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Recording of February 2005: <I>How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb</I>

U2: How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
Interscope B0003613-02 (CD). 2004. Steve Lillywhite, prod.; Carl Glanville, eng.; Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, Chris Heaney, others, asst. engs. AAD? TT: 49:08
Performance ****½
Sonics ****

Twenty years ago, in a grungy, badly lit club in Edinburgh, Scotland, I saw a show that changed my musical life forever. There, packed together on a stage the size of a postage stamp and looking every bit as young and green as I was, were The Edge, Bono, Larry, and Adam, bashing out their bombastic new single, "Pride (In the Name Of Love)." I was smitten.…

Audio Research Reference Two preamplifier

Audio Research's first 21st-century, audiophile-quality line-stage preamplifier combines retro-tech vacuum-tube amplification and power-supply circuitry with innovative, remote-controlled gain, balance, tape monitoring, and signal routing. The price is also 21st-century: $9995. As in ARC's Reference phono section, the Reference Two's pair of vertically mounted circuit boards results in a single, relatively tall chassis.

The fully balanced gain section, rated at 2V RMS balanced (maximum output is 30V RMS) and 1V single-ended, uses eight specially selected Sovtek dual-triode 6922 tubes,…

Audio Research Reference Two preamplifier Page 2

The Ref 2 definitely changed the sonic landscape, but in ways that were subtly euphonic and ultimately pleasurable, even after long-term listening—especially after long-term listening. Given that most recordings are too bright and too edgy and most mikes too tipped-up on top, this is not necessarily a bad thing. If you like tubes, you'll like the Ref 2. If you don't...you still might like it.

Like a plush, comfortable chair, the Ref 2 put a soft cushion around the music's bottom end—not so cushy that the deep bass sank in and disappeared into the foam, but enough to add a warm,…

Audio Research Reference Two preamplifier Page 3

Put It All Together and...
The Reference Two's sonic parts were impressive, if not perfectly neutral. It had character, but because of its superb overall balance, not what I would call noticeable flaws. A lean speaker would probably mate well with the Ref 2, a plummy one not so well, but to be a truly bad match a speaker would have to almost be off the richness scale, and its bass would have to be nearly out of control. Or, one's room would have to have a serious "bump" in its low-frequency acoustics.

The Sonus Faber Amati leans toward rich and lush in the midrange, and is slightly…

Audio Research Reference Two preamplifier Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Remote-controlled, fully balanced, vacuum-tube preamplifier. Tube complement: eight 6922 dual-triodes; in power supply, one each 5AR4, 6L6GC, and 6922. Voltage Gain: 18dB balanced, 12dB single-ended. Frequency response: 0.5Hz-60kHz, +0/-3dB at rated output. Hum and noise: 20µV RMS residual IHF-weighted noise output with gain control set to its minimum (100dB below 2V RMS balanced output, 97dB below 1V RMS SE output). Distortion: 0.015% at 2V RMS balanced output. Output impedance: 400 ohms balanced, 200 ohms single-ended. Recommended load: 20k ohms…

Audio Research Reference Two preamplifier Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog sources: Simon Yorke turntable, Graham 2.0 and Immedia RPM2 tonearms; Rockport Technologies System III Sirius record player; Lyra Helikon, van del Hul Black Beauty Colibri cartridges.
Digital sources: Musical Fidelity X-Ray CD player, Marantz DR17 HDCD recorder, EAD DSP-9000 Mk.3 DAC.
Preamplification: Audio Research Reference and Zanden phono stages, Lyra Arion step-up transformer, Ayre K-1x preamplifier.
Power amplifiers: Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 300.
Loudspeakers: Sonus Faber Amati Homage, ProAc Future 1.
Cables: Phono: XLO…

Audio Research Reference Two preamplifier Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

I measured the performance of the Reference Two in both full single-ended and full balanced modes. Maximum voltage gains were 15.2dB balanced in to balanced out, and 13.8dB single-ended in to single-ended out. With a single-ended input, the maximum gain available from the balanced outputs was just under 20dB. The preamp was non-inverting from both sets of outputs. The unity-gain settings of the volume control were 2:00 balanced, 2:30 unbalanced.

The preamp's input impedance varied from 52.5k ohms (unbalanced at 20kHz) through 66.5k ohms (unbalanced, bass…

Audio Research Reference Two preamplifier Measurements part 2

Intermodulation distortion in either mode was very low. Fig.6 shows the balanced result at 2V output into 100k ohms; the 1kHz difference tone lies at a low -80dB (0.01%).

Fig.6 Audio Research Reference Two, balanced HF intermodulation spectrum, DC-22kHz, 19+20kHz at 2V into 100k ohms (linear frequency scale).

Finally, the Reference Two can output very high levels of low-distortion signal into high impedances. Fig.7 shows the THD+noise percentage plotted against balanced output voltage into 100k ohms (bottom trace) and 600 ohms (top trace). The preamplifier doesn't clip (…

Bel Canto eVo 200.2 power amplifier

The word on Bel Canto's upsampling DAC was already out when I visited their room at the 2000 Consumer Electronics Show looking to get one of the first samples. But despite my protestations, all Bel Canto's Mike McCormick wanted to talk about was their company's new digital amp, the eVo 200.2. Sure, there's a future out there in which all sources will be digital and D/A conversion will occur in the speaker (or later?). But today, I see no practical advantage in a digital amplifier with only an analog input. It may be more efficient and it may be new technology, but the amplifier has got to…

Bel Canto eVo 200.2 power amplifier Page 2

Switch the amp on from the rear, wait a few seconds for the relay to click gently, and there's music. The simple and clear manual was hardly needed except to confirm that the amp is intended to remain powered up. With any of the inputs and any of the speakers I tried, the case of the eVo remained cool to the touch.

I inserted the eVo in my main system in place of the resident McCormack DNA-1 (Rev.A mod) and listened. Ho-hum. The eVo sounded kinda flat in perspective, and thin—not bad, but it seemed in great need of run-in before facing judgment (Bel Canto suggests at least 40 hours).…