But—do you think money can buy peace of mind for the audio enthusiast who frets over binding voice-coils, leaking capacitors, drifting resistor values, oxidizing connectors, aging or incorrectly biased tubes, and that most pernicious worry of all, distortion and premature record wear from incorrectly aligned phono cartridges? Sadly, most of…
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Money, that unreliable buyer of happiness, has at times proven effective at delivering good sound. It can buy other things, as well: Audiophiles can swap cash for products that function as objets d'art, as status symbols, or even as canny investments.
The Thales combo, equipped with an EMT TSD 15 N SPH cartridge (the standard-mount version of the TSD 15 pickup head), played Sonny Rollins's "Without a Song," from The Bridge (RCAJapan Victor RCA-6011), like somebody's life depended on it: The music lost not one iota of its bounce in the translation from my Garrard 301-based player to this one. And I was especially pleased that Bob Cranshaw's double bass sounded no less full, and no less snappy, than via my reference player, although the Thales combo lacked the vintage rig's sense of impact.
But there was more to it than that. In "…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description, TTT-Slim II: Belt-drive solid-plinth turntable with battery-powered DC motor. Speeds: 33.3 and 45rpm. Wow & flutter at 33.3rpm: ±0.06% (IEC 386). Rumble: –60dB (unweighted).
Dimensions: 16.6" (423mm) by 12" (305mm) by 3.9" (100mm) (WxDxH). Weight: 26.4lb (12kg).
Finish: Anodized anthracite gray. Serial number of unit reviewed 266.
Price: $6750.
Description, Simplicity II: Pivoting linear-tracking tonearm. Spindle-to-pivot distance: 230mm. Effective length: 229mm. Effective mass: 19gm. Cartridge weight range: 7–23gm. Downforce…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Garrard 301 and Thorens TD 124 turntables; EMT 997, Sorane ZA-12 tonearms; Ortofon SPU Century and EMT TSD 15 pickup heads; EMT TSD 15 N SPH cartridge.
Digital Sources: Apple MacBook Air laptop computer running Roon v.1.5, Hegel Music Systems Mohican CD player, Mytek Liberty D/A processor.
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 Hommage T1 & T2, Audio-Creative Mediator 40, and EMIA Phono step-up transformers, Shindo Laboratory Monbrison (2017) preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Shindo Laboratory Haut-Brion and Montille CV 391.
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Friday and Saturday, August 2 and 3, mark the opening of the Mountrose Music showroom, 7589 South Virginia Street, Suites A and B, in Reno, Nevada, and they are marking the occasion with demonstrations of two complete, end-to-end Gryphon Audio systems, including Gryphon loudspeakers, electronics, source components, and cables. Philip O' Hanlon of On A Higher Note, the company that distributes Gryphon in the US, will be the master of ceremonies on both days, from 10am to 5pm, playing a selection of hand-curated music. For more details please call (775)507-4118 or email sales@mountrosemusic.com…
Magnepan founder Jim Winey could be considered the patriarch of planar loudspeakers. His innovative leadership of and commitment to the technology over the past 20 years have propelled Magnepan to a position of preeminence in the speaker business. You won't find any hybrids rolling off the production line at Magnepan's corporate headquarters in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The entire Magnepan line is devoted strictly to planars that use ribbon tweeters and quasi-ribbon midranges and woofers—not a stray dynamic woofer in the lot!
Magnepan's status in the marketplace is supported by sound…
Because I'd heard some nice things about the Ayre Acoustics V-3 as a partner for the MG-20, I asked for a loaner unit. This moderately priced stereo power amplifier ($3450) features a purist and innovative design with no global negative feedback, and displayed a giant-sized sweet spot through the upper mids. It managed to vitalize the MG-20's mid and upper registers with speed and transient finesse, while dishing out refined harmonic textures. Detail resolution and layering of the depth perspective were also strong suits. Despite its rating of 200Wpc into 4 ohms, the V-3 evinced dynamic…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Full-range planar loudspeaker using a ribbon tweeter and "quasi-ribbon" mid- and bass drivers. Frequency response: 25Hz–40kHz ±3dB. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Sensitivity: 85dB/W/m at 500Hz. Recommended minimum power: 100W RMS (8 ohms rated). Recommended maximum power: 300W RMS (8 ohms rated). Crossover system: single-amp operation with optional XO-20 passive network; bi-amp operation with user-supplied electronic crossover.
Dimensions: 79" H by 29" W by 21/2" D. Shipping weight: 250 lb/pair.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 0163-1 & 2…
Sidebar 2: Planar Imaging
I find planars to be the only speakers inherently capable of properly reproducing image size. I'm just as impressed as the average card-carrying audiophile with the soundstaging capabilities of a good minimonitor. Such a point-source speaker can be adept at fleshing out a convincing soundstage with excellent width and depth. However, its portrayal of image outlines tends to be too specific. Thus was born the cliché of "pinpoint imaging." Ironically, this is bandied about as a positive attribute, when in fact it's totally artificial.
[Actually, DO is only…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
On the face of it, the MG-20 is not very sensitive, 2.83V raising an estimated 80.5dB at 1m (B-weighted). In practice, however, the speaker's line-source radiation pattern will partially compensate for this. (The level of a true line-source speaker doesn't fall off as quickly with distance as that of a point-source speaker—see later.) As DO said above, the MG-20's impedance is moderately demanding. Fig.1, taken with the passive crossover in-circuit, shows that it drops to just below 4 ohms in the bass and to 3.35 ohms in the high treble. The phase angle, however,…