Digital Sources: Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP, Luxman DU80 universal players; Apple Mac mini 2.5GHz computer with 250GB LaCie drive and 2TB Infrant Technologies NAS; Ayre Acoustics QB-9, Bel Canto e.One DAC3/VBS D/A converters; Bel Canto USB Link 24/96 USB S/PDIF converter.
Preamplifier: Luxman C800F.
Power Amplifiers: Parasound Halo JC 1 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Vivid Audio G1Giya, Wilson Audio Specialties Sasha W/P.
Cables: USB: EntreQ Discover. Interconnect: Shunyata Research Aurora Aeros, Stealth Metacarbon. Speaker: Shunyata Research Aurora…
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Sidebar 2; Associated Equipment
Sidebar 3: Measurements
To perform the measurements on the Luxman B-1000F, 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). Before doing the testing, I ran the Luxman at one-third its rated power for 60 minutes, which thermally is the worst case for an amplifier with a class-A/B output stage. At the end of that period, the chassis was only mildly warm.
The voltage gain into 8 ohms was the same from the balanced and unbalanced inputs, and slightly higher than specified: 32.6dB. The…
After seven previous Grammy nominations for his engineering efforts, veteran recording engineer and equipment designer Keith O. Johnson has received his first Grammy. Together with producer David Frost, "Professor" Johnson won Best Surround Sound Album (for vocal or instrumental albums) at the 53rd Annual Grammy® Awards.
Presented on Sunday, February 13, 2011, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Johnson and Frost's Grammy-honored Reference Recordings' hybrid multi-channel SACD, Britten's Orchestra (RR-120SACD). Performed by the excellent Kansas City Orchestra, conducted by Michael Stern,…
Kalman Rubinson wrote about the Ayre DX-5 in January 2011 (Vol.34 No.1):
Last month, Michael Fremer and John Atkinson had their ways with this long-awaited, $10,000 player from Ayre Acoustics, but here I take a different tack. Though I used the DX-5's analog outputs and USB input (primarily with a tweaked Squeezebox Touch), my focus was on its multichannel output via HDMI. Interestingly, the DX-5 has two HDMI outputs: one, HDMI A/V Output, is the same as that on the Oppo Digital BDP-83, on whose DNA the Ayre is based; the other, HDMI Audio Output, is based on Ayre's gene splicing. They…
Rega P3-24 drive-belt upgrade November 2010 (Vol.33 No.11)
With its long and cherished history, and its abundance of critical praise and commercial success, Rega's P3 is a turntable worth knowing (footnote 1). The original Planar 3 was ranked 30th on Stereophile's Hot 100 list of most important hi-fi components of all time, and the latest incarnation of this fine and simple design, the P3-24 ($895 with tonearm), sits proudly in Class C of our "Recommended Components"—and, as my long-term reference, in my living room.
In his July 2008 review, Michael Fremer admired the P3-24 for…
Sidebar: SM’s Associated Equipment
Integrated Amplifier: Exposure 2010S.
Loudspeakers: DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 3.
Cables: Furutech Evolution.
Accessories: Furutech E-Tp60 Power Distributor, Polycrystal Equipment Rack.
SM's System
Integrated Amplifier: Exposure 2010S.
Loudspeakers: DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 3.
Cables: Furutech Evolution.
Accessories: Furutech E-Tp60 Power Distributor, Polycrystal Equipment Rack.
Uncle Omar's System
Analog Source: Rega P1 turntable, RB100 tonearm, Ortofon 2M Red cartridge.
Integrated Amplifier: Cambridge Audio Azur 350A.
Loudspeakers: Totem Acoustic Arro.
Cables: Bare RadioShack wire.—Stephen Mejias
The Isle of Wight-based company, Artisan Silver Cables, has launched a new brand, Giant-Killer Cables, “a range of painstakingly handcrafted audiophile-quality OFC and silver-plated OFC cables at exceptionally reasonable prices.” There are currently two options available—the Ultra-Pure interconnect starts at £49/0.5m pair, while the Quad-Core Silver interconnect starts at £99/0.5m pair—but the company plans to also offer HDMI and USB cables.
How do Giant-Killer Cables keep their prices reasonable? The company sells direct through their website and claims kinder business…
How do you convince people that there's more to good sound than MP3s played on an iPod speaker dock? Events like the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest and the Montreal Salon Son & Image allow attendees to experience high-performance audio in a no-sales-pressure setting, but they're mostly preaching to the converted. The people who attend these events are already interested in good sound. But what about the general public?
Toronto-area audio dealer Audio Excellence decided to tackle the problem last year by setting up a booth at the annual National Home Show in Toronto, reportedly with great…
I was immediately impressed by the provocative photography, at once gorgeous and painful. I could not resist it. The cover image first appeared in the New York Times and was taken by Damon Winter, on assignment in Haiti. Three of Winter’s photos are included in Bonnie “Prince” Billy and the Cairo Gang’s latest release—a 10-inch single, “Island Brothers” b/w “New Wonder”—and they complement the music perfectly.
Those familiar with the music of Bonnie “Prince” Billy will have an idea of how this record sounds—as if from some simpler time and heavy with poetry and…
The first digital wave hit our audiophile island in the mid-1980s. The big splash of the Compact Disc created hundreds of new companies, many of which thrive today. After that, a few minor high-resolution swells, for SACD and DVD-Audio, receded rather quickly, scattering a few shells here and there.
But the second big wave—really a tsunami now—to wash ashore was triggered by the earthquake of computer and Internet audio, which has also shaken apart the music-industry conglomerates as we knew them. Several well-established audiophile brands, and dozens of newcomers, have jumped up on this…