Editor's Note: The forthcoming August 2017 issue of Stereophile is No.451, but 55 years ago this summer, J. Gordon Holt was putting together the first issue of what initially was to be called The Stereophile. Here is Gordon's editorial leader from that issue, published in November 1962:
We are always embarrassed and a little annoyed when a shopkeeper, rubbing his hands obsequiously, bids us tell all our friends about his little establishment. If we liked what he had to offer, we'd tell…
First up, of course, and played again at selected intervals throughout the day as the ultimate palette…
The Ortofon M-15's rather heavy sound will nicely complement some overbright systems, but in terms of master-tape sound, it was judged to be less perfect than either the Shure V15-III or the Decca Mark V.
If we were to assign equal values to every aspect of pickup performance, we would have to…
Nominal length: 9". Rear overhang: allow 3¼". Distance from turntable center: 8.45". Mounting: By cutting a 1" by 2½" hole. Exact positioning not necessary, as the base has a sliding adjustment for tangency.
Cartridge acceptance: Will balance cartridges weighing between 4 and 20gm. without alternative counterweights or headshells. No allowance has to be made for tracking force, as this is applied by moving a rider weight forward.
Headshell: A perforated lightweight headshell is provided, weighing 5½gm.…
The output impedance of the Passage preamplifier at its main outputs measured a highish 912 ohms at any volume control setting. The input impedance measured just over 27k ohms (left channel, slightly lower in the right) at full volume, increasing to just over 37k ohms in the 9 o'clock position of the volume control. The output impedance of the tape outputs measured about 47.4 ohms with either a 25 ohm or 600 ohm source, indicating that these outputs are buffered. Unity gain was at 2 o'clock on the volume control; the maximum gain of the preamp was 37.7dB. DC…
Description: Tubed, line-level preamp. Tube complement: two 12AU7A (ECC82) twin triodes, one 12AX7A. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, ±0.2dB. Channel separation: >80dB at 1kHz. Total harmonic distortion: 0.05% maximum.
Dimensions: 16" W by 12.5" D by 3.75" H. Weight: 10 lbs.
Serial number of sample tested: 10154.
Price: $995 (1992); no longer available (2017). Approximate number of dealers: 28.
Manufacturer: TARA Labs, Inc., Ashland, OR 97520 (1992); 716 Rossanley Drive, Medford, OR 97501 (2017). Tel: (541) 488-6465. Fax: (541) 245-9119. Web:…
Every added feature means that the audio signal must go through additional wires, plugs, switch…
This is a very hyped, contrived recording, but then nobody ever pretended that this kind of musical construction was supposed to approximate the sound of a live performance. The strings are quite steely on this but, in all other respects, the recording is is stupendous—unctuously rich, smooth and limpidly clear, with some awesomely taut low end and cuttingly crisp percussion sounds.
Much of the program draws from African and Haitian sources, and I must say I found some of the maddeningly repetitive passage to…
Like Nottingham's designer, the late Tom Fletcher, Jon Palmer believes that effectively spinning a turntable platter—particularly a heavy one like the Palmer's 21-pounder of aluminum alloy—requires less torque, not more. Flip the switch on the back of the 2.5's standalone…