Analog Sources: Garrard 301, Thorens TD 124 Mk.II, Linn LP12, Rega RP1 turntables; EMT 997, Rega RB300, Schick tonearms; Ortofon SPU & 90th Anniversary SPU, EMT TSD 15, Shindo SPU, Rega Exact & Bias 2 cartridges.
Digital Sources: 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 & PureMusic V1.73 playback software; Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player.
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 Standard/SPU & Hommage T1,…
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the LFD Phonostage LE and LE Special with Stereophile's loan sample of the Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It" and www.ap.com). There were almost no measurable differences between the two units. Both had a gain of 37.4dB as used by Art Dudley, which is appropriate for moving-magnet cartridges and high-output moving-coils, and, contrary to AD's conjecture, both preserved absolute polarity; ie, were non-inverting. Linking the jumpers for high-gain operation resulted in a gain of 50.25dB, which is a little on the low side…
In 1989, Musical Fidelity introduced the Digilog, one of the world's first outboard digital-to-audio converters, or DACs. It was a bold move by a small company. Far larger companies, with more resources, were slower to do something about digital—specifically about the mediocre sound then available from the Compact Disc. Notable for its complacency was the then-prominent British hi-fi company Quad. Their advice at the time was to buy a Philips-based player and attenuate the signal so that most of your gain came from your Quad preamp. Good advice, but the sound still stank.
Thanks to such…
Meanwhile, I could not try the M1 DAC with my Mac mini because it requires the Snow Leopard or later version of the OS X operating system(OS X 10.6). I can't upgrade OS X because my G4-based computer is too old, so I'm stuck with Panther or Leopard. If I wanted to force the issue—work with my Mac's Audio MIDI setup, for instance—I perhaps could, but I didn't want to screw up my settings, since I have got my original Mac mini to work with my Musical Fidelity X-CanV8 headphone amp. (More later.)
Upsampling is that vexatious business involving bogus bits—bogus in that a "Red Book" CD,…
There was bite, too. The M1 DAC was anything but too polite—like, perhaps inherently, SACD: the very format seems to round off everything. There are many times when I want my music edgy, even raucous. Been to any string-quartet recitals lately? I have, and the music is meant to put you on edge: that's the point. Don't look to the M1 DAC to make a system's sound excessively polite. Or the DAC Magic, either—by Cambridge Audio.
The sound of brass instruments on fine classical recordings was breathtaking—so alive I almost jumped from my seat. Woodwinds, too, were ravishing. Transients were…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state, oversampling D/A processor with USB, AES/EBU, coaxial and Toslink S/PDIF inputs, unbalanced and balanced analog outputs. Sample rates handled: 32–192kHz, S/PDIF & AES/EBU; 32–48kHz, USB. Bit depths handled: 16–24, S/PDIF & AES/EBU; 16, USB Total correlated jitter: <12 picoseconds peak–peak. Linearity: <0.1dB down to –96dB. Frequency response: 10Hz–20kHz, –0.1dB. Channel separation: >105dB, 20Hz–20kHz. Signal/Noise Ratio: >119dB A-weighted ref. maximum output level. Total harmonic distortion: <0.0025%, 10Hz–20kHz.…
Sidebar 2: Review System
Digital Sources: Sony SCD-XA777ES SACD player; Cambridge Audio DAC Magic.
Preamplifier: George Hi-Fi Lightspeed passive attenuator.
Integrated amplifier: LFD Mk.IV.
Power amplifiers: Sun Audio SV-2A3, Musical Fidelity M1 HPA headphone amplifier.
Loudspeakers: Triangle 30th Anniversaire Comète.—Sam Tellig
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used Stereophile's loan sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system to perform the measurements on the Musical Fidelity M1DAC (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 "As We See It"); for some tests, I also used my vintage Audio Precision System One Dual Domain and the Miller Audio Research Jitter Analyzer. Except where noted, all tests were performed on the M1DAC's balanced analog outputs using its AES/EBU data input.
Probing the M1DAC's USB input identified the processor as "USB Audio DAC," manufactured by "Burr-Brown from Texas Instruments…
Universal Classics, owners of the great Deutsche Grammophon, London/Decca, and Philips catalogues, has made its entire treasure trove of Mahler recordings available for free, full-track, online streaming. Whether you are a babe in the Vienna woods or a seasoned Mahlerite, this is a rare opportunity to audition and compare a good 180 Mahler symphony recordings, including over 60 out-of-print Mahler titles.
The tracks, first posted to Mahler150.com last year in honor of the 150th anniversary of Gustav Mahler's birth, remain available in 2011, the 100th anniversary of Mahler's death. While…
Every young audiophile could use a mentor. In my position here at the magazine, I am fortunate to have about two dozen of them. They give me inspiration, criticism, advice, the heebie-jeebies, and sometimes even gifts. Most recently, Uncle Art sent me a couple of really neat gifts: A lovingly used Dynavector DV10x5 high-output moving-coil cartridge and a tough-looking Rega torque wrench.
The latter was reviewed by another mentor, Mikey Fremer, in our November 1996 issue (Volume 19 Number 11). At the time, this precision-made, round-knurled tool sold for $125, and Mikey deemed it…