Sidebar 1: Reference System
All of the players were auditioned in a system which consisted of the Jeff Rowland Design Group Consonance preamp, Threshold SA/12e monoblock power amplifiers, and Apogee Stage loudspeakers (on their optional stands). The connection from preamp to all players was via 1.5m lengths of AudioQuest Lapis. Balanced Cardas Hexlink cable was used from preamp to amplifiers. The Stages were bi-wired with Symo cable.
Playback levels were adjusted to compensate for the different outputs of the various players when comparison listening was done—a particularly easy…
Sidebar 2: Measurements
I checked the AC voltage from chassis ground to main (house) ground to determine the correct line-cord orientation (footnote 1). The Prism II measured 11.5V with the correct orientation (12.5V the other way—an insignificant difference). I checked the player's tracking with the dropout tests on the Pierre Verany Digital Test CD. The Prism II mistracked when the dropout reached 3.0mm, though with a slight glitch at 2.5mm. The CD standard only requires tracking of a 0.2mm gap, although theoretically the error-correction codes make regeneration of gaps of up to 2.47mm…
Sidebar 3: Specifications
Description: Solid-state CD player with 16-bit D/A converter and 4x-oversampling digital filter. Frequency response: 0.1Hz–20kHz ±0.5dB. THD: 0.005%. S/N: 100dB (A-Weighted).
Dimensions: 17.7" (450mm) W by 11.8" (298mm) D by 4.9" (124mm) H. Weight: 12 lbs.
Price: $1895 (1991); no longer available (2016). Approximate number of dealers: 90.
Manufacturer: The Mod Squad, Leucadia, CA 92024 (1991). Company no longer in existence (2016).
I still remember reading about my first Mark Levinson product 14 or 15 years ago. It was a preamp. The model number escapes me, but it sold for over $2000. It was soon followed by the JC-2, designed by John Curl, which was a bit less pricey but still astonishingly expensive for a mid-'70s preamp. We've come a long way since then. The man, Mark Levinson, left the company that bore his name in the early 1980s and founded a new company, Cello. The company Mark Levinson became the core of Madrigal. It is a mark of their continued dedication to uncompromising high-end products that their bread-…
Sidebar 1: System
The reference-system equipment used with both amplifiers included the Rowland Consonance preamp and the Apogee Stage loudspeakers. Program sources were the Oracle Delphi Mk.IV turntable and Oracle 345 tonearm with the Dynavector XX-1L cartridge and the Sony CDP-X77ES CD player. Other equipment used included the Mirage M-3 loudspeakers and (briefly) the Coda Technologies FET Preamplifier 01.
The Rowland Model 1, Threshold SA/12e and Muse 100 amplifiers were pressed into service where needed. Loudspeaker cables were Symo (for the Stages) and AudioQuest Clear (for…
Sidebar 2: Measurements
As can be seen from fig.1, the Levinson No.29 exhibits a very slight rolloff at the frequency extremes, to a degree which should be audibly insignificant. The 10kHz squarewave (fig.2) indicates a small rise-time, with very slight rounding of the leading edge reflecting the gentle HF rolloff above 20kHz. Polarity of the Levinson was non-inverting, the 1kHz input impedance of 57k ohms was just slightly above spec, and 140.2mV were required to give 1W into 8 ohms—a gain of 26.1dB. Unweighted noise was 89dB below 1W into 8 ohms. Channel separation was better than…
Sidebar 3: Specifications
Description: Solid-state stereo power amplifier. Power output: 50Wpc into 8 ohms (17dBW), 100Wpc into 4 ohms (17dBW), 175Wpc into 2 ohms (16.4dBW). May be bridged (for monoblock operation) into loads down to 2 ohms. Rated THD: under 0.3% at rated power, 20Hz–20kHz. Input Impedance: 50k ohms shunted by 1.5nF. Voltage gain: 26dB. Power dissipation: 100W (idle).
Dimensions: 17.5" W by 6.9" H by 14.6" D. Weight (shipping): 60lbs.
Price: $2800 (1991); no longer available (2016). Approximate number of dealers: 65.
Manufacturer: Madrigal Audio Laboratories…
Did the election leave you on the edge, and wishing to scream? If so, and the need for catharsis remains, I have for you the scream to end all screams: And sing. . ., 2L's multi-format recording of two works by the astounding composer/artist Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje. Showcasing Ratkje's unforgettable vocal effects—to call them "haunting" is to vastly understate her ability to rattle you to the core—the recording includes accompaniment by the Oslo-based contemporary music ensemble, Cikada, and the 30-year old Oslo Sinfonietta.
Fulfilling 2L's unspoken promise, "No Format Left Behind…
On November 11, 2016, Veterans' Day, Wilson Audio Specialties announced that Daryl C. Wilson, 38, son of David Wilson and Sheryl Lee Wilson, has just succeeded his father as CEO and President of one of the world's leading high-end loudspeaker companies. Daryl, along with COO Korbin Vaughn, will now actively manage all aspects of Wilson Audio.
Neither Dave nor Sheryl is about to fade away into retirement, however. Dave will continue to work with Wilson's design and engineering team, serve as ambassador for his new magnum opus, the WAMM Master Chronosonic loudspeaker (successor to his…
Wednesday, November 16, from 6–9pm, Command Performance AV (115 Park Avenue, Suite 2, Falls Church, VA 22046) is holding a Hegel Music Systems Event. Guest presenters will be Anders Ertzeid, Hegel's VP of Marketing and Sales, and Eileen Gosvig, Hegel's US Sales Manager, who will demonstrate the Rost integrated amp with enhanced Apple Airplay and the new Mohican CD player ($5000, above), which Art Dudley wrote about in his report from the recent New York Audio Show. Refreshments will be served.
