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Warm, coherent, magical—all those descriptors came to mind as I listened to a system that, for me, defined the essence of the high-end experience. In the first of Kyomi Audio of Chicago's two stellar-sounding rooms, MBL's Jeremy Bryan ensured that MBL's imposing 101 E MKII full-range Radiastrahler omnidirectional loudspeaker system ($84,500/pair) would perform their fabled disappearing act. Though the presentation lacked the ultra-wide, jaw-dropping soundstage that MBL can produce with ease in larger environments, it beautifully conveyed Ray Montagne's soft touch on his guitar. Sopranos…
In its mid-priced room, Sound United mated Definitive Technology Demand D17 floorstanding speakers ($3498/pair) with the Marantz SACD 30n CD/SACD/file player ($2999), Marantz TT-15S1 belt-drive turntable with cartridge ($1799, and the new Marantz Model 40n integrated stereo amplifier with built-in streaming ($2499). Of great interest was Marantz's new component design, which brings a fresh and attractive look to a classic product.
During a rap that flew faster than any Marvel creature great and small, I learned that Definitive Technology's Demand D17, which is discounted to $2798/pair on…
As I scurried around Sunday trying to see and hear as much as possible on the show's last afternoon, Room 594 was one of several visits I was looking forward to. Based in Lower Manhattan, distributor/dealer Jeffrey Catalano's High Water Sound is always, uh, a high point at shows where I've heard his demo systems.
Good (or bad) things tend to happen in threes, so the cliché goes. Here were good things in threes. This time he had three products premiering—later than expected due to COVID-related delays, he told me. The TW Acustic Raven LS 3-motor turntable ($24,000), TW Acustic SE 300B…
It was Sunday afternoon, and Nick Doshi (Doshi Audio), Jeff Joseph (Joseph Audio), and Jeff Fox (Notable Audio, J. Sikora, Command AV) were relaxing. It was all smiles, jokes, and laughter with this crowd. I scanned the room for illegal substances. Then legal substances. Nothing. Nada. Finally, I got it. It's the music!
Analog glory came in a J. Sikora Standard MAX turntable ($19,995/$20,995 starting 6/1/2022), J. Sikora KV12 VTA tonearm ($8495/$8995 starting 6/1/2022), Lyra Etna SL ($9995) and Benz LP-S ($6000) cartridges. There was digital too, in the shape of an Aurender A20 Server/DAC…
I am not making this up. During a particularly burned-out moment in the afternoon, I thought about what might deliver the breath of fresh air I needed to restore my energy and refresh my spirits. Instead of opting for green tea or a walk around the hotel, I realized that some time with Pass Labs amplification might transport back to the pastel paradise I inhabited during my time with the Pass XA200.8 class-A monoblocks.
What I didn't expect, however, was an immersion in what some might equate with the Holy Grail or the healing waters of Lourdes. For what seems like decades, I've heard…
Peace and quiet at a busy audio show is hard to come by. I especially wasn't expecting mellow respite on a Saturday show day. But I found some lovely-sounding music and a chilled-out vibe in Vinnie Rossi's demo room 488. Only a couple of listeners came and went during that time. Control of the iPad—and Vinnie Rossi remote control—were mine.
Vinnie recently introduced his namesake company's move upmarket with his flagship Brama tube-hybrid amplification. The Vinnie Rossi Brama integrated amplifier ($38,995, above), which uses 300B vacuum tubes in the preamp stage and a high-current, class…
Located just five miles from each other in the beauteous state of New Hampshire, Sonner Audio and Small Green Computer teamed up to present a lovely mid-priced system that quickly won over hearts with its beauty. Yes, every veteran audiophile has heard tenor José Carreras sing "that track" from Misa Criolla, but far fewer have enjoyed all the atmosphere, midrange warmth, and excellent bass that this track can deliver. Carreras sounded especially clear, present, and intimate on this space-considerated system.
"Only with Small Green Computer's Sonore sonicTransporter i9 ($2800) do I get…
I'm in the middle of an audition in the room where Raidho TD3.8 speakers ($119,999/pair) are producing sweet music in synergy with two $10,000-each tubed Margules 30th-Anniversary monoblock amplifiers running in triode mode. (JVS reviewed an earlier version of the amp in November 2017.) Suddenly some deep-voiced dude speaks up, just to my right: "You guys ever heard of the Purple Man?" Puzzled, I look in his direction. No one's there.
Being from Maine, I wonder if I accidentally sauntered into a Stephen King tale.
But a thousandth of a second later, my brain clicks into gear,…
Let's get right to it: The best way to set azimuth, as I recently wrote in this space, is to measure crosstalk using either a high-quality voltmeter or a digital oscilloscope and a good test record like Analogue Productions' The Ultimate Analogue Test LP (AAPT1). The traditional, qualitative procedure—setting the headshell so that it's parallel to the record surface—assures only cosmetic satisfaction.
The AP test record's second band contains a 1kHz tone, on the left channel only. The third band repeats that tone on the right channel. Measuring output on the unmodulated channel, in…
Next, you measure the dynamic cantilever angle by installing the cartridge—overhang is not critical at this point—and, after making sure the arm is parallel to the record surface in both axes (the Wally Reference tool is useful here), and with the supplied lipless record on the platter and the stylus on the record, you slowly rotate the platter with a finger and snap a picture using either the WallyScope or a digital microscope or smartphone camera. (Whichever device you use must be precisely located to achieve an accurate measurement.)
Then, using the WallyScope software, you measure…