I carried out a complete set of tests on the Simaudio Moon 700i, using 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 Simaudio 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 warm, at 40°C (104°F), according my infrared thermometer, but the side-mounted heatsinks were just too hot to keep my hand on, at 63°C (145°F).
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Glenn Barr displays his "Vinyl Girl." Photo: 1xRUN.
1xRUN hopes to create a more vibrant art market by offering select work from established and emerging artists in limited-edition, exclusive print runs, at affordable prices. Signed and authenticated, these print releases are open for one week only.
The current run is a piece called “Vinyl Girl” by Glenn Barr, whose work includes the background styling for The Ren and Stimpy Show and Bjork’s “I Miss You” video. The 16” x 25” five-color silkscreen costs $60.
(Girls love vinyl, I am telling you.)
If all goes as planned, my review of Colin Stetson’s second solo album, New History Warfare, Vol. 2: Judges, will appear in our June issue, but I can’t wait that long to tell you about it. It’s too special to keep secret.
Stetson and co-producer, talented multi-instrumentalist, Shahzad Ismaily, employ over 20 microphones to capture the sound of Stetson’s saxophone, the sound of fingers on brass, the sound of so many breaths, the sound of the room, so that what is actually just one man with one brass instrument takes on the sound of so many synthesizers and drum machines and guitars and…
Today, Sennheiser announced that the HD 515 ($129.95), a classic circumaural design, is the company’s “Headphone of the Month” for March 2011.
Sennheiser’s “Headphone of the Month” is a monthly promotion designed to encourage music lovers to experience the authentic sound of Sennheiser.
Customers who purchase an HD 515 headphone from an authorized Sennheiser dealer during the month of March can receive a free pair of Sennheiser OMX 60 earbuds. During January’s 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, I stopped for a bit to listen to the HD 515; despite its size, I found the HD 515 to be…
Click here to see a picture of Michael Fremer at Austin's SXSW conference, standing in front of a bright orange Chevy, while tossing an LP—attempting to catch an LP?—and spinning in circles.
What the?
I feel sick.
It was Monday night and I was flipping through the racks at Other Music, killing time before heading over to Great Jones Café where I’d meet Michael Lavorgna and John DeVore for wings, chili, and beer. I noticed a couple of dudes in loose clothes, slung back and stretched out across the A, B, and C sections of the vinyl racks, as if they owned the place, as if this was their couch. From what I could tell, they were musicians, stopping by the shop to drop off some CDs or LPs. Nearby, another dude was getting into with one of the guys behind the counter: “You want some more of my records?”…
Robert Baird reports from South by Southwest (SXSW), the annual music, film, and interactive conference and festival held in Austin, Texas.
I couldn’t resist. It was a sunny Monday afternoon and after a cruise on Austin’s famous drag, (otherwise known as Guadalupe), past the old (real) Antone's club, which is now a dry cleaners, I parked the rental car and slid into a nearly deserted Hole-in-the-Wall, for a shot of Patron Silver and to soak in a little classic Austin atmosphere. While the venerable club dropped out of SXSW many years ago, (a move which cements the HITW’s coolness), there…
As sleep slowly withdrew from my coiled body, I noticed the strange words Don't disturb me while I'm dreaming playing over and over in my mind. Where had these words come from? I wondered. I had little time to ponder their origin before they were gone with the retreating night, and I was left with the sudden sting of loneliness. There are days when I feel a million miles away from everyone I've ever cared about or loved. My younger brothers and sisters, ex-girlfriends, teachers, old classmates, roommates, bandmates, even casual acquaintances—I miss and long for them all. This, a cold, gray…
Back at home, it was time to get to work. I would restore these old, dirty records to something like their original beauty, while hopefully retaining at least some of the charms of age and use. In a corner of my kitchen, with a stack of other boxes waiting to be opened, was the Okki Nokki record-cleaning machine, made in Germany by Audio Classics and newly imported into the US by Sumiko. At its price ($499 in black or white; dustcover adds $50), the Okki Nokki puts itself in direct competition with record-cleaning's time-honored standard, a device often found in record shops, radio stations…
With an LP in place, I set the platter spinning in its forward direction, squirted a few drops of the fluid solution on the record's surface, and, with the brush, spread the fluid evenly across it. After a few forward revolutions, I set the platter spinning in reverse—a nice feature the VPI lacks. The fluid coated the LP without ever pooling up against the brush or spilling off the side of the platter. Excellent.
Now I was ready to vacuum up the excess fluid, but this, too, proved trickier than necessary. The Okki Nokki's aluminum vacuum arm fits into a hole at the front right-hand…