I measured the hefty Ovation MA8.2 monoblock with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). Before doing any testing of a power amplifier, I precondition it by running it at one-third its specified power into 8 ohms for 60 minutes. (With an amplifier having a class-B or -AB output stage, this power level results in the highest thermal stress on the output devices.) After an hour driving 200W into 8 ohms, the temperature of the MA8.2's heatsinks was a moderate 125°F (51.6°C), and its the top panel was warm, at 107.8°F (42.1°C). The…
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Put the expression "crate-diggers" into any sentence and it will catch my eye. The Warner Music Group has launched Run Out Groove, a new fan-driven, vinyl-only label that is going to let the public, or more accurately the crate-diggers among us, choose which records from the WMG trove of labels this new label will release. WMG, don't forget, owns the catalogs of Atlantic, Warner Bros., Reprise, Elektra, Sire, and Rykodisc, so the choices here are nearly endless.
According to WMG publicist Chris Macowski, the material to be voted on will either be unreleased tracks, out-of-print records,…
Hankering for recorded music that is witty, engaging, and filled with surprises—music written with a twinkle in the eye? Check out the Spencer Myer's new Steinway & Sons recording of the Piano Rags of William Bolcom (b. 1938). Also available as a hi-rez download, Myer's delightful takes on Bolcom's rags dispel any notion that the rag is a predictable but ultimately limited art form.
In Jed Distler's too-short liner notes—I wish they had given this eloquent piano expert more space, but the CD issue doesn't even mention that all but two tracks on the recording were captured in 24/192…
"For years, I had a terrible listening situation," guitarist Adam Rogers recalls. "I had a Vector Research amplifier that the guys at the hi-fi store called 'Victim Research.' I'd fallen into the contemporary trap of listening to music on computer speakers or headphones, all the while feeling that at some point I would like to invest in a great listening scenario."
Adam Rogers is one of most astute and industrious players in the world of jazz, a native New Yorker who has seen every era of the Big Apple music scene, and risen to become one of the best guitar players in the world, bar none…
Last week, we shared a conversation between John Atkinson and Philadelphia-area audio retailer Doug White (of The Voice That Is) that centered around audio retailing. Here's the second, and final conversation from our Philly trip. In this video, JA and Doug are joined by Stereophile writer Herb Reichert as they discuss the new Akira loudspeaker from German manufacturer Tidal Audio. Doug has been a fixture at regional audio shows the past few years, demonstrating Tidal speakers. (It is important to note that the high-end manufacturer Tidal Audio has no relation to Tidal the streaming service…
Thursday April 6, 6–8pm, Adirondack Audio & Video (340 East 57th Street, New York, NY) is hosting a Technics event. Bill Voss, US Business Development Manager for Technics, will be demonstrating Technics' new "Grand Class" Component series including the SU-G700 Digital integrated amplifier, the SB-G90 floor-standing loudspeaker, and the affordable SL-1200GR turntable.
Refreshments will be served. Space will be limited so please RSVP here or by calling (212) 784-6084.
Before he left Stereophile for AudioQuest at the end of March 2014, Stephen Meijas asked Thinksound to send me the On1 closed-back heaphones. He thought I might like them.
Cool beans, Stephen. I do. These are among the nicest 'phones I've come across lately. List price is $299.99, but the street price—sometimes directly from Thinksound—is usually $249.99. You save an imaginary $50. That's $50 of your savings that you can share with me in Bitcoins.
Thinksound is a new company founded by Aaron Fournier and Mike Tunney. Fournier earned his BS in Audio Engineering from the University…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: On-ear, closed-back headphones. Drive-unit: 40mm dynamic driver. Frequency range: 5Hz–22kHz. Nominal impedance: 50 ohms. Supplied accessories: two 56" Kevlar-reinforced, fabric cable, one with a microphone, one without, a carry pouch of unbleached cotton.
Price: $199.99. Number of dealers: sold direct.
Manufacturer: Thinksound, 350 Route 108, Suite 204, Somersworth, NH 03878. Web: store.thinksound.com.
John DeVore names his speakers after primates—apes, to be specific. Something to do with a family member being a zoologist.
John once worked at a hi-fi retailer in lower Manhattan. Now, as president and chief designer of DeVore Fidelity, he manufactures loudspeakers across the bridge, in the former Brooklyn Navy Yard. I talked with John the other day about his new speaker, the Orangutan O/93.
John makes two Orangutans, both floorstanders: the O/96, with a sensitivity specified as 96dB, over which Art Dudley went ape, in the December 2012 issue. Artie has made the O/96 his…
Herb Reichert compared the DeVore O/93 with the GoldenEar Triton Five in December 2015 (Vol.38 No.12):
When I review audio gear, I've found that it's always wise to finish by returning to where I started.
I put the GoldenEar Triton Fives and Simaudio Moon Neo 340i integrated amplifier aside, and returned to my reference Line Magnetic LM-518IA and trusty DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93s ($8400/pair). Playing Cou$ins Presents . . . A Tribute 2 Studio One & Treasure Isle Records (LP, Cou$ins COUDLP037), I felt I was listening via Studio One's paper-coned monitor speakers. I was…