Sidebar 3: Measurements
To perform the measurements on the Plinius SA-103, 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). As Erick Lichte listened to the SA-103 only in balanced stereo mode, I didn't test the amplifier in bridged mono mode.
Before doing the testing, I ran the Plinius SA-103 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 slightly warm, with a…
It's asked all the time, wherever audiophiles gather to grumble: "Everybody knows about Ferrari, Rolex, and Leica. But why hasn't anyone heard of . . ."
The last word is up for grabs: Wilson? Levinson? Linn? Maybe. But for me, whenever I'm in pissing-and-moaning mode, the choice is easy: Why hasn't the average consumer heard of the Audio Note Ongaku?
After all, the Ongaku was, for a while, the most expensive amplifier you could buy: £30,000 in 1988, the year of its release. Just as important, the Ongaku was good—in many ways, the best I've ever heard. Other audiofolk appear to…
As with all of the Kondo or Kondo-derived designs I've seen from Audio Note over the years, my review sample of the Jinro was completely handmade, and quite well, at that. The proprietary power-supply choke and drive-stage transformers were obviously labors of love—the sorts of thing one sees less and less these days, in any field of endeavor. Parts are fastened to the chassis rigidly and ruggedly, and while there exist some separate boards for certain parts, they aren't PCBs: Everything in the Jinro is hand-wired, point to point. My only complaint is that I preferred the chassis design of…
To some observers, I suppose one or another of those qualities is attributable to one or another departure from perfectly flat frequency response: a point of view to which anyone is entitled, wrong though it seems to me. That said, it struck me that the Jinro worked with my Audio Note AN-Es to produce the most timbrally realistic performance I've heard from those speakers. The brass instruments in Sir Adrian Boult and the London Symphony Orchestra's great-sounding recording of Vaughan Williams's Job (LP, EMI ASD 2673) sounded just plain right; and in the recording by Nicole Henriot-…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Tubed integrated amplifier. Tube complement: two 5R4WGB, two 211, one ECC82 (or 5814a), one 7044 (or 5687). Inputs: 4 line-level. Input impedance: 100k ohms. Line input sensitivity: 200mV at maximum output. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, –1.0dB. Signal/noise: 75dB at 2mV, broadband. Output power: 18Wpc into 8 ohms at 5% THD (tube-dependent).
Dimensions: 12" (300mm) W by 11" (280mm) H by 26" (660mm) D. Weight: 85 lbs (38.5 kg).
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: JIN-010.
Price: $26,500. Approximate number of dealers: 13.
Manufacturer:…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Garrard 301, Thorens TD 124 Mk.II turntables; EMT 997, Schick tonearms; Ortofon SPU & 90th Anniversary SPU, Shindo SPU, EMT OFD 25 & TSD 15 cartridges.
Digital Sources: Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player; Wavelength Cosecant, Furutech GT40, Peachtree iDecco (digital input to line output only) USB D/A converters; Stello U2 USB transceiver; Apple iMac G5 computer running Apple iTunes.
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 Hommage T1, Silvercore one-to-ten step-up transformers; Shindo Masseto & Vosne-Romanee preamplifiers.
Power…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
To perform the measurements on the Audio Note Jinro, I mostly 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); for some tests, I also used my vintage Audio Precision System One Dual Domain. I made sure I installed the tubes in the correct sockets, though I didn't realize at first that the big 211s have a bayonet fitting: to engage the electrical contacts, you push down and twist. Otherwise nothing happens. I ran the amp for a couple of hours before attempting any tests.
… Oh, damn: Record Store Day is this Saturday, April 16th, and I won’t be able to participate. I’ll be in Atlanta, covering Axpona, but, if you’re free, you should definitely make a trip to your local independent record store and enjoy the festivities. As we all know, many record stores have shut their doors in recent years—for proof, take a look at this collection of sad and beautiful images—but, as some of the larger chains have faded away, many smaller shops have opened up, catering to specific tastes and genres of music, making the experience of record shopping even more…
Thursday was the trade-only day at Axpona, held at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Many of the exhibitor rooms are situated around a lovely, inviting pool. I arrived in Atlanta at around 2pm, thrilled to see sunshine and feel warm, southern air on my skin. The staff at the Sheraton immediately struck me as being just as warm, eager to help and genuinely happy just to smile and say hello.
Thursday’s show activity was limited to system setup, however—many exhibitors had been up till the very early hours of morning, unpacking boxes and crates which had arrived…
On Thursday night, I attended a fantastic dinner at a “beer bar” called The Porter, in the colorful Little Five Points section of Atlanta. As my good friend Michael Lavorgna says, any place with the words “beer” and “bar” in its name has got to be at least half great. And The Porter, as it turned out, was all great. If you’re ever in Atlanta, go!
But before you go to The Porter, you should first go to Criminal Records, a wonderful record store. I didn’t go in on Thursday night, but Michael Fremer quietly wandered away from our group and snuck inside for a bit. As we sat around our…
