search

Recording of May 2010: <I>American VI: Ain't No Grave</I>

Johnny Cash: American VI: Ain't No Grave
Lost Highways/American Recordings B0013954-02 (CD). 2010. Rick Rubin, prod.; David Ferguson, eng.; Greg Fidelman, Jimmy Tittle, Paul Fig, Dan Leffler, asst. engs. AAD.? TT: 32:23
Performance ****½
Sonics ***½

A second career is a luxury that few artists ever consider, let alone attempt—yet that is essentially what Johnny Cash had via the six records he made at the end of his life with producer Rick Rubin.

Following at least one previous "final" volume, American VI: Ain't No Grave may truly be the last word to come from this…

The Holy Trinity

In an e-mail exchange with Stephen Mejias about why the mere mention of cassette decks on www.stereophile.com can so easily inflame our readers (and John Atkinson), I began to develop the idea that the brains of audiophiles and music lovers are governed by three complementary needs, or desires, that define who we are. I joked to SM that these desires, which apparently shift over time, constitute the Holy Trinity of Audiophiledom. They are, respectively, the love, desire, and need for:

1) Music
2) Quality audio reproduction
3) Ease of access to music

Well, SM took me…

Musical Fidelity AMS Primo line preamplifier

Musical Fidelity's Tri-Vista kWP, introduced in 2003, was an impressive, high-tech, "statement" audiophile preamplifier. Its outboard power supply weighed almost 56 lbs—more than most power amplifiers—and its hybrid circuitry included miniature military-grade vacuum tubes. As I said in my review of it in the January 2004 Stereophile, the kWP's chassis and innards were overbuilt, the measured performance impressive, and any sonic signature imposed on the signal was subtle and, essentially, inconsequential.

But while the kWP's fit and finish were jewel-like, its appearance was…

Musical Fidelity AMS Primo line preamplifier Page 2

The overall sound was harmonically rich without turning overripe. Attacks were surprisingly lightning-fast and ultraclean for an all-tube product. But sustain was where the magic lived: sounds just sailed generously on and on, their full harmonic envelope unfurled, slowly decaying into the sunset of background ambience before finally, cleanly disappearing altogether. Musical events effortlessly appeared, lingered, and dissolved, one after the other, meeting along the way no grain, glaze, or grit-induced resistance.

No syrup
I couldn't characterize the Primo's sound as "warm" or "…

Musical Fidelity AMS Primo line preamplifier Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Tubed, two-channel line preamplifier. Tube complement: 14 ECC81. Frequency response: 5Hz–50kHz, –0.5dB. Maximum output: 32V RMS. Output impedance: 600 ohms. Input impedance: 150k ohms, line inputs center-tapped. THD+noise, 20Hz–20kHz: <0.005% typical. Signal/noise: >105dB (no reference level quoted). Input sensitivity (full output): 8V. Overload margin: 30dB. Channel separation: 105dB.
Dimensions: 18.8" (483mm) W by 5.9" (150mm) H by 16" (410mm) D. Weight: 37 lbs (16.8kg).
Finishes: Silver, Black.
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed:…

Musical Fidelity AMS Primo line preamplifier Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn, Cobra, Castellon turntable, tonearm, stand, Graham Engineering Phantom II tonearm; Montegiro Lusso turntable, SME 309 & DaVinci Nobile tonearms; Lyra Titan i, Transfiguration Orpheus, Ortofon A90, MySonic Eminence EX cartridges.
Digital Sources: Camelot Technology Round Table DVD player with digital input Anagram Technologies DAC, BPT-modified Alesis Masterlink hard-disk recorder, Sooloos music server.
Preamplification: Manley Steelhead, Einstein Turntable's Choice, Boulder 1008, AMR PH77 phono…

Musical Fidelity AMS Primo line preamplifier Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

I used Stereophile's loan sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It" and www.ap.com) to examine the Musical Fidelity AMS Primo's measured behavior; for some tests, I also used my vintage Audio Precision System One Dual Domain.

For both balanced input to balanced output and unbalanced input to unbalanced output with the Primo's Gain switch operative, the maximum voltage gain was a sensible 12.5dB. (The Gain switch added exactly 6dB to the level of unbalanced sources, to match balanced ones.) The unity…

Roksan Kandy K2 integrated amplifier

Besides my 20th wedding anniversary and the 15th anniversary of Listener magazine's first issue, this year marks the 25th anniversary of Roksan Audio Ltd., easily one of the most innovative design and manufacturing firms in British audio. Before Roksan came upon the scene in 1985, none of us had ever seen a loudspeaker whose tweeter was isolated from its surroundings by a sprung suspension. Or a commercial phono preamplifier designed to fit inside a turntable, just a centimeter away from the tonearm base. And who among us could have guessed that the Linn LP12's hegemony—among flat-earthers,…

Roksan Kandy K2 integrated amplifier Page 2

Because of all that, and because the K2's handset emits an audible beep when any of its buttons is pushed—an unpleasant distraction, especially when trying to find the right volume level during a quiet musical passage—there came a time during the review period when I simply pretended that the K2's remote control did not exist.

Listening
With every loudspeaker I had on hand, the Kandy K2 distinguished itself as a clear, big-sounding, rhythmically accomplished amp with a slightly—a darn near imperceptibly—rounded-off top end. That bit of softness, coupled with its nearly complete lack…

Roksan Kandy K2 integrated amplifier Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Solid-state integrated amplifier with 3.5mm headphone output. Inputs: 5 line-level (including tape), 1 phono (MM). Maximum output power: 125Wpc into 8 ohms (21dBW), 190Wpc into 4 ohms (19.8dBW), both channels driven. Frequency response: <3Hz–>100kHz, –3dB. Line and phono input impedance: 47k ohms. Line input sensitivity: 470mV at maximum output. Signal/noise ratio: 100dBA (line, ref/ 470mV input). Harmonic distortion: <0.005% at 1kHz (8 ohms, no power level specified). Damping factor: >110 (8 ohms).
Dimensions: 16.9" (432mm) W by 4" (…