The primary specification for headphones is impedance: too low and the 'phones will not sound at its best with some sources that have high output impedances; too high, and while the headphones will be easy to drive, they might not go sufficiently loud. The upper solid trace in fig.1 shows how the NightHawk's impedance varies with frequency, measured with the headphones on my head; the lower solid trace is a 10 ohm resistor. The NightHawk resembles a 24 ohm resistor at all audio frequencies, the impedance hardly varying and the phase angle (upper dotted trace)…
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You can blame Casey McKee for this one. I found myself sitting next to Casey, who works at Brooklyn high-end dealer Innovative Audio (footnote 1), in the Phoenix rain last March, watching the first Formula One Grand Prix of the 1990 season. A month later, in New York for the High End Hi-Fi Show, I therefore thought it appropriate to visit Innovative and say "Hi." Audio pleasantries over, Casey enthused about this new Italian turntable stand he was setting up as I walked into the store, the oddly named ArchiDee.
Now, being British, I don't have to be told about the importance of…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Turntable stand, formed from rectangular-section steel tubing, with MDF shelf.
Dimensions: 17.75" W by 13.75" D by 19" H (latter figure approximate and includes bottom and top stainless-steel spikes).
Price: $200 (1990); no longer available (2016). Approximate number of dealers: 30 (1990).
Manufacturer: ArchiDee, Italy. Distributor: Audiophore, Chicago, IL 60614 (1990). No US distribution (2016).
Let's face it: If you're one of those sedentary audiophilic types or you have a genetic disposition to growing pear-shaped later in life (genetic . . . right, that's it: nothing to do with couches or hooch), it's wise to adjust your fashion sense accordingly. And nothing says "portly gentleman in disguise" like a guayabera—a shirt that, I have just discovered, blues guitarist Bob Margolin and I both love. He even wears one on the cover of his new record, My Road.
"I love 'em because my manager thinks I'm dressed up when I wear them."
"My wife thinks the same thing," I chime in…
Today, January 4, at "CES Unveiled" in Las Vegas, MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) launched major partnerships with Morten Lindberg's multiple Grammy Award-nominated, audiophile record label/download store 2L and playback partners Auralic, Aurender, and Bluesound. The entire 2L download catalog, starting with one of Lindberg's first recordings, made in 1993, and extending through his latest DXD (352.8kHz) recordings, has been scrubbed clean and born anew with MQA.
On the playback front, MQA also announced the first MQA-equipped smartphone, HTC's One A9 (above). HTC smartphone…
All Photos: Amy Grantham
The premise is simple: how would a seasoned musician react to the sound of their new album on a variety of audiophile systems at CES?
I tossed the idea to Graham Nash, and he agreed to participate in the experiment, more than a little curious about this thing called high-end audio. Graham is always full of energy and very articulate, so should provide some very interesting perspective for Stereophile readers.
The plan is to bring an HD 24/96 version of his new (and not yet released) album to as many rooms as we can fit into a day at CES.…
Kicking off CES early, AudioQuest held a press conference Wednesday morning to present their three new portable DAC/Headphone amps to the public for the first time. Designer Gordon Rankin and AudioQuest's Steve Silberman were on hand to explain the new products and run a brief demo.
First up is the Dragonfly Black at $99, which is the new updated version of the Dragonfly. The big change is that in addition to a lower price, instead of just working with high-powered computer USB connections, the Dragonfly can now work with phones and tablets. Both iOS and Android are supported. One of the…
The day before the opening of CES is devoted to press conferences, mostly by the big boys: Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, etc. These are generally of little interest to Stereophile readers, so our detailed show coverage doesn't start until the official CES opening.
The exception is the Sony press conference. Sony is a kind of "elder statesman" among manufacturers, and its history is one of innovation. The Sony press conference was, as usual, well attended, and several of the announcements drew applause from the crowd. Alas, the emphasis at Sony has largely shifted from audio to video and…
When the presentation turned to audio, Sony's Michael Fasulo referred to consumers' desire for "an even better listening experience," and that this was illustrated by the progression from LP to compact cassette, and then to CD, and to MP3. I must admit that I was taken aback by this statement. These changes in recorded music media may well represent a search for increased convenience, but few audiophiles would argue that a change from LP to compact cassette or from CD to MP3 represents "even better listening experience."
But there is evidence for Sony's commitment to sound quality in their support of Hi-Res audio. Fasulo reported great interest on the part of major record labels in higher quality recording technology, a need that is met by Sony's development of Hi-Res audio.
On the consumer side, Sony introduced at CES the PS-HX500 Stereo Turntable System. It can play LPs (Sony's nod to the resurgence of interest in vinyl) in "high audio quality," and allows the recording of LPs in Hi-Res, presumably DSD, up to 5.6MHz. The turntable features a "newly developed Sony straight tonearm." The PS-HX500 on…