Continuing my investigations, I inserted AQ's Cinnamon USB link ($79) in the Sprout's USB digital input, and AQ's Big Sur interconnects ($109/pair) between the VPI Traveler turntable ($1500) with Ortofon 2M Black cartridge ($799) and the Sprout's Vinyl input—whereupon all of the Sprout's inputs began to sing in the same voice of April–May sunshine. The digital inputs' detail and soundstage accuracy were dramatically enhanced. Most impressive was the…
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Guess what. No more smoke and f-stop shadow! In fact, with the AQ wire, the Sprout's Analog input was now more yang than its Vinyl input.
If you look at it from a distance and squint a little, Luxman's Classic CL-38u preamplifier ($4200) could almost be mistaken for that most classic of all classic hi-fi products, the Marantz Model 7C control center. The aluminum front panels of both models have, at their centers, a row of four distinctive toggle switches, flanked on each side by four control knobs. Even more noticeable are the stylish wood enclosures—standard on the Luxman, optional on the Marantz—which make both preamps appear ready for duty at the Playboy Mansion, ca 1963, or perhaps an appearance in a Life photo essay…
Speaking of the Luxman's tone controls: Activating the CL-38u's tone defeat—ie, switching the tone controls off—bypasses the tone controls' extra circuitry, under which condition the Luxman preamp sounded fine. But with tone defeat disabled and the tone controls enabled, the sound was cloudier, less open. The difference wasn't big, and with some recordings the ability to scrape the frost off the treble range far outweighed the diminution in transparency. Incidentally, neither the Luxman's rumble filter nor its balance control nor its mono switch—arguably the CL-38u's three most useful "…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Integrated amplifier. Inputs: phono (moving-magnet), analog (3.5mm), USB (24-bit/192kHz), digital coax (any sample rate and bit depth to 24/192), Bluetooth (built in). Maximum output power: 50Wpc into 4 ohms (14dBW), 33Wpc into 8 ohms (15.25dBW). THD: <0.025% at normal listening levels. Headphone output: 500mW into 16 ohms, 425mW into 300 ohms. Analog output: variable, 3.5mm line, for subwoofer or otherwise.
Dimensions: 6" (155mm) W by 1.75" (45mm) H by 8" (205mm) D. Weight: 2.9 lbs (6.4kg).
Serial number of unit reviewed: SPR-A1-410596 "…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-channel tubed preamplifier. Line inputs: 4 plus tape loop. Phono inputs: 1 (switchable for MM, high-output MC, or low-output MC). Frequency responses: line, 10Hz–70kHz, +0/–3.0dB; phono, 20Hz–20kHz, +0/–0.5dB. Input sensitivities: line, 190mV; MM phono, 2.0mV; MC-high phono, 0.3mV; MC-low phono, 0.08mV. Signal/noise (IHF, A-weighted, input shorted): line, >100dB; MM phono, >68dB; MC-high phono, >63dB; MC-low phono, >60dB. Total harmonic distortion: 0.06% (20Hz–20kHz, 1V).
Dimensions: 15.6" (400mm) W by 6.6" (170mm) H by 12" (…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Pioneer PLX-1000, Thorens TD-124, VPI Traveler turntables; SME 3009 II tonearm; Grado Mono, Ortofon 2M Black, Soundsmith Carmen, Zu Audio DL-103 cartridges.
Digital Sources: Puresound A-8000 CD player; Halide HD, Line Magnetic LM 502 CA DACs.
Preamplification: Blue Horizon BN:09-11-009, Schiit Mani, Soundsmith MMP3 phono stages.
Integrated Amplifiers: Line Magnetic LM518 IA, Rogue Audio Sphinx, Simaudio Moon Neo 340i.
Loudspeakers: KEF LS50, Tekton Enzo XL, Totem Model 1 Signature.
Headphone amplifier: Schiit Asgard.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Garrard 301 turntable; EMT 997, Thomas Schick tonearms; Ortofon CG25i, Miyajima Premium BE Mono II, EMT OFD 15 & TSD 15 pickup heads.
Digital Sources: Halide Designs DAC HD USB D/A converter; Apple iMac G5 computer running Audirvana Plus 1.5.12 playback software; Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player.
Preamplification: Hommage T2 step-up transformer, Shindo Masseto preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Shindo Corton-Charlemagne (monoblocks) & Haut-Brion.
Loudspeakers: Altec Valencia, DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96.
Cables: USB…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Though no larger than a paperback book, the PS Audio Sprout is a complex product, with USB, S/PDIF, and Bluetooth digital, analog line-level, and analog phono inputs, and speaker outputs, a headphone output, and a line-level output. Testing the Sprout was therefore more complicated than with a typical integrated amplifier. I measured the Sprout using my recalibrated Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com, and the January 2008 "As We See It"). As the Sprout is a class-D amplifier—it uses an output module sourced from the Scandinavian Elan/Abletec company—it…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Luxman Classic CL-38u's electrical performance with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 "As We See It").
Looking first at the phono stage, I examined the output at the Rec Out jacks, to ensure that I was not including the performance of the line stage in the measured results. The three settings of this input offered voltage gains (into 100k ohms) of 41.2dB (MM), 57.6dB (MC High), and 67.5dB (MC Low). The latter two gains were affected somewhat by the 20 ohm output impedance of the AP generator, but all…
Poor George Benson. Like Dylan before him who shocked and divided his fans by going electric, Benson’s full on move into popular music on Breezin’ in 1976 sent his jazz fans angrily heading for the exits; though truth be told, if you were listening closely, Benson had been moving toward a soul jazz fusion on CTI as far back as Body Talk in 1973. I remember my jazz fan father trying to convince me this was drivel and a girlfriend who closed her eyes and swayed when “Love X Love” came on. Guess which way that decision went.
After Breezin’ Benson’s well-known fondness for James Brown funk…