For those unfamiliar with them, in a moving-iron (MI) cartridge a tiny piece of iron—not a coil or a magnet—…
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Peter Ledermann, founder and chief designer of Soundsmith, Inc. (footnote 1), began his adventures in phono cartridges by reverse-engineering Bang & Olufsen's Moving Micro-Cross moving-iron cartridges for customers B&O had abandoned when it got out of the LP player business, and putting them into production. The B&O cartridges were of the direct plug-in variety; once they were no longer made, a worn or broken B&O cartridge would render a B&O turntable unusable.
The Hyperion delivered the sort of microdynamic information that can bring a recorded performance to life. If you listen mostly to acoustic music, whether small or large ensembles, I found that the Hyperion delivered both convincingly.
The other evening I played for a friend—a mastering engineer who shall remain nameless—Bob Ludwig's legendary "pulled from the shelves" (footnote 3) original mastering of Led Zeppelin's II (LP, Atlantic SD 8236). He was awed by the shimmer and sizzle of John Bonham's cymbals, and the tuneful slam of the rest of his drum kit.
The Hyperion's…
It would appear that there are still people out there who are unaware that this is the age of the transistor. Not only are tubed amplifiers not vanishing from the face of the earth, they are proliferating. Audio's equipment directory for 1977 listed three tubed power amplifiers. The same directory for 1984 lists over 30 of them, and the Quicksilver amplifier is not even included!
This very hefty (95lb) stereo power amp uses eight EL34 tubes to deliver a rated 95 watts per channel into 4 or 8 ohms. The unit comes with a plug-in milliammeter for setting bias, and detailed adjustment…
Sidebar 1: Amplifier Comparisons
Comparing the Quicksilver MS190 with the Berning 2100 that I also review in this issue was rather difficult because they sound so different. If you like "tube sound," you are more likely to be happy with the Quicksilver, because it embodies more of what are generally conceded to be the positive (and, by tube detractors, negative) attributes of good tubed components. If you like solid-state bass and tube midrange, the Berning approaches this rare amalgam more closely than any other amplifier we have tested. For the best "tube highs," choose between the…
Sidebar 2: Specifications
Description: Tubed stereo power amplifier. Rated output: 95Wpc into 8 or 4 ohms (MX190). Frequency response: +0/–3dB, 16Hz–70kHz, full output power. Outputs: 4 and 8 ohms. Power consumption: 300 watts.
Weight: 95 lb.
Price: $2495 (1984); no longer available (2022).
Manufacturer: Quicksilver Audio: Van Nuys, CA (1981–1985); Stockton, CA (1985–1992); Reno, NV (1992–2005) Denver, CO (2005–2008) 7475 Murray Drive, Suite 17, Stockton, CA 95210 (2008–present). Tel:(209) 957-6640. Fax:(209) 957-6641. Web: quicksilveraudio.com
Photo: "Still Life with Tiptoes"—John Atkinson
Memorandum:
To: Steve McCormack, Chief Designer, The Mod Squad (footnote 1)
Dear Steve:
I cannot question the general value of Tiptoes in many specific applications. There are a great many areas where I, many other audiophiles, and a number of leading manufacturers have found that Tiptoes can improve any audio system in which the components are subject to. mechanical or acoustic vibration from speaker sound—that is, virtually any audio system.
While initially skeptical, I now concede that Tiptoes are a worthwhile…
So far, as part of my quest to find good affordable box loudspeakers, I have reviewed 20 models, in the August, October, and November 1987, and January and February 1988 issues of Stereophile (Vol.10 Nos.5, 7, & 8, Vol.11 Nos.1 & 2). Nearly all affordable loudspeakers have to be used with a pair of stands: as these have an important influence on the integrity of the sound and tend to cost upward of $100 a pair for good models, this makes such speakers less of a bargain. This month, therefore, I review loudspeakers designed from the outset to be floor-standing: three from the USA—DCM'…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, reflex-loaded, floor-standing loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1.1" soft-dome tweeter, two 8" polypropylene-cone woofers (one rolling off above 100Hz), 12" polypropylene-cone passive radiator. Crossover frequencies: 100Hz, 2kHz. Frequency range: 28Hz-22kHz ±3dB. Sensitivity: 86dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Amplifier requirements: 25–200W.
Dimensions: 44.5" H by 15.5" W by 8.5" D (173/8" with bases attached). Weight: 63 lb each.
Price: $1400/pair (1988); no longer available (2022). Approximate number of dealers: sold factory-direct.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
The test procedure followed, with minor changes, that established for my previous loudspeaker reviews: each pair was used with a Mark Levinson No.26/No.20 combination—amplification unlikely to be used with any of these speakers but which would undoubtedly get the best from them—a Marantz CD94 CD player used via its optical digital output to feed a Marantz CDA94 outboard DAC unit, and a 1987 Linn Sondek/Ittok/Troika combination sitting on a Sound Organization table.
The Orpheus 808 loudspeakers were carefully positioned for optimum performance, and…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The frequency response of each speaker was measured in the listening window—spatially averaged to minimize room standing-wave problems—using a 1/3-octave warble-tone generator, which is said to be a little more analytical than the filtered pink-noise signal I have used in the past; in addition, the nearfield low-frequency response of each speaker was measured with a sinewave sweep to get an idea of the true bass extension relative to the level at 100Hz.
Measured nearfield on the lower woofer, the –6dB point relative to 100Hz lay at a low 36Hz, though there…