Analog Sources: Acoustic Signature Wow XL turntable & TA-1000 tonearm; Thorens TD 124 turntable with Abis SA-1.2 tonearm; Technics SL1200MK2 turntable with SME M2-9 tonearm; Jasmine Audio Turtle, Ortofon 2M Black & CG 25 DI II, Shure SC35C, Soundsmith Carmen, Zu Audio DL-103 cartridges.
Digital Sources: Halide Design DAC HD DAC,Onkyo Integra DPS-7.2 disc player.
Preamplification: Blue Horizon Ideas Profono, Schiit Audio Mani phono stages; Intact Audio step-up transformer.
Integrated Amplifiers: Hegel Music Systems H160, Line Magnetic LM…
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Parasound Halo Integrated using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com, and the January 2008 "As We See It"). As usual, I preconditioned the amplifier before measuring it by running both channels at one-third power into 8 ohms for an hour. At the end of that period, the top panel was hot, reaching 137.4°F (58.6°C) by the vents over the internal heatsinks.
I began by looking at the Halo's phono-stage performance, taking the amplifier's output from the fixed-level Rec Out jacks with the volume control at its minimum setting, so that…
JA Returned to the Prime in November 2015 (Vol.38 No.11):
When, in October 2014, I reviewed Meridian's Prime D/A headphone amplifier ($2000) with its optional Prime Power Supply ($1295), I found some anomalies in the combination's measured performance. Specifically, the Prime appeared to truncate the least-significant bit (LSB) with 24-bit USB data; and the level of a dithered 24-bit, 1kHz tone at –120dBFS was exaggerated by more than 12dB (fig.1). In addition, though the Prime performed well when fed 16- and 24-bit J-Test data, present in the processor's output was what must have been an…
RD Auditioned the Yale firmware upgrade in November 2015 (Vol.38 No.11):
Obsolescence is obsolete—at least according to the slogan coined by PS Audio's Paul McGowan when he introduced their PerfectWave DirectStream DAC ($5999). Allowing for a bit of marketing hyperbole, he had a point. While the DirectStream's hardware platform has stayed the same, the use of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) has allowed its designer, Ted Smith, to come up with ever more refined versions of the firmware (they now call it an operating system), each major revision bringing audible benefits. Best of all…
I first heard MartinLogan's new flagship speaker, the Neolith, at the 2015 CES—and, as an electrostatic fan from way back, I was disappointed by the sound, which seemed to lack the transparency that I expect from this kind of speaker, and that I've heard from MartinLogan's less-expensive models. I refused to believe that something went wrong in the design of the speaker, and attributed the disappointing performance to less-then-optimal setup and other components in the system, like the Krell amplifiers being used.
The first room I visited at the 2015 TAVES, held this past weekend in…
The Abis SA-1.2 tonearm, from November 2015 (Vol.38 No.11):
Few recent tonearms have more impressed me than the Abis SA-1, which I wrote about in our March 2014 issue. A relatively high-mass design with an effective length of 9" and a static downforce mechanism positioned well in front of its fulcrum, the Japanese-made SA-1 sounded fine with my Thorens TD 124 turntable and Denon DL-103 cartridge, and appeared to generate lots of e-interest among lovers of low-compliance moving-coil cartridges in general.
But before long, Phillip Holmes of Mockingbird Distribution, which imports…
Cellist Vincent Bélanger (above) is getting to be a fixture at audio shows, the sound of the instrument and Bélanger's impeccable musicianship always serving as a welcome reminder of what our hobby is all about. He played at the party TAVES put on for the industry and media in a large ballroom, and first apologized that the sounds he was about to make were not nearly as loud as people were used to in the demo rooms. I think there's a lesson in there—and it's not that Bélanger was playing too softly!
Vincent Bélanger expressed his gratitude to Michel Plante (on the left in the…
In its latest new location, the Hilton Westchester in Rye Brook, NY, the 2015 edition of the Chester Group's three-day New York Audio Show kicks off on Friday, November 6. The hotel, which is located on 37 acres of woodlands, comes complete with what are reported to be "panoramic view of lush gardens," two swimming pools, tennis courts, whirlpool, sauna, spa, fitness room, walking and jogging trails. While that may be of interest only to out-of-towners staying for the weekend, local guests will want to learn that the venue is a five-minute cab ride from the nearest Metro North train station (…
TAVES 2015 presented the World Premiere of the ACA Seraphim Skogrand Edition speakers ($58,500/pair), with Skogrand cable CEO/Designer Knut Skogrand (above) on hand for the event. "Manufactured in a small workshop in the mountain hills of Norway," Skogrand cables are designed to "let any system perform at its full potential." This search for perfection does not come cheap: a 3m pair of SC Beethoven speaker cables costs $32,500!
In their 14-layer, lacquered Piano Rosewood finish, the ACA Seraphim Skogrand speakers certainly looked beautiful, and—in a system featuring VAC Electronics,…
Anaheim dealer Scott Walker Audio (1215 North Tustin Avenue, CA 92897) is showcasing Magico's newest S-Series speaker, the S7, on Sunday, November 8, from 1–5pm. Also being demonstrated will be Magico's S1, S3, & S5 loudspeaker systems, presented by Peter MacKay, VP Global Sales for Magico.