Bob reached into his bag of tricks and dropped the output of the 1.0 from 500 watts below 30Hz, to a mere 65–100W. Believe it or not, even though we were listening at subdued levels, that did the trick: the 1.0 was now a bit muddy…
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But, as we relaxed with a Sheffield jazz record, we thought we picked up a difference between the reference and the 1.0. With the reference, the low range of the guitar was a bit ill-defined; with the 1.0, you could "count the cycles." Granted, in this respect the 1.0 was better than the reference, but that was beside the point! We were looking for duplication.
"Tax proposed to fund Public TV, radio," read the newspaper headline. The Working Group for Public Broadcasting, described as a "private study group," was proposing to free public broadcasting "from improper political and commercial influences" by replacing its $228 million in congressional appropriations and $70 million or so in corporate funding with $600 million to be raised from a new sales tax on electronic equipment. The article went on to say that the proposal was being sent to the congressional panels concerned with communications (ie, the commerce committees), where it could become…
An Open Letter To: Working Group for Public Broadcasting
c/o Kiplinger Midcareer Program
School of Journalism
The Ohio State University
242 West 18th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
c/o Kiplinger Midcareer Program
School of Journalism
The Ohio State University
242 West 18th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
We recently read your pamphlet, Public Broadcasting: A National Asset to Be Preserved, Promoted and Protected; A Proposal, from cover to cover. We even read the back cover, where you invited us to join the WGPB, and thoughtfully provided a postpaid reply card for that purpose. We wish we could accept your invitation but, for the present, we can't. And we feel compelled to tell you why we can't…
The Working Group for Public Broadcasting
Restructuring of Public Broadcasting Proposed by the Working Group
New York: A plan to free public broadcasting from improper government and corporate influences was presented today by the Working Group for Public Broadcasting, an organization of educators, journalists, communications lawyers, producers and others concerned with the quality, integrity and diversity of public broadcasting. (A list of the organizing members is attached.)
The proposal, called "Public Broadcasting: A National Asset to be Preserved, Promoted and Protected…
Willie Nile: House of a Thousand Guitars
Circle P/River House RHR9904 (CD). 2009. Willie Nile, Brad Albetta, Frankie Lee, Andy York, prods.; Stewart Lerman, Rich Pagano, prods., engs.; Rich Lamb, eng. AAD? TT: 52:36
Performance ****½
Sonics ***½
Music careers have different trajectories—some painfully long, some mercifully short. Success can be elusive in either case, and disappointment can kill the spirit. In the craft and business of music, only the strong survive.
Back in the late 1970s, a skinny, humble kid from Buffalo, New York, was fast becoming the next big thing in the…
For roughly the same amount of money, you can buy a new Toyota Camry or a used mid-sized Mercedes-Benz sedan. The new car has several things going in its favor: no one else has ever driven it, smoked in it, or ferried dogs and kids and fast-food leavings in it, and it comes with a fresh warranty and the latest safety equipment. But the used Mercedes has other things in its favor: having started with a much larger "build budget," it is, simply, more car for the money all around—you just have to pick a good one.
Over a longer time scale, cars seem divisible into two groups following…
Much has happened in the analog world since I reviewed SME's flagship Model 30/2 turntable for the March 2003 Stereophile (footnote 1). Back then, spending $25,000 on a turntable (without tonearm) was an odd extravagance intended only for those seriously committed to the format, and who already owned large LP collections. Although new LPs were being pressed in growing numbers, the resurgence of vinyl was still spotty, and the long-term prognosis for the old medium remained in question.
Not any more. In 2009, we're in the midst of an explosion of new vinyl capable of vaporizing…
What I wrote in 2003 of the Model 30/2's build quality and fit'n'finish is also true of the 20/12: "The machining quality of the proprietary setup tools and the smoothness and unfailing certainty with which the various locking screws rotate in their threaded sockets—not to mention the feel of the unlocking mechanisms—enhanced my confidence that the buyer's money will be well spent. The 30/2 is an heirloom product meant to be enjoyed and passed down from generation to generation."
No-nonsense engineering
Because playing records is all about turning mechanical into electrical energy…
Another issue worth considering is the dynamic behavior of a longer, higher-mass tonearm. A longer arm's moment of inertia is greater. It takes the longer arm more time to react to a warp or eccentricity, and more to "settle" again afterward. Applied in moderation, damping, like a car's shock absorbers, can limit excursions and help control arm behavior.
Longer arms require less of an offset angle, which means there's less skating, but there still is some; some means of applying an antiskating force is still required. SME implements it with a tension spring and filament.
To sum…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Belt-driven turntable with fluid-damped O-ring suspension and three-phase, eight-pole motor with electronic controller. Speeds: 33.33, 45, 78rpm, all adjustable. Wow & flutter, rumble: not specified. Includes soft dustcover, tools, gauges, strobe disc, other accessories.
Dimensions: Turntable: 20.5" (520mm) W by 6.9" (175mm) H by 14.8" (375mm) D. Weight: 78 lbs (35.5kg). Tonearm: 12" (308.19mm) effective length. Weight: 0.42 oz (12gm).
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: 001.
Price: $28,000 with 312S tonearm. Approximate number of dealers:…