us agreed that replacing the spe a kers re su l ted in gre a ter sound
i m provem ent than the rep l acem ent of the
amplifier.
In time, my friend will look to improving the amplifier as the next upgrade. In
this instance , finances dictated the decision to limit hi-fi upgrading to one component.
The final dec i s i on, to make a con s i derable improvement to one component
f i er, not the power amp. If we find ours elves left wanting with the ex i s ting amp
com bo, do not underestimate the importance of the pre amp and the tri ckle down
ef fects it has on the sys tem. We can’t go
wrong if we continue to improve the
inform a tion to the system before pumping up the power stakes.
M AT C H E S M A D E I N H E AV E N ,
OR HELL!
I’m talking here about separa te CD
transport and DACs. Yes, it’s another two
boxes are better than one argument. Just
be careful that the two boxes we end up
with do in fact sound better than a similarly priced one box alternative . A mism a tch in compon ents is sometimes the
h a rdest, most costly, predicament to
cure. And then there are the…
LINKS, TENU OU S OR OTHERWISE
Any reputable dealer will have already
done their homework on suitably matching cables to complement the components they stock. Unless we’re inquisitive,
s tu bborn or fancy ours elves as know-italls we probably just end up wasting precious time in coming up with our own
cable con coctions. Con coctions which
often just change the sound, and not necessarily make improvements to the quality of the music reproduction.
rather than spread the same money over
both amplifier and speakers was the right
one. This way, he has an upgrade that
should secure its place in his system longer
than two lesser grade products wo u l d . A
longer tenu re by fewer su peri or products
means better sound quality for longer.
TIME
So progress has been made to the extent
of narrowing the choice of potential
upgrade products we feel could be successors to that we a kest link. Ta ke the time
needed to feel happy in our final decision.
I’ve known of more than just a few embarrassed punters returning to retailers, tail
between legs, seeking some salvageable
trade-in sum on their two month old
product.
Why? Well sometimes it has been due
to misdirected advi ce . When this comes
from a friend it is usually the worst advice!
Other times, we can blame a fist full of
magazine reviews chocka block with
hyperbole and those spooky star ratings.
But usually, i t’s just that there is not
enough time in the day for hi-fi component auditi on i n g, either at the retailer’s
store or at home in their own systems. This
is unfortunate, as it is more than likely we
will be living with a system for five plus
years. Su rely, a couple hours spent auditioning now is a good investment to
ensure that we don’t have five years of
unhappy listening in the future!
We have to get to know what impact the
upgrade product has on our own hi-fi.
This can only come about with time
i nve s ted in listening. If not fully appreciated, there is every chance our change may
not be one for the better at all.
UNION RULES. OK!
On reflection, our hi-fi systems are
more than just music messengers. To a
lot of us, those bl ack boxes, lights, dials,
knobs, bass drivers, what have you, are
extensions of our own personality. That’s
fine. I wonder though, if we at times
don’t get taken over by the hype, the
m a rketing and the rave revi ews , rel egating the importance of listening to the
music (by ourselve s , for ourselves) to a
back seat when considering changes in
our systems. Listen up, listen good.
In con s i dering the upgrade of our system, don’t forget this key word: synergy.
Sy n ergy is about the effect of the whole,
not the sum of the parts. It is the make or
break of good union within the ranks of
any hi-fi.
So, we mustn’t forget that feeling of
togetherness whenever we find ourselve s
in front of that good looking temptress of
a CD player, amp, whatever.
Take on board also, the factors of weakest link, time and change for the better.
They are principles rather than specifics
which I hope will make us all wiser punters the next time we want to show our
love for music.
—Lloyd Macomber
—Lloyd Macomber
LISTEN HERE
Audiolab 8000S Stereo Amplifier
…more than an integrated amplifier
Building upon the success of the acclaimed 8000A amplifier, and drawing upon the design of the
8000C preamp and the Zq technology introduced in the 8000Q, Audiolab’s 8000S offers unrivalled
flexibility, remote control and stunning sound quality.
said What Hi-Fi? magazine in a recent
review. Audition the 8000S today at:
Eastern Hi-Fi Newmarket, Auckland;Wairau Park, Auckland; Rotorua. Lakeland TV & Stereo Hamilton.The
Listening Post Tokoroa. Jim’s Music Room Tauranga. Hi-Fi Gallery Napier. Sound Expression Wellington.
Beggs Hi-Fi and Music Nelson. Audio Studio Christchurch.
Distributed by Sound Group Holdings, PO Box 33-791,Takapuna. Ph 0-9-415 6680. Fax 0-9-415 6683
is back on the block
BP-20 Preamplifier $2799
B-60 Integrated Amplifier $2999
Balancing Art and Science for Musical Integrity
Now available from
Smiths Sound, 587 Mt Eden Road, Auckland
Audio and Vision, 52 High Street, Auckland
Lakeland TV & Stereo, 127 Alexandra Street, Hamilton
20 Year Transferable Warranty – A Generation of Music
Distributed by: Syntec International. PO Box 68-180, Auckland. Ph/Fax 0-9-358-2525.
19
O U R FAV O U R I T E T H I N G S
New Zealand’s top integrateds
O U R FAV O U R I T E S – P L U S T H E D E A L E R S P I C K S
U
n til a few years ago, if you wanted
a great sounding amplifier you had
to buy a separate preamp and
power amplifier. Over recent ye a rs, however, the quality of integra ted amplifiers
has increased to su ch an ex tent that sep arate preamps and power amps are now less
l i kely to be purchased until we reach the
NAIM
NAIT 3
$1850
over $2000 mark. Ma ny amplifiers are
line-level only, so if you run a turntable,
your choice is narrowed.
O n ce aga i n , the amplifiers pictu red are
those recommended by the Au d i o En z
team. To achieve a wider spread of opinion, I asked retailers for their favourites as
well.
—Mike Jones
Low
in
power – though
normally yo u’d
never guess it – but
high in finesse, the
Nait 3 boogies!
ARCAM ALPHA 5+ $1000
AUDIOLAB 8000S $2000
As with their CD players,
Arcam are a dominant participant in the amplifier mid-market, and a mandatory recommendation. A well made, gre a t
sounding amplifier
W
H
A T
T
H
Both the older (and still current)
8000A and the new line-level 8000S
impress listeners. The 8000S is currently making great sound in the editor’s office system!
PLINIUS 2100i $1595
The 100 watt Plinius powerhouse breathes with the music
and is one of the most solid
sounding integrated amps available. Su perb construction, line
l evel on ly. Pity abo ut the cheaplooking red on the front panel!
E
D E
A
L
E
R S
T
H
I
N
K
We asked six of New Zealand’s top hi-fi retailers what their amplifier recommendations were – and why
Chris Murphy – The Real Music Company, Wellington has four recommendations for amplifiers that meet his
standards. The first is the Rotel 920AX ($450) is “a warm, neutral sounding amplifier with a gutsy power output.” Chris highly recommends it for “budget systems as it combines well with a variety of CD players and turntables” and describes it as “a simple, no-nonsense amp that delivers excellent sound for the money.” The Rega Brio ($900) “comes in a small, elegant box” and
is “very smooth, open and insightful”. The Arcam Alpha 5+ ($1000) “is a must-listen” at the $1000 mark says Chris, for its
“big open sound with exceptional vocal portrayal. All instruments have a degree of “air” between them”. The Naim Nait 3
($1850) is Naim’s entry level amp. “It’s delivery is unparalleled and is a starting point on the way Naim present music,” says Chris.
“It is best used with high quality source components.” Mike Ibbotson – Eastern Hi-Fi, Newmarket, Auckland
is very taken with the new Sonic Frontiers Anthem integrated ($3500). It “offers substantially the performance of some of
the reference models at a reasonable cost” and praised its “recreation of natural timbre and acoustic properties of instruments.”
Another new amplifier is the Audiolab 8000S ($2000). “A very clean amp” with the “capability to drive almost anything,”
says Mike. Also praised was the Marantz PM55SE ($1000). Mike describes the Marantz as a “top contender at its price,” and
that with the high quality components with which it is built, “achieves a level of performance far above its price bracket.”
Hamish Leys – Manawatu TV and Sound, Pa l m e rston North likes the Plinius 2100i amplifier ($1595),
describing it as “very good value for money”, “incredibly musical and very powerful” and that it “stacks up against products that
cost $1000 more.” The Marantz PM55SE ($1000) is called a “great little integrated”. Hamish likes its “beautifully /over
20
is finally available in New Zealand,
including these award-winning models
Cambridge Audio CD4
A budget compact disc player with CD sound way
beyond its price. At the heart of the CD4 is a new
Philips filter and digital-to-analogue convertor chip
which uses a combination of bitstream and
continuous calibration to optimise its performance.
What Hi-Fi? described the CD4 as “weighty,
coherent and well-detailed sound” and “superb
value” and awarded the CD4 its coveted
rating.
Remarkable engineering. Unsurpassed clarity. Exceptional value.
Parasound high-current amplifiers combine innovative circuit design
and audiophile-grade components for unparalleled high fidelity sound.
Whether you need a two-channel amp for your listening room, or a
multi-channel amp for your Home Theatre, media room or remote
zone, there is a Parasound amplifier that will provide a strong, high
current foundation that can drive any speaker. All Parasound amplifiers
employ independent power supplies for each channel, fully complementary class A/AB1 circuit topology with JFET input transistors, high
current/high speed output transistors, direct DC servo, and rear panel
gain controls. Gold plated binding posts, tiffany-style RCA jacks, and
rack mounting are standard on all models.
HCA2200
250 watts per channel 8 ohms
400 watts per channel 4 ohms
800 watts per channel bridged
8 ohms
only $4699
Other Parasound amplifiers available now include…
HCA600 60w+60w
$999
HCA1000 110w+110w THX
$1499
HCA1200 205w+205w THX
$2499
HCA806 6x80w multich
$3199
HCA1206 6x135w THX
$4999
HCA2003 3x200w THX
$4199
Stereo Pre-amplifiers and Processors
Cambridge Audio A1
A budget integrated amplifier that has received top
marks in reviews. A 30 watt per channel amplifier,
the A1 incorporates audiophile features such as
metal film resistors, a toroidal transformer and
switching designed to shorten signal paths.
What Hi-Fi? praised the A1 for its “remarkable
weight, sweetness and authority” and said that the
A1 “is strong and effortless” and “a bargain” before
awarding the A1 its coveted
rating.
Cambridge Audio DACMAGIC 2
Uses the new generation filter DAC, uses 2 in a
sophisticated dual-differential mode. Completely
dual mono with separate mains transformers and
regulated power supplies. Will accept any digital
source with a sampling frequencies between 30
and 50kHz.
What Hi-Fi? praised the DACMAGIC for its
“digital flexibility” and “extremely accomplished
sound…capable of giving some very good singlebox machines some stiff competition” and awarded
the DACMAGIC its coveted
rating.
To be released shortly are the new CD6 CD player,
A3 power amplifier and CD transport.
PO Box 28-314, Auckland. Ph 0-9-302 2271 Fax 0-9-302 2270
Parasound pre-amplifiers are all built around the philosophy that less is
more. We keep the signal path as clean as possible, without any capacitors from input to output, and leave all the other extraneous bells and
whistles to the other guys!
PHP850 budget audiophile
$999
PLD1100 audiophile remote
$2199
PLD2000 balanced audiophile
$4999
PSP1000 Dolby Prologic
$1999
PSP1500 THX/digital ready
TBA
CBD2000
Belt Drive Transport
$3499
Digital has never sounded
more analog and less digital than with Parasound’s
patented belt drive CD
transport. Jitter is virtually eliminated with the silky smooth belt drive
mechanism coupled with a massive 3⁄4 lb disc clamp. Built by CEC,
known for making the worlds best CD transport.
Other Parasound Digital products
CDP1000 audiophile CD player
$1199
CDC1500 audiophile 5-disc changer
$1499
DAC1100 HDCD D/A Convertor
$2699
DAC2000 HDCD D/A Convertor
$4499
2YEARWarranty
Parts and Labour
Available from…
Auckland Eastern Hi-Fi
Tauranga Simister Retravision
Rotorua Eastern Hi-Fi
New Plymouth Masons
Appliances
Palmerston North Manawatu
TV and Sound
Wellington Absolute Audio and
Vision
Dunedin Good Hi-Fi
Distributed by
Pacific Audio
PO Box 9174, Auckland.
Phone 0-9-524 8032.
Fax 0-9-524 8037
21
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Your say…
RUMBLES FROM THE READERS
D A N G E R ! W H I T E VA N S !
I read the article in the last Au d i o En z
con cerning Linear Phase spe a kers.
Ye s terday I walked out of Ab s o lute Audio
in Well i n g ton and abo ut a hu n d red ya rd s
down the road, a guy yelled out from a van
i n qu i ring if I wanted to buy some speakers. After taking a qu i ck peek, I saw the
offending gear and told him no thanks.
After all the initial quick sell talk he ran
out of patience and told me to beat it! This
is the kind of wanker that we are dealing
with. He was an Aussie with a ponytail and
had another mate driving the Toyota van,
Richard Walter
WHAT S HO ULD BE I N 1
Thanks for the copy of AudioEnz, I look
forward to further copies. I have been
reading your publications since it was
Zounds!
Some possible ideas for further issues
would be a NZ amp “showdown” – Plinius,
Dy n avector, etc . Also of i n terest would be
a review of the Creek Audio OBH-10
rem o te con troll ed passive vo lume con trol
for non remote amps that fits in tape loop
(mention made in Gramophone April
1996 p 151) – does it degrade sound quality? (I am not sure if this is available in
New Zealand)
Please bring back the record reviews (or
reprint those in your Home Entertainment publ i c a ti on ) . Its hard for us jazz
buffs to find good local reviews.
Graham M Penwell
The Creek Audio OBH-10 is not brought in
by the local Creek distributor.
WHAT SH OU LD BE IN 2
Good to see a homegrown hi-fi mag on
the scene again.
I guess what I like to see most is what is
not or least available on other, mainly
overseas magazines. So top of the list is a
review of New Zealand products. I think
you should try your hardest to review anything NZ made that is vaguely worth
revi ewing. I ’ve got a pair of Boland MM140s, p u rchased in 1990. They are a re asonable pair of speakers for what they cost
and I waited long and hard for the review
that never came.
After this there may be non-NZ products which don’t get mu ch of a review in
other magazines. Whilst it’s fine to have yet
a n o t h er review of a rave product like a
P i on eer A-400 wh en it was the in thing, I
prefer to either not have that revi ew, or a
much shorter one, in preference to a more
obscure product.
I think your magazine should be mainly a technical one, so a lot less on
music/CD reviews, if a ny at all. I’m not
into home theatre but the sound side of
THX would be okay. Try to leave out the
picture side. Yes, you should have some
esoteric stuff, so long as it is balanced by
budget and mid-price components. Tube’s
great, I’m going to get one some day. An d
I still have ambitions to upgrade to a WellTempered Turntable or Townsend Rock
someday, so the occasional review of vinyl
replay would be welcomed.
Ong Su-Wuen
A H O M E PAG E ?
Good to see you guys back on the
streets. Put a vote down for Allans in your
record store survey. Also how about a
[internet] home page for AudioEnz.
Welcome back!
Jit Lim
CONTROVERSIAL
I ad m i re the statement in AudioEnz re
the intended content of the new magazine.
I for one am certainly happy to pay for a
different viewpoint from the standard
overseas text we receive hear.
detailed” sound, plus its ease of use and the fact it comes with a remote control. One budget amp praised by Hamish was the
NAD 310 ($450). “For the money you can’t say anything against it.” Eric Gilliand – Sight and Sound, Dunedin
recommended three amplifiers that he feels follow similar philosophies at each price point. Eric likes the Denon 250mk3
($549). It’s an “extremely good entry-level amplifier” that features “British design input.” The Arcam Alpha 5+ ($1000) is
praised for its “lovely musicality… generous current delivery and supreme control.” The Naim Nait 3 ($1850) is a “beautiful,
musical amplifier” says Eric, and adds that it offers “extra power and punch over the Nait 2.” Brad Kirkland – Soundline
Audio, Christchurch loves the Quad 77 ($2369, or $2995 with controller) amplifier’s “rich, smooth sound with heaps of
bottom-end extension” and says that it “whips lots of pre-power combinations”. Brad also likes Quad’s bus-link system, which
means that it can be connected to an infinite number of Quad products. The Plinius 2100i ($1599) was praised as a “ballsy,
punchy amp” and liked that it could be purchased in either black or silver finishes. The NAD 310 ($450) was praised as a “high
current, minimalist” amplifier that enabled a good sounding hi-fi system to be put together for $1500. The Micromega
Minium ($1395) gave a “clean, detailed sound” from its “nicely styled metal chassis.” Jim Walker – Jim’s Music
Room, Tauranga raves about the Plinius 2100i ($1595). It’s “very powerful” and features the “Plinius family sound.” Jim
thinks it is a particularly good buy: “value for money is unsurpassable. We almost always sell it on demonstration, in comparison
to other amplifiers.” Another favourite at around the same price is the Mission Cyrus 3 ($1699) with its “full remote control”
and “smooth, musical sound.” The Cyrus 3 can also be upgradable with an outboard power supply – “bigger sounding with the
PSX” says Jim. At a lower price is the NAD 314 ($750) “our most popular amp below $1000” which offers “value for money.”
22
The original
In the past I have subscribed to In ternet forums such as
rec.hi_end.audio, and have became engro s s ed in some of the
rhetoric and debate between the flat earthers and the technocrats.
This particular forum was well modera ted, and the debate was
l ively and pretty mu ch en tertaining. Perhaps a couple of con troversial viewpoints such as expre s s ed in this forum to kick start
things might be reve a l i n g. A suitable topic might be Mpingo
disks?? The use of optical D/A interconnects vs coaxial?? Bi-wiring
vs the OCOS (linear impedance) philosophy, also anything
around the subjective vs objective state of audio.
I think the music reviews are a mu s t . I enjoyed re ading them ,
and have made a number of worthwhile inve s tments based on
reviews from AudioVideo.
I am a firm believer in the philosophy of a designer leading to
a particular sonic sign a tu re for a com pon en t . It would be nice to
see profiles on some of the participants in the NZ Audio scene
and understand they way they view music. This could also be
ex ten ded to performers. Obvi o u s ly this idea depends on the co operation of the subject to speak to an interviewer, but I think
most would be pleased to help local initiatives.
As part of trying to broaden my musical understanding I would
like to hear more about specific music categories, performers, history etc. Perhaps features on specific genres of music with recommended a discography might be considered.
From an component point of view, I lean towards valve equipm ent for pers onal preferen ce , and run full ra n ge dynamic spe a kers. As I am now into the territory where a com ponent upgrade
costs $5K or more I would like to see information on room/speaker interface , twe ak s, capacitor / va lve/PS and other upgrade s . Also
the availability high end gear is obviously a key area.
I believe (within re a s on) con troversial op i n i ons will be good
for the magazine as for most sensible people, controversy promotes reflection.
As for good music stores, Wellington only has Allans, and perhaps Roy Parsons for classical lovers.
Murray Price
WEAKNESS FOR HI-FI
As a pers on with a personal weakness for hi-fi I am del i gh ted
to see AudioVideo back in circulati on under the new name of
AudioEnz.
I have re ad your magazine since 1989 (wh en I moved to New
Zealand), and possess almost a complete collection at home.
I always used AudioVideo as a reference for shopping. I got my
L a m berts on ly after re ading the review and of co u rse listening to
them in my own lounge. I used the same cri teria years later for
the rest of my system. I even remember ringing you on your
mobile number asking for some advice!
I believe the magazine should concentra te on audio. Please
leave hom e - t h e a tre to someone else! Jazz CD reviews will also a
key addition. Actually, they are essential to me.
I do en j oy equ i pm ent (including fancy stuff) revi ews . On this
matter let me congratulate your writers (Lloyd Macomber, Charles
Thomson, John Paul and yourself) for the excellent quality of the
articles published in the past. I am sure the trend will continue in
AudioEnz.
Manuel Pedreschi
Have your say. Send your letters to PO Box 100-554, Auckland
10, or e-mail to [email protected], or fax to 0-9-478 6303
Dynamic
Coil
Cartridges
Diamond styli
Optim $599
Optim S $499
P77 $479
PS77 $359
K3 $289
KS3 $239
K2 $199
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K1 $139
KS1 $119
Retipping service available
When Music is your Passion
ME240 integrated amplifier
$2100 “Best Buy 95”
Australian Hi-Fi magazine
Power amplifiers
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ME 24 CD, tuner, aux 1+2, tape, video $2000
ME 25 (ME 24 with phono)
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Trade and dealer enquiries welcome
6 Hastings Street, Napier
Phone 0-6-835 2234. Fax 0-6-835 2231
23