Such factors as the mathematical modeling of woofer tuning by Neville Thiele and Richard Small, FFT-based…
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If there's one article in Stereophile that generated more reader response than any other, it was Peter Breuninger's review of the classic Fisher 500-C tubed receiver in June 2005. Peter reviewed another classic component from the 1960s, the Bozak B-410 Concert Grand loudspeaker; my involvement in the review, in the October 2005 issue, brought home to me with a vengeance how much the science of speaker design has evolved in the 40 years since this armoire-sized model was introduced.
Koetsu. Kiseki. Keebler. Products from all of these firms are shrouded in at least a bit of mystery. Do I believe that Koetsu cartridges are hand-built by an octogenarian samurai swordsmith, or that Kisekis are imported from the planet Vulcan, or that Keebler's cookies are baked by elves? Not really. But it does help to liven up the domestic audio scene.
"Look, son—see what Scottie just beamed down."
"Gee, Dad, it's big and blue with a gold spot on the front, and it kind of looks like a cartridge."
"Nice guess, son. No ordinary cartridge, this one. Let me tell you about…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Low-output, medium-compliance, moving-coil cartridge. Nominal output: 0.4mV. Internal impedance: 5.3 ohms. Channel balance at 1kHz: ±0.25dB. Channel separation at 1kHz: 30dB. Tracking force: 1.8–2.0gm. Cartridge weight: 11.4gm. Stylus type: hyper-elliptical, 0.3 x 0.7 mil radii. VTA: 20°.
Serial number of sample tested: 2013.
Price: $700 (1992); not available in the US (2014). Approximate number of dealers: 25 (1992).
Manufacturer: Kiseki/Durob Audio BV, PO Box 109, 5250 AC Vlijmen, The Netherlands. Tel: 31 (0)73 511 2555. Fax: 31 (0)73…
Since the first digital processor on the market using UltraAnalog DACs appeared (the $12,000 Stax DAC-X1t, reviewed in August 1990, Vol.13 No.8), there has been a proliferation of good-sounding processors using this extraordinary—and expensive—part. Among these are the Audio Research DAC1, Audio Research DAC1-20, VTL Reference D/A, and the groundbreaking Mark Levinson No.30 reviewed last month.
We can add another product to this illustrious list: the Kinergetics KCD-55 Ultra. Although the KCD-55 Ultra is the latest processor I've auditioned using UltraAnalog DACs, Kinergetics would have…
Sidebar 2: Review System
The Ultra was auditioned in my usual reference system: Audio Research LS2 line-stage preamplifier, VTL 225W monoblocks, Muse Model 18 active subwoofer, and Hales System Two Signature loudspeakers. The digital source was a Theta Data, driving the Ultra with either the ST-type optical link or a variety of coaxial interconnects (primarily the ST optical, however). Analog interconnects were Straight Wire Maestro, and loudspeaker cable was 3' bi-wired runs of AudioQuest Dragon/Clear. AC power was conditioned by a Tice Power Block and Titan.—Robert Harley
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The Ultra put out a very low 1.37V from the fixed-level outputs when decoding a full-scale, 1kHz sinewave. This is 3.3dB lower than the CD standard 2V output level, the only lower output we've experienced being the 730mV from the Sonographe SD-22 CD player reviewed by CG last month. The variable-level outputs, however, put out a whopping 4.18V with the level control all the way up. This makes a lot of sense: in a system with an active preamp, 1.37V is plenty of signal; for driving a power amplifier directly with the Ultra's variable output, the higher output…
Here's a little something to warm your hearts: The March 2014 issue of Stereophile is now on newsstands, and it's a very special issue, indeed. Inside, you'll find that our editor, John Atkinson, has fallen in love with a new pair of headphones. Has the sexy Audeze LCD-X seduced him away from his old, beloved Sennheiser HD650?
Of course, there's more.
Are you interested in portable hi-fi, computer audio, and desktop products? These days, many of us are. For you, we have reviews of the Channel Islands Audio Transient Mk.II USB D/A processor, the Astell&Kern AK100 portable…
Am I the only one who values content and convenience over sound quality?
There. I've said it. I am not an audiophile; ie, someone who's in love with recorded sound for its own sake. The search for ideal sound can leave a person burned out and broke.
That might be why I love Internet radio via Bluetooth. So much content. So convenient, via smartphone or laptop. As for computer-audio downloads, they're too complicated, chaotic, and costly.
I might pay for streaming high-resolution audio, if the content and convenience are there. More than one computer guru has said that…
JA Visits Arcam in England
I got comfortable in the center chair. I was visiting British manufacturer Arcam in their new facility, a few miles north of Cambridge, and product manager Andy Moore had set up a modestly priced but potentially good-sounding system in the company's dedicated listening room: KEF R300 speakers driven by the Arcam FMJ A19 integrated amplifier, which had impressed Stephen Mejias in the January issue. The source appeared to be Arcam's FMJ D33 D/A processor, which I reviewed in February 2013, connected by USB to a laptop running JRiver Media Center.
I…
Sidebar 1: JA on Sound Quality
Sam Tellig loved the rBlink when he listened to it: "If you're looking for a gift idea, and Mom and Dad have Bluetooth devices, put an Arcam rBlink under the tree. While you're at it, get another for yourself," he wrote. "Highly recommended," he concluded.
I streamed Bluetooth data to the rBlink from my iPad 2 and MacBook Pro. I did some listening to the rBlink's analog outputs. The sound was good rather than great, so for my primary auditioning sessions, the Arcam's coaxial digital output was connected to the ASUS Xonar Essence One Muses Edition (…