I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the NEAT Acoustics Iota Alpha's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield responses. The first challenge I faced was deciding on which axis I should place my microphone for the farfield measurements. Sitting on its spikes, the Iota Alpha is 19" high, and its tweeter is just 17" from the floor. However, the section of the front baffle on which the tweeter and midrange unit are mounted is canted back at 30°, which aims those units directly at the ears…
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Saturday, February 4, 11:00am–1:00 pm, Encore Home Entertainment Systems (2115 Siesta Drive, Sarasota, FL 34239) is hosting Joe Perfito, president of Tributaries and Clarus Cable, for a discussion on the importance of cables.
Jay Victor, the designer of Clarus Cable, will be joining the discussion via Skype promptly at 11:00am from the factory in China. Refreshments will be served. Click here to RSVP.
Nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award for "Best Classical Compendium," ECM's Gesualdo pairs arrangements of the haunting music of Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa (1566–1613) with Gesualdo-inspired works by living composers Brett Dean (b. 1961) and Erkki-Sven Tüür (b. 1959). If at least one of those contemporary works, performed by Tõnu Kaljuste's justly famed Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, is not exactly what you'd expect, the "compendium" as a whole is unfailingly beautiful and engaging.
First off, those expectations. After reading Alex Ross's critique of…
New York City upright bassist Chris Lightcap is an excellent musician with an eye towards vintage environments. He lives with his family in a gorgeous Art Deco building, covets his wife's collection of 1950s and '60s-era cameras, has his own amazing collection of classic electric basses and guitars, and his comfortable apartment was once home to a Mafia hit-man.
"The hit-man had a weird secret compartment cut into the floor," Chris laughs. "And what can I say? I like old things. I was obsessed with getting a 1950s Formica table for the kitchen. My wife wasn't into it. I don't know why I…
Naxos, owner of online classical recording retailer ArkivMusic.com, has now launched ArkivJazz.com. A one-stop shopping destination for an international coterie of jazz lovers who seek CDs, vinyl, and DVDs, the site sells recordings from "all labels, major and independent." In addition to exclusive interviews and editorials, ArkivJazz also offers a VIP subscription that includes free US shipping and member-only specials, plus a complementary subscription to Downbeat magazine.
In a conference call with the trio responsible for the site—Jeff Van Driel, president of ArkivMusic;…
The $499 NAD 5000 looks nothing like most inexpensive CD players. Its plastic trim doesn't look cheap. It doesn't look expensive either, but it certainly won't be embarrassed to show its face in polite company. The front panel is neatly arranged and easy to interpret and use. It's the smallest and lightest of the present company of players—the only obvious physical reflections of its low-budget heritage. Inside, however, NAD has done a lot to put your money where it counts.
The 5000's power supply uses a single transformer driving eight individual supplies. Among these are separately…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Single-box CD player. Frequency response: 5Hz–20kHz ±0.2dB. THD: 0.002%. S/N: 106dB (A-weighted, de-emphasis off). D/A converter: MASH (1-bit, Pulse Width Modulation). Weight: 9.5 lbs.
Dimensions: 17.2" (435mm) W by 11.8" (300mm) D by 3.3" (84mm) H.
Price: $499 (1990); no longer available (2017). Approximate number of dealers: 350.
Manufacturer: NAD (USA) Lincolnwood, Ltd., Norwood, MA 02062 (1990). NAD Electronics International, 633 Granite Court, Pickering, Ontario L1W 3K1, Canada (2017). Tel: (905) 831-6555. Fax: (905) 831-6936. Web:…
Sidebar 2: Reference System
All of the players were auditioned in a system which consisted of the Jeff Rowland Design Group Consonance preamp, Threshold SA/12e monoblock power amplifiers, and Apogee Stage loudspeakers (on their optional stands). The connection from preamp to all players was via 1.5m lengths of AudioQuest Lapis. Balanced Cardas Hexlink cable was used from preamp to amplifiers. The Stages were bi-wired with Symo cable.
Comparisons were performed with the CAL Aria Mk.III, Mod Squad Prism II, and the Sony CDP-77ES C Dplayers and the Meridian 203 D/A processor.…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I checked the AC voltage from chassis ground to main (house) ground to determine the correct line-cord orientation. The NAD measured just over 10V (vs just under 19V the "wrong" way—and the plug is not "keyed," footnote 1); this voltage will be shunted to ground when the player is connected to a properly grounded preamplifier.
In order to determine the cause of the slight tracking problems encountered with the player, I checked it with the dropout tests on the Pierre Verany Digital Test CD. The results were perhaps indicative of the problem but not…
1996 was a banner year for Ray Davies—one of the most talented writers and conceptualists rock has ever produced. After more than 30 years with The Kinks, the group he has led off and on along with his younger brother Dave, Ray was enjoying a new career as a solo artist. His keen wit and storytelling ability enabled him to take his remarkable one-man play, 20th Century Man, to packed houses and critical acclaim all over the United States. The play, based loosely on his equally remarkable fictionalized autobiography, X-Ray, provided a unique insight into the forces that have shaped Ray…