Saturday, November 3, 12pm: Advanced Audio Systems (6450 Tacoma Mall Boulevard, Tacoma, WA) will host a seminar with iconic loudspeaker designer Richard Vandersteen. The event will consist of product demonstrations and a question and answer session with Vandersteen. To register for the event, follow this link.
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One of the most striking aspects of high-end audio is that you can never take any component for granted. Most of the radical change in audio at present takes place in new front-end and speaker technologies, but other components are changing as well—and with at least as much impact in making recorded music seem believable.
The Krell KRS-2 preamplifier is a case in point. I have now spent several months comparing it with every other unit I've been able to find. The end result is that this Krell has emerged as the equal of the Audio Research SP-11 in defining the state of the preamplifier…
I should stress in introducing them that: a) these comparisons always involved a single sample of an active preamp; b) some of the preamps used were borrowed from other audiophiles and were not necessarily typical of the latest production of a given model; and c) many differences were so minor that they would only emerge after prolonged listening. Nevertheless, I was able to make the following differentiations:
Audio Research SP-10: The sound was slightly warmer, with a minor exaggeration of imaging which seems to come from a coloration which "expands" the dynamic contrasts of…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Two-chassis preamplifier (with psu transformers in third box). Frequency range: DC–1.5MHz. Maximum output: 15V. Output impedance: 6 ohms.
Dimensions: 19" W x 12" D x 2.25" H (preamp and psu), 3.5" W x 13" D x 2" H (transformers).
Price: $4500 (1987); no longer available (2012).
Manufacturer: Krell Industries, Milford, CT 06460 (1987); Krell Industries, 45 Connair Road, Orange, CT 06477-3650 (2012). Tel: (203) 298-4010. Fax: (203) 891-2028. Web: www.krellonline.
It’s like that t-shirt you were always jealous of your friend for having. You know the one I’m talking about. It’s the one that said “Famous Guitars”, and it had drawings of Eddie Van Halen’s Frankenstein or Rick Nielsen’s multi-necked Hamer. There was also a “Famous Drumkits” one with Kreutzmann and Hart’s two-man kit or Terry Bozzio’s tom-tom explosion. Gosh, those were cool.
Well now you can be that guy but with the famous hi-fis.
At Hi-Fi Posters.com, a UK company is selling two posters: “A Visual Hi-Fi History of Turntables” and “Loudspeakers: A Visual Hi-Fi History”. Each…
It began when I reviewed the MartinLogan Montis loudspeaker (September 2012). The amplifiers I had to drive the pair of them were the PrimaLuna ProLogue Premier integrated ($2999), the Audiopax Mk.II (no longer available; the Mk.III costs $22,000), and the Simaudio Moon Evolution W-7 ($9000). The first two are tubed, with power in the 30–40Wpc range; the solid-state Simaudio puts out 150Wpc. The Audiopax, which sounds great with my Avantgarde Uno Nanos, turned out to be not such a good match for the Montises: weak in dynamics, and too soft sounding. The PrimaLuna and the Simaudio were better…
I'm in favor of saving energy, and I'm all for reducing the unnecessary wear on tubes that occurs when an amp is left on without music being played. The MC275LE's Power Save feature, which turns off the power when there's been no input signal for 30 minutes, addresses these concerns. However, like most tube electronics, the MC275LE needs to warm up before it sounds its best, and the automatic turn-off interrupts the warm-up process. After about an hour of warm-up the sound was more open and dynamic, with a better sense of space. So, unfortunately, Power Save, while good for the environment…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Two-channel, tubed stereo (switchable to parallel mono operation) power amplifier. Tube complement: four KT88, three 12AX7A, four 12AT7. Inputs: 1 pair single-ended (RCA), 1 pair balanced (XLR). Loudspeaker outputs: separate gold-plated, 5-way binding posts for 4, 8, and 16 ohms. Preamp output: 1 pair single-ended (RCA). Inputs: 1 pair balanced (XLR), 1 pair single-ended (RCA). Output power: 75Wpc (18.8dBW) into 4, 8, or 16 ohms (stereo), 150W into (21.8dBW) 2, 4, or 8 ohms (mono). Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, +0/–0.5dB; 10Hz–70kHz, +0/–3dB. Signal…
John Atkinson reviewed the CEntrance DACport LX in October 2012 (Vol.35 No.10):
When I reviewed the original CEntrance DACport USB headphone amplifier in June 2010, I was impressed by what I heard. Driving Sennheiser HD-650 headphones, the DACport's high frequencies sounded silky, with plenty of air apparent and an impressive sense of space. I had used the bus-powered DACport exclusively as a headphone amplifier, but with a suitable adapter cable, the DACport could be used to drive the power amplifier in a regular speaker-based system.
Erick Lichte wrote about using the DACport in…
After filling my speaker stands with kitty litter, the bass warble tones on Stereophile’s Editor’s Choice CD were less boomy from start to finish with greater depth within each warble tone and lower frequencies not heard previously were now audible thanks to a quieter noise floor, but after weeks of warble tones, I needed some real music.
First on the platter was Bob Dylan’s John Wesley Harding which features 3-piece band orchestrations, punchy yet meandering bass lines, and anguished harmonica playing from Mr. Zimmerman. While listening, the bass player’s melodic fills on “All Along the…