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The death of a company founder, whether sudden or expected, often produces trauma. Whoever was tapped to replace the visionary Steve Jobs would be handed a thankless task, but at Apple, timid Tim Cook's so-far unimaginative performance as caretaker demonstrates the difficulties of succession. As Jobs beat Sony to the iPod, Cook let Amazon beat him to the Alexa. Apple missed the lead on streaming audio, playing catch-up by buying the MOG music service, which was transformed into Beats Music in 2014. Apparently, Cook doesn't think it's worth pursuing high-resolution audio for iTunes. He's…
Then, in London last June, came an opportunity to interview the political cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, who illustrated and designed characters for Pink Floyd's The Wall. He'd be available immediately following a talk he was scheduled to give at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where Pink Floyd's exhibition, Their Mortal Remains, was drawing record crowds. As long as I was going to be in the UK, I figured, why not use the opportunity to revisit SME, and chat with McNeilis and Shirke about their plans?
The historic Arundel Castle
SME put me up in the historic town of Arundel,…
Since 1925, Japan-based Luxman Corporation has manufactured high-quality integrated amplifiers, preamplifiers, power amplifiers, phono stages, turntables, and, more recently, DACs and CD players. But it has been 40 years since Luxman introduced a new phono cartridge; the last one was the LMC-2 in 1982, released just after 1981's LMC-1. That dry period ended with the introduction of the Luxman LMC-5 ($2695).
Anodized in snazzy Luxman red, branded with a laser-etched, '70s-looking, flower-powered "L," and backed by almost 100 years of high-fidelity expertise, the aluminum-body LMC-5 is…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Moving coil stereo phono cartridge. A6063 aluminum body with threaded screw holes. Internal impedance: 4.7 ohms (1kHz). Tracking force: 2.1–2.3gm (2.2gm recommended). Output voltage: 0.4mV (1kHz, 3.54cm/s). Frequency range: 10Hz–35kHz. Channel separation (at 1kHz): 28dB. Recommended load impedance: 40 ohms or more; with SUT, 2.5–10 ohms. Dynamic compliance: 8 × 10–6cm/dyne (100Hz). Stylus: Solid diamond/Shibata stylus. Stylus rake angle: "0°" (square, 90° angle). Cantilever: 0.5mm aluminum. Vertical tracking angle: 25°. Magnet: samarium-cobalt…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Kuzma Stabi R turntable with Kuzma 4Point tonearm. Thorens TD 124 Mk.II turntable with Jelco TS-350S Mkll tonearm and Ortofon SPU Classic G Mk/II cartridge.
Preamplifiers: Sculpture A Mini Nano SUT, Tavish Audio Design Adagio phono stage, Sugden LA-4 preamplifier.
Power amplifier: Pass Labs XA-25.
Loudspeakers: DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96.
Cables: Analysis Plus Silver Apex & Triode Wire Labs Spirit II interconnects; Analysis Plus Silver Apex speaker cables.
Accessories: Feickert Next Generation Universal…
I was born an obsessive reader and a compulsive tinkerer. During the '60s, I subscribed to Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Hot Rod, Car Craft, Motor Trend, Road & Track, and (of course) Stereo Review and High Fidelity. Every one of those magazines presented articles discussing the importance of upgrading stock wiring to better-quality "premium" wires, citing improved electrical performance and greater reliability.
That was a time when drag-racing cars began using thick, "fuel- and flame-resistant," silicone-sheathed wires between magnetos and spark plugs. Every street rodder who…
Moreover, I noticed a newfound well-sortedness and a new form of dark quiet—a silence quite unlike any I'd experienced before. Switching from Cardas's budget-priced, $125-per-meter Iridium to Cardas's $4250-per-meter Clear Beyond changed my system's sound character as much as changing phono cartridges or DACs: The Bartók DAC became more silent, grainless, full-spectrum, and beautiful-sounding than it had been with any of my other cables. Right away I wondered how much of this radical quiet was the result of the Cardas cable's extensive shielding.
I notice things like grain and…
Register to win a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G Limited Edition speakers (value $1695.00) we are giving away.
Celebrating Monitor Audio’s Heritage
The award-winning Silver 100 7G speakers have received a limited edition makeover to celebrate Monitor Audio’s 50th Anniversary. Their in-house designers have given the Silver 100 Limited Edition a classic Heritage Green finish and an anodised gold C-CAM bass driver, creating a luxe aesthetic befitting for their ‘Golden Jubilee’. An exclusive gold effect badge adorns the rear of the speaker, showing the edition number and Monitor…
The Clash: Combat Rock + The People's Hall
Columbia 19439955131 (LP). 1982/2022. The Clash and Glyn Johns, prods.; Andrew Davitt, the Clash, and Tim Young, engs.
Performance ****
Sonics ****
Columbia 19439955131 (LP). 1982/2022. The Clash and Glyn Johns, prods.; Andrew Davitt, the Clash, and Tim Young, engs.
Performance ****
Sonics ****
When you've sung "Ha! You think it's funny, turning rebellion into money!," it can be problematic when you start scoring major hits. With the Clash, it wasn't funny; their success increased tensions and led to the band splitting up. Music labels rarely have such qualms, and 40 years later Combat Rock gets the deluxe treatment, with 1½ sides of The People's Hall, with rarities and…
John Scofield: John Scofield
Scofield, electric guitar, looper
ECM 2727 (auditioned in 16/44.1 WAV, available as CD, LP). 2022. Manfred Eicher, exec. prod.; Tyler McDiarmid, eng.
Performance ****½
Sonics ****½
Scofield, electric guitar, looper
ECM 2727 (auditioned in 16/44.1 WAV, available as CD, LP). 2022. Manfred Eicher, exec. prod.; Tyler McDiarmid, eng.
Performance ****½
Sonics ****½
In a distinguished half-century jazz career, John Scofield has been everywhere, played with everyone, and done everything. But he has never made a solo guitar record. Until now.
This eponymous release is his most intimate, most introspective album, though it's not entirely mellow. Scofield has roots in rock and country, and on his first solo record, he…