Anthony H. Cordesman

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Acoustic Research MGC-1 loudspeaker
Floor Loudspeaker Reviews
Alvin Gold, Anthony H. Cordesman  |  Sep 15, 2015  |  First Published: Jan 01, 1985  |  3 comments
There's virtue in being in the right place at the right time. The right place in this story was the headquarters of Acoustic Research in Boston, MA, and the right time was just a couple of weeks or so before the subject of this piece was to be shown (but not heard) at a press conference in New York. Even within that short two weeks, the rot started to set in. What I saw (and heard) in Boston on that occasion was a loudspeaker that stakes a reasonable claim on being revolutionary. A rare event that. The project name was The Magic Box and I was hoping that is what it might have been called when it went on sale. The Magic Box does, after all, conjure up an image of something a little special, and it's also easy to remember.
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Adcom GFA-555 power amplifier
Solid State Power Amp ReviewsHistorical
Anthony H. Cordesman, Various  |  Apr 05, 1995  |  First Published: Apr 06, 1985  |  1 comments
I am reluctant to call any given transistor power amplifier a "best buy" or "breakthrough." From my talks with designers and other audiophiles, it is clear that the state of the art in power amplifiers is about to change. From where I stand, the Adcom GFA-555 is the first sample of this new wave. It is so clearly superior to past amplifiers in the low- to mid-priced range—not to mention most amplifiers two to three times its pric—that I can unhesitatingly recommend it for even the most demanding high end system.
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Audio Research D-160B power amplifier
Tube Power Amp Reviews
Anthony H. Cordesman  |  Sep 23, 2011  |  First Published: Jun 01, 1984  |  0 comments
The Audio Research D-160B has been heavily modified since the D-160A, and uses the same technology as the D-70, D-115, and D-250. It embodies William Z. Johnson's latest transformer and power supply designs, his latest choice of capacitors and resistors, and the same independent regulation of screens, drivers, and front end. D-160s and D-160As can be converted to D-160Bs for $1500.
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Audio Research SP-10 preamplifier
Tube Preamp ReviewsAudacious Audio
Anthony H. Cordesman  |  Jul 24, 2009  |  First Published: Jun 24, 1984  |  0 comments
It says something for the state of technology that, after a quarter of a century, there still is no authoritative explanation for why so many high-end audiophiles prefer tubes. Tubes not only refuse to die, they seem to be Coming back. The number of US and British firms making high-end tube equipment is growing steadily, and an increasing number of comparatively low-priced units are becoming available. There is a large market in renovated or used tube equipment—I must confess to owning a converted McIntosh MR-71 tuner—and there are even some indications that tube manufacturers are improving their reliability, although getting good tubes remains a problem.
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Audio Research SP-11 preamplifier
Tube Preamp ReviewsJ. Gordon Holt
Anthony H. Cordesman, J. Gordon Holt  |  Jun 10, 1995  |  First Published: Jun 10, 1986  |  0 comments
If there is indeed a renaissance of tubes in high-end audio—and it is clear there is—much of the blame lies with Audio Research Corporation.
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Conrad-Johnson Premier 3 preamplifier
Tube Preamp ReviewsJ. Gordon Holt
Anthony H. Cordesman  |  Oct 30, 2009  |  First Published: Jun 30, 1984  |  1 comments
It says something for the state of technology that, after a quarter of a century, there still is no authoritative explanation for why so many high-end audiophiles prefer tubes. Tubes not only refuse to die, they seem to be Coming back. The number of US and British firms making high-end tube equipment is growing steadily, and an increasing number of comparatively low-priced units are becoming available. There is a large market in renovated or used tube equipment—I must confess to owning a converted McIntosh MR-71 tuner—and there are even some indications that tube manufacturers are improving their reliability, although getting good tubes remains a problem.
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Conrad-Johnson Premier Four power amplifier
Tube Power Amp Reviews
Anthony H. Cordesman  |  Sep 23, 2011  |  First Published: Jun 01, 1984  |  0 comments
66cjp4.jpgIt says something for the state of technology that, after a quarter of a century, there still is no authoritative explanation for why so many high-end audiophiles prefer tubes. Tubes not only refuse to die, they seem to be coming back. The number of US and British firms making high-end tube equipment is growing steadily, and an increasing number of comparatively low-priced units are becoming available. There is a large market in renovated or used tube equipment—I must confess to owning a converted McIntosh MR-71 tuner—and there are even some indications that tube manufacturers are improving their reliability, although getting good tubes remains a problem.
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Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 preamplifier
Tube Preamp Reviews
Anthony H. Cordesman, Various  |  Nov 10, 1996  |  First Published: Nov 10, 1986  |  1 comments
It takes more than passing courage to make another assault on building the world's best tube preamplifier. You face stiff competition from well-established firms like Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, and Counterpoint. Such units can't be made inexpensively, and you face the steadily growing problem of tube supply: it is getting harder and harder to get tubes that are stable, have predictable sound and performance characteristics, and are long-lived. And you have to show audiophiles who have been burned before that you will still be around when they need service.
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Counterpoint SA-4 monoblock power amplifier
Audacious AudioTube Power Amp Reviews
Anthony H. Cordesman  |  Nov 15, 2018  |  First Published: Jun 01, 1986  |  4 comments
Some audio products deliver truly superb sound of a kind that really makes all the frustrations of building a high-end system worthwhile; they also require exceptional attention and care. The Counterpoint SA-4 is a case in point. With the right speakers, it competes for the title of "Most Transparent Amplifier Available at Any Price." On the other hand, this amplifier steadily loses output power as speaker impedance drops; it must be carefully matched to the right speaker. Then, and only then, can it produce one of the finest musical experiences available.
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Eminent Technology LFT-III loudspeaker
Floor Loudspeaker Reviews
Anthony H. Cordesman  |  Feb 24, 2009  |  First Published: Apr 24, 1987  |  0 comments
There is something especially exciting about a new loudspeaker design, if only because speakers are the component where one constantly hopes for the sonic miracle that will suddenly make it all sound real. No other component has the same overall impact in coloring the system, presents more room problems, or inspires more frustration on the road to the perfect system.
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