Description: Rechargeable, battery-powered, portable headphone amplifier with three gain settings, one 1.8" stereo input jack, one 1/8" stereo output jack. No other specifications listed.
Dimensions: 3" L by 2" W by 1" H.
Price: $350. Approximate number of dealers: 1 (sold direct).
Manufacturer: Ray Samuels Audio, 8005 Keeler, Skokie, IL 60076. Tel: (847) 673-8739. Web: www.raysamuelsaudio.com.
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Sidebar 1: Specifications
Sidebar 2: Measurements
Wes Phillips enthused over Ray Samuels Audio's Emmeline The Hornet portable headphone amplifier ($350) in our early-June eNewsletter, as did Sam Tellig in "Sam's Space" in September, and again in this issue. I thought it worthwhile, therefore, to complement those positive impressions with some measurements. (I remembered to fully charge the Hornet's internal 9V battery before starting the testing.)
The Hornet's maximum voltage gains, with its volume control set to its maximum, were 5.6dB, 12.7dB, and 20.8dB with the rear-panel switch set to its Low, Medium…
ONE FOR ALL: The Lineup
Eric Alexander, tenor sax; Jim Rotondi, trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Davis, trombone; David Hazeltine, piano, Fender Rhodes; John Webber, bass; Joe Farnsworth, drums
Sharp Nine CD 1037-2 (CD). 2006. Marc Edelman, prod.; Katherine Miller, eng. DDD. TT: 57:42
Performance ****½
Sonics ****
Eric Alexander, tenor sax; Jim Rotondi, trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Davis, trombone; David Hazeltine, piano, Fender Rhodes; John Webber, bass; Joe Farnsworth, drums
Sharp Nine CD 1037-2 (CD). 2006. Marc Edelman, prod.; Katherine Miller, eng. DDD. TT: 57:42
Performance ****½
Sonics ****
There is an apparent contradiction at the heart of the jazz aesthetic. On the one hand, the jazz art form demands constant innovation. The worst putdown a jazz musician can hear is not that he or she can't play, but that she or he sounds like someone else. On the…
The single most enduring controversy in audio is: What method or methods should we use to evaluate the performance of audio equipment?
That I used the word evaluate and avoided measure sums up the controversy: Are we better served by measuring audio performance by objective physical standards, or by judging audio performance by subjective personal reactions?
At first blush, the objectivists would seem to have the better argument. The proposition that a component that "measures better" therefore "is better" seems hard to argue with.
But what I would like to explore are two…
The P-8 ($11,000) is the second of Simaudio's Moon Evolution series that has passed through my system, following on the heels of the Moon Evolution W-8 power amplifier, which I reviewed in March 2006. Fortunately, the P-8's arrival preceded the W-8's departure, so I was able to use them together as well as with other components.
The Evolution bodywork, first seen in the W-8, is a major aesthetic step up for Simaudio, and it's even more appealing in the P-8, which adds a remarkably legible and useful display, a large volume-control knob, and other effective controls. As with the…
From first power-up, the Evolution P-8 performed faultlessly and impressively. It was, by far, the quietest preamp I have ever (not) heard. Even with my ear to a tweeter and the volume full up, I could hear absolutely no difference between Standby and Operate. In other words, any noise that the P-8 might generate—and nothing is completely silent—was much lower than that from any of the power amps I played it through.
Even more impressive, to me, was the precision of the volume control. While setting up to do some acoustic measurements with the Goldline TEF-25 analyzer, I set up…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state, two-channel, two-chassis preamplifier. Inputs: 3 pairs balanced (XLR), 4 pairs single-ended (RCA). Outputs: 2 pairs balanced (XLR), 2 pairs unbalanced (RCA, fixed and variable). Tape input/output loops: 1 pair unbalanced (RCA). Input impedance: 11k ohms. Output impedance: 50 ohms. Voltage gain: 9dB. Frequency response: 5Hz–100kHz, +0/–0.1dB. IM distortion: unmeasurable. THD: <0.002%, 20Hz–20kHz. Signal/noise ratio: 130dB, 20Hz–20kHz, ref. full output. Maximum output: 12V balanced, 6V unbalanced.
Dimensions: Preamplifier: 18.75" (…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Sony XA-777ES SACD/CD player, Bel Canto PL-1A universal player.
Preamplifier: Bel Canto Pre6.
Power Amplifiers: Bel Canto eVo6 & Ref1000, Classé CA-3200, Simaudio Moon Evolution W-8.
Loudspeakers: B&W 802D, Revel Ultima Studio, JL Audio Fathom f113 subwoofer.
Cables: Digital: Stereovox HDVX. Interconnect: Crystal Cable Cinemax multichannel, AudioQuest Cheetah/DBS balanced. Speaker: AudioQuest Mont Blanc/DBS biwire. AC: JPS Aluminata.
Accessories: APC S-15, Environmental Potentials EP-2450 power conditioners.—Kalman…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
As set up for Kal's auditioning, the Moon P-8's maximum voltage gain was lower than the specified 9dB, at 5.33dB for both balanced–balanced and unbalanced–unbalanced operation, though this won't be a factor in practical use. The preamplifier preserved absolute polarity—ie, it was noninverting in both conditions—the XLR jacks being wired with pin 2 hot, the AES-recommended practice. The input impedance was to specification at low and midrange frequencies, at 11k ohms single-ended and 22k ohms balanced, though this dropped to a rather low 4.3k and 9.7k ohms,…
John Atkinson wrote about the Moon Evolution P-8 in September 2009 (Vol.32 No.9):
Back in March, I reviewed the Moon Evolution P-7 preamplifier ($6900) from Canadian manufacturer Simaudio. As you can read in the reprint of that review in our free online archives, I very much enjoyed my time with the P-7: "Beautifully made, beautiful looking, and beautiful sounding, the Moon Evolution P-7 justifiably deserves a Class A recommendation in Stereophile's 'Recommended Components.'" I also wrote that I would soon turn my attention to Simaudio's Moon Evolution P-8 dual-chassis preamplifier, but…