Analog sources: Garrard 301 turntable in a Box Furniture Co. plinth; Thomas Schick 12" tonearm and headshell. Technics SL-1200G turntable; Dynavector Te Kaitora Rua cartridge; Hana Umami Red cartridge; Ortofon SPU Classic G cartridge; Zu/Denon 103 cartridge.
Preamplification: Shindo Aurieges preamplifier; Sutherland Little Loco phono preamplifier; Tavish Adagio phono preamplifier.
Amplification: Line Magnetic LM-845IA (used as a power amplifier); Pass Labs INT-60; Mark Levinson No5805; Ayre AX-5 Twenty.
Loudspeakers: Altec Valencia 846A.
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured Lejonklou's Entity phono preamplifier with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system. The single, moving coil–compatible input preserved absolute polarity and offered 70.2dB of gain. (Though this is slightly lower than the specified 71dB, my measurement was affected by the voltage-divider action between the preamp's input impedance and the Audio Precision's output impedance of 20 ohms.) The input impedance was 90 ohms with it set to "90," 120 ohms with it set to "120," and 180 ohms with it set to "180," all values consistent from 20Hz to 20kHz. The output…
[With this post, Stereophile to begins posting industry news—items that ultimately will appear in the magazine in the Industry Update section—online when it's still fresh.]
After a dozen years as General Manager of dCS Americas, well known industry veteran John Quick has joined Dynaudio North America with the title Vice-President for Sales & Marketing, Americas. Quick will work alongside Michael Manousselis, Dynaudio N.A.'s president, to develop and refine Dynaudio's sales channels, marketing efforts, and brand awareness across its home and professional audio offerings in the…
The Linda Lindas: Growing Up
Epitaph (16/44.1 stream, Qobuz). 2022. Produced, engineered, and mixed by Carlos de la Garza.
Performance *****
Sonics ****½
Epitaph (16/44.1 stream, Qobuz). 2022. Produced, engineered, and mixed by Carlos de la Garza.
Performance *****
Sonics ****½
When your uncle is an award-winning producer and engineer, a band formed by you and your cousins has a higher-than-average shot at going somewhere. But even that family advantage can't explain the immediate success of the Los Angeles–based Linda Lindas; they've earned their accolades through talent, hard work, and ingenuity. Their first album, Growing Up, offers proof of their worth and the promise of a stellar musical…
When I reviewed Technics's SU-R1000 integrated amplifier for the December 2021 issue, I found its performance beyond my expectations. It practically rewrote the ritual of listening to music on my home hi-fi. With its wealth of technological advancements, significant user options, and clear, three-dimensional sound, it cast a large sonic shadow over the other integrated amplifiers in my possession.
What's more, joined to my reference system, the SU-R1000 upended my preconceived notions of what switching amplification sounds like and enlightened me about the sonic possibilities of those…
The G700M2 imbued files with a sense of warmth, but it wasn't overly colored. The G700M2's occasional sins were forgivable. Occasionally, I heard a slight, processed-sounding, oversaturated sheen. Not once did it jab my skull with aggressive treble or fail to deliver deep bass in round, convincing measure. It paired well with my DeVore Fidelity O/96 loudspeakers, bringing out their inherent richness and musicality without laying on the creamy fat with too heavy a scoop. And it was plenty powerful, from the most belligerent rock to the most dynamic large-scale classical.
As I…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-channel "digital" integrated amplifier with phono stage and remote control. Output power: 70Wpc into 8 ohms (18.45dBW), 140Wpc into 4 ohms (18.45dBW), at 1kHz, 0–20kHz, THD: 0.5%. Input sensitivity: Line, 200mV. MM phono, 2.5mV. MC phono, 300µV. Input impedance: Line inputs, 22k ohms; MM phono, 47k ohms; MC phono, 100 ohms. Frequency response: Line, 5Hz–80kHz, –3dB; MM phono, 20Hz–20kHz, RIAA deviation ±1dB; MC phono, 20Hz– 20kHz. Digital, 5Hz–80kHz, –3dB. Digital inputs: 2 TosLink, 2 S/PDIF on RCA, 1 USB Audio Class 2.0 Asynchronous. Analog…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Kuzma Stabi R turntable/4Point tonearm; EMT TSD 15N Super Fineline moving coil phono cartridge.
Digital sources: Denafrips Ares II DAC; Sonore opticalRendu; Roon Nucleus+; Small Green Computer power supply; TRENDnet switch; Apple iPad mini.
Integrated amplifier: Parasound Hint 6 Halo.
Loudspeakers: DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96.
Cables: Interconnect: 2m Triode Wire Labs Spirit II (RCA), 2m Analysis Plus Silver Apex (RCA). Speaker: 10' Analysis Plus Silver Apex Speaker (bananas). AC: Triode Wire Labs Obsession NCF,…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The Technics SU-G700M2 appears to be a less powerful, less–well-equipped sibling of the Technics SU-R1000 integrated amplifier that KM reviewed in December 2021, which offered superb measured performance. I measured the SU-G700M2 with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system, and as the amplifier has an output stage that resembles class-D, I inserted an Audio Precision AUX-0025 passive low-pass filter between the test load and the analyzer. This filter reduces RF noise that would otherwise drive the SYS2722's input circuitry into slew-rate limiting. (Without the filter,…
I am an artist by trade. Saws and brushes and cameras are some of the tools I use. The aesthetic quality of the things I make is determined not by my skill with tools but by the dynamic relationships I establish among space, color, tone, and shape.
Of those elements, shapes are the most important because they are the first thing a viewer notices and the chief vehicles for transmitting sentiment and artistic intent. Stylized shapes, like those in popular art, may induce superficial responses in the viewer. Taut, Euclidian shapes suggest their author is of a higher mind; the Parthenon and…