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Every jazz recording I played through the Eposes was a rich experience. "Pannonica," from Thelonious Monk's Brilliant Corners (45rpm LP, Riverside/Analogue Productions RLP-226), highlighted Eric Henry's breathy, delicate, vibrant alto-sax work, which was never obscured even in the densest passages. The upper register of Monk's celeste was so extended, delicate, and lifelike through the Epos that these 45s took on the qualities of a master tape. In the opening passage of "Mansour's Gift," from Attention Screen's Live at Merkin Hall (CD, Stereophile STPH018-2), I was able to focus on drummer…
When most of us think about the folks who populate the high-end audio industry, we tend to conjure up the designers—the names above the titles, as it were. Or, in many cases, the names that are the titles: Richard Vandersteen, Jim Thiel, Bill Conrad and Lew Johnson, Mike Creek, to name just a few.
Of course, these are only a few of the folks who give high-end audio its special sauce—others include Kathy Gornik, who has played as big a role in growing Thiel as Jim did, and Roy Hall, who made Mike Creek a household name, at least over here in 'Murrica. They're lifers in the good…
The December 2011 issue of Stereophile is now on newsstands. Here are 60 reasons to buy it:
1. In “As We See It,” Tom Conrad responds to Steve Guttenberg’s May 2011 opening essay, in which he argued, “Digital audio mortally wounded recorded music’s creative mojo in 1982, and the record industry never fully recovered.” Tom offers a sunnier point of view and makes the case that jazz lives.
2. In the “Letters” section, I am not criticized for hanging out with women, talking about music, or cursing.
3.–7. In “Industry Update,” we bring you lots of audio news,…
When I started the Rowland/BAT comparison, I hadn't listened to the Rowland Model 2 for at least a couple of months. Firing it up again, I was quickly reminded why I'd been so enthusiastic about this amplifier in the review. It is a truly excellent amplifier, worthy of Class A status. I required several back-and-forth changes between the Rowland Model 2 and the BAT VK-60 to identify their differences.
The comparison between the amplifiers confirmed that the VK-60 is quite special when it comes to harmonic accuracy. The Rowland Model 2 is no slouch in this area; in fact, its preservation…
2004 Joint Budget Products of the Year
Magnepan CC3 center & MGMC1 surround loudspeaker system (review) ($2490/system; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, Vol.26 No.12, December 2003)
Spendor S5e loudspeaker (review) ($1649/pair; reviewed by Art Dudley, Vol.27 No.9, September 2004)
Runners-Up (in alphabetical order):
B&W 705 loudspeaker (review) ($1500/pair; reviewed by John Atkinson, Vol.27 No.2, February 2004)
Benchmark DAC1 D/A headphone amplifier (review) ($975; reviewed by John Marks & John Atkinson, Vol.26 No.7 & Vol.27 No.5, July 2003 & May 2004)
…
Magnepan CC3 center & MGMC1 surround loudspeaker system (review) ($2490/system; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, Vol.26 No.12, December 2003)
Spendor S5e loudspeaker (review) ($1649/pair; reviewed by Art Dudley, Vol.27 No.9, September 2004)
Runners-Up (in alphabetical order):
B&W 705 loudspeaker (review) ($1500/pair; reviewed by John Atkinson, Vol.27 No.2, February 2004)
Benchmark DAC1 D/A headphone amplifier (review) ($975; reviewed by John Marks & John Atkinson, Vol.26 No.7 & Vol.27 No.5, July 2003 & May 2004)
…
The point is, even with an interconnect that cost as much as the PW-1 itself (MIT Shotgun), the bass performance did not significantly improve. I did notice, however, a slightly more relaxed quality to the Petites' high frequencies, presumably due to the A42's power supply being less stressed driving two speakers instead of four. The improvement was marginal, and the conclusion is this: If the amp is good enough, bi-amplification of the Trio system is a waste of money.
Conclusion, context, constraints, Chianti
Overall, I was quite impressed with the performance of the Trio system,…
Consider the lowly spork, that modern marvel of versatility: half spoon, half fork. In theory, you should be able to eat just about anything short of a flank steak with it. But the sad fact is, whether you're eating soup or salad, you might as well try to shovel it in using a tongue depressor. The damn thing's so versatile, it almost doesn't work at all. There's a lot to be said for specialization.
On the other hand, it's not a whole lot of fun trying to eat consommé with a fork, no matter how specialized it is. In the final analysis, nothing beats having the right tool for the…
Sidebar: Previous Awards:
Stereophile's Products of 2002
Product of the Year: Halcro dm58 monoblock power amplifier (review)
Joint Budget Components:
Grado SR125 headphones
Music Hall MMF-7 turntable
Revel Performa M20 loudspeaker (review)
Joint Loudspeakers:
Rockport Technologies Antares (review)
Joseph Audio RM7si Signature Mk.2 (review)
Amplification Component: Halcro dm58 monoblock power amplifier (review)
Digital Source: Sony SCD-XA777ES multichannel SACD player (review)
Joint Analog Sources:
Graham 2.2 tonearm (review)
VPI TNT V-HR…
Part of the reason for the SP-BS41-LR's transient realism was its ability to reproduce extended and uncolored high frequencies, and the way the highs seamlessly integrated with the midrange. I found myself searching for jazz recordings that spotlight the dynamic and tonal range of the trumpet. On the title track of Miles Davis's 'Round About Midnight (CD, Columbia CK 40610), his horn was silky and holographic, with just the right amount of metallic bite and long decay. On a mellower note, in the ballad "Tristan's Way," from Liam Sillery's Priorité (CD, OA2 Records 22082), Sillery stretches…
The S3/5R2's reproduction of bass was pleasing overall. Ikue Mori's deep-bass, electronic-percussion transients in Zorn's Orphée were at times startling. However, in "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," from the White Stripes' White Blood Cells (CD, V2 63881-27124-2), I felt I'd heard Meg White's pounding bass drum with more drama. And while the title track of Charles Mingus's Pithecanthropus Erectus (CD, Atlantic AMCY-1036) had a nice, linear, dynamic envelope through the S3/5R2s, and J.R. Monterose's tenor-sax solo was lyrical and dimensional, I've heard Mingus's walking-bass lines on this…