Nels Cline: Lovers
Nels Cline, electric & acoustic guitars, lap steel, effects; Charles Pillow, C & alto & bass flutes, oboe, English horn, B-flat clarinet, alto saxophone; Steven Bernstein, Taylor Haskins, others, trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone; Julian Lage, guitar; Yuka C. Honda, celeste, Juno 60; Devin Hoff, contrabass, bass guitar; Alex Cline, drums, percussion; Kenny Wolleson, vibraphone, marimba, percussion; Michael Leonhart, arr., conductor; many others.
Blue Note 8002505102 (2 CDs). 2016. David Breskin, prod.; Ron Saint Germain, eng. DDD? TT: 90:02
Performance…
search
In 1967, in Los Angeles, Morris Kessler, with Ted and Beth Winchester, founded Scientific Audio Electronics (SAE), which enjoyed a successful run of 21 years. In addition to Kessler, Sherwood Electronics cofounder Ed Miller, as well as the legendary James Bongiorno, contributed designs. (If you don't know Bongiorno's résumé, please do a web search.) Some SAE products, particularly their big-metered power amplifiers, became objects of desire for audiophiles on the West Coast and, especially, in Japan.
SAE was founded to manufacture Kessler's design for a solid-state amplifier that would…
Despite the overall fast nature of the 2HP-D's sound, transients were not too etched or hard. The sound was smooth, grainless, and essentially free of added artifacts. The wide, well-organized soundstage also mirrored what I'd heard at CES: instead of generous depth and three-dimensionality, it was a bit more of a flat screen. But are those missing qualities—which I do hear from other, slower amps—merely artifacts caused by a somewhat soft, less well-controlled bass response?
The 2HP-D's grip on the woofers of my Wilson Audio Specialties Alexandria XLFs produced the tautest bass I've…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-channel, solid-state power amplifier. Inputs: 1 pair balanced, line-level (XLR). Outputs: 2 pairs WBT binding posts. Rear-panel controls: one 3.3–24V remote trigger, 4/8 ohm selector, fan on/off, two 20A IEC jacks, two main power on/off, magnetic breaker switches. Front-panel controls: standby, screen on/off, screen selector (RMS/peak & real-time spectrum analysis or power meters). Output power, both channels driven, 20Hz–20kHz, <0.01% THD, 600Wpc into 8 ohms (27.8dBW) 1200Wpc into 4 ohms (27.8dBW), 1200W into 2 ohms (24.8dBW); 1kHz, <…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn & Castellon turntable & stand; Kuzma Stabi M turntable; SAT, Kuzma 4Point 14" tonearms. Cartridges: Audio-Technica AT-ART-1000; Lyra Atlas, Atlas SL, Etna, Etna SL; Miyajima Labs Zero (mono) & Madake; Ortofon Anna & A95.
Digital Sources: Audio Alchemy DDSPro CD transport, Simaudio Moon Evolution 780D streaming DAC; Lynx Hilo A/D-D/A converter; Meridian Sooloos Digital Media System; Pure Vinyl & Vinyl Studio software.
Preamplification: Ypsilon MC-10L & MC-16L step-up transformers…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I performed a full set of measurements on the SAE 2HP-D, using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). Usually, before doing any testing of a power amplifier, I precondition it by running it at one-third power into 8 ohms for an hour. (With an amplifier having a class-B or -AB output stage, this power level results in the highest thermal stress on the output devices.) However, the 2HP-D is a very powerful amplifier, and I don't have a test load that could handle both channels running at 250W for an hour without overheating. So I…
A wise man once told me that people often forget that before they made studio masterpieces like the The Beatles aka The White Album or Abbey Road, the Beatles, until 1966 when they stopped touring, were one hell of a live act. If it wasn’t for all that screaming!
The problem for true believers is that there’s never been a proper Beatles live album. The closest we’ve come is 1977’s Live At The Hollywood Bowl which was a collection of 13 cherry-picked tracks, compiled by George Martin, from the band’s 1964 and 1965 appearances at the famed venue. Opinions on the album remain mixed. Fans who…
You read that correctly. 2017 will see the advent of two, potentially competing high-end audio shows, located just 35 miles and several congested freeways apart in Southern California. The first, the new Los Angeles Audio Show (LAAS), will take place June 2–4 in the Sheraton Gateway LAX, and is produced "in collaboration with the Los Angeles & Orange County Audio Society" (LAOCAS). The second, a continuation of T.H.E. Show Newport that was founded by the late Richard Beers and formerly supported by LAOCAS, will be held September 21–24 (September 21 reserved for press) in the Hilton…
Devialet Event in Cambridge MA Thursday, September 29, 6–8pm, Blink High End (129 Franklin Street, Cambridge, MA 02139) is holding a special event. Amaury Guillement, Regional Manager for the French Devialet brand, will be demonstrating the Devialet Expert 1000 Pro, a $35,000, dual-mono, 1000Wpc integrated amplifier. This flagship amplifier from Devialet combines preamplifier, amplifier, DAC, streamer, and phono stage in a single, extremely thin slab.
Seating is limited, so please RSVP by phone at (617) 225-0700 or via email to reserve a seat for you and a guest. Champagne, hors…
One of America's most vital living composers—New Yorker Steve Reich—turns 80 on October 3. In celebration, Deutsche Grammophon and ECM, two companies that greatly helped build Reich's reputation by recording his initially uncategorizable forays into minimalism, have reissued their seminal efforts. Given that all recordings feature members of the Steve Reich Ensemble (including the composer), and that Reich would not authorize performance and recordings of his work by others until 1990, the recordings are definitive (footnote 1).
From DG comes the 3-LP set, Steve Reich: Drumming, a reissue…