You heard right. The Port Townsend Record Show is taking place Saturday, March 5, 11:00am–5:00pm (vendor set-up 8:00 am) in the ever-jumpin' American Legion Hall at 209 Monroe Street facing Port Townsend Bay. The show promises, as of press time, at least 28 vendor booths filled with vinyl and…
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How do you know that the vinyl revival is universal? When Port Townsend, WA, a little arts community with under 9500 inhabitants that is situated NW of Seattle, on the Quimper Peninsula at the gateway to the larger, breathtakingly beautiful Olympic Peninsula, is having a record show of its own.
In the January 2015 edition of "Music in the Round," I reviewed NAD's latest Masters Series preamplifier-processor and multichannel power amplifier, respectively the M17 ($5499) and M27 ($3999). I was taken with both, but the M27 made a special impression. In many ways, it personified what a modern power amp should be: quiet, transparent, cool running, and compact. Its neat package of seven 180W channels inspired me to consider that stereo or mono versions of such a thing could supplant the ungainly monster amps I was using in my main system. So I asked NAD to send me not just one but two…
I then turned to 2L's high-resolution recording of "Come Away, Death," from Gerald Finzi's song cycle on Shakespearian texts, Let Us Garlands Bring, to hear the voice of mezzo-soprano Marianne Beate Kielland, the piano of Sergei Osadchuk, and their acoustic and musical relationships (free 24-bit/192kHz PCM download from SACD/CD, 2L 2L-064-SACD). Through the NAD M22, Kielland's voice was pure and cleanly delineated, with a notable presence in the room. Osadchuk's piano stood apart from Kielland, a bit farther from me, but with requisite body and detail. Together, they sounded as if recorded…
August 26, 1944: The liberation of Paris. Imagine ranks of tattered Canadian soldiers marching past the Moulin Rouge à Paris. The voice of Édith Piaf singing "Ou sont-ils, mes petits copains?" (Where are my boyfriends?). Maurice Chevalier crooning "Ça sent si bon la France" (It smells so good in France). A Canadian army tank with the words Kaput and Finito painted in white above the word Montréal, motoring past the Eiffel Tower. Remember the fresh, celebratory taste of fine Champagne.
This was the place, the mood, the reverie with which I began my examination of Simaudio's Moon Neo 340i…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-channel, solid-state, class-D power amplifier. Inputs: 1 pair balanced (XLR), 1 pair single-ended (RCA). Outputs: 2 pairs multiway binding posts. Frequency response: 3Hz–30kHz, –3dB. Continuous output power at rated THD, 20Hz–20kHz, both channels driven: >250W (>24dBW, no load specified). IHF dynamic power: 355W into 8 ohms, 640W into 4 ohms, 620W into 2 ohms. Clipping power at 1kHz, 0.1% THD: >300W into 8 ohms (24.77dBW). Peak output current, 1 ohm, 1ms: >50 amps. Input sensitivity: 1.6V. Input impedance: 17k ohms + 200pF (RCA),…
I mention all this because it sounded to me that the Simaudio design team has made some sophisticated viscosity-oriented design choices that have resulted in audio products, like the Moon Neo 340i, of unique transparency and fluidity.
Phono Stage: Moving-coil
I change phono cartridges often. Therefore, I'm always happy when an integrated amplifier includes choices of gain (40 or 60dB) and loading (100 ohms or 47k ohms plus 0pF or 100pF), as does the Moon Neo 340i D3PX. Simaudio uses active circuitry—as opposed to transformers—for the extra gain.
Unlike most phono stages, in…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Manhattan System
Digital Sources: Oppo BDP-105 universal BD player; Baetis XR2 PC-based music server; exaSound e28, Merging Technologies NADAC+ multichannel D/A processors; QNAP TS569L NAS.
Preamplifier: Audio Research MP1.
Power Amplifiers: Benchmark Media Systems AHB2, McIntosh Laboratory MC303, Parasound Halo A 31.
Loudspeakers: Bowers & Wilkins 800 Diamond.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Vodka (HDMI) & Carbon (USB), van den Hul Flat 180 (HDMI). Interconnect: AudioQuest Earth balanced, Kubala-Sosna Anticipation (RCA/XLR).…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state integrated amplifier. Analog inputs: 1 XLR, 4 RCA, 3.5mm Media Player. Optional digital inputs: optical, 2 coaxial, USB. Optional phono inputs: 47k ohms input impedance (moving-magnet), 100 ohms or 47k ohms input impedance (moving-coil). Analog outputs: fixed, variable (both RCA). 1 pair speaker outputs. Headphone output: 0.25" phone plug. Rated output power: 100Wpc into 8 ohms (20dBW), 200Wpc into 4 ohms (17dBW).
Dimensions: 16.7" (429mm) W by 3.5" (89mm) H by 14.7" (376mm) D. Shipping weight: 28.6 lbs (13kg).
Finishes: Black…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I performed a full set of measurements on the Masters Series M22, using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). As the M22 has a class-D output stage, for almost all measurements I used an Audio Precision AUX-0025 passive low-pass filter ahead of the analyzer, which eliminates noise above 200kHz.
The M22's voltage gain into 8 ohms measured 28.9dB from both its balanced and unbalanced inputs, and both inputs preserved absolute polarity (ie, were non-inverting). The unbalanced input impedance measured 23k ohms at 20Hz,…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Pioneer PLX-1000 turntable, Ortofon 2M Black cartridge; Thorens TD 124 Mk.I turntable, Abis SA 1.2 tonearm, Zu Denon DL-103 or Jasmine Turtle cartridge; Technics SL1200 Mk.2 tonearm, SME M2-9 tonearm, Soundsmith Carmen or Shure SC35 cartridge; VPI Scout Jr. turntable, Ortofon 2M Red cartridge.
Digital Sources: Onkyo Integra DPS-7.2 disc player, Halide DAC HD DAC.
Preamplification: Intact Audio step-up transformer; Blue Horizon Ideas Profono, Schiit Audio Mani phono stages.
Integrated Amplifiers: Hegel Music Systems H160, Line…