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In Tampa, Latvian brand Aretai made another very good impression with its 100S speaker, a 2.5-way standmount in a sealed box ($9000/pair). Visually this speaker was among the more arresting offerings at the Florida expo: a neodymium-magnet tweeter in a handsome white horn sits atop a 16"-tall, matte-black enclosure. (The 100S is also available in piano gloss and various wood veneers.) Each speaker has two 6" drivers that deliver bass down to about 32Hz. The low-frequency onslaught that is Massive Attack's "Angel" sounded remarkably tight—a consequence of the sealed design, explained founder…
Those of us who aren't wealthy must often sell something before we can buy a new piece of hi-fi gear, and it's usually another piece of hi-fi gear. Selling in order to buy makes a great deal of sense because, after all, you only need one of everything (or two in the case of speakers) at a time in a two-channel system.
Another secondary-marketplace incentive: As I pointed out a couple of Re-Tales columns ago, the higher prices rise on new equipment, the more appealing pre-owned gear becomes.
Hi-fi dealers know this, and they've known it for a long time. "Typically, the onus is on…
As an upstart journalist-flâneur, my basic urge is to step on the gas and let my '54 Buick careen down the freeway, crashing into guardrails on both sides. Old Buicks were built for that, and I would love to take readers on one of those kinds of rides.
But when I write this monthly column, I find myself aiming for a different feel, more like driving cross-country in a '70s Ford station wagon, documenting motels and gas stations. A trip where it's fun to roll easy, take in the views, and stop at every car museum, snake farm, and stalactite cave.
This month, I'm going to put some…
Listening
I began my critical listening to the well-broken-in XX-2 MKII with some Frank Sinatra: Only the Lonely (Capital LP SW1053). My mind bypassed Frank's tone, phrasing, and lyrics, which is all I usually notice, and went behind him to Nelson Riddle's orchestra, which sounded exquisitely detailed, every instrument getting its due and sounding distinctly like itself. I had never previously experienced such a lucid, sharp-focused view of these background instruments. I wondered why.
Maybe because with the XX-2 into the transimpedance SUTZ, feeding Tavish Design's Adagio…
Luxman occupies an unusual place in the hi-fi world. While many of the brands chasing ultimate performance will battle it out in the bleeding-edge design stakes, Luxman makes what I like to call luxury equipment. Everything they produce is beautiful, not just to the ear, but also to the eye and hand. Their design aesthetic keeps one foot firmly planted in the style of classic audio equipment from decades past—for example, many of their amplifiers have tone controls and big power meters, features reminiscent of topflight gear from 40 years ago—while the other foot is up to date with the latest…
Performance
Willy DeVille is probably best known for his late '70s, early '80s band Mink DeVille, but it's his debut solo album Miracle (A&M SP 5177) that floats my boat. Recorded in England by Mark Knopfler and an all-star cast, the album sounds a bit like Dire Straits if they had made an album of bluesy American rock. One standout track is "Assassin of Love," which, through the MkII with the LMC-5 cartridge installed, sounded tonally vivid and three-dimensional with a soundstage that was wide and deep but tidy. Willy's voice was right up front and center, far more dynamic than…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: PD-151 MARK II: Nonsuspended, mass-loaded, belt-driven turntable. Speeds: 33 1/3, 45, and 78rpm. Platter: 11.9" (300mm) diameter, 1" (25mm) thick, 8.8lb (4.0kg). DC motor. Wow and flutter: <0.04% WRMS. LTA-309 tonearm: Pivoted, aluminum armtube, knife-edge bearings. Effective length: 222.5mm; pivot-to-spindle distance: 204.5mm; overhang: 18mm; offset angle: not specified. Effective mass: Not specified. Compatible cartridge weight: 4–10gm. VTA adjustment range: 15mm.
Dimensions: 18.3" (465mm) × 7.4" (189mm) × 15.1" (383mm). Weight: 34.75lb (15.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: SME Model 30/2A, Roksan TMS, Brinkmann La Grange, Garrard 301, Thorens TD124, Linn Sondek LP12, and Technics SL-1000 Mk2A turntables. Graham Model 2.2; SME Series V, IV.Vi, 309, 3009; Brinkmann 12.1; Breuer Dynamic Type 8; Technics EPA-100; Linn Ittok LVII; Fidelity Research FR-64S; Eminent Technology ET2 tonearms. Dynavector DRT XV-1s, Grado Legacy Epoch, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Koetsu Urushi and Rosewood, Linn Troika, Luxman LMC-5, Kiseki Purple Heart, Red Rose Petal 2, Denon DL-103, Audio Note IQ3 phono cartridges. Technics RS-1520 reel to…
Last year, on the hunt for high-quality espresso beans, I visited some specialty coffee websites. On one forum, I came across this description of a particular roast: "I tasted mild acidity and bitters with hazelnut, bourbon, and a hint of dark cherry. As it began to cool, there was a hint of black raspberry syrup or cordial. Then a dominant note emerged of nuts with mild distillates, walnut bitters, cacao nib and something between 82% dark chocolate and baker's chocolate. ... Further cooling offered the surprise of dark piecrust and a bitter cherry liqueur. The piecrust then rounded to a…
Solidity and purity
It was time to play music. Levy mildly prefers solid state amps with the Adams, so I auditioned them using the three I had on hand: a Peachtree nova300, a recapped Krell FPB 200c, and an Anthem STR with onboard digital room correction. Sources included my Roon ROCK, a Naim Uniti Atom, and an Auralic Vega DAC run through the linestage of a Benchmark HPA4.
It was time to play music. Levy mildly prefers solid state amps with the Adams, so I auditioned them using the three I had on hand: a Peachtree nova300, a recapped Krell FPB 200c, and an Anthem STR with onboard digital room correction. Sources included my Roon ROCK, a Naim Uniti Atom, and an Auralic Vega DAC run through the linestage of a Benchmark HPA4.
After the analytical/setup part of this review, the quick transition to right brain was pleasantly startling. I cued up Eva Cassidy's "Fields of Gold" from Live at Blues Alley (16/44.1, Tidal), and the…