search

Gramophone Dreams #64: Meze Audio Elite headphones & HeadAmp GS-X mini Balanced headphone amplifier Page 2

With the hybrid pads, the first thing I noticed was reduced upper bass energy, which eliminated the slight bloom that shadowed the lower midrange with the shallower, all-leather cups. With less upper bass, more light was thrown on the mid and upper frequencies, highlighting vocals and instrumental details.

After listening to fewer than a dozen tunes with the hybrid pads, I played the dreamy drum-synth and poetry-reading tracks from Brian Eno and Rick Holland's 2011 collaboration Drums Between the Bells (16/44.1 FLAC, Warp Records/Tidal). That's when I realized that something…

Revinylization #33: 21st Century (Steely) Dan

Steely Dan's last two studio albums, Two Against Nature (2000) and Everything Must Go (2003), are anomalies. The music is stellar, at or near the level of the band's best early work, but it's almost unknown, even among fans. (Back in 2011, one night of a week-long gig at the Beacon in New York City was supposed to highlight songs from these two albums—the program was called "21st-Century Dan"—but the idea was dropped when almost nobody bought advance tickets.)

A shame. Two Against Nature, which marked the return of Steely Dan after a 20-year hiatus and won the Grammy that year for Best…

Tim Hardin: Reason to believe

It would have been in the spring of 1967 that Tim Hardin's music first wafted in over my transom. I was 13. My older brother, who loved Hardin at least as much as I did and was something of a fetishist besides, forbade me to touch his copy of Hardin's debut album, Tim Hardin 1, not even the jacket. He had to be present when I auditioned it. Tim Hardin 2 didn't especially float my boat, so my brother had it to himself. But the moment I heard Tim Hardin 3 Live in Concert, I took matters into my own hands, so to speak, and plunked my own $5 down.

A singer, songwriter, guitarist and…

LKV PWR-3 power amplifier

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."

I took Herb's comments into consideration as I went searching for a power amplifier to complement my Sugden LA-4…

LKV PWR-3 power amplifier Page 2

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…

LKV PWR-3 power amplifier Specifications

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.…

LKV PWR-3 power amplifier Associated Equipment

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:…

Listening #208: Rogers LS3/5a Page 2

Room At The Table For One More
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),…

Gramophone Dreams #35: ZMF & Hagerman headphone amplifiers & ZMF headphones

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,…

Gramophone Dreams #35: ZMF & Hagerman headphones & headphone amplifiers Page 2

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…