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Maybe it's a Noo Yawk thing, but while most discussions of Christmas music revolve around what's the best Christmas song, the finest expression of Christmas music lies in a Christmas album, and that of course would be A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector, the crowning achievement of Wall of Sound creator turned convicted murderer, Phil Spector. While cuts like The Ronettes' "Be My Baby" or Ike and Tina Turner's "River Deep-Mountain High" are justifiably famous, it may be the Christmas record that will eventually become Spector's most influential and likable legacy.
L–R: NoHo Sound's Chris Petranis, Alex Roy, taxidermy bear, & Ron Kain
In an industry constantly perplexed by the absence of youth, diversity, and appreciation for the hobby, three audiophiles set out to revolutionize the industry with the opening of a new hi-fi shop in New York City that is anything but ordinary. NoHo Sound & Stereo (NoHo Sound for short) is located in a swanky loft in the lower Manhattan district NoHo—open seven days a week, by appointment only, with a second location in Chelsea. They offer: Analog Domain, Audio Research, Aurender, Box Furniture, Croft Acoustics…
In February 2017, Bryston announced the latest upgrade of their Digital Player, introduced in 2011 as the BDP-1 ($2195), and upgraded in 2013 to the BDP-2, with a faster Atom N450 processor. The new BDP-3 Digital Player ($3495) comes equipped with an even faster Intel Quad-core processor; a Bryston-manufactured integrated audio device (IAD) in place of a third-party sound card; a custom Intel Celeron motherboard; a bigger power supply; and two additional USB ports, for a total of eight—three of which use the faster USB 3.0 protocol. Two USB 3.0 ports run on an entirely separate USB bus,…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Roon Ready digital music-file player running modified Linux operating system with USB 3.0 pots and optional 500GB drive. File formats accepted: AIFF, FLAC, WAV, MP3, M4A, OGG, DSD. Word depths supported: up to 32 bits. Sample rates supported: 44.1–384kHz PCM and DSD128.
Dimensions: 17" (435mm) or 19" (490mm) with rack ears W by 2.75" (70mm) H by 11" (280mm) D. Weight: 12 lbs (5.44kg) net, 15.2 lbs (6.9kg) shipping.
Finishes: Black, Silver.
Price: $3495; WiFi Accessory Kit costs $80. Approximate number of dealers: approximately 80. Warranty…
The company appears to be long gone, but throughout the 1970s, virtually every Sunday, there was an ad in the New York Times Magazine for a manufacturer of whole-house music systems—I recollect the name as Bolton, but that gets no hits on Google, so perhaps I've misremembered—with a headline that went something like: "ENJOY MOZART IN THE DINING ROOM, BEETHOVEN IN THE LIVING ROOM, AND THE ROLLING STONES IN THE CHILDREN'S ROOM." I remember wondering even then, as a distinctly unworldly teenager in upstate New York: Who in God's name would want such a thing? Why squirt background music…
Of course, that was only one of many highlights of my stay. I played Irving Berlin's upright Steinway. I read from some of his books. (He evidently enjoyed history, political biographies, and early sci-fi.) I sat in his easy chair and gazed out the enormous picture window at the cascading waters of the Beaver Kill tributary that runs through the Berlin estate.
The Beaver Kill—a 44-mile-long river that cuts a swath from one side of the Catskills to the other—was the ostensible main attraction of our visit last summer. It is to fly-fishing enthusiasts in the Northeastern states as St.…
New York City, 1989: I had a music and audio-guru friend named George, who worked at both Tower Records and Stereo Exchange. Every Saturday I'd slip him a Grant and, over the following week, he would choose $50 worth of used Tower LPs he thought I should own. One midweek afternoon, on my way home from work, I dropped in on George at Stereo Exchange, to chat and maybe see what was new. Grinning, he led me to a back room and pointed to a pair of small speakers mounted on stands. "Tell me what you think of these." He walked out and left me to listen alone.
As soon as he'd left, I jumped up…
On a roll, I tried Handel's oratorio Samson, with Karl Richter leading the Munich Bach Orchestra and Choir (4 LPs, Archiv 413 916-1). In Act II, scene 2, the voice of Martina Arroyo (Dalila) was stunningly clear and undistorted. The Totems' formerly fuzzy mid-midrange was now clear.
Generally, I am not a fan of operatic singing but something about Arroyo's voice seduces me. On this recording she sounds not only harmonically pure and enticing, but gives Dalila an extra dose of seductive voluptuousness. My hormones and dream-addled brain forced me to play all eight sides—and especially…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, stand-mounted, reflex dynamic loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) aluminum-titanium dome tweeter (SEAS), 6.5" (165mm) woofer with cellulose-acrylate cone and 3" (75mm) voice-coil. Crossover frequency: 2.7kHz. Crossover slopes: quasi second-order. Frequency response: not specified. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Sensitivity: 87.5dB/2.83V/m. Maximum sound pressure: 103dB.
Dimensions: 13.8" (350mm) H by 7.7" (195mm) W by 10.6" (270mm) D. Weight: 19 lbs (8.6kg).
Finishes: Black Ash, Mahogany, Sapele, Satin White veneers.
Serial numbers…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: AMG Giro G9 turntable & 9W2 tonearm; AMG Teatro, Dynavector DV-20X2L, EMT TSD 75, Koetsu cartridges; Mobile Fidelity UltraDeck turntable & UltraTracker cartridge.
Digital Sources: Mytek HiFi Manhattan II, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DACs; Integra DPS-7.2 DVD-A player (as transport).
Preamplification: Auditorium 23, Bob's Devices, Dynavector SUP-200 MC step-up transformers; Lounge Audio LCR Mk.III phono preamplifier & Copla MC stage; Parasound Halo JC 3+, Tavish Design Adagio phono preamplifiers; Pass Laboratories HPA-1, Rogue…