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Description: Moving-coil phono cartridge. Output voltage at 1000Hz, 5cm/sec: 0.2mV. Channel balance at 1kHz: 0.5dB. Channel separation: 25dB at 1kHz, 22dB at 15kHz. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, ±1.5dB. Tracking ability at 315Hz at 2.4gm tracking force: 80µm. Compliance (dynamic, lateral): 9µm/mN. Stylus type: special polished nude Ortofon Replicant 100 on diamond cantilever. Stylus tip radius: r/R 5/100µm. Tracking force range: 2.2–2.6gm. Recommended tracking force: 2.4gm. Tracking angle: 23°. Internal impedance, DC resistance: 6 ohms.…

I should have demurred. I owned a modest system: a Nakamichi cassette deck, a Technics turntable, a Mission Cyrus One amplifier, and Dutch-made BNS 482 speakers. But I thought it sounded fantastic together. In a fit of misplaced pride, I…

Analog sources: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply & Ittok tonearm, Spectral MC cartridge; Bryston TF-2 30 MC step-up transformer; Day Sequerra 25th Anniversary FM Reference FM tuner.
Digital sources: Bryston BCD-1 CD player, BDP-3 media player, BDA-3 DAC; Oppo Digital BDP-103 universal BD player; Lenovo P50 ThinkPad computer running Windows 10 Pro (64-bit), Roon Nucleus+ with Core V1.4 (build 300) stable (64 bit).
Preamplification: Bryston TP-2 30 step-up transformer; Bryston BP-173, Mark Levinson ML-7.
Power amplifiers:…

I tested the McIntosh MAC7200 with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). I looked first at its behavior via its balanced and single-ended line inputs, mostly with the volume control set to its maximum, "100%," then at lower settings. I performed a complete set of tests from the receiver's 8 ohm output transformer tap, then repeated several tests from the 4 ohm and 2 ohm taps. I preconditioned the receiver by following the CEA's recommendation of operating it at one-eighth the specified power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes. At the…

In 2017, Filipino-British songwriter Bea Kristi wrote a love song called "Coffee" and sang it into her phone, accompanying herself on acoustic guitar. She added simple backing vocals and posted it on YouTube, calling herself Beabadoobee. 300,000 views later, she signed with indie label Dirty Hit. She has since delivered several EPs, each more techno than the last. Her lo-fi roots dissolved, but Fake It Flowers…

Many jazz musicians have responded to the global pandemic by creating music of hope and solidarity. Songs from Home is a shining example. Fred Hersch recorded it himself. He used the Logic program on his MacBook Air, four microphones, and a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 audio interface. The sound is acceptable.

That Hersch has become one of our most renowned pianists proves that jazz is a meritocracy. He is neither…

Danish guitarist Jakob Bangsø, 32, may not be widely known in the US, but he has already commissioned seven works. This generous recital includes premiere recordings of Constantine Caravassilis's beautiful, must-hear Saudade: Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra (2018) and Wayne Siegel's more derivative Chaconne: Concerto…

Swanbon is founder and president of Fidelis Premium Audio, a longstanding audio dealership in "tax-free" New Hampshire that serves a broad swath of New England, from Greater Boston to Maine. He also handles US distribution for several lines and sells records at his Nashua showroom, a 35–40-minute drive from Boston. During a conversation via Skype, Swanbon expressed concerns and even a few grievances about the state of our industry…

He is also a fan of phase coherency and flat frequency response. Indeed, Dr. Kubo—an engineer and a medical doctor—claims both of those qualities for Haniwa's HDSA01 integrated amplifier and HSP01 single-driver "full-range" loudspeaker (footnote 1): Despite his being an analog fan, Kubo's integrated…