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Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the No.30's design is the two towers that contain the D/A converters and analog output circuitry. Besides giving the No.30 its distinctive look, there were some important engineering reasons for isolating the analog circuitry from digital signal processing and control signals. The towers are virtually immune to radiated noise, both by their shielding and by their distance from the digital electronics. More important, however, are the thermal conditions under which the critical conversion to analog takes place. The towers were very carefully designed to…
In fact, I find it difficult to describe the No.30's "sound" or "character" because it is so neutral and transparent. I felt as though I were hearing exactly what was on the disc or digital master tape, not the No.30's interpretation of it. The No.30 didn't overlay the music with a common sonic signature. Instead, it seemed to get out of the way, taking the listener one step closer to the musicians. While other processors have been described as "laid-back," "forward," "smooth," "lightweight," or "detailed," the No.30 defied such descriptions. Rather, it seemed to convey the characteristics…
I should add that I enjoyed hearing the specific aspects of the presentation I've described not for their own sake, but for their musical significance. Music listening was a more fulfilling, complete experience through the No.30. Going back to the example of the click sound being replaced by woodblocks of varying pitch, this minuscule objective change in the signal produced a huge perceptual difference. The No.30 revealed a new dimension of rhythmic interaction in this music. Further, there was suddenly an impression of Flora Purim, who plays percussion when she isn't singing, standing…
Robert Harley wrote again about the No.30 in June 1993 (Vol.16 No.6):
I'll take this opportunity to write a very brief follow-up to my No.30 review in Vol.15 No.2. After living with a product (off and on) for many months, one's insights into the product increase. This was true of the No.30. My unbridled enthusiasm for it has grown after extended auditioning. Although the No.30's bass presentation was exceeded by the Theta Generation III and Meitner IDAT, it has a unique quality: the ability to resolve musical information without being in any way analytical. This is the No.30's great…
Sidebar 1: Review System
The No.30 was installed in my usual reference system: VTL 225W monoblocks driving Hales System Two Signature speakers, augmented by a Muse Model 18 subwoofer, all driven by an Audio Research LS2 line-stage preamplifier. Digital sources were a Theta Data universal transport fitted with coaxial and AT&T ST-type optical outputs, and a JVC DAT machine playing original master tapes. I also auditioned the No.30 with Nakamichi's new $6000 seven-disc transport, the 1000MB.
On hand were a large selection of digital interconnects, including Madrigal's, the…
Sidebar 2: Measurements
Although there is very little correlation between sound quality and measurements, I expected the No.30 to have superb test-bench performance. This was indeed the case: the No.30 was the best-measuring digital processor I've tested. The following measurements were taken from the No.30's unbalanced outputs unless otherwise noted.
The No.30's output level when decoding a full-scale (0dBFS) 1kHz sinewave was 2.095V, 0.4dB higher than the CD standard of 2V. This level is, however, slightly lower than most high-end digital processors. I must reiterate the need…
Sidebar 3: Specifications
Description: 20-bit digital/analog converter. Inputs: five AES/EBU on XLR connectors, two Toslink (EIAJ) optical inputs, one AT&T ST-type optical input. Digital outputs: two AES/EBU on XLR jack, one optical on Toslink jack. Analog outputs: one unbalanced stereo pair on RCA jacks, two balanced stereo pairs on XLR jacks. D/A conversion: two custom 20-bit DACs. Digital filter: 8x-oversampling. Analog filter: Bessel-tuned low-pass, linear phase to 40kHz. Frequency response: 10Hz–20kHz, +0dB, –0.2dB. THD: 0.003% at 1kHz, 0dB, A-weighted. Dynamic range: 98dB or…
Jeff Beck: Emotion & Commotion
Atco R2 523695 (CD), R1 523695 (LP). 2010. Steve Lipson, prod., eng., mix; Trevor Horn, exec. prod. DDD. TT: 40:26
Performance *****
Sonics ***½
Atco R2 523695 (CD), R1 523695 (LP). 2010. Steve Lipson, prod., eng., mix; Trevor Horn, exec. prod. DDD. TT: 40:26
Performance *****
Sonics ***½
Hindsight tells me that I shouldn't have been surprised: the pairing of the most lyrical of electric guitarists with the supreme melody from a king of melody, Giacomo Puccini, was a natural match. Jeff Beck wrings the emotion from his Fender Stratocaster on the aria "Nessun Dorma," from the opera Turandot, and sends it soaring, singing into the aether.
There are three instruments that echo…
"Reviewed in the box!" is what Stereophile's founder, the late J. Gordon Holt, used to call it. You might think you're reading a review, but the realization slowly dawns that there's nothing in the text that could not have been gleaned from the manufacturer's brochure, nothing to indicate that the writer had even opened the box the product came in. When I read a review in another publication or online, I judge it by doing what I recommend Stereophile's readers do when they read this magazine: I look for the nugget I didn't already know, the facet I wasn't expecting, the concluding jewel I…
High-end audio exists at the intersection of art and science. Either discipline can produce a good product, but it takes both to create the very best. The Sonic Frontiers gear I auditioned many years ago, for example, was technically sound, nicely built, and sounded good—just never as sublime as products from, say, Audio Research or VTL. On the other hand, an experienced, insightful designer such as Quicksilver's Michael Sanders can create wonderful products from humble circuits and parts, but be ultimately limited by the underlying technology. But when brilliant design, uncompromised…