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Cleaning contacts: It's no coincidence that the word "clean" is often used to describe well-reproduced sound. Cramolin is the stuff to use; just follow the instructions, making sure you wipe it off until the cloth (or Q-tip) is not picking up any more dirt. I've also used Tweek (sold as Stabilant 22A in Canada), which is not a cleaner but a "contact enhancer," but I'm not so keen on it now. It's true that application of a small amount of this liquid to an electrical contact enhances the effectiveness of the contact, but, as the Stabilant 22A instructions warn, it should not be used if the…
Evaluating Tweaks
Sooner or later, even the most timid of tweakers will want to evaluate the effects of some new tweak. The Double Blind method is fraught with difficulties in this context even when done by researchers, so I don't recommend it for ordinary mortals. Even Single Blind has its practical difficulties in a home setting: you really don't want to have your spouse or Significant Other (not that spouses aren't significant) switching cables and whatnot while you're sitting, eyes closed, in your listening chair. The proper utilization of spouses and SOs is to have them listen…
Sooner or later, even the most timid of tweakers will want to evaluate the effects of some new tweak. The Double Blind method is fraught with difficulties in this context even when done by researchers, so I don't recommend it for ordinary mortals. Even Single Blind has its practical difficulties in a home setting: you really don't want to have your spouse or Significant Other (not that spouses aren't significant) switching cables and whatnot while you're sitting, eyes closed, in your listening chair. The proper utilization of spouses and SOs is to have them listen…
"You need to keep still."
I didn't think I was wriggling, but the liquid silicone being injected into my ear canals was cold. Cold. And I was having to bite on to a plastic block to keep my mouth open wide, which is what the audiologist taking an impression of my inner ears deemed essential.
I was being subjected to this ritual because, following my review of the $179 Shure E3c in-ear headphones last May (Vol.27 No.5, p.113), I had agreed to review a competing product from Ultimate Ears. Not the nickname of a famed audio reviewer, Nevada-based Ultimate Ears was established by…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Lightweight, sound-isolating, in-ear headphones with dual balanced armatures, passive crossover, and 1/8" stereo minijack. Frequency range: 20Hz–16kHz. Sensitivity: 119dB/1mW (±3dB). Impedance: 25 ohms. Optional accessories: spare cables, metal carrying case, wax-remover tool, ear-mold cleaner, disinfectant wipes, replacement cables.
Dimensions: Weight: 1oz (28gm). Cable length: 46" (1.18m) or 64" (1.64m).
Serial number of unit reviewed: 3511-1.
Price: $550; soft material option adds $50; metal carrying case adds $20. Approximate number of…
HESPÈRIAN XXI: Villancicos y Danzas Criollas de la Iberia Antigua al Nuevo Mundo (1550-1750)
La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Hespèrian XXI, Jordi Savall
Alia Vox CD 9834 (CD). 2004. Nicolas Bartolomée, prod.; Nicolas de Beco, eng. DDD. TT: 77:03
Performance ****½
Sound *****
La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Hespèrian XXI, Jordi Savall
Alia Vox CD 9834 (CD). 2004. Nicolas Bartolomée, prod.; Nicolas de Beco, eng. DDD. TT: 77:03
Performance ****½
Sound *****
The latest aural adventure across time and space led by Catalan conductor and viola da gamba virtuoso Jordi Savall transports us to the melting pot of the early Americas. It's where the cultural imports of the Iberian colonizers mixed fruitfully with the native legacy of the Indians and the traditions of…
The dCS Verdi/Purcell/Elgar system's ultra-high resolution and superb focus, and its ability to drive an amplifier directly, provided a good opportunity to compare my current reference cables, Harmonic Technology's Magic Woofer ($2000/8' set) and Pro-Silway II interconnects ($399/m pair, $240/add'l. meter) with Analysis Plus's far less expensive Solo Crystal Oval 8 speaker cable ($969/8' set) and Solo Crystal Oval 8 interconnect ($399/m, longer lengths available).
Using a variety of SACDs, I spent an entire evening comparing Harmonic Tech's Pro-Silway II/Magic and Analysis Plus Solo…
Sidebar: System Context
Analog sources: SME 30/2 turntable; Graham 2.2 tonearm; Lyra Helikon SL, Helikon Mono, Lyra Titan, Audio Tekne MC-6310 cartridges.
Digital sources: dCS Verdi SACD transport, dCS Purcell D/D converter, dCS Elgar Plus D/A converter, Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 3D CD player & Tri-Vista SACD player.
Preamplification: Manley Steelhead phono, Hovland HP-100, Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista integrated amplifier used as preamplifier.
Power amplifier: Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 300, Music Reference RM-200.
Loudspeakers: Audio Physic Avanti III, Aerial Acoustics SW-…
"Who Stole The Bass?" asked Anthony H. Cordesman, writing about minimonitors in the April/May 1987 Stereophile (Vol.10 No.3). And for the designer of a box loudspeaker, the fundamental design decision, at any price level, is how much bass extension to aim for. It will always be possible to design a speaker with extension down to 20Hz, but will the result be musically and commercially successful? Will the designer end up with a speaker hypertrophied in that one area at the expense of every other? Will, indeed, the result be feasible technically? For example, for a given cabinet volume, gains…
The loudspeakers were carefully positioned for optimum performance, and the stands were all coupled to the tile floor beneath the rug with spikes. In addition to a rigorous listening test, with no other speakers in the room, the Celestions were used for everyday listening.
As was the case with my last loudspeaker report, this review took place while I was moving house. The listening sessions had to be broken into two distinct periods. The first took place in my old room, with whose acoustics and idiosyncrasies I am, of course, very familiar. The second set of listening sessions took…
The crossover, supported by the internal acoustic damping material rather than attached to the cabinet rear wall, features a 2nd-order, 12dB/octave, low-pass slope to the woofer and a 3rd-order, 18dB/octave, high-pass slope to the tweeter. Internal wiring is all via oxygen-free, single-strand copper wire, and high-quality components are used, including low-loss capacitors. Electrical connection is via two pairs of 4mm sockets, the two halves of the crossover being electrically separated to allow bi-wiring and bi-amping, if so desired. For conventional single wiring, solid-core jumpers…