It was I, your humble prattler, who in October 2016 posed that rhetorical question, in my review of the First Watt J2, a 25Wpc power amplifier…
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"Okay, all you high-rolling audiophile know-it-alls—what is the argument against amplifiers that operate in high-bias, class-A, single-ended mode, with the lowest possible parts count? Is there a better strategy for beauty, rhythm, color, texture, and easy-flowing musical verity? I think not. And please explain: Why has mainstream audio gone to such ridiculous and expensive lengths to avoid building and selling precisely these sorts of amps?"
I wish you could have heard how physically present and emotionally intimate the Rogers 65V-1 made Buddy Holly's Down the Line: Rarities (2 CDs, Decca B0011675-02) feel through the DeVore Orangutan O/93s. The sense of Holly's physical presence was so captivating that I fell into a Holly listening binge that has yet to end. I'm infatuated with his famous Apartment Tapes, recorded in December 1958 in the living room of the Manhattan flat he shared with his new wife, Mar°a Elena Santiago, only weeks before his death at the age of 22.
I didn't need golden ears or laboratory meters to…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Single-ended, tubed, stereo integrated amplifier with switchable triode/Ultralinear output-stage operation. Tube complement: two EF86, two EL34 or KT88. Line-level inputs: 4 unbalanced (RCA). Outputs: gold-plated, solid copper binding posts. Power output (defined in terms of THD): 1W into 8 ohms at <0.5% THD, 10W at <3% THD, 25W peak. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, ±0.1dB.
Dimensions: 17" (430mm) W by 7.5" (190mm) H by 12" (305mm) D. Weight: 24 lbs (10.9kg).
Finish: Black powdercoat.
Serial number of unit reviewed: 65015.090517.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: AMG Giro G9 turntable & 9WT tonearm, Linn LP12 turntable & SME M2-9 tonearm; AMG Teatro, EMT TSD 75, Koetsu Rosewood Standard MC cartridges.
Digital Sources: Integra DPS-7.2 DVD player (used as CD transport); Mac mini running Audirvana+ 3.2; HoloAudio Spring "Kitsuné Tuned Edition" Level 3, Mytek HiFi Manhattan II, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DACs.
Preamplification: Auditorium 23, Bob's Devices CineMag 1131, Dynavector SUP-200, EMIA Phono, My Sonic Lab 1030 MC step-up transformers; Musical Surroundings Phonomena II+ with Linear…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Rogers High Fidelity 65V-1 with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). The maximum gain at 1kHz into 8 ohms varied with operating mode and output tube and was mostly lower than specified, ranging from 18.7dB (KT88s, triode mode) and 21.3dB (EL34s, triode) to 23.8dB (KT88s, Ultralinear mode) and 25.85dB (EL34s, Ultralinear)—all lower than the norm for an integrated amplifier. The maximum gain at the headphone jack measured 25dB. Both the speaker and headphone outputs preserved absolute polarity (ie, were non-inverting…
There is music so unique, so colorful, and so potentially challenging for the casual listener that words like "pretty" or "entertaining" go flying out the window. Such is the case with pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard's mind-boggling recording of Olivier Messiaen's (1908–1992) Catalogue d'Oiseaux. Anything but background music for a relaxed evening by the fire or in the hot tub, the Catalogue consists of 13 extended odes for solo piano, each of which was inspired by a different bird species. Recorded by Pentatone in 24/96 hi-rez stereo and surround in the famous Saal 1, Funkhaus, Nalepastrasse,…
Stravinsky: Petrouchka, Circus Polka
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta, cond.
London CS 6554 (LP/tape).
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta, cond.
London CS 6554 (LP/tape).
This is all the proof one could want that London's big, fat sound is more the result of their recording philosophy than of the halls they record in. One of the first London recordings ever made in the US, this has the now-familiar London sound all down the line: The big, fat low end, the richness, the superb balance, and the razor-sharp detail without zizz or zip. As usual, the result is not terribly real, but it certainly is exciting as well as being musically satisfying…
In appearance Conrad-Johnson's PV4 is distinctly plain: a basic black and silver box with a few simple knobs and buttons. The controls are logically laid out, clearly labeled, and work properly. The two channels track well through the volume control, maintaining balance; pushbuttons and control knobs have a smooth, solid feel (except for the noises audible through the system when switching inputs). Don't forget the turn-on and turn-off thumps mentioned above; the PV4 is the only one of the preamps I review in this issue—the others are the Audible Illusions Modulus ($450) and the…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Stereo vacuum-tube preamplifier. Inputs for magnetic phono, Aux, and Tape. Separate volume and balance controls.
Price: $485 (1984); no longer available (2018).
Manufacturer: Conrad-Johnson Design, McLean, VA 22101 (1984). 2800K Dorr Avenue, Fairfax, VA USA 22031 (2018). Tel: (703) 698-8581. Fax: (703) 560-5360. Web: conradjohnson.com.
Following the last-minute cancellation of the 2018 Los Angeles Audio Show, scheduled to be held this coming weekend in Irvine, two Southern California audio retailers have stepped into the breach with AudioCon-June. Jason Lord of The Source A/V Design Group (3035 Kashiwa Street, Suite 101, Torrance, CA 90505. Tel: (310) 534-9900) and Sunil Merchant of Sunny's Components (1370 E. Cypress St, Covina, CA 91724. Tel: (626) 966-6259) are holding weekend-long free events. The events run 10am–6pm on Saturday June 9 and Sunday June 10 and you can find full information here and here.
Special…