The right way to cover the waterfront
It is a rare and wonderful pleasure when something is done in the way it really should be done. Everyone who has read Ashley Kahn's previous books, on John Coltrane's A Love Supreme and Miles Davis' Kind of Blue, knows that he is the master of comprehensive and fascinating detail, intelligently organized and sensitively handled. The logistical advantage of those books is that you can…
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It's the time for giving gifts, so here's my plan: I will start off by telling you about some great new things, then remind you about some old favorites. Okay?
My Favorite Things: Hardware
I now feel like cuing up John Coltrane's version of that song. Anyway, on to hardware. If you want to refresh your recollection about what I've written about something in the past, please just do a search, either within Stereophile's website, or via google.com or ixquick.com.
I now feel like cuing up John Coltrane's version of that song. Anyway, on to hardware. If you want to refresh your recollection about what I've written about something in the past, please just do a search, either within Stereophile's website, or via google.com or ixquick.com.
Most days, I'm tempted to think that the darTZeel NHB-108 Model One power amplifier (Stereophile, September 2003, Vol.26 No.9) is in a class by itself. Then I remind myself that there are a couple of "contendahs," such as the ASR Emitter, that I haven't heard. The darTZeel's drive…
My Favorite Things: Recordings, etc.
If you have any interest at all in pipe organs, read Craig Whitney's All the Stops: The Glorious Pipe Organ and Its American Masters, which I discussed at length in my October column. Such a great book!
If you have any interest at all in pipe organs, read Craig Whitney's All the Stops: The Glorious Pipe Organ and Its American Masters, which I discussed at length in my October column. Such a great book!
One of the best organ recordings I've heard in a while is Olivier Latry's César Franck program, In Spiritum, played in Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral. The liner notes list the organ builders at Notre Dame as going back to 1402—90 years before Columbus set sail. That's history!
Here in the US, we tend to put a premium on the new. The Eugene…
Sidebar: Sources
Ashley Kahn, The House that Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records. New York, W.W. Norton, 2006. Hardcover, 338 pages, 9.5" by 7.25". ISBN 978-0-393-05879-6. $29.95.
The House that Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records, various artists. Impulse! 6680 (4 CDs).
The House that Trane Built: The Best of Impulse Records, various artists. Impulse! 674402 (CD sampler).
Craig R. Whitney, All the Stops: The Glorious Pipe Organ and Its American Masters. New York, Public Affairs Books, 2004. Paperback, 352 pages, 8.25" by 5.5". ISBN 1-58648-262-9. $17.95.
In…
This Is The Perfect Time—the time of year we love most. Madison Avenue's confounding street signs are suddenly dressed in green and red wreaths, the city's weary scaffolding blinks happily with golden light, the ordinary clamor of traffic and jackhammers is magically transformed into jingle bells and drummer boys. There is music everywhere and nothing to get in our way: A look down the avenue in either direction throws open a window to all that is past and all that is to come.
Let us take a moment now to stop and admire the view, for this has been an extraordinary year in hi-fi.…
2006 Joint Loudspeakers
Quad ESL-2805 ($9000/pair; reviewed by Sam Tellig, Vol.29 No.7, July 2006)
Sonus Faber Amati anniversario ($27,500/pair; reviewed by John Atkinson, Vol.29 No.5, May 2006 review)
Vandersteen Quatro ($6995/pair; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.29 No.7, July 2006 review)
Runners-up (in alphabetical order)
B&W 802D ($12,000/pair; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, Vol.28 No.12, December 2005 review)
ESP Concert Grand SI ($40,000/pair; reviewed by John Marks, Vol.29 No.4, April 2006 review)
Lipinski Sound L-707 ($4590/pair; reviewed by Larry…
2006 Digital Source Component
dCS P8i SACD player ($13,995; reviewed by John Atkinson, Vol.29 No.4, April 2006 review)
Runners-up (in alphabetical order)
Ayre CX-7e CD player ($2950; reviewed by Art Dudley, Vol.29 No.2, February 2006 review)
Classé cdp-202 CD/DVD player ($6500; reviewed by John Atkinson, Vol.29 No.8, August 2006 review)
HeadRoom Desktop D/A headphone amplifier ($2095; reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.29 No.4, April 2006 review)
Musical Fidelity kW DM25 two-box CD player ($6500; reviewed by Art Dudley, Vol.29 No.7, July 2006 review)
Naim CD5X CD…
2006 Analog Source Component
Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn turntable with Cobra tonearm and Castellon stand ($99,500; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.29 No.1, January 2006 review)
Runners-up (in alphabetical order)
Brinkmann EMT Titanium phono cartridge ($2850; reviewed by Art Dudley, Vol.29 No.8, August 2006 review)
Graham Engineering Phantom B-44 tonearm ($4300; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.29 No.1, January 2006 review)
Music Hall RDR-1 table radio ($200; reviewed by Sam Tellig, Vol.29 No.8, August 2006)
Pro-Ject Debut III turntable ($299–$329; reviewed by…
2006 Joint Amplification Components
Conrad-Johnson ACT2 preamplifier ($12,000; reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.28 No.12, December 2005 review)
Halcro dm88 monoblock power amplifier ($39,900/pair; reviewed by Brian Damkroger, Vol.29 No.8, August 2006 review)
McIntosh C1000 preamplifier ($17,000–$26,000; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.29 No.8, August 2006 review)
Runners-up (in alphabetical order)
ASR Emitter II integrated amplifier ($24,900; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.29 No.10, October 2006 review)
Ayre V-5xe power amplifier ($4500; reviewed by Sam Tellig, Vol.…
2006 Multichannel Music Component
Meridian 861 Reference multichannel preamplifier-processor ($17,000–$19,000; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, Vol.29 No.7, July 2006 review)
Runners-up (in alphabetical order)
Bryston SP2 multichannel preamplifier-processor ($4995; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, Vol.29 No.9, September 2006 review)
Denon DVD-5910 universal player ($3500; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, Vol.29 No.1, January 2006 review)
Denon DVD-3910 universal player ($1499; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, Vol.29 No.3, March 2006 review)
Linn Chakra C3100 & C4100…