Parasound Products, Inc., 2250 McKinnon Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94124. Tel: (415) 397-7100. Fax: (415) 397-0144 Web: www.parasound.com
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So where were we? Ah yes, I had just nailed loudspeaker positioning in my tiny bedroom by switching the left and right speakers placing the tweeters on the outside of my array. This change widened the soundstage and stabilized the central image but sacrificed some pinpoint high-end articulation I had with the tweeters inside the widths of the speakers. Yet, excessive bass resonances remained as evidenced through Paul McCartney’s bass runs on “Something” from my Abbey Road LP. Though a touch vaudeville, Paul is still a reserved and classy English gent, and there’s no way his bass guitar would…
Photo: ravicoltrane.com/
Ravi Coltrane's quartet is at the Village Vanguard this week, and that in itself is a marker of how confident—ballsy wouldn't be a stretch—this musician has become in recent years. It's bold enough for John Coltrane's son to take up the tenor saxophone as a trade. It takes the next level of audacity to lead a band at the club where Dad laid down maybe the greatest live jazz recording ever. But the ultimate display of self-assurance from Coltrane fils came during his improv on an original tune, "Thirteenth Floor," when he casually quoted a few lines from "A Love…
The audiophile does not pursue music reproduction because it is useful; he pursues it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful. If music were not beautiful it would not be worth knowing, and if music were not worth knowing life would not be worth living.
My apologies for corrupting the well-known statement by French mathematician Jules Henri Poincaré (1854–1912), in which he described his relationship with science and nature. But substituting audiophile for scientist and music for nature, I feel the sentiment expresses what drives many audiophiles to the…
Once a CD had been loaded and its table of contents read, the Platinum Data IV proved to be the fastest transport I've ever experienced. When I skipped to the next track, it seemed to get there before I'd fully pressed the button—it was that fast. I often like to skip to a track while listening, and this thing was too fast. If you want track 8, you're going to end up hearing a split second of each of tracks 1–7 as you furiously tap the button.
I noticed one anomaly: When I played an MA Recordings sampler on DVD-R, the CD IV correctly displayed "24/96," but the DAC IV said "16/96," and…
MSB Technology Platinum Data CD IV transport & Diamond DAC IV & D/A converter Specifications
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Platinum Data CD IV disc transport: Compatible with CD, WAV files (16–32 bits, sample rates up to 384kHz) on DVD-R. Outputs: Coaxial, TosLink, AES/EBU, MSB Network (384kHz). Output jitter: 2ps. Power-supply requirement: 12V DC.
Dimensions: 17.7" (450mm) W by 2.75" (70mm) H by 15.4" (390mm) D, DAC IV and Power Base each. Weights: 9.5 lbs (4.3kg), Data CD IV; 18 lbs (8.2kg), Power Base.
Serial number of unit reviewed: CD198321.
Price: $3995; Signature Transport Power Base adds $3495. Price as reviewed: $7490.
Diamond DAC IV: Solid-state,…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Apple MacBook Pro computer (2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD) running OS 10.6.7, iTunes 10.6, Sonic Studio Amarra 2.3, Songbird 1.9.3, XLD; Western Digital NAS Device (2TB); Oppo BDP-83 universal Blu-ray player; Meridian (formerly Sooloos) Digital Media System (Control 15, 3 TwinStores); Apple iPad 2, 3; Apple iPod Touch 1G; Ayre Acoustics QB9, Benchmark DAC1 USB, dCS Debussy digital processors.
Preamplifier: Marantz AV7005 (Pure Direct mode).
Power Amplifier: Classé CAM 350 monoblocks (2).
Loudspeakers: MartinLogan…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used Stereophile's loan sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 "As We See It") to measure the MSB Diamond DAC IV; for some tests, I also used my vintage Audio Precision System One Dual Domain.
The MSB combination offers a bewildering number of playback options, with three different flavors of digital data input (USB, AES/EBU and S/PDIF, and MSB Network), four reconstruction filters, two choices of upsampling, and both balanced and unbalanced outputs. I started my testing, therefore, with the more…
There is no need for Denver's Rocky Mountain Audio Fest to toot its own horn. The three-day affair, which opens at noon on Friday, October 12 in the Denver Marriott Tech Center, promises no less than 431 exhibitors; 174 exhibitor rooms, including 24 large ones (same since 2009): 41 miscellaneous vendors; 35 CANJAM vendors; and an impressive number of show debuts (see below).
The largest US high-end audio show open to the public is also, despite its size and occasionally snow-encrusted environs, the warmest and friendliest audiophile show in the country. For this we owe thanks to Marjorie…
Breaking news this morning is the announcement that the Italian Investment Group Fine Sounds SpA is to acquire 100% of famed US tube-amplifier manufacturer McIntosh Laboratory from D&M Holdings. Fine Sounds already owns the Sonus Faber, Audio Research, and Wadia Digital brands and the Sumiko distribution company.
From the press release: Fine Sounds and McIntosh believe the acquisition will deliver important benefits to McIntosh’s customers, sales partners and employees by providing opportunities for building on Fine Sounds Group’s product development capabilities, distribution…