I took Herb's comments into consideration as I went searching for a power amplifier to complement my Sugden LA-4…
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Reviewing LKV Research's Veros PWR+ power amplifier in the September 2020 issue, Senior Contributing Editor Herbert Reichert enthusiastically opined, "the class-D LKV amp played equally rich and atmosphere-soaked through the entire audio band. It did atmospheric dreamy like class-A does atmospheric dreamy." Herb concluded, "Sound quality and music enjoymentwise, the LKV Research Veros PWR+ amplifier sits on a higher mountain than any other class-D amp I've encountered."
Cosmetically, the PWR-3 could hardly be less obtrusive. There's not a lot to see. Centered on the faceplate, flanked by the mirrored chevron logo of LKV Research, is a blue power-on LED. The back of the amp is also sparse: two pairs of Cardas RCA input jacks, two pairs of WBT speaker binding posts, an IEC connector to let the juice in, and a toggle switch to let it flow. Inside where you can't see it, two types of wire are in use: Belden 22-gauge solid-core copper with silver plating and PTFE (Teflon) insulation, and Southwire 14-gauge solid-core copper insulated with concentric layers of…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid state stereo power amplifier with Purifi class-D power amplifier modules. Power output: 175Wpc into 8 ohms (22.4dBW), 360Wpc into 4 ohms (22.6dBW), 225Wpc into 2 ohms (17.4dBW). Sensitivity: 1.75V for 175W into 8 ohms. Maximum output current: 10A RMS. Voltage gain: 26dB. Input impedance: 200k ohms (single-ended). Standby power consumption: 12W.
Dimensions: 3.5" (89mm) H × 17" (430mm) W × 13" (330mm) D. Weight: 17lb (7.5kg).
Finish: Black powder coat/Black faceplate.
Serial number of unit reviewed: P-109.
Price: $3350.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Kuzma Stabi R turntable with 4Point tonearm and EMT TDS 15N moving coil cartridge; Thorens TD 124 turntable with Jelco TS-350S tonearm and Ortofon SPU Classic GE MkII cartridge.
Preamplifiers: JE Sugden Masterclass LA-4, Sculpture A Mini Nano SUT, Tavish Adagio phono preamp.
Power amplifiers: LKV Research Veros PWR+, Mytek Brooklyn AMP+, Shindo Haut Brion.
Loudspeakers: DeVore Fidelity O/96, Fleetwood Sound Company DeVille.
Cables: Digital: Analysis Plus Silver Apex. Interconnects: Triode Wire Labs Spirit II (RCA). Speaker:…
Room At The Table For One More
You knew it was coming—or at least you should have known.
You knew it was coming—or at least you should have known.
In my July 2019 Listening column, I wrote about the then-most-recent iteration of the classic BBC-designed LS3/5a, the 12"-tall location monitor that has, in the 45-plus years since its introduction, gained a following for its suitability as a domestic loudspeaker. That newly introduced speaker was the Graham Chartwell LS3/5a ($2990/pair)—by my count, the 12th-ever commercial version of this classic design— which is offered alongside the same company's slightly different LS3/5 ($2990/pair),…
Almost a year ago, a headphone pal loaned me the Zach Mehrbach–designed ZMF Auteur LTD headphones. He said, "Herb, see if you like these." I took them home and right away thought, Wow, these headphones really disappear!
Nothing about their sound attracted my attention. The only thing I noticed, casually, was how relaxed and unbelievably transparent they were.
When my friend asked how I liked them, I said they reminded me of the AudioQuest NightOwls, except more detailed and transparent.
ZMF Auteur Ltd
The zebrawood Auteur LTDs I auditioned weigh 490–530gm, cost $1699,…
The ZMF Vérité Closed were dancing in the same ballroom as the top models of Focal's headphone lineup. The Vérités' basic sound reminded me a lot of my beloved Focal Clear—and even more of the Focal Stellia headphones I've auditioned at CanJams. But to my taste, the ZMF Vérité Closed headphones were more naturally focused and inherently musical than any of Focal's premier offerings.
Oh, no: I'm having a memory!
The most conspicuously lifelike, real-sounding headphones I've been privileged to audition were a pair of Sony MDR-R10s manufactured in 1989. I heard them only a few years…
Photo: VPI
Social distancing. Flattening the curve. These expressions are embedded in our collective psyche as we to try to keep COVID-19 and the novel coronavirus that causes it at bay. Few of us who live through this will ever forget them.
But life and work must somehow go on, if at a slower pace than before. Even now—as I write, just a couple of weeks after the earliest stay-at-home order went into effect, in California—the pandemic anxiety and resulting closures have businesses across all sectors taking a huge hit. Today's unemployment numbers were staggering, dwarfing those…
Meanwhile, Schiit has shifted forward plans to expand its operations to a facility in Utah, a state not under lockdown and, Jason says, one that is less likely to be. "Yeah, don't be surprised if the words on our site change very quickly to, like, 'designed and manufactured in California and/or Utah,'" he chuckles.
"Of course, like everyone, I'm sure we've taken a bit of a hit, but the orders are coming in. People are still asking questions. People still need to have service performed. What we're trying to do is do that without jeopardizing anyone here."
Looking forward,…
We carry within us the wonders we seek outside us.—Rumi
There are plenty of difficult obstacles in your path. Don't allow yourself to become one of them.—Ralph Marston, The Daily Motivator
Put these two quotes together, shake vigorously, and you've got the essence of a music server. Unless your container isn't tightly sealed, in which case you've got a mess.
A dedicated streaming music server has but one overriding purpose: to enable the discovery and delivery of digitally encoded music—and then get out of the way. Ideally, it performs like the best of servants, keeping…