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The Emitter II Exclusive integrated amplifier, from German manufacturer ASR Audio, challenged my idea of what I could expect from a solid-state amplifier and my thoughts of what might be the best amp for driving a pair of Quad ESL loudspeakers—revelations that were more or less inseparable. After hearing my friend and former neighbor Neal Newman drive his own ESLs with a ca 1975 sample of the Quad 303—a solid-state amplifier rated at 45Wpc into 8 ohms—and after my experiences, in 2016, driving my ESLs with a borrowed sample of the 18Wpc, solid-state Naim Nait 2, I began to think that Quad-…
Listening
We began by listening to the DeVore O/93s. I was immediately struck by an increase in top-end sparkle and air, compared to when the speakers were driven by my Shindo Laboratory preamp and power amp. Perhaps for that reason, the ASR made my system sound bigger with some recordings—this was not consistent across all of the listening I did with the ASR-DeVore combination, but never did that combination sound smaller than when I used the Shindos. Also with the DeVores, the ASR didn't squeeze out the same degree of timbral-color saturation as the Shindos, from any recording. But…
We began by listening to the DeVore O/93s. I was immediately struck by an increase in top-end sparkle and air, compared to when the speakers were driven by my Shindo Laboratory preamp and power amp. Perhaps for that reason, the ASR made my system sound bigger with some recordings—this was not consistent across all of the listening I did with the ASR-DeVore combination, but never did that combination sound smaller than when I used the Shindos. Also with the DeVores, the ASR didn't squeeze out the same degree of timbral-color saturation as the Shindos, from any recording. But…
Not everyone needs a power amplifier that can deliver 888W RMS into 8 ohms or 1776W into 4 ohms. You could say that no one needs one of these—or two, if you want to listen in stereo. Most household AC systems can't even provide enough current to deliver all that power. But Simaudio does build Moon 888 monoblocks, and people do buy them, whether or not they need an amp that weighs about 250 lb each and costs $118,888/pair.
But forget about need. Would you want a pair of these massively heavy amps? People into tubed gear might not, but if price was not a consideration and if you had the…
Although the class-AB Moon 888 consumes a relatively low 50W at idle, its prodigious power output and linear power supply mean that it won't be the most energy-efficient device in your home. It has two standby modes: Low Power and Default. Though Low Power powers down all but the logic circuit, Simaudio recommends using Default mode, in which the gain stages remain active. This maintains the 888's ideal operating temperature: it's always ready to play, without warmup. Whether your concern is environmental or financial—the latter is unlikely, if you're dropping $118,888—you're covered.
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Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state, class-AB, monoblock power amplifier. Inputs: 1 unbalanced (RCA), 1 balanced (XLR). Outputs: 2 pairs speaker binding posts (biwirable). Power output: 888W into 8 ohms (31dBW), 1776W into 4 ohms (31dBW). Frequency response: 10Hz–200kHz, +0/–3dB. Voltage gain: 31dB. THD: <0.04%, 20Hz–20kHz at 888W. Signal/noise: >120dB (full power). Input impedance: 24k ohms. I/M distortion: 0.0006%. Power consumption: 50W at idle.
Dimensions: 22" (559mm) W by 14" (356mm) H by 27" (686mm) D. Weight: 300 lb (136kg) shipping.
Finishes: Black…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn turntable & Castellon stand; Technics SL-1000R turntable; Kuzma 4Point, SAT, Technics tonearms; Lyra Atlas, Atlas SL, Atlas SL mono, Etna, Etna SL cartridges; Haniwa HCTR01 Mk.II, Miyajima Laboratory Zero (mono) & Madake, Ortofon Anna & A95, van den Hul Colibri XGW Stradivarius Signature phono cartridges.
Digital Sources: dCS Rossini CD player/DAC, Lynx Hilo A/D-D/A converter; Sugar Cube SC-1 A/D + pop & click remover; Meridian Digital Media System; Pure Vinyl & Vinyl Studio software.…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Because, in its flight case, each Moon by Simaudio 888 amplifier weighs 300 lb, I drove my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"), with its host PC, monitor, test loads, and cables, to Mikey's place, rather than try to get one to my place and down the stairs from the front door to my basement test lab. We manhandled one 888 onto a dolly and wheeled it into Mikey's garage, where I set up my gear. Because the outlets in his garage weren't up to the amplifier's current demands, we ran a long, heavy-duty extension cord to one of the 20A…
Got the blues from too much real news about the fake news, and too much fake news about the real news? Harmonia Mundi's recent release of Franz Schubert's Octet (Oktett) in F, D803, on which violinist Isabelle Faust joins a superb ensemble of fellow period-instrument musicians, may be just the scream-saver that the doctor recommended.
In one of Schubert's many great compositional acts of transcendence, he wrote the joy-filled Octet in February 1824, right after his 27th birthday, when his health seemed briefly on the rebound. By the end of March, when his syphilis symptoms had returned,…
Arriving at David Smith's comfortable Queens apartment, he walks me into what was once a small dining room. Standing upright like a pair of wood-grained phone booths are the biggest speaker cabinets I've ever seen in anyone's home—anytime, anywhere. What?
Measuring a colossal 23" deep by 26" wide by 66" high, each 20 cubic-feet cabinet holds a vintage Altec 604E coaxial driver wired to a Mastering Lab crossover set in Smith's custom-built MLTL cabinets.
I step, or rather stumble, back into the room, fall into a chair and wonder, "How am I going to photograph these monsters?"
…
Sibelius: Symphonies Nos.4 & 5, The Swan of Tuonela, Tapiola
Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan
Deutsche-Grammophon 138 974 (LP, Symphony 4). Both symphonies reissued on CD (Deutsche Grammophon 457 748 2)
Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan
Deutsche-Grammophon 138 974 (LP, Symphony 4). Both symphonies reissued on CD (Deutsche Grammophon 457 748 2)
Magnificent, musically natural recordings with some of the deepest, fattest bass and richest, warmest orchestral sound that's been committed to recordings for many years. The discs are a shade more lucid than the tapes, but not much. Take your pick.—J. Gordon Holt