I measured the Ayre K-5xeMP using the Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and "As We See It" in the January 2008 issue), as well as my vintage Audio Precision System One. The maximum gain into 100k ohms was very slightly smaller than specified, at 9.8dB (balanced and unbalanced inputs to balanced output) and 3.8dB (unbalanced input to unbalanced output). Both balanced and unbalanced inputs preserved absolute polarity, the balanced XLR jacks being wired with pin 2 hot. At all frequencies, the input impedance was to specification at 20k ohms per phase—ie…
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The video for Helado Negro's "Regresa" is like a snapshot of my awesome life: Taxidermy, dancing, making out, and Spanish vocals. The only things missing are meatloaf and Brussels sprouts.
Canta Lechuza by Helado Negro is out now on Asthmatic Kitty Records. You can read my review in our June issue (page 141).
On Thursday, June 16, Zentripetal Duo performed live at DeVore Fidelity's Monkeyhaus.
It’s not unusual to enjoy great music at DeVore Fidelity’s Monkeyhaus, but that music usually comes from LPs, loudspeakers, and tube amplifiers. Last night was a different story: While we did listen to music on the hi-fi, we were also treated to the special, comforting sounds of live, unamplified music. Zentripetal Duo (violinist Lynn Bechtold and cellist Jennifer DeVore) played three pieces—Gene Pritsker’s C17H21NO4 (the molecular formula for a drug popular among hipsters, baby boomers, and…
Far be it from me to surrender these column inches to the whims of a manufacturer.
That said, there's ample reason to break with tradition and offer the thoughts of an obscure English company called LFD, whose products may already have tripped your surveillance wires. In their "Charter to Product Commitment and Traditional Values"—which can be read in its entirety on Frohmusik's website and is signed by Bews and Hawksford (see below)—the people of LFD suggest, in so many words, that they will not manufacture goods outside of their native England; that their design work is guided by…
The Phonostage LE can be configured to provide appropriate gain for moving-magnet (39dB) or moving-coil (53dB) cartridges. Phonostages are sent into the world configured for 53dB, but 39dB can be selected by opening the chassis and removing, with desoldering braid or such, a pair of solder links at the rear-center portion of the PCB.
Early in its stay here, I used the LFD Phonostage LE in its factory-default high-gain setting, driving it with EMT TSD 15 and Ortofon SPU moving-coil pickup heads. Thus configured, the Phonostage delivered very good sound and music, with a pleasant perk:…
More listening
More surprising news: It turns out that LFD makes two phono preamps. For $1795, one can buy their Phonostage LE Special: the standard model upgraded with multistrand PC-OCC input wiring, multidiameter silver output wiring, upgraded (and considerably taller) viscoelastic isolation feet, and, most significant, a power transformer that's more than twice the size of the original.
More surprising news: It turns out that LFD makes two phono preamps. For $1795, one can buy their Phonostage LE Special: the standard model upgraded with multistrand PC-OCC input wiring, multidiameter silver output wiring, upgraded (and considerably taller) viscoelastic isolation feet, and, most significant, a power transformer that's more than twice the size of the original.
A sample of the Phonostage LE Special was sent to me earlier this year by Gene Rubin of Gene Rubin Audio, so that I could compare it with the regular Phonostage LE. The verdict: Whether or not it…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state phono equalizer and preamplifier. Input pairs: 1. Output pairs: 1. Frequency range: 5Hz–80kHz. Input impedance: 47k ohms. Input capacitance: 150pF. Gain at 1kHz: 39dB (MM), 53dB (MC).
Dimensions: 5.4" (140mm) W by 2.3" (60mm) H by 9.6" (245mm) D. Weight: 20 lbs (9.1kg).
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: 115 (LE), 111 (LE Special).
Price: $1295. Approximate number of dealers: 10.
Manufacturer: LFD Audio, 23 Coppins Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO15 3HP, England, UK. Tel: (44) 1255-422533. Web: www.lfdaudio.com. US distributor…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
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,…
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…