I was living in London back then, and being paid in US dollars during the pound sterling's historical high. This meant I was chronically broke, and thus fascinated by the…
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It was 20 years ago today that Sgt. Michaelson taught the band to play. I was living in London when Antony Michaelson launched Musical Fidelity in an attempt to make a major statement in the area of affordable, high-quality, high-value electronics. Other Brits at the time were doing the same—companies such as Creek, A&R Cambridge (now Arcam), and DNM began to compete for the destitute audiophile's dollar.
Listening
The Temptations followed the all-aluminum Krell LAT-1 loudspeakers into my listening room. Heavier and more expensive than the Temptation, the LAT-1 performed with superb midrange clarity and bass speed, and at first, the Temptation did not seem quite as prominent in the midrange. On the other hand, the Dynaudio was more transparent and reached down further into the lowest bass octaves, offering plenty of satisfying, nonmechanical, well-damped, deep bass, with good heft and pitch definition. This was partially the result of the Temptations' positions, which were closer to the…
The Temptations followed the all-aluminum Krell LAT-1 loudspeakers into my listening room. Heavier and more expensive than the Temptation, the LAT-1 performed with superb midrange clarity and bass speed, and at first, the Temptation did not seem quite as prominent in the midrange. On the other hand, the Dynaudio was more transparent and reached down further into the lowest bass octaves, offering plenty of satisfying, nonmechanical, well-damped, deep bass, with good heft and pitch definition. This was partially the result of the Temptations' positions, which were closer to the…
High-level dynamic slam is a character I'm used to forgoing on speakers this small. I didn't have to with the ELS-3. The high-energy dance rock of "La Locomotora," from Reves/Yosoy (Luaka Bop 47574-2), combines a frantic, heavily modulated drum machine with an amplified acoustic string bass. The Eposes didn't flinch as I cranked up this great tune to around 95dB and twitched around the listening room (the wife and kids weren't home). Well-recorded acoustic music also highlighted the ELS-3's wide, natural dynamic capabilities. On Jerome Harris' The Mooche, from JA's Editor's Choice compilation…
IRON AND WINE: Our Endless Numbered Days
Sub Pop 630 (CD). 2004. Sam Beam, Brian Deck, prods., engs. AAD? TT: 44:49
Performance ****
Sonics ****
Sub Pop 630 (CD). 2004. Sam Beam, Brian Deck, prods., engs. AAD? TT: 44:49
Performance ****
Sonics ****
No one in this big modern new century refers to a solo performer with an acoustic guitar as a "folk" musician. Folk music, which was originally music from the hills or the delta, became in the Sixties a popular music dominated by two strains, entertainment (Peter, Paul and Mary) and politics (Phil Ochs).
Today's "folk" singers are all about entertainment. They've lost the urge to write protest songs—but then, with the…
THE BAND: The Last Waltz
Warner Bros./Rhino Entertainment R2 78278 (4 CDs). 1978/2002. Robbie Robertson, prod.; Rob Fraboni, John Simon, co-prods.; Larry Samuels, exec. prod.; Terry Becker, Tim Kramer, Elliot Mazer, Wayne Neuendorf, Ed Anderson, Neil Brody, engs. AAD? TT: 4:10:16
Performance *****
Sonics ****?
Warner Bros./Rhino Entertainment R2 78278 (4 CDs). 1978/2002. Robbie Robertson, prod.; Rob Fraboni, John Simon, co-prods.; Larry Samuels, exec. prod.; Terry Becker, Tim Kramer, Elliot Mazer, Wayne Neuendorf, Ed Anderson, Neil Brody, engs. AAD? TT: 4:10:16
Performance *****
Sonics ****?
Thanksgiving, 1976, and there they were: Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, and Levon Helm, the eponymous band that had lasted through rock's most turbulent years, added much Americana to its lexicon in the process, and then had calmly deciding…
It was at the upper end of the dynamic spectrum where the Minuet most impressed me. No matter what type of difficult program material I spun, and no matter at what volume level, the Silverline never sounded like a small bookshelf speaker. Speaking of "A Night in Tunisia"—in the Brooklyn Sax Quartet's iconoclastic reading of this tune, on A Far Side of Here (CD, Omnitone 12206), the saxes cover their entire ranges of frequency and dynamics. This track's wide dynamic swings were reproduced by the Silverlines without a hint of attenuation: they breathed BIG. When I took a spin with Timothy…
Playing recordings of bombastic orchestral works, I was very impressed with the Chorus 807V's lower bass range. From the timpani passage in the first movement of David Chesky's Violin Concerto, from his Area 31 collection (SACD/CD, Chesky SACD 288), to the bass drum in the finale of Stravinsky's The Firebird in the recording by Antal Dorati and the London Symphony (CD, Mercury Living Presence SR90226), I felt I was listening to larger, more dynamic floorstanders. I had the same reaction to the opening tracks of Kraftwerk's Minimum/Maximum (CD, EMI ASW 60611)—when cranked to rock-concert…
In the January 2010 issue of Stereophile I gushed effusively about the $450 Marantz PM5003 integrated amplifier. Not only was I impressed with the sound, build quality, and features of this very affordable component, but, intrigued by how it might be combined with other gear to build a complete entry-level system for about a thousand bucks, I began to ponder other entry-level components that might nicely complement it. My goal here, of course, is to inspire a new generation of young audiophiles. I felt a turntable would be a good place to start.
Even Michael Fremer is surprised…
Integrated Amplifiers & Receivers
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Ayre Acoustics AX-5 Twenty: $12,950
In 2013, AD described the original Ayre AX-5—a $9950 integrated amplifier built around a recently rediscovered configuration of bipolar transistors known as the "diamond" circuit—as "one of the three best, most musical, most human-sounding solid-state amps I've ever heard." Then, in 2015, Ayre debuted a new version, the AX-5 Twenty—a nod to the company's 20th anniversary—promising even better sound. The AX-5 Twenty is built into the same foursquare aluminum case as the AX-5, and is controlled by the…
Integrated Amplifiers & Receivers
A
Ayre Acoustics AX-5 Twenty: $14,950
In 2013, AD described the original Ayre AX-5—a $9950 integrated amplifier built around a recently rediscovered configuration of bipolar transistors known as the "diamond" circuit—as "one of the three best, most musical, most human-sounding solid-state amps I've ever heard." Then, in 2015, Ayre debuted a new version, the AX-5 Twenty—a nod to the company's 20th anniversary—promising even better sound. The AX-5 Twenty is built into the same foursquare aluminum case as the AX-5, and is controlled by the…