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Audio Research Reference 3 line preamplifier Robert J. Reina, June 2007

Robert J. Reina reviewed the Reference 3 in June 2007 (Vol.30 No.6):

In John Atkinson's review of Era Acoustics' Design 4 loudspeaker ($600/pair) in the January 2007 Stereophile, he exclaimed: "Bob Reina shouldn't get to review all the affordable speakers, right?" My reaction: "Well, JA shouldn't get to review all the expensive preamps, right?" So I thought I'd take a stab at a Follow-Up review of Audio Research's Reference 3 line stage ($9995), originally reviewed by Paul Bolin in December 2006.

How this Follow-Up came about actually has more to do with my upcoming review of ARC'…

Krell Evolution 202 preamplifier & 600 monoblock power amplifier

Talk about going from the ridiculous to the sublime. One day I'm reviewing the $139 Sonic Impact Super T power amplifier, and the next day Krell Industries delivers their $10,000 Evolution 505 SACD/CD player, $15,000 Evolution 202 preamplifier, and their $30,000/pair Evolution 600 monoblocks.

And I whined. "I don't like to review complete systems," I moaned to Krell's Randy Bingham. "That's too many changes, and it takes forever to do comparisons."

"We don't want to impose, but with the CAST current gain system, the only way you can evaluate how good any individual…

Krell Evolution 202 preamplifier & 600 monoblock power amplifier Page 2

Each Evolution 600 has a single pair of high-quality T-type binding posts, best suited for bare wire (ha!) or spade-lug connections. They are a joy to use.

Whether you choose the silver or satin black color schemes, the fit'n'finish of the Evolution products is superb.

Evolution of a review
There were a few practical considerations in setting up the Evolution system. First, it's heavy. The 600s weigh 135 lbs each, and while I can lift 135 lbs in barbell form, I found it darned awkward to manipulate same in Evolution 600 form, with most of the weight behind the front panel.…

Hiroyasu Kondo: Audio Notes

Our interview with Hiroyasu Kondo—founder of Audio Note Japan, and a legendary figure in his own time—took place during HI-FI '96 last June at the Waldorf=Astoria. It seemed very natural; the crowd at the Show was very internationalist. Herb Reichert of Audio Note New York found us a quiet corner after lunch, and we sat down to talk.

This was a group affair. I sat with Kondo-San on my left, and Masahiro Shibazaki directly across from me. A very obedient (you'll see what I mean) Masaki Ashizawa of Audio Note sat on my right, while my wife Kathleen and Herb filled out the table. Shibazaki-…

Hiroyasu Kondo: Audio Notes Page 2

Shibazaki: Another difficult question, he says, but very interesting. Here's what he says, word by word: Push-pull technology has its own merits, of course, but only when correctly designed and aligned, as you might have guessed. You know, especially the odd-order harmonics left by push-pull, they are very...[waggles his hand and frowns]

Scull: Not so very easy to listen to?

Shibazaki: Yes, while second-order harmonics are, to human ears, sounding very natural. Push-pull, he says, can sound rather piercing that way. And, he says, in a well-designed single-ended amplifier, the…

Hiroyasu Kondo: Audio Notes Page 3

Scull: Please, Shibazaki—you're doing a wonderful job of making his thoughts available to us all. Really.

Shibazaki: Thank you. So, one of his goals—his dream, in fact—is to recreate that Toscanini performance he heard in 1953 at Carnegie Hall.

Scull: It's wonderful to follow a dream. I don't want to be impolite, but that still doesn't answer the question: As you walk past that window, what tells you it's real? Is it dynamics, timbre, tonal color, harmonics, or something else?

Shibazaki: Well, he answers the question this way. He says it's not only Audio Note Japan, but…

Todd Garfinkle of M•A Recordings—A World Citizen

Todd Garfinkle, guiding light of M•A Recordings, travels the globe recording provocative music in unbelievably wonderful acoustic settings. Todd travels to exotic climes such as Macedonia and Southern Siberia to capture unique and beautiful traditional ethnic music and song. He records with only two omnidirectional microphones, the signals of which are fed into handmade recording equipment designed especially for his work. Kathleen and I caught up with him at St. Peter's on 20th Street, a popular recording venue in the West Village. After wrapping a session, Todd stopped by our loft, where…

Todd Garfinkle of M•A Recordings—A World Citizen Page 2

Scull: So you have DAT tapes with a number of takes on them...?

Garfinkle: Yes, and remember, they're 96kHz takes. So I have to do a sample-rate conversion.

Scull: What do you use?

Garfinkle: I've had access to an English unit made by Audio Digital Technology. And I'm now using a unit that I absolutely swear by from DB Technologies, an American company. It's called the 3000S 96kHz Digital Enhancer, and it does many things, including down- and upsampling. To my ears, when I use the 3000S, the sonic integrity of the 96kHz signal is quite well preserved. But I won't use CDR…

Todd Garfinkle of M•A Recordings—A World Citizen Page 3

That recording's not jazz, it's not classical, but something in between; it even has some elements of traditional Portuguese music. The point is that people should at least open up and lose their traditional concepts of what music is supposed to be.

Scull: But most of the artists you work with are on the same wavelength, yes? You're not just an engineer recording musicians. You're deeply involved.

Garfinkle: Yeah, that's true.

Scull: So are the performers aware of participating in that specialness that makes it art?

Garfinkle: Well, yes, it seems so. They keep…

Todd Garfinkle of M•A Recordings—A World Citizen A Selected M•A Discography

Sidebar: A Selected M•A Discography

A small selection of M•A recordings to whet the appetite:

J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations (M024A)
Japanese pianist Ito Ema's masterful performance on her own 1903 Steinway D concert Grand.

Dusan Bogdanovic: Untitled (M036A)
This fifth M•A recording by guitarist Bogdanovic emphasizes the classical repertoire, including Spanish composers Luis de Milan and Tarrega, plus Brazilian composer Villa-Lobos.

Peter Epstein Quartet: Staring at the Sun (M041A)
Veteran sax man Peter Epstein plays "Music from the young and energetic…