search

Of all this marvelous hardware, I most enjoyed using the $14,900 mbl transport; I just couldn't keep my hands off it! Its massive black enclosure matches that of the 1611HR DAC, with its central, convex display module flanked by wonderful little gold buttons. Somehow, I wasn't bothered by the placement of the Play, Stop, and Pause buttons on the right—the display module clearly separated them from the track and search buttons. Operation, whether via the remote or the front panel, was straightforward, as were the display options.

The rear panel had…

1611HR: Fully balanced digital/analog converter with 24-bit delta-sigma DACs, and full remote control. Digital inputs: two each of ST, TosLink, AES/EBU, RCA, BNC. Analog inputs: one (RCA and XLR). Digital outputs: two RCA S/PDIF. Analog outputs, fixed volume: 1 balanced, 2 unbalanced. Analog outputs, variable volume: 1 balanced, 2 unbalanced. Rotary analog volume control.
Dimensions: 18.72" (480mm) W by 5.85" (150mm) H by 16.77" (430mm) D. Weight: 33 lbs (15kg).
Serial number of unit reviewed: 21718.
Price: $15,500. Variable analog output: $2900; analog…

Most of the extended listening for these reports was done with the California Audio Labs CL-20 CD/DVD player as the source. I made this choice to eliminate any possible bias from using a transport designed and constructed to mate to a specific DAC. As the common source, the CL-20 provided both S/PDIF (coax and optical) and AES/EBU outputs, as well as CD/DVD compatibility with up to 24/96 digital output. I did this also to maintain a level playing field without auditioning all the possible combinations of transport and DAC and interconnection. Let's see:…

Interestingly, while Kal thought the mbl to have a higher output level—4.038V balanced and 2.024V single-ended from the fixed output jacks—than the Burmester and Mark Levinson DACs that he also reviews in this issue, it was actually only 0.08dB higher. The analog output was sourced from 200 ohms (balanced) and 100 ohms (unbalanced). The big mbl doesn't invert signal polarity from either set of outputs (the XLR jacks are wired with pin 2 as hot).

This sample of the 1611HR wouldn't lock to data with a sample rate higher than 48kHz. Its frequency response on…

I knew it! It was in an issue of Home & Studio Recording, but I'd just thrown it out with a bunch of other old magazines. And trash pickup was today! I threw open the door to watch the garbage truck blunder down…

Description: Solid-state stereo power amplifier. Power output: 100Wpc, 20dBW (8 ohms), 200Wpc, 20dBW (4 ohms). VOltage gain: 30dB. Sensitivity: 890mV. Absolute polarity: non-inverting. Input impedance: 51k ohms. Distortion: less than 0.5% THD+noise. Frequency response: –3dB at 13Hz and 200kHz. Output impedance: 0.6 ohms, 20Hz–20kHz. Output current capability: 45A maximum, peak–peak into 0.1 ohm. Power consumption: 90W idle, 600W maximum (limited by 5A line fuse).
Dimensions: 3.5" H by 18.9" W by 13.4" D. Weight: 28 lbs.
Serial number of review sample:…

As with the other amplifiers on review this month, my listening system included my reworked Philips CD-50 and my buffered-passive preamp. All line-level gear was plugged into an Audio Express NoiseTrapper Plus. Speakers were the Spica Angeluses and Thiel CS 1.2s. Interconnect was Straight Wire Maestro, with 8' runs of both Maestro and Cardas Hexlink Five speaker cable. Whereas the Maestro sounded smoother and more natural, the Cardas gave a brighter presentation that was welcome on some CDs, annoying on most. As I felt the overall sound to be more neutral with the…

All the measurements were made after each amplifier had been preconditioned by running it at one-third full power into 8 ohms for an hour. This thermally stresses the amp to the maximum, though none of the models tested overheated. The Muse and Counterpoint heatsinks, however, did get too hot to touch. Compared with the VTL Tiny Triode, the Muse has a somewhat restricted low-bass response, as can be seen from fig.1. However, 1dB down at 28Hz could give the Muse's bass a tight rather than lightweight character. Certainly CG found the Muse's bass to be AOK quality-…

I was basking in Classic Records' reissue of the Louis Armstrong Verve classic I've Got the World on a String (Verve/Classic MB-4035), and it occurred to me how well this album—or even its title alone—captured the essence of the Well Tempered Reference turntable/tonearm combination.

Since their debut in the mid-'80s, Well…