It's hard to believe that it's been 15 years since Stephen Colbert—then of The Colbert Report (pronounced in the French style)—coined the word "truthiness" to describe statements that feel…
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Stereophile has discussed the pandemic occasionally because of its relevance to our industry and our listening lives. But for the most part, I've steered the magazine away from politics and current events, and I will continue to do so. In this essay, though, I will engage, glancingly, not with politics or current events but with an idea that's drawn from them. I'm doing it to make a point about audio.
Editor's Note: This article will be updated to add new remembrances as they come in.
Dammit! Tim de Paravicini, the Baron as he was known, passed from this mortal coil on December 17th, 2020. I loved the guy. His deep, steeped, sharp-elbowed engineering bona fides in matters of electronics, cars, planes, and life earned him plaudits from all over the world.
Tim was as tall as a Redwood tree, towering over friends and acquaintances at shows. He was also never short of an opinion. His social graces online, of which there were none, created a good deal of heat and frustration. If he…
DeKalb, Illinois, 1971: When I was in college, my anthropology professor would invite me and a few of his other favored students to his house for fondue parties. We sat on shag carpet around a glass-topped coffee table, drank wine, and dipped vegetables in molten cheese. The stated purpose of this rite was to discuss Margaret Mead or Franz Boas, but that was obviously a ruse. The gathering was really about excessive pot smoking accompanied by coughing fits and the telling of ridiculous stories, all while playing LPs on his top-of-the-line Dual turntable/record-changer.
I can't remember…
The Model 30's phono stage sounded awake and luxuriously detailed with the $755 Shibata-tipped 2M Black. I wondered how it would fare with the $199 Shibata-tipped Audio Technica AT-VM95SH.
The next record I played, Black Uhuru's Sly & Robbie– produced 1981 album, Red (LP, Mango ZCM 9625), demonstrated that, with the right phono stage and record player, a modest cartridge like the AT-VM95SH is able to play some recordings more effectively than middle- or top-shelf cartridges. In this case, I thought the Audio-Technica's distribution of force, bass weight, transient slam, and…
Sidebar 1: Marantz SACD 30n networked SACD/CD player
Marantz offers a matching networked SACD player–DAC, the SACD 30n, which is designed and, according to Marantz, "precisely tuned" to integrate with the Model 30 amplifier. This new streamer-radio-headphone amp–CD player was created to sit handsomely atop the cool-running Model 30, making a complete (except for speakers) audio system designed to add an aura of worldly sophistication to any college professor's home.
I installed the SACD 30n for fun and to get a brief feel for the complete Marantz "30" experience. Setup…
Sidebar 2: Specifications
Description: Stereo integrated amplifier with class-D output stage. Line-level inputs (RCA): phono, CD, Tuner, Recorder, Line 1, Line 2, plus amplifier-in. Outputs (RCA): Record, Pre out. Loudspeaker outputs: stereo pair of 3-way binding posts. Power output: 100Wpc (8 ohms), 200Wpc (4 ohms), both equivalent to 20dBW. Damping factor: 500. Power consumption: 130 watts.
Dimensions: 17.4" (443mm) W × 5.1" (130mm) H × 17" (432mm) D. Weight: 32lb.
Finish: Black or Silver Gold.
Serial number of unit reviewed: MBBKO 072000035. "Made in Japan."
Price: $…
Sidebar 3: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Dr. Feickert Analogue Blackbird turntable with Schick 10.5" tonearm, Audio-Technica AT-VM95E/ ML, Ortofon 2M Black moving-magnet cartridges; Zu Audio Zu/DL-103 Mk.II, Rev-B moving-coil cartridge.
Digital sources: Apple Mac mini computer running Audirvana+; HoloAudio May (Level 3) D/A processor; Marantz SACD 30n; Itona USB 3.0 Isolator.
Integrated amplifiers: Yamaha A-S3200, Rogue Audio Sphinx V3.
Loudspeakers: Magnepan .7, GoldenEar BRX, Harbeth P3ESR, Falcon Acoustics LS3/5a.
Headphones: HiFiMan Susvara, Focal Clear.
…
Sidebar 4: Measurements
I tested the Marantz Model 30 with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). I looked first at its behavior via its line inputs, mostly with the volume control set to its maximum of "0.0," then at lower settings. (The volume control operates in accurate 0.5dB steps.) As the Model 30's power inlet lacks a ground connection, I connected a wire from the analyzer ground to the ground terminal on the amplifier's rear panel, to minimize power supply noise, which would otherwise be a problem with the phono input. Because the Model 30…
Cavitation revolutionized record cleaning more than a decade ago, when Reiner Gläss's Audiodesksysteme introduced its original fully automatic machine. Mr. Gläss's innovative machine, which automatically spun the record in ultrasonically cavitated water, then dried it with fans, at first was plagued with reliability issues, and because it is sealed, it was not easy to repair.
Like many manufacturers, Mr. Gläss relied upon outside vendors to supply some of the internals, including the pump, which pushes the water up from the reservoir and into the cleaning chamber. Unfortunately for Mr.…
The illuminated right button includes multiple, real-time status displays showing remaining program time as well as a circular progress bar and a water-cooling indicator. There's even an SD card port to install downloaded software updates. This is a smartly designed machine, and it comes with a 2-year warranty.
The Degritter in use: I used the Degritter for longer than a usual review cycle because I wanted to assess its reliability. My months of use suggest that it is reliable, and it's a smooth operator: quiet, glitch-free, and a pleasure to use. Drop in a record, select the program,…