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Classé CAM 350 monoblock power amplifier Measurements

Sidebar 2: Measurements

As is usual with Stereophile's tests of amplifiers, I soak-tested the Classé CAM 350 by running it for an hour at one-third power before performing any further tests. At the end of this period, its heatsinks were way too hot to touch, as was the rear of the chassis, which suggests that the amplifier's thermal capacity is optimistically specified. This probably won't be a problem unless you use the CAM 350 for sustained high-power use with notoriously low-impedance speakers like the Thiel CS5.

When I tested the unbalanced input, I used a shorting strap to…

Classé CAM 350 monoblock power amplifier Measurements part 2

The Classé's A-weighted noise floor was very low, at -94dB with respect to 1W into 8 ohms. Removing the weighting and extending the measurement bandwidth to more than 500kHz dropped the S/N ratio to 82.2dB, which is still very good. The CAM 350 will not compromise the dynamic range of the new hi-rez digital media.

Distortion levels were also very low, particularly with balanced drive. Fig.4 shows the THD+noise percentage plotted against frequency at a 3V output level. Yes, there is a rise in measured THD at higher frequencies and into 2 ohms, but the basic circuit appears to be extremely…

Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista SACD player

Overachievers tend to rankle people after a while. Musical Fidelity, a relatively small British company run by Antony Michaelson, has issued a stream of high-performance, high-value electronic products over the past few years, along with a limited-edition line of pricier designs based on the military-spec nuvistor vacuum tube. With few exceptions, Musical Fidelity products have garnered outstanding reviews worldwide, with consumer acceptance to match. Michaelson is also an accomplished clarinetist, recording and issuing classical-music CDs in his "spare" time.

What's wrong with…

Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista SACD player Page 2

Rare and Beautiful
Because the supply of the military-spec 5703 triode tube is limited—four are used in the output stage—Musical Fidelity will build only 800 Tri-Vista SACD players. (The nickname "trivistor" for this tube was apparently coined after the fact; it does not appear in manufacturer Raytheon's literature.) That leaves enough for spares in the unlikely event that one of the tubes fails before you do, and enough for the two other Tri-Vista products: an integrated amplifier and the kW, a 1kWpc dual-monoblock amplifier with separate dual power supply.

Before we get to the Tri…

Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista SACD player Page 3

Warming Up to the Tri-Vista
It took a while for my Tri-Vista to break in, and I didn't really appreciate what it could do until it had. It's best to just leave it on and not worry about wearing out the tubes. They're rated for a lifetime's use anyway.

After I'd listened to the Tri-Vista for a while, the dCS trio I reviewed last month—the Verdi SACD transport, Purcell D/D converter, and Elgar Plus DSD D/A converter—finally arrived. It made more sense to review that first and then let you know how the Tri-Vista, of which you could buy five for the price of the dCS rig, held up. Put…

Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista SACD player Page 4

CD Playback: Nu-Vista 3D vs Tri-Vista
No point comparing either of these to dCS's upsampled-to-DSD CD performance. I've heard nothing like it. Period. The real issue for me was, could Musical Fidelity build an SACD player that would not sacrifice CD sound quality. It was easy enough to compare the Nu-Vista 3D to the Tri-Vista in CD mode.

A few dozen discs later (including many of the ones I used for the dCS review): Whether it's because of the different sonic character of the "trivistor" tube or the Tri-Vista player's lower claimed jitter or distortion, the Tri-Vista sounded…

Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista SACD player Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: SACD/CD player with tube analog stage, digital data input, 24-bit delta-sigma, dual-differential DACs, and 8x oversampling digital filter. CD data upsampled to 192kHz. Disc mechanism: Philips. Digital inputs: optical (TosLink), S/PDIF (RCA). Digital outputs: optical (TosLink), S/PDIF (RCA). Analog outputs: 1 pair RCA. Maximum output level @ 1kHz: 2.35V RMS (CD); 2.4V RMS SACD. Output impedance: 50 ohms. Frequency response: 10Hz-20kHz, +0/-1dB; -4.8dB at 50kHz (SACD); 10Hz-20kHz @ 1kHz, +0/-0.05dB (CD or external digital input). S/N Ratio (digital…

Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista SACD player Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog sources: SME Model 30/2, Avid Acutus turntables; Graham 2.2, SME V tonearms; Lyra Titan, Audio Tekne MC-6310, Transfiguration Temper W cartridges.
Digital sources: Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 3D CD player, dCS Verdi SACD transport, Purcell D/D converter, and Elgar Plus DSD D/A converter.
Preamplification: Hovland HP-100 preamplifier, Manley Steelhead phono preamp.
Power amplifiers: Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 300, Music Reference RM-200.
Loudspeakers: Audio Physic Avanti III, Aerial Acoustics SW-12 subwoofer.
Cables: Phono: Hovland Music…

Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista SACD player Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

The massive Tri-Vista SACD player had maximum output levels of 2.31V for CD playback and 2.34V for SACD playback, both figures just over 1.25dB higher than the CD standard's 2V. The output preserved absolute polarity, and the source impedance was a very low 48 ohms across most of the audioband. It rose to 416 ohms at 20Hz, which mandates using preamps with input impedances above 4k ohms if the sound is not to become a little bass-shy. The error correction for CD playback was good, the Tri-Vista coping with gaps in the data spiral of up to 1mm without audible or…

Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista SACD player Sam Tellig July 2003

Sam Tellig wrote about the TriVista SACD player in July 2003 (Vol.26 No.7):

As mentioned, Mikey reviewed the Tri-Vista SACD player in May. I have only a few comments of my own:

First and most important, I don't think that the Tri-Vista SACD CD player sacrifices "Red Book" CD performance in order to bring you SACD playback. That's not surprising, since the Tri-Vista processes CD and SACD with entirely different digital signal paths. At the moment, I play standard CDs 99% of the time, because I have little worthwhile SACD software. The Tri-Vista SACD is a superb CD player that also…