Analog Sources: Garrard 301, Thorens TD 124 turntables; Abis SA-1.2, EMT 997 tonearms; EMT OFD 25 & OFD 15 & TSD 15 pickup heads; Denon DL-103, Miyajima Premium BE Mono II cartridges.
Digital Sources: Halide Designs DAC HD USB D/A converter; Apple iMac G5 computer running Audirvana Plus 1.5.12; Sony SCD-777 SACD/CD player.
Preamplification: Hommage T2 step-up transformer, Shindo Laboratory Aurieges Equalizer Amplifier phono preamplifier, Shindo Masseto preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Shindo Laboratory Corton-Charlemagne monoblocks.
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Audio Note CDT One/II and DAC 2.1x Signature with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 "As We See It"), the two components connected via Audio Note's supplied S/PDIF link. I also tested the D/A processor via its AES/EBU input. (This input locked to data with sample rates up to 96kHz, but not higher.) The transport began muting once per revolution of track 34 of the Pierre Verany label's Digital Test CD, which has 2mm gaps in its data spiral; the CDT One/II muted completely on track 35, which has 2.4mm gaps. The…
In my last column, in the November 2015 issue, I talked about Marantz's AV8802A preamplifier-processor and two accessories: UpTone Audio's USB Regen, and a DIY battery supply for my DAC. This month's column is all about accessories, and for me that's unusual. Some items, like interconnects and speaker cables, are usually considered accessories because they're not fundamental components (eg, source, amplifier, speaker), even though they're essential to getting any sound at all.
As far as I'm concerned, an accessory is something without which your system would still work just fine. By…
I tried inserting a second JitterBug, as AQ recommends, in a different USB jack on the same server, but heard no difference. I also tried the JitterBug in my other system, in Manhattan, with the exaSound e28 DAC. The effect was similar: subtle but sweet.
The $49 AudioQuest JitterBug is the archetypal accessory whose audible benefits are unsupported by measurements—and, for that very reason, some consumers will reject it out of hand: two imponderables, both of which bother me. At the end of the day, I can only recommend you try it and decide for yourself.
SOtM Audio tX-USBhubIn…
A quarter-century ago, when we were just getting into wine, my wife and I took a trip to Napa Valley. At one premium vineyard, we took a taste from the $20 bottle, then, for the hell of it, a taste from the $50 bottle. The first taste was nice; the second was alarming—an explosion of flavors, a gateway to sensory delights that we hadn't known could be had from a barrel of crushed grapes. We wobbled away, concerned that high-end wine might be a dangerous hobby.
I'm beginning to think the same thing about five-figure line-stage preamplifiers.
Early in 2015, I reviewed Simaudio's…
Sidebar: Contacts
AudioQuest, 2621 White Road, Irvine, CA 92614. Tel: (949) 585-0111. Web: www.audioquest.com
JL Audio, 10369 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL 33025-3962. Tel: (954) 443-1100. Fax: (954) 443-1111 (general), 443-1108 (tech support). Web: www.jlaudio.com.
SOtM, 202, Suseoplaza (1557, Ssangyong-Dong), 84-9, Wolbong 4-ro, Seobuk-Gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam, Korea (P.31171). Tel: (82) 41-576-7663. Fax: (82) 41-576-7664. Web: www.sotm-audio.com US distributor: Simple Design. Web: www.sotm.sonore.us
Not knowing which pieces of wire or electronics were causing what, I borrowed the AudioQuest and Kubala-Sosna cables from JA. I then spent a couple of evenings connecting and disconnecting all four brands of cable on hand (such a glamorous life!), and settled on the following configuration: Nordost from turntable to phono preamp and from phono preamp to Rex II; Kubala-Sosna from CD player to Rex II; AudioQuest from Rex II to power amp; Nirvanas from power amp to speakers. This combo produced the best sound that I could eke from my system under the circumstances—and what a sound! That line I…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Remote-controlled, dual-mono, two-chassis, tubed line preamplifier. Tube complements: eight 6H30 SuperTubes (control module); two 5AR4, four 6C19, plus user-selectable choice of two 6H30 or two 6C45 shunt voltage-regulator tubes (power module). Analog inputs: 5 balanced (XLR). Analog outputs: 2 main, 1 tape (all XLR). Gain: 18dB. Frequency range: 2Hz–200kHz. Noise: –100dB. Input impedance: 100k ohms (minimum). Output impedance: 200 ohms. Power consumption: 220VA (control module), 250VA (power module).
Dimensions: Each module: 19" (490mm) W by 5.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Source: VPI Classic turntable with VPI JMW Memorial tonearm, Ortofon Cadenza Blue cartridge.
Digital Source: Krell Cipher SACD/CD player.
Preamplification: Nagra BPS phono preamplifier (battery-powered), Simaudio Moon Evolution 740P line-stage preamplifier.
Power Amplifier: Simaudio Moon Evolution 860A.
Loudspeakers: Revel Ultima Studio2.
Cables: Interconnect: Nordost Frey 2, AudioQuest Wild Blue, Kubala-Sosna Elation!, Nirvana S-L. Speaker: Nordost Frey 2, Nirvana S-X. AC: Manufacturer's own.
Accessories: Audiodesksysteme…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Balanced Audio Technology Rex II's electrical performance with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It") with the 6C45 AC shunt-regulator tubes. BAT warns in the Rex II's manual not to stack the two chassis; the supplied umbilical cables were just long enough for me to put the power chassis on the floor and the control chassis on my test bench. One thing that should also be noted by prospective purchasers is that both of the Rex II's chassis need plenty of ventilation. After a few hours' running, the top panel of the…