search

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.…

Analog Sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn, Grand Prix Audio Monaco turntables; Graham Phantom, Continuum Audio Labs Cobra tonearms; Lyra Titan i, Air Tight PC-1 cartridges.
Digital Sources: Musical Fidelity kW DM25 transport-DAC, Esoteric SA-60 universal player, BPT-modified Alesis Masterlink hard-disk recorder.
Preamplification: Manley Steelhead phono preamplifier, darTZeel NHB-18NS preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Musical Fidelity kW monoblocks, Music Reference RM-200.
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Specialties MAXX 2.
Cables: Phono:…

The Sonus Faber Guarneri memento's voltage sensitivity was a little below average, at an estimated 86dB(B)/2.83V/m. However, its plot of impedance magnitude and electrical phase against frequency (fig.1) indicates that it is not too demanding an amplifier load, though a minimum value of 4.35 ohms at 197Hz and a combination of 5.7 ohms and –38° phase at 124Hz suggest that tube amplifiers be used from their 4 ohm taps.

Fig.1 Sonus Faber Guarneri memento, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed). (2 ohms/vertical div.)

Though difficult…

"Practicing two-channel without a license," riposted Rein, before going on to describe Chord's new 6TB Media Engine music server. "But we didn't bring it. We brought—this."

He'd been blocking my view of Chord's table. Now he moved aside and made a flourish toward the Blu,…

"Now we get to that buffer. Because we use all-digital data extraction, we can employ a RAM buffer to sequentially accept all the data, re-time it, and then output it. It gives us a jitter-free local clock, without requiring us to send a…