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Unless otherwise noted, all measurements presented here are for the unbalanced configuration.

Following its one-hour, 1/3-power pretest, the Parasound HCA-3500's heatsinks were moderately but not excessively hot. Its DC offset measured a negligible 1.5mV in the left channel, 1mV in the right. The amp is noninverting, input to output—in the balanced mode, pin 2 is positive—and its voltage gain into 8 ohms was 28.5dB (27.9dB, balanced).

The HCA-3500's input impedance measured 47.4k ohms (67.6k ohms balanced). The maximum measured output impedance was…

Nicer still, print magazines are now relieved of all pretense of dialogue, the first casualty being those stupid fake advice columns: "Dear Editor: My amplifier has insufficient bloom in the lower mids, and I'm thinking of replacing it. What do you recommend?" Such a letter would require at least three months to be read, edited, proofed, set in type, laid out, proofed again, printed, and distributed to…

"Editor: I read with much interest Art Dudley's report on the Dynavector 10X5 MC cartridge in the October 2003 issue. What I found deeply troubling was Art's flippant reference to Christ's teachings: 'Sermon on the mounting,' followed by His crucifixion: "It's finished." It is inappropriate to tie the supreme sacrifice of my risen Lord to a cartridge review."—Paul Beyer

What I find troubling is this reader's Assumption that my references were "flippant." That's not only incorrect, it betrays a pugnacious approach to Christianity that I fear has…

Why balance AC? The AC grid was developed to safely deliver power over great distances, but it developed at a time when the principal uses for electricity were…

Description: Power conditioner providing balanced AC power. Output current: 15 amps. Number of outlets: 10 (one 150W, five 120W, four amplifier outlets).
Dimensions: 17.5" W by 5.25" H by 12.5" D. Weight: 64 lbs.
Serial number of unit reviewed: 146.
Price: $1499. Approximate number of dealers: 150.
Manufacturer: Audio Power Industries, 2624 South Rousselle Street, Santa Ana, CA 92707-3729. Tel: (714) 545-9495. Fax: (714) 545-4607. Web: www.audiopower.com.

LP playback: Linn LP12/Lingo/Cirkus/Ekos/Arkiv.
CD playback: Audio Research CD2/DAC3, Linn Sondek CD12; Sonic Frontiers Iris 3 transport/Processor 3.
DVD player: Denon DVD-3000.
Preamplification: Adcom GFP-750, Audio Research LS8, Conrad-Johnson ART, Mark Levinson No.380S; Linn Linto phono section.
Power amplifiers: Accuphase M2000, Audio Research VT200, Cary CAD-805C monoblocks, Mark Levinson No.332.
Loudspeakers: Alón Circe, B&W Nautilus 801, B&W Silver Signature.
Cables: AudioQuest Lapis, Madrigal CZ-Gel 1, Siltech SQ-80B G3.…

Acoustic Techniques for Home & Studio, by F. Alton Everest. 1984, TAB Books.

The Master Handbook of Acoustics, by F. Alton Everest. 1989, TAB Books.

Psychoacoustics

The Perception of Reproduced Sound, Soren Bech & O. Juhl Pederson, eds. 1987, Gammel Avernaes, Denmark. Available in the US from Old Colony Book Service.

The Sound of Audio, Skip Pizzi, ed. (collected papers from the 8th AES Conference, Washington DC, May 1990). 1990, The Audio Engineering Society.

The LP Record

Disk Recording, Vols. 1 & 2, Stephen Temmer,…

Advanced Digital Audio, Ken Pohlmann, ed. 1991, Howard W. Sams & Company.

Analog-Digital Conversion Handbook, 3rd ed., Daniel H. Sheingold, ed. 1991, Analog Devices (Prentice-Hall).

The Art of Digital Audio, by John Watkinson. 1988, Focal Press.

Audio in Digital Times, Ken Pohlmann, ed. (collected papers from the 7th AES Conference, Toronto, Canada, May 1989). 1989, The Audio Engineering Society.

Digital Audio, Barry A. Blesser, Bart Locanthi, & Thomas G. Stockham, Jr., eds. (collected papers from the 1st AES Conference, Rye, NY, June…