Anthony H. Cordesman

Spica TC-50 loudspeaker
Budget Component ReviewsHistoricalStand Loudspeaker Reviews
Anthony H. Cordesman, Various  |  Mar 11, 1998  |  First Published: Feb 11, 1984  |  0 comments
High-quality, low-cost loudspeaker systems are not an everyday blessing. The Rogers LS3/5a has survived for more than a decade precisely because so few US manufacturers sought musical accuracy as distinguished from high output and powerful bass. The economics of loudspeaker manufacture also don't lend themselves to economy. The cost of woodwork is driving the price of speakers up almost as fast as the cost of sheet-metal work is escalating the price of electronics.
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Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 preamplifier
Tube Preamp Reviews
Anthony H. Cordesman, Various  |  Nov 10, 1996  |  First Published: Nov 10, 1986  |  1 comments
It takes more than passing courage to make another assault on building the world's best tube preamplifier. You face stiff competition from well-established firms like Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, and Counterpoint. Such units can't be made inexpensively, and you face the steadily growing problem of tube supply: it is getting harder and harder to get tubes that are stable, have predictable sound and performance characteristics, and are long-lived. And you have to show audiophiles who have been burned before that you will still be around when they need service.
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Vandersteen 2C loudspeaker
Floor Loudspeaker Reviews
John Atkinson, Anthony H. Cordesman  |  Sep 07, 1996  |  First Published: Sep 07, 1986  |  0 comments
Whenever I think of cone speaker systems, I think of three brand names: Snell, Thiel, and Vandersteen. There are many good loudspeakers and many good designers and manufacturers, but it is these three who, in my opinion, consistently produce the best cone loudspeaker systems. All three companies produce full-range systems, transparent systems, and systems which mate well with a wide range of equipment. Their systems can be owned and enjoyed for years. Long after some fad or special feature has given a competing designer brief notoriety, these are the products you turn back to for music.
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PS Audio 200C power amplifier
J. Gordon HoltSolid State Power Amp Reviews
Anthony H. Cordesman, J. Gordon Holt  |  Dec 29, 1995  |  First Published: Dec 29, 1985  |  0 comments
Several issues back, I mentioned a major "new wave" of power amplifiers coming along: the Adcom 555, the New York Audio Labs transistor-tube hybrids, and the latest Krells, for example. They demonstrate that major audible improvements are still possible in something as well-explored as the power amplifier. Not only that, some of these products demonstrate that superior performance can be combined with relatively low price.
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Audio Research SP-11 preamplifier
Tube Preamp ReviewsJ. Gordon Holt
Anthony H. Cordesman, J. Gordon Holt  |  Jun 10, 1995  |  First Published: Jun 10, 1986  |  0 comments
If there is indeed a renaissance of tubes in high-end audio—and it is clear there is—much of the blame lies with Audio Research Corporation.
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Magnepan Magneplanar MGIIIA loudspeaker
Floor Loudspeaker ReviewsHistorical
Anthony H. Cordesman, Martin Colloms  |  Apr 29, 1995  |  First Published: Jun 29, 1986  |  0 comments
I must confess to a certain sentimental affection for Magnepan products. An early version of the Tympani did more to rekindle my interest in audio than any other speaker I can think of. In a world which seemed doomed to finding out just how small and dull it could make acoustic suspension boxes, the Magnepans reminded me that speakers could produce a large open soundstage, real dynamics, and musical life.
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Adcom GFA-555 power amplifier
Solid State Power Amp ReviewsHistorical
Anthony H. Cordesman, Various  |  Apr 05, 1995  |  First Published: Apr 06, 1985  |  1 comments
I am reluctant to call any given transistor power amplifier a "best buy" or "breakthrough." From my talks with designers and other audiophiles, it is clear that the state of the art in power amplifiers is about to change. From where I stand, the Adcom GFA-555 is the first sample of this new wave. It is so clearly superior to past amplifiers in the low- to mid-priced range—not to mention most amplifiers two to three times its pric—that I can unhesitatingly recommend it for even the most demanding high end system.
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