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I examined the measured behavior of the Bel Canto USB Link 24/96 using the Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and "As We See It" in the January 2008 issue) and the Miller Audio Research Jitter Analyzer. I played back test tones at various sample rates and bit depths from Audacity on a dual-core Pentium PC running Windows XP, and from Audacity and BIAS Peak Pro 6 on a Mac mini running OS10.4.11.

To check whether the USB Link was bit-transparent, I fed its S/PDIF output to an RME soundcard fitted to a second PC and recorded the data using Adobe…

In May 2009 I reviewed Bel Canto's USB Link 24/96...I found that the USB Link 24/96 had quite a high level of jitter on its S/PDIF output, but with a modern DAC like the Benchmark DAC 1 or Bel Canto's own e.One DAC3, both of which have superb jitter rejection, this wasn't an issue. The USB Link 24/96 became a regular member of my system, and Stereophile writers Wes Phillips and Larry Greenhill are also fans. A drop in price from $495 to $249 at the beginning of 2010 made it an even better value, though it no longer comes…

Pass's influence has now spanned three decades and shows no signs of stopping. Card-carrying audio junkies and the more-power-is-always-better crowd have long lusted after his megawatt beauties. The flea-power amp and open-baffle types drool over the Zen models of his First…

What could possibly sound worse than an unclean record? A record that was ruined by cleaning—whether through bad luck, carelessness, or a poorly chosen cleaner.

There are two or three such discs in my own collection. One is a British compilation LP by the Move, Shines On, which I bought in 1986 just so I could have the singles "Tonight," "Do Ya," "Chinatown," and "California Man." After listening to the record once or twice, I decided to "improve" it by washing it on my pricey, audiophile-…

And none of that tripped me up, for one very good reason: I've had the pleasure of living with an older Keith Monks RCM for nearly two years—a generous loan in exchange for my having fixed it for a friend. (I replaced the Delrin vacuum head, the fluid-collection tank, and the pinion gear on the motor that drives the thread-dispensing…

But what, exactly, is a "Linnie"? I've heard several definitions over the years: 1) a fan of audio gear manufactured by Linn Products; 2) an audiophile who believes that a system's front-end, whether analog or digital, is its most critical part; 3) an audiophile who believes that a system's ability to "carry the tune" and inspire the listener to "tap his feet" to the music is at least as important as its neutrality, resolution of detail, and ability to soundstage.

My purchase of a Linn Sondek LP12 turntable in 1982 certainly…

Description: Three-way, reflex-loaded stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 0.75" (19mm) fabric-dome supertweeter, 1.2" (30mm) polyurethane elastomer soft-dome tweeter, 5" hand-coated paper-cone woofer. Crossover frequencies: 1.5kHz, 6kHz. Crossover options: conventional passive or fully Aktiv. Frequency range: 72Hz–>20kHz (65Hz–>20kHz Aktiv version). Impedance: 4 ohms (7 ohms each drive-unit, Aktiv version). Sensitivity: 88dB/W/m (1kHz).
Dimensions: 12.75" (327mm) H by 7.5" (192mm) W by 10" (256mm) D. Weight: 13 lbs (5.9kg). Dedicated stands: 23.4…

Analog Sources: VPI TNT-IV turntable & Immedia tonearm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge; Rega Planar 3 turntable & Syrinx PU-3 tonearm, Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood cartridge.
Digital Sources: Lector CDP-7T, Creek Destiny CD players.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D phono stage; Audio Valve Conductor, Eclipse line stages.
Power Amplifiers: Audio Research Reference 110, Creek Destiny.
Loudspeakers: Amphion Helium2, Epos M16i, Monitor Audio RS6 Silver.
Cables: Interconnect (all MIT): Magnum, MI-350 CVTwin Terminator, CVT Terminator 2.…

The Linn Majik 109's voltage sensitivity is specified as 88dB/W/m at a single frequency, 1kHz. I prefer a broadband figure, as the sensitivity at one specific frequency can be misleading. My estimate of the Linn's B-weighted sensitivity was significantly lower than the specification, at 85dB(B)/2.83V/m. The speaker's impedance remained between 4 and 8 ohms over much of the audioband (fig.1), but did drop almost to 3 ohms in the mid-treble. Fortunately, the electrical phase angle is low at that frequency, ameliorating the drive difficulty.

Fig.1…