"We had the same number of exhibitors in the main rooms but CANJAM added a few more this year. Approximately 431 companies were represented. I…
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With a fanfare at 4pm, Sunday October 14, in the Denver Tech Center Marriott's Atrium, the Denver Broncos Half-Time Band, courtesy of Kimber Kable's Ray Kimber, brought the Show to a close. According to Show organizer Marjorie Baumert, "We had about 150 more exhibitors (according to the badges), about 3600 attendee days (approximately 100 more than last year). We had 1295 attendees pre-register and that was an all-time record (last year was 1100).
This should have been a recipe for disaster.
It's no secret. David Manley has not been big on single-ended amplifiers. Not enough muscle. You're better off with push-pull. Still, with a growing market for single-ended stuff, I'm sure Manley saw a need to do something. Of all tube designers, Manley has always been among the most prolific.
"Want a single-ended amp, mate? No problem. I'll build one up for you." (This is the kind of thing Manley would say, but didn't in this case. I made it up.)
That's what troubled me initially. Manley doesn't seem committed to single-ended…
ST returned to the Manleys in February 1996 (Vol.19 No.2):
As it happens, I still had the pair of Manley SE/PP 300B amplifiers on hand, and, as soon as I could tear myself away from the Jadis SE300B, I tried those with the Infinity Composition speakers. Even more than the Thiel CS.5s, the Compositions revealed the much greater delicacy and resolution of the Jadis amplifiers. Still, especially considering their price of $3500/pair, the Manley amplifiers were excellent, too. Some resolution, some transparency was gone—but still I heard much midrange magic.
Now, of course, the…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Monoblock tube amplifier with variable negative feedback and switchable between single-ended and push-pull operation. Tube complement: one 12AX7T, one 7044, two 300Bs. Rated power: 36W into 5 ohms in push-pull, 18W into 5 ohms in single-ended mode. No other specifications given.
Dimensions: 12" wide by 10" deep.
Finish: Metallic gray.
Price: $3500/pair (1996); no longer available (2012).
Manufacturer: Manley Laboratories, Inc., 13880 Magnolia Avenue, Chino, CA 91710. Tel: (909) 627-4256. Fax: (909) 628-2482. Web: www.manleylabs.com…
Although most audio perfectionists look down with scorn on equalizers, there are times when the benefits of such devices can outweigh their disadvantages. I discussed the pros and cons in my review of the Accuphase G-18 in Vol.11 No.4, but a brief recap here won't be amiss.
Properly used, a suitable equalizer can often improve the listenability of mediocre recordings (footnote 1), and can offset some of the deficiencies of many loudspeakers. Improperly used, an equalizer can undo all of the potential for fidelity that your system has to offer, and even when not used at all—with all its…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: 14-band 2-channel graphic equalizer. Controlled bands: Center frequencies (Hz, ISO standard) at: 31.5, 45, 63, 90, 125, 180, 250, 360, 550, 1k, 2k, 4k, 8k, 16k. Constant-Q bandwidth. Equalization range: ±12dB. Frequency response w/controls set at 0dB: ±0.5dB, 20Hz–20kHz. Real-time analyzer: 25dB range on screen, auto-ranging. Internal pink noise generator, L/R uncorrelated. Gain: 0dB at 0dB. THD: below 0.03%, 20Hz–20kHz. Maximum input, output level: 6V. S/N ratio: 119dBA. Input impedance: 51k ohms. Output impedance: 470 ohms.
Dimensions: 17 1/8" W…
Friday–Sunday, November 23–25: The Hi-Fi Expo Sofia will be held at the Grand Hotel (1 Gurko Street, Sofia, Bulgaria). More than 250 high-end brands are expected to exhibit. For more info, visit www.hifiexpo.bg.
Photo by chrissy from the Stereophile Galleries.
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.
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…