Use and listening
From the very first cut of the first LP I played, side 2 of Bruce Cockburn's 1984 classic, Stealing Fire (LP, Gold Mountain GM-80012), it was obvious the 20/20 was something special. My first impressions were simple: that I was hearing more of everything, that that everything was better than it had been before, and that, quite possibly, this was the best analog playback I'd ever heard in my system. I got about as far as jotting down "Wow—this is incredible, but will it last? Or will it get tiring?" before I set my notepad aside and spent the rest of the evening…
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The 20/20's treble performance was excellent as well, and struck me as being extraordinarily vivid, with detailed, tonally rich images, big dynamic swings, and crisp, precise timing. I noted several times that the 20/20 sounded airier, more open on top, than the PhD or Direct, though I was hard-pressed to parse this impression into neat audiophile categories. I could sometimes convince myself that I was hearing greater extension with the 20/20 than with either the PhD or Direct; at other times, I was certain the 20/20 wasn't more extended, but was just producing larger dynamic swings and…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Single-chassis, solid-state, dual-mono phono preamplifier with two outboard power supplies. Inputs/outputs: 1 pair each, RCA. Gain (user-selectable): 40, 46, 52, 58, 64dB. Cartridge loading: 100, 200, 475, 1k, 47.5k ohms. Power consumption: 20W (10Wpc). Operating voltage: 100–240V, universal.
Dimensions: 17" (435mm) W by 2.25" (55mm) H by 12" (305mm) D. Power supplies (each): 2" (50mm) W by 1.5" (40mm) H by 5" (130mm) D. Weight (all): 11 lbs (5kg) net, 19 lbs (8.6kg) shipping.
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: CM120PSB (on printed circuit…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Spiral Groove SG-2 turntable & Centroid tonearm; Triplanar Precision Mk.VII tonearm; Lyra Titan i, Grado Signature Reference cartridges.
Digital Sources: Primare CD 31, Vincent C-60 CD players.
Preamplification: Sutherland PhD phono preamplifier; Sutherland Direct, Placette Active line stages.
Power Amplifiers: VTL MB750 Signature, Mark Levinson No.20.6.
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Specialties Sophia II.
Cables: Audience Au-24 e, Stereovox, Nordost Valhalla, Nirvana SL interconnects and speaker cables. AC: Audience…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Sutherland 20/20 with Stereophile's loan sample of the Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It" and www.ap.com). Floating the unbalanced generator gave the lowest level of measured noise; although I tried connecting the chassis of the Audio Precision and the Sutherland with a separate wire, this didn't improve the signal/noise ratios.
But before I could test the Sutherland, I had to power it up, which had me scratching my head. Although each channel has its own 48V power supply—a single-ended, switch-mode wall wart…
The Complete Art Pepper at Ronnie Scott's Club, London, June 1980, a 7-LP boxed set released by Pure Pleasure Records, is a total surprise and a sheer delight.
Art Pepper, who died in 1982 at the age of 56, was not only one of the great alto saxophonists of his era but a self-transformer to boot. In the early 1950s, he routinely ranked No. 2 in Downbeat polls (beat only by Charlie Parker), then vanished in the '60s (locked up in various prisons on drug charges), only to emerge in the mid-'70s with a totally different sound.
On his early albums, the best of which were recorded by…
I ignored my own advice and did not attend Sunday’s Collect-i-Bowl record show at Brooklyn Bowl. (Robert Baird was there, though, and says it was a great and delicious time.) I did, however, attend Saturday’s Record Riot in Jersey City, sponsored in part by Steve Gritzan of Jersey City’s own vinyl speakeasy, Iris Records. Because I’ve been spending so much money on records lately, I told myself that I would not spend more than $20. Well, you know how it goes: $20 soon became $40, and so on.
But, whatever: I’m richer in vinyl.
I picked up unloved copies of Fred Frith’s wildly…
Courtesy of ABKCO Music & Records, Inc.
The tides of the digital audio industry are turning as hi-rez audio downloads are pushed further into the mainstream. On March 2, 2011, HDTracks welcome ABKCO's Remastered Series of the Rolling Stones to their catalog, available at 176kHz/24-bit and 88kHz/24-bit. Now available for download are FLAC files for The Rolling Stones, The Rolling Stones No. 2, 12 X 5, and Through the Past Darkly.
Teri Landi, archivist and engineer at ABKCO Music & Records details, "Many years of research went into locating the original mono and stereo…
Music producer and mastering engineer Ian Shepherd at Production Advice has created a holiday, and even the folks B&W, Shure, and console manufacturer Solid State Logic are celebrating. On March 25th, interested parties can join Shepherd in his commemoration of rich and sonically inviting recordings by participating in Dynamic Range Day. The message of the event is "Dynamic Music Sounds Better," and Shepherd hopes to spread the word by making people aware of the dangers of the Loudness Wars and encouraging dynamic recordings.
Part of the event is a sponsored competition, where…