There are lots of good reasons to consider a CD changer. One that occurred immediately to me was that I work at home a lot, often spending evenings catching up on reading and paperwork. I rarely work to music because deciding what to listen to and changing discs shifts my focus from what I'm doing to the music. A changer might be a perfect solution. Other reasons popped into my head as…
The Arcam excelled in background music mode, risking failure only in that its sound flirted with being too engaging to remain in the background. Several times during the…
Description: Six-disc CD player with analog and digital outputs and full-function remote control. D/A conversion and digital filter: Crystal Semiconductor 20-bit. Output complement: two pairs of single-ended (RCA) analog outputs, one S/PDIF (RCA) digital output. Analog output impedance: 75 ohms. Other: electrical bus interface for use with Arcam multiroom systems. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, –0.5dB. S/N ratio (CCIR): >105dB. THD (0dB, 1kHz): <0.005%. Output level (0dB): 2.3V. Power consumption: 20VA max.
Dimensions: 16.9" (430mm) W by 4.9" (125mm) H…
Analog playback: VPI TNT turntable, JMW Memorial tonearm, Benz-Micro LO4 phono cartridge; Well Tempered Reference Record Player, Clearaudio Gamma Gold phono cartridge.
CD players: Parasound CDP-1000, Marantz CD63SE, CAL CL-15, CAL DX-2.
Preamplification: Sonic Frontiers Phono-1 and AcousTech phono preamps, Sonic Frontiers Line-3 line stage, VAC CPA1 Mk.II preamplifier.
Power amplifiers: VTL Ichiban, VAC Renaissance 70/70.
Loudspeakers: Audio Artistry Dvorak, Magnepan 1.6 Q/R, Thiel CS2.3, Gershman Acoustics Avant Garde.
Cables: Kimber KCAG,…
The Arcam Alpha MCD's output impedance measured a low 123 ohms over most of the audio band, increasing to 600 ohms below 20Hz. This is still low enough that there should no problems of lightweight bass with the preamplifiers with which the player will typically be used. The player's analog output is absolute polarity-correct, and the maximum output level at 1kHz was 2.5V, almost 2dB above the standard 2V RMS. As BD noted, the left and right outputs were reversed on this sample.
The MCD's error correction was only fair, the player tracking up through track…
The pianist Lang Lang, now 25 years old, spent his fifth through sixteenth years winning competitions and giving remarkable recitals (the complete Chopin Études, for example) in Germany, Japan, and his native China. At 17, he dazzled the classical-music world by substituting at the last minute for Andr Watts at the Ravinia Festival's wildly…
Oh Stephen, Stephen, Stephen, I thought. What a simple question. How easy it is to answer.
Until you actually attempt to do so.
Is audiophilia about the gear or the music? All audiophiles think they know the answer—just as all non-…
When, in 1994, Sonus Faber introduced the limited-edition Guarneri Homage loudspeaker (footnote 1) to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the death of master violin maker…
Description: Two-way, stand-mounted, reflex-loaded loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) ring-radiator tweeter with dual toroidal waveguide, 6" (150mm) polypropylene-cone woofer. Crossover frequency: 2.5kHz. Crossover slopes: 6dB/octave. Frequency range: 39Hz–30kHz. Sensitivity: 88dB SPL (2.83V at 1m). Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Power handling: 30–200W without clipping. Dimensions: Speaker: 15" (380mm) H by 8.25" (210mm) W by 15.25" (390mm) D. Weight: 93.75 lbs (42.6kg). Column stand: 48.5" (1230mm) H by 12" (305mm) W by 15.75" (390mm) D. Weight: not specified.…