Bassist John Hébert's Sounds of…
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I'm a jazz-vinyl guy, but much recorded American jazz from the CD era—let's say, the last 30+ years—is unavailable on vinyl. However, it can be heard on silver discs. As I learned over the course of this review, much of the music in my 200+ collection of CDs isn't available on Qobuz, Tidal, or the other streaming apps—a very good reason to keep a disc player around. Some titles, of course, were available streaming, so I was up for a CD-vs-streaming comparison, egged on by Cyrus's contention that well-reproduced CD sounds better than streaming.
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: CD player with32-bit, second-generation QXR (Sabre) DAC, Servo Evolution technology, iR14 remote control. Disc compatibility: Audio CD, CD-R. Two stereo pair (RCA) analog outputs. One stereo pair each input/output via the proprietary MC-BUS system for use with Cyrus amplifiers. Digital outputs: TosLink, RCA S/PDIF. Power-supply connection for the PSX-R/PSX-R2 power supplies. Output level: 2.1V. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, ±0.25dB. Channel separation: >110dB at 1kHz, >90dB at 20kHz. S/N ratio (using silent track): >106dBA. THD: at –10dB…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: Denafrips Ares II DAC augmented with Sonore opticalRendu, Small Green Computer sonicTransporter i5, Small Green Computer power supply, TRENDnet switch, streaming Roon/Tidal/Qobuz via Apple iPad mini.
Preamplification: J E Sugden Masterclass LA-4.
Power amplifier: LKV Research Veros One PWR+.
Loudspeakers: DeVore Fidelity O/96.
Cables: Interconnect (RCA): Triode Wire Labs Spirit II. Digital: Hosa DRA-502 RCA to RCA coaxial cable. Speaker: Auditorium 23. Power cable: manufacturers' own. Sonore systemOptique fiberoptic…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Cyrus CDi-XR using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system. This player doesn't have digital inputs, so I used test signals burned on a CD-R. As these signals are restricted to a word length of 16 bits, this affected my measurements of resolution and noisefloor.
I used the Pierre Verany Digital Test CD to check the CDi-XR's error correction. It played the tracks with gaps in the data spiral up to 0.5mm in length without stuttering, but there were audible glitches when the gap was 0.75mm and longer. The Compact Disc standard, the so-called Red Book…
Paradox Phono 70 Signature Measurements, from May 2022 (Vol.45 No.5):
Michael Fremer was impressed by the Paradox Phono 70 Signature phono preamplifier when he reviewed it in his March 2022 Analog Corner column (footnote 1). "If you want a neutral player that's quiet, super–well-organized, and can plumb the depths and scale the peaks without adding colorations, the Phono 70 Signature is well worth considering," he concluded. Mikey suggested it would be worth my taking a look at its measured performance, so I performed a complete set of measurements with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system…
Listening to the New Firmware, May 2022 (Vol.45 No.5):
When I reviewed the CH Precision D1.5 player/transport in the March 2022 issue—I reviewed it mostly as a player—I was very much impressed by its performance (footnote 1). It was at its best as a SACD player. It also sounded very good playing MQA CDs. (It was my first experience hearing an MQA CD on a capable player, so I had little to compare it to except the other formats.)
The sound on CD was exemplary—probably the best CD sound I'd heard—but it was not as good as with the other formats. Which was expected (footnote 2).…
EJ Jordan Marlow Measurements, from May 2022 (Vol.45 No.5):
Intrigued by his small, full-range drive units, I used to chat with the late Ted Jordan at hi-fi shows when I lived in the UK. So, when Herb Reichert told me that he was reviewing an LS3/5a-sized standmount speaker that used the latest version of the Jordan driver, I volunteered to measure it.
The EJ Jordan Marlow is sold direct from the UK and costs £1960/pair (equivalent to $2650/pair at the time of writing) including free shipping to the US (footnote 1). HR enthused about the sound of the Marlow in his April 2020…
EJ Jordan Marlow Manufacturer's Comment
Thanks for the opportunity to reply to John's detailed technical measurements of the Jordan Marlow loudspeakers in the May 2022 issue of Stereophile.
We've aimed for as natural a sound as possible with these loudspeakers so that they will work well with a wide range of music. All loudspeaker design is a balance of compromises, and in our case imaging, speed, and as natural a midrange as possible are high on our list of priorities, reflecting Ted Jordan's own engineering aims with the Eikona driver.
It is possible to add frequency…
Michael Fremer wrote about the Paradox phono preamplifier in the March 2022 Analog Corner, Jim Austin reviewed the CH Precision D1.5 CD/SACD player/transport in March 2022, and Herb Reichert included the EJ Jordan Marlow standmount speaker in his April 2022 Gramophone Dreams column. All three products get further coverage in Stereophile's May 2022 issue.
After the original review of the CH Precision D1.5 had been prepared for publication, it turned out that the review sample had not had the correct firmware installed. Not only did this mean that it didn't offer the specified optimal time…
There's a notion among audiophiles that we must be regular consumers of live music, especially live acoustic music. It's the only way, the thinking goes, to calibrate our ears to the sound we should all be aspiring to at home.
This notion persists despite some deep and obvious flaws. For one thing, it doesn't matter what live acoustic music sounds like if that sound isn't captured on the recording we're listening to—it usually isn't—and it's impossible to know whether it has been or not. The very notion that grooves on a record or bits in a file even have a sound independent of the means…