The amplifier is bridgeable into mono, for…
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Physically, the DR-3 follows Rolls-Royce in many ways: weight, mass, and solidity of product come first. A ¼" thick polished faceplate, massive extruded heatsinks, and a central transformer box (containing two potted transformers) are bolted to a thick, welded aluminum chassis. The transformers are mounted via rubber bushings to reduce hum and vibration transmission. The internal printed circuit boards (PCBs) employ thick copper traces sealed in glass epoxy to get rid of the lead that, claims Reich, contaminates copper laminate in other PCBs.
Sidebar 1: System
David Reich loaned two DR-3s to the New York-based Audiophile Society for demonstration when he came to visit us, and these were briefly available for review. My reference Snell Type A/III loudspeakers were configured in a biamplified mode, so each stereo DR-3 was set up to drive one speaker. I found that my recently updated Levinson ML-7 and older ML-6A preamps developed a very low-level buzz when connected to DR-3s (footnote 1), so I used Luxman C-03 and Tandberg 3008A preamplifiers for most of my critical listening.
Shure V-15MR and Accuphase AC-2 cartridges…
Sidebar 2: Specifications
Description: Solid-state, class-A stereo amplifier. Rated Power: 25Wpc into 8 ohms. Power bandwidth, 1W output: 0.3Hz–80kHz, +0, –3dB. Dynamic Headroom: 7dB. Polarity: non-inverting.
Dimensions: 17" W by 10.5" H by 14" D. Weight: 70lb.
Price: $2895 (1985); no longer available (2020). Optional silicon-steel Magnetic Flux Enhancer MFE-1, $279 (heavier), or MFE-0.5, $219 (lighter) (1985).
Manufacturer: Classé Audio, Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada H9R 4X5 (1985). Classé Audio LLC, a division of Sound United, 380, rue McArthur Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4T 1X8…
One of the joys of reviewing audio reproduction equipment is discovering a little-known product that provides an extraordinary level of performance and musical satisfaction at an affordable price. These components, sometimes made in a garage, reflect the designer's single-minded zeal for musical accuracy, not the sometime corporate mentality of meeting a price point or catering to the latest fad.
Unfortunately, this enthusiasm is tempered by the realization that being a brilliant designer and a shrewd businessman are often mutually exclusive talents. As a result, these components are…
Source material included CDs and LPs from Sheffield Lab, Reference Recordings, Denon, London, Opus 3, Telarc, and my own classical and jazz recordings.
The Sound
The first time I heard the Screens, I was immediately taken with their open, uncolored, and punchy sound. They exhibited an unboxy transparency that made them seem to disappear into the soundstage. This quality gave them a "big" sound that transcended the boundaries of the speakers. In addition to this wide lateral soundstage, front-to-rear definition was superb, the orchestra taking on a three-dimensional representation.…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way loudspeaker system. Drive units: 1" soft-dome tweeter, 5" cone midrange, 9" plastic-cone woofer. Crossover frequencies: 150Hz, 3kHz. Frequency response: 27–150Hz ±3dB, 150Hz–16kHz ±1.5dB, 16kHz–21.5kHz ±2dB. Sensitivity: 87dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Amplifier requirements: 50–300W.
Dimensions: 48" H by 24" W by 9" D. Weight: 95lb each.
Price: $1500/pair, also available for $750/pair directly from the manufacturer (1989); no longer available (2020). Approximate number of dealers: 2 (1989).
Manufacturer: Vortex Acoustical…
In a 2014 profile in the New Yorker, Paul Elie, author of the book Reinventing Bach, wrote, "There it was again: the stinging treble, the spooky overtones, the strings snapping and booming under his hands—the sound of a Tele being played as skillfully and exuberantly as it can be played."
The musician in question was Jim Campilongo, lead guitarist for the Little Willies—the alt-country band that features Norah Jones on piano and vocals—and a player's player whose trio has enjoyed residencies at New York's The Knitting Factory, The Living Room, and Rockwood Music Hall. Indeed, on his 2018…
Sidebar 1: Jim Campilongo's Hi-Fi System
I would call Jim Campilongo an audiophile, but he doesn't think of himself that way. "I watch videos on YouTube sometimes, guys talking about cables or super-expensive speakers. To me, that's an audiophile, if we're going to define one." Fair enough.
Whatever you call him, Campilongo appreciates good sound. His current system is a mix of old and new: Marantz DV8300 universal disc player; Pro-Ject Debut Carbon turntable with Ortofon 2M Red cartridge; McIntosh C 26 solid-state stereo preamplifier (introduced in 1968); Dynaco Dynakit…
Sidebar 2: JC's Signature Sound
A few years ago, Fender released a limited-edition Jim Campilongo Signature Telecaster. (Other Signature Teles have been created for and signed by Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Andy Summers—and Jimmy Page, who also favored a '59 model. That alone gives an idea of the esteem in which he's held in the guitar world.) And not long ago, Newburgh, NY-based luthier Chihoe Hahn worked with Campilongo to create yet another Tele-based signature model, the Hahn Guitars Model C.
Campilongo's session-work toolkit? "I just bring my Telecaster, maybe my 1958…
Sidebar 3: Records by Jim Campilongo
Jim Campilongo & the 10 Gallon Cats (Blue Hen, 1996)
Loose (Blue Hen, 1997)
Table for One (Blue Hen, 1998)
Heavy (Blue Hen, 2000)
Live at the Du Nord (Ethic, 2000)
American Hips (Blue Hen, 2003)
Heaven Is Creepy (Blue Hen, 2006)
Orange (Vinyl, Blue Hen, 2009)
Dream Dictionary (Blue Hen, 2014)
Last Night, This Morning (Vinyl, Blue Hen, 2015)
Live at the Rockwood Music Hall NYC (Vinyl, Blue Hen, 2018)
Best of Jim Campilongo (Vinyl, 2020, Sundazed)