A question of scale
Editor: Congratulations are due Peter Mitchell and Stereophile for his essay in the September issue (p.5), "A Question of Scale." He drives an opening wedge of sanity into Stereophile's portal. He lets in a huge breath of fresh air, a broad ray of light, a hope for increased reliance on the scientific method in making judgments. He presents a refreshing perspective on basics and tweaks, and on high-end units and those lower down. The item is required reading and re-reading.—Herman Burstein, Wantagh, NY…
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Letters in response appeared in December 1990 and January 1991
Oh, I talk a good game when it comes to the whole music-lover-vs-audiophile thing. But I admit that when it comes to record players, I'm just another hardware junkie. I love turntables and tonearms for more than the musical enjoyment they give me. Turntables and tonearms are my favorite toys.
I'm endlessly fascinated with the science behind them—at least partly because, as with theology and frankfurters, the real essence of the thing I'm trying to know is in fact unknowable. Given the subjectivity we bring to music appreciation and the fact that we can't see what's really going on in the…
That thick (1.5") acrylic platter is likewise well-machined, but otherwise unremarkable. VPI recommends putting records directly on the bare platter and flattening them with their standard screw-on Reflex clamp (supplied), although the perennially diplomatic Harry Weisfeld stops short of suggesting that this is the only, or even the best, way to do it. When I said that I preferred using the Scout with my own thin felt mat and without the clamp, he replied, "Arthur, I would never tell anyone not to do it that way." The thing is, I know from past conversations that Weisfeld's receptiveness to…
To check my impressions, I referred to the ever-popular Test Record, from the UK's Hi-Fi News & Record Review. Using an exemplary cartridge—the medium-compliance Miyabi 47, which nominally tracks at 2gm—I found that a small increase in downforce and just the right twist in the lead-out wire could be combined to coax a satisfactory antiskating performance from the JMW-9 tonearm. The Naim Aro and Rega RB-300 are both better in this regard: They can, with careful adjustment and a little luck, handle the tortuous track 9 (the left and right channels combined in a spirited 300Hz test tone at…
One more observation: Some hi-fi reviewers, myself included, are anxious to tell you when a product makes a musical performance sound tighter, more together, whatever. That judgment may well be true a lot of the time, but neither should you want a product to homogenize your records in that sense—to make things sound more upbeat, or even more together, than they really are.
Well, don't sweat it, Harry Weisfeld: Your record player made music as interesting as it really is, but no more. The members of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra, under the otherwise beloved (by me at least) Hermann…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-speed, belt-driven turntable with AC synchronous motor, acrylic record platter, and Delrin reflex record clamp; aluminum-alloy unipivot tonearm, height-adjustable, with interchangeable armwands. Wow & flutter: <0.02%. Rumble: below -80dB. Speed accuracy: within 0.1%. Dustcover: none. Spindle-pivot distance: 222mm. Downforce calibration: none. Antiskating: none.
Dimensions: 19" W by ca 4.5" H by 14" D (without dustcover). Weight: 37 lbs.
Finish: Black semigloss enamel (turntable), textured aluminum (tonearm).Serial numbers of units…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Naim Armageddon power supply and Naim Aro tonearm; Rega Planar 3 turntable; Miyabi 47, Supex 900 Super, Lyra Helikon Mono, and Rega Exact phono cartridges.
Preamplifiers: Fi, Audio Note M3, Audio Note AN-S2 moving-coil step-up transformer.
Power amplifiers: Fi 2A3 Stereo, Audio Note Kit One.
Loudspeakers: Lowther PM2A drivers (15 ohm version) in modified Medallion horn enclosures, Linn Sizmik subwoofer.
Cables: Interconnect: Audio Note AN-Vx, Nordost Valhalla, Final Laboratory Audio, plus…
ARTURO DELMONI & NATHANIEL ROSEN: Music for a Glass Bead Game
J.S. Bach: Two-Part Inventions 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13. Kodály: Duo for Violin & Cello. Giordani: Duetto II. Martinu: Duo for Violin & Cello. Handel: Passacaglia
Arturo Delmoni, violin; Nathaniel Rosen, cello
John Marks Records JMR 15 (CD). John Marks, prod.; Jerry Bruck, eng. DDD. TT: 62:34
J.S. Bach: Two-Part Inventions 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13. Kodály: Duo for Violin & Cello. Giordani: Duetto II. Martinu: Duo for Violin & Cello. Handel: Passacaglia
Arturo Delmoni, violin; Nathaniel Rosen, cello
John Marks Records JMR 15 (CD). John Marks, prod.; Jerry Bruck, eng. DDD. TT: 62:34
This is a stupendous recording of violin and cello in a good-sized hall—possibly the most luscious recording of acoustic music I've heard in several years.
The disc's title refers to Herman Hesse's last novel…
The Manley Steelhead tube MM/MC phono preamplifier was first demonstrated at the 2001 Consumer Electronics Show. Nine months later, my long-promised review sample of Eveanna Manley's new baby was delivered. While Ms. Manley may have given birth to the audacious product, it was conceived by the company's chief hi-fi designer, Mitch Margolis.
The Steelhead is the most flexible, user-friendly phono section I've ever encountered. There are two moving-coil (MC) inputs on the rear panel, one with RCA jacks, the other a female DIN connector. There's a single set of RCAs for the moving-magnet (MM…
Stands, Spikes, Feet & Racks:
Audio Elegance Furniture : $424-$6329
Audio Elegance's "aesthetically simple, sturdy designs" are available in three lines; in the upper two, Dakota and James River, only select hardwoods, softwoods, and multidirectional plywoods are used. Biscuit joinery is featured throughout, and finishes include catalyzed lacquers and hand-rubbed oils. Prices start at $319 for a Frontier Series amp stand and rise to $4759 for a Dakota Collection LP storage unit. Custom items are also available. (Vol.32 No.2 WWW)
Audio Points by Live-Vibe Audio: $129.99–$…