There still remain, however, those occasions when the reviewer has to conclude that a product is of marginal value, or simply unsatisfactory in spite of its (perhaps) great virtues. Not…
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Most readers of Stereophile are in it to read about great products—things that make the hobby and art of home sound reproduction exciting. In this respect, reviewers aren't too different—we love sound reproduction and music in general, and products that help bring this to life are the cat's meow. Reviewers that can't respond with this kind of excitement don't have a place writing for this magazine.
One of the highlights of recent Consumer Electronics and Home Entertainment shows has been the demonstrations of sound quality put on by Australian amplifier manufacturer Halcro with Wilson Audio loudspeakers. At my first exposure to one of these demos—described in my April 2002 "As We See It"—enormous dynamic range was coupled with a grain-free presentation and almost holographic stereo imaging to produce a breathtaking sweep of sound. Paul Bolin reviewed Halcro's dm58 monoblock in October 2002, and that amplifier was subsequently voted this magazine's "Amplification Component of 2002" by…
The dm38 didn't pale in comparison with my 18-month-old memories of the dm58s. "Awesome dynamics," I noted, after playing Prince's Musicology (CD, NPG 74645 84692 7) two times through after hearing Prince live at Madison Square Garden; "awesome!" This CD also demonstrated the Halcro's iron-fisted control of the bass, which made the Mark Levinson No.33H monoblocks' low frequencies sound rather fat and slow in comparison.
Perhaps more important, as well as excellent macrodynamics—the differences between loud and soft and how consistent the amplifier's presentation was at the dynamic…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state stereo power amplifier with balanced (XLR) and single-ended voltage-mode and current-mode (RCA) inputs, and power-factor-corrected, switch-mode power supply. Rated output power: >180W into 8 ohms (22.6dBW), >350W into 4 ohms (22.4dBW). THD: <-110dB (<3000 parts per billion) up to 20kHz (100kHz measurement bandwidth) at full power, 350W into 4 ohms; THD at 1kHz <-130dB (300 parts per billion). IMD: <-110dB each intermodulation product resulting from a combined 19kHz+20kHz signal, each at 100W into ohms, equivalent to…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Source: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Linn Lingo power supply, Linn Ekos tonearm, Linn Arkiv MC phono cartridge, Linn Linto or Sutherland PhD phono preamplifier.
Digital sources: Mark Levinson No.31.5 CD transport; Mark Levinson No.30.6, Benchmark DAC 1, Nagra DAC, Lavry DA2002 D/A processors; EMM Labs-modified Philips SACD 1000 transport with EMM Labs DAC6 processor; Technics DVD-A10 DVD-Audio player; Arcam FMJ CD33, CD players.
Preamplification: Mark Levinson No.380S, Halcro dm10.
Power amplifiers: Mark Levinson No.33H monoblocks.
…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Not having any convenient current-source test gear, I assessed the Halcro dm38's measured performance only via its conventional balanced and unbalanced voltage-mode inputs. I ran it for an hour at 60Wpc into 8 ohms before performing any measurements. The pillars in the centers of the aluminum side moldings were just too hot to touch, implying a temperature around 65 degrees C, while the central boxes were cooler, at an estimated 50 degrees C.
The voltage gain into 8 ohms was to specification at 29.5dB via the unbalanced input, but 6dB lower via the…
John Atkinson returned to the dm38 in January 2007 (Vol.30 No.1):
When I reviewed the 180Wpc, $18,790 Halcro dm38 stereo power amplifier in October 2004, I had found a rather higher level of distortion just before the amplifier reached its clipping point than was specified by the manufacturer. I also concluded that while the solid-state dm38 sounded superb, particularly with respect to its effortless dynamics and its astonishingly clean presentation, the amplifier is balanced toward the cool side of the spectrum, and will work best with speakers and source components that don't themselves…
"Time to write another equipment report," thought the Great Reviewer, aware that the IRS would soon require another small donation to keep the country running on track. Deftly donning his Tom Wolfe vanilla suit, he sat at the antique desk acquired on one of his many all-expenses-paid research trips to Europe, patted the bust of H.L. Mencken that invariably stood by the word processor, ensured that his level of gonzo awareness was up to par, arranged his prejudices and biases in descending order of importance, checked that the requisite check was in the mail, coined a sufficient number of…
If a company merely wants to quote from a review in their advertising, we insist both that the request be made in writing and that we see the ad as it will appear in print well in advance of publication. This is in order to verify that it does not misrepresent the original review findings. I am pleased to say that this policy seems to work very smoothly, with courtesy and cooperation from manufacturers.
• The relationship between reviewers and manufacturers can be complicated. The Abso!ute Sound, for example, has a policy of refusing to allow manufacturers to communicate at all with the…
Some audiophiles tend to get a mite sniffy around those of us who have expensive tastes and limited budgets. I've always been willing to spend the price of a new car on a set of speakers, but I never had the cash or credit. The sonic virtues of hefty, high-powered Krells and wondrous, single-ended tube designs always enchanted me, but when you're raising a family you make do. Through my experiences in a high-end audio establishment I learned the metaphysics of mixing and matching as befits my lowly caste, and I gradually developed sophisticated reference points, so that as the years swept by…