I'd heard Meze Audio discussed by headphone aficionados for a handful of years. So I was interested to hear some of the Romanian manufacturer’s headphones at CanJam, where Meze presented their new Elite open-back ($4000) and Liric closed-back ($2000) headphones. Both models employ an approach unusual in planar-magnetic drivers: a proprietary Isodynamic Hybrid Array that Rinaro, a Ukrainian company, created for Meze. Meze displayed a few clear-encased examples of these arrays in their demo area so that the curious (including me) could view the diaphragm’s fine, serpentine membrane…
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Chord Electronics' new Mojo 2 portable DAC/headphone amplifier packs plenty of mojo into a small but substantial package. To my mind—and ears—it was one of this CanJam's highlights.
The tracks I listened to through the Meze Audio Empyrean planar-magnetic headphones (which are spec'd at 31.6 ohm impedance and 100dB/mW sensitivity at 1kHz) with the Mojo 2 sounded right—realistic—on both good and less-good recordings. The music had a seamless quality. Details were present in full but were not overhyped. Tonal balance was neutral. Music felt natural.
On "Thinking of a…
In 1964, Shure Brothers shook up the cartridge market by introducing the original V-15 moving-magnet cartridge, which then cost $67, equivalent to about $530 today. It came packaged in a deluxe, wooden, jewelry-style box—common practice for today's cartridges, but back then unheard of.
By 1968 I'd saved up for a V-15 Type II, and installed it in a Dual 1009SK record player. Wow! But, committed to the principle of using a low vertical tracking force (VTF) to minimize damage to my record grooves, I set the tonearm for the V-15 II's minimum recommended VTF of 0.75gm—and, as the Shure's…
Kuzma specifies the parts—coils, wire, stylus, cantilever—and the OEM builds them. then Kuzma machines, from anodized aluminum, the various generator housings, topping each with a brass coupling plate. Currently, Kuzma's line comprises six models, ranging from the CAR-20 to the CAR-60 (footnote 3). Yes, for comedy albums he should build a special CAR-54, but I bet Franc will read that and have no idea what that means or who are Toody and Muldoon (maybe you don't either!).
With the exception of the high-output CAR-20H, all Kuzma cartridges share very similar specifications, though their…
It felt as though everyone had stopped breathing, so intent was their focus. I was in an exhibit room at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2018. I doubt that anyone present spoke German, but after soprano Sandrine Piau's recording, with pianist Susan Manoff, of Carl Loewe's "Ach Neige, Du Schmer-Zenreiche" (ah, incline, you who are laden with sorrows) began to fill the space, the silence was so deep that you could almost hear hearts beat. as Piau intoned words by Wolfgang von Goethe that spoke of a loss so painful that it pierced the heart and bore into one's bones, everyone present felt the…
Why spend so much time discussing a relatively simple, understated, not very eventful song that, in some versions, lasts under three minutes? "Le Colibri" may be filled with small gestures, but to the hummingbird, its beloved, and those who desire to fully enter their world, those small gestures are the whole world. An entire universe comes alive with song.
Composer Jake Heggie is helping to revive art song. (Photo: Karen Almond Photograph)
American song of our time
While the American art song tradition is easily traceable back to the 19th century, the 20th century…
Sidebar: The Music Comes First
With this music feature, we're trying some new things. First, we've created a playlist on Qobuz that lists most of the individual tracks mentioned in this review; it can be accessed here. The feature refers to many whole albums, however; rather than load up the playlist with individual tracks, making it unwieldy, we've instead included URLs to the albums, on Qobuz or Tidal. If you're a Roon user, you can import the list into Roon by favoriting it in Qobuz. To access a complete album, see the link.
If you're expecting hi-fi sound, a word of warning:…
The Z-600 is the latest of the "console" (as opposed to "bookshelf") systems made by Neshaminy Corp., and using Janszen electrostatic tweeters (footnote 1) and a Neshaminy-designed 11" woofer. The nominal crossover frequency is 1500Hz, with a broad overlap between the woofer's top and the low end of the paralleled tweeters. Tweeter level is not adjustable (footnote 2).
Like all electrostatics, the Z-600 requires an external source of power (consumption: 2 watts), and the built-in power supply requires a 115V AC supply. The polarizing supply is designed for continuous duty, and the…
JGH reviewed the Janszen Z-900 in September 1967 (Vol.2 No.4)
Every loudspeaker design must embody various compromises with absolute perfection, and while we have long felt that Janszen's Z-600 system was the most musically natural reproducer available for under about $500, we have also recognized the fact that some things about it could be improved. Its treble dispersion is not as wide nor as uniform as it could be, its low end (although better defined than that of most other low-efficiency systems) does not go quite as deep as, say, an Acoustic Research AR-3, and its low-frequency…
JGH reviewed the Janszen Z-960 in December 1968 (Vol.2 No.8)
Although we have long preferred the Janszen Z-600 to any other speaker system in or about its price range, is nonetheless an outstanding example of the old saw that nothing is perfect and loudspeakers are less perfect than most. For while has excellent overall balance, unsurpassed high-end range and transient response, superb detail, a deep, rich low end and a remarkanle degree of musical naturalness, it also has rather poor stereo imaging, a slight tendency toward a rising high end in most listening environments (because of…