New Zealand hi-fi… …old and new

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
Floorstanding
loudspeakers
Our recommendations
October 1996
New Zealand hi-fi…
…old and new
Loudspeakers from Denmark
Turntables from Germany
U
PO Box 100-363 Auckland.
Phone 0-9-444 4710
Fax 0-9-444 1346
Mobile 025-582 311
R
Loudspeakers from Denmark
Loudspeakers from Germany
MIKE ON THE PODIUM
by M i k e Jo n e s
My back pages
REMEMBERING TEN YEARS OF HI-FI PUBLISHING
I
t may su rprise re aders as mu ch as
it surprises me, but this issue represents ten years of publishing on hi-fi
for me.
Wh en I began I had no idea of where
I’d be in ten years time. Now, from my fabulously wealthy and all-powerful perch on
top of New Zealand’s hi-fi indu s try (ha!)
allow me to reminisce.
IN THE BEGINNING…
…was the idea. I had loved music for as
long as I could remember, and been intere s ted in hi-fi for several ye a rs . I had even
spent a couple of ye a rs put ting toget h er a
club newslet ter for the Wellington Audio
Club – the closest to journalistic training
I’ve ever received!
After a failed attempt working in the
real world, I thought putting out a hi-fi
magazine would be good fun. Someh ow
securing advertising from a few companies
in the indu s try, the first issue (then called
Zounds) was picked up from the printer
on November 26, 1986.
Ten ye a rs ago, the hi-fi scene was very
different. Decades of import restrictions
were lifting – the days when a hi-fi store
had waiting lists for their allocati on of
t h ree Quad amplifiers per year were over
(a true story, by the way).
Today, you can buy almost any hi-fi
product you desire in New Zealand. Per
head of populati on , we probably have
more brands ava i l a ble than anywh ere else
in the world – and more than is com m ercially viable in the medium and long term.
I sometimes wonder about the future
viability of the New Zealand hi-fi spec i a list market, particularly as several of the
players in the market seem to rega rd thei r
AudioEnz is published by
AudioVideo Publications Limited,
PO Box 100-554, North Shore
Mail Centre, Auckland 10.
Ph 0-9-479 7843. Fax 0-9-478 6303.
e-mail [email protected].
Editor is Mike Jones
All contents are © copyright to
AudioVideo Publications Limited 1996.
activities as hobbies as much, or more
than, businesses. You may not perhaps
think that this con cerns you, but if you
plan to be a hi-fi con su m er in the future,
then it should, and does.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU…
…to a few people who have helped
tremen do u s ly over the years: my father,
Barton Jones, without wh om none of this
would be possible; Charles Thomson, who
has been encouraging me and writing for
me since day one; Murray Soljak, who
taught me more about English grammar
and editorial consistency (“consistency
wins regattas!” says Murray the sailor)
than I ever imagined existed; Andrew Fox,
on ce a heavy con tri butor to AudioVideo’s
pages, now lost to the world of Macintosh
com p uters ; Colin Sa u s s ey, de s i gn er ex traordinaire, a man who took my initial ideas
and made them fly; John Paul, a good
friend and expert bullshit detector; Ma x
Christoffersen, a lw ays full of good and
useful ideas, even when I didn’t want to
hear them; and Lloyd Macom ber, a good
fri end who hel ped expand both my mu s ical and life horizons.
And thanks to all the readers who have
helped make Zounds, Au d i o Vi d e o and
AudioEnz su ccesses. I’ll sti ll carry on publishing abo ut hi-fi as long as you want to
read abo ut it – just like ten ye a rs ago, i t’s
still better than working for a living!
AND NEXT YEAR?
The first Au d i o En z for 1997 will com e
out in the last half of Ma rch. And, as an
i n n ova ti on, I’m planning on bringing out
each issue of AudioEnz in the same month
as is on the cover!
Four covers from ten years of hi-fi publishing.
Top: the very first issue, dated December 1986. if
you have one of these, keep hold of it – it’s
probably a collectors piece by now!
Hi-Fi seemed to be more fun in those days: the
cover from December 1988 had a (last minute)
Christmas theme.
Lloyd Macomber took some superbly imaginative
photographs for AudioVideo in the early 1990s,
including this August 1991 cover featuring the
Epos ES11 and Lloyd’s beautiful snare drum.
One of the most talked about articles was the
cover feature for April 1993: “How hi-fi can affect
music’s pace, rhythm and timing.”
3
NEWS
All the news…
A L L T H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G I N T H E W O R L D O F H I - F I
A U D I O L A B ’ S I N T E G R AT E D C D P L AY E R
Foll owing on from their well - received CD transport and convertor,
Audiolab have produced a one-box CD player, the 8000CD. The 8000CD
uses a newly developed 20-bit resolution, 128 times oversampling, single
bit dual-differential digital-to-analogue convertor. The 8000CD is
expected to retail for $2799. Sound Group Holdings 0-9-415 6680.
NAIM’S NEW PREAMP
Developed from experien ce
gained from Naim’s top-line NAC52
preamp, the NAC102 ($3000) of fers
six inputs, one of which can be configured for phono, and full infra-red
remote control. NA Distributors
025-434 691
THE NEW LOOK OF PERREAUX
Conrad-Johnson have announced that the PV12 prea m p l i fier has been revi s ed , with an improved line stage
c i rc u i t. Two versions are avai lable : the PV12A ($5595)
includes a phono stage; the PV12AL ($4195) is line-level
only. Oceania Audio 0-9-849 3114.
Mi c romega rep l ace their Stage series of CD players
with the new Stage 4, 5 and 6. Although de s i gned primarily to meet the EU’s electromagnetic regulati on s ,
they are said to offer useful sound improvements as well.
Denco Audio 0-3-379 0743.
California Audio Labs have released the unthinkable
– an audiophile five-disc multidisc CD player and transport. The CL-10 Multidisc 20-Bit Server ($3150) is a
stand-alone player, featuring Burr- Brown 20-bit D/A
convertors, a HDCD decoder filter and CAL’s Power
Boss power supply. The CLD-10
($3150) is a transport-only version,
with sophisticated reclocking and jitter reduction circuitry. O ce a n i a
Audio 0-9-849 3114.
Su n f i re have released a small
( a round eleven inches square) subwoofer with a built-in 2700 watt
amplifier! Priced at under $3000, the
subwoofer is distributed by Denco Audio 0-3-3790 743.
Unison Research has released a new class-A line valve
preamplifier call ed the Mys tery One, retailing at $6500.
Transline Audio 0-7-578 5211.
Martin Logan have updated two of their spe a kers.
The Aerius i ($5525) inclu des a new woofer, c ro s s over
topo l ogy and angled side profile. The reQuest ($9995)
is shorter and narrower, with a new woofer and
crossover topology. Oceania Audio ph 0-9-849 3114.
AR IS BACK!
On the front cover is one look for the new Perreaux electronics; above
are the same components in their more conventional guise. Perreaux are in
the process of releasing a new range of products developed by Peter Perreaux
and team, including power amplifiers rated at 200 watts, 250 watts and 350
watts. These units featu re balanced input fac i l i ties and modular PCBs, to
assist any future upgrades. Another new amplifier is a 700 watt monoblock,
c a p a ble of 1200 watts into four ohms. The Perreaux preamplifier inclu de s
balanced inputs and outp ut s , and comes com p l ete with a rubber moulded
remote control
For the home theatre market, a new six-ch a n n el home theatre amplifier
is also being released, ra ted at 160 watts per channel. A Do l by Di gi t a l / D TS
ready preamp/processor is due to be released in December. Perreaux
Technologies 0-9-623 1244.
4
From US speaker pioneer Acoustic Re s e a rch
come the Hi gh Output
Series. The range is
designed as highly efficient spe a kers for both
music and home
theatre, with three
models
including
side-firing woofers.
The 312HO (pictured) has a high
sensitivity rating of
97dB, and includes a
300mm side-firing
woofer, operating
down to 30Hz.
Den co
Audio
0-3-379 0743
TRICHORD’S CD MOD
UK
audio
firm
Trichord , known for
their modification servi ce s , have produced a
CD player. The Genesis is a
modified Pioneer 504 with
Tri ch ord’s Clock 2 modification, upgraded outp ut circ u i t s
and power supply. Transline
Audio 0-7-578 5211
ARCAM’S NEW RANGE
MARANTZ REVIVE CLASSICS
Sell your old va lve Ma rantz
amplifiers and been kicking yourself
ever since? Here’s your redem ption:
Marantz have re-rel e a s ed the Model
7 pre a m p, Model 8 and Model 9
power amps. Marantz 025-729 137.
This busy UK company has
bro u ght out three upgradable CD
players , t wo tu n ers , three integra ted
amplifiers and two power amps. The
Alpha 7 can be upgraded into an
Alpha 8 or 9, while an 8 can be
altered into an Alpha 9. The integrated amps has preamp-out sockets, allowing passive biamping with
the power amps. Avalon 638 9000.
MARANTZ’S
NEW CD SE
Replacing the
well-received
63SE is the
new CD67SE
CD
player
at
$999.
Marantz
025-729 137
EPOS RELEASE ES12
Replacing the ES11, an AudioEnz writers’ favourite, is
the new Epos ES12. Looking similar to the older model,
the new ES12 ($1700) includes a newly developed tweeter and a new injecti on - m o u l ded woofer, complete with
a phase plug instead of the normal dust cap. True to the
minimal-cro s s over thinking of other Epos models, the
woofer ro lls of f mech a n i c a lly (no cro s s over) while the
tweeter has merely a single capac i tor. NA Distributors
025-434 691
NAIM SPEAK OUT
Using similar drive units to the SBL spe a ker, the
Intro ($2250) and Credo (pictured, $3500) bring
Naim spe a kers to a new lower pri ce poi n t . Th ey fe ature Naim’s Separate Box Technology with the woofer
and tweeter mounted in their own separate cabinets.
NA Distributors 025-434 691.
ACOUSTIC
ENERGY
The 100 Seri e s
is a more
affordable
range from
this UK company. The
AE100, a small
two-way, is
$599, while the
floor-standing
AE109 is
$1200. Big Ears
Audio
0-9-379 3801
Mc Laren Audio have released a new preamplifier
called the 604, representing eight years of development.
Among the notable featu res of the 604 are six line level
inputs, opti onal ph ono modu l e s , silver internal wiring,
non-ferrous chassis, and a “u n i que high RF rejection,
high stability noise-free power supply”. Amplifier
Consultants 0-4-478 6669.
Ru a rk Aco u s tics h ave replaced one of their major
models, the Templer. The Templer II ($1799) is a medium-sized, two-way floor standing speaker, and is 50mm
taller than its predecessor, which always looked to short!
The cabinet sides are finished in wood veneers. Big Ears
Audio 0-9-379 3801.
REL’s new subwoofer, called the Q-Bass in the UK, is
available here as the Stealth. An active subwoofer, the
S tealth features a 300mm lon g - t h row woofer, 50 watt
amplifier and REL’s ABC variable bass filter. Big Ears
Audio 0-9-379 3801.
S en tec, a high - end Swedish el ectronics manu f acturer, are represented in New Zealand with a line level prea m p l i f i er, m ono power amplifiers and a ph ono pre a mplifier. F Viganoni and R De Bianchi 0-9-473 2099.
Australian distributor Scan Audio have set up a New
Zealand operation. Run by Kerryn Shepherd, Scan
Audio import Dali and Dynaudio loudspe a kers from
Denmark, Dual turntables and Quad ral spe a kers from
Germany. Scan Audio NZ 0-9-444 4710.
Ru a rk Acoustics h ave released the Dialogue One,
a centre spe a ker for home theatre use. Big Ears Audio
0-9-379 3801
5
E A R WA X
b y S i m on B ro w n
Sound history
NEW ZEALAND’S HISTORY OF AUDIO
A
nd now the mystery secti on of
the Antiques Roadshow television
programme.
Bill? Well, a bit of a puzzle this one.
Quite a nice woodgrain box, but why
som eon e’s put all those ch rome knobs on
it… weird.
Elizabeth? Yes, I’m as stumped as Bill,
on one hand we have the Uncial typef ace
showing great antiquity on the other a row
of p lu gs on the back implying som ething
electronic. Then there’s the other box that
seems to be connected.
Augustus? I’m pleased to say that what
we’ve got here is a real classic. It’s a New
Zealand made Rait pre / power amplifier
circa 1973.
Okay, so if there ever to be an Antiques
Roadshow looking a classic New Zealand
audio gear, what would they choose?
What makes something cl a ss i c/ co llectable? To me there are a number of potential factors. The first is that it was accepted
as good in its day.
The second is that it should be preferably “x” years ahead of it’s time so that it’s
not bad even by current standards.
The third is that it should be visually
distinctive and/or original. It may even be
ugly (like the Rait) if it’s represen t a tive of
a period. Curiously a product may become
classic by being either rare or common, in
the latter context an AWA Series 9 deserves
a mention.
The panel of one has been busy compiling these awards:
E A R LY 7 0 ’ S P R O D U C T
No surprises here, in fact, only one
nomination. So put on your tartan and
6
One of the first commercially successful hi-fi
amplifiers produced in New Zealand was the
distinctive Rait 30-30 (top).
From the first, McLaren amplifiers had a distinctive
and elegant appearance. The 501 power amplifier
(below) proved woefully unreliable. Bruce Crothers,
the current McLaren designer (not responsible for
the 501) replaces the 501’s output stages with
mosfet modules.
The Roberts STA-50 (shown below is the mark 2
version) was a superbly built integrated amplifier.
glitter and get that authentic Bay City
Rollers sound via your Rait 30-30. As
mentioned above this pre/power combo
was produced in Christchurch from about
1973. Power went up in 1975 to
6 0 W / ch a n n el [basically the same amplifier with a beefed-up power supply—
Editor] and tree-felling continued till
1980. (A “boring black” version was also
produced for the less committed fans in
the late 70’s).
LATE 70’S PRODUCT
When I first started thinking about
classic New Zealand audio gear, the very
first product that came to mind was the
green McLaren products. Classically elegant with their white serif typeface on the
distinctive dark green panels. The 401/501
hit the still import restricted stores in
1979. Unfortu n a tely the 501 power amp
had a few reliability problems and was
replaced by the 701 power amp in 1981.
But the Pink Floyd - era aw a rd must go
to the Roberts STA 5 0. This amplifier was
already legendary in it’s own lifetime for
being one of the few amplifiers of the time
that could drive the dreaded Linn Sara.
Unsure where to turn in search of Musical Satisfaction?
T R A N S PA R E N T
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ALPHA
California Audio Labs
Unbelievable…
a tube analog processor
that delivers the music
Four input formats are standard for
maximum compatibility with other
digital devices.
Two 12AX7 tubes, each operating
in dual mode, highlighting the
discrete analog stage which is
coupled to the latest Crystal
DAC/input receiver digital stage.
It is difficult to believe the Alpha can be offered below $5000. For $2995 the Alpha delivers
spectacular sound.
Available from:
Listening Post
0-7-886 4149
Axent Audio
0-9-827 1220
Absolute Audio & Vision
0-4-382 9336
Feedback Audio
0-3-548 4068
For more information on the Alpha and the California Audio Labs range contact
Oceania Audio Ltd, P O Box 41-085 A u ck l a n d . Phone 0-9-849 3114. Fax 0-9-849 3307
7
The Mk I and II versions were more
sought after than the Mk III which
appeared to trade current drive for
absolute power. One of the outstanding
features of all Roberts products was the
shear build-quality, especially given the
comparatively small numbers produced.
E A R LY 8 0 ’ S P R O D U C T
Trivial pursuit qu e s ti on : name nine
New Zealand manufacturers all producing
amplifiers in the early 80s? Cut throat
competition? More like chainsaws at ten
paces.
The eternal triangular debate of
Perreaux vs McLaren vs Plinius occupied
m a ny co lumn inches of Mi ke’s Mag and
“the other one” that was publ i s h ed at the
time. [“The other on e” was called Sound
& Vision, publ i s h ed by Rick Barr in 1985
and 1986. The final published issue of
S ound & Vision was the Ja nu a ry/February
1986 issu e . The first of “Mike’s Ma g” was
c a ll ed Zounds – ch a n ged after three issu e s
to Au d i o Vi d e o – came out in November
1986—Editor]
The first Plinius 2 preamp and 3 power
amp loo ked like an electric fence controller. Agri c u l tu ral maybe , but I liked its
smallish proportions (I’m su re they comprised 50% of the amplifiers available at
the original Soundline shop because they
were all Frank had room for).
Perreaux scored a “world first” with the
mosfet PMF2150 power amp which, in the
2150b version, was exported in serious
numbers. I rather coveted the tiny (and
ra re) SP10 preamp which was startling at
the time for it’s lack of tone con trols. But
to me Rickie Lee Jones was at her most
natural, lisping “et hy mon ny ” t h ro u gh a
Craft CA1/CA2, the quiet hero of the time.
The con tents of the envelope con t a i ning the prize will surprise by not revealing
an amplifier but a loudspe a ker, And it’s
not a Lambert!
Okay, it was a close run thing.
Lambert’s appearance with the SP 225 and
SP 250 is notable and the SP120 powered
cof fee-table (com p l ete with smoked glass
top) must score its own “decade” award for
being ten years ahead of its time. ( How
about re-introducing it Garry now subwoofers are in vogue?)
But wh en the ju d ges vo tes are co u n ted
they are unanimous. It goes to the Audax
T200 (no picture available). This may
sound like something from the “F” co u ntry, but it was a Kiwi creation, as witnessed
by the Ka u ri veneer version! These are
8
The successful Lambert range of the early eighties:
the SP250 (outside), SP225 (inside) and the SP120
powered subwoofer.
The first Plinius power amplifier was the 80 watt
Plinius III from 1979 (left).
The most successful audio exports were from
Perreaux. Shown below is the SM2 preamp and
PMF2150B, probably their most famous products.
The Anawhata valve preamp (below) scored a
review in the UK’s Practical Hi-Fi in February 1981.
The Plinius “Plint”: a combination of the IIb
preamp and VII power amplifier from 1984 (right).
WORLD’S BEST
…but better!
The New Zealand release of the
CD67SE
It’s too early for the overseas reviews, as the 67SE is in New Zealand prior to its release in Europe.
We can only go by dealer opinion on just how good this new Marantz CD player is. New
Zealand’s top hi-fi dealers have this to say:
“Best CD player under $1000 in New Zealand”— Grant Nichol, Eastern Hi-fi
“Bloody awesome”— Phil McIsaac, Smiths Sound Hi-Fi House
“I’m stunned at how good it is”— Ian Hammington, Absolute Audio and Vision
There are only 70 Marantz CD67SE’s available before the next shipment in February. Score the
world’s best for Christmas from
Hubands Appliances – Whangarei ph 0-9-430 0019 • Eastern Hi-Fi – Newmarket ph 0-9-524 0172, Wairau Park ph
0-9-444 6980 and Rotorua ph 0-7-349 1870 • Smiths Sound Hi-Fi House – Mt Eden ph 0-9-623 2600 • Simister Retravision –
Tauranga ph 0-7-578 9039 • Roger Angell Hi-Fi – Whakatane ph 0-7-308 6886 • Manawatu TV & Sound – Palmerston North ph
0-6-356 7184 • Absolute Audio & Vision – Wellington ph 0-4-382 9336 • Living Sounds – Nelson ph 0-3-546 8363 • The Top
Hi-Fi Shop – Christchurch ph 0-3-365 2041 • Strawberry Sound – Dunedin ph 0-3-477 7742
Distributed by: Marantz New Zealand. PO Box 1041, Auckland. Ph 0-9-0849 4160. Mobile 025-729 137. Fax 0-9-483 2558
occ a s i on a lly seen adverti s ed second hand,
in exchange for important body parts
(usually an arm and a leg) which shows
their competitiveness with modern speakers . The Audax Referen ce was even better,
with different, if f u s s i er looking, cabinet,
metal grill and an eight-inch TPX cone.
LATE 80’S PRO DUCTS
Possibly the most elegant range of
amps built in New Zealand, Linx moved
production to the UK after the stock market crash and an indifferent re s ponse
locally. Pity, as their chamfered box and
laser cut switches were tres chic.
Presumably it’s because Plinius is
named after a crater on the moon that
they got their styling inspiration at this
time from the fe a tu reless moon mon o l i t h
from 2001.
Far more interesting were the gra ph i c s
of the Mega 105c – great fun (even if they
didn’t use the ones I de s i gned for them ! ) .
Pity the effect was rather diluted by the
cheap looking (but frighteningly expensive) plastic knobs. The amp itself was one
of the most carefully thought out products
produ ced in NZ and had more balls than
a Lo t to mach i n e . [A Mega 105c still powers my office system—Editor]
Again the category award ‘ wi n n er ’ is a
spe a ker. It could even be the overall winner if I had one.
This time it is a La m bert: The SP260T
Ti m e keeper. This series was where the
mid-sized Lamberts came of age. The 225s
were alw ays a good smallish spe a ker but
the 250/255/260 were the size / pri ce that
su i ted New Zealand homes (ie me!). The
250s “box plus wart” styling didn’t inspire
while the 255s were tidier, if you liked
coffins. While I’m not sure if the 260T’s
would sharpen ra zor bl ade s , the pyramid
shape was original, unobtrusive and
acoustically useful. [ And in subsequ ent
ye a rs this gen eral shape has been used by
a number of “high-end” US speaker manufacturers—Editor]
COLLECTABLES?
They may be classics but is anyone col-
10
lecting them? I mean really co llecting them, not just the flotsam
and jetsam that are the skeletons
in the closet of the hi-fi gear
freak.
I know that museums like
the Otago Settlers Museum
have significant computer collections, but is anyone deliberately acquiring these bits of
our history? I’m afraid I’m
not prepared to (I’m rapt
that I now only have one
and two half preamps as
surplus gear).
But in producing this
article we found it surprisingly hard to find pictures of products.
The editor is co llecting ph o tographs and
brochures, either for archiving
as a permanent collection or scanning and
placing on a CD-ROM.
If you have any old ph o tographs or
brochures that could be included, please
send them to the Editor, AudioEnz, PO
Box 100-554, Auckland 10.
In clude a note and ad d ress if you want
t h em back, and please don’t fold or bend
any photographs or brochures.
Garry Lambert’s 260T Timekeeper’s (above)
arrived in September 1989 with a distinctive
pyramidical shape.
Craft Audio’s Gary Morrison brought out the
125 watt CA1 power amplifier (later upped to
180 watts with a larger power supply) and CA2
preamplifier (pictured below).
Mega Systems’ 105c integrated (bottom) from
1988 is – even today – a great sounding, grunty
amplifier.
The original
Intro and Credo loudspeakers
Dynamic
Coil
Cartridges
Diamond styli
Optim $599
Optim S $499
P77 $479
PS77 $359
K3 $289
KS3 $239
K2 $199
KS2 $159
K1 $139
KS1 $119
Retipping service available
When Music is your Passion
North Hi-Fi, Whangarei 0-9-434 6810 • Shore Hi-Fi, Auckland 0-9-486 4494 •
The Audio Consultant, Hamilton 0-7-843 8436 • Sound Advice, Hastings
0-6-877 8875 • The Real Music Co, Wellington 0-4-385 8353 • Living Sound,
Nelson 0-3-546 8363 • The Top Hi-Fi Shop, Christchurch 0-3-365 2041 •
Express Sounds, Timaru 0-3-686 0262 • Sight & Sound, Dunedin 0-3-474 0443
CD UPGRADE
Why go out and buy a new CD player at great expense for
only minimal improvement in performance?
Trichord’s highly renown “Clock 2” and dedicated “Clock
2 Power Supply” modifications will dramatically improve
the sound quality of your existing CD player or transport.
The treatment your existing CD deserves – hear the
potential it has to offer.
• superb timing and rhythmic coherence
• greater transparency and focus
• extended dynamic range
• improves sampling accuracy and therefore jitter
• reduction of hash and midrange glare
• powerful and extended bass clarity
• extra resolution in the mid and treble
Some of the brands successfully upgraded include: Arcam,
Marantz, Meridian, Micromega, Mission, Pioneer, Quad,
Rotel and Sony
ME240 integrated amplifier
$2100 “Best Buy 95”
Australian Hi-Fi magazine
Power amplifiers
ME
ME
ME
ME
200 80w x 80w 40 amps
550 80w x 80w 40 amps
750 120w x 120w 40 amps
850 120w x 120w 70amps
$1600
$2500
$4500
$6500
Pre Amplifiers
ME 14 CD, tuner, auxiliary
$1800
ME 24 CD, tuner, aux 1+2, tape, video $2000
ME 25 (ME 24 with phono)
$2300
Trade and dealer enquiries welcome
Clock 2 kit $295. Clock 2 power supply $195.
Clock 2 + power supply system $485.
Available from and fitted by (fitting extra charge):
Axent Audio, 25 Portage Road, New Lynn Auckland.
Ph 0-9-827 1220. Fax 0-9-826 0302.
Distributed by Transline Audio Ph/Fax 0-7-5785211
6 Hastings Street, Napier
Phone 0-6-835 2234. Fax 0-6-835 2231
11
EUPHONIC EUPHORIA
by Jo hn Pa u l
Ideally elsewhere
OTHER ROOM BETTER SOUND
T
here have been several interesting responses to my last issues
article about hearing the magnificent Cello Reference System. The major
noti on shared is that good reproduced
sound depends hu gely on the room itself.
I reckon that’s why there are con cert hall s
and fire halls. Some halls are suitable for
concerts and others should be torched!
An excellent guidebook for understanding acoustics and doing som ething about
them is Acou s tics by F Al ton Everest from
TAB Boo k s . In easy-to-understand text and
many diagrams he covers facts and fall acies
about the scien ce of sound and hearing,
and gives tons of rel evant audiophile facts.
THE ELSEWHERE PHENOMENA
But the fun part that can come out in
a ny discussion about good sounding
rooms is the bit where we admit “it sounds
better out in the kitchen, than in here!”.
We’ve prob a bly all ex perienced this seemingly strange phenomena at one time or
another. So before we go spending a quarter million or so like Ma rk Levinson did
on his over the top perfect Cello listen i n g
room, maybe we should just thrash the
alternate listening envi rons notion
around. Just to save a few quid, eh?
The one thing I’ve noticed about the
other room bet ter sound (ORBS) notion
is that non-resonant cabinet, clean transient spe a kers like Quads, Ma gneplanars
and Ma rtin-Logans consistently sound
absolutely wonderful in the next room.
Maybe it’s because they’re linear phase
rad i a tors, and there’s very little non s en s e
happening bet ween the woof and tweet
sections. No, that matters up close. Or
maybe it’s because they’re dipoles and
they ’re not exciting as many nasty room
nodes. No, the room is actually the speaker box if we’re listening thro u gh a doorway and hallways etc. Or maybe as big surfaces they ’re just moving the air more
even ly. Or since there are no cabi n et nasties, the reprodu ced sound is simply better. But why apprec i a te that more from
elsewhere instead of up close. Weird!?!
THE ORBS DINNER
What got me going on this topic was a
surprising little incident while we had a
12
h ome dinner with good fri en d s . They are self-ad m i n i s tered several Hei n e ken mannot “into hi-fi”, but have a modest little oeuvres as I pondered that old mystery
NAD system through which they often again of “what is good sound?” Maybe my
enjoy classical selections and some 60–70s friends just like fire hall sound.
oldies. “So on the night in qu e s ti on”, said
inspector Jacques Clousseu, “precisely, L I K E LY S U S P E C T S
what did you hear?” I put on the new perRight now I’m becoming seriously susfectly recorded Michael Ho u s ton picious of the whole notion of stereo as
Beethoven Last Sonatas CD and wound up manufactured via multi-mic and multithe wi ck a bit too mu ch for dinner back- track record i n gs. Particularly the way our
ground music on the Plinius SA50 into my ears may process pan-potted information,
old Ta n n oys as we shifted back into our as amplitude changed but not corrected
rear dining room . Moments after settling phase difference presentation in the sound
in to our feed, my friends were exclaiming stage. This opens up that fine can of
“how wonderful the sound is” and “it’s just worms about true multi-channel reprolike he’s playing in the next room!” I near- duction again.
ly choked on my mashed potatoes because
And there’s the not implausible idea
to my ears, it all fra n k ly sounded like shit that stereo as we know it, has done
as Mi ch ael’s music bo u n ced through its dash. Human hearing doesn’t qu i te
a hardwood floor
really work like the
kitchen with all
we set-up so
I just politely choked on sthtereos
reflecting surfaces,
ere’s a lot at stake
then dog-legged past
to consider what
my spuds and selfa fridge on thro u gh
does work and wh a t
a doorw ay into a
doesn’t.
administered several
ro u ghly two metre
I’m essentially
cubical glass and
Heineken manoeuvres as partial to purist binmore hardwood area
aural record i n gs via
going into the near
headphone replay as
I pondered that old
square heavily winthe preferred two
dowed dining room
channel medium,
mystery again of
itself.
An
ugly
but there’s no cata“what is good sound?”
acoustic path that.
logue of music to
No bass gets
en j oy. So theory
t h ro u gh that doorw ay and the adjacent shines, but re a l i ty su ck s . In favour of few
fridge does plenty of damage with microphones again, I’ve noticed that minmidra n ge bumps and bounces to cre a te a imally mic’d recordings such as old
dismal cacophony of clangs and clonks Mercurys and new Cheskys can re a lly
with no acoustic coherence or musical bal- become quite lifel i ke auditioned from
a n ce . Forget about the highs and please other rooms. Does ambient and phase cordon’t even ask about the upper mids!
rect but compromised stereo playback
I’ll put in a small separa te “tuned” work? Everywhere except my nasty dining
music system back there eventually. But on room, thank you very much!
this night in question, my friends who
were not goofing with me, and were being E X P E R T E V I D E N C E
totally natural and honest, insisted that the
If you’ve found yourself really enjoying
music sounded great!
some reprodu ced music at a far from the
I didn’t overre act and force their op i n- sweet spot location, we’d all be happy to
ion or contradict them and I didn’t lead hear about them in consideration of defint h em on fishing for com p l i m ents that my ing what’s involved in creating pure listengear that they never worri ed abo ut in the ing pleasure. Especially if we can save ourmain lounge room was suddenly magical selves a small fortune on creating our own
back here in slop echo city. I just po l i tely “ideal” l i s tening environments. Wherever
choked on my spuds, nodded along, and they may be!
…AND NOW TO THE LEFT
b y Ll o yd M a co mb e r
The road to Basla
A R O A D LE S S W E L L T R AV E L LE D B Y T H I S W R I T E R
S
o what do y’all think of when
thinking of Canada? I think of
Canada and I immediately think of
maple syru p, a certain Mr John West, and
of co u rse big scale bumps on the land
called the Rockies.
I think of Canadian music and from the
pop world kd lang and Cowboy Ju n k i e s
spring to mind. Jeanne Lamon’s
Tafelmusik and Charles Dutoi t’s brilliant
O rchestre Symphonique de Montreal
serve classical music lovers like myself very
well indeed.
In the world of high fidelity, Canada
sports the well known and re s pected
spe a ker brands Energy, Paradigm and
Mirage and, of course, Bryston amps.
Producing amplifiers in Peterboro u gh
Ontario since 1973, Bryston promote their
product lines with the slogan “20 Year
Warranty – A Generation of Mu s i c”, certainly a generous warranty period.
App a ren t ly, Brys ton is biggest and be s t
known in the realm of profe s s i onal audio
gear, parti c u l a rly amplifiers to the worlds
stadia, pubs, clubs and studios.
Si n ce 1994, Brys ton have en j oyed success with the current ST range of power
amplifiers from which I was fortu n a te
enough to select from, together with a
matching BP pre amplifier.
My request for a pre- and power amplifier combo with a phono input was well
received but sadly unavailable from the
NZ distributor.
What did arrive for my perusal were the
BP-20 line only control preamplifier and
4BST stereo power amplifier ($2789 and
$4299 respectively).
The plain, unadorned brown boxe s
harboured audio products that
were nothing but a mys tery to me.
To me, the Bryston name was just
that, a name. I had never ever heard
one and hardly ever laid eyes on
one. Consequently, I was about to
embark on an exc u rsion along a
road I had never taken.
SPECS ANYONE
I’ve never been one needing to
know anything more than the merest of information, really only
what’s necessary to get my hi-fi up
14
and running. But, for those interested, the eye with a sharp stick for offering up
here are some vital statistics. The pre a m- such injurious words, but I know Naim
plifier sports five RCA inputs, t wo RCA stuff ain’t perfect.
o utp ut s , one proce sYou see , I fig u red
sor/tape loop, t wo
that living with
You see, I figured that
pairs of b a l a n ced
amplifiers like the
XLR inputs and one
Brystons would give
living with amplifiers like me an understandpair of b a l a n ced
male XLR outputs.
ing as to why some
the Brystons would give guys get a kick out
The power amplifier is ra ted at 250
of owning big and
watts per channel me an understanding as to serious
looking
i n to eight ohms and
amps.
why some guys get a kick
features a stereo/
This, not only
mono switch, regubecause I know very
out
of
owning
big
and
l a ted power su pplies
little about them,
to all voltage gain
but because they
serious looking amps
stages, gold plated
appear a totally difinput and output
ferent approach to
connectors (whoopie!) and switchable bal- making amplifiers in the 90s than my
anced XLR and RCA unbalanced inputs.
diminutive Naims.
My re a s ons won’t shock you (not like
those nudey ph o tos of ex-Princess Di,
MAN OR MOUSE?
As someone who has lived with and et al), but they’re hopefully a step up in
owned Naim Audio amplifiers for many credibility than the crap we watch on
years I looked upon the opportunity to live Hard Copy!
with a BASLA (big and serious looking
SIZE
amp) with eminent curiosity.
For those not familiar with the Naim
Despite the slender box that houses the
w ay of life, I find it best describing these pre a m p l i fier, I have little time or de s i re to
Pom my products as messengers of mu s i- ever own a hulk such as the Bryston 4BST.
cal ex pre s s i on ri ch in rhythm and ti m i n g, This may appear unfair, but once you’ve
with particular emphasis on musical l ived with a Naim amplifier and taken for
expression rather than specific accuracy in granted its relatively compact size you
perform a n ce environ m en t , aco u s tic or, as won’t take to kindly in having to house
of ten the case may be, scale and pre s en ce one of those big boxes (that rules out pretof the venue.
ty mu ch everything coming out of North
Naim owners may want to poke me in America).
Not to be left out however, our very
own New Zealand made power- h o u s e
Bryston 4BST power amplifier
amps tend to fall into the similar
category of, shall we just say, big and
bulky. The worst culprit of this is
P l i n ius with their SA range. Now I
k n ow we’re supposed to listen to
these things and not ga ze lon gingly
at them, but I can’t think of a more
daft item to have sitting around the
living room than awk w a rd looking
fins flanking a big metallic box.
BASS
I had heard that Bryston was
ren owned for the quality of bass
Jim’s page
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produced from their power amps (the
4BST included). This bass quality, I
soon found out, was not to be confused
with qu a n ti ty. That the 4BST dived low
was never in qu e s ti on . But wh en diving
the music went with it. The extension,
the timbre, the dynamics, and the
expression, the whole shooting box.
Bryston BP20 preamplifier
Whether listening to the double bass of
jazz man Christian McBride, the synth
bass of the latest Everything But the Girl a lw ays the efferve s cent messenger when
album, or the sombre do u ble bass stri n gs com p a red to ei t h er of its rivals. And wh a t
of a Shostakovich symphony, the 4BST of the Canadians? Well, they fell short of
pre s en ted the domain of upper, mid and the mark in expressing the music with the
low bass with aplomb.
verve and spice of the Naims, or the clariIntere s tingly, I was able to place the
ty, scale and resolution of the Plinii.
Bryston aside my own Naim NAP180 as
well as the Editor’s Plinius SA100 (yes, the T H O S E L O O K S
one talked about elsewhere ! ) . Now this
The BP-20 pre amp smacks of having a
was en tertaining. One could not assem bl e professional background first, domestic/
t h ree more different
consumer
backamplifiers than this
ground secon d . Not
Interestingly, I was able to that this is controtrio.
On the one hand,
ial, but to me it
place the Bryston aside my vers
we have consideris telling that the
able differences in
rt of Bryston is
own Naim NAP180 as well hitseaprofessional
power rating – the
marBryston sporting an
ket first. The BP-20
as
the
Editor’s
Plinius
impre s s ive
250
is a thin, wide and
watts/ch into eight SA100 (yes, the one talked deep metal box. On
ohms; the Naim a
the front are three
m e a gre 60 watts; the
about elsewhere!). Now large round knobs
Plinius some 100
(source, balance and
watts (in class A) this was entertaining. One vo lume) flanked by
again into an eight
t wo skinny toggle
could not assemble three switches each side.
ohm load. Despite
the engine size difThe overall assemmore different amplifiers blage is clean, neat
feren ce s , all power
amps pushed and
and understated.
than this trio.
pulled at the musical
The build qu a l i ty
signals sent to them
appears very good
by their respective matching pre amps
f rom the outside and the choi ce of satin
(Bryston BP20; Naim NAC 7 2 / Hi c a p ; and brushed metal and paint finishes is
Plinius Model 12) with apparent ease.
also very good.
Admittedly, I was not particularly interThe one and only real bee in my bonested in just when any of the power ampli- net with this (and any) Bryston product is
fiers was going to give up the ghost, but the com p a ny ’s logo – it re a lly is a nasty
ra t h er what sound each of the trio wo u l d piece of work!
give me as inherently their own.
In con s i dering the 4BST power amplifier I have alre ady to u ch ed on my feel i n gs
INTEGRATION
for largish boxe s . This said, I feel those
The Bryston’s expressed music in a guys behind the wheel back in Canada
most unified and intimate fashion, always. have produced a black box that could have
This characteristic of the Bryston duo I felt been a hell of a lot worse!
was endearing.
Faint praise I know, but considering its
The Editor’s Plinius coupling reve a l ed shared profe s s i onal back ground the 4BST
more app a rent space, volume and inky (together with the 3BST and 7BST) sports
blackness about the musical setting (and racy hori zontal grooves that nicely bre a k
did so well I must add).
up the front fascia plate.
My own Naim coupling was more than
Also on the face is the centrally located
16
rectangular on / of f but ton and a pair of
butch handles, no doubt to assist us
chaps in transporting.
Despite the fact that these handles
look as macho as the spoilers on an HSV
Ho l den they actually get my vo te for
their straight-up practicality. In the long
term though, I would rather have the
option of rem oving them on ce my 4BST
was at home for keeps.
Otherwise, the 4BST left more of a
visual mark on my memory than the BP20, this despite the power amps physical
size.
THOSE EDGES
Those edges are not the physical ones
that come close to cutting you, but the
ones that are seemingly present to a
greater or lesser degree in any hi-fi systems
sound. Certainly, one of the most con s i derable sonic differen ces between my
Naims and these Brystons was the handling and management of those edges.
If I could ever criticise my amplifiers
(tough call I know ) , the criticism would
h ave to be directed at the steely taste that
the Naim amps sometimes leave in my
mouth. By this I mean that the musical
edges, those hard to qualify (and oft hard
to clarify) leading edges of musical passages, are expressed with an exuberance
which renders the overall sound twodimensional and quite often thin. (Boy oh
boy, I’m in for it now!)
In expressing music, the Bryston duo
never appe a red to suffer from this sometimes fatiguing trait. Rather, the Brys ton s
played leading ed ges wi t h o ut attitu de , but
with a maturity rather like the subtle
flavours of a complex wine. Certainly, taking this capacity of the Brystons and melding it into my Naim system would be
enlightening.
LAST DANCE FOR THE NIGHT
In the limited time living with them I
en j oyed the Brys ton pre and power combination. Although I wasn’t really taken by
the overall appearance of the pair, I found
the particular style of music making informative, balanced and integrated.
No, I didn’t feel the Brystons were a
match for the Naim’s in terms of brevity
and timing, n or were they as voluminous
in scale and information as the Editor’s
Plinii coupling.
Yet the Canadian pair did prove a rel iable, consistent and fluid messenger of the
music put its way.
T H E
EXCLUSIVE
PA RA D I GM
DEALERS:
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0-9-827 1220
M ATA M ATA
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0-7-888 7458
THAMES
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H A M I LT O N
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Centre
0-7-308 8069
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0-7-304 9514
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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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2. Mid-size floorstanding speakers of the year
PARADIGM Espirit / Bipolars
3. Sub/Sat speaker systems of the year
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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IMAGE ANDANTE
$1999
O U R FAV O U R I T E T H I N G S
Floor-standing loudspeakers
This New Zealandbuilt spe a ker offers
good looks with re a l
wood veneers , hightech drive units and
a good midrange.
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
F
loor- standing loudspeakers are
increasing in sales, as many people
move away from the box on a stand.
The biggest potential problem with
floor-standing spe a kers is that, with the
larger cabinet walls, the panels can add
their own sound to that of the music.
Which is one reason why good floorstanders tend to be a bit pricey.
The models pictured
a re the pick of the
AudioEnz team while,
on the next page, we list
the choices of five audio
dealers.
SHAHINIAN ARC
$5000–$5300 depending on
finish
ROYD DOUBLET
$1850–$2150
depending on finish
A punchy, open and
vibrant sound from
this
diminutive,
attractive speaker.
MIRAGE M7Si
$3499
A bipolar spe a ker, which radiates both forwards and back, the
m onolithic Mi ra ge produ ce s
a big, deep soundstage.
KEF REFERENCE 3
$6999
Part of KEF’s new
Reference range with
Uni-Q drive units,
The Reference 3 has a
seamless transition
f rom mids to highs, a
natural timbre and
lack of compression.
EPOS ES25
$5995
Epo s’ first three - w ay spe a ker is
extremely transparent with great
rhythmic drive.
18
Idiosyncratic looks from this
omnidirectional speaker, but a
bold and dynamic sound that
fills a room with music. Let’s
you for get abo ut hi-fi and ju s t
enjoy the music!
PROAC
RESPONSE 2.5
$7995–$9500
depending on finish
Elegant appeara n ce ,
good bass for the size
of the speaker, a great
sense of presence and
lack of grain helps the
Re s ponse 2.5 make
terrific music.
Affordable high-end
(brought to you by Interdyn)
ROTEL
RSP 960AX Dolby Processor
RRP $999
“This one was a dream. Once again, Rotel has come up with an
intelligently designed, cost-effective audiophile component. Hats
off to their engineering team”
High Performance Review
RC 970BX mk2/RB 970BX mk2 pre/power
Amplifiers
RRP $449/$649
“Uncomplicated styling, good sounds and the ability to grow with
your system—Rotel’s affordable pre- power combination gives a
true five star show”
What Hi-Fi
RCD 970BX Compact Disc Player
RRP $999
“…should certainly be on the auditioning list of anyone with this
kind of money to spend”
What Hi-Fi
RA 980BX Integrated Amplifier
RRP $1099
“We have tested a number of Rotel components over the years,
and they have all been excellent performers offering very good
value. The RA 980BX integrated amplifier upholds that tradition,
both sonically and technically”
Sound & Vision
RA 920AX Integrated Amplifier
M&K’s 22 years experience in sub/sat
systems has provided them with the
perfect platform for high performance
music and Home Theatre reproduction.
M&K’s designs incorporate one of the
steepest filter slopes (36dB/octave) in
the industry, which helps create a truly
non-directional sound.
Their internal amplifiers utilise high
current power supplies, to ensure the
subwoofer has plenty of reserve to
draw on during musical peaks. Every
sub comes with RCA and speaker level
connectors to ensure compatibility with
any system. Each subwoofer
incorporates a bass level control and
variable crossover from 50–125Hz for
seamless system integration.
RRP $449
“The bottom line is that the Rotel RA 920AX has its ri vals thoroughly beaten if you just want to enjoy listening to music”
What Hi-Fi
TDL
NFM Bookshelf Speakers
RRP $399
“Quite frankly the best sub-£100 speakers you can buy… we
wish we had a six-star score, for the NFMs are just phenomenal”
What Hi-Fi
RTL 2 Floor-Standing Speakers
RRP $1099
“…a very attractive and listenable speaker at a most attractive
price. It is well worth hearing if you are in the market for a compact, top-notch speaker system that won’t bankrupt you or dominate your home decor”
Stereo Review
RTL 3 Floor-Standing Speakers
RRP $1599
“Their twin bass/midrange drive units and reflex transmission
line design, capable of handling 120W, ensure that bass is
retrieved from 20,000 fathoms deep. And it’s tight and controlled. Regardless of how complex the music becomes, the
TDL’s agility and fast response means they always keep abreast
of event”
What Hi-Fi
PRO-JECT
Pro-Ject 1.2 Turntable (includes Ortofon OM10
cartridge)
RRP $499
from $999
M&K satellites are equipped with an
adjustable tonal balance which allows
the user to tailor the system for room
acoustics without the use of an eq.
All systems are timbre matched by
utilising virtually identical drivers and
crossovers to ensure the sound is the
same throughout the room.
The use of M&K in the development
of AC-3 (Dolby Digital) meant they were
the first to be proven AC-3 ready. M&K
also produce two systems which are
THX-certified, one of which recently
won the coveted USA Grand Prix
Award.
“Able to suppress surface noise to almost inaudible levels…will
get you re-exploring your record collection, then reward you by
letting you hear plenty you never noticed before”
What Hi-Fi
Pro-Ject 2 Turntable (includes Ortofon OM10
cartridge)
RRP $699
“This deck’s strongest point is its musical coherence and the
sense of sheer rightness about the sound”
Hi-Fi World
Pro-Ject 6.1e Turntable (includes Pro-Ject 4
cartridge)
RRP $999
“…a sparkling performer, digging deep into a records grooves
and bringing out truckloads of detail”
What Hi-Fi Awards
For more information please contact Michael Sherman at
I n t e rnational Dynamics
PO Box 109-317, Newmarket, Auckland. Ph/fax 0-9-524 8488. Mobile 025-798 260
from $899
For more information please contact
Michael Sherman at
I n t e rnational Dynamics
PO Box 109-317, Newmarket, Auckland
Ph/fax 0-9-524 8488. Mobile 025-798 260
S E E • H E A R • T O U C H
W H A T
T H E
D E A L E R S
T H I N K
We asked five of New Zealand’s top hi-fi retailers what their
floorstanding loudspeaker recommendations were – and why
The new Arcam Range
From the UK’s leading manufacturer of specialist hi-fi components comes a stunning new range.
Arcam’s CD players, amplifier and tuners benefit from
improvements to sound quality, styling and the ability to be
upgraded throughout the range.
Take, for example, the Arcam Alpha 7 CD player. Possibly
the best value CD player produced in the UK, it is also easily
upgradable to an Alpha 8 or Alpha 9 CD player, when you
are ready to improve your sound.
The new Alpha series of integrated amplifiers are also
upgradable. Each model includes preamp-out jacks, so you
can greatly improve the sound of your music by bi-amping
your loudspeakers.
The reviews say it all:
Arcam Alpha 7 CD player
“Confident, open and enjoyable sound; massively improved
styling… its performance and potential more than justifies
the cost”
What
Hi-Fi?
Alpha 8 CD player
“…weight, warmth and high level of resolution” What Hi-Fi?
Arcam Alpha 7 amplifier
“…a winning mix of smoothness and clarity”
What Hi-Fi?
Arcam Alpha 8 amplifier
“…a must-audition amp”
What Hi-Fi?
Ava i lable at your Arcam dealer now
Proudly imported by Avalon Audio Corporation Limited
587 Mt Eden Road, Auckland
Phone 0-9-638 9000. Fax 0-9-638 8888
20
Eric Gilliand – Sight and Sound, Dunedin came up with three
recommendations. Eric’s most affordable recommendation is the
Royd Minstrel ($1000), a speaker with a very small footprint. They
“need a good English amplifier to drive them” says Eric, but with
one “they really sing”. From the same manufacturer, the Royd
Doublet ($1850–$2100, depending on finish) is “musical with more
wallop” than the smaller Minstrel. Eric finds the Doublet a fine
match with Arcam or Naim electronics. Eric’s final recommendation
in the Epos ES22 ($4200). After much running-in, Eric finds the
ES22’s an “absolutely delightful speaker”, with its “beautiful presentation on all types of music.” Anthony Muriel – Eastern
Hi-Fi, North Shore likes the Mirage M7Si ($3499). Anthony fin d s
them far easier to set up than the bigger bipolar Mirage speakers,
but the 7’s perform nearly as well as the bigger MS5i and MS3i. The
Polk RT10 ($1299) is an entry-level floorstander – “great for people
who like electric guitar” says Anthony, adding that its soundstaging
is very good. The Mordaunt-Short MS40i ($1699) has “very full
extension in the bass”, laid-back vocals and a widely dispersing treble. The more up-market Mordaunt Short Performance 820 ($3999)
also gets the nod from Anthony. Its rock-resin cabinet contributes to
the authoritative sound, “among the most solid bass you could
hear”. Finally, Anthony recommends the Polk LS90 ($4000) for its
flexibility. Anthony says that the LS90 is good with stringed music
and has a very large soundstage. Gordon Stevenson – Hi-Fi
Gallery, Napier also likes the Mirage M7Si ($3499). “You can walk
across the front stage of a Mirage speaker and you can’t tell where
the music’s coming from.” Gordon also likes the Mirage M590
($1699), with its similar technology to the bigger Mirage. From
America, Gordon recommends the I n finity Kappa 6.2 ($3000). They
“look beautiful, sound good too; hard to beat for the money.” Finally,
Gordon likes the Tannoy 636 ($1599). “A good quality English
sound” from a sensibly priced, attractive speaker. Mike Nicholas –
Lakeland TV & S t e re o, Hamilton likes the Canadian Energy C6
($2299–$2699, depending on finish) and Energy C8 ($2999–$3500,
depending on finish) speakers, citing their good all-round sound and
ease of driving. The KEF Reference Model 2 ($4499) also gets the
nod from Mike. A “very accurate, nice, clean and neutral sound”
with good imaging from the Uni-Q driver. A somewhat different
sound is from the I n finity Kappa 8 ($4800) – “good for a really big
sound that can be cranked up.” The budget choice is the KEF Coda 9
($999), an entry-level, floor-stander that offers good bass weight.
Paul Turner – Paul Money Hi-Fi, Auckland likes the Mission
733 ($999) for their “easy to listen to” sound, and that they take up
little floor space. The Image 502 ($1899) wins the award for “best
looking speaker” says Paul. Aimed more at a younger market, the
502 offers “huge bass, able to fill small halls with a single bound!
An excellent home theatre speaker.” The Infinity Reference 50
($1699) is a “squat floorstander that works close to the wa l l .” It is
a “clean and crisp sounding speaker” which “projects quite a good
image” says Paul.
Simply
The Best
We ARE New Zealand’s Loudspeaker Specialists!
Here’s a sample of what we have on offer:
Celestion 7000; Duntech Marquis;
Genesis 8500; Lambert Virtuoso
Major; Martin-Logan SL3;
Mirage M1 and M3
Hear these classic speakers on some of the world’s
best loudspeaker accessories:
New 604/704 McLaren pre
and Power Amplifiers
McLaren Integrated Amplifiers
Sources, Speakers and Cables
Amplifier, CD player, Video
and other Source Upgrades
Home Theatre Design
System Optimisation and Speaker Performance
Upgrades
The best sound for your $
Customised to suit your needs
For some very special offers join our mailing list
Audio Research; California Audio Labs;
Carver; Conrad Johnson; Ocean 1;
Plinius; Threshold; Trichord; Unison
Research; VTL.
Talk to the best – McLaren designer Bruce Crothers
with 15 years of professional design experience
and familiar with all aspects of hi-fi
25 Portage Road, New Lynn, Auckland
Ph 0-9-827 1220. Fax 0-9-826 0302
Amplifier Consultants Ltd
Ph 0-4-478 6669 Fax 0-4-478 6669
PO Box 13359 Johnsonville, Wellington
US high-end audio – direct
Music Reference tube amps
The RM9 – “An American
classic”—Dick Olsher
Stereophile Class A rating
–120 watts per channel
–proven 10,000 hr tube life
RAM Tubes
The best for your ears
Vandersteen
Loudspeakers
1c and 2ce
–time-aligned
–simple crossover
–deep bass
–excellent imaging
Aragon and Acurus solid state amps
“The best kilobuck amp in the US”—Stereophile on the DIA100
Aragon 8008 – Even better than the famous 4004
Now available in New Zealand
phone Lew Wells 0-9-520 0257
ACi – Titan powered subwoofer from USA
Audio Synergy – Charmaine loudspeaker
from Australia
DH Labs – Cables from USA
Lamm Audio Laboratory – Class A
amplifiers from USA
Micrex – Valve amplifiers from Australia
Papworth Audio Technology – Valve
amplifiers from England
Sonique – Loudspeakers and AV systems
from South Australia
Swans Speaker Systems – Efficient
loudspeakers from Canada
Teac/Esoteric – CD players from Japan
Trichord Research - CD players and
modifications from England
Unicone - Tuning feet from West Australia
Unison Research - Class A valve amplifiers
from Italy
Dealer enquiries welcome
Transline Audio Phone/Fax 0-7-5785211
21
T H E S O N I C G L A D I AT O R
by Da rre n K ni g ht
Paint a vulgar picture
H O W D O Y O U S TA R T ? W H E R E D O Y O U G O ?
W H AT D O Y O U N E E D T O K N O W ?
C
red. we all want it. chicks love
it. And if you ain’t got it, cherubs,
t h ere’s not a lot of point in buying
that new fondue set, cos the revival is over.
Nowh ere is the whole cred thing more
essential than when navigating the hi-fi
s cene. I say “s cen e” in the café sense of
course. Smouldering over a latté, loving
Fren ch Vogue, conspicuously bored, and
pounding away on the laptop in pursuit of
the great New Zealand novel. (Set in
Gisborne in the Fifties, and every second
word is po hutukawa). You know the drill.
Very clever. Très drôle.
Well sti ck with m o i, my little pe ach bl o ss om s , and toget h er we shall ri de that stylish wave and take the hurt out of venturing into stores with names like “Go Away
Unpleasant, Ill-Educated Peop l e” and
“Sod-Off S po t ty (Saab Parking at Rear).”
Before we move on, h owever, t a ke a
moment to note the interesting and
thought provoking way the aforementioned, well known hi-fi retailers have provided no clues to the casual passerby as to
their wares, and have cleverly succeeded in
pissing off most of the population.
Which is precisely the point of having
a hi-fi s tore: to narrow the cl i en tele down
to public figures, a handful of artistes, Saab
owners, their immed i a te families, and a
Devonport architect whom I happen to
know personally.
THE LOOK
Believe me, my little active cro s s overs,
the size of your bank balance will not do
the biz if you don’t look the part when
crossing the threshold into your establishment of choice. Store employees have been
k n own to drive customers back into the
street from when ce they came with cattle
prods.
So do yours el f a favour, pop out to the
back yard, and incinerate the Def Leppard
T-shirts before reading on.
Perhaps the most essential ward robe
i tem the hi-fi novi ce can own is the bl ack
turtle neck swe a ter (no, you cannot get
Mum to embroider “Triumph” on the
f ront). It would seem, the more yo u
resemble the late Audrey Hepburn, the
gre a ter the likelihood yo u’ll be welcomed
into the listening room by similarly clad
22
s h op assistants, and if yo u’re truly fortunate, they’ll soon have you parked on a
be a s t ly leather sofa, e s presso in one hand,
s l i ce of Camembert in the other, playing
some old git on the stereo, and sculpting
your hair for free.
Yes, yes, I know what yo u’re thinking.
“How come the spotty guy down the road
with the Nissan Vi o l et and the terrifying
dandruff has a rootin’ tootin’, nifty, dandy,
hi-fi to die for? And has as about as much
style as a Westy at his best mate’s wedding
(Bloody nice cummerbund Kev!) to boot.”
SANDALS, PEOPLE
Yep, Goddamn sandals.
Don’t get me started, but it seems the
only other way into a hi-fi store is to loo k
such a complete knob that the glamourous
assistants are afraid to soil their cattle
prods on your smelly cardy, and will sell
you anything you want just to have you off
the premises. All well and good. You’ve got
the stereo, but no chicks.
Oh, you wanted the stereo? Well la de
da! Th en this articl e’s not for the likes of
you and your horrid chums who got better marks than me at school, and now have
high paying jobs at IBM. I played sports,
and smoked, and got in adventures, and
now have to live a tortured ex i s tence as a
petrol station attendant because you were
nerdy at school, and loo ked funny with
sandwiches squashed behind your glasses.
I hope you’re satisfied!
Ahem.(Slightly embarrassed). Where
were we? The… oh yes, the hi-fi thing.
Now, the real test begins. This is the
point wh ere the purchase of your new hifi hangs in the balance, if you fail now,
your name will be passed from dealer to
de a l er faster than a bong at a hippie conven ti on , and no amount of fame and fortune will ever erase the shame.
THE BIG QUESTION
Our coiffed chums masqu erading as
h a ppy go lu cky hi-fi buffs selling the stu f f
in their spare time, n ow move in for the
coup de grace.
Sidling up beside you and timing it well
with a mouthful of camembert, one of
them will cleverly attract your attention by
tying novelty knots in a $400 interconnect
or crushing an Oriental produ ct bet ween
his thumb and forefin ger, whilst the other
wh i s pers sedu ctively “What’s your curren t
system?”.
Do not, whatever you do, cry. This
brings the prods on faster than you can
say, “The best at the best pri ce . Noooel
Leeming”.
Gosh no, my little aluminium tweeters.
Calmly finish your nibble, turn tow a rd
your attacker and say in a firm but friendly way: “Late seventies tube”.
Th a t’s the last thing the smug little
snots expect, and at least one of them will
lose control of his bladder and stumble off
into the back room mut tering som ething
about spilt head cleaning fluid.
You’re in! And no one except your
Mum is ever to know about the Sa nyo
three-in-one, hidden shamefully under the
saucy mags and lingerie in the wardrobe.
THE NEW SYSTEM
The on e - of f p u rchase of an enti re system from these types of stores is, not su rprisingly, against the law in most We s tern
co u n tries and indivi dual com pon ents can
be purchased at intervals of no less than
three months from the same store, or two
weeks from another store providing they
are not of the same brand and are phenomenally incompatible.
Any w ay, to do other than try out four
million types of speaker before the agonising purchase of one interconnect, wo u l d
have you labelled a poof and refused entry
to the annual “I don’t care if i t’s better –
it’s made in Japan – aaaaaah, get it off
me!” ball. So why bother? Buy the most
expensive thing in the shop, even if it’s the
manager’s hair gel, and say “Gosh it
sounds nice and cri s p, doesn’t it?”, as yo u
blind the buggers with the gold Amex.
Next issue I’m thinking of interviewing
someone important and bloody intere s ting in the industry. So look forward to my
opinions on why home theatre would be
much better if someone gave me a free
one, and the low - down on why I think
Linn should change the company name to
something more manly like “Barry” or
“Leslie” [or “Darren”?—Editor].
Until then, remember there’s nothing
big or clever about showing off.
The
best
loudspeakers
in
the
world…
HD580
Precision
available
from
all
hi-fi
dealers
…at
$499,
who
can
argue?
Quality
The Definition Never Changes
Dynaco CDV-1 Vacuum Tube CD Player
$1299 – 1 year warranty
Full range of Dynaco In stock now
Sound Group Holdings
PO Box 33-791, Takapuna
Telephone 0-9-415 6680. Fax 0-9-415 6683
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
Wellington 0-4-388 2347
Nelson Feedback Audio Ph 0-3-548 4068
23
For nearly half a century Acoustic
Research has been innovating
breakthrough technologies that
have become standards in the
audio industry. Home Theatre and
Dolby Digital® 5.1 channel sound
systems are now replacing
traditional two channel stereo.
AR’s new digital-ready High
Output series was designed for
these revolutionary new formats.
For the first time, high efficiency
and audiophile sound quality have
been combined in beautifully
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both the delicacy and
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With exclusive technologies such
as Energy Control Contour Baffle,
Multi Slot Loading and Voice
Balanced Tonal Matching,
Acoustic Research is leading the
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There’s a dedicated Denco Audio
retailer near you. Phone toll free
0508 800 555 for details