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Few topics will get audiophiles into an argument more readily than a discussion of the relative merits of tubed and solid-state equipment. A poll on the Stereophile website showed 53% of respondents choosing solid-state as their preferred amplifier design, while 38% indicated a preference for tubes—the remainder choosing "other," which presumably means digital amplifiers. (There has been no corresponding survey regarding preamplifier designs.) Opinions tend toward the dogmatic, with one respondent declaring "solid-state is more accurate," another stating unequivocally that "tubes sound…
The amplification devices are MOSFETs, which many audiophiles think of as the solid-state equivalent of tubes. Khomenko considers this an oversimplification, but agrees that MOSFETs and tubes are similar in one important respect: both need to be driven by a source that has lots of current. He points out that there are many types of MOSFETs, just as there are many types of tubes. The MOSFETs used in the VK-40 were selected for their "soft" linear characteristics.
The VK-40's gain stage is biased at a very high 250mA, which, according to Khomenko, eliminates the need for a buffer and…
Allied with the dynamic quality was a high degree of resolution and transparency. This allowed me to hear not only the effects of system tweaks, but, more important, the subtle musical details that are an important part of the listening experience. I find that the best test of this characteristic is provided by highly familiar recordings, ones that, in most cases, I listen to only when I'm in "testing" mode. At 2:08 into track 3 of the first Chesky Jazz Sampler and Audiophile Test CD (JD37)—which, if it were an LP, I would have completely worn out by now—there is a cymbal that starts up 'way…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state preamplifier with optional phono stage. Inputs: 3 balanced (XLR), 2 unbalanced (RCA). Main outputs: 2 XLR. Tape output: 1 RCA. Maximum voltage gain: 20dB. Frequency response: 2Hz-150kHz, -3dB. Crosstalk: -80dB at 10kHz. Input impedance: 100k ohms. Output impedance: 200 ohms. Minimum amplifier input impedance: 10k ohms, 3k ohms with optional Six-Pack. S/N Ratio: 96dB unweighted. Distortion at 2V RMS output: 0.01%. Maximum output: 20V RMS. Optional VK-P20 phono module: Voltage gain: 58dB or 44dB, selectable.
Dimensions: 19" W by 5.75" H…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog source: Linn LP12 turntable (fully updated), Ittok tonearm, AudioQuest AQ7000nsx cartridge.
Digital sources: PS Audio Lambda II transport, Perpetual Technologies P-1A/P-3A digital processors, Balanced Audio Technology VK-D5SE CD player.
Preamplifier: Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Ultimate.
Loudspeakers: Avantgarde Acoustic Uno 2.0.
Cables: Digital: Illuminati Orchid AES/EBU. I2S: Mystic Reference. Interconnect: Nordost Quattro Fil, Nirvana S-X. Speaker: Nirvana S-L, Nordost Valhalla, Nirvana S-L wiring harness for Avantgarde Uno 2.0.…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
All measurements of the BAT VK-40 were performed on serial number 040800072—the sample that had given RD some problems with the mono switch—with some spot checks on sample '71. No appreciable differences were noted. All tests of the line stage were done in full balanced mode (balanced input to balanced output), with some tests repeated for the unbalanced line input. The phono-stage measurements, of course, were performed using an unbalanced drive signal.
Starting with the preliminaries, the balanced input impedance was a very high 244k ohms, while the…
Rarely has the debut of a new loudspeaker company and its inaugural model created as big a buzz as did Lumen White and their Whitelight speaker at the 2001 Consumer Electronics Show. Driven by Vaic tube amplifiers in one of the larger corner rooms at the Alexis Park Hotel, the big Whitelights had a look and a sound that attracted continuous crowds. Of the questions among audio cognoscenti that I overheard at the end of each day, two of the most common were "Hey, did you hear those Lumen Whites?" and "What? Can you speak louder?"
Sleek, curvaceous, and finished in cool blonde maple, the $…
Some turntable designs use heavily damped platters and plinths to squelch resonances. Others take the opposite approach, using light, rigid materials to quickly evacuate and dissipate energy rather than control it. Both strategies seem to work, and the latter is clearly the Lumen White approach to speaker design. The company claims that the elimination of damping, a hard and rigid cabinet, and careful attention to airflow and energy evacuation, enhance the retrieval of micro-information, result in pitch-black backgrounds, and improve the overall naturalness of the sound. Are these claims for…
Problems
While the Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 300 power amp worked brilliantly with the Rockport Antares and most other speakers I've used with it, the Lumen White/Nu-Vista 300 combo was less satisfactory. The mid/high frequency range was too sharply drawn for my (and, I bet, most listeners') taste, and, as the importer quickly noted, for some reason the powerful Nu-Vista didn't seem capable of driving the 91dB-efficient Whiteflames successfully at low listening levels. The sound went sort of soft and limp. Don't ask me why.
While the Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 300 power amp worked brilliantly with the Rockport Antares and most other speakers I've used with it, the Lumen White/Nu-Vista 300 combo was less satisfactory. The mid/high frequency range was too sharply drawn for my (and, I bet, most listeners') taste, and, as the importer quickly noted, for some reason the powerful Nu-Vista didn't seem capable of driving the 91dB-efficient Whiteflames successfully at low listening levels. The sound went sort of soft and limp. Don't ask me why.
On the other hand, at higher, more realistic SPLs with the…
With the Rockport Antareses still fresh in my mind's ear, I gravitated toward some of the recordings used for that review, including Jascha Heifetz's Scottish Fantasy (LP, RCA/Classic LSC-2603), and Beethoven's Symphony 3 with René Leibowitz and the Royal Philharmonic (RCA/Reader's Digest boxed set). Whatever reservations I might have had when listening with the Nu-Vista 300 were quickly dispelled when I listened to these recordings through the Music Reference RM-200. With the tube amp driving the Whiteflames, strings had detail, delicacy, body, and warmth, and orchestral colors were rich…