I then played side 1 again, with Ortofon's Quintet Black S cartridge with sapphire cantilever ($999)…
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The picture of this sonic spectacular painted by the Muse 3C, 3P, and Epoch was exceptionally wide, deep, rock solid, three-dimensional, tonally well saturated, and free of artifacts. Transients were ideal, string sheen was just right, and all instrumental textures and harmonics were ideal—a word I don't use lightly. Until you hear lower playback distortion, you don't realize how high it's been. I attributed that to the cartridge, but surely the carrier and platform played their parts.
"JAPANESE BUY ROCKEFELLER CENTER"
"JAPANESE PURCHASE PARAMOUNT PICTURES"
"JAPANESE ANNEX NEW MEXICO; DECLARE ROBERT HARLEY 'PHILOSOPHER-KING'"
Newspapers are shrieking, economists are freaking, and the general level of what Ken Kessler calls "Japaranoia" is peaking; no doubt about it, the Japanese have definitely turned up their acquisitive heat these past few years, buying up nearly everything but Stereophile's office at 208 Delgado Street. And coupled with scary Time articles describing a nation of supra-focused seven-day school-week robokids who can speak 12 languages…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: CLD-V710 Karaoke/CD/CDV/LD player. Microphone: included.
Dimensions: 16.5" W by 16.5" D by 5.5" H. Weight: 18 lbs 5oz.
Price: $1000 (1991); no longer available (2022). Approximate number of dealers: 400.
Manufacturer: Pioneer Laser Entertainment, Long Beach, CA 90810. Web: www.pioneerhomeusa.com/home.
A review of the Monitor Audio Studio 20 loudspeaker is a study in contrasts. Compared with most other loudspeakers in the $4500/pair range, this 6.5" two-way from England is a mere pup. Perhaps this observation was sparked by the fact that I'd just finished reviewing the similarly priced Snell Type B, a huge, six-driver, four-way system. The two loudspeakers couldn't be more different, both in physical characteristics and sound.
But $4500 for a 6.5" two-way?! I'm sure that's what many of you are thinking. I had my own doubts that this little speaker could compete with the likes of the…
Sam Tellig wrote about the Studio 20 in April 1992 (Vol.15 No.4):
My friend Howie never got his hands on the Monitor Audio Studio 20s—I had them in and out too fast. I knew they were not for me—too pricey. Or for Hyperfy either—not enough bass, don't play loud enough.
If the Studio 20s sold for roughly the same price as the Celestion SL700SEs—$3299/pair, including mandatory, dedicated stands—I'd have no trouble recommending them. At $4499/pair in standard wood finishes (gorgeous), or $5399/pair in piano black, I think they're overpriced—even though these speakers do sport sexy…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way dynamic floorstanding loudspeaker. Frequency range: 30Hz–24kHz (no tolerance given). Driver complement: One 6.5" aluminum-alloy cone bass/midrange driver, one gold-anodized aluminum/magnesium dome tweeter. Crossover frequency: 3.2kHz. Sensitivity: 88.5dB/W/1m.
Dimensions: 7.8" W by 32" H by 10.2" D. Weight: 42lb each (shipping), 35.2lb each (net).
Standard finishes available: Bombay rosewood, walnut, California oak, black ash. Custom finishes available: ash, natural ash, mahogany, dark mahogany, crown walnut, crown yew, oak, natural…
Sidebar 2: RH's Associated Equipment
I auditioned the Studio 20s in my dedicated listening room with the usual complement of associated components. Power amplifiers were (primarily) the VTL 225W Deluxe monoblocks or (briefly) the Jeff Rowland Design Group Model One, the preamp was an Audio Research LS2 line stage, and phono gain and RIAA equalization were provided by the extraordinary Vendetta Research phono stage.
The analog front end was the Well-Tempered Turntable with a modified arm (see "Follow-Up" next month) and AudioQuest 7000 cartridge. Digital sources were the Audio…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Starting with the Studio 20's impedance magnitude and phase (fig.1)—all the measurements were performed by John Atkinson, using DRA Labs' MLSSA system—we can see the double impedance peak in the bass, indicative of a reflex port tuning at 44Hz with the woofer tuning at about 70Hz. The minimum impedance is 5.5 ohms at 235Hz, and stays above 8 ohms beyond 800Hz. This moderate to high impedance, coupled with a benign phase angle (dotted line in fig.1), suggest the Studio 20s will present an easy load to an amplifier.
Fig.1 Monitor Audio Studio 20…
Camp Cope: Running with the Hurricane
Run for Cover Records (16/44.1 stream, Qobuz). 2022. Anna Laverty, prod.; Laverty and Joseph Carra, engs.
Performance ****
Sonics ****
Run for Cover Records (16/44.1 stream, Qobuz). 2022. Anna Laverty, prod.; Laverty and Joseph Carra, engs.
Performance ****
Sonics ****
If the theme of Camp Cope's third album, Running with the Hurricane, is personal growth, its core is Georgia Maq's voice—specifically, a new way of using that voice, approaching it as an instrument, applying detailed skill to vocal production. Both her time of self-reflection during COVID lockdowns and the vocal cord surgeries she has needed led her to this new revelation. We all get to reap the benefits…
Tigran Hamasyan: StandArt
Hamasyan, piano; Matt Brewer, bass; Justin Brown, drums; three guests
Nonesuch 075597911473 (CD, available as download, LP). 2022. Hamasyan, prod.; Pete Min, eng.
Performance ***
Sonics ****
Hamasyan, piano; Matt Brewer, bass; Justin Brown, drums; three guests
Nonesuch 075597911473 (CD, available as download, LP). 2022. Hamasyan, prod.; Pete Min, eng.
Performance ***
Sonics ****
On paper, StandArt looks promising. Tigran Hamasyan has been an exceptional pianist his whole life. (He started at three and made his first record, World Passion, at 17, in 2005.) Most of his music has been dedicated to bringing the traditional music of his native Armenia, with its distinctive scales and modalities, into jazz. StandArt is his first album of…