When I submitted my piece for the October 1990 "Industry Update" on the digital alarm clock controversy, I was only aware of the $500 Coherence Industries version and the $25 Radio Shack standard model. In case you're just getting back from the moon, I should elaborate a bit. Some people have observed that operating one of these clocks in the listening room actually has an effect (many report a positive one) on the sound of an audio system. Why this should be so has not been explained satisfactorily—certainly…
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Thomas J. Norton wrote a review of the Tice Clock in March 1991 (Vol.14 No.3):
John Atkinson also wrote about the Tice TPT Clock in March 1991 (Vol.14 No.3):
If it's true that the Tice TPT Clock does have a small but audible effect on the sound of your system, how could this be so? Having read the Tice literature, I think that the official explanation of what is going on is plain wrong. It seems to me that if the Clock does effect an audible change, the reason would fall into two separate categories: a) the Clock has an effect on the system; b) it has an effect on the listener.
Looking at the latter first, what if that the Clock emits negative ions into the…
Jack English commented on the effect of the Tice Clock in February 1993 (Vol.16 No.2):
After hours and hours, the 1.2 upgrade to my Versa Model 1 turntable was completed and the final adjustments made. The most obvious change surprised me considerably: there was simply far less sound coming out of the Versa. Everything was much quieter. To achieve the former volume levels, I had to substantially increase the preamp's gain setting. What was gone was a significant layer of very low level grundge and noise. Backgrounds had less filler; the music was presented in stark relief. The upgrade…
Tice TPT Clock: Manufacturer's Comment
Editor: I am writing this letter in an effort to correct and clarify much of the rumors and misinformation surrounding the Tice TPT Clock. Unfortunately, many audiophiles accept assumptions and misinformation as fact without question. I think it's time to set the record straight.
To understand the TPT Clock it must be broken down into two distinct entities. The first is the technology called TPT (Tice Pulse Technology), and the second is the storage medium, which is the clock. The relationship between TPT (the technology) and the storage…
Sidebar: Tice Specifications
Description: Device to eliminate "electron noise" from the AC line.
Price: $350 (1991). Approximate number of dealers: 100.
Manufacturer: Tice Audio Products Inc., Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 (1991). (2003). Tice Audio Products, 1530 Cypress Drive, Suite C, Jupiter, FL 33469. Tel: (561) 575-7577. Fax: (561) 575-0302. Web: www.ticeaudio.com.
Despite my 26 years in audio journalism, the amount of stuff I need to know seems to increase faster than I can cope with it. Thus it didn't come as too much of a surprise for me to learn that speaker manufacturer Canton, the Teutonic equivalent of England's B&W, a) was 30 years old in 2002, and b) claims the dominant market share of the German market. Yes, I'd been peripherally aware of Canton through the years, but for various reasons had never auditioned any of their models. I was amenable, therefore, when Canton USA's Paul Madsen suggested to me last May, at Home Entertainment 2002…
Since I picked up our April 2000 "Recording of the Month," Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now, first on CD (Reprise 47620-2), then on the Bob Ludwig-mastered DVD-A (47620-9), I've been listening to a lot of the Canadian singer. Recorded at Air Lyndhurst in North London, Both Sides Now presents Mitchell working through a collection of standards in lushly orchestrated arrangements that sounded suitably rich via the Cantons. Her sexy, smoky voice—the huskiness indeed courtesy of her years of smoking—sounded a little smokier than I remembered from the Mission Pilastros I reviewed last month, but the…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, ABR-loaded, magnetically shielded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) aluminum-manganese dome tweeter, two 7" (180mm) aluminum-magnesium cone midrange units, 12" (310mm) graphite-loaded paper-cone woofer, 12" (310mm) flat-diaphragm Auxiliary Bass Radiator (ABR). Crossover frequencies: 150Hz and 3.2kHz, 24dB/octave acoustic slopes. Frequency range: 18Hz-30kHz. Sensitivity: 89dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms (4 ohms minimum). Recommended power: up to 350Wpc.
Dimensions: 47.2" (1200mm) H by 11.8" (300mm) W by 20.9" (…
Sidebar 2: Review System
Analog source: Linn Sondek LP12/Cirkus/Trampolin/Lingo/Ekos/Arkiv LP player on a Sound Organisation table.
Digital sources: Mark Levinson No.31.5 CD transport; Mark Levinson No.30.6 D/A processor; dCS 972 upsampler; Accuphase DP-85 SACD player; Technics DVD-A10 DVD-Audio player; Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 3D CD player.
Preamplification: Linn Linto phono preamp, Mark Levinson No.380S line preamp, Z-Systems rdp-1 digital control center (updated to handle 96kHz sources).
Power amplifiers: Mark Levinson No.33H monoblocks.
Cables: Datalinks: Kimber…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The big Canton was significantly more sensitive than average, at an estimated 92dB(B)/2.83V/m. However, as shown by its plot of impedance magnitude and electrical phase against frequency (fig.1), it actually draws more like 2W from the amplifier to achieve this rating. With a true 1W drive, its sensitivity will be exactly to specification at 89dB/W/m.
Fig.1 Canton Karat Reference 2 DC, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed). (2 ohms/vertical div.)
The impedance stays within tight 3 and 6 ohm limits from 70Hz to 40kHz, meaning that…