I measured the Moscode 402Au using Stereophile's loaner sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It" and www.ap.com). Before performing any tests on an amplifier, I run it for 60 minutes at one-third its specified power into 8 ohms, which is thermally the worst case for an amplifier with a class-B or -AB output stage. The Moscode 402Au got very hot during this period, with its shrouded heatsinks way too hot to touch and the chassis overall reaching around 122°F (50°C). It kept working, however, and after an hour…
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In an ideal world, I'd have every phono section I've reviewed in the past 16 years on hand to compare with these three and with all that arrive in the future. But because I have a life, I don't, and I wouldn't even if I could, though some readers (and one retailer) have insisted that that's the only way that I could possibly be of any use to them. Ha! And for those who are concerned that I've neglected the Manley Steelhead, not so! It's still my reference.
The dual-mono vacuum-tube Lamm LP2, a single black box featuring switchable moving-magnet (MM) and moving-coil (MC) inputs,…
Art Dudley wrote about the Lamm LP2 Deluxe in September 2009 (Vol.32 No.9):
Lamm's recent introduction of the LL2.1 brought with it the opportunity for Stereophile to listen once again to the company's analog stalwart, the LP2 Deluxe phono preamplifier, which Mikey Fremer wrote about in his December 2002 "Analog Corner" column. The LP2 Deluxe is itself unchanged, although the price has gone up: from $6690 in 2002 to $7290 in 2009. (As with the LL2.1, Lamm's phono preamp is also available in a non-Deluxe version, for a few hundred dollars less.)
The rear panel of the…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Tubed phono preamplifier with MM and transformer-coupled MC inputs. Tube complement: two 5842 miniature triodes. Gain: 38dB (MM), 58dB (MC). Input impedance: 47k ohms (MM), 40 ohms (MC). Output impedance: 3.5k ohms.
Dimensions: 4.5" x 19" x 15.25" (inc. handles) H x W x D. Weight: 41.5 lbs.
Price: $6800 (2002), $7290 (2009).
Manufacturer: Lamm Industries, Inc., 2621 E. 24th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11235. Tel: (718) 368-0181. Fax: (718) 368-0140. Web: www.lammindustries.com.
Phiaton is the brand name used by the South Korean Cresyn Company. Wes Phillips reviewed Phiaton's conventional closed-back Moderna MS 400 headphones in January 2009 and was as impressed by the sound quality as he was by their appearance. The PS 200 ($249), the only in-ear headphone sold by Phiaton, also has a striking appearance: the black rear face, which is all someone sitting next to you in the subway will see, resembles the turbine blades of a fan-jet engine. There are two balanced-armature drive-units, with a passive crossover network.
The 48" cable is a little long for…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: In-ear headphones. Drive-unit: dual balanced armatures with passive crossover. Frequency range: 8Hz–30kHz. Sensitivity: 95dB SPL. Impedance: 39 ohms. Maximum input power : 30mW. Features: padded travel case, 3 pairs silicone eartips in 3 different sizes, adapter for airplane-seat outlets.
Dimensions: Weight: 0.176 oz (5.9gm) without cord. Cable length: 48" (1220mm).
Finish: Black and silver.
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: None found.
Price: $249. Approximate number of dealers: online only. Warranty: 30-day satisfaction or money back, 1…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Apple iPod, iPod Touch; Ray Samuels Emmeline Hornet & The Tomahawk portable headphone amplifiers; Benchmark DAC1 D/A converter–headphone amplifier driven by S/PDIF optical output of MacBook laptop, or by dual-core Pentium PC using a Bel Canto USB Link 24/96 to convert USB datastream to S/PDIF, both computers running iTunes.
Headphones: Sennheiser HD650, Ultimate Ears UE-5c.—John Atkinson
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Deciding what is the optimal frequency response for a pair of headphones is neither obvious nor trivial (see www.stereophile.com/features/808head), compounded by the fact that I don't have a microphone small enough to be inserted in my ears. The only measurement I perform on headphones, therefore, is of their electrical impedance, to determine how difficult they are to drive. To take these readings, I inserted each set of 'phones in my ears.
The Phiaton PS 200's impedance and electrical phase are shown in fig.1. The impedance meets the 39-ohm specification…
I got early into personal stereos. I lost my driving license for a while in the mid-1970s—something about a stop sign and "failure to observe"—so I used to take the train to a regular bass-playing gig I had in Brighton, on England's south coast. Not only did I conclude that any audio magazine worth its cover price had to have enough meat in it to last the two-hour journey and back again, I also built myself an op-amp–based, battery-powered amplifier to drive a pair of RadioShack headphones. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and my only source was a mono cassette recorder. Inside-…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Earphones with Tuned BassPort. Drive-unit: Hi-Definition MicroSpeaker (balanced armature). Frequency range: 22Hz–19kHz. Sensitivity: 111dB SPL/mW. Impedance: 28 ohms at 1kHz. Features: travel case, flex tips, 3 sizes of silicone sound-isolating sleeves, 36" extension cable, cleaning tool.
Dimensions: Weight: 0.99oz (28gm). Cable length: 18" (450mm); with supplied extension, 54" (1360mm).
Finish: Black or white and gray.
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: None found.
Price: $299.99. Approximate number of dealers: sold online, plus through…