Soundstage width and depth are magnificent. Following the advice of Thiel's David Gordon, I placed the speakers about 9' apart, and found his suggestion spot on. Start with the speakers far apart, and see if you're unsatisfied with the soundstage width and the center fill. My advice is to place…
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Fortunately, the CS1.5s don't have the serious disadvantages of the original Quads: they can handle some power; they're not going to arc over and burn out on you; you don't have to sit with your head clamped to one spot; and they have reasonable bass—a real 42Hz is enough to shake most floors.
Actually, the whole matter of amplification is difficult with the CS1.5s—not because the speakers are devils to drive (they're not), but because they're so damned transparent. If you try a modest solid-state amp, such as the B&K ST-1400, I'm afraid you won't get the most out of the speakers; the amp simply doesn't have the resolution. The B&K ST-1400 isn't a bad amp, it just doesn't offer the clearest window. (The same can be said of some amps that sell for four times the price.)
The Krell KSA-50S amplifier is proving to be an excellent match for the Thiel, although I haven't had…
TOM HARRELL: Wise Children
Tom Harrell, trumpet, flugelhorn, balafon; Jimmy Greene, tenor sax, flute; Xavier Davis, piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, kalimba, organ, synth bass; Ugonna Okegwo, acoustic bass, electric bass; Quincy Davis, drums
With: Cenovia Cummins, Antoine Silverman, violin; Juliet Haffner, viola; Daniel Miller, Jeffrey Szabo, cello; Mondre Moffett, Kamau Adilifu, trumpet; Luis Bonilla, trombone; Douglas Purviance, bass trombone; John Clark, Vincent Chancey, French horn; Howard Johnson, tuba; Myron Walden, alto sax; David Schumacher, baritone sax; Gil Goldstein,…
Tom Harrell, trumpet, flugelhorn, balafon; Jimmy Greene, tenor sax, flute; Xavier Davis, piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, kalimba, organ, synth bass; Ugonna Okegwo, acoustic bass, electric bass; Quincy Davis, drums
With: Cenovia Cummins, Antoine Silverman, violin; Juliet Haffner, viola; Daniel Miller, Jeffrey Szabo, cello; Mondre Moffett, Kamau Adilifu, trumpet; Luis Bonilla, trombone; Douglas Purviance, bass trombone; John Clark, Vincent Chancey, French horn; Howard Johnson, tuba; Myron Walden, alto sax; David Schumacher, baritone sax; Gil Goldstein,…
Preview, from Vol.3 No.3: We thought Audio Research's previous-model SP-2C (footnote 1) was excellent, but this is even better—the closest thing available, in fact, to the ideal straight wire with gain. Our sample had a minor glitch—there was a slight "plop" if you rotated the tone controls rapidly—but we could find nothing else about it to criticize. Currently, by far the best preamplifier than money can buy. And would you believe it uses tubes (at reduced heater voltage, for extended life and cooler operation)!
Price is a most respectable $595.
J. Gordon Holt wrote again about…
Since different tubes do sound a bit different, we would advise obtaining replacements from ARC, what ever the cost. Just remember, when the time comes, what you paid for the preamp to begin with, but if you're feeling cheap anyway, you can always order the tubes from Allied, Lafayette or Radio Shack. For example, Lafayette's 1973 catalog lists 12AX7/ECC83 tubes for $1.40 each, or $1.26 each in quantities of six to 24. That adds up to around $10 for a set of new tubes, which is $2 a year for 5 years, assuming they don't exceed that. Hardly an outrageous price for some of the best sound you've…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Vacuum-tube stereo preamplifier. Frequency response: 15Hz-30kHz, ±1dB. Distortion (THD): 0.005% at 5V out. Maximum output: 25V at 1kHz. S/N Ratio: 90dB (Aux input, no ref. level given).
Dimensions: 15 5/8" W by 5" H x 12½ D.
Price: $595 (SP-3, 1971-73); $795 (SP-3A, 1974); no longer manufactured (2003).
Manufacturer: Audio Research Corporation, 2843 26th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55406 (1973); Audio Research Corporation, 3900 Annapolis Lane North, Plymouth, MN 55447-5447. Tel: (763) 577-9700. Fax: (763) 577-0323. Web: www.audioresearch.com…
Five years after the launch of the audiophile's dream medium, Super Audio CD, the format remains stalled in the market.
Partly this is because of the market's confusion due to the competing DVD-Audio format. Partly this is because of the slow growth of recordings available on SACD, at least in the beginning. Partly this is because some SACDs remastered from older masters aren't of sufficient quality to justify the price premium for an SACD release. Partly this is because the mass market has always valued convenience over sound quality, hence the conquest of the LP by the barely…
Sound: Verona in Brooklyn
It was time to introduce the Verona. Three 75 ohm BNC–BNC cables connected the Verona's word-clock outputs to the three other components, and I set all three to recognize an incoming word-clock signal. (My hat's off to dCS for the best user manuals I have experienced, along with plastic-laminated "cheat sheets" for the most common setup configurations.) I switched on the Verona's dither, put on an SACD—Claire Martin's Too Darn Hot! (Linn AKD 243)—selected a familiar cut, "Black Coffee," and held my breath while the Verdi read the disc's Table of Contents and…
It was time to introduce the Verona. Three 75 ohm BNC–BNC cables connected the Verona's word-clock outputs to the three other components, and I set all three to recognize an incoming word-clock signal. (My hat's off to dCS for the best user manuals I have experienced, along with plastic-laminated "cheat sheets" for the most common setup configurations.) I switched on the Verona's dither, put on an SACD—Claire Martin's Too Darn Hot! (Linn AKD 243)—selected a familiar cut, "Black Coffee," and held my breath while the Verdi read the disc's Table of Contents and…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Device for distributing a master word-clock signal in a digital production/playback environment. Outputs: 5 word-clock on 75 ohm BNCs and 3 S/PDIF on RCAs, with switch-selectable dither. Input: external reference clock on BNC, switchable between TTL and bipolar formats, will lock to external TTL clock signals ranging from 32kHz to 96kHz and bipolar 10MHz signals from, for example, a GPS clock. Word-clock output frequencies: 44.1kHz, 48kHz. Word-clock accuracy/stability: ±1ppm guaranteed after six months. Typical power consumption: 16W.
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Sidebar 2: Review System
Digital Sources: Primary: dCS Verdi SACD/CD transport, dCS Elgar Plus D/A processor, connected with dCS FireWire cable for SACD playback, and for CD playback, the dCS Purcell upsampler connected to the Verdi with a DH Labs AES/EBU cable, the Elgar with FireWire. For reference: Mark Levinson No.31.5 CD transport and No.30.6 Reference or Benchmark DAC1 D/A processors connected with Illuminati Orchid AES/EBU link.
Preamplifiers: Mark Levinson No.380S, Z-Systems rdp-1.
Power Amplifiers: Mark Levinson No.33H monoblocks, Halcro dm38.
Loudspeakers: Paradigm…