Digital Sources: Sony XA-5400ES SACD/CD player, Oppo DV-983H universal player.
Preamplification: Integra DTC-9.8 preamplifier-processor.
Power Amplifier: Bryston 9B-STT.
Loudspeakers: Paradigm Studio/60 v3, Paradigm Servo-15 subwoofer.
Cables: Interconnect: Kubala-Sosna Fascination (balanced). Speaker: Kubala-Sosna Fascination. AC: Kubala-Sosna Emotion.
Accessories: XTZ Room Analyzer, APC S-15 power conditioner.—Kalman Rubinson
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Sidebar 3: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 4: Measurements
The PSB Imagine T's voltage sensitivity was to specification, at 88dB(B)/2.83V/m. Its impedance with both ports open (fig.1) dropped to just below 5 ohms in the lower midrange, but averaged 8 ohms at higher frequencies with, as usual, the larger electrical phase angle occurring when the magnitude was high, which will ameliorate the drive difficulty this might otherwise have caused. The saddle centered on 56Hz in the magnitude trace in this graph suggests that this is the tuning frequency of the twin ports. With both ports plugged, which is what Kal Rubinson found…
A new integrated amplifier called the Lars Type 1, which made its debut at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show, has given my notion of a dichotomy between mainstream audio and alternative audio a severe beating. In that sense, the Lars Type 1 has been a life-changing product, although the change took longer than expected for me to digest.
Designed by Lars Engström and manufactured in Sweden by E & E Ingenjörsbyrå (footnote 1), the Lars Type 1 is supplied in two halves, each of which comprises a single, monophonic integrated amplifier. But they're not identical: One chassis has…
The Lars Type 1 also came closer than anything I've heard to having the ideal treble performance: apparently limitless detail and air, yet without the slightest suggestion of harshness or grain. The amp had the least artificial, most natural treble performance I've ever heard from a domestic audio product of any sort. If the Lars were a speaker instead of an amplifier, it would make even the Quad ESL sound sick.
The Lars Type 1's "great obligation to the beat," to use Wes Phillips' phrase, continued unabated with pop fare. The electronic percussion throughout XTC's Mummer (Japanese…
Back when there were bricks-and-mortar retail record stores to speak of in tenses other than past, I used to participate in new-release conferences. Retail-store buyers—the people who decided whether consumers would see your CDs as they browsed in the stores—would gather at a nice destination, such as Lake George, New York. The various labels would then make presentations about their upcoming new releases.
At one such conference, a classical buyer for Tower Records (remember them?) made a point of telling me that, when he'd received a copy I'd mailed him of violinist Arturo Delmoni's…
Again, fortunately, you can get your feet, or at least your pinky-toe, wet for free, because ArkivMusic has put up sound samples not only of the Mahler, but of Accentus's recordings of works by Vivaldi, Debussy, and Barber as well. Barber transcribed his own Adagio for Strings as an "Agnus Dei" for mixed chorus; Accentus's version is painfully beautiful. The Vivaldi swerves perilously close to the precincts previously haunted by Ward Swingle and his minions, but it's all good clean fun.
So, this knocks me out, too. However, my recommendation is mostly directed toward choral enthusiasts…
While my enthusiasm for the long-discontinued Sony PlayStation 1 remains high (see the July 2008 Stereophile), I freely acknowledge that not every high-end audio enthusiast wants a CD player with an injection-molded chassis, a Robot Commando handset, and a remarkable lack of long-term reliability: Yes, the Sony sounds wonderful, but sound isn't everything.
Nor is an expensive high-end CD player the answer to everyone's needs. With world-class LP players available for a few thousand dollars and up, some hobbyists are, if anything, increasingly reluctant to spend that much or more…
For its part, the Cosecant's outboard power supply was well beyond the usual wall wart in design and execution, with a neat, robust circuit board, high-quality parts—especially the transformer, regulators, and heatsinks—and an attractive exterior of extruded aluminum. When this power supply collected dust bunnies, I felt guilty and cleaned them away.
Installation and setup
Despite—or perhaps owing to—its apparent sophistication of design, installing the Wavelength Cosecant took no more than 10 minutes, from shipping carton to system. Within another minute, it was making music and…
A good example: Playing "Revolution 1," from The Beatles (CD, Parlophone CDP 7 46444)—a 20-year-old digital mastering of a 40-year-old analog recording, mind you—the Sony SACD/CD player sounded more "hi-fi," with slightly more extended trebles. But the Apple-Wavelength combo was in fact a great deal more insightful, giving a clearer view of the lines played by various backing instruments, especially pertaining to the rhythms they convey. That was even truer on "Good Night," where the Apple-Wavelength combo succeeded at getting across the unusual rhythmic figure played by the lower strings…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Single-box digital-to-analog converter with USB data input for use with Macintosh or Windows PCs. Supported input data formats: 16- or 24-bit word lengths; 44.1, 48, 88.2, or 96kHz sample rates. Analog output jacks: 1 pair RCA. Output impedance: 500 ohms. Maximum output voltage: 2.5V (partly tube-dependent). Frequency range: 20Hz–20kHz.
Dimensions: 6.5" (165mm) W by 5.5" (140mm) H by 6.5" (165mm) D. Weight: 3 lbs (1.4kg).
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: 26-0078.
Price: $3500; optional volume control, add $500; optional silver output…