Where appropriate, the Purpleheart's rich tonality was bolstered by its generous delivery of vivid instrumental textures and three-dimensionality. The cartridge didn't have a sonically unpleasant bone in its body, but when the recording did, the Kiseki gave me enough of it to communicate it effectively, though not with the full measure of possible unpleasantness. It didn't hold back the deliberate sonic horror that is Bruce Springsteen's The River, but a more revealing cartridge like the Lyra Atlas, which costs almost three times as much, lets you hear all of the reverberant, icy mess…
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On Thursday, December 12, New York City’s Innovative Audio presented the North American debut of four Dynaudio loudspeakers. The event, held at the store’s Midtown location, featured presentations by Dynaudio executives John Quick and Michael Manousselis. Attendees had the opportunity to experience the sound quality and design of these new models.
Of the four Dynaudio speakers showcased, only two were entirely new: the Contour 20 Black Edition and the Confidence 20A Active two-way monitors. The flagship Confidence 50 floorstanders, while impressive, are not new to the lineup, and the…
Myriad distribution factors drive and affect the hi-fi marketplace. Ultimately, these can impact end customer purchasing choices. Recently I've written—including in the December 2024 issue—about evolving new distribution models and how the term's meaning has shifted somewhat: Some companies have been expanding (or in some cases reducing) the kinds of services traditionally provided to exporting international manufacturers.
That made me curious about how business is going for "traditional" distribution companies. That is, companies whose services typically include handling importation,…
Photos: Kenny Johnson Photography
"Give me the seduction, give me the pleasure," Ron Sutherland was nearly shouting into the phone. "I want to turn off the analytical mind and just enjoy myself!"
Sutherland speaks in the chipper Midwestern cadences of a comic character actor from the 1940s, sort of like a grown-up Eddie Bracken from The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, and I'd never heard him sound so excited. He was talking about his new phono stage, the Dos Locos, the first product he's designed collaboratively, having enlisted a group of audiophile friends who listened to and…
How does the Dos Locos compare to the Manley Steelhead I've been using so happily for the past several years? To start with, the comparably priced Dos Locos creates a greater impression of transparency and resolves a ridiculous amount of information, particularly with ultrahigh-definition cartridges like the My Sonic Lab. It reproduces bass with extension, heft, and grip that the hybrid Steelhead can't quite match. And it is marginally quieter, though both units are extraordinarily good at controlling noise.
On the other hand, the Dos Locos cannot equal the Steelhead's musical ease and…
In midsummer 2022, I reviewed the German-made Clearaudio Reference Jubilee turntable, a $30,000 vinyl virtuoso that played music with clear-headed realism, brain-opening transparency, and lifelike speed and dynamics. Its performance was nothing short of exhilarating. It was one of the top three turntables I had ever laid my ears upon.
Of the Reference Jubilee I opined, "The Reference Jubilee's sound combined vivid detail retrieval, forceful dynamics, a delicate, refined top end, and a translucent midrange. [It] combined staggering detail, energy, and forward-flow allied to a 3D stage that…
Setup
The Signature's low weight made for a simple setup on a newly acquired Pangea rack. While my oft-used Kuzma Platis 54 platform worked well for heavier turntables, AV RoomService Ltd.'s Equipment Vibration Protectors (EVP) proved a better match under the Signature's three feet, offering adequate isolation and a more grounded sound. I didn't use the turntable's adjustable feet; they didn't extend sufficiently to deal with the off-pitch floors of my 100-year-old building.
Fine-tuning the tonearm was a straightforward affair. VTA was adjusted by manipulating a recessed grub…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-speed, belt-drive turntable available with 9" Clearaudio Tracer Black Carbon Fiber or 9" Clearaudio Signature Black Carbon Fiber tonearms, and external Clearaudio 12V Professional Power Supply. Chassis: medium-density wood fiber (silver/black) or pressure-formed solid wood (wood/dark wood). Top plate: high-tech, satined plastic compound. Bottom plate: medium-density wood fiber. Platter: 1.18" (30mm), 5lb platter made of high-density synthetic material; CNC-machined aluminum subplatter. Motor: 12V DC coreless motor suspended by rubber O-rings.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Denon DL-103o, Hana Umami Blue, Ortofon MC Quintet Mono phono cartridges.
Preamplifiers: Rogue Audio RP-7 (line); Tavish Audio Design Adagio, Manley Chinook (phono).
Integrated amplifier: Riviera Labs Levante.
Power amplifier: Rogue Audio Stereo 100.
Loudspeakers: Volti Audio Razz, Voxativ Ampeggio.
Cables: Interconnects: Agent Pur, AudioQuest Pegasus, Triode Wire Labs Spirit II (all RCA). Speaker: Auditorium 23. AC: AudioQuest NRG Z, Triode Wire Labs Obsession NCF.
Accessories: Pro-Ject VC-S2 ALU, Humminguru…
What's in a name? Denmark-based Gryphon Audio Designs laid down a marker when company founder Flemming Rasmussen chose that name in 1985. Browsing through the current Stereophile Recommended Components list, I only found one other manufacturer that utilizes an animal moniker. The imagery summoned by the use of the mythical treasure-guarding Gryphon seems appropriate; a hybrid creature combining features of the eagle and the lion, creatures of strength and speed—this choice underlines some of the aesthetics and performance Gryphon Audio has become known for. The handsome hardcover user's…