Three moving-coil step-up transformers have arrived since my last attempt at a comprehensive survey of same, in the October 2007 issue: the EAR MC4 ($1995, footnote 1), the Ortofon Verto ($849, footnote 2), and the more plainly named Koetsu ($3500, footnote 3). I've also found time to change the configuration of the hardwired, multitap K&K step-up transformer ($275 kit, $335 assembled) from high-gain to low-gain mode—so I now have a better idea how that model stacks up against such "…
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Art Dudley auditioned Ortofon, EAR, & Koetsu transformers in September 2008 (Vol.31 No.9):
Art Dudley returned to the Auditorium 23 Hommage in August 2009 (Vol.32 No.8):
This whole thing started up again when I tried to improve the phono-input section of my main system—not to enhance its performance (although you might expect that to happen), but to provide a fairer, more flexible context for evaluating new cartridges.
The technical reason: Taken in isolation, even the small collection of phono cartridges that I own—Miyabi 47, Rega Elys, Grace F9E, Denon DL-103, and EMT OFD 25—represent a pretty wide range of resistive-loading requirements. The low-impedance Miyabi 47…
Most people are familiar, at least in outline, with the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea." In the story, the Queen decides that it's time for her son to marry, and the Prince—apparently a very fussy young man—decides that he can marry only a true princess, as measured by her sensitivity to small discomforts. It's like being an audiophile, but with peas.
One night, a young woman comes to the door claiming to be just such a princess. The skeptical Queen devises a test: She puts a tiny pea in the girl's bed frame, covers it with 20 of her finest…
My recent introspection and the trouble I had detecting sonic differences among the digital front-ends I had on hand motivated me to put together a set of criteria for the evaluation of digital players—one that's consistent with my outlook on life. The list is in no particular order; all of these criteria (except for the last, which I don't mention until the end of the review) should be met by any respectable digital player. Here's the list, with my verdict on the SA8001 for each point.
1. A player should play every disc put in it, assuming it supports the format.
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So let's move on to the next-to-last item in my list of desirable digital attributes, and talk about the sound of the SA8001.
5. A player should deliver much of the sonic experience the format is capable of, and more expensive players should deliver more. It ought to be pleasant to listen to; the pleasanter, the better.
As I've already said, with "Red Book" CDs, the sonic differences among the digital sources I had on hand—the SA8001, my Marantz SA-15S1, and my Benchmark DAC-1—proved exceedingly subtle. In A/B comparisons, I detected a small advantage, spatially, of the SA-15S1…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Single-box, fixed-output, two-channel SACD player with remote control. Formats played: SACD, CD, CD-R, CD-RW. D/A conversion: 24 bits/192kHz. Analog outputs: 1 pair RCA (unbalanced), one ¼" headphone out (with level adjustment). Digital outputs: coaxial S/PDIF, TosLink S/PDIF. Analog output levels: 2.3V RMS, SACD and CD. Frequency responses: 2Hz–50kHz (SACD), 2Hz–20kHz (CD). Dynamic ranges: 112dB (SACD), 100dB (CD). THD: 0.001% (SACD), 0.002% (CD). Channel separation: not provided. Jitter: not provided. Power consumption: 20W.
Dimensions: 17 5/…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Marantz SA-15S1 SACD player, Benchmark DAC-1 D/A converter.
Preamplification: Balanced Audio Technology VK-52SE preamplifier; Whest 2.0, Rega Fono (MM) phono stages.
Integrated Amplifier: Arcam A75 Plus.
Loudspeakers: Vandersteen 2Ce Signature, Mackie HR824 active nearfield studio monitors (on cheap but rigid metal stands).
Cables: Interconnect: Chord Chameleon Silver Plus & Chorus, Monster Cable M550i, Mogami XLR balanced. Speaker: Chord Odyssey 2 & 4, Monster Cable M1.2. AC: PS Audio Statement Plus.
Accessories:…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I tested the Marantz SA8001 using Sony's "provisional" Test SACD. The maximum output level at 1kHz was 2.4V with both SACD and CD, or 1.6dB higher than the CD standard's 2V RMS. This output was sourced from a low output impedance of 148 ohms at middle and high frequencies, this rising inconsequentially to 154 ohms at 20Hz. The Marantz preserved absolute polarity; ie, was non-inverting.
Error correction was the best I have encountered: like the Muse universal player also reviewed in this issue, the SA8001 produced no glitches in its analog output until…
Visit www.stereophile.com and look at the Vote Results for June 17, 2007: You'll see that when we asked our readers to name the one audio product that's spent the greatest amount of time in their systems, the most common answer by far was the Linn Sondek LP12 turntable (footnote 1). Little wonder that Scotland's most famous record player endures as an object of attention for various and sundry commercial tweaks.
Most such tweaks have come from outside of Glasgow: support platforms from the Sound Organisation and Mana Acoustics, power supplies from Naim Audio and Pink Triangle,…
During the review period I separated the retrofits into as many combinations as possible: the Trampolin with the standard subchassis and tonearm board, using my own Naim Aro tonearm; the Ekos SE with the standard subchassis and tonearm board (Linn standard, of course—I still had a fresh one in my parts box); the Ekos SE with the Keel, but without the Trampolin; and, of course, all three new products, taken together. I had returned my sample of the original Ekos just one month before, making a direct comparison impossible—although I dare say I know the sound of that product quite well, and…