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I would frankly have been surprised if the low-end response of the Adcoms had been less than impressive, and no surprises were in store. In my listening room, the bottom end of most true-extension loudspeakers tends to be warm and full rather than tight and hair-trigger. The GFA-565s did not alter this situation—an amplifier cannot be expected to do so unless it is an amplifier problem to start with. But they did manage to flex the walls as impressively as any other amplifiers I have used there. I did note that low frequencies having significant upper-range overtones seemed a bit softened—…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state monoblock power amplifier. Rated power output: 300W into 8 ohms (24.8dBW), 450W into 4 ohms (23.5dBW), 850W into 2 ohms (23.3dBW), all 20Hz–20kHz at 0.02% THD. Frequency response: unspecified. Input impedance: 50k ohms. Input sensitivity: 2.15V for rated output. S/N (A-weighted, full output): greater than 106dB. Damping factor: >1000, 8 ohms, 20Hz–20kHz. Dynamic headroom (at 4 ohms): 1.6dB.
Dimensions: 17" W by 8.25" H by 11.5" D. Weight (shipping): 45 lbs.
Price: $1700/pair; $1900/pair with balanced inputs (1991). Optional…
Sidebar 2: TJN's Associated Equipment
Associated equipment used in auditioning the Adcom amplifier consisted of the Oracle Delphi Mk.IV turntable with SME V tonearm and Dynavector XX-1L cartridge, Sony CDP-X77ES CD player, Wadia WT-3200 transport and DigiMaster X-64.4 D/A converter, and Rowland Consonance preamplifier. Loudspeakers were the Apogee Stages, B&W 801 Matrix Series 2s, and Snell C/IVs. Both amplifiers were also briefly auditioned through the Nestorovic Type 5AS Mk.IIIs.
Interconnects were AudioQuest Lapis and Cardas Hexlink (the latter from preamplifier to…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
A look at fig.1 indicates that the Adcom exhibits a virtually flat frequency response curve, except at the very top end where it's 0.5dB down at 32kHz. Using the optional balanced inputs, the 0.5dB-down point was slightly lower, at 27kHz. (With a few noted exceptions, all of the measurements were made into the standard, unbalanced inputs.) The small-signal 1kHz squarewave (fig.2) shows a clean, square shape with a fast rise-time. The polarity was non-inverting. The Adcom's input impedance at 1kHz was 47k ohms, and its output impedance was uniformly low—ranging…
I first spotted Audia Flight's exquisite-looking two-box phono preamplifier ($6100) at last year's Hi-End show in Munich, and now that Musical Sounds is importing Audia Flight gear, a review of the Phono seemed a good idea. I know nothing about Audia Flight or the designer, or what Italian audiophiles think of them, but the more time I spent with the versatile, exquisitely built Phono, the more I liked everything about it.
The Phono's good looks speak for themselves. Note the sculpted faceplate accent that integrates the main box with the power supply—a nice touch. And speaking…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Two-box phono preamplifier with MM and MC inputs, +10dB switch, adjustable loading and IEC-based subsonic filter. Voltage gain: 40dB (MM); 64dB (MC).
Price: $6100.
Manufacturer: Audia snc, Via delle Azalee 13/E, 00053 Civitavecchia, Rome, Italy. Tel: (39) 0766-24387. Fax: (39) 0766-392014. Web: www.audia.it. US distributor: Musical Sounds, LLC, 6 Mayflower Court, Milford, CT 06460. Tel: (203) 877-7776. Fax: (203) 783-0500. Web: www.musicalsounds.us.
TIM BUCKLEY: Dream Letter (Live in London 1968)
Tim Buckley, vocals, 12-string; Lee Underwood, guitar; David Friedman, vibes; Danny Thompson, bass
Enigma Retro/Straight 73507-2 (2 CDs only). Bill Inglot, Lee Hammond, prods.; Bill Inglot, Ken Perry, John Strother, engs. AAD. TT: 116:42
Tim Buckley, vocals, 12-string; Lee Underwood, guitar; David Friedman, vibes; Danny Thompson, bass
Enigma Retro/Straight 73507-2 (2 CDs only). Bill Inglot, Lee Hammond, prods.; Bill Inglot, Ken Perry, John Strother, engs. AAD. TT: 116:42
From time to time during the third of my life I sleep away every night, I dream of new releases by some of my favorite musicians. The music of those dream-records is always less interesting but always more melancholy than what's eventually released. Listening to this aptly titled album, the first of…
During the past 10 years, perfectionist audio has garnered for itself an impressive accretion of lore, much of which has never been accepted by the so-called scientific community.
Some of this is backed by sufficient evidence, forrnal or otherwise, that it must be accepted as Probable Truth. Some is almost certainly rubbish, worthy of note only by mystics and charlatans who would use mysticism to promote their audio image. In the middle is a wide range of what can be considered questionable doctrine, embraced by some and scorned by others.
Much of this audio legend has to do…
"Different audio plugs sound different."
Different plug materials are more prone to oxidation of their contact surfaces than others, and oxide accumulations often are audible. (Many metallic oxides are partial rectifiers, passing one signal polarity more readily than the other. This imposes an asymmetrical bias on audio signals.) However, no evidence has been presented to support the claim that different plug materials affect sound when all contact surfaces are clean.
Improbables
"Sound quality is affected by the proximity of structural surfaces to the speaker wires…
Although I'll be spending most of my time at Stereophile reviewing affordable gear, I will from time to time examine so-called "trickle-down" designs from high-end designers who have made their mark in the upper-price echelons. More and more, such designers are taking what they've learned and applying it to less-expensive products in order to broaden their customer base. Cary Audio Design, for example, of single-ended triode fame, has entered the ring with the SLM-100 pentode monoblocks.
I should mention that I reacted to the single-ended triode phenomenon with great skepticism. My…