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Editor: All of us at Ayre wish to thank Wes Phillips for his in-depth review of the Ayre KX-R preamplifier. It was clear from his writings that the KX-R brought him closer to the music than ever before. It was also gratifying to read that he preferred the KX-R to a highly regarded tube preamplifier. Although many people have been suggesting it for years, perhaps the time has come when a solid-state design has finally surpassed vacuum tubes in terms of sheer musicality. This truly represents a breakthrough for high-end audio design. And despite Wes's comment, I…

Technically, the title of McCoy Tyner's new album, Guitars, is a misnomer. It should have been called McCoy with Strings, given that four of his five stringed collaborators are guitarists, while the fifth "guitar" is Béla Fleck's banjo. However, the mildly misleading title is…

Paradoxically, with the best audio components, this phenomenon can occur even with unnatural recordings. The Dave Brubeck Quartet's Take…

Description: SACD/CD player with wireless IR remote control, HDCD decoding, and switchable upsampling frequency (CD playback only). Plays SACD, CD, CD-R, CD-RW. Digital outputs: AES/EBU via XLR, S/PDIF via RCA, TosLink. Analog outputs: 1 pair balanced (XLR), 1 pair single-ended (RCA). Digital inputs: AES/EBU via XLR, S/PDIF via RCA, TosLink; capable of accepting sample rates up to 192kHz. Control inputs: RS-232 port via 9-pin D-subminiature connector. Frequency range: 2Hz–22kHz CD, 2Hz–100kHz SACD. Channel separation: 109dB at 1kHz. THD: 0.0004% at 1kHz. Maximum…

Digital Sources: Ayre C-5xe universal player; PrimaLuna ProLogue Eight CD player; Mark Levinson No.30.6, Benchmark DAC 1 USB D/A converters; Logitech (Slim Devices) Transporter WiFi music player with Apple Mac mini for media storage.
Preamplifiers: Mark Levinson No.380S, Ayre KX-R, Simaudio Moon Evolution P-7.
Power Amplifiers: Mark Levinson No.33H, Musical Fidelity 750k Supercharger, Ayre MX-R (all monoblocks).
Loudspeakers: PSB Synchrony One, Dynaudio Sapphire, Totem Model 1 Signature, Revel Ultima Salon2.
Cables: Digital: Kimber…

I examined the Cary CD 306 SACD Professional Version's measured behavior using Audio Precision's top-model SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and "As We See It" in the January 2008 issue), as well as, for some tests, our Audio Precision System One and the Miller Audio Research Jitter Analyzer.

The Cary's maximum output level from its balanced jacks was 5.9V with both CD and SACD data; it was 2.93V from the unbalanced jacks. Both sets of outputs preserved absolute polarity; ie, were non-inverting. (The XLRs are wired with pin 2 hot.) The output impedance was…

After I'd been happily listening for a few months to the Marantz SA-11S2's warm, detailed, emotionally involving sound, John Atkinson sent along Cary Audio Design's CD 306 Professional Version SACD player ($8000) that he had reviewed in November 2008 (Vol.31 No.11). He suggested I use it as a benchmark against which to evaluate the Marantz. Direct comparisons of the players' sounds proved enlightening and constructive; the differences remained consistent through the playing of a wide variety of CDs and SACDs. In…

Analog Sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn, Cobra, & Castellon turntable, tonearm & stand; Graham Phantom tonearm; Lyra Titan i, Koetsu Coralstone Platinum mono cartridges.
Digital Sources: Musical Fidelity kW DM25 CD transport & DAC, Marantz SA-11S2 SACD player, BPT-modified Alesis Masterlink hard-disk recorder.
Preamplification: Manley Steelhead, Einstein Turntable's Choice phono preamplifiers; darTZeel NHB-18NS preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Musical Fidelity kW monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Wilson MAXX 2.
Cables:…

Then I got a phone call from HeadRoom's Tyll Hertsens. "Dude! You have got to hear the rewiring job we've done on the '701s. We hardwire a four-conductor Cardas cable directly to the drivers, eliminating at least two solder joints—then we put a Cardas ¼" plug on the end…