MOZART: Così fan tutte
Véronique Gens, Fiordiligi; Bernarda Fink, Dorabella; Werner Güra, Ferrando; Marcel Boone, Guglielmo; Pietro Spagnoli; Graciela Oddone, Despina; Kölner Kammerchor, Concerto Köln, René Jacobs
Harmonia Mundi 951663.65 (3 CDs). 1999. Barbara Valentin, artistic dir.; Mark Hohn, eng. DDD. TT: 3:21:09
Performance *****
Sonics ***** Each of the great Mozart/da Ponte collaborations is comic in some ways, and not in others. While Don Giovanni makes us laugh with the Don's brazen behavior, Leporello's clowning, and its sheer swagger, it examines the very…
WAGNER: Siegfried
Teldec 4509-94193-2 (4 CDs only). TT: 4:00:09
WAGNER: Götterdämmerung
Teldec 4509-94194-2 (4 CDs only). TT: 4:27:03
Siegfried Jerusalem, Siegfried; Anne Evans, Brünnhilde; John Tomlinson, Wanderer; Günter von Kannen, Alberich; Graham Clark, Mime; Philip Kang, Fafner, Hagen; Bodo Brinkmann, Gunther; Waltraud Meier, Waltraute; Birgitta Svendén, Erda, First Norn; Eva-Maria Bundschuh, Gutrune; Hilde Leidland, Forest Bird, Woglinde; others; 1991 Bayreuth Festival Orchestra & Chorus, Daniel Barenboim
Both: John Mordler, prod.; Gernot R. Westhäuser, eng.…
When I was a boy, silent dog whistles were all the rage. They were sold mail-order from the backs of comic books, alongside whoopee cushions and sneeze powder and X-ray spex. The whistles aren't so easy to find anymore, but don't read too much into that fact. Don't read into that at all.
As a child, I could understand the basic human need to torment others and see through their clothing, but silent dog whistles were utterly lacking in appeal: What was the point? The theory was interesting—that some sounds are so high in pitch that they can be heard only by animals—but the product itself…
In other words, the new Quads are as different from the Townshend tweeters in their high-frequency dispersion as the old Quads are similar, and in attempting to maximize the performance of the Super Tweeters, I tried a number of ways to compensate for that fact—as I would with any product submitted for review. Of particular note, I tried mounting the tweeters in front of the Quad ESL-989s, perching them on speaker stands so that their ribbons were even with the centermost stators. That merely sounded peculiar. Even worse was having the tweeters on stands at the sides of the Quads: Inside or…
The story of New Acoustic Dimensions, aka NAD, begins in the late 1970s. The company was founded as a dealer distribution collective to design and market reasonably priced serious high-end gear to cost-constrained audiophiles. By eliminating needless features and focusing manufacturing in low-cost production facilities, NAD has successfully delivered audiophile-quality gear for 20 years at prices little more expensive than mass-market department-store schlock.
As the owner of three pieces of NAD electronics at various times over the last 15 years, I've been impressed with the…
Sideabar 1: Specifications
Description: THX-certified stereo power amplifier. Rated power: 225Wpc (23.5dBW), 780W bridged mono (28.9dBW) (both into 8 ohms). Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz, -0.3dB. Slew rate: >100V/µs. Damping factor: >200. Input impedance: 47k ohms in parallel with 700pF. Input sensitivity: 1.5V for rated power. Signal/noise ratio, A-weighted: 120dB at rated power. THD: <0.03%.
Dimensions: 19" (483mm) W by 7" (175mm) H by 16.5" (420mm) D. Weight: 49.5 lbs (22.5kg).
Serial number of review sample: G6Z21801981.
Price: $1099. Approximate number of dealers…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog source: VPI TNT Mk.IV turntable, Immedia tonearm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge.
CD players: California Audio Labs Icon Mk.II and Delta/Sigma II.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D phono stage, Audible Illusions Modulus L1 line-stage.
Loudspeakers: Acarian Systems Alón Circe, Alón V Mk.II, Mission 731i.
Cables: MIT MI350 CVTwin Terminator and MI330 Shotgun interconnects, Acarian Systems Black Orpheus speaker cable.
Accessories: Various items from VPI, Sound Anchor, SimplyPhysics, ASC, Bright Star, TG Audio Labs.—Robert J. Reina
Sidebar 3: Measurements
A complete set of measurements of the NAD Model 218 was made in the unbalanced configuration, with selected readings taken in balanced mode. Unless otherwise noted, the results here refer to unbalanced operation with the amplifier's soft-clipping circuit engaged.
Following its one-hour pre-conditioning test, the NAD's heatsinks were quite hot, but could still be touched without discomfort. The amplifier's voltage gain measured 29dB unbalanced and virtually the same (28.9dB) balanced. The input impedance measured 67k ohms unbalanced and 123k ohms balanced.…
If you read much promotional literature for recently introduced high-quality equipment, you'll notice a common theme emerging: balanced connection. Balanced inputs and outputs are becoming a must for any audio equipment that has any claim to quality. The word itself has promotional value, suggesting moral superiority over the long-established "unbalanced" connection (for the purpose of this discussion, I will call this "normal"). What's my problem with this? Simply this: The High End could be paying dangerous, costly lip service to the received wisdom that balanced operation is the goal for…
In balanced working, the signal's positive-polarity connection (+, or hot) and negative-polarity connection (-, or cold) are segregated so that the - is no longer combined with the earth, shield, or ground line. Instead, a three-wire connection gives the ground line its own separate identity. The opposite-polarity + and - signal lines may then be said to be balanced, or set equal with respect to the ground (figs.3 & 4). This balance is engineered, not for aesthetic or philosophical reasons, but so that the next input in the chain can be arranged just to look at the difference between the…
