LOS LOBOS: El Cancionero Mas Y Mas
Warner Archives/Rhino RS 76670-2 (4 CDs). 2000. Los Lobos, Luis Torres, T Bone Burnett, Ry Cooder, Mitchell Froom, Hal Willner, others, prods.; Larry Hirsch, Tchad Blake, Bob Schaper, John Paterno, others, engs. AAD? TT: 5:01:49
Performance *****
Sonics **** The bar had stopped selling beer at least two hours ago, and it was now probably three hours after the band should have quit playing. Yet there they were—Louis Perez, David Hidalgo, Conrad Lozano, Cesar Rosas, and Steve Berlin—still onstage, feeding off a sweat-drenched, beer-soaked,…
TERRY EVANS: Blues for Thought
PointBlank/Charisma/Virgin 39064 2 (CD only). Ry Cooder, prod.; Mark Ettel, eng. AAD? TT: 49:18 Terry Evans and Bobby King sang backing (and some lead) vocals for Ry Cooder for years in the studio and on the road. Cooder returned the favor a few years back by producing Live and Let Live!, the duo's first album on their own. It was a stunner: punchy, gutbucket blues and R&B with vocals pitched at a level of commitment unrivaled until Mighty Sam McClain came along last year. Did Live and Let Live! sound good? Recorded live in the studio, you could see…
Prejudice is bad—whether it's directed at people, places, or things. You know how it goes: digital is "bright," analog is "warm," solid-state is "brittle and etched," tubes are "smooth and soft" dynamic drivers are "low-resolution," electrostats and planars are "high-resolution" copper wire is "smooth," silver is "bright," etc. While putting everything that crosses your path into one box or another makes life simpler and seemingly more organized, the truth, musical or otherwise, usually gets mutilated in the process. Not that we all don't have preferences—but those are not the same as…
The 175, though not designed by the senior Manley, is based on the basic circuit guidelines outlined in his book on tube design, The Vacuum Tube Logic Book. The power supply features a solid-state rectifier bridge and a pair of 3800µF caps—meat'n'potatoes stuff. The power tubes are more unusual: 807s—inexpensive, relatively low-power radio transmitter devices (no longer in use for that purpose) that feature ultra-wideband response said to reach from above 125MHz down to DC. Using the 807s (similar to KT66s, according to Manley's book) as power tubes is tricky, because their wide bandwidth…
Sound
The MB 175s replaced a pair of Cary 805s I'd been auditioning for the previous few months. When Luke Manley told me "bass punch" with large woofered speakers was not the 175's strong suit, I was concerned about losing the Cary's luxurious, single-ended, triode midrange purity and getting nothing compensatory from the VTLs. So I was more than pleasantly surprised by the 175's low-frequency performance; to my ears, it bettered what I got from the larger 300 in every respect save that of sheer power. In fact, the MB 175 proved to be an ideal match for the Audio Physic Virgos,…
While the 175s imaged superbly through the Virgos, they didn't offer the ultimate in soundstage depth. Both the VTL 300s and the Carys push the rear of the sonically visible stage somewhat farther back and out to the corners. The 175's stage picture is more ovoid than square, probably due to the amp's faster, more prominent top end. Brighter balance equals more forward picture—not that the VTLs sound bright. I've come to find the 175s more neutral and pleasingly "analytical," if not as seductive as the Carys or as "massive"-sounding as the 300s. Despite its outstanding high-frequency…
You can have that by shifting to triode operation at a flick of the front-panel switch (after turning the amps off!). I tried it but didn't end up liking it very much. Ninety watts sounded anemic to me, with sloppier bass and compressed dynamics. Rock music got stuck in the mud, solo violin sounded a bit more rich but too syrupy for my taste. Perhaps the amps would work better in triode mode with other, easier-to-drive loudspeakers. I preferred the taut bottom-end control, the outstanding high-frequency extension, and the overall dynamic thrust tetrode operation offered. I did all of my…
Sidebar 1: Specifications Description: Vacuum-tube monoblock amplifier. Output power (20Hz-20kHz into 4 ohms): 175W (19.4dBW) (tetrode), 90W (16.5dBW) (triode). THD (20Hz-20kHz at maximum power): 3%, tetrode or triode mode. S/N ratio: 106dB (tetrode, 120Hz); 108dB (triode, 120Hz). Input sensitivity (for full output): 1V. Input impedance: 130k ohms. Load impedance: 3-8 ohms. Power consumption: 160W idle, 380W full power.
Dimensions: 19" W by 8.5" H by 10" D. Weight: 50 lbs.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 501262 & 3.
Price: $4990/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 35.
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment Analog Front-End: Transfiguration Temper, Lyra Parnassus and Clavis D.C., AudioQuest Fe-5, Dynavector XX-1L, Crown Jewel cartridges. Rockport Series 6000, Graham 1.5t/C, JMW Memorial, Immedia RPM 2, Wheaton Triplanar IV Ultimate tonearms. VPI TNT Mk.IV turntable.
Digital Front-End: Audio Alchemy DDS•Pro transport, DTI•Pro 32 enhancer/jitter reducer, Enlightened Audio DSP 9000 III HDCD processor.
Preamplification: Audible Illusion Modulus 3A preamp, Millennium line-stage, Audio Research PH-3, FM Acoustics 122, Plinius 14 phono sections.
Power…
Sidebar 3: Measurements The VTL MB 175 amplifier developed a glitch about halfway through my first attempt at measuring it, the S/N and THD+noise deteriorating markedly. I suspected a bad tube, but Luke Manley of VTL elected to fly to Santa Fe to repair the amp on the spot. In the process he also made some minor upgrades to the power supply and tweaked the bias. The measurements presented here reflect those changes. I suspect that the initial defect I discovered happened either in transit or on the bench. Had MF experienced the noise level the unit exhibited for me at its worst (it was -…
