Steve Stolder
FIRESIGN THEATRE: Shoes for Industry!
Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman, Phil Proctor, voices
Columbia/Legacy C2K 52736 (2 CDs). 1993. Firesign Theatre, orig. prods.; Bob Irwin, compilation prod. AAD. TT: 2:33:40 Take some remarkably prescient plotting (1974's Everything You Know is Wrong works as a parody of today's paranormal craze) and add absurdist wordplay ("May I take your hat and goat, sir?"). Factor in a fertile social and political milieu courtesy of always-good-for-a-yuck Richard Nixon. (Like our erstwhile president, Firesign began campaigning in…
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Michael Ullman
WES MONTGOMERY: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery
Wes Montgomery, guitar; Tommy Flanagan, piano; Percy Heath, bass; Albert Heath, drums
Riverside VDJ-1538 (CD). 1960. Rudy Van Gelder, eng. ADD. TT: 44:19 This 1960 session represents, to my ears, the pinnacle of Wes Montgomery's jazz-playing career. He solos with quirky passion on the uptempo "Airegin," his chordal second chorus sounding like an apt complication of the texture rather than a virtuoso's trick, as it sometimes did later. Montgomery's blues playing has never sounded better than on his "West…
WES MONTGOMERY: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery
Wes Montgomery, guitar; Tommy Flanagan, piano; Percy Heath, bass; Albert Heath, drums
Riverside VDJ-1538 (CD). 1960. Rudy Van Gelder, eng. ADD. TT: 44:19 This 1960 session represents, to my ears, the pinnacle of Wes Montgomery's jazz-playing career. He solos with quirky passion on the uptempo "Airegin," his chordal second chorus sounding like an apt complication of the texture rather than a virtuoso's trick, as it sometimes did later. Montgomery's blues playing has never sounded better than on his "West…
I was riding BART home from Home Entertainment 2003, thinking about the day—the new products, the old friends, the rooms with really great sound. It's a long ride from downtown San Francisco to Livermore, so I next got to thinking about all of the hi-fi shows I've attended over the years and which companies, year after year, always seem to have good sound. At the top of the list were Audio Physic and its US importer, Allen Perkins' Immedia.
My BART ride wasn't the first time my mind had followed this particular track, however. In fact, I had just these thoughts last summer, when I…
I experimented with a variety of room treatments, using the MATT test on Stereophile's Test CD 2 (Stereophile STPH004-2) to augment my listening impressions, and ended up with a very minimal setup. I used two Echo Busters Bass Busters—see my review elsewhere in this issue—to form a half-round centered behind the speakers, flanked by two Double Buster diffusers, the combo pretty much covering the marble-and-glass fireplace behind the speakers. I used another pair of Double Busters on the wall behind my listening chair. I experimented with Echo Busters absorber panels at the first reflection…
Another great showcase for the Virgo's strengths, and another record I've had since the dawn of time, was Franz Helmerson's recording of J.S. Bach's Suite No.2 in d for Solo Cello (LP, BIS LP-65). It's a wonderful performance through any speaker, with a solid, nicely detailed image, a warm, well-described acoustic, and just the right balance of size, distance, and perspective. With the Virgos, however, it was a lot more than that. Rather than something warm and mellow to sit and sip wine to, the Virgos made this recording feel like a live event. There was that same right there quality I'd…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way floorstanding loudspeaker. Drivers: 1" (25mm) ring-radiator tweeter, 4.5" (114mm) aluminum-cone midrange, two 6.5" (165mm) Nomex-cone woofers, two 6.5" Nomex inverted-cone passive radiators. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Input sensitivity: 90dB/W/m. Frequency response: 34Hz-40kHz, +0/-3dB. Recommended input power: 25-150W. Recommended room size: 210-420ft2. Connections: rear panel, single-wire terminals, 5-way binding posts.
Dimensions: 40" (1010mm) H by 6" (150mm) W by 16" (410mm) D. Weight: 66 lbs (30kg).
Finishes: Black ash; add $500…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: Burmester 001, Simaudio Moon Eclipse CD players.
Analog source: VPI TNT Mk.V-HR turntable & JMR12.5 tonearm, Grado Statement Reference cartridge.
Preamplifier: VAC CPA-1 Mk.III.
Power amplifiers: Classé Omega, VTL Ichiban, Mark Levinson No.20.6 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Magnepan MG3.6/R, Thiel CS6.
Cables: Interconnect: Nirvana S-X Ltd., Nordost Valhalla, Audience Au24. Speaker: Audience Au24, Nordost Valhalla. AC: Audience PowerChord.
Accessories: Bright Star Big Rock, Little Rock, Isonode isolation devices; Immedia…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The Audio Physic Virgo III is of above-average voltage sensitivity, my estimate coming in at 89.2dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is in reach of the specified 90dB. However, its impedance plot of magnitude and electrical phase against frequency (fig.1) reveals it to be a moderately demanding load. Not only does the speaker feature a minimum impedance of 3.5 ohms at 572Hz, but the combination of 5.5 ohms and -42 degrees at 78Hz will stress low-powered amps if the user wants to rock out on bass-heavy music.
Fig.1 Audio Physic Virgo III, electrical impedance (…
Manufacturer's Comment
Editor: We would like to thank Brian Damkroger for his time and efforts in writing this insightful review. We agree with his overall impression of the Virgo. There was a very concerted effort by Audio Physic to improve the Virgo without losing what everyone loved about the existing model: big, accurate soundstage, attractive proportions and size, and compatibility with almost any electronics. A close inspection of the old and new models quickly reveals that they have virtually no parts in common, yet the "family resemblance" in both sound and form is undeniable.…
A number of recent letters have accused us of snobbishness and elitism because we devote so much space to reports about components that "common folk" can't afford. We are "snobbish" because we seem to look down on anything less perfect than a Wilson WAMM speaker system or an Audio Research SP-10 preamplifier. And we are "elitist" because we seem to show little interest in any components which fall short of state of the art. Far from being chastened by these letters, I am proud, to declare that they are right on target.
The recent report on our deteriorating educational system decried the…