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The six brass switches are arranged logically: Standby, Pause, and Stop are arranged from back to front on the left; Previous, Next, and Play are lined up on the right. Nonetheless, if your short-term memory was damaged in the '60s (or beyond), you'll want a well-lit location for your ZZ-Eight if you want to see the switch legends! Or you can use the full-function remote, which, while ergonomically neat, is probably not quite what purchasers of a $6900 CD player have in mind: it's a standard-issue black plastic job from Philips. The switches work efficiently, except when you want to skip…
Sidebar 1: Associated Equipment
Analog source: Lyra Parnassus D.C.t, Koetsu Urushi phono cartridges; Graham 2.0, Immedia RPM tonearms, Simon Yorke Series 7 VPI TNT Mk.IV turntables.
Preamplification: Ayre K-3 preamplifier, Stax SRM-T1W passive line stage.
Power Amplifiers: Conrad-Johnson Premier 12, VTL MB-450 (both tubed).
Loudspeakers: Sonus Faber Concerto Grand Piano, Audio Physic Virgo, Audio Physic Rhea subwoofer.
Cables: Yamamura Millennium 6000, Cardas Golden Cross, Electra-Glide interconnects; Yamamura speaker cables; Yamamura Quantum, Electra-Glide AC cords.
…
Sidebar 2: Measurements
The Bow Technologies ZZ-Eight's analog output was absolute polarity-correct, and at 2.11V: 0.45dB higher than the CD standard of 2V RMS. Its source impedance was just over 45 ohms across the band, implying that the player will have no difficulty driving low-impedance preamps. The ZZ-Eight coped very well with damaged discs, playing without dropouts through the Pierre Verany test disc's track 32, which has 1.5mm gaps in the data spiral.
The ZZ-Eight's frequency response at full level (fig.1, top traces) was flat, with a negligible balance error. The…
Sidebar 3: Specifications
Description: One-box HDCD CD player with remote control. Frequency response: 5Hz–20kHz, ±0.3dB. Output level: 2.75V RMS. Measured output impedance: 45 ohms. Phase linearity: >0.3°. Channel separation: >98dB at 1kHz. S/N ratio: >110dB. THD: 0.002% at 1kHz; 0.007%, 10Hz–20kHz.
Dimensions: 16.75" (430mm) W by 3.75" (96mm) H by 13.25" (340mm) D. Weight: 35.25lb (16kg).
Serial number of unit reviewed: 00277.
Price: $6900 (1998); no longer available (2020). Approximate number of dealers: 10.
Manufacturer: Bow Technologies A/S, Amicisvej 19,…
Jason Victor Serinus wrote about the DAC502 in October 2020 (Vol.43 No.10):
"Good morning Jason," began the email from Technical Editor John Atkinson. "I have just reviewed the $9850 Weiss DAC502 for the August issue of Stereophile. I thought this D/A processor sounded superb, ... and I wish I had been able to compare it with the dCS Rossini. "Would you therefore be willing to follow up my review with that comparison? [Editor-in-Chief] Jim is cool with that idea, and I can have the Weiss shipped to you. It has balanced outputs and a high-resolution volume control, so would be compatible…
Jim Austin reviewed the Isoacoustics isolation feet in October 2020 (Vol.43 No.10):
Loudspeaker cabinets move in response to the motion of their dynamic drivers, especially heavy woofers—that's Newton's third law of motion. In principle at least, that motion can smear a loudspeaker's sound. The usual solution is to use spikes to couple loudspeakers rigidly to the floor—although those spikes must be carefully leveled and tightened to ensure rigidity; spikes that aren't sitting square on the floor are useless. A rigidly grounded cabinet has a large effective mass, so it will move very…
For the seventh consecutive year, Stereophile has named a select few audio components the "Products of the Year." In doing so, we recognize those components that have proved capable of giving musical pleasure beyond the formal review period.
There are five individual categories: Loudspeakers (including subwoofers), Amplification Components (preamplifiers, power amplifiers, etc.), Digital Sources (CD players, transports, processors), Analog Sources (phono cartridges, turntables, tonearms, FM tuners, etc.), and Accessories (everything else).
The two most important categories,…
Joint Loudspeakers of 1998
Audio Artistry Beethoven ($28,000/system; reviewed by Shannon Dickson, Vol.20 No.11, November 1997 Review)
Revel Ultima Gem ($7500–$9500/pair with stands but without subwoofer, depending on finish; reviewed by John Atkinson, Vol.21 No.10, October 1998 Review)
Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Aerial Acoustics 8 ($5000–$6000/pair, depending on finish; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.21 No.1, January 1998; Thomas J. Norton, Vol.21 Nos.4 & 11, April & November 1998 Review)
Avantgarde Acoustic Duo ($13,900/pair; reviewed by Martin…
Joint Amplification Components of 1998
Conrad-Johnson ART preamplifier ($14,995; reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.21 No.5, May 1998 Review)
Mark Levinson No.33H monoblock power amplifier ($19,950/pair; reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.21 No.1, January 1998 Review)
VTL MB-1250 Wotan monoblock power amplifier ($27,500/pair; reviewed by Jonathan Scull, Vol.19 No.10, October 1996, and Vol.21 No.6, June 1998 Review)
Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Ayre K-3 preamplifier ($3250; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.21 No.7, July 1998 Review)
Boulder 2050 monoblock power…
Joint Digital Sources of 1998
Meridian 508.24 CD player ($2995, reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.21 No.5, May 1998 Review)
Z-Systems RDP-1 digital preamplifier/equalizer ($5000, reviewed by Kalman Rubinson, Vol.21 No.7, July 1998 Review)
Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Audio Research CD2 CD player ($3495; reviewed by Wes Phillips, Vol.21 No.4, April 1998 Review)
Balanced Audio Technology VK-D5 CD player ($4500; reviewed by Jonathan Scull & John Atkinson, Vol.21 No.5, May 1998 Review)
Bow Technology ZZ-Eight CD player ($7500; reviewed by Michael Fremer, Vol.21…