Herb Reichert reviewed the Mojo Mystique X SE very favorably in Stereophile's April 2023 issue (footnote 1). While he found that the dCS Bartók DAC made piano recordings sound crisper and more dramatic, "sounding bigger, tighter, and more forceful through the piano's left-hand octaves" than they did through the Mystique X SE, "Mojo's Mystique X SE ... disappeared from my listening awareness more than any DAC I'd previously encountered." He concluded that this nonoversampling (NOS) D/A processor "produced a unique…
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John Atkinson wrote about the Mojo Mystique X SE in May 2023 (Vol.46 No.5):
This month's music feature, by Mike Mettler, is an interview with John Doe, best known as cofounder, in 1977, of the legendary punk band X. During X's long recording career, Doe's urgent voice has offset the starkly contrasting voice of co–lead vocalist (and songwriting partner) Exene Cervenka, who was Doe's girlfriend before she joined the band; it's one of the most recognizable sounds in punk. Over 45 years, X has continued to record (sparingly) and to evolve, from the literate punk of Los Angeles—to me one of the great albums ever, in any genre—through Wild Gift, which leans toward country…
Tyshawn Sorey Trio + 1: The Off-Off Broadway Guide to Synergism
Sorey, drums; Aaron Diehl, piano; Russell Hall, bass; Greg Osby, alto saxophone
Pi P196 (3 CDs, available as download). 2022. Sorey, prod.; Kengchakaj Kengkarnka, recording/mixing eng.
Performance *****
Sonics ***½
Sorey, drums; Aaron Diehl, piano; Russell Hall, bass; Greg Osby, alto saxophone
Pi P196 (3 CDs, available as download). 2022. Sorey, prod.; Kengchakaj Kengkarnka, recording/mixing eng.
Performance *****
Sonics ***½
There is no one like Tyshawn Sorey. As a jazz drummer, he is at home in the far reaches of the avant-garde. As a composer of contemporary classical music, he gets commissions from major orchestras for his concertos, oratorios, and operas. His extreme eclecticism makes him an enigma (he cites Asian…
It began with a bad outlet. Perhaps two weeks after my husband and visiting friend created several delightful holiday light displays in the living room, one of the living room outlets died. Every time I tried to plug in part of the light show, it, along with the living room sound system and reading lights, lost power. If the Grinch didn't exactly steal Christmas, he sure tried to guarantee it would arrive silently under the cover of darkness.
Evil Grinch proved no match for the visiting electrician. While our savior was here, I tapped his knowledge of the eccentricities of Port Townsend's…
Onward
I thought the POWERa monos sounded mighty fine powered by the Stromtank, sounding best when their power conditioning was turned off, but I was also aware that current limitations imposed by the S 2500 Quantum MKII might squash dynamics. Not that I expected to use anywhere near each monoblocks' 3600W into 4 ohms in my 16' × 20' × 9.25' listening room.
With wall power, the POWERa monoblocks sounded best with their internal power conditioning engaged. It's not that they didn't sound quite good without power conditioning—my wall power provides far smoother sound than it…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid state, fully balanced, sliding bias class-A, mono power amplifier. Inputs: 1 single-ended (RCA), 1 balanced (XLR). Output: 1 pair binding posts. Power output: 2100W into 8 ohms (33.22dBW), 3600W into 4 ohms (32.55dBW), 6000W into 2 ohms (31.76dBW). Peak power output: 2400W into 8 ohms (33.8dBW). Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, ±0dB (DC–300kHz, –3dB). Voltage gain: 36dB. Input sensitivity: 2.0V RMS (for max output). Input impedance: 30k ohms (balanced/unbalanced). Rise and Settling time: <450ns. Slew rate: 1500V/µs (amplification stages). THD…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: dCS Vivaldi Apex DAC, Vivaldi Upsampler Plus, Vivaldi Master Clock; Innuos Statement NextGen Music Server; Uptone Audio EtherRegen, AfterDark Giesemann Emperor Double Crown Master Clock, and Nordost QNet Ethernet Switch, all powered by Nordost QSource linear power supplies (2); Synology 5-bay 1019+ NAS, Small Green Computer Sonore Deluxe opticalModule, Linksys mesh router and Arris modem, all powered by HDPlex 300 linear power supply; Apple 2017 iPad Pro and 2017 MacBook Pro laptop with 2.8GHz Intel i7, SSD, 16GB RAM.
Preamplifier: Dan…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured one of the Karan POWERa Mono amplifiers that JVS auditioned, serial number 005. Because the amplifier was too wide to fit through the door from my listening room to the corridor that leads to the test lab, I performed the measurements in my listening room. To ensure that this very powerful amplifier wasn't starved of wall current, I ran two long, heavy-duty extension cords to the Karan from the 20A circuit in the test lab. I measured the amplifier using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system, plugged into one of the extension cords. Following distributor Wynn…
AXPONA (Audio Expo North America), the largest audio show in North America, will get underway April 14–16 in the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center in the Chicago suburbs. As exhibitors begin the often challenging task of assembling their gear, Jim Austin, Ken Micallef, Michael Trei, Rogier van Bakel, et moi prepare ourselves for the discoveries that lie ahead.
"How much do you think everything here is worth?" asks my husband as he peers at a cart filled with boxes of Audio Research components. A short time later, as I pass those boxes scattered in a manner…
It's a rare occurrence when this hi-fi reporter experiences sonic serendipity, so when it strikes, I'm all in from the downbeat. Such was my good fortune with my first AXPONA assignment of the day, covering the hallowed sound room presented by Nashville's AXISS Audio.
Featuring component debuts from Japan's Air-Tight, with senior Air-Tight representatives in attendance, AXISS Audio's lineup included the Reed Muse 1C turntable ($14,000 for standard finish, $15,500 for birch), Reed 5T Laser Tracking tonearm ($21,500), with Air-Tight Opus One MC cartridge ($17,500), into the Air-…