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Audio McCarthyism Letters

Letters in response appeared in May 1992 (Vol.15 No.5):

Credible causes & cables
Editor: Point: "As We See It," January 1992.

Take a good objective look at some of the high-end audiophile claims, explanations of some claims (if any are given), and prices charged for some high-end products. Add in subjective reviewing as a whole. Total everything up. Are you really surprised that people like Dan Dugan can find followers and believers for his "crusade"?

I'm not surprised at all.

I wonder: Who appears to have a more credible case to the lawmakers, Dan Dugan or…

Audio McCarthyism More Letters

Obfuscation?
Editor: Robert Harley's 26-page obfuscation entitled "The Listeners' Manifesto" [January 1992, Vol.15 No.1] best illustrates the subjectivists' refusal to address the objectivists' singular objection: the lack of blindness in listening evaluations.

Rather than addressing this primary issue, Harley concocts a litany of straw-man arguments: blast instantaneous A/B comparisons, chuck the purportedly "nontransparent" ABX comparator, eschew a "test" protocol. Instead, sit in the comfort of your home before your own familiar playback system, request a friend to install the audio…

Koss ESP-9 electrostatic Headphones

The top-of-the-line model from America's leading headphone manufacturer, these are bulky, heavy, very business-like in appearance, and very, very good.

The ESP-9 is dual-powered: from the AC line, or from the input signal itself, The power supply is rather large and heavy, and appropriate in appearance to the phones. Amplifier connections are via wires with spade lugs attached, and speaker connections are made to the rear of the power supply. A front-panel switch selects speaker or headphone operation, and terminates the amplifier outputs with 10 ohms in the Phones position.

…

Koss ESP-9 electrostatic Headphones Specifications

Sidebar: Specifications

Description: AC- or signal-powered electrostatic. Impedance: 4 to 16 ohms. Max input signal: 12W continuous program.
Dimensions: Headset weight, 19 oz. Cord length: 5½.
Price: $150 (1973); no longer available (2016).
Manufacturer: Koss Corporation, 4129 N. Port Washington Road, Milwaukee, WI 53212. Tel: (800) 872-5677, (414) 964-5000. Web: www.koss.com.

The Moment of Truth

Well, it's that time. The time of reckoning, the moment of truth. It's renewal time.

Most of you have noticed the hyphenated numbers on your address labels, and most of you guessed what they were: Expiration codes. If your label has a 1-12 number on it (or no hyphenated code at all), the next issue of The Stereophile, Issue Number 12 [published in September 1966—Ed.], will be the last one that will arrive on your present subscription.

Statistically, you 1-12'ers comprise almost a half of our total circulation, so your decision at this point will very likely determine the future,…

Two Press Conference Experiences

Photo: Michael Lavorgna

Experience 1
On August 25, 2016, John Atkinson, Michael Lavorgna, and I attended an event at Battery Studios, Sony's Manhattan-based music production facility.

The event itself was very personal, as we three were the only non-Sony people present at this particular session. (There were multiple sessions held that day.) We were introduced to Sony's latest hi-res personal audio products—the "Signature Series," which consists of the MDR-Z1R headphones $2199.99), NW-WM1Z ($3199.99) and NW-WM1A Walkman players, and the TA-ZH1ES headphone amplifier ($2199.99…

Superphon Revelation preamplifier

Superphon's Revelation Basic preamplifier is made by Stan Warren (footnote 1), formerly the "S" of PS Audio, so it should come as no surprise that the Revelation Basic and the PS Audio Source sound much alike. The Revelation Basic sells for $399, assembled (no kit available). Like the Source, the Revelation has an outboard AC power transformer to minimize hum problems. But unlike the Source, the Revelation has dual volume controls (a pain) and lacks moving-coil capability.

The Revelation seems to offer slightly greater depth and detail than the Source, although it is not quite so mellow…

Superphon Revelation preamplifier Sam Tellig on the Revelation Dual Mono

Sam Tellig on the Revelation Dual Mono, September 1985 (Vol.8 No.5)

When I first heard the original Superphon Revelation Basic a year or so ago, I was impressed with its sound, if not its features. At $399, it was, indeed, a revelation—one of those rare cases in which a product name that sounds like hype simply isn't.

The Revelation delivers a superb sense of spaciousness, excellent imaging and detail, and tonal neutrality. The original Revelation (which I call simply the "Basic") makes a number of more expensive preamps sound like poor values.

On the other hand, there…

Superphon Revelation preamplifier Anthony H. Cordesman & Sam Tellig

Anthony H. Cordesman in December 1985 (Vol.8 No.7)

1985 seems to be a particularly vintage year for high fidelity equipment, including some that's actually affordable. I recently had to help some impoverished "friends" put affordable systems together, and was horrified to find them quite good. Nothing, it seems, can be kept from the masses.

Here, to my consternation, is some truly high class equipment which is declasse only in price. If you are looking for rock bottom prices in the high end, I would strongly recommend the Superphon Revelation Basic Preamp ($329) and the DH-120 ($…

ProAc Response 1S loudspeaker

Here's the deal: If you're the kind of listener who must listen to your stereo at levels that change the barometric pressure of your listening room, or if you can't enjoy reggae concerts because they don't have enough bass, then the ProAc Response 1S (revised) is definitely not the speaker for you. Read no further. Move on. Scoot.

Anybody left? Good. Now we can talk about a very special little speaker. In a way, I didn't even want to review the 1S. I mentioned to John Atkinson that I'd heard them at my buddy Ruben's house and enjoyed them immensely, but I'd been using a pair of $13,000…