Having the Philips SACD1000 in my system promoted me to spill some ink about the Sony SCD-777ES. In the months I've had this SACD player in my system, my experience of music has been enhanced to the point where I feel more and more confident about the aural judgments I'm called on to make—because I'm convinced that I'm listening to a digital source on which I can bet the ranch.
The SCD-777ES was introduced at a list price of $3500, but Sony recently…
Well, it depends. Take our JMlab Utopia speakers. The Utopia is spec'd at 94.5dB sensitivity, so it should be pretty easy to drive. Or is it? As it happens, despite the system's highish sensitivity, the woofer is a long-throw, ported design that likes a grippy, controlling high-current amplifier. And I have yet to hear a more controlling solid-state amplifier than the huge Boulder 2050 monoblock. In our size-obsessed world, the…
Description: Solid-state monoblock power amplifier with 80 bipolar output devices. Inputs: 3-pin balanced XLR, pin 2 hot. Continuous power into 8, 4, and 2 ohms: 1000W (30dBW, 27dBW, 24dBW). Peak power: 2000W into 4 ohms (30dBW); 4000W into 2 ohms (30dBW).
Dimensions: 18" W by 10.75" H by 26.75" D, plus 12" D for power connector. Weight: 230 lbs each.
Price: $59,000/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 8. Warranty: 5 years.
Manufacturer: Boulder Amplifiers, 3235 Prairie Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301. Tel: (303) 449-8220. Fax (303) 449-2987. Web: www.…
I auditioned the 2050 in balanced mode using Boulder's 2010 Isolated Balanced preamplifier and B.A.T.'s more affordable VK-5i. Single-ended preamps were the Nagra PL-P and the YBA Signature 6 Chassis.
CDs were spun by the Forsell Air Bearing CD transport, the signal fed into Boulder's 2020 Advance D/A converter, dCS's Elgar, and Ensemble's Dichrono DAC, with occasional blasts on the dCS 972 sample-rate converter between transport and the D/As. I also tried the dCS 972/Elgar combo straight into the 2050s.
Analog signals were provided by the…
Following its 1/3-power, 1-hour preconditioning test, the Boulder 2050's heatsinks were hot but could be touched for 2-3 seconds without discomfort. All measurements were made in the Boulder's balanced configuration; there is no single-ended input, but the amplifier can be driven single-ended with external adapters. The voltage gain switch was left in the high position, as J-10 had left it.
The Boulder's input impedance measured 220k ohms, its output impedance 0.017 ohms at either 20Hz or 1kHz, this increasing to 0.021 ohms at 20kHz. The 2050's voltage…
The disagreement
Editor: I'd like to have a say concerning the disagreement between JGH and JA on choice of sources for equipment evaluation. My musical taste is eclectic, but I do critical listening to equipment using familiar folk and classical pieces. I find records of acoustic music easier to compare to their live counterparts than is the grungy (you don't need a "d"!) rock'n'roll that I actually listen to more often. I know that if a component contributes minimally to the sounds of acoustical instruments, then it will…
Stereophile, however, seems to emphasize the very subjective preference JGH condemned in his article, and it is subjective preference that has resulted in the current hysteria over cables. Most…