Digital sources: dCS Rossini SACD/CD transport, Rossini DAC & Rossini Clock; Synology 1019+ 5-bay NAS; Roon Nucleus+ music server with HDPlex 200 linear power supply; UpTone Audio EtherRegen; Sonore opticalModule; TP-Link gigabit Ethernet media converters plus multimode duplex fiber optic cable (2); Linksys routers (2); Small Green Computer linear power supply & Small Green Computer/HDPlex four-component 200W linear power supply (3); external hard drives, SSD USB sticks, iPad Pro.
Power amplifiers: Dan D'Agostino Master Systems Progression…
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I tested the Yamaha A-S3200 with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). I first preconditioned the amplifier by following the CEA's recommendation of operating it at one-eighth the specified power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes. At the end of that time, the top panel was warm, at 101.4°F (38.6°C). I subsequently performed my usual thermal stress test by running the amplifier at one-third power into 8 ohms for an hour. The Yamaha's top panel was only a little warmer than before, at 109.8°F (43.3°C). The A-S3200 appears to operate its…
The email from Herb Reichert was intriguing. "I am, with great difficulty writing about HoloAudio's new two-chassis May DAC," he wrote. "It is death quiet and very natural. It makes every recording sound non-digital."
Once Herb had finished writing his review of the HoloAudio for the August issue's Gramophone Dreams column, I sped to his Bed-Stuy bothy and grabbed the May DAC, both to get it on my test bench and to take a listen for myself.
The review sample was the top-of-the-line Level 3 version ($4998), with both the processor and power supply having the serial number…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state, two-chassis D/A processor with R–2R ladder DAC modules, Inputs: two coaxial S/PDIF, one optical S/PDIF, one AES/EBU, one USB, and two I2S over HDMI. Analog outputs: balanced (XLR) and single-ended (RCA).
Dimensions: 17" (432mm) W × 2.2" (56mm) H × 12" (305mm) D each (processor and power supply). Weight: 39.7lb (18kg) together.
Finish: Black-anodized aluminum and polished copper.
Serial numbers of review sample: 1911541872 (processor and power supply).
Price: $3798–$4998 depending on options; $4998 as reviewed.
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP universal player; Weiss DAC502 D/A processor.
Preamplifier: NHT PVC.
Power amplifiers: Parasound Halo JC 1+ monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: KEF LS50, GoldenEar BRX.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Vodka (Ethernet), AudioQuest Coffee (USB), DH Labs (1m, AES/EBU), Esperanto (S/PDIF). Interconnect: Canare (balanced). Speaker: AudioQuest K2. AC: AudioQuest Dragon Source & High Current, manufacturers' own.
Accessories: Sanus SF30 & Celestion 24" loudspeaker stands; Target TT-5 equipment racks; Ayre…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Before doing any listening, I measured the May with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). Apple's USB Prober utility identified the May as "Holo Audio UAC2.0 Gen2 Enhanced" from "Holo Audio." The USB port operated in the optimal isochronous asynchronous mode, and Apple's AudioMIDI utility revealed that, via that input, the May accepted 24-bit integer data sampled at all rates from 44.1kHz to an extraordinary 1536kHz. The AES/EBU and S/PDIF inputs, including Toslink optical, accepted data sampled at rates up to 192kHz.
The…
The catastrophic February 6 fire at the factory where Apollo Masters produced LP-mastering lacquers—flat aluminum discs covered with nitrocellulose lacquer—will be old news by the time this column gets to you, but the repercussions of the loss will be ongoing for at least the next year and probably beyond.
Japanese firm MDC, the world's only remaining lacquer manufacturer, is a small company that before the fire had been operating at capacity and turning down customers. Fortunately, prominent mastering engineers Kevin Gray and Bernie Grundman had switched to MDC well before the fire, and…
Through the CH Precision, strings arrayed across the stage well behind the guitar were sweet and well defined, with supple (not edgy) attack, generous sustain (though not as generous as through the Ypsilon), and satisfying, long decay trails that helped recreate the Air Studios space. The bass lines defined by the bigger strings pulsed cleanly. The Grail SE+'s rendering was somewhat leaner, which meant the bass-line pulses were not quite as insistent. I repeated this comparison with the CH's X1 auxiliary power supply turned off, which made the prices and overall excellent sonic performance…
The challenge for Ayre's Charley Hansen was formidable. Having already designed a world-class preamplifier—the highly acclaimed $7100 K-1 (see Wes Phillips' review in March 1997)—Hansen set out to offer audiophiles "80 to 90%" of the K-1's sound and build quality at a price more of them can afford. Not that the new K-3 is a piece of "budget" gear. It's not. But at $4500, the fully loaded K-3, complete with phono section and remote control, is within reach of many.
The "base price" version, minus the MC/MM phono section ($1000) and remote ($250), is an even more reasonable $3250...but in…
I listened to the EAD DSP-9000 Mk.3 HDCD processor directly out through its built-in analog/digital volume control. This is a switched resistive array that uses 0.1% Vishay resistors for large volume steps (6dB increments), and digital attenuation for smaller ones (0.2dB). Thus there is never more than one high-quality resistor in the signal path at any given time, and no more than 1 bit of degradation. The EAD fed either the Conrad-Johnson Premier 12s or the VTL MB-450s. Through the Ayre, the biggest difference I could hear was gain.
The K-3 was dead, dead quiet. If it imparted any…