I set out on a fishing trip but returned less than an hour later, empty-handed. You asked me, reasonably enough, "What happened?"
"I spent a half-hour digging in the garden for worms, but couldn't find any."
"You could have driven to Mr. Zetterstrum's farm, knocked on his door, asked his permission, and spent a few hours overturning the cowflops in his pasture. I'm sure you would have found one or two worms that way."
"You're right. I guess I didn't want to go fishing that badly."
So it goes today, as I take my first, tentative look at the world of direct-drive…
With its 13" platter and its thickly lacquered, 4"-tall wooden plinth, the DP-A100 looks decidedly more serious than most of its recent stablemates. And according to Jeff Talmadge, Denon's director of product development, the servo for the new model is the same one used in the classic DP-80. All in all, the DP-A100 was the rare contemporary turntable that looked at home sitting next to my own vintage Garrards and Thorenses.
The DP-A100 was also the rare deck that confounded my efforts at dissection: I never succeeded in removing its bottom cover, so I can only assume that its big plinth…
For anyone who's been around the audiophile block a few times, Conrad-Johnson Design is a brand that needs no introduction. My first acquaintance with Conrad-Johnson was before I began writing for Stereophile (more than two decades ago—time sure flies fast when you're having fun!). I was in the market for a new preamp, having become convinced that my Dayton Wright SPS Mk.II was the weak link in my system, and had narrowed my choices to two similarly priced products: a solid-state model made by PS Audio (I'm not sure of the model number), and the tubed Conrad-Johnson PV-2ar. They were carried…
Now everything was fine, and remained so—until what was to be my last listening session with the LP125Ms. I turned on the system, and as soon as the amps came on there was a loud noise, like a persistent cough, from the left speaker. The noise subsided within a minute or so, but when I played a CD it was immediately apparent that something was wrong. There was now a marked channel imbalance, the left being much weaker than the right, and the sound took on a phasey quality. Switching interconnects between channels made no difference, so the problem was not with the signal source. Once again…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Tubed monoblock power amplifier. Tube complement: one M8080, one 6922, four 6550. Maximum output power: 125W into 4 ohms (21dBW), 30Hz–15kHz, at <1.0 % THD (also available connected for 8 or 16 ohm loads). Sensitivity: 900mV for rated power. Frequency response at 10W: 20Hz–20kHz, ±0.25dB. Hum & noise: 102dB below rated power. Input impedance: 100k ohms.
Dimensions: 19" (487mm) W by 6.38" (164mm) H by 16" (410mm) D. Weight: 47 lbs (21.4kg).
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: 5851017, 5851018, listening; 5851047, measuring.
Price: $…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Source: Ayre Acoustics CX-7eMP CD player.
Preamplifiers: Simaudio Moon Evolution P-7, Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Renaissance.
Power Amplifiers: Simaudio Moon Evolution W-7, Audiopax Model 88 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Avantgarde Uno Nano, Monitor Audio Platinum PL200.
Cables: Interconnect, speaker, AC: Nordost Valhalla.
Accessories: PS Audio Power Plant Premier power conditioner, Arcici Suspense Rack, PolyCrystal amplifier stands, Furutech RD-2 CD demagnetizer.—Robert Deutsch
Sidebar 3: Measurements
To take these measurements, I used Stereophile's loan sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It" and www.ap.com). The sample shipped to me for measurement had its output transformer set for an 8 ohm load. Before performing any tests, I made sure the output tubes were all correctly biased, using the top-panel LEDs. The LP125M's voltage gain into 8 ohms was higher than the norm, at 31.2dB, and the amplifier preserved absolute polarity (ie, was non-inverting). The input impedance was to specification, at close to…
The very first amplifier I bought was a Harman Kardon PC-200, aka The Prelude. It was a 10Wpc integrated, but I chose it over the competition for some of the same reasons that the HK 990 has appealed to me. Almost all amps back in the1960s had a plain cake-pan chassis with tubes, capacitors, and transformers studding the top. Integrated amps had the standard four knobs on the front for input selection, volume, bass, and treble. The HK PC-200 had an enclosed black chassis cage that formed a graceful cowl over the brushed-copper front panel and the six matte-black knobs: for Input selection (…
It's only an amplifier
For all its bells and whistles, the HK 990 is a stereo amplifier and must be judged as such. With either the Sony XA-5400ES or Oppo BDP-95 connected to its balanced XLR analog input and the input mode set to Direct Path, the sound coming out of the Aerials was uncompromised. The bass in Pipes Rhode Island (CD, Riago 101), a compilation of pipe-organ recordings engineered by our own John Marks, was clean and taut and loaded the room well. Inner voices were exquisitely delineated. With the divine Lorraine Hunt Lieberson singing Neruda Songs, composed for her by her…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state two-channel integrated amplifier with analog/digital inputs, tone controls, bass management, and system equalization. Line-level analog inputs: 6 pairs single-ended (RCA), 1 pair balanced (XLR), processor HT bypass (RCA), 2 subwoofer (RCA). Phono inputs: 1 moving-magnet, 1 moving-coil. Digital inputs: 2 optical, 2 coax, 1 HRS. Line-level analog outputs: 2 L/R, 2 subwoofer. Digital outputs: 2 coax. Output power: 150Wpc into 8 ohms (21.75dBW), 300Wpc into 4 ohms (21.75dBW). Line-level input sensitivity: 350mV. Line-level input impedance:…
