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THERE ARE AS MANY OPINIONS AS THERE ARE EXPERTS
AS WE BY JIM AUSTIN
SEE IT
THIS ISSUE :
The recorded-music industry is thriving
again, thanks to streaming and—to a lesser
extent—vinyl records. So, share the wealth.
Won’t get fooled again
I
’m excited about the return of live music to New York City. I’ve attended several Not quite, but almost. Except in one
classical concerts in the last few weeks, and in a week or so, I’ll take in a show at the instance, the numbers presented above
City Winery: Suzanne Vega. I haven’t yet made it back to New York’s amazing jazz are not inflation-adjusted. Still, if revenues
clubs—the Vanguard, the Blue Note, Smalls—but I look forward to doing so soon, continue to grow at their current rate, the
especially to dropping in on my jazz local, Smoke,1 when it reopens in a few weeks in industry should reach an inflation-adjusted
new, larger digs. all-time high sometime in 2024. And
there’s no end in sight.
What I’m most excited about, though, is sales could hit $1 billion in 2021. The last So much for record companies; what
the resurgence of recorded music. time vinyl-record sales exceeded $1 billion about streaming companies? The only
It has been almost a quarter-century was 1985. streaming company I’m aware of that
since the internet almost took down the (An aside: The last time inflation- reports their streaming revenues in a
recorded-music industry. For a thorough adjusted CD revenues were as low as they dependable and consistent way is Spotify.
account, read Stephen Witt’s book How were last year was 1984, the year after the Spotify reported $75 million in operating
Music Got Free: A Story of Obsession and format’s US commercial introduction.) income in its third fiscal quarter, which
Invention,2 but here’s the story in outline: However robust its sales growth, vinyl is ended on September 30. That’s not bad
In the late 1990s, two technologies—the little more than a footnote. The real story for a company that’s said that it isn’t yet
internet and MP3—made it feasible to steal is streaming, supported by paid subscrip- focused on profits. (For the moment at
and trade music files. Illegal “file sharing” tions. For several years, subscription- least, Spotify streams MP3. Those MP3
became a popular pastime. CD pressing streaming revenues increased by more files, though, are much higher quality than
plants were infiltrated. Teams competed to the early, low-rez files people traded.)
see who could put the hottest new music The real story is Why is a profitable industry so impor-
online first (in crappy-sounding, low-rez tant? Here are some reasons: Because it
MP3 files), often before the official CD hit
streaming, supported means people are listening to music and
record stores. by paid subscriptions. spending money on music in economically
Eager to end this existential threat, big powerful numbers; that can only be good
music companies panicked. They started than $1 billion annually—until last year, for hi-fi. Second, because a healthy music
suing customers, including old ladies, small when the pandemic limited that increase industry is the foundation of our hobby.
children, and pets. to a mere $800 million. But if revenues in Third, because it means there’s a business
Recorded-music revenues reached a the second half of 2021 match revenues model, based on streaming, that’s capable
high of more than $14 billion in 1999, as from the first half, 2021 revenues will in- of supporting the industry (hence our
the tidal wave was gaining momentum. A crease by $2.2 billion—31% over the previ- music habit) for the foreseeable future.
decade later, revenues were half what they ous year. In the quarter ending September And yet, there’s one crucial party
had been at their peak. 30, both Warner and Universal reported that’s not yet thriving in the new music
The music industry started to recover in streaming-revenue growth of about 27%. landscape. So far in this new, streaming-
2016, at a fast and consistent rate. Rev- Sony’s increase was 45%. dominated music system, musicians—the
enues grew $1 billion–$1.4 billion each Those revenue numbers are impressive, ultimate source of all this goodness—are
year, according to the Recording Industry but revenues don’t always equal profits. once again getting short-changed by
Association of America (RIAA), reaching In this case, they do: Warner Music (to record companies. “Why all this talk of
$12.2 billion in 2020, just $2.4 billion be- choose one example) recently issued finan- robbing and stealing [music] now,” asked
low the 1999 peak. RIAA’s 2021 midyear cial reports for the quarter and fiscal year Courtney Love, when “recording artists
report shows a six-month revenue increase that ended September 30. For the quarter, have essentially been giving their music
of $1.5 billion over the same period a year Warner reported $100 million in operating away for free [to the record companies]
earlier—a 27% increase, the largest yet. If income on revenues of $1.37 billion—a under the old system?”3 She asked that in
those trends continue, US recorded-music healthy 7.3% return. For the fiscal year, 2000, just as those music companies were
revenues may already have reached a new their net income was $307 million. Re- about to get their comeuppance. Meet the
historic peak by the time you read this. corded music is profitable again. new boss, same as the old boss.
The numbers for vinyl record sales are On September 21, 2021, Universal Mu- The industry is profitable again—that’s
even more remarkable. Sales of LPs and sic held a successful IPO in Amsterdam, good. Now it’s time for musicians to get
EPs hit a historic low of $14.2 million in ending the day 36% above the original what they’ve got coming. Q
2005; 15 years later, vinyl revenues totaled asking price, valuing the company at $55
$619.6 million. According to the RIAA’s billion. (As I write this, the company’s 1 See smokejazz.com.
2 See stereophile.com/content/mqa-aliasing-b-splines-
2021 midyear report, six-month revenues market cap is $49.5 billion.) centers-gravity-karlheinz-brandenburg-and-mp3.
were up 97% over a year earlier—to $467 Does all this mean that the recovery of 3 See stereophile.com/thinkpieces/379/index.html and
million for half a year’s sales. Vinyl-record the recorded-music industry is complete? scroll down until you see “Courtney Love.”
stereophile.com Q February 2022 3

FEBRUARY 2022 Vol.45 No.2
p.135
FEATURES
37 Death-Defying Discs
In Records to Die For 2022, writers recommend some records
that might just keep you alive a little bit longer. Maybe.
121 Keb’ Mo’: “Music Was Mine to Experience”
With a new record, the bluesman continues to follow the path
beneath his feet. By Rogier van Bakel.
EQUIPMENT REPORTS
64 Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G loudspeaker
by Rob Schryer
75 Riviera Audio Laboratories Levante integrated
amplifier
by Herb Reichert
87 Fyne Audio F500SP loudspeaker
by Ken Micallef
97 Topping Pre90 preamplifier
by Kalman Rubinson
107 Questyle M12 headphone amp D/A converter
by John Atkinson
FOLLOW-UP Stereophile (USPS #734-970 ISSN: 0585-2544) Vol.45 No.2, February 2022, Issue Number 505.
117 darTZeel NHB-18NS preamplifier Copyright © 2022 by AVTech Media Americas Inc. All rights reserved. Published monthly by AVTech
Media Americas Inc., 260 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016. Periodicals Postage paid at
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FEBRUARY 2022 Vol.45 No.2
3 As We See It
The recorded-music industry is G p.25
approaching full recovery. It’s time YOUR SET ON
OA
to give musicians their due. VISIT THPBOX!
STEREOP E
HILE.CO
FORUMS M
11 Letters
More new rock music. Plus: Old rockers
never die.
13 Industry Update
Remembering two industry luminaries who died too young;
the Home Entertainment Show announces plans to expand to
Denver and New Orleans; McIntosh and Sonus Faber take hi-fi
to Ibiza, and Sonus Faber acquires the shop where its cabinets
are made; Peak Consult gets revitalized; plus, the latest new
products from across the industry, and upcoming audiophile
events from across America and worldwide.
p.31
STAY INFORMED: GO TO STEREOPHILE.COM
FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE INFO.
25 Analog Corner
Phono cartridge setup is a diagnostic exercise, says Mikey.
31 Gramophone Dreams
Herb auditions a headphone amplifier and a “hybrid” power
supply from Ferrum Audio, a new brand from Poland.
135 Revinylization
Two classic Mingus albums in excellent sound. By Fred Kaplan.
137 Rediscoveries
Joe Henderson, Blue Note and beyond. By Ken Micallef.
139 Record Reviews

Our Recording of the Month for February is the 50th Anniversary p.25
Deluxe reissue of the Doors’ L.A. Woman. Plus, 40th Anniversary
reissues of the Pretenders’ first two albums and new music from
Ben Lamar Gay and Damon Albarn. In Classical, we’ve got music
from Hindemith and Cecilia Bartoli and nocturnal transforma-
tions by R. Strauss, Respighi, and Schoenberg. In Jazz, there’s p.139
piano music from Edward Simon, a tribute to Louis Armstrong,
and an important new album from Fred Hersch. INFORMATION
149 Re-Tales 150 Manufacturers’ Showcase
Selling hi-fi gear in record stores. By Julie Mullins 150 Dealers’ Showcase
153 Manufacturers’ Comments 151 Advertiser Index
Representatives of Accustic Arts, Ferrum Audio, Monitor 152 Audio Mart
Audio, Fyne Audio, and Questyle respond to our reviews of
their products.
154 My Back Pages p.139

Grammy Award–winning recording engineer Jim Anderson says
Follow Stereophile on Facebook:
his goal in making a record is to get you to focus on the music www.facebook.com/stereophile.
and not the sound.

FEBRUARY 2022
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LETTERS
TAKE HEED! Unless marked otherwise, all letters to the
magazine and its writers are assumed to be for possible
FEEDBACK TO THE EDITOR publication. Please include your name and physical address.
We reserve the right to edit for length and content.
New rock music I’d love to see more new I took the liberty of creating a Spotify
Enjoyed your November column “Glory playlist of some of my favorite tracks released
Days.” As a fellow rock audiophile, may I bands’ albums reviewed within the last few years for your (and your
recommend that you listen to the new UK in your pages: I think readers’) enjoyment: spoti.fi/2YgGzLt. Turn
release of Vienna Circle produced by the it up!
talented Paul Davis. The album is titled Secrets we’ve got the guy-in- Finally, I’d like to point out a big omission
of the Rising Sun. Do give it a listen, as in my black-turtleneck-con- (in my opinion) from your list of musicians
opinion, it is a refreshing and well-recorded who died too young: Ian Curtis. The man
album that certainly will put any audio ducts-symphony thing was a genius.
high-end stereo system on “glorious” heavy in spades. Derek Peplau
rotation. It’s that good! Best wishes and into Boston, Massachusetts
2022.
Fernando Gallardo to address. First, the whole older rockers Old rockers never die
San Juan, Puerto Rico releasing new albums and/or touring. In my Some older artists are still putting on good
experience, that phenomenon is a mixed bag; shows. I’m not talking about the cover bands
You’re probably sick of responses to this, but I don’t share Mr. Fine’s universal condemna- that call themselves Steely Dan, the Stones,
here’s mine anyway. Testosterone-fueled tion. and the Eagles, though. In the past three
rock’n’roll is thankfully a dying horse that I Two groups/musicians who are still great nearly post-COVID months, I’ve seen excel-
never cared a whole lot to ride, but as I, in immediately come to mind: Bob Mould and lent concerts from Jackson Browne and Van
my early 50s, sink down into my POANG Dinosaur Jr. Bob rocks as hard or harder than Morrison. Smokey Robinson and Boz Scaggs
chair, I do have some favorites that I feel rock anyone 30 years his junior. One need look are still to come. Old rockers never die, they
the house without too much WMTE (white no further than his performance on Letter- just keep on playin’.
male toxic energy). Here’s a list of stuff from man a few years back: There’s ol’ Bob with Mike Kuller (Former TAS Reviewer)
post-2000 that may sit outside your definition bald head, gray beard, glasses, and dad bod Walnut Creek, California
of rock but are worthy of a listen. Most of showing you what it really means to rock. His
them sound good, and there are other albums albums are the closest thing to a sure thing in You will find some great new output that
by the same bands that are excellent too: all of indie rock and have been for both his came from late in the life of Leslie West.
i The Mars Volta, De-Loused in the solo career and his time with Sugar. Dinosaur Mountain was a great start to a career that
Comatorium and Frances the Mute; Jr. has produced some great albums recently stayed fresh, young, and vital for decades. He
i Donna Grantis, Diamonds & Dynamite; and are incendiary live. J Mascis is still one rocked hard right up to the end.
i Wye Oak, Shriek; of the best guitarists on the planet, and they Neal Francis released a second version of
i Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest and Shields; remain the loudest band I’ve ever seen (and his album Changes, without the vocals. Great-
i Wolf Alice, Blue Weekend and Visions of I’ve seen My Bloody Valentine!). sounding vintage grooves you will love. 2021
a Life; I’d love to see more new bands’ albums release.
i Mdou Moctar, Ilana the Creator; reviewed in your pages: I think we’ve got the I saw a phenomenal outdoor show in
i 75 Dollar Bill, Wood/Metal/Plastic/Pattern/ guy-in-black-turtleneck-conducts-symphony Madison, Wisconsin, on a gorgeous early-
Rhythm/Rock; thing in spades. There’s plenty of great music summer night in 2019. The crowd was a
i The National, High Violet; being made today by new bands who will broad mix of ages. The band rocked with the
i Atoms for Peace, Amok; probably never get commercial airplay. As ferocity of youth and brought reminiscing for
i Karate, Unsolved; a former college radio general manager at some and mind-opening moments to others.
i This Is the Kit, Moonshine Freeze; WRCU, I still listen to college radio to find Greta Van Fleet.
i Tortoise, Standards. out about the latest bands, and I’m nearly 50. I hope you don’t become the crotchety old
I could go on for days, but this dozen is MIT’s station, WMBR, has a program called man shaking his rake at kids cutting across
more than enough to irritate you. If you crave “Breakfast of Champions,” which curates the the lawn. Many of the 12-, 13-, and 14-year-
more, just hit me back with the ones you best of what’s new along with some classic olds at that Madison show are now research-
liked. material. You can stream the last two weeks’ ing and buying turntables, scouring online
As regards the Linda Lindas: I recently worth of shows on their site. for vintage Advents, and have embarked on a
spent a day filming an interview with record- journey you and I have been on for decades.
ing engineer/producer Carlos de la Garza, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be sent as Save your darts and welcome them. Take the
their producer and father of the sisters. To my e-mails only. Email: stletters@stereophile. opportunity to hip them to the Dixie Dregs,
ears, they are the real deal and following in com. Please note: We are unable to answer Gentle Giant, Little Feat, and albums like
some great footsteps! requests for information about specific Eat a Peach, The Mirror (Spooky Tooth), Argus
products or systems. If you have problems
Chris Berens, Artist Relations (Wishbone Ash), and High Voltage (AC/DC).
with your subscription, call (800) 666-3746, or
Audeze email stereophile@emailcustomerservice. Imitation is the highest form of praise. If
com, or write to Stereophile, P.O. Box 420235, Greta wants to borrow from those they re-
I read your AWSI in November’s issue with Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. vere, so effing what? It’s all about the journey.
great interest. You raised a few points I’d like Dave in Minnesota

®
INDUSTRY AUDIO NEWS & VIEWS SUBMISSIONS: Those promoting audio-related
UPDATE
seminars, shows, and meetings should email
the when, where, and who to stletters@
stereophile.com at least eight weeks before the
month of the event. The deadline for the May
2022 issue is February 20, 2022.
CANADA: BOUCHERVILLE, Costa and Thierry are working with local clubbing scene. He went on to study
QUEBEC the support of all employees to establish electronics and found a job at a company
Julie Mullins continuity in the company’s operations. … that made DC/AC inverters. There, the
Louis Lemire, president of Our deepest thoughts entrepreneurial side piqued his interest,
Moon by Simaudio, passed away and sympathies are but he was quickly informed that “we
in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, on with his family and aren’t paying you to have a vision.”
Thursday, September 23, after friends. In 1996, he started Hypex in his attic.
a short illness. He was 55. He By then, it had become common prac-
is survived by his wife, Annie “Louis was also a tice for manufacturers of active speakers
Bobeil; his daughter, Maude Au- strategic, enlightened, to mount the electronics on a plate that
ger-Lemire (Peterson Chatelier); and charismatic leader,” bolted onto the back of the cabinet. By
and his brother, Pierre Lemire, Koulisakis wrote in becoming one of the first (if not the first)
in addition to grandchildren and an email to Stereophile, to specialize in making such subassemblies,
other relatives. Simaudio issued adding that he and Hypex found its niche.
a statement, which reads in part: Dufour “will carry Si- In the early 2000s, I was working at
maudio into the future Philips, and we were looking for takers
Passionate about audio and music from and honor Louis by continuing to make for a new-fangled circuit called UcD. In
a young age, Louis became an electronics the MOON name a leader in high-end walked a gentleman asking for a demo.
engineer to satisfy his passion. It was in audio.” “No, thank you; we can listen later. Would
2013 that he was able to truly realize his you mind just connecting a scope to the
dream by becoming an owner of Simaudio THE NETHERLANDS: thing?” He sat down behind my bench
together with Costa Koulisakis and Thierry GRONINGEN and toyed with the amplifier for a few
Dufour, both already long-time employees. Bruno Putzeys minutes, running it in and out of clip,
He put all his soul and energy into the To the young Jan-Peter with various loads and
service of the company by fulfilling his role van Amerongen, no piece signals. “That’s the first
as President with talent and determina- of tech in the house was time I’ve seen a class-D
tion for more than eight years. He inspired safe. If he could lift it, he’d amplifier do that,” he
his colleagues and always earned their take it apart, see how it said. “How much is a
respect through his integrity and profound worked, and put it together license?” We named a
humanity. again. Sound equipment number. “Um, we’re a
Louis was a gentleman of endless held particular allure, and it small company; that’s
generosity, jovial humor, and infectious wasn’t long before he was all we have. … Oh well,
laughter. He will be sadly missed and will building and selling seri- where do I sign?” Soon
always be celebrated through his passion ously powerful amplifiers after, he rang to hire me
for music. that became popular in the as well.
CALENDAR OF INDUSTRY EVENTS

ATTENTION ALL AUDIO SOCIETIES: We have a inaugural AudioConLA, an international Orange County Audio Society will hold its
page on the Stereophile website devoted to high-end audio show sponsored by the Los monthly meeting 2–5pm at Audeze in Santa
you: stereophile.com/audiophile-societies. Angeles and Orange County Audio Society, Ana (3412 S Susan St.). Guests, visitors, and
If you’d like to have your audio-society will be held at the Hyatt Regency Newport new members are invited to a factory tour
information posted on the site, email Chris Beach (1107 Jamboree Rd., Newport Beach). of Audeze, known for the planar-magnetic
Vogel at vgl@cfl.rr.com. (Please note the new At the helm are Sarah Tremblay and Michel technology found in its headphones.
email address.) Plante, the duo behind Montreal Audiofest Audeze’s Dragoslav Colich (CTO) and Sankar
Please note that it is inappropriate for and Toronto Audiofest. In addition to the Thiagasamudram (CEO) will lead the tour.
a retailer to promote a new product line in main audio show, there will be two evening New product demos and discounts will be
“Calendar” unless it is associated with a concerts at the hotel’s outdoor amphitheater, offered. Free parking is nearby. To participate,
seminar or similar event. the site of the Newport Beach Jazz Festival: plan on showing a current COVID-19
Note: Due to the ongoing pandemic, Anne Bisson on Friday, and Charlotte Cardin vaccination card or record of a (negative)
Stereophile recommends confirming that on Saturday. Local guidelines for COVID COVID test taken within the previous three
events are still taking place. safety will be followed. Detailed information days. For more information, visit laocas.com
for exhibitors and visitors is available at or call Mike Wechsberg at (714) 906-9780.
california audioconla.com. ] Sunday, March 13, 2–5 pm: The Los
] Friday–Sunday, January 14–16, 2022: The ] Sunday, February 27: The Los Angeles and CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

INDUSTRY UPDATE
This was Jan-Peter to a T. Scenes like peacefully on November 11, 2021. want this. The feedback we took to heart is
the above didn’t happen often, but when that people who would come to the show
they did, they were over in a blink, and DENVER, NEW ORLEANS, in Long Beach want to bring their kids and
they changed the future. He knew pre- AND BEYOND partners to an audio show and want some-
cisely when he’d seen enough. It was often Jason Victor Serinus thing more for them to relate to.”
baffling and unnerving to see him make T.H.E. Show, which continues annually As a major step in this direction, T.H.E.
such momentous decisions so quickly. I in Long Beach, is expanding to Denver Show has founded T.H.E. Group (the-
sometimes challenged him: How on earth and New Orleans, Emiko Carlin, director group.life on the web). T.H.E. Group
do you know this is the right thing to do? of marketing and social media for T.H.E. is a membership organization that will
“It feels right,” he’d reply, leaving me to Show, told Stereophile in a telephone offer members a T.H.E. six-month hi-fi
stew over the infuriating inexactness of the interview. The first Denver event will masterclass headed by Lenny Mayeux; a
explanation. take place at a Hilton property in Octo- three-day pass to T.H.E. Show’s annual
On the other hand, that same Jan-Peter ber 2022, either in the city center or in June event; access to VIP events such as
was deeply interested in my vision and that the Denver Tech Center across from the studio tours, live artist recordings, and
of my colleagues. When I complained that former site of the Rocky Mountain Audio artist performances; and events focused on
our OEM customers weren’t making the Fest. Details of the new event were not networking, wine tasting, boats and yachts,
most of our Ncore modules, he suggested available at press time. racing and driving, and gaming. Qobuz
that the two of us start our own high-end According to a press release, the newly will also offer T.H.E. Group members an
audio company. Hypex would bankroll de- envisioned shows will “be different to extended trial of their streaming service.
velopment until the products started paying what we are doing in Long Beach.” The “Our events will be aspirational as well
for themselves. That became Mola-Mola. new shows are “not going to be another as inspirational,” Carlin said. “We plan to
The decision took minutes. Getting standard audio show (as great as they are). have artist-of-the-month in-person and
Mola-Mola off the ground took years, dur- “The Denver Show is meant to welcome online concerts in multiple genres includ-
ing which he rarely expressed impatience. a next generation of enthusiasts who can ing blues, jazz, classical—anything that is
A few weeks before his passing I told him turn into tomorrow’s respected and classic deemed amazing, including opera.” And
that what makes Mola-Mola unique is that audiophile. We plan to integrate multiple much more.
it exists at all. The “Jan-Peter factor” was aspects of home entertainment, gam-
this: He didn’t gamble. He listened. He ing, headphone listening, portable audio, SPAIN: XARRACA BAY, IBIZA
invested. And he played the long game. outdoor garden/pool audio, and more. Our Julie Mullins
Jan-Peter van Amerongen, audio enthu- social media, mailing list, and in-person Ibiza has been known as a live-music and
siast and consummate entrepreneur, passed following are giving us feedback that they nightlife capital since at least the 1970s. In
INDUSTRY UPDATE
you from—the seaside views.

For Ibiza visitors not booking accom-
modations at Six Senses resort, there’s the
Live Cave, which will host live shows,
events, and “emerging artist sessions,”
with scheduled programming starting this
summer. An extensive LP collection will
please vinyl fans and DJs, but don’t scratch
deadmau5 or early Blue Notes.
ITALY: VICENZA
Julie Mullins
Loudspeaker maker Sonus Faber has
announced the acquisition of De Santi,
a woodworking factory partner in San
Martino di Lupari, Italy, that has long
produced Sonus Faber’s cabinets.
Luciano De Santi founded his epony-
mous factory in 1970. He and his brothers
made handcrafted furniture and home dé-
cor objects before the factory began work-
the ’80s, clubgoers took hold and Ibiza’s party cave with a grand piano,” has a two- ing with Sonus Faber in 1986. Luciano’s
music and party scene hasn’t let up. channel setup that features Sonus Faber son Stefano currently leads the company
Now, the recently opened Six Senses Il Cremonese speakers and McIntosh’s and will become Sonus Faber’s head of
Ibiza sustainable (BREEAM-certified) re- MC462 stereo amplifier,1 C53 preampli- woodworking with this changeover.
sort in the Balearic Islands is getting a dose fier, and MT10 Precision turntable. Sonus Faber intends to invest in new
of high-end audio: Three spaces—plus Built into a cliff, Cave Suite 906 has a CNC machines and painting facilities and
the reception area—outfitted with house system with Sonus Faber Amati Tradi- equipment while expanding the factory’s
systems with products from Sonus Faber tion speakers and a McIntosh MA8900 space so that they can build more cabinets.
and McIntosh. The Cave Royal, which integrated amplifier with the DA1 Digital 1 See stereophile.com/content/mcintosh-laboratory-
the press release dubbed “the ultimate Audio Module to complement—or distract mc462-power-amplifier.
INDUSTRY UPDATE
GERMANY: HÜRTH, print cabinet. It will retail for $25,000/pair.

AND THE US Peak Consult manufactures its cabinets
Julie Mullins in its own factory following Danish
According to a recent press release, Tidal furniture-making traditions. Drivers are
Audio has established direct distribution also made in Denmark per Peak’s
for the US market: Dealers will receive specifications, according to the release. A
products from the manufacturer rather 14mm layer of American walnut covers
than a third-party importer/distributor. their heavy cabinets’ triple-layer sandwich
Reasons cited for the change include “a construction, a press release said.
more streamlined and efficient process” for According to the manufacturer, one of
all product-related aspects, from new in- the speakers’ virtues is a flat/linear imped-
troductions to sales and marketing efforts. ance curve. Impedance for the El Diablo
Jörn Janczak founded Tidal Audio in and Sinfonia is spec’d at 5 ±1 ohms. The
1999. The company manufactures high- Sonora is a nominal 4-ohm load.
end loudspeakers, electronics, and cables. Asked about availability, Jensen said,
“We will set up the distribution network
DENMARK: step by step and, having found the right
MIDDELFART distributor in the USA, we expect to start
Julie Mullins selling in 6 months.”
Some two years ago, Lennart Asbjørn
Jensen and Wilfried Ehrenholz—who SWITZERLAND:
founded and ran Dynaudio for more than PRÉVERENGES
40 years before selling that company in Jim Austin
2014—joined together to acquire loud- Swiss audio-component manufacturer
speaker manufacturer Peak Consult. “In CH Precision has announced a new CD/
late 2020, Wilfried Ehrenholz and I had bass configuration, the new version is SACD transport/player, the modular D1.5,
the opportunity to enter Peak Consult, said to have a fully redesigned midrange 2 See stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/507peak/index.
presenting me with the chance to turn my and acoustically isolated crossover. Its html.
passion into business and furthermore be- MSRP will be $55,000/pair.
ing a part in the development of the new The Sinfonia, priced at $45,000/
era of Peak,” Jensen wrote in an email. pair, is also a ported three-way
“We have spent the last year developing floorstander but with one fewer
new speakers that define the true DNA of bass driver. Like the El Diablo,
Peak Consult.” its crossover is mounted to the
Peak Consult has launched three base of the speaker for acoustic
new floorstanding speakers including a isolation. The two-way Sonora
revamped El Diablo; Michael Fremer is a passive radiator design said
reviewed the original in Stereophile in to offer (relatively) deep, precise
2007.2 A three-way with a ported double- bass response in a smaller-foot-
[Continued from page 13] information, visit floridaaudioexpo.com. hosting the New England Vintage Electronics
Angeles & Orange County Audio Society Expo (NEVEE), its largest show, at the
will hold its monthly meeting at the illinois Courtyard by Marriott Event Center (2200
Manley Laboratories Inc. factory in Chino ] Friday–Sunday, April 22–24: AXPONA Southwood Dr., Nashua). Participants can
(13880 Magnolia Ave.). EveAnna Manley will be held at the Renaissance Schaumberg buy, sell, and trade vintage radios, stereos,
will conduct factory tours, demonstrating Hotel & Convention Center in Schaumberg, tubes, parts, and other electronics at more
vacuum tube selection, parts matching, Illinois, outside Chicago (1551 N. Thoreau than 100 indoor tables. Admission is $20
quality control, transformer winding, metal Dr.). For more information and tickets, visit from 8–9 am, $10 thereafter. For more
machining, and assembly and soldering axpona.com. information, visit nevec.org or contact
techniques. Parking is free. To participate, director Ted Neff at neff981@gmail.com.
plan on showing a current COVID-19 montreal, canada
vaccination card or record of a (negative) ] Friday–Sunday, March 25–27: Celebrating new york
COVID test taken within the previous three 33 years, the Montréal Audiofest will take ] Friday–Saturday, March 25–26: The New
days. For more information, visit laocas.com place at the Hôtel Bonaventure Montréal York Audio Show has moved to an early
or call Mike Wechsberg at (714) 906-9780. (900 rue de la Gauchetière Ouest, Montréal, spring timeframe but will still be held at
Quebec). Tickets and information are the American Management Association
florida available at montrealaudiofest.org and on Conference Center at 48th Street and
] Friday–Sunday, February 18–20: The Florida the show’s Facebook page: facebook.com/ Broadway (1601 Broadway, Crowne Plaza
Audio Expo will take place once again at the mtlsalonaudio. Hotel building) in Midtown Manhattan.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Airport (Chester Group, the show’s presenting
Westshore (555 North Westshore Blvd.). new hampshire organization, pushed back the NYAS dates
One-day and three-day passes are available, ] Sunday, March 6, 8am–1pm: The New from December 3–4, 2021, to the dates
with military discounts. For tickets and England Vintage Electronics Club (NEVEC) is above.)
16 February 2022 Q stereophile.com

M 5 50 + S350
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from Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems usher in next-generation power, engi-
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M550 Mono Amplifier ensure optimum heat dissipation at full rated power of 550 watts into 8 ohms,
doubling into 4 ohms and doubling again into 2 ohms. Similarly, the Progression S350 Stereo Ampli-
fier delivers 350 watts per channel into 8 ohms, doubling respectively.
Advancements to input stage topology improve signal-to-noise ratio, channel separation and band-
width—especially high-frequency response—while the output stage incorporates power transistors
employed in the Relentless for effortless power handling. Super Rail topology—simple in descrip-
tion but complex in execution—provides exceptional headroom for ideal output stage operation, where
both amplifiers employ 48 output transistors powered by a nearly 2,000 VA power supply transformer
and 100,000 microfarads of power supply storage capacitance. And of course, the iconic face of the
D’Agostino power meters, inspired by elegant Swiss watches, continues with the Progression series.
While measurements that reveal unbridled power and miniscule crossover distortion matter, the proof
of these combined advancements is expressed by unmatched dynamic impact, tonal richness, spatial
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INDUSTRY UPDATE
which replaces the D1. figuration is $41,000. Equipped as a player, at €8800 each. That means, I’m thinking,
The D1.5 is, at its core, a transport. No the D1.5 will cost $46,000. That SYNC that if you were so inclined, you could run
plastic bits here—the optical pickup and I/O card needed to employ an exter- your system with two Yins or two Yangs
motor are mounted on a brass sled that nal clock costs an extra $1500. Current instead of a complementary Yin/Yang
weighs about 1kg (2.2lb), which dramati- D1 owners can upgrade to the D1.5 for pair.
cally reduces resonant frequencies in a $24,600.
mechanism. The chassis weighs 2kg (4.4lb) US: BINGHAMTON,
and is coupled to a heavier base. The ITALY: CATANIA, SICILY NEW YORK
sled is isolated from the chassis system by Julie Mullins Julie Mullins
Japan-sourced Alpha-gel isolators tuned, Audiozen has created an interesting mono- McIntosh recently announced a Mk II
according to CH Precision, to “isolate block amplifier concept based in name version of the MC3500 tubed monoblock
vibrations down to AC mains frequencies.” and appearance on the yin/yang duality in amplifier ($15,000). The MC3500 takes
The D1.5 utilizes a “card-cage” struc- ancient Chinese philosophy. after a classic design—especially aestheti-
ture, which means it can be configured in You might think that such amps would cally—adding more recent technologies
various ways. In its transport configura- be different from each other sonically— such as McIntosh’s Power Guard Screen
tion, it comes with a digital output card, dark/light, negative/positive, passive/ Grid Sensor, which is said to help prevent
which has AES3 and optical (TosLink) and active, wet/dry—but then, in the left and premature tube failures, and Sentry Moni-
electrical (RCA) S/PDIF outputs—plus right channels respectively, that would be tor tech, which monitors output current
CH Precision’s proprietary CH-Link HD weird. Instead, these monaural amps have and ensures that it stays within safe limits.
connection, which can output DSD data exactly the same circuitry but mirror- The MC3500 Mk II pays homage to
to other digital CH Precision components: image symmetric construction inside and the original MC3500, which was pro-
the C1 DAC or the I1 integrated ampli- (except for knobs and some complemen- duced between 1968 and 1971 and pow-
fier. The D1.5 also reads MQA CDs. tary yin/yang designs on the faceplate) out. ered the sound system used at Woodstock
Want a whole player
and not just a transport?
Just add a DAC card—
check that: two, mono DAC
cards—and turn the D1.5
into a CD/SACD player;
in addition to “Red Book”
and SACD, these DAC
cards fully decode data
from MQA CDs. Add on
a SYNC I/O clock card,
and you can connect the
D1.5 to either the master
clock of a connected DAC
or to an external master
clock such as CH’s own
T1 Reference. The D1.5 can also be used These solid state amps each use eight in 1969 and many other important concert
with the CH Precision X1 external power high-current silicon carbide (SiC) MOS- events. The MC3500’s chassis design has
supply. FETs, which “are driven in class-AB, retained the original’s U-shaped siderails
If you’ve got more than one compo- like ‘normal’ silicon MOSFETs but with meant to provide strength and durability
nent—say, a D1.5, a T1 clock, and an X1 innovative features (better than GaN, or for touring wear and tear, along with black
power supply—the components stack in Gallium Nitride, semiconductors): high rubber bumpers that allow the unit to be
a sophisticated, vibration-isolated way, speed, lower input and output capacities, positioned upright when convenient for
forming, in effect, their own internal and high temperature-handling capabili- onstage use.
component rack via a series of threaded ties,” Audiozen’s Antonio “Nino” Pistone The new MC3500 outputs 350W
rods. There’s an app for setting all the set- wrote in an email. Both the Yin and the and contains McIntosh’s Unity Coupled
tings on the D1.5 and other CH Precision Yang contain two toroidal transformers Circuit output transformer, according
components—of course there is—although reported to provide more than 800 VA to the press release. The fully balanced
for now, the app runs only on Android (per channel) and more than 130V. driver section uses three 12AX7A and one
devices. Another amusing design quirk: Instead 12AT7 tube. Eight EL509S tubes, similar
Did I mention that I have one in my of the usual voltages, the front panel to the original model’s 6LQ6 “sweep
listening room—in fact, the whole CH meters show states of enjoyment—a range tubes,” power the output section. Input
Precision digital stack? No? A review is from “Zen” to “Max” with “Sex,” “Fun,” and output connections are balanced and
forthcoming, so I won’t comment on and “Gig” in the middle. The Yin/Yang unbalanced. The MC3500 Mk II should
performance. I will say, however, that I’m amps are handcrafted in Italy and have be shipping by the time you read this at
digging the small, chunky, heavy, minimal- 10mm-thick aluminum front panels. $30,000/pair.
ist remote control that comes with the By default, inputs are (ironically?) unbal-
D1.5 (and also the C1 DAC) and attaches anced; balanced connections are available US: BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,
magnetically to the side of the chassis so upon request. Audiozen sells its products AND WARSAW, POLAND
that it doesn’t get lost. directly from their website. The Yin and Julie Mullins
MSRP for the D1.5 in transport con- Yang monoblocks are priced individually, About a year ago in these pages, we shared

Voice?
Whose voice?
Where does voice come from?
The role of “Voice” and “Voicing” in great audio:
If an audio product were perfect, it would have Other speakers are voiced to grab your attention
no sound of its own. It would be invisible. It would in the strange, distorted, emotional environment
have no “voice.” In the real world, DACs, amplifiers, of listening while standing in a store. This voicing
turntables, and especially the transducers—micro- technique is a bit like early color TVs being sold
phones, phono cartridges, and loudspeakers—all by turning up the color too much. These speakers
have distinct sonic characters. might win the “look at me” war in a retail showroom,
but at the expense of making music and movies
Imperfections are inherent to every audio product unnatural and tiring at home.
and design. “Voice” is the result of crucially acknowl-
edging the sonic effect of every decision and every We’d like to boast that GoldenEar speakers are
part, and then purposefully coordinating the com- perfect, voiceless. But that would be absurd—noth-
bined effect of all those many little imperfections ing is perfect. The real difference between lesser and
into a whole, creating a voice with as little overt greater products is in their designers’ ability to
character as possible. At least, that’s the objective manage inevitable imperfections.
for all GoldenEar loudspeakers.
Competent voicing doesn’t itself reduce the quantity
Many speaker designers have different ideas about of the imperfections, but rather it coordinates them
how a speaker should be voiced. Some voice their into an extremely low-level, ignorable background
speakers to be more like studio monitors, which with no features that shout for attention. That’s the
intentionally heighten the listeners’ awareness goal—one shared by all GoldenEar speakers.
of potential recording flaws—a lousy recipe for
speakers whose first job is to deliver the thrill If you haven’t already experienced the GoldenEar
and beauty of music and soundtracks. voice, we hope you’ll visit one of our excellent
dealers where you can sit down, take a deep breath,
and pretend you’re listening at home. We think you’ll
agree that a natural and friendly “voice” is a goal
worth aspiring to.
INDUSTRY UPDATE
the news of Mytek’s break with HEM, its include optical (TosLink) and coaxial S/ A DSP control center allows for room
manufacturing partner, and the resulting PDIF and USB (24/192). Analog inputs tuning. The Titan 15 should ship in the
discontinuation of most of the company’s are XLR and RCA. There’s a 6mm first quarter of this year with an MSRP of
products. We also covered the forthcom- headphone jack and Bluetooth v4.2 con- $32,000.
ing release of Mytek’s new product series, nectivity. Dual-mono power supplies, with
manufactured by a new Poland-based a separate transformer for each channel, US: INDIANAPOLIS,
manufacturing partner. The new products, are said to provide “exceptional channel INDIANA
like the previous ones, were designed separation and ultra-quiet operation.” The Julie Mullins
by Mytek principal Michal Jurewicz and amp includes user-selectable sensitivity, Klipsch is among the oldest hi-fi brands,
intended to be suitable for home use and tone controls, and an RC3 remote control. and the Klipschorn is their oldest loud-
pro studio monitoring. It retails for $4495. speaker. It seems fitting then that Klipsch
Now shipping: the Liberty DAC II The full-function PA 30.3 preamplifier would celebrate its 75th anniversary with
($1295 MSRP) with “reference-grade” offers five line-level RCA inputs and one a special edition Klipschorn AK6—the
headphone amplifier. The Liberty DAC II XLR, plus an MC/MM phono preamp, a current Klipschorn model—limited to just
uses an ESS Sabre ES9038 32-bit Hyper- DAC, and v4.2 Bluetooth. It uses a Wolf- 75 pairs. Like the other AK6s, the 75th
Stream DAC for conversion and playback son WM8741 DAC chip. MSRP is $2995. Anniversary version has a sealed cabinet
of hi-rez PCM up to 32/768 and DSD up The MA 30.3 monoblock amplifiers for its low-frequency horn. A 1" titanium
to DSD256 natively, both via USB, and utilize high-current MOSFET circuitry tweeter and 90° × 40° Tractrix horn de-
it decodes MQA via a certified, built-in and are said to be capable of delivering liver the highest frequencies.
hardware-based decoder. The unit deploys 180Wpc into 8 ohms. The input and Handcrafted in the US, the speakers
a 60W linear power supply with a toroidal output stages have separate power supplies have a midcentury modern aesthetic, with
transformer and a reported filtering capaci- and “massive banks of capacitance,” ac- lambswool grilles and teak veneer panels
tance of 48,000μF. cording to the release. The price is $5295/ grain-matched from the same timber for a
A 256-step volume control allows pair. matched pair. The limited-edition speakers
adjustment in 0.5dB increments via an The CD 30.3 contains a slot-loading come with a classic silver-and-enamel logo
included IR remote, USB-connected “purpose-built” TEAC Pure CD drive. The and a plaque engraved with serial number,
computer source, or Roon Core. The DAC’s dual chips handle input signals up date, and craftsperson’s signature. Also
Liberty DAC’s analog output stage is fully to 24/192, according to email follow-up. included are a 75th anniversary book, a
balanced and provides dynamic range, The PH 30.3 Phono Stage’s external lighted logo sign, a pair of Klipsch T5 II
headroom, and S/N ratio superior to those power supply and redesigned “ultra-short” in-ear headphones, a three-month Qobuz
of the original model, according to the signal path are intended to minimize EMI- membership, a certificate of authenticity,
release. induced noise. The unit is equipped with and some other stuff. Priced at $25,000/
The headphone amplifier is said to separate MC and MM phono inputs, ad- pair, the 75 pairs have shipped to dealers of
be capable of delivering 300mA/3W— justable cartridge impedance loading (via Klipsch’s Heritage line. Q
enough to drive less-sensitive headphones. included adapters of 100, 200, and 1000
The Liberty DAC II is equipped with five ohms), RIAA equalization (of course), and
digital inputs: AES3, two S/PDIF, Tos- a subsonic filter. The PH 30.3’s MSRP is
Link, and USB2 Class 2. Analog outputs $1295.
include (in addition to the front-panel Another AVM product will soon arrive
headphone jack) a pair each of balanced on US shores: the Inspiration CS 2.3 all-
XLR and unbalanced RCA. Users can in-one music system. Pricing is TBD.
update firmware via USB connection.
US: HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA
US: BUFFALO, NEW YORK, Julie Mullins
AND MALSCH, GERMANY Magico recently announced a new pow-
Julie Mullins ered subwoofer, the Titan 15. Following
Bluebird Music recently announced a in the Q Sub’s footsteps, the Titan 15 has
new-to-the-US series of components dual-opposed, force-canceling drivers
from German company AVM (Audio mounted in a massive, sealed, braced,
Video Manufaktur): the 30.3 line. The damped aluminum enclosure. “15” refers
lineup’s five products extend the 30 line, to the diameter of the diaphragm of
which was launched in 2016 to coincide the sub’s dual drivers. The array uses a
with the company’s 30th anniversary. The custom-tooled, 10" dual-progressive spider
30.3 series offers lower pricing and is said to enable long-throw excursions of 1.6" of
to retain the build quality and much of linear travel in each direction, according to
the performance of the more expensive the release.
Ovation and Evolution lines. All five Two 3200W (continuous) class-D
components come in silver or black with amplifiers with electronic crossover power
brushed-aluminum faceplates. the sub. With a specified 10Hz–150Hz
The A 30.3 integrated amplifier delivers frequency response, the 390lb Titan 15
100Wpc into 8 ohms or 150W into 4 extends “beyond the bandwidth of human
ohms. Its class-A/AB topology uses high- hearing … into infrasonic levels and ex-
current MOSFET circuitry. The integrated pands the dimensional sound field in any
is equipped with a DAC; its digital inputs room space,” Magico’s press release said.

HALF A CENTURY
IN THE MAKING
The Aspen FR30 Loudspeaker is quite literally our magnum opus. It’s the
culmination of everything we’ve learned about audio over the last 50 years
distilled into one product, and we couldn’t be happier that we waited until
now to share our vision for what a truly magnificent reference level speaker
should sound like.
From the planar magnetic drivers to the ultra dynamic passive radiators,
every component in the FR30 was custom built from the ground up to meet
the unnerving standards we put on ourselves in creating this unmatched
high definition experience.
RESERVE YOURS TODAY

PSAUDIO.COM
800PSAUDIO • WWW.PSAUDIO.COM
INSIDER VIEWS ON EVERYTHING VINYL
ANALOG BY MICHAEL FREMER
CORNER
THIS ISSUE :
If you do it rigorously, the process of
setting up your cartridge on your tonearm will
also uncover any cartridge or tonearm defects.
Turntable setup is a diagnostic exercise
A
s I watched WAM Engineering’s J.R. Boisclair give an advanced turntable setup He told me he had a 9" Kuzma 4Point
seminar at last November’s Capitol Audiofest, a light went off. tonearm mounted on a Dr. Feickert
I’m being figurative, but the lights did—literally —go off, and then on again, as Woodpecker turntable fitted with a Lyra
I flipped the switch for Boisclair’s presentation (see the photo below), which Etna cartridge. He’d bought it all new and
featured both screen time and an in-person lecture. had it set up by someone he trusted to do a
Boisclair’s presentation did not include setting up an actual, physical turntable. Rather, good job, but neither he nor his wife were
using slides and 1000:1 scale 3D-printed groove and stylus models, he dug into the ad- satisfied with the sound. It just sounded
vanced concepts involved in setting up a turntable and why those concepts matter. “off,” he told me, though he couldn’t be
more specific.
setting up turntables for other people, but He told me that over time the Etna’s
Boisclair’s mostly theoretical presentation cantilever began to skew so far left that it
had me flashing back to some setup ex- interfered with tracking, and the sound
periences I’ve had, beginning with my +1 seriously suffered. Off to Lyra went the
date to Jack White’s pressing plant grand Etna via Etna importer AudioQuest, and
opening in Detroit’s Cass Corridor back in he was left for quite some time with no
February 2017. vinyl playback—too bad because vinyl was
Just to be clear, this wasn’t a “date”-date his main musical source.
(though he turned out to be an attractive Months later, the same person who
man). My wife didn’t want to attend the installed the cartridge the first time rein-
event, so I ran a contest on AnalogPlanet, stalled the repaired cartridge. Soon there-
and this reader won, so he was my date. after, it again began to skew. This time, the
He had to pay his own way, but he was unlucky 4Point owner called me before
thrilled to win, and the evening was as the cantilever got too far off. I listed every
much fun as we’d hoped it would be and 4Point setup error and mechanical culprit
included having a photo taken with Jack I could think of and asked him to check
White. them all. Everything appeared normal as
Afterward, he called me to ask if I could best I could ascertain at a distance.
help his friend with a stubborn turntable I’ve known for some time that the
After the presentation, a few people problem. “Of course, happy to help,” I antiskating weight Kuzma supplies (or
asked me if I was comfortable playing replied. perhaps used to supply) with the 4Point is
“second fiddle” when I’m usually up there I heard from the friend a few days later. too heavy and that adjusting the weight’s
myself doing the talking. I told them I’m
perfectly happy flipping light switches
and learning from the successor to the
abundant Wally Malewicz knowledge
base. After all, most of what I know about
the subject came directly from Wally, a
mechanical engineer, who, while not infal-
lible, was most often correct.
Boisclair is not a mechanical engineer,
but he was Wally’s longtime friend and
assistant. Today, he is assisted by Wally’s
son Andrzej, who, like Wally, is a me-
chanical engineer. He is vice-president of
R&D at Medtronic, a giant healthcare tech
company.
The light that went off for me during
the presentation was the realization that
correctly setting up a turntable is as much
an exercise in diagnostics
as it is in getting the car- Mikey flanked by
tridge precisely aligned contest winner
in the tonearm. “The Boogie-Down”
(L) and Jack White.
I usually try to avoid

ANALOG CORNER
position per Kuzma’s instruction manual having it properly set up ward—toward the out-
produces excessive antiskating force. Even by someone who ought side of the record—and
placing the weight as close as possible to to have expertise—so the distance between
the pulley to fully minimize antiskating what was going on? the bob and loop should
force turns out to be excessive with many The first thing I did be approximately 8–12
cartridges. was put the WallySkater segments of the ruler’s
How do I know that? Because I device on the arm. The markings, depending on
have the WallySkater tool from WAM WallySkater suspends the length of the arm
Engineering.1 While setting antiskating the arm from a string and the tracking force
is intrinsically an exercise in imprecision, hanging from a crossbar; applied. This is also a
this tool offers a reliable, relatively precise at the end of the string good way to check out
way to set it; its settings are corroborated is a loop you place the vertical bearing’s
by the other worthwhile antiskating around the finger lift, al- free play. (The verti-
setting accessories. (Telarc’s Omnidisc for lowing the arm to dan- cal bearing is the one
instance; the grooveless-record approach is gle free in space. The that controls horizontal
not worthwhile, in my opinion.) For more antiskating force applied movement.)
about antiskating, please read “Everything to the arm, by whatever If the arm sticks,
You Know About Skating Is Wrong!” at means—string/weight, something is seriously
AnalogPlanet.2 Kuzma, along with Ameri- magnetic repulsion, wrong.
can importer Elite Audio/Visual Distribu- etc.—should move the A Lyra Etna Once, in front of a few hundred people
tion, is now said to be including a lighter suspended arm toward cartridge skewing at a show in Copenhagen, Denmark, and
antiskating weight with 4Point arms. the platter’s outer edge. heavily to the left. televised on a big screen, I discovered an
It was time for me to meet this unlucky A plumb bob acts as a expensive, sticky arm—embarrassing for
40-something vinyl enthusiast and exam- vertical reference, and a segmented plastic the manufacturer. We chalked it up to
ine his turntable in person. He brought it rulerlike platform allows you to measure shipping damage. Had a dealer installed
over. As we talked, it became clear that he the distance between the plumb bob and it and not had a way to check the bearing
was disappointed with the whole course the string looped around the finger lift. movement, it might be playing (poorly) to-
of his investment and ownership of this When antiskating is disabled, the plumb day in some unlucky audiophile’s system.
costly analog front end. It wasn’t a casual bob and loop should line up with one an- 1 See wallyanalog.com/wallyskater.
purchase, and he felt he’d done it the right other, more or less. When the antiskating 2 See analogplanet.com/content/everything-you-know-
way, buying the arm from a dealer and is engaged, the arm should move right- about-skating-wrong.
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But back to the producing the wild rightward swing would

4Point ’arm in question: require diagnosing by Franc Kuzma.
When I suspended this I communicated with Franc via email,
4Point arm it swung and at first, he was incredulous. He asked
wildly, almost violently, me to perform a few more diagnostics
rightward. I’d never then agreed that the arm needed to be
seen anything like it. I returned to his factory in Slovenia.
removed the antiskating You can imagine the disappointment
weight from the lever that registered on this 4Point owner’s face
and the arm continued when I gave him that news. He’d already
to swing wildly. I dis- had a few years’ worth of this sort of
abled the lever and this thing. I also suggested that the cartridge
odd behavior persisted. be returned to Japan to deal with the
What in the world? slightly canted cantilever so that we could
I separated the arm start “fresh” once he got the arm back. He
from the platform on grudgingly agreed and at that point told
which it rests so that me, “You know, when the cartridge was
I could examine two first installed in the 4Point, the guy who
of the 4Point’s four did it said he was having trouble with the
points—the ones respon- antiskating but that it would be okay.”
sible for the arm’s verti- Clearly, it wasn’t okay. Back it all went.
cal movement. They Months later, my now-friend returned
The photo shows a different individual’s WallySkater appeared normal, as did with the repaired 4Point and the suspen-
4Point with a 20+ WallySkater deviation showing a large the cups they sit in. The sion-adjusted Lyra Etna. He was antsy,
produced using the larger Kuzma antiskat- deviation with post in which sit the skeptical, and apprehensive—worried that
a Kuzma 4Point
ing weight. Someone had set it approxi- tonearm. other two points—the history would repeat itself. Can you blame
mately and clearly incorrectly. That’s way vertically arrayed pair him?
too much antiskating force. Although it’s that support horizontal movement—felt I did a complete, not casual setup. I set
not visible in the photo, the cantilever’s as if they were correctly positioned within the approximate vertical tracking force
slant is evident even with a stationary the vertical post, but this is a sealed struc- using a high-quality digital scale then set
platter. ture. Clearly, the excess rotational force overhang to Löfgren A using the Wally-
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ANALOG CORNER
Tractor. I much prefer an “arc” type over-

hang gauge like the WallyTractor, where
you can trace the stylus’s actual path across
the record. Second best is a two–null-point
gauge. Least useful is a one–null-point 88.36°
gauge, where there’s no corroboration.
Please don’t download a piece of paper off
the internet: Get a real gauge.
Then, using one of the null points on
the gauge, I set cantilever zenith angle
with antiskating disabled—though, as
WAM Engineering’s J.R. Boisclair has
discovered using a supercostly, high-mag-
nification microscope, styluses (styli?) can
be mounted incorrectly, producing gross instruction manuals that come with most A modest out! I’m happy to set SRA
zenith-angle errors, some small enough to SRA-adjustable tonearms say to set the zenith-angle at 92°/93°, where all my
be compensated for with tweaks and tools, arm parallel to the record surface and error. excellent-sounding records
others too far off to be salvaged. you’re done—or to do that and then “play” sound at least outstanding.
This is the next setup frontier, and it until you like the sound—that approach But unless you at least start at 92°/93° de-
means that setting the cantilever so that it’s is insufficient for severe stylus profiles grees by measuring SRA, you’re just guess-
parallel to the null point hash marks isn’t such as line contact, Geiger, and Ortofon’s ing, and what’s more, you know nothing
necessarily correct anymore. But, unless Replicant 100. about the manufacturing quality of the
you have a full cartridge-inspection report The reason is obvious: Like zenith cartridge for which you paid mucho bucks.
from WAM Engineering so that you can angle, SRA manufacturing tolerances are Next comes azimuth—assuming your
compensate for manufacturing errors, us- too loose, and that’s proven true on some arm lets you adjust this parameter. Hope-
ing the cantilever to set zenith angle is the very costly cartridges. As a favor, I set up fully it does, because this is another critical
best we can do. an Etna for a guy with an SAT arm. With setting, required to maximize channel
Stylus/cantilever manufacturer Namiki’s the back of the arm just about touching separation. Tonearm instruction manuals
zenith-angle tolerance is 5°, which is the platter, I still measured 98 degrees. The say to adjust azimuth so that the cantilever
considerable, but Boisclair has found larger sound was bright. With the arm parallel is perpendicular to the record surface,
errors on some very costly cartridges; to the record surface, the sound was even or so that the headshell is parallel to the
those should be returned and replaced. brighter. Doing this install “by ear” would record surface, but, just as with setting
But right now, the only way I know of to never produce great sound. That cartridge SRA so that the armtube is parallel to
address this problem is to send your car- had to be replaced. the record surface, this approach is not
tridge to WAM Engineering for a Stylus/ Ironically, he didn’t hear the problem accurate enough. Yes, you can attempt to
Cantilever Microscopic Analysis; with that until he upgraded the tonearm, because do it by ear, but the best way is to use a
information and a WallyZenith gauge, you the far less costly arm on his previous voltmeter or oscilloscope to measure cross-
can correct the issue in your setup. I set up turntable was forgiving—which is to say, talk. The Fozgometer is a reasonably good,
this 4Point/Feickert/Etna combo before lacking detail and resolution. He was not easy-to-use alternative, but it’s still a coarse
WAM offered this service. happy—until the new cartridge arrived and approximation.
According to Boisclair, at least one was installed. Then, finally, he got what he As Boisclair has pointed out, unless the
cartridge manufacturer in Japan has met had paid for! azimuth setting rotates the headshell paral-
with cantilever/stylus suppliers Namiki Fortunately for my friend, his Etna’s lel to groove travel (as with “S” shaped
and Ogura to try to find a way to improve stylus was well within tolerance, and 93° arms), when you adjust azimuth, you will
production. This is very good news! was achieved with the arm slightly lower change SRA slightly. WAM provides a
With overhang and zenith precisely than parallel to the record surface. (With calculator on its website that makes it easy
set, I used a digital stylus force gauge to medium- to low-compliance cartridges, to compensate for that change.
set tracking force. I prefer—and use—a 93° static produces approximately 92° Now you’re finished—and without
gauge that measures at record height,3 when the record spins.) Which brings up fiddling, you can be certain you’ve done
so for tonearms where the force may another point: Contrary to what some a proper setup so that your system will
vary with height (including those loaded have claimed online, I have never said, and sound great. Along the way, you have
with springs and those that do not have do not believe, that there is anything magic also examined the build quality of your
horizontal and vertical centers of gravity in about an SRA of 92°.
3 I use a Cartridge Man gauge, which is very good but
the same plane4) I also prefer a gauge that’s Cutting-stylus SRA measurements vary, also expensive and doesn’t seem to be available right now
accurate to two decimal points. as Risch and Maier discovered in their in the United States. Rega and Clearaudio make similarly
expensive alternatives, while Pro-Ject, Audio Additives,
Graham Engineering arms are neutrally groundbreaking 1981 Audio magazine and Riverstone make significantly cheaper gauges that
balanced, but the SAT arm is not. In the article, “More Than One Vertical Track- meet these criteria.
PHOTO: WAM ENGINEERING/WALLY TOOLS
case of the SAT arm, measuring 1.72gm ing Angle”; you can download it from the 4 Another case where this is important is for ’tables with
ferromagnetic platters, like the original Thorens TD-124.
at the height of the typical stylus pres- AnalogPlanet website.6 They settled on 92° In that case, the magnetic attraction between cartridge and
sure gauge means tracking force is about as an acceptable average of the SRAs they platter must be accounted for.—Jim Austin
1.68gm at record height. SAT’s instructions measured at mastering houses throughout 5 See Mikey’s setup tutorial in the January 2021 issue
of Stereophile at stereophile.com/content/analog-corner-
explain how to compensate for this. the United States. 312-wallytools-wallyreference.
Next, I set the Etna’s stylus rake angle If you wish to adjust SRA by ear for 6 See analogplanet.com/content/how-use-usb-digital-
(SRA) using a digital microscope.5 Though every record you own, knock yourself microscope-set-92-degree-stylus-rake-angle-sra.

ANALOG CORNER
cartridge and the basic performance Sister” French’s Ortofon A95–fitted

of your tonearm. None of the frus- VPI HW-40.7 I found that track-
trations encountered by that 4Point ing force was off (1.7gm instead of
owner would have occurred had the 2.3gm), overhang was way off, SRA
arm been tested by the WallySkater. was off, antiskating was way off: The
Sure, you can tweak the vertical “Fatboy” arm’s headshell was parallel
tracking force by ear within the car- to the record surface. When I was
tridge manufacturer’s recommended done, I measured channel separation
range, and you can further adjust the with a digital oscilloscope and got
stylus rake angle, but once you’ve 31dB L–R and 31dB R–L. In other
done that for one record, it’s prob- words: perfection.
ably not going to be ideal for the A few months ago, I visited
next. That’s why I’m happy—why Fred Kaplan and set up his SME
I’m finished—once I’ve set the static 6/Ortofon Cadenza Black combo.
SRA at 93°. With the M1 tonearm’s headshell
By now, you should get the point: parallel to the record surface, I
You can’t set up a defective cartridge measured the same, perfect result.
so that it sounds good. Diagnostic That’s impressive.
checks are essential at every step, An Ortofon pleasant, innocuous sonics. If you don’t want to mess with digi-
and doing setup properly serves Replicant After finishing the Feickert/ tal microscopes and oscilloscopes, or if
this dual purpose: It also diagnoses stylus at rest. Kuzma/Etna setup, I played a few you own an arm that doesn’t allow these
cartridge issues. Following simplified records for my friend. He was ec- adjustments, like Rega’s, for $500 you can
instruction manuals by rote is a terrible static about both how it sounded and how send your cartridge to WAM and have it
way to set up a cartridge and optimize the arm behaved. The next day, he texted examined. They’ll send it back with shims
PHOTO: WAM ENGINEERING/WALLY TOOLS
tonearm performance, unless you are set- a photo of him and his wife sitting on their that compensate for the cartridge’s SRA
ting up a cartridge with a spherical stylus couch contentedly listening to records. and azimuth errors. I know I’ve men-
like a Denon DL-103R, in which case the “It’s never sounded this good,” he told me. tioned this before, but it’s worth repeating,
only parameters that matter are overhang “Thank you so much!” especially since no one else I know of
and tracking force. Nor will you extract Turntable setups are not my gig—I do offers this service. Q
much detail from the grooves no matter enough of that at home—but recently, as 7 See the profile of Jay Jay in the January 2021 issue of
what you do, though you are guaranteed a friendly favor, I set up Jay Jay “Twisted Stereophile.
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EXPLORING THE ANALOG ADVENTURE
GRAMOPHONE
DREAMS
THIS ISSUE :
Herb auditions a headphone amplifier
BY HERB REICHERT from a new marque, alone and together with
that company’s own external power supply.
Iron OOR
I
’m deep into audio power amplifiers because they remind me of race car engines. The Ferrum HYPSOS power supply
Both power sources are wildly inefficient, converting only a small percentage When I saw my first two-page magazine
of their stored energy into work while dissipating the rest as heat and vibration. ad (in our sister magazine Hi-Fi News)
Mainly though, I love how race car engines sound. How they shake the air. Just like for the Ferrum HYPSOS “Hybrid Power
amps and speakers. System,” I smiled and felt validated. The
Audio-frequency power amplifiers take a small input signal—usually less than 1V—ap- ad looked enticing, and its points were
ply it to an input impedance of (typically) no less than 10k ohms, and make this tiny eye- well-stated. I wondered where this Ferrum
blink of power (0.0001W) into a waveform that’s many times more powerful, capable in company came from and how the Fer-
some cases of doing hundreds of watts of speaker-moving work. To grasp the magnitude rum people had the courage to make and
of this chore, and what I am about to describe, it might be useful to imagine power ampli- market what appeared to be a fully formed
fiers as energy adders. hip’n’cool–looking variable-voltage audio
power supply. They must have known I
The majority of audio amplifiers I’ve fresh energy through their power cords (to hated wall warts and that I think switch-
encountered were built in closed metal fill and refill those capacitors) and, equally ing supplies are bean-counter ruses to save
boxes (with power cords), and every high important, a direct, low-impedance path money on transformer iron.
school grad knows that energy is con- to an infinite source of free electrons from Ferrum’s logo is Fe, which is the symbol
served: neither gained or lost. Therefore, our good and gracious Mother Earth. for the element iron and the abbreviation
if we want more energy at the output—if Importing and outflowing energy with for the Latin word “ferrum”; which is
we want the amplifier to amplify—then we some amount of reliable precision is a Latin for iron, which, in its usual metallic
need to import energy from an outside messy, variable-plagued business, which is form, is a rather dense, crystalline sub-
source (like our household AC line) and why an audio frequency power amplifier stance capable of being magnetized.
store it in something—capacitors—that’s can only be as effective, linear, and exciting The Ferrum HYPSOS Hybrid Power
engineered to hold and release a rapidly to use as its power supply allows it to be. System and Ferrum’s matching OOR
varying stream of energy. headphone amp (auditioned below) are
Audio frequency amplifiers are notori- both made in Poland by the same com-
ously inefficient. Therefore, amplifiers of With its standard power pany (HEM) that distributes Clarus Cables
the highest fidelity must not only store supply, the OOR preamp in Poland and until recently manufactured
(by necessity limited) volumes of stable Mytek products.
“standing” energy in their capacitors; they emphasized beat, tempo, On their website, Ferrum Audio says
must also have effortless access to a flow of and pace. that the HYPSOS is their first product,
calling it a “linear/switching hybrid power
system” that accepts 110–240V AC in and
can output a user-selectable DC voltage
from 5V to 30V at up to 6A. It’s priced at
$1195.
On their website, Ferrum claims that
their hybrid design offers “the best of
switching and linear supplies.” Via email,
Roy Feldstein of VANA (Ferrum’s US
distributor) explained Ferrum’s choice to
make the HYPSOS a hybrid design: “Lin-
ear regulators have low ripple and noise as
well as fast transient response. Switching
power supplies have higher efficiency. Fer-
rum wanted it all.”
The engineering team at HEM/Ferrum
told me in an email that the design of the
HYPSOS supply begins with a noise-re-
ducing input filter to clean incoming AC.
That’s followed by a stepdown transform-
er, which feeds Schottky diodes and four
4700μf electrolytic capacitors (for smooth-
ing and storage). That’s all pretty standard.
After that is where it gets interesting.

GRAMOPHONE DREAMS
According to the HEM engineers, voltage of the linear regulator to vary the But first, the OOR
“That first linear supply feeds a low-ripple output voltage. This processor also controls I thought it would be wise to start my
switching supply (SMPS) through a single- all the other functions of the unit.” HYPSOS auditions by not using it;
stage filter, and there is a two-stage filter The main job of a power amplifier’s instead, I spent time listening to Ferrum’s
on the output of the switching supply. The power supply is to effortlessly deliver second product—the OOR preamp/head-
design and implementation of these input constantly varying ratios of voltage and phone amplifier ($1995)—with its standard
and output filters are critical to the perfor- current to a constantly fluctuating load. To off-chassis (“wire-wart”) power supply.
mance of the HYPSOS. To further reduce that end, the HYPSOS specifies maximum The headline on the Ferrum webpage
noise, the SMPS has a spread-spectrum continuous output current (for voltages for the OOR says “OOR, the only head-
mode. This mode modulates the switching below 13.3V) at 6A. For output voltages phone amplifier with a soul.” The sales
frequency by 20%. This technique reduces greater than 13.3V, Ferrum specifies that pitch continues farther down in smaller
EMI because the spectrum of noise gener- the DC output current will adjust to equal print, “OOR will drive any headphones
ated by multiple switching frequencies 80W maximum power. The HYPSOS effortlessly to the max of their potential,
and their harmonics is lower in magnitude weighs 6lb and measures 8.6" wide × 8.1" while preserving the essence of the music
than those of a single switching frequency. deep × 2" high. The warranty is for three it amplifies.”1 Normally, I am turned off
“Following the SMPS is a low-noise years. by such website hyperbole, but in the case
linear regulator. This final regulator is a Obviously, to audition Ferrum’s HYP- of these new Ferrum products, I found
low-dropout design based on an NMOS SOS power supply, I will need to connect myself being drawn in. Ferrum’s ad writ-
[negative channel metal oxide semicon- it to a component that requires power and ers wrote all the right words. Headphone
ductor] transistor. In the context of linear that can utilize a remote power supply. On dedicants like me study recordings like a
power supplies, the term ‘low-dropout’ their website, under the heading “Works monk studies ancient texts, seeking the
means that the device can regulate the out- with!” Ferrum provides a continuously soul and essence of the music being ampli-
put voltage even if the input voltage is only updated “Compatibility list” of the brands fied. The opportunity to audition a top-tier
slightly higher than the output voltage. In and component models the HYPSOS will headphone amp with both a standard and
the HYPSOS, the output of the switching service. Currently, this list includes dozens optional supply was my chief inspiration
supply is less than 1 volt greater than the of well-known brands: Arcam, Audio- for creating this report.
output voltage of the linear power supply. engine, Auralic, Bel Canto, Cambridge When the HYPSOS and OOR arrived,
This attribute increases the efficiency and Audio, Chord, Creek, Denon, exaSound, besides listening with them, I had a strong
reduces the heat output of the supply. An Gold Note, Mytek, Stax, Sonore, Roon, desire to know all about the thinking that
ARM-based microprocessor adjusts the iFi Audio, Musical Fidelity, Naim Audio,
duty cycle of the SMPS and the reference McIntosh, and others. 1 ferrum.audio/oor
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GRAMOPHONE DREAMS
motivated their design. I asked about the phone amplifiers. (XLR and RCA), I used it as a preamp,
nature of the OOR’s circuity and how the “The OOR’s entire signal path is DC connecting my record player (via RCA)
OOR is different than other headphone coupled and fully balanced. All gain and my dCS Bartók DAC (via XLR)
amplifiers at this price level. HEM Hard- circuitry is fully balanced (even on the to the inputs. I connected the OOR’s
ware Engineer Maksymilian Matuszak RCA input) because the input amplifier balanced outputs to the Parasound Halo
responded. This is an abbreviated version is converting the single-ended signal to A21+, driving my BFF Falcon Gold Badge
of his email response: balanced. Volume regulation is handled LS3/5a loudspeakers.
“The input stage of the OOR adjusts by a custom, 4-channel Alps attenuator. On the last track, “A Solo (Tombeau),”
gain and volume and is made from fast op- To accommodate single-ended output, the of the first recording I tried, Paolo Pan-
amps with external compensation. After signal is converted to single-ended at the dolfo’s recital of the same name (A Solo,
that, there is a unique, discrete-transistor RCA outputs.” 16/44.1 FLAC, Glossa/Tidal), I could
output stage based on low noise BJT [bi- According to Matuszak, output power hear the hollow, wood-ribbed inners of
polar junction] transistors. It is not class-A; into 32 ohms is about ~9.5Wpc balanced. Pandolfo’s viola, which repeatedly gave out
it is rather something between class-A and It’s ~8.3W into 50 ohms and ~2W into growls that sounded like wild creatures.
-AB. It does not use a full-time operational 300 ohms, both balanced. Using the OOR as a preamp in my
current source, which forces the current On the left of the OOR’s front panel reference system allows me to isolate and
through one transistor. Instead, it employs is a four-pin XLR headphone output; to better assess the sound character of its
special circuitry, which never turns off its right is a 1/4" (6.3mm) output jack fol- all-important first stage, switching, and
either of its two output-steering transistors, lowed by a flat knob switch for choosing volume control. However those essential
which are polarized similarly to class-AB. the RCA or XLR input; that’s followed by components affect or color the sound of
“The current through both output another knob switch for choosing –4dB, my reference system, that is how they will
transistors is monitored by independent +6dB, or +16dB of balanced gain or, in color the sound of the headphone outputs.
circuits that prevent it from dropping be- single-ended mode, –10dB, 0dB, or 10dB Used as a preamp, the OOR reminded
low a predetermined threshold value. The of gain. With the Susvara and Abyss head- me of a middleweight boxer landing quick
OOR’s output stage is linearized by the phones, I used balanced at +16dB. hard jabs; in music (not boxing), this qual-
feedback loop of its discrete current-feed- ity emphasized tempo changes, plucked
back amplifier, which has about 60kHz of Listening to OOR notes, and short pauses in the performance
open-loop bandwidth (–3dB) and almost I began my OOR auditions using its stream. In my listening notes, I described
1MHz of closed-loop bandwidth (–3dB). standard wire-wart supply, and because the what I heard as solid state at its best. I
This wide open-loop bandwidth is not fully balanced OOR has two rear-panel observed a solid state amplifier dancing,
present in [integrated-circuit–based] head- inputs (RCA and XLR) and two Outputs swaying, and darting about rhythmically,
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GRAMOPHONE DREAMS
like Kentucky clog dancers. The OOR voluptuous. know how good a headphone amp really
presented recordings with a directness of Since I discovered it in GD #36, Linear is, I use the most accurate transducer I’m
force and a spirited momentum I rarely Tube Audio’s $6950 Z10e headphone and aware of: JPS Labs Abyss AB-1266 Phi
encounter with my tube amp alternatives. 10W speaker amp only leaves my system TC. These Joe Skubinski–designed, 47
I especially enjoyed how the OOR when it has to. It pleases me in so many ohm, 88dB/mW sensitive, planar-mag-
made the Falcons growl, so I switched ways. It has become my daily-driver studio netic open-back (open-front?) headphones
music genres and played “Coming in on amplifier. The Z10e drives electrostatic make me say Wow! every time I use them.
a Wing and a Prayer” performed by the headphones (!), and it effectively powers Normally, I drive the Abyss from the
king of grumble’n’growl, Bahaman folk the HiFiMan Susvara from its HI-power output of my “blown-and-injected” 25W
singer–guitarist Joseph Spence, specifi- output; every other headphone can be (into 8 ohms) Pass Labs XA-25 loudspeak-
cally his Bahaman Folk Guitar: Music of the driven from its LO-power output. Plus! er amplifier ($4900). This super-trans-
Bahamas, Vol. 1 (24/96 FLAC Smithsonian On top of all that headphone usefulness, parent, hyper-dynamic, pure class-A amp
Folkways Recordings/Tidal). I love this the Z10e pleases me very well when driv- really lights up the sound when driving
artist, and I have long enjoyed the direct ing my LS3/5a. the Phi TC. All I can reasonably ask from
and unprocessed sound of this recording.
It makes me feel “right there” with Spence,
as though I can see his thumb and fingers
on the strings and his head thrown back,
vocalizing to the heavens. “Coming in …”
is nothing more than Spence plucking and
singing, but with the OOR driving the
A21+ it sounded like pirate opera, and
then, alternatively, like quick, syncopated
British jazz I could dance to. (If you are
the much less expensive OOR is that it

dance in the same ballroom with the same
debutantes.
I started my OOR-Abyss auditions
with my beloved Huddie Ledbetter sing-
ing his hell-arious, sarcastic composition
“(Ain’t You Glad) The Blood Done Signed
My Name” (Lead Belly Sings Folk Songs –
16/44.1 FLAC, Smithsonian Folkways/
Tidal). The sound of Huddie’s voice and
not familiar with Joseph Spence’s preter- HYPSOS brought guitar was taut, well-defined, and clear as
natural guitar playing, this album is a good clear can be. Lead Belly’s layered irony was
place to start.) new glow, space, and framed by the OOR’s dynamic, articulate,
With its standard power supply, the atmospheric vibrancy unadorned manner. My only complaint:
OOR preamp emphasized beat, tempo, to everything I played. The normally rich, wet-tongued timbre
and pace. It presented Spence with an of Ledbetter’s voice was now a bit dry and
agreeable but slightly grayed transparency gray.
that deemphasized (or eliminated) some Listening via the Susvara, tracks from
portion of the richness, air, and harmonic my Roon playlists sounded consistently OOR + HYPSOS
overtones I experience with the Rogue more spacious, vibrant, and voluptuous The moment I switched it on, the HYP-
RP-7 preamp or with the dCS Bartók with LTA’s Z10e than they did with the SOS’s front-panel screen lit up indicating
driving the A21+ directly. much less expensive OOR. The Z10e put it recognized the OOR. After about 10
I tried the balanced headphone output some spark’n’glow tube wonder into every seconds, the display indicated that it was
next, listening to Joseph Spence perform- recording. The OOR countered with a fully stabilized at the correct voltage and
ing the traditional “Face to Face That I stronger sense of pace, rhythmic pull, and current for the OOR amplifier.
Shall Know Him” and listening with HiFi- timing. I did not realize it, but Roy Feldstein
Man’s Susvara. In my studio, driving the Susvara, the had preprogrammed the HYPSOS for the
Recently, a friend told me that my $1995 OOR was more vigorous and OOR. Normally, users would be directed
Falcon Gold Badge LS3/5a loudspeak- exciting than the $3500 Pass Labs HPA-1 by the display to scroll through a long
ers sound like headphones. Maybe that headphone amp/preamp but drier and less menu-list of products that can mate with
explains it: With the Susvara headphones relaxed-sounding than the Z10e. Of the the HYPSOS and select the Ferrum OOR
powered by the OOR amplifier, I thought three, the Pass Labs amp was the most neu- or another product of their choice. (Alter-
the Susvara sounded like the Falcons tral and not-there transparent. The OOR natively, the output voltage and polarity
powered by the Parasound A21+. That’s a was the most fit and hard-bodied. The LTA can be set manually.)
compliment to the OOR. was the most nuanced and colorful. I started my OOR + HYPSOS audi-
With Ferrum’s OOR connected to its Whenever I want to know what some tions playing Lead Belly’s mind-twister,
standard switching supply, the sound (driv- sound hidden in the backspace of a record- “The Blood Done Signed My Name,”
ing the Susvara) was bold and copiously ing is, whenever I want to make out every followed by every Joseph Spence guitar
detailed but never delicate, atmospheric, or lyric in a blues song, whenever I want to recording and cello and gamba recording I

GRAMOPHONE DREAMS
could find. So folks …

The difference in sound character was Maybe this Ferrum HYPSOS Hybrid
immediately apparent: The HYPSOS Power System will be the start of a whole
brought new glow, space, and atmospheric new category of Recommended Com-
vibrancy to everything I played. These ponents? Maybe more audiophiles will
enhancements were most recognizable realize that audio amplification is about
from the upper bass through the top of adding clean, natural energy to signals—and
the female vocal range. Lead Belly got spit most importantly, that properly energized
back on his tongue. Guitar strings expelled amplification makes recorded music sound
more overtones. The sound felt more denser, more vibrant, and more plausible.
relaxed. Ferrum’s first two products do exactly
If any among you think two roughly as their advertising claims: The HYP-
electrically equivalent power supplies SOS + OOR will drive any headphones
should sound roughly the same, think effortlessly while preserving the soul and
again. The OOR’s standard wire-wart essence of the music they amplify. Q
supply was never expansive, atmospheric,
If any among you
or colorful. Reverb tails felt stunted. think two roughly
Colors appeared muted. With the HYP- electrically equivalent CONTACTS
SOS powering the OOR, the sound
got broader, taller, rounder, more three- power supplies should HEM/Ferrum
dimensional, more brilliant and expansive. sound “roughly” the Aleje Jerozolimskie 475, 05-800 Prusz-
The HYPSOS did not make the sound ków, Poland.
softer or tubelike; it just mitigated the
same, think again. Tel: +48 22 823 72 38.
unnatural hardness of the stock supply and Web: ferrum.audio.
passed more low-signal color and texture unlimited. Unconstrained. Musical energy US importer/distributor:
information. rose and fell with more apparent ease. Best VANA, Ltd.
Used as a preamp through my Para- of all, the HYPSOS retained most of the Nesconset, NY.
sound-Falcon setup, as well as when pow- switching supply’s firm punch and allur- Tel: (631) 246-4412.
ering the HiFiMan Susvara and Abyss Phi ing density but delivered it inside a more Email: sales@vanaltd.com.
TC headphones, the OOR + HYPSOS nuanced and vibrant presentation. Perhaps Web: vanaltd.com.
combination made the sound feel more this is the virtue of hybrid supplies?
R2D4’22
DEATH-DEFYING TUNES
o, what’s this all about? Most of you already well-known, I might consider changing the
know—after all, we’ve been doing it since name of the feature.
1991, and it’s one of our most popular fea- There aren’t many rules—just a couple.
tures. But if you’re new to Stereophile, here First, you must not have selected a record
it is: Originally, the light-hearted conceit previously for R2D4. You only live once (un-
was, these are the records you’d be willing less you are a cat, or James Bond), so you
to lay down your life for. (This foie gras is to cannot choose the same record twice.
die for!) But, let’s be real: That ain’t gonna If you’ve been doing this for as long as
happen, or so I hope. some of our writers have, this isn’t an easy
My favorite formulation was laid down by rule to follow. It’s easy to lose track, and after
music critic John Swenson in March 2021 a while, your personal R2D4 list grows long.
in a My Back Pages essay. He called them There’s an exception even to that rule,
death-row discs: These are the records that, sort of: While you’re not allowed to choose
at the end of your life, you’d want—you’d exactly the same record twice, you can
need—to hear one last time. Maybe these choose a new reissue of a previous choice.
records—and that desire—would even keep More than one reviewer took advantage of
you alive a little longer. If that weren’t so this exception this year to name the new
depressing, and if R2D4 wasn’t already so Analogue Productions reissue of a certain

R2D4 2022
record with initials KoB. is lax. My heart isn’t really in it. This year, Mikey noted in an email to me, “If it really
The only other rule is that the record Michael Fremer nominated one LP that is has to be ‘reasonably obtainable,’ maybe
must not be unobtainium. It must be obtainable—it technically qualifies—but the feature name should be changed
possible to obtain it, even if it requires only if you’re willing to commit a crime— to ‘Records to Be Inconvenienced For.’”
significant bodily or monetary sacrifice I’m considering it—or transfer large sums That’s not what we’re after here.
and/or serious determination. into someone else’s PayPal or Venmo So, without further ado, here it is: Re-
I admit that my enforcement of this rule account. With his typical insight and wit, cords to Die For, 2022.—Jim Austin
of small-scale choral works

JOHN ATKINSON gave me moments of much-
PROCOL HARUM needed calm during New
LIVE: IN CONCERT York City’s pandemic shut-
WITH THE EDMONTON down. Some of these British
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA part songs were familiar—
Procol Harum, Edmonton Symphony
Percy Grainger’s arrange-
Orchestra, Lawrence Leonard, cond.; ment of “Brigg Fair,” Edward
Da Camera Singers Elgar’s “There Is Sweet
Chrysalis CHR1004 (UK LP). 1972. Music”—others were new to
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab MFCD me, such as Jonathan Dove’s
788 (CD) 2007. Gary Brooker, orchs.;
Chris Thomas, prod.; Wally Heider,
“Who Killed Cock Robin?”
Ray Thompson, Tom Scott, Ken and James MacMillan’s “The
Caillat, Biff Dawe, engs. Gallant Weaver.” The album
takes its name from one of its
« The end of the 1960s five works by Ralph Vaughan
was a Golden Age for British Williams, but the standout
“progressive” rock bands. track for me is Charles Villiers
Following the demise of Stanford’s “The Blue Bird.”
Cream in 1968, those that I first fell in love with this
had the biggest effect on hauntingly beautiful setting
this budding audiophile were of a Mary Coleridge poem on
King Crimson, The Nice, a 1977 LP by Swingle II. But in
Yes, and Procol Harum. I contrast to that close-miked
saw the first three live on a and choir, the band used HOWELLS, MACMILLAN, studio recording, the sound
number of occasions but smaller amplifiers than usual STANFORD, VAUGHAN of the Gabrieli Consort’s per-
Procol only once, in June and, reportedly, even B.J. WILLIAMS formance is lucid, transpar-
1972. Only pianist, vocalist, Thomas played with less Gabrieli Consort; Paul McCreesh, ent, and unforced. The fragile
and composer Gary Brooker bombast than usual. cond. images of each singer are
was left from the “Whiter The album’s cover reflects Signum Classics/Winged Lion stably positioned within the
SIGCD490 (16/44.1 FLAC, Tidal,
Shade of Pale” band, but with what was captured on this Qobuz). 2017. Adrian Peacock,
supportive acoustic of the re-
B.J. Wilson on drums, Chris album (due to that mike leak- prod.; Neal Hutchinson, eng.; Paul cording venue, Charterhouse
Copping on Hammond organ, age): the band in front of the McCreesh, Adrian Peacock, David School Chapel in Surrey,
Dave Ball on guitar, and Alan orchestra, which is in front Hinitt, editing. England. As the soprano’s
Cartwright on bass, they of the choir. The individual « “The music is not in the held high E flat at the end of
were touring to promote their images are appropriately notes, but in the silence the “The Blue Bird” fades,
then-new album recorded sized, and the dynamic range between.” Was it Mozart who it’s as if a door that had been
live in 1971 with an orches- is wide; at the concluding cry said this? Some insist it was opened into a universe of
tra and choir in Edmonton, of “Shalimar” in “Whaling Sto- Debussy. Others misquote calm slowly closes.
Canada. (Insights into the ries,” lyricist Keith Reid’s enig- Miles Davis. But whomever
making of this album can matic tale of shipwreck and it was, this aptly titled album
be found at bit.ly/3HvBnVQ redemption, a shiver never JIM AUSTIN
and bit.ly/3qTR1V6.) To my fails to run down my spine. I CHARLES MINGUS
disappointment there was no wager this was the only album MINGUS: THE
orchestra at the June 1972 with audiophile sound quality CANDID RECORDINGS
concert, but the new band to reach the Top Five in the FEATURING ERIC
still held the audience in Billboard Pop Music chart. DOLPHY
thrall. Most live rock albums Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, many
are mixed for sonic impact, GABRIELI CONSORT others. (LP, Barnaby KZ 31034).
but this one is different. SILENCE & MUSIC: 1961/1972. Nat Hentoff, Jon
Because of leakage into the WORKS BY DOVE, Waxman, prods.
mikes used for the orchestra ELGAR, GRAINGER, « It’s astonishing for me to

Every note. Every word.
Every detail.
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R2D4 2022
way building at 111 W. 57th St., which is easy to find and fairly
down the street from Carn- cheap, but these recordings
egie Hall. (That 1920s building have appeared on Mosaic,
is now part of a residential several Candids, and other
complex attached to one of Barnaby releases. The same
New York’s new asymmetrical recordings are collected (with
skyscrapers for billionaires.) others) as The Complete
It’s a studio recording, but 1960 Nat Hentoff Sessions
it sounds like a club date; on CD (which is hard to find)
there’s an audience. It’s a and streaming (which isn’t).
big group, with 10 musicians
playing on one track (“MDM,” JOHN COLTRANE
realize that I’ve never chosen Mingus’s modest initialism for A LOVE SUPREME: like this live version better.
a Charles Mingus recording “Monk, Duke, and Mingus”). LIVE IN SEATTLE In his RotM write-up, Kurt
as an R2D4, considering how The sound is more than pass- Impulse!/Ume (LP B0034291-01). Gottschalk suggested that
much I love Mingus’s angry, able—though it’s not as good 2021. Ravi Coltrane, prod.; Kevin this was A Love Supreme
Reeves, eng.
rowdy, yet somehow classical as Mingus’s best recordings, through the lens of Trane’s
approach. But which one to which sound superb. The « This is a new record—our later style, and that seems
choose? Here’s one useful playing is relatively restrained Recording of the Month for right to me. It’s difficult—im-
criterion: Eric Dolphy must for Mingus—including Dolphy, December 2021—and I’ve possible, really—for me to
play on the record. who swoons and bends but only listened to it a few times, say what makes this so good.
I’ve decided to go with exercises more discipline than but already I know it’s to It just speaks to me in a way
this one, which collects two he does on his wildest record- die for. The original studio that few records do—which
sessions recorded at the Nola ings. Mingus brings out the recording is a jazz classic— could be a criterion, or even
Penthouse Studios, on the best in his musicians. one of the most important an alternative definition, for
17th floor of the former Stein- I enjoy this on a Barnaby LP, of all jazz records—but I Records To Die For.
LARRY BIRNBAUM Berry’s “Have Love, Will Trav- and zouk. His sophomore piano over zouk or zouk-like
THE SONICS el” and the Wailers’ “Dirty release presents his regular beats. The remaining five
HERE ARE THE SONICS!!! Robber,” singer Gerry Roslie quartet plus vocal partner tracks feature singers Ralph
Norton CRW 903 (CD). 1965/1999. growls and screeches over Ralph Thamar, members of Thamar, Jocelyne Béroard,
John “Buck” Ormsby, Kent Morrill, Larry Parypa’s fuzzy guitar the pioneering zouk band and Jean-Paul Pognon
prods.; Kearney Barton, eng.; Bob
and Bob Bennett’s pounding Kassav’, and other guests. performing zouk, ballad, and
Irwin, remastering.
drums, forging a template for The four instrumental tracks salsa numbers. Uplifting
« Perhaps the raunchiest future punk rockers. The CD showcase Canonge’s bop- and original, it’s a breath of
of the raucous garage-rock reissue features four bonus less, bluesless, cocktail-jazz fresh air.
bands that emerged from tracks, including the impious
the Pacific Northwest in the “Don’t Believe in Christmas.”
1960s (think Kingsmen), the PHIL BRETT
Sonics go full-throttle on MARIO CANONGE ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN
their debut album, originally TRAIT D’UNION HEAVEN UP HERE
produced by members of Ta- Mario Canonge, piano; 18 others.
Korova KODE 3 (LP). 1981. Hugh Jones, prod., eng.
coma’s Fabulous Wailers for Mélodie/Kann’ 08635-2 (CD). 1993.
Hervé Le Guil, Damien Bertrand,
their own Etiquette label. On prods., engs.
« Many post-punk bands stumbled after acclaimed debuts.
hard-grinding originals like Not the Bunnymen; indeed, their first four albums are all stun-
“The Witch,” “Boss Hoss,” « This Martinican piano ning. For me, though, this is their masterpiece. It affects me
“Psycho,” and “Strychnine,” virtuoso’s style is a buoy- physically like few records have ever managed to do. When I
and on covers like Richard ant fusion of jazz, salsa, first heard it, ripples went through me like an electric current,
and with every subsequent listening, the reaction has always
been the same.
Central to the set is the power of the rhythm section of bassist
Les Pattinson and drummer Pete de Freitas. The latter’s playing
on tracks such as “All My Colours” blows your head off. No bodily
organ is safe. Your brain is sliced by Will Sergeant’s guitar on
“Over the Wall.” The heart swells with Ian McCulloch’s vocals,
brimming with passion and majesty. In addition to the songs,
McCulloch and band had that über-cool look: long trench coats,
pretty, boyish looks, and floppy hair. Many fans tried to copy their
style; I only managed the coat. This is music of life-affirming
intensity, an album one might have expected to launch them to

R 3 ARRETÉ
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R2D4 2022
Coward-Deyell (replaced
later by Estella Adeyeri) had BRIAN DAMKROGER
responded to an ad placed VARIOUS
by Stephanie Phillips (guitar BOB DYLAN: THE
and lead vocals) calling for a 30TH ANNIVERSARY
“black feminist punk band.” CONCERT CELEBRATION
With its assertive, witty lyrics
Music On Vinyl MOVLP1000 (4 LPs).
and lo-fi approach, Sistahs 1993/2014. Jeff Kramer, Kevin Wall,
has obvious influences from Don DeVito, Jeff Rosen, prods.; David
bands such as the Raincoats. Hewitt, eng.
But it would be wrong to
view the album as a deriva- « How many times have
U2-level success. Superstar- Sistahs, had already been tive nostalgia trip: Sistahs is we seen the phrase “All-Star
dom was not to be, but what out a while when I went to alive and contemporary. It’s Cast” in ads for some per-
was, was Heaven Up Here. see the Raincoats play. Big not thrash, but it’s melodic, formance? More than I can
Joanie was the supporting and danceable in its DIY way. count. How many times does
BIG JOANIE act, and I had never heard Packed with short catchy
SISTAHS of them. Two minutes into tunes played by a tight band
The Daydream Library Series their set, I was hooked. A few fronted by a lead singer with
DLSO1CD (CD). 2018/2019. Margo years before my “discovery,” a great voice, it is a marvel-
Broom, prod., eng.
drummer Chardine Taylor- ous album. Discover it for
« Big Joanie’s debut, Stone and bassist Kiera yourselves.
THOMAS CONRAD
THOMAS MARRIOTT/BILL ANSCHELL/
JEFF JOHNSON/JOHN BISHOP
THE COOL SEASON
Marriott, trumpet, flugelhorn; Anschell, piano; Johnson, bass; the live performance live up
Bishop, drums to that promise? None—until
Origin Records 82494 (CD). 2007. John Bishop, prod.; Floyd I heard this recording. The
Reitsma, eng. all-star cast includes Eric
« When it’s your all-time favorite Christmas re- Clapton, Neil Young, George
cord, you make it an R2D4, even though the R2D4 Harrison—and, of course,
issue is February. These four gifted musicians Bob Dylan. The list goes on,
are less than world-famous because they live and and everyone—as individuals
work in Seattle. They chose emblematic songs of and in ensemble—delivers on
the season, like Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmas Time that promise. There are truly
Is Here,” Mel Tormé’s “The Christmas Song,” and no low points, but the Mount
Alec Wilder’s “Blackberry Winter.” But the allure Everest has to be “My Back
of this album is how they blended these tunes into Pages.” My 180gm, remas-
a single serene mood and atmosphere, a suite of tered special edition from
shared memories. Marriott’s trumpet lingers lov- Music On Vinyl is awesome in
ingly on these melodies. Anschell’s piano scatters every respect, but the CD is
silver light everywhere. The Cool Season is softly, worth every penny as well.
sweetly nostalgic like Christmas but firm at the
edges like jazz. PINK FLOYD
THE WALL
RALPH LALAMA & BOPJUICE Harvest SHDW 411 (2 LPs). 1979.
LIVE AT SMALLS Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, James
Guthrie, Roger Waters, prod.; James
Lalama, tenor saxophone; Joel Forbes, bass; Clifford Barbaro,
Guthrie, eng.
drums
SmallsLIVE SL-0027 (CD). 2012. Spike Wilner, prod.; Jimmy « A case can be made for
Katz, eng.
a few albums as genuine
« When the SmallsLIVE label was going strong rock masterpieces. The
a decade ago, it was as close as you could get Wall is one. I won’t try to
to live jazz without leaving home. The recordings from this funky, tiny Greenwich Village club, add anything new to the
especially those engineered by Jimmy Katz, put you smack in the middle of this sweaty hang. In a collected wisdom within the
bare-bones trio format, tenor saxophonist Ralph Lalama, stalwart of big bands (Village Vanguard, 41,700,000 hits on Google
Jones/Lewis, Rich, Herman), kicks ass. He burns fast songs into the night, splintered notes flying (as of this writing), but I will
(“Wonderful, Wonderful”), or he rolls through slower tunes like a river, flowing free from their say that I’ve listened to a lot
melodies into vast, 11-minute digressions (“Love Letters”). You can almost say you were there. of releases of The Wall, both

R2D4 2022
analog and digital, and I keep and sassy, with minimalist

returning to the original UK ensemble arrangements and
release. It’s not the best- flashy solos. Favorite cuts:
sounding one, but it’s the one the title track and “The Soul
that sounds right. Drummers.” Reissues have
been a mixed bag, so seek out
an original LP, ideally a copy
ROBERT DEUTSCH that was loved gently.
MICHEL LEGRAND
LES DEMOISELLES DE FELA RANSOME-KUTI
ROCHEFORT AND THE AFRICA’70
Music by Michel Legrand, lyrics WITH GINGER BAKER
by Jacques Demy. 558 408-2 CD. Rodríguez Jr., trumpets; Louie LIVE!
1967/1998. Cruz, piano; Bobby Rodriguez, bass;
Fela Ransome-Kuti, vocals/
Adalberto Santiago/Pete Bonet,
keyboards/sax; Ginger Baker/Tony
« Les Demoiselles de vocals/percussion. Fania SLP 346,
Allen, drums; Akwesi Korranting/
1968 (LP or streaming). Harvey
Rochefort may not be a Friday Jumbo/Henry Koffi, congas;
Averne/Jerry Masucci, prods.
“serious” movie, but I find it Isaac Olaleye/Tony Abayomi,
percussion; Maurice Ekpo, bass;
irresistible. The same movie « Ray Barretto took the
Lekan Animashaun, baritone sax; Igo
without Michel Legrand’s gritty New York City boo- Chiko, tenor sax; Eddie Faychum/
music would not be worth galoo on a new trip through Tunde Williams, trumpets; Peter
discussing. But that music! the boogie-down Bronx with Animashaun, rhythm guitar
Heavily jazz-influenced, this penultimate Latin Soul Knitting Factory KFR-1003,
Legrand’s music is unfail- on Broadway; Lloyd Webber platter. The music shimmies, 1971/2010 (CD or streaming). Jeff
Jarratt, prod.
ingly melodic, delivered here and his collaborators are shakes, dips, and jumps. It
with great panache by the obviously doing something even rocks, without the sound « Giants of the deep groove
ensemble cast (all dubbed, right. Putting aside the spec- of electric guitar anywhere (the musical kind, not the
including Gene Kelly and tacle, listening to the CD of in the grooves. The sound is LP-collector-speak kind)
George Chakiris). The song Phantom’s 25th Anniversary percussion-forward, bright walked the earth and were
best-known in its English production reveals a skill-
version as “You Must Believe fully crafted work combin-
in Spring” is lovely, but the ing memorable music with
English lyrics bear no resem- lyrics that pack an emotional
blance to the French original. punch. Ramin Karimloo and
I love the movie, and the CD Sierra Boggess deliver beau-
of its soundtrack is a Record tifully sung performances in
To Die For. the leading roles. The record-
ing of the original West End
ANDREW LLOYD cast is a classic, and I have
WEBBER a fondness for the Canadian
THE PHANTOM OF THE cast recording, but this new
OPERA AT THE ROYAL recording of Phantom at
ALBERT HALL (IN Royal Albert Hall is now my
CELEBRATION OF favorite.
25 YEARS)
Polydor/Really Useful Records (2
CDs). 2011. Anthony Inglis, cond.;
TOM FINE
Cameron Mackintosh, prod.
RAY BARRETTO
« Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ACID
The Phantom of the Opera is Ray Barretto, congas; Orestes Vilató,
the longest-running musical timbales; René López/Roberto

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R2D4 2022
recorded live here: Fela Kuti, November 3, 2021. This cen-

the mad musical/political tennial release includes the
revolutionary of Nigeria, complete Decca library of her
meets the mad drummer taped recordings on CD for
of Cream. One can feel the the first time. Described as a
steamy African night, danger “shy, workaholic, perfection-
never far away, the music ist prodigy,” she was praised
providing a frenzy of tension during her 47-year life by
and release. Note how easily Marcel Dupré as “the greatest
Baker slips into the Afro-pop organist of all generations.”
beat, anchored by Tony Allen On these CDs, Demessieux
and the massive percussion plays familiar masterpieces
corps. These giants have now with clarity, technical mas-
moved on to the next dimen- tery, and ease that equals or
sion, but luckily for us, EMI exceeds that of the six previ-
ran tape one night when the ous R2D4 pipe organ record-
spirits danced. The original ings I’ve written about over
Atlantic/Signpost US LP can the past seven years. Her
be costly, and this CD reissue Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
includes a Baker-Allen “drum (BWV 565) has a deft, gentle
battle” recorded at the Berlin touch that’s powerful and
Jazz Festival in 1978. majestic. The Toccata from
Widor’s fifth organ symphony
is light, sparkling, and full of
MICHAEL FREMER Dorham originals couldn’t track original master tapes joy. Clarke’s “Trumpet Tune”
KENNY DORHAM be more different in intent that have supposedly since conveys the same happiness,
QUIET KENNY and execution than Miles’s deteriorated. Grizzled KoB rhythmic certainty, and light-
Electric Recording Company/New contemporaneous classic vets (myself included) agree ness of touch rarely heard
Jazz ERC042S/NJLP 8225 (180g Kind of Blue, but it’s no less that this 200gm Clarity Vinyl in pipe organ recitals. These
LP). 1960/2018. Bob Weinstock,
vital. This tube cut comple- UHQR pressing delivers more recordings are magical.
prod.; Rudy Van Gelder, eng.
ments the recording well. The musical detail than any previ-
« Original pressings of Quiet also-outstanding Analogue ous release. STEELY DAN
Kenny have quietly become Productions version, cut AJA
costly jazz collectibles, fetch- by Kevin Gray, is awaiting a MCA Records VIM-4039 (LP).
ing upward of $1500. The repress. LARRY GREENHILL 1977/1980. Gary Katz, prod.; Al
Electric Recording Com- JEANNE DEMESSIEUX Schmidt, Bill Schnee, engs.
pany’s limited-to-150-copies MILES DAVIS THE DECCA LEGACY « This 1977 studio LP cata-
stereo reissue—a separate, KIND OF BLUE Works by Bach, Mendelssohn, pulted American jazz-rock
Miles Davis, trumpet; John Coltrane, Widor, Franck, Liszt, Mozart, Clarke,
mono issue was also pro- band Steely Dan to platinum
Cannonball Adderley, saxophones; et al. Jeanne Demessieux, organ.
duced—sourced from the Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, piano; Paul Eloquence/Decca 4841424 (8 status and sold more than 5
master tapes and cut on its Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums CDs). 2021. Mark Obert-Thorn and million copies. Released 45
fully restored all-tube Lyrec/ Chris Bernauer, audio restoration/ years ago on ABC Records,
Columbia/Analogue Productions
remastering.
Ortofon mastering system, AUHQR 0004/CS 8163 (LP). it has been reissued on vinyl,
produces involuntary gasps 1959/2021. Irving Townsend, Teo « I rushed to order this CD, and SACD by ABC Re-
Macero, prods.; Fred Plaut, eng.;
from listeners when the Bernie Grundman, remastering.
eight-CD boxed set of Jeanne cords, Cisco, Mobile Fidelity
trumpeter plays his first solo: Demessieux’s pipe organ Sound Labs, MCA Records,
He sounds as if he’s standing « Sixty-plus years after its recordings on Eloquence Simply Vinyl, Geffen, Classic
in the room just behind the 1959 release, Miles’s modal Classics/Decca as soon as Albums, and PGP RTB. (My
left speaker. The collection of KoB remains an enduring its release was announced Japanese pressing, which I
mostly standards plus a few popular classic, with reach in The New York Times on bought used, sounds great,
well beyond the ever-dimin-
ishing core jazz audience.
There’s a good chance that it
will still be so 100 years from
now. If that happens, there
likely will still be no better-
sounding, more detail-reveal-
ing version than this limited-
to-25,000-copies UHQR
release, which uses lacquers
that Bernie Grundman cut in
1997 directly from the three-

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but I don’t know if it sounds ing the inner thoughts of a

better than the other avail- narrator who longs for Aja, ALEX HALBERSTADT
able pressings.) The three its music and lyrics evoke SALIF KEITA
tracks on side 1 feature the California coast’s cold, MOFFOU
rich, lustrous, sumptuous sunny beauty, where one
Decca US 440 016906-2 (CD). 2002. Salif Keita, Jean Lamoot, Freddy Zerbib,
sound, subtle rhythms, and runs to find or to lose oneself. prod.
powerful rhythmic drive. “Aja” ends with Steve Gadd’s
“Black Cow” is a cocktail of drums and cymbal provid- « Salif Keita possesses one of the most glorious voices on
sophistication, anger, sad- ing a foundation for Wayne’s the planet, as distinctive as Aretha Franklin’s or Pavarotti’s. A
ness, and rejection of lost Shorter’s wailing, sad Malian prince who had the misfortune of being born an albino—
love. The 8-minute title track soprano sax improvisation. a bad omen in Mandinka culture—he was cast out of the royal
combines jazz fusion and I run to this album when my family. Keita violated another prohibition of his noble birth by
progressive rock. Depict- dime-dancing is through. becoming a musician. He reached a global audience in the
late 1980s, combining West African roots music with Western
pop and soul, but he
KURT GOTTSCHALK made his finest and
JOHN COLTRANE most stripped-down
EXPRESSION recording at age 53,
John Coltrane, tenor after returning to Mali
saxophone, flute; Pharoah from longtime exile. The
Sanders, flute, piccolo, songs on Moffou are
tambourine; Alice Coltrane,
piano; Jimmy Garrison, bass;
almost ecstatic in their
Rashied Ali, drums swaying beauty; Keita’s
Impulse! MVCI-23023, AS- mind-stopping, soaring
9120 (CD). 1967/1991. John tenor is set against
Coltrane, Bob Thiele, prods.; women’s voices and a
Rudy Van Gelder, eng.
lacework of acoustic
« In 2021, the release and electric guitars. A
of a live recording of record of rousing, unde-
A Love Supreme cast niable brilliance.
attention once again on
MICHAEL HURLEY
John Coltrane’s legacy.
HI-FI SNOCK
Thumbnail histories
UPTOWN
posit that he delved
Future Days Recordings
into more cacophonous FDR 604 (CD). 1972/2013.
music from there, but “Banana,” Joe Bauer, prod.;
his final (much over- J.J. Golden, remastering.
looked) studio session One of the true ec-
«
tells a different story. centrics of American

Expression is a (mostly) music, Michael Hurley
peaceful album of beau- writes folk songs in the
tiful, noncentered music weird Harry Smith vein
that’s unique in his and populates them with
catalog. It’s not better than A Love Supreme, but it’s a record I fantastic characters, mystical ramblings, and boatloads of Alice
return to and think about. The 1991 Japanese reissue contains in Wonderland charm. His most fully realized record is this early
a bonus track (dropped from subsequent issues) that shows session, originally released on Warner Brothers’ Raccoon label
there was still some fire in the stove. in 1972. The spare arrangements showcase Hurley’s affecting
singing and off-kilter world building: Songs like “Blue Driver,”
THE SLITS “Mr. Whiskerwits,” and “Trinidad” don’t sound or function like
CUT anyone else’s, and the recording is textured and present. It’s a
Island Records 5321250 (CD). 1979/2009. Dennis Bovell, prod.; Mike Dunne, eng. perfect complement to the equally essential but more raucous
« The priestesses of punky reggae, the riot grrls before the Have Moicy! (1976), on which Hurley is joined by the Unholy
riot, the Slits broke through the gender wall that permeated Modal Rounders and Jeffrey Frederick and the Clamtones.
punk. And they persisted through the history of rock to make
one of the most enduring albums of the musical explosion that
unsettled England at the end of the ’70s. With reggae musician JOHN IVERSON « My big music discovery
Dennis Bovell as their George Martin, they manifested music CHANCHA VÍA this year was finding a new
both primitive and polished for their biting, lyrical observations CIRCUITO subgenre that has me buying
of the scene and the economic state of London. This release is BIENAVENTURANZA download after download.
a shining example of musical complexity born of ignoring (or The loose category—I
Wonderwheel (16/44.1). 2018. Pedro
not knowing) the rules. The 2009 remastered deluxe edition is Canale, prod.; Jerónimo Escajal, haven’t found an adequate
recommended. Manuel Schaller, engs. label yet—is a mesmerizing

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these artists and more are
easily found and sampled at
Bandcamp.com.
LORD HURON
LONG LOST
Republic Records (24/44.1
download). 2021. Ben Schneider,
prod.; Ben Tolliday, Mark Barry,
blend of Central and South prods., engs.
country twang and modern
American indigenous and Americana—in the mode of FRED KAPLAN
folk styles/instruments with « I’m a fool for the romantic Fleet Foxes, or even Band MILES DAVIS
electronica layered on top of Cowboy West of the ’40s and of Horses. More homage KIND OF BLUE
prodigious amounts of hand ’50s, so it was hard to resist than imitation, the album is
Miles Davis, trumpet; John Coltrane,
percussion. Once you devel- Lord Huron’s latest as it sad- packed with great songs and Cannonball Adderley, saxophones;
op a taste for it, you’ll know it dled up and rode melodically seductive big-sky sounds: Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, piano; Paul
when you hear it. (One artist off into the orange and red languid reverb, steely strings, Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums
tags it “folclore latinoameri- Arizona sunset. The brilliant tremolo guitar, and even a Columbia/Analogue Productions
AUHQR 0004/CS 8163 (LP).
cano modern.”) Favorite trick here is how the band musical saw snuck in for a
1959/2021. Irving Townsend, Teo
musicians include Nicola sounds rooted in both classic few good measures. Macero, prods.; Fred Plaut, eng.;
Bernie Grundman, remastering.
ANNE E. JOHNSON JONI MITCHELL

BRITTEN THE REPRISE ALBUMS
LES ILLUMINATIONS/SERENADE FOR TENOR, (1968-71)
HORN & STRINGS/NOCTURNE Joni Mitchell, voice, piano, guitar,
dulcimer; James Taylor, Stephen
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; Ian Bostridge, tenor; Radek Baborák, Stills, others. Henry Lewy, eng.;
horn; Simon Rattle, cond. Bernie Grundman, remastering.
Warner Classics (16/44.1 FLAC). 2005. John Fraser, prod.; Arne Rhino (4 LPs). 1968-71/2021.
Akselberg, eng. « Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue
« Recorded in the bright yet rich acoustic of Berlin’s and Joni Mitchell’s Blue are
Jesus Christus Kirche, this collection of Benjamin two of the greatest jazz and
Britten song cycles shimmers with intensity. Ian pop albums, respectively. I
Bostridge’s interpretations offer passion and clear have cited each in some pre-
purpose. The French texts of Les illuminations fairly vious R2D4 edition, but their
bounce from the speakers, propelled by the biting, latest reissues—in just the
precise Berlin Philharmonic strings. Conductor Simon past year—are so superior to
Rattle draws every ounce of dense beauty from the all previous pressings, and
night-related songs in Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and so musically revelatory, that
Strings. Unlike expressively distanced Britten-era I received dispensation from
recordings by Robert Tear and others, Bostridge is on high to cite them again.
unrepentantly emotional during poems like William Kind of Blue, also the best-
Blake’s erotic “Elegy”—Radek Baborák’s horn solo selling jazz album ever, is one
is haunting—inspiring wildness in the orchestra. of the few works of art in any
The through-composed Nocturne, with its intimate medium that, in its time, was
seven-instrument accompaniment, is delicate and both revolutionary and com-
otherworldly. pletely accessible. It’s Miles’s
definitive break from his men-
PLANXTY
tor Charlie Parker’s bebop
COLD BLOW AND THE RAINY NIGHT
and the ultimate traversal
Polydor (16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC). 1974. Phil Coulter, prod., eng.
(one of the first and never ex-
« In 1974, Planxty was leading the charge to popular- ceeded) of modal jazz, driven
ize traditional Irish music globally. While their third not by set chord changes
album has the usual virtuosic and innovative instrumental arrangements of dance tunes, it is but by a free dalliance with
especially generous in its vocal offerings. Three of the members sing: Christy Moore, with breathy scales. Analogue Productions’
sentimentality; Andy Irvine, with wistful, reedy tenor; and Johnny Moynihan, with sly humor. LPs, pressed one at a time
Some groups at that time tried to put on a veneer of timbral normalcy to make their music seem on dead-quiet UHQR Clarity
less exotic, but Planxty proudly leaned into their exclusively Irish sound, so uilleann piper Liam vinyl, eke more tonal, textural,
O’Flynn is often centered. Dónal Lunny’s bouzouki and bodhrán provide the rhythmic glue. dynamic, and spatial rhythm

A NEW BEN CHM AR K
TH E C 39 9 HY BR ID D IG ITA L DA C A MP L IF IE R
T h e n ew f l a g s h i p of N A D’s ve n e ra ted C l a ss i c
S e r i e s, t h e C 3 9 9 i s t h e f i rst of t h e C l a ss i c S e r i e s
to fea t u re t h e n Co re a m p l i f i ca t i o n tec h n o l o g y,
w i t h 1 80 wa t ts p e r c h a n n e l of n u a n ced p owe r.
I t i s a l so t h e f i rst to ca r r y t h e M D C2 f u tu re -
p ro of i n g p l a t fo r m , e n s u r i n g l o n g - l a st i n g va l u e a n d
p e r fo r m a n ce.
R2D4 2022
wailing big band score is

KEN MICALLEF the star of the film—after
ELMER BERNSTEIN Lancaster and Tony Curtis.
SWEET SMELL OF The music churns, boils,
SUCCESS swings, swoons, condemns,
and empathizes as the film’s
Pete Candoli, trumpet; Ted Nash,
alto saxophone; Shelly Manne, characters struggle from
drums nadir to nadir.
Decca DL 8610 (LP). 1957. Elmer
Bernstein, cond.; Jack Hayes, Leo
STEPS AHEAD
Shuken, orchs. STEPS AHEAD
Michael Brecker, tenor saxophone;
« “I’d hate to take a bite Mike Mainieri, vibraphone,
outta you. You’re a cookie synthesizer, marimba; Eliane Elias,
full of arsenic,” snarled J.J. piano; Eddie Gómez, bass; Peter
Erskine, drums
Hunsecker, as portrayed by
Burt Lancaster in this 1950s Elektra Musician 60168-1 (LP). 1983.
Steps Ahead, prod.
film noir classic. Described
in this soundtrack album’s « Steps Ahead comprised
liner notes as reflecting some of New York City’s fin-
“the tempo, anguish and est musicians, the vanguard
frustration in a contemporary of both younger jazz players
popular idiom,” Bernstein’s Continued on page 54
than I’ve heard in hundreds of eringly poetic lyrics. And such

listenings. It’s riveting. a pure, supple, romantic, and
Blue—one of four albums (when called for) witty voice.
in Mitchell’s boxed set The Re- These LPs also sound far and
prise Albums (the others be- away better than the originals,
ing Song to a Seagull, Clouds, three of which were excellent
and Ladies of the Canyon)— to begin with. (The excep-
marked her triumph as a tion, her first album, Song to
master of limpid melodies, a Seagull, has been greatly
complex harmonies, and shiv- cleaned up.)
SASHA MATSON
THE SONS OF CHAMPLIN
LOOSEN UP NATURALLY
Capitol SWBB-200 (2 LPs). 1969. Bruce Walford, David Schallock, prods.; Leo de Gar Kulka, eng.
« Released as a two-LP set by Capitol in 1969, this is the cornerstone album from the Bay
Area psychedelic music revolution that many listeners today are unfamiliar with. The Sons
were a large band that included a jazzy horn section. Anchored by his red-hot Hammond B3
organ playing, writer Bill Champlin delivered his lyrics with a soulful voice unequaled by any
white boy at the time. Utopian ideals mixed with wry humor: “I got one thing to say to the
Fool on the Hill: You’re gonna feel funny on a rooftop.” This double-whammy contains not
one but two anthems—“Get High” and “Freedom.”
GIACOMO PUCCINI
LA RONDINE
The London Symphony Orchestra, London Voices; Angela Gheorghiu, soprano; Roberto Alagna, tenor; Antonio
Pappano, cond.
EMI Classics 7243 5 56338 2 (2 CDs). 1997. David Groves, prod.; Simon Rhodes, eng.
« Yes, it’s digital, but it’s really good digital and a fine example of what now is becoming a
rarity: a large, state-of-the-art studio recording in Abbey Road’s Studio 1. (This was a more
common occurrence when giants like EMI still strode the earth.) La Rondine had gotten the
short end of the Puccini stick until the then-youngish Pappano and his superstar couple
of Gheorghiu and Alagna showed the music world what it had been missing. The glowingly
warm yet amply textured sound supports ravishing playing and singing. The piece reaches
a full-on Puccini climax toward the end of Act II, when Gheorghiu shoots for the stars. Music
to make love by.

R2D4 2022
and busy studio session soft soprano against early luxe Edition beats my old CD.) Anouar Brahem, oud; Klaus Gesing,
bass clarinet; Björn Meyer, bass;
stalwarts. The production synth beats. “Biko” recounts A haunting amalgamation of
Khaled Yassine, darbouka, bendir.
is beautiful with a lucid, activist Steve Biko’s fate un- ethereal and earthy, it marks ECM 2075, B0013356-02 (CD).
intimate sound, and the per- der South African apartheid; a fine moment for crossover 2009. Manfred Eicher, prod.; Stefano
formances showcase each real-world a cappella choral Americana—ahead of that Amerio, eng.
player as a master of their in- samples uplift and lend au- curve. It’s also that rare
strument. The compositions thenticity. Song by song or as album my family might agree « In this recording of tran-
hold up well, especially Don a whole, this well-produced on across generations. scendent beauty, Tunisian
Grolnick’s dancelike “Pools,” album is among Gabriel’s oud virtuoso Anouar Brahem
Mainieri’s soaring “Islands,” most compelling. brings his Middle Eastern flair
and Brecker’s Afro-Cuban-to- DAN OUELLETTE into a jazz/chamber music
EMMYLOU HARRIS
samba–infused “Both Sides
WRECKING BALL ANOUAR BRAHEM setting. The album features
of the Coin.” THE ASTOUNDING EYES rich harmonic interplay be-
Elektra/Asylum Records PRCD-9308
(CD) and 24/44 FLAC. 1995. OF RITA tween Brahem and German
Daniel Lanois, prod.; Trina Shoemaker,
JULIE MULLINS
eng., mastering; Joe Gastwirt,
PETER GABRIEL mastering; Mark Howard, eng.,
PETER GABRIEL Malcolm Burn, eng., arr., mixing.
Geffen GHSP 2035 (LP) 1980/1983. « This wasn’t the same
Steve Lillywhite, prod.; Hugh
Emmylou I grew up hear-
Padgham, eng.
ing—yet it was: Her inimitable
« A 1990s high-school voice lilts, warbles, and soars
friend introduced me to this, through the tracks. They’re
Gabriel’s third eponymous nearly all covers (Dylan, Hen-
post-Genesis solo album— drix, Young, et al), but you
aka 3 or Melt. I’d been wouldn’t guess it: Her signa-
steeped in ’80s music since ture style fulfills each song’s
childhood, but only later did promises. Daniel Lanois’s
this record’s impact and rock-cred production and
influence on that era’s sound ambient effects and Larry
dawn on me. Gated reverb, Mullen Jr.’s drumming drove
for instance: Ominous cuts her talents in new directions,
like “Intruder” are among the weaving an intricate web of
first examples of engineer lush atmosphere and texture.
Hugh Padgham’s serendipi- Equal measures sweet and
tously “discovered” drum ef- sad, the songs’ well-hewn
fect—a big, aggressive sound edges and images still move
that would permeate pop/ me. (The 24/44.1 digital De-
rock music for the rest of that
decade (including on former bass clarinetist Klaus Gesing.
Genesis bandmate Phil Col- There’s evocative beauty in
lins’s “In the Air Tonight”) and this unusual combination, as
beyond. Collins appears on the acoustic oud’s pitches
this album, along with Robert dance with the bass clarinet’s
Fripp, Kate Bush, and Paul low undertones.
Weller. Politics also appear: Björn Meyer’s grounding
“Games without Frontiers,” bass lines and Lebanese per-
a gentle antiwar treatise with cussionist Khaled Yassine’s
whistling, culminates in a darbouka and frame drum
cool breakdown with Bush’s add to the mix of pensive
atmospherics. Brahem
dedicated these eight lyrical
songs to the late Palestin-
ian poet Mahmoud Darwish
(1941–2008), and the music
reflects Darwish’s poetic
contemplations, especially on
the melancholic yet hopeful
title track based on the dis-
cordant poem, “Rita and the
Rifle.” Throughout the album’s
expressions of joy, gloom, and

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longing, Brahem charms with classic. This mercurial vocalists); and in-the-pocket
artistic elegance. 21-tune compilation contains drummer Tommy Ardolino.
the evidence. The tracks The compilation features
NRBQ were plucked from 1972–84 catchy melodies, dance-
UNCOMMON Rounder/Red Rooster sides, crazed beats, avant-jazz horn
DENOMINATORS when ’Q was at its finest: The inflections, plus a campy
Rounder Records 11506 (CD). 1986. lineup included exhilarating version of Barbra Streisand’s
Terry Adams, Joey Spampinato, keyboardist/founder Terry “People” and a wacky
prods.; Tom Mark, Eddie Kramer,
engs.
Adams, whose playing celebration of pro wrestler
ranges from Monk jazz to Lou Albano. NRBQ is still
« Despite its late-’60s Jerry Lee Lewis slam; blazing around after decades, but
Columbia debut and a guitarist Big Al Anderson; only Adams remains from
one-off 1989 Virgin show- scored a hit. But this quartet soft-pedaled electric bassist this early lineup, making this
case, NRBQ (New Rhythm scores triumphant in rock Joey Spampinato (all three disc a historical document of
and Blues Quartet) never history (and beyond) as a cult songwriters and lead ’Q’s early heyday.
HERB REICHERT
JOSEPH SPENCE
BAHAMAN FOLK GUITAR: MUSIC OF THE BAHAMAS – VOLUME 1
Folkways Records/Smithsonian Folkways FW03844, FS 3844 (LP, CD, or 24/96 FLAC). 1959/2018. Sam
Charters, 1959 rec./editing; John Cohen, prod.; Paul Williams, eng.
« My guitar-player friend “Long Tall” George turned me on to Bahaman guitarist and
singer Joseph Spence. He said, “besides Spence’s uncanny technique, he growls, and
mumbles, and goes deep.” While he is playing, Spence speaks to himself out loud—in
trancelike voices—as if he is somewhere else and doesn’t know there’s an audience.
Best of all, his music is dance music—it’s got Bahaman swing and sway—and it’s
Church, too. It comes from a culture where sacred and secular have not been fully sepa-
rated. If you like Ry Cooder, Blind Willie McTell, or Thelonious Monk, Joseph Spence will
thrill you.
ROSCOE HOLCOMB
AN UNTAMED SENSE OF CONTROL
Folkways Records/Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40144 (CD or 16/44.1 FLAC). 1961-1973/2003. John
Cohen, prod.; Pete Reiniger, mastering eng.
« The chief virtue of Roscoe Holcomb’s awe-inspiring musical art is how it draws
attention to forms of poetic content I did not know existed. His performances feel
authentic and mystical while exposing me to high levels of timeless human sentiment.
In my world, Holcomb is the J.S. Bach and Vincent van Gogh of rural American music.
These unedited, unprocessed, two-track, audiophile-quality recordings showcase
Roscoe’s eerie high-lonesome voice and paranormal banjo, guitar, and fiddle accom-
paniments in a clear and compelling manner. This is not hillbilly music; it is sophisti-
cated American art.
KALMAN RUBINSON
FERDINAND RIES
CHAMBER MUSIC: OCTET OP.128, SEXTET OP.142, STRING TRIO WOO 70.2
Franz Ensemble with Jonathan Wegloop, horn; Emily Hoile, harp
MDG Scene MDG 903 2136-6 (SACD). 2019. Werner Dabringhaus, Reimund Grimm, prods.; Werner
Dabringhaus, Tonmeister.
« Ferdinand Ries was Beethoven’s student and the pianist at the premiere of his Third
piano concerto (although they later parted ways). Ries’s music is skillful, and it clearly
shows Beethoven’s influence, even if it falls short of his genius. He does however offer
a stylish charm, cheerfulness, and gentle affability—all rare elements in his master’s
works.
From the opening bars of the Sextet, enticing melody and counterpoint sweep us along
through three movements of sheer happiness. The concluding Octet is equally enjoyable;
the intervening String Trio is a sorbet between the flavorful dishes. MDG’s sound, even in
stereo, is balanced and well defined in the foreground with full bass and generous ambi-
ance. Nothing impedes the infectious spirits of these delights.

THE
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A REVOLUTION IN AMERICAN HI-FI
R2D4 2022
fects that lift Bartz’s lengthy

creative explorations. Along
with sax, instruments include
piano, organ, vibraphone,
flutes, electric guitar, drums,
vocals, more—all captured,
per the project’s policy, using
only vintage recording equip-
ment that jazz giants (such
as Bartz) used in the ’60s
and ’70s. The music feels
respectful of the past and
refreshingly contemporary—
free and flowingly linear,
inventively and colorfully
layered. It’s a source of time-
less positive energy.
VARIOUS ARTISTS
COPLAND remarkable definition in the « Gary Bartz may not be as
UTOPIC CITIES:
SYMPHONY NO.3 low percussion. iconic a name as Art Blakey,
Max Roach, McCoy Tyner, or PROGRESSIVE JAZZ IN
Michael Tilson Thomas, San
Francisco Symphony Miles Davis, but he did play BELGIUM 1968-1979
SFS Media SFS 0078 (Digital- ROB SCHRYER with all those guys, and he’s SDBANCD15 (2 CDs). 2021. Stefaan
only release: 16/44.1; 24/96; and GARY BARTZ, still making vital new music.
“Sdban” Vandenberghe, prod.
24/192 stereo, auditioned from ALI SHAHEED Alto saxophonist Bartz has a « Who knew Belgium was a
stereo/multichannel 24/192
downloads). 2020. Jack Vad, prod.;
MUHAMMAD, ADRIAN unique musical voice that’s hotbed for jazz from 1968 to
Greg Moore, Jason O’Connell, Gus YOUNGE at its core soulful and lyrical. 1979? I didn’t, and I lived in
Pollek, eng. support; Mark Wilsher, JAZZ IS DEAD 6 This short album—a half- Brussels for two years when
postproduction.
Gary Bartz, alto saxophone; Adrian hour long but all prime cut— I was young. This two-CD
« I grew up with Copland’s Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, is a collaboration between compilation of very well-
grand and Fender Rhodes pianos,
Fanfare for the Common Hammond organ, electric bass,
Bartz and producers/musi- recorded music shows there
Man. By the time I finally synthesizers, vibraphone, electric cians Adrian Younge and Ali was a vibrant Belgian jazz
heard the composer’s Third guitar, flutes; Greg Paul, drums; Elgin Shaheed Muhammad from scene. It was rooted in Ameri-
Symphony (Copland’s Clark, Anitra Castleberry, Loren A Tribe Called Quest; they in- can jazz, of course, but it
Oden, Saudia Yasmein, vocalists
preferred locution), which vited Bartz to join their “num- added its own eclectic vision
JID 006 (CD). 2021. Adrian Younge
quotes the Fanfare’s main & Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Andrew
bered” Jazz Is Dead project. to the pot, sounding at times
theme, I naively assumed Lojero, Adam Block, prod.; Dave It’s a jazz/blues/funk affair proggish, US-cop-show–the-
that the symphony was the Cooley, mastering. incorporating studio/DJ ef- matic, Star Trek–y, epic, but
Fanfare’s source. The impact mostly melodic while still
of Dorati’s Mercury Living creatively adventurous. Free
Presence recording (Min- jazz makes nary an appear-
neapolis SO, MG 50018) ance here, but the composi-
warped my perspective tions’ elaborate structures
for decades: I viewed each provide a sense of jazz’s
recording, even those of potential as an art form—un-
Leonard Bernstein or Cop- limited, as are the artists’
land, as a mere setup for the imaginations. The bands are
Fanfare’s brief appearance. I tight; the musicians skilled,
never appreciated the experi- committed, and obviously
ence of the full symphony un- striving to leave a mark on
til I heard this performance. this malleable, infinite thing
MTT and the SFS are so called jazz. As this set at-
committed and convincing tests, they’ve succeeded.
that I replayed each move-
ment before I went back
and listened to the entire sym- JASON VICTOR SERINUS
phony all the way through. SOFIA GUBAIDULINA
Here, finally, everything works DIALOG: ICH UND DU;
as a piece. The playing is THE WRATH OF GOD;
superb, and the demonstra- THE LIGHT OF THE END
tion-quality recording reveals Vadim Repin, violin;
a spacious soundstage with Gewandhausorchester Leipzig,

“Alyssa excels at
getting out of the way
and letting music take
over the room.”
—Victor Chavira, Positive Feedback
For further information, visit

altaspeakers.com.
R2D4 2022
« The listing of musical

forms above gives little indi-
cation of the abundant de-
lights in this quirky recording
from the inimitable Christina
Pluhar and her ensemble.
Upon listening, we’re tipped
off immediately: The first
wild tarantella begins with
the sounds of a jaw harp (or
something of that nature) be-
fore introducing the strange
Neapolitan accent of the even
more strangely voiced male
alto, Vincenzo Capezzuto.
The recording’s center-
piece—and its fanciful cover’s
raison d’être—is “Lo Guarrac-
Andris Nelsons, cond. two other recent orchestral neers and artists who made ino” (the Damselfish), an 18th-
Deutsche Grammophon 486 works, she variously appeals this sensational recording century tarantella in which
1457 – 24/96 and 24/96 MQA. to us to follow God’s com- possible. To experience tenor Alessandro Giangrande
2021. Everett Porter, Bernhard
Güttler, prods.; Porter, Sebastian
mandments and overcome the sounds of genius in the sings a mile-a-minute. In rela-
Nattkemper, Benedikt Schröder, hatred through the con- service of humanity, look no tive “patter song” fashion, he
engs. ciliatory power of love, or further. mixes woman, tuna, sardine,
cries out for salvation, and and more into an onomato-
« At 90, Sofia Gubaidulina expresses God’s anger at our L’ARPEGGIATA poeia-like stew. It’s absurd,
continues to hone the un- behavior. It’s not happy fare, ALLA NAPOLETANA of course, as are some of the
compromisingly direct musi- but it’s moving and cathartic Tarantellas, Folias, Cantatas, Arias other 19 selections. Every
cal language with which she in the extreme. Even when and canzone napoletane from 17th voice is to savor, and every
and 18th century Naples
shares her understanding of Gubaidulina’s music sounds instrumental combination and
L’Arpeggiata, Christina Pluhar,
the stand-off between “God” as if the entire world is caving theorbo, arr.
improvisation fresh. Imagine,
and humankind. In this live, in, it’s impossible not to give if you will, Jordi Savall and one
Erato 9029660361 – 24/96 and
world-premiere recording of thanks for her unflinching 24/96 MQA. 2021. Pluhar, prod.; of his ensembles performing
her third violin concerto and voice’s beauty and the engi- Mireille Faure, eng. on laughing gas.
JOHN SWENSON
MATTHEW SHIPP
CODEBREAKER
Matthew Shipp, piano
TAO Forms TAO 07 (CD). 2021.
Matthew Shipp, Whit Dickey, prod.;
Jim Clouse, eng.
« Since the 1980s, pianist

Matthew Shipp’s deep catalog
of recordings has made him a
savant in the language of new
music from downtown Man-
hattan. Though Shipp’s influ-
ences included such icons
as Cecil Taylor and Sun Ra,
his playing reflected the wide
range of cultural influences
that Lower East Side life
encompassed: poetry, dance, philosophy, and the plastic arts. conscious mind, but this music unravels those codes. Shipp
His ideas can be challenging, fragmentary, and ethereal, often made this record during the early throes of the novel coronavi-
prompting listeners to describe his music in science fiction rus epidemic, when coded dreams had COVID themes.
terms. His approach ranges from cascading solos to painterly
note clusters alternating with smears and dabs of sound. The TIM BUCKLEY
softer approach conjures dreamlike visions—impressionistic TIM BUCKLEY LIVE AT THE ELECTRIC THEATRE
like Bill Evans. The dreams are coded messages from our sub- COMPANY

R2D4 2022
Manifesto MFO 40714 (CD). 2019. reading of Johnny Cash’s

Bill Inglot, Pat Thomas, Dan Perloff, “Big River” and adds the
prods.; Dan Hersch, Brian Kehew,
engs.
grouping of “Green Rocky
Road”/“Hush Little Baby,”
« This live set from Chicago “Happy Time,” and “The
in 1968 captures the ecstasy Father Song,” which could
and pathos of Buckley’s be a tribute to his baby son
chameleon voice charting Jeff, who followed in his
the emotional mood of each footsteps.
song in raw, stripped set- Only months later, Buckley
tings. As a soulmate to Fred would take a different ap-
Neil, Buckley offers a pretty proach on Dream Letter,
great version of “Dolphins” with David Friedman adding
here. He does an unusual another dimension on vibes.
ROGIER VAN BAKEL barely controlled whimsi-

MARTIAL SOLAL cal anarchy, reminiscent of
DODECABAND some of Frank Zappa’s Edgar
PLAYS ELLINGTON Varèse–inspired recordings.
Martial Solal, piano, arr.; Patrice
Caratini, double bass; François
JOHN MARTYN
Merville, Umberto Pagnini, drums; SWEET LITTLE
Jean-Louis Chautemps, Sylvain Beuf, MYSTERIES: THE
sax; Jean-Pierre Solves, baritone ISLAND ANTHOLOGY
sax, flute; Tony Russo, Roger Guérin, most out of the original
Island Records 314 522 245-2 (CD).
Eric Le Lann, trumpet; Denis Leloup, with resplendent engineer-
1994.
Jacques Bolognesi, trombone; Didier
ing—though the original LPs,
Havet, tuba
« The British folkie’s mag- and even the CDs, show you
Dreyfus Jazz FDM 36613-2 (CD).
2000. Martial Solal, prod. num opus is 1980’s Grace what all the fuss was about
and Danger, written and in 1959.
« On this gem of a record- recorded during a divorce
ing, Solal’s arrangements that made him practically MUSSORGSKY-RAVEL
sound like new compositions catatonic with regret and PICTURES AT AN
that barely needed to be self-recrimination. A 39-min- EXHIBITION; BOLERO
credited to Ellington at all. ute whimper of love and loss, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene
The Algerian-born master the album was so utterly raw Ormandy, cond. RCA ARL1-0451
(LP). 1974. Max Wilcox, prod.; Paul
pianist uses Duke riffs as and vulnerable that Island Goodman, eng.
jumping-off points—then Records initially declined STEPHEN FRANCIS VASTA
he and his preternaturally to release it, deeming it too TCHAIKOVSKY
« This 1974 coupling of two
tight 12-piece band joyfully depressing. Most Grace and SWAN LAKE (ABRIDGED) of the Philadelphia Orches-
run with it, turning the notes Danger songs are present on L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande,
tra’s signature showpieces is
inside-out until, 15 or 20 this 34-track anthology. It’s a Ansermet, cond. Decca/Speakers stunning. Ormandy’s solidly
seconds later, the tune is beautifully curated collection Corner SXL 2107-8 (2 LPs). paced Pictures is adeptly
wholly unrecognizable as an that also comprises more 1959/1998. James Walker, prod.; Roy played, with imposing string
Wallace, eng.
overexploited jazz standard. winsome Martyn tracks from unisons; elegant, even
The Dodecaband had already seminal records like Bless « The Introduction’s limpid delicate solo woodwinds;
been together for dodeca the Weather and Sunday’s oboe and warm, deep clari- and bold, incisive brasses.
years (12), yet there’s fresh- Child. A top-notch remaster- net emerge clear and round And, from the opening
ness and imagination in ing job brought new sonic life against utter silence; the Promenade, where the
every phrase, as well as an to the early-1970s material acoustic opens up as the mu- brass chords cut across
undercurrent of delicious, especially. sic swells. You feel, as well as with a pillowy depth, to the
hear, the attack of bows on closing perorations of Great
the strings, and the brasses Gate of Kiev, the sonics are
have good impact and unex- outstanding: It’s one for the
aggerated presence. It’s as ages. The Bolero isn’t par-
if your system’s equipment ticularly Gallic, but Ravel’s
simply vanishes. Ansermet’s exercise in volume and
first-class performance is timbre is realized superbly:
marvelously detailed and The horn-and-two-piccolos
sensitive, with firm climaxes. statement, for one, nails the
The 1998 Speakers Corner “pipe organ” effect better
vinyl remastering gets the than any other release.

EQ UIPMENT RE PO RT
ROB SCHRYER
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G

LOUDSPEAKER
W
hen I learned that I was to review the new seventh audio human.”
generation of Monitor Audio’s Silver 500 loud-
speaker ($3200/pair), descendants of the original Nuts and bolts and other parts
Silver-series products launched in 1999, I thought Over the course of this review, I had several exchanges with
back on what I knew about the company and then refreshed my Charles Minett, Monitor Audio’s product design director, and
memory. Monitor Audio was founded, in 1972, in Teversham, Michael Hedges, the company’s technical director. Both insist
England, a town bordered by farmland located some three miles that the best cones are made of metal and metal composite—that
from the epicenter of its more famous neighbor, Cambridge. The such drivers have the greatest potential for lifelike sound. When I
founder was businessman/sound engineer Mo Iqbal; Iqbal was asked if Monitor Audio ever considered using paper or plastic as a
assisted by Martin Colloms (before that venerable critic turned substitute, the idea was dismissed out of hand.2
to writing about hi-fi) and Michael Bean. In 1997, Mo sold the “There are generally two types of cones,” Hedges said. “Soft,
company to a group of audiophiles, one of whom—Andrew Flatt— well-damped ones and hard, less well-damped ones. The design
stays on today as the company’s sole owner. aim for a soft well-damped one is to accept that the material will
In 1976, Monitor Audio moved its operations to Essex, home to ripple and cause distortion in the passband and work with that. In
Rega Research. Not long after that, they relocated again to larger the case of a harder material, like metal, the idea is to create a cone
digs in nearby Rayleigh (also in Essex). Today, Monitor Audio rigid enough so that the audible effects of cone-rippling occur
employs 100 people at that location, keeping the business running outside the passband so that the frequency response sounds very
and designing and developing new products. The manufacture smooth. We’ve become very good at achieving this.”
of Monitor Audio speakers was moved to China over a period of Monitor Audio uses Multiphysics simulation software—Hedges
several years; Silver-series manufacture was moved to China in wrote a conference paper on the software a dozen years ago—to
2004—about which, more later. perform complex simulations that start at the electrical input and
I remembered reading a couple of favorable Stereophile reviews end at its acoustical output, allowing the company to test in silico a
of Monitor Audio speakers, written by Kal Rubinson. I looked multitude of crossover/cabinet/driver scenarios. The most promis-
them up: Kal reviewed the $2000/pair Silver 8 speaker in 2014 ing virtual designs are pursued outside ex silico, in real life. “The
and the similarly priced Silver 300 in 2018.1 simulator gets us in the vicinity of very good sound, but listen-
In 2018, Monitor Audio bought Roksan, the British company ing tests are still critical when it comes to fine-tuning a design to
behind 1985’s legendary Xerxes turntable; I’d lost track of the sound its best,” Hedges said.
company rather quickly after. I mention this not because it’s The three-way, four-driver, bass-reflex Silver 500 7G is top dog
directly relevant to this review but because I remember it fondly. in the company’s Silver series. Like its smaller siblings, the 500
Monitor + Roksan seemed like an auspicious marriage. It felt incorporates proprietary features in its cones, most notably the
earthy, rootsy, principled. C-CAM (ceramic-coated aluminum/magnesium) material, said
“Phenomenal audio is more than the sum of its parts.” These
words greet visitors to the “About” page on the Monitor Audio 1 Kal’s reviews can be read at stereophile.com/content/monitor-audio-silver-8-loudspeak-
er and stereophile.com/content/monitor-audio-silver-300-loudspeaker. Stereophile has
website. “Yes, it’s about the finest metals and craftsmanship, but reviewed other Monitor Audio speakers; just do a search.
it’s also about the warmth: the flesh and blood of the listener. The 2 Although Monitor Audio’s earliest speakers, way back in the 1970s, used polymer-coated
connection. That’s why, at Monitor Audio, our mission is to make fabric-sandwich membranes.—Jim Austin
SPECIFICATIONS
Description Three-way, four- response: 27Hz–35kHz -6dB. Finishes Black Oak, Natural ranty: 5 years.
driver, bass reflex floorstand- Sensitivity: 90.5dB/2.83V/m. Walnut, Satin White, Ash, High Manufacturer
ing loudspeaker. Drive units: Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, Gloss Black. Monitor Audio,
one 1" (25mm) tweeter with 4.1 ohms minimum (at 150Hz). Serial numbers of units 24 Brook Rd., Rayleigh, Essex
waveguide; one 3" (76.2mm) Power handling: 250W RMS. reviewed 100002 (both). SS6 7XJ, England, UK.
midrange driver, two 8" Recommended amplification: Designed and engineered Web: monitoraudio.com.
(203.2mm) bass drivers. All 80–250W. in Rayleigh, Essex, UK, and US distributor:
driver membranes are ceramic- Dimensions 43.1" (1095mm) manufactured with proprietary Kevro Int., 902 McKay Rd.,
coated aluminum/magnesium H × 12.6" (319mm) W × 15.3" components in China. Suite 4, Pickering, ON L1W 3X8,
ERIC SWANSON
alloy. Crossover frequencies: (389mm) D. Weight: 49lb Price $3200/pair. Approximate Canada.
800Hz, 2.7kHz. Frequency (22.5kg) each. number of US dealers: 95. War- Web: kevro.com.

MONITOR AUDIO SILVER 500 7G
by the company to be “extremely rigid, yet light enough to yield I asked Hedges to name the biggest differences between the
high overall efficiency,” and Rigid Surface Technology (RST), now 6G and 7G versions. “These are hard questions to answer,” he
in version II, which refers to the cones’ shape and the dimpled cautioned, “because we design a speaker as a system, so it’s less
hex pattern across the surface, said to “allow the radiating surface about a better tweeter or midrange and more about how changes
to resist mechanical bending forces, which can twist the shape of in these areas bring greater improvements in other areas. I would
conventional driver cones to produce distorted sound. The RST say though that the biggest changes are in the all-new tweeter and
patterns also help to displace standing waves that can collect on the its waveguide, and the midrange driver, which is now smaller”—it’s
cone’s surface.” 3"—“and uses a neodymium magnet. These changes allowed us to
MEASUREMENTS
I
measured the Monitor Audio Silver but any drive difficulty will be ameliorated baffle below the woofers (fig.2), where it
500 7G’s farfield behavior with DRA by the speaker’s high sensitivity. was joined by another resonance at 410Hz.
Labs’ MLSSA system, an Earthworks There is a slight discontinuity between These modes are relatively low in level,
microphone preamplifier, and a 200Hz and 300Hz in the impedance however.
calibrated DPA 4006 microphone. I used traces in fig.1, suggesting a resonance of The saddle centered on 39Hz in the
an Earthworks QTC-40 mike, with its small some kind in that region. I investigated impedance magnitude trace is related to
1/ "-diameter capsule, to measure the the enclosure’s vibrational behavior with
4 1 EPDR is the resistive load that gives rise to the same
nearfield responses of the loudspeaker a plastic-tape accelerometer and found a peak dissipation in an amplifier’s output devices as the
loudspeaker. See “Audio Power Amplifiers for Loud-
drive units and ports. single mode at 266Hz on the top panel and speaker Loads,” JAES, Vol.42 No.9, September 1994, and
The Silver 500 7G’s sensitivity is speci- sidewalls. It was also present on the front stereophile.com/reference/707heavy/index.html.
fied as a high 90.5dB/2.83V/m, which was
confirmed by my estimate. Monitor Audio Stereophile Monitor Audio Silver 500 Impedance (ohms)
& Phase (deg) vs Frequency (Hz)
specifies the Silver 500 7G’s impedance
as 8 ohms, with a minimum magnitude of
4.1 ohms at 150Hz. Measured with Dayton
Audio’s DATS V2 system, the impedance
magnitude (fig.1, solid trace) remained
above 4 ohms for the entire audioband,
with a minimum value of 4.23 ohms at
153Hz. The EPDR 1 drops below 3 ohms
between 81Hz and 135Hz, a region where
music can have high levels of energy, with a
minimum value of 2.12 ohms at 102Hz. The Fig.2 Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G, cumulative spectral-
decay plot calculated from output of accelerometer fas-
Silver 500 7G should be used with ampli- Fig.1 Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G, electrical impedance tened to front baffle below woofers (MLS driving voltage
fiers that are comfortable with 4 ohm loads, (solid) and phase (dashed) (2 ohms/vertical div.). to speaker, 7.55V; measurement bandwidth, 2kHz).

The Gryphon Essence
Mono & Stereo Power Amplifier
www.gryphon-audio.com
build a better crossover, which is really where we got the biggest horns. A little, in the right light; was this the power of suggestion?
benefit, specifically when it comes to the 7G’s tonal balance.” I stopped the music, stood up, and paced while trying to wash out
Changes were also brought to the cabinet design and its finishes, my mind with thoughts unrelated to audio. (Should I prune the pole
mostly wood veneer. Two new finishes were added; the speakers I beans today?) Then I sat back down in a Samurai state. No, it wasn’t
received were in the new Black Oak. The 500s are said to be ideal my imagination; there really was a sense of clarity and ease to the
for midsize to large rooms, in stereo or home theater setups.
The 500’s frequency response is specified as 27Hz–35kHz,
–6dB, with crossovers at 800Hz and 2.7kHz. The specified sen-
sitivity is 90.5dB/2.83V/m. The nominal impedance is 8 ohms,
with a dip at 150Hz to a minimum of 4.1 ohms. That should make
the Silver 500 a fairly easy load for an amplifier, although Monitor
Audio recommends an amplifier that outputs 80Wpc or more.
Listening
The owner’s manual, which is included in the box (yes!), recom-
mends placing the speakers 6'–10' (1.8m–3m) apart, with front-
wall proximity set by listener preference. The manual is adamant,
though, that the speakers should be a minimum of 3' (91cm) from
the side walls—not a problem in my basement listening room.
I hooked the speakers up to the Grandinote Shinai integrated
amplifier, which was fed by the Cambridge EVO 150 streaming
integrated amplifier via its line-level outputs. The manual says to
allow 50–70 hours for the speakers to loosen up and start sound-
ing their best. With the Cambridge’s volume low, I pressed play
to start the run-in process, fully prepared to leave the room and go
about my daily business for a few days as the speakers settled in.
“Sit your butt down and listen,” the Silver 500s said to me. I did.
And what these speakers said was spoken with a clarity and expres-
sive ease that slid out to me as if from a backyard water slide—as
if their sound had flown past the cones, independent of them.
Dynamic and transient-fast, it sounded almost hornlike.
Which made me wonder if I wasn’t imagining things: With
their shiny, dust-cap–free surfaces, these cones did sort of look like
measurements, continued
the tuning frequency of the two ports on from the port resonance holding their cones of the midrange and tweeters is even from
the Monitor Audio’s rear panel. These ports stationary, and the bump in the upper bass 2kHz to 16kHz but slopes down above that
behave identically; their summed nearfield will be due to the nearfield measurement frequency beneath the tweeter’s high-Q,
output is shown as the red trace in fig.3. technique, which assumes that the woofers high-level dome resonance at 29kHz. Fig.4
The response peaks in textbook manner are mounted in a true infinite baffle, ie, one shows the Silver 500 7G’s farfield response
at the tuning frequency, and the upper- that extends to infinity in both planes. averaged across a 30° horizontal window
frequency rolloff is clean. The blue trace be- In the farfield (blue trace above 350Hz), centered on the tweeter axis. The response
low 350Hz shows the nearfield response of the woofers cross over to the midrange is impressively even from 300Hz to 11kHz.
the woofers, which behave identically. The unit tweeter (fig.3, green trace) close to The tweeter is 39" from the floor, 3" higher
notch at 39Hz is due to the back pressure the specified 800Hz. The farfield output than the average ear height of a seated
Amplitude in dB
Amplitude in dB
Frequency in Hz Frequency in Hz
Fig.3 Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G, acoustic crossover Fig.4 Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G, anechoic response Fig.5 Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G, lateral response
on tweeter axis at 50", corrected for microphone on tweeter axis at 50", averaged across 30° horizontal family at 50", normalized to response on tweeter axis,
response, with the nearfield response of the ports window and corrected for microphone response, with from back to front: differences in response 90°–5° off
(red) and the woofers (blue), plotted below 300Hz and the complex sum of the nearfield responses plotted axis, reference response, differences in response 5°–90°
350Hz, respectively. below 300Hz. off axis.

sound—a pristine effect that seemed to originate some distance a bit dry and sterile. But now its tonal balance seemed to have
from the cones. And yes, it reminded me of horns. inched into more verdant territory. It wasn’t warm per se —in
Was this, as Monitor Audio’s website says, the result of metal comparison, the midband of my Focal K2 936s is warm—but it
that’s been molded until it’s “capable of extraordinary things”? May- wasn’t cold either; it was just right. Instruments sounded crisp and
be. I was getting ahead of myself. It was too early to tell anything. I clear, not brittle or overexposed—just there, in the flesh, uncolored,
got off my dilapidated orange couch and returned to my family. emanating an oxygen-breathing life force. Transients were laser-
Ten days later, I adjusted the 500s’ placement with the aid of Ste- fast, giving percussive notes snap and the music a rhythmic brio the
reophile Test CD 2 (CD, STPH 004-2), particularly the pink noise Brits refer to as PRaT.3 On the album’s opener, “You and the Night
track, #15, and the “Music Articulation Test Tone” one, #19, the and the Music,” the atmosphere is palpably festive and bubbling—
latter intended to help evaluate listening room/speaker interactions this was a champagne-serving, Happy Hour, lap-tapping occasion.
but that also happens to be a fun subterranean romp that rises from And I realized: The Gold CD was never the problem; the problem
the gurgling depths through the floor like a spaceship beam into was the playback equipment I was using at the time.
the heavens. What I heard from these two selections—what they shared—was
With my Simaudio Moon CD transport plugged into the variety in tonal color. Anti-homogeneity. Each sound had its own,
Cambridge Audio’s S/PDIF digital input, I started my review uniquely shaded tonal palette. Nothing smeared. At the same time,
listening with “Utopic Cities” by Solis Lacus, off one of my favorite they delivered mesmerizing note-to-note flow, as if the melodic
jazz releases of 2021, the compilation Utopic Cities: Progressive Jazz rails were greased.
in Belgium 1968-1979 (CD, Sdban SDBANCD15). Through the The performance of the Gold CD inspired me to try another
500s, this live-in-Brussels concert sounded sophisticated—clarion- audiophile CD: Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto by the Fritz
clear, elaborately alive, with tones finely layered above and below Reiner–led Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with violinist Jascha
the primary one. Richard Rousselet’s trumpet solos flared out Heifetz (CD, JVC JMCXR-0009). Heifetz’s playing techniques
with real-world élan and bite then shifted away and broke off into were drop-your-towel explicit. I could see everything he was doing
shards—all clear as a bell. Synthesizer notes rolled fast and free, and feel everything he was doing—emotionally, yes, but also in a
loping and scrambling. Every parcel of the bigger picture that my hypertexturized, corporeal way. And when the full orchestra rises
stimulated mind landed on was laid bare, but then it left just as at the 2-minute mark, with its cascades of violins and trumpets,
soon, running off to somewhere else. I’d never heard sound travel I was taken aback by its stature and the mosaic of shifting musi-
so fast across longer distances. It was like hearing light. cal parts. And its composure. At high volume, nothing sounded
“What a great-sounding recording,” I thought, which is also what twisted out of shape or shrieked by the pressure. When things got
I thought five minutes later when I listened to the 24 Karat Gold big and busy, the different parts just went about their business,
CD, which is said on the cover to be mastered “from the original autonomous and unfazed.
master tapes” of the Bill Evans Quintet’s Interplay (CD, DCC GZS- With my phono stage plugged into the Shinai amp’s RCA
1102). Compared to “Utopic Cities,” the Evans recording was airier inputs—the Shinai lacks balanced connections—I played Alice Col-
and more resonant. Note outlines appeared starker in space. 3 I doubt many of our readers need this explanation, but here it is: PRaT stands for “pace,
I was never a big fan of the sound of this Gold CD, finding it rhythm, and timing.” See stereophile.com/reference/23/index.html.—Jim Austin
listener. Repeating the farfield response However, the contour lines are evenly polarity, the woofers in positive acoustic
measurement averaged across a 30° hori- spaced, which correlates with stable stereo polarity. The decay of each drive unit’s step
zontal window centered on the midrange imaging. Fig.6 shows the Monitor Audio’s smoothly blends into the start of the step
axis gave an identical result. vertical dispersion, again normalized to the of the unit next lower in frequency, which
The Silver 500 7G’s horizontal dispersion response on the tweeter axis. The speaker’s implies optimal crossover implementation.
is shown in fig.5, with the off-axis traces even farfield response is maintained over a The Silver 500 7G’s cumulative spectral-
normalized to the response on the tweeter wide ±10° vertical window. decay plot (fig.8) is superbly clean.
axis. There is a slight lack of energy to the In the time domain, the Silver 500 7G’s The Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G’s
loudspeaker sides at the top of the mid- step response on the tweeter axis (fig.7) measured performance is superb. That it
range unit’s passband, and the tweeter’s shows that the tweeter and midrange achieves this level of performance at an
radiation pattern narrows in its top octaves. unit are connected in negative acoustic affordable price is even more commend-
able.—John Atkinson
Data in Volts
Fig.6 Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G, vertical response Time in ms

family at 50", normalized to response on tweeter axis,
from back to front: differences in response 15°–5° above Fig.7 Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G, step response on
axis, reference response, differences in response 5°–15° tweeter axis at 50" (5ms time window, 30kHz band- Fig.8 Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G, cumulative spectral-
below axis. width). decay plot on tweeter axis at 50" (0.15ms risetime).

trane’s Journey to Satchidananda (LP, Impulse! IMP-228), an album depth and instrumental separation I’d heard through the Focals
whose nearly every note, melody, studio effect, playing technique, before my tube incident.
and tape warble I know as if I’d written and played every part. Lis- Switching back to CD via the Cambridge’s digital inputs, I laid
tening to the title track through the Silver 500s, I wondered: Were down some funky, beat-heavy music—El Oso by Soul Coughing
Charlie Haden’s bass lines springier, but also less fulsome, than I’m (CD, Slash/Warner Bros. CDW 46800)—and pranced like an
used to hearing? Were Coltrane’s string plucks more explosive but adolescent faun on my dance-floor rug. Bass response from the
also brighter? Was the soundstage more upfront? Were the instru- four woofers had drive, punch, and depth, but didn’t project quite
ments squeezed closer together? as much in-room energy as the much-more-expensive Focal Aria
I then put on Zappa’s apostrophe (’) (LP, Zappa Records ZR 3851) K2 936s do (although at the time I made this observation, I didn’t
and wondered: Did the tempos sound quicker, but maybe too realize that they were much more expensive).
quick, almost fast-forwarded? Was the air thinner? Was the sound I decided to play with the ports, which use the company’s HiVe
of the guitar wirier, the cymbals and female voices splashier? II (High Velocity II) reflex port technology, described as “a straight
I got to work, substituting the Cambridge for my phono setup. rifled design to accelerate air flow and reduce turbulence, allowing
Via the Roon app on my cellphone, I searched for the best-sound- it to move air in and out much quicker than a conventional port.”
ing file of apostrophe (’) to stream. Of the four versions I found, the Each speaker has two ports and comes with two bungs.
best-sounding—better than the 24/192 MQA version—was the I asked Michael why two ports per speaker, and if there was a
24/96 MQA. The 96kHz version seemed to have preserved more recommended approach to using the bungs: “The aim of a port is
tangible atmosphere and harmonic cohesiveness. The music didn’t to be able to tune it so the speaker extends to the mid 30Hz region
sound as fast as it did on the LP; does warmer sound slow the per- to cover the full bass range,” he said. “You can do this with a large
ception of speed? It didn’t sound sluggish, either. Tone and flesh diameter single port, or you can split the ports and place them at
had been reinstated: The guitar’s twang, the drive-by panning the best places, something we can determine with our simulator.
effects, the women’s voices, the cymbal’s shimmer, everything Another benefit with two ports is that it offers the user more tun-
sounded like itself—their individual selves—again. ing options than a one-port speaker. I would normally try using the
I had recently replaced my pair of 6DJ8 tubes in my Sonic bung on the top port first and then switch, listening to both, and
Frontiers preamp, one of which had gone bad, with a pair of used, go from there. Whatever sounds best tends to be determined by
spare tubes from my iffy emergency stash. I ordered a set of my the room.”
favorite 6DJ8 replacements—Russian-made, NOS 6N23P-EB. A I did as Michael said, using a bung first on top, then on the
week later—fully aware that my “new” tubes hadn’t broken in yet— bottom, then on top again, then on both ports, then on none. Each
I inserted them in their corresponding mounts. Immediately, the time, with every configuration, the bungs added a bit more low-
picture sounded fuller, more colorful, with most of the soundstage end warmth but also some wooliness that detracted from the 500s’

pointlike tonal balance. Without bungs, the picture was in focus,

linear from top to bottom. ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
Against my better judgment, I ended my review with the
Singles movie soundtrack (CD, Sony 30104621), one of the worst Analog sources Rega P5 turntable with RB700 tonearm and
examples of good music crushed to near-soullessness by excessive Audio MusiKraft Denon DL-103 cartridge.
compression. While no set of gear, no matter how good, could ever Digital sources Simaudio Moon 260D CD transport.
make this recording entirely enjoyable, through the 500s, I found I Preamplification Sonic Frontiers SFP-1 Signature phono preamp.
could listen to whole tunes. It reminded me of something Michael Integrated amplifier Grandinote Shinai integrated amplifier,
had said during our interview: that Monitor Audio speakers are de- Cambridge EVO 150 streaming D/A integrated amplifier.
signed, most importantly, to sound good with every type of music. Loudspeakers Focal Aria K2 936, Totem Skylight.
To that I’ll add that the 500s, like all hi-fi equipment worth its salt, Cables Digital: BIS Audio Maestro (RCA S/PDIF). Interconnect:
reveal not only what sounds better but by how much. Moon Audio Silver Dragon (RCA). Speaker: Nordost Heimdall.
Power: Shunyata Research Black Mamba CX, LessLoss DFPC,
Coda Audio Art Cable power1 ePlus.
The Monitor Audio Silver 500 embodies a spirit of purity, which Accessories Shunyata Research Venom PS8 power conditioner, a
I’m inclined to believe is primarily due to the speaker’s crossover. component rack and wood plinth stand (under turntable) whose
The whole wide frequency range of music sounds well-behaved, brand names are lost to time.—Rob Schryer
smooth, and of a piece. Notes seem to emanate from air, not from
wooden boxes. The notes slide and shoot like stars.
What about the Made-in-China thing? I told Charles and Mi- “A product that is very well designed is easy to build,” Charles
chael that a number of Stereophile readers have expressed concern said. “It really makes no difference where it’s made, as long as there
about products built in China—that the choice appeared to those are proper quality-control measures in place. One of the key ben-
readers as cost-cutting to the detriment of build quality and after- efits of having our products assembled in China is that it allows the
sales service. They said they understood, but they disagreed, saying consumer to own a premium product at a price that more people
they wouldn’t have their speakers built in China if it resulted can afford.”
in less-well-made products than they could produce in the UK. When I first received these speakers, the price was described
Should repairs be needed, service would be provided via the dis- as “TBD.” Until about a third of the way through this review, I
tributor (Kevro in North America), which keeps a large inventory didn’t know how much they cost. When I finally saw their price,
of spare parts, even for discontinued models. If additional assistance I thought: This is for just one speaker, right? Wrong. At $3200 for
is needed, Monitor Audio has a dedicated service and after-sales the pair, the Monitor Audio Silver 500 is one of the great audio
support team in the UK. deals of the pandemic era. Q
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EQ UIPMENT RE PO RT
HERB REICHERT
Riviera Audio Laboratories Levante

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
I
remember, around the time
I started at Stereophile, telling
Art Dudley that I wanted to
review “a lot of power ampli-
fiers” because amplifiers are the
“blood-pumping heart machines”
that “reanimate the artistry” of
musicians: Horowitz, Björk, Bill
Monroe. Whereupon he looked
over his glasses and spied me with
bare eyes like a stern parent and
said, “Just be sure to not review
any amplifiers that weigh more
than 65 pounds.”
I warned Art that this could
be a problem because I only like
class-A amplifiers, “and they all
weigh more than that.” Art rolled
his eyes, turned his head toward
the next room, and scolded his
barking dog, Chatter.
As usual, everything I mock I
become: Since confessing my alle-
giance to class-A, I have reviewed The Levante amp disappeared and my Quad ESL electrostatic speakers in a
class-D and class-AB integrated manner that seemed atmospherically richer,
amplifiers almost exclusively. Until because it sucked my mind fuller, and more enticing than the Marantz
now, the 51lb Pass Labs’ INT-25 is extra-deep into the richness 8B it replaced.
the only pure class-A integrated to of the music. Ever since my Moscode and Sphinx ex-
roll through my door. periences, I’ve always been on the lookout
My first review for Stereophile for hybrid amplifiers. I’ve noticed a few in
was of the Rogue Audio Sphinx, a traditionally handsome, $1595 the under-$1k zone, but in the higher audiophile ranks, this type
hybrid integrated amplifier that weighs only 25lb and is rated to of amplifier is not common. Besides the Rogue, the only other
deliver 100Wpc into 8 ohms; the Sphinx uses a tube input, which hybrid in Stereophile’s Recommended Components is the $93k/pair
drives a class-D output stage. Previous to the Sphinx, my only Ypsilon Hyperion Monoblock.
experience with hybrid amplifiers of any kind was a 30lb, 150Wpc My scouts reported: NuPrime, Absolare, Aesthetix, BAT, and
New York Audio Labs Moscode 300 power amplifier, which was Audio by Van Alstine also make hybrid amplifiers.
loaned to me by audio wizard extraordinaire, the late Harvey My scouts somehow missed the stylish, hybrid, pure class-A
Rosenberg. It featured a tube input and a MOSFET output and Riviera Levante integrated amplifier ($16,500), which is made in
looked like a hot-rodded Hafler. It drove my 1984 Rogers LS3/5a Italy. I discovered it during a conversation with Riviera’s importer,
SPECIFICATIONS
Description Hybrid (tube- speaker binding posts; one 1/4" W × 5.1" (195mm) H × 19.3" number of US dealers: 10. War-
BJT-MOSFET) stereo inte- (6.3mm) unbalanced head- (490mm) D. Weight: 66lb ranty: 3 years, parts and labor.
grated amplifier with no global phone output. Output power: (30kg). Manufacturer
feedback, output switchable 30Wpc into 8 ohms (14.8dBW) Finish Metallic Sand Gloss/Gold Riviera Audio Laboratories s.r.l.
between class-A and class-AB. in class-A, 120Wpc into 8 or Dark Titanium/Silver. Web: rivieralabs.com
Analog inputs: 1 pair balanced ohms (20.8dBW) in class-AB, Serial number of unit reviewed US distributor: Tone Imports
(XLR), 4 pair unbalanced (RCA). 200Wpc into 4 ohms (20dBW). LEV DM0109. “Made in Italy.” Tel: (646) 425-7800
Outputs: 1 pair 3-way loud- Dimensions 17.3" (440mm) Price $16,500. Approximate Web: toneimports.com

RIVIERA AUDIO LABORATORIES LEVANTE
Jonathan Halpern (Tone Imports). “Herb, this one’s pure class-A; the human brain, not for electronic measuring systems.”
I’ll introduce you to Riviera’s principals, Luca and Silvio,” Jonathan “On its own, the human ear adds as much as 10% harmonic
said. distortion to incoming sounds. Some of this distortion is later
In my introduce-myself email, I asked Riviera’s head of public canceled during the brain’s processing,” Luca said, echoing theo-
relations and sales, Silvio Delfino: Does the name “Levante” refer ries proposed by Jean Hiraga. “The shape of the ear’s harmonic
to a late summer easterly wind on the Mediterranean? Or a coastal distribution is very important. There is a high predominance of
region in the Middle East? lower order harmonics with a decreasing spectrum of higher order
“The name of our company Riviera came naturally, since both I harmonics. THD does not need to be extremely low, but it must
and Luca (Riviera’s engineer-designer Luca Chiomenti) were born absolutely mimic the ear’s distortion shape” so that it, too, may be
and live on the Italian Riviera,” Silvio told me. “Riviera is also an canceled by the brain. “We use zero global feedback and minimum
Italian word that is easily understood in many languages. It evokes levels of local feedback to minimize the negative effects those
a nice, peaceful place in front of the sea. In Italy, there are numer- techniques have on sound quality.”
ous touristic areas named Riviera. Our integrated amplifier was “We believe that an amplifier does not have to generate distor-
designed on the Riviera di Levante in front of Portofino Bay. Of tion. But when it happens, if the distortion spectrum generated is
course, it is also a well-known wind, so to us, [the name] sounded similar to that of the human ear, it will result in an amplifier that
very nice.” makes extremely clean sound, a type of sound our brain perceives
as pure and musical.”
Philosophy and design
Before they agreed on the cool name, Luca and Silvio spent years Description
discussing what kind of amplifiers they’d make if they started an The Levante is the only integrated amplifier in the Riviera Labs
amplifier company. They agreed on a few things right away. It lineup, which otherwise includes two headphone amplifiers, three
would be a vacuum tube/solid state hybrid. It would operate in line preamplifiers, and three mono power amplifiers.
pure class-A, with no global feedback. Luca described the Levante’s circuit topology as “an
What’s more, my email conversations with Luca indicated that ECC81/12AT7 twin-triode voltage amplifier configured as a totem
Riviera amplifiers are engineered to measure in a precise, premedi- pole. No feedback at all. This input stage is polarized not to be a
tated, yet unorthodox manner. In a three-page answer to my pesky perfect push-pull but to have the distortion shape of the ear, like
Herb questions, Luca explained that he had spent three decades a single SE triode that if well-tuned is probably the configuration
researching and studying “the relationship between subjective with a distortion spectrum most similar to the ear’s. There is a
audio listening and laboratory measurements.” These studies led MOS [metal-oxide semiconductor] buffer after the tube. A great
him to conclude that “an audio amplifier must reproduce a signal part of the distortion and ‘character’ of the (Levante’s) sound is due
with the highest fidelity—for the human ear, not for instruments. to this first stage circuit, which changes simply by changing the
Which means we must define the characteristics of the reproduced tube.” Pay special note to Luca’s last sentence. I will discuss this in
signal as they are best received by the human ear and processed by practical/empirical terms in the listening section.
MEASUREMENTS
W
hen I unpacked the Riviera I first preconditioned the Riviera Levante lard tubes, dropping to 36k ohms at 20kHz.
Levante amplifier and lifted by following the CEA’s recommendation The balanced input impedance was 42k
it onto the test bench, it of operating it at one-eighth the specified ohms across the audioband. With the JJ
struck me that this is actu- class-AB power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes. tubes the unbalanced input impedance was
ally eight amplifiers in one. It has balanced At the end of that time, the heatsink 34k ohms at 20Hz and 1kHz, 30k ohms at
and single-ended line-level inputs. Its temperature was 108.3°F (42.4°C) and 20kHz.
output stage can be operated in class-A or that of the top and front panels was 92.5°F The headphone output impedance was
class-AB. It was supplied with two choices (33.6°C). Switching to class-A operation, 1 See stereophile.com/content/measurements-maps-
for the two input stage ECC81/12AT7 tubes: the heatsink temperature had increased precision.
vintage Mullards or modern JJs. Add to slightly after another 30 minutes, to 113.1°F
those variations that the Levante has a (45.1°C). While I was preconditioning the
headphone output and an optional phono amplifier, I measured the output device rail
stage (not fitted to the review sample), and voltages. They were ±29V in class-A, ±50V
it became clear that I had a lot of testing in class-AB.
d
ahead of me. The amplifier inverted absolute polarity B
r
I decided to focus on the Riviera ampli- with all its inputs at both the loudspeaker
A
fier’s behavior with the Mullard tubes and and headphone outputs. The maximum
the unbalanced inputs, performing every gain into 8 ohms was lower than average
test in both of the output-stage modes. I for an integrated amplifier, at 36.6dB in
then repeated some of the tests with the class-A and 36.35dB in class-AB for both
balanced inputs and finally looked at how balanced and unbalanced inputs. The maxi-
Hz
the amplifier’s behavior with the JJ tubes mum gain at the headphone output was
differed from how it had performed with 21.6dB for both types of input. Changing to Fig.1 Riviera Levante, Mullard tubes, class-A, volume
the Mullard tubes. All the testing was per- the JJ tubes reduced these gains by 1dB. control set to maximum, frequency response at 2.83V
into: simulated loudspeaker load (right channel gray),
formed with my Audio Precision SYS2722 The unbalanced input impedance was 8 ohms (left blue, right red), 4 ohms (left cyan, right
system.1 44k ohms at 20Hz and 1kHz with the Mul- magenta), 2 ohms (left green) (1dB/vertical div.).

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“The power stage uses 6+6 MOSFETs”—six

each of Vishay’s IRFP240 and IRFP9240 power
transistors—“driven by BJT [bipolar junction tran-
sistors]. There is local feedback on the power stage,
the minimum I can apply. No protections, just a
fuse on the rails.”
A knob switch on the Levante’s front panel
allows users to choose 30W in class-A or, when
more power is required, 120W (into 8 ohms) in
“high-bias” class-AB. According to the Riviera
website, “in AB Class, the first 6 Watts are in
Class A.”
The Levante’s back panel was interesting for
what I didn’t see: no digital inputs, no fixed or
variable line-level (pre-out or tape-out) outputs,
no HDMI or trigger ports. The Levante is 100%
analog, 100% integrated. What I did see was one
pair of balanced (XLR) inputs and four pairs of sin-
gle-ended RCA inputs. One RCA pair is labeled
LINE 4/PH, indicating where you would connect a record player ics of the Levante’s front panel. I preferred the “Metallic Sand”
if you chose the phono-stage option. Lower, I found the tightest- faceplate. Mine had silver knobs; gold is standard with the Sand
fitting, toughest-built speaker-cable binding posts I’ve encountered. faceplate. The big knob is of course the volume, and it was a
Before I knew all this technical stuff, I was taken by the aesthet- pleasure to use. The smaller knob to its right is the output-class
moderately low, at 18 ohms across the set to its maximum, was 70.6dB ref. 2.83V audioband, and to 80dB when A-weighted.
audioband. Set to class-A operation, the into 8 ohms (average of both channels) The background noise included spuriae at
Levante’s output impedance at the loud- in both class-A and class-AB modes. This 60Hz and its even- and odd-order harmon-
speaker terminals was 0.5 ohm from 20Hz ratio improved to 72dB when the measure- 2 See stereophile.com/content/real-life-measurements-
to 20kHz. In class-AB, the output imped- ment bandwidth was restricted to the page-2.
ance was slightly higher, at 0.65 ohm at all
audio frequencies. (These figures include
the series impedance of 6' of spaced-pair
loudspeaker cable.) In class-A mode, the
modulation of the amplifier’s frequency d
response, due to the Ohm’s law interac- B
r
tion between the source impedance and A
the impedance of my standard simulated
loudspeaker,2 was ±0.4dB (fig.1, gray trace).
The response into an 8 ohm resistive load
(fig.1, blue and red traces) was down by
3dB at 180kHz, which correlates with the Hz
Riviera’s accurate reproduction of a 10kHz
squarewave into that load (fig.2). Figs.1 and Fig.2 Riviera Levante, Mullard tubes, class-A, small- Fig.3 Riviera Levante, Mullard tubes, class-A, spectrum
signal 10kHz squarewave into 8 ohms. of 1kHz sinewave, DC–1kHz, at 1W into 8 ohms, volume
2 were taken with the unbalanced inputs, control set to maximum (left channel blue, right red;
the Mullard tubes, class-A mode, and the linear frequency scale).
volume control set to its maximum. The
frequency and squarewave responses were
identical with the JJ tubes, in class-AB, and
with the balanced inputs. With the volume
control set to –20dB, the high-frequency
–3dB point dropped to 110kHz, but the au-
% %
dioband response remained flat. Measured
at the headphone output, the response was
down by just 1dB at 200kHz.
Channel separation was okay at 70dB
in both directions below 3kHz, dropping to
53dB at the top of the audioband. The Riv-
W W
iera’s unweighted, wideband signal/noise
ratio, taken with the unbalanced inputs Fig.4 Riviera Levante, Mullard tubes, class-A, distortion Fig.5 Riviera Levante, Mullard tubes, class-A, distortion
shorted to ground but the volume control (%) vs 1kHz continuous output power into 8 ohms. (%) vs 1kHz continuous output power into 4 ohms.

selector knob. The same-sized knob on the far right is the input resistive/inductive 15 ohm Falcons, it was almost scary how much
selector knob. Directly below that knob is the Power button. To strong blues mojo, rhythmic drive, and vibrant physical presence
its left is the Night button, which dims the red indicator LEDs. To the RAAL amp threw into the reproduction of R.L. Burnside
its left is the button I loved most—spoiler alert—which mutes the performing “Poor Black Mattie T2 (Electric)” on Rollin’ & Tumblin’
speakers and turns on what might be the best headphone amplifier (16/44.1 FLAC, Wolf Records/Tidal).
I’ve encountered in a regular-issue integrated amplifier. To its left is With full awareness of the RAAL’s positive (and negative) traits,
the Levante’s single 1/4" (6.3mm) headphone output jack. I put in the warmed-up and broken-in Riviera Levante and played
During my listening, I took the opportunity to swap 12AT7 in- “Poor Black Mattie” again.
put tubes. When I removed the Levante’s aluminum top plate and This “sequence is everything” moment was unusually reveal-
inspected the insides, it soon became clear that no amplifier I’ve ing. I did not hear what I expected to hear, and it threw me off my
encountered—not even at $250,000—equals the Riviera Levante in game. I did not pre-imagine how switching from one low-power
fit’n’finish. solid state amp to another only slightly more powerful one could
The Levante’s chassis measures 17.3" wide by 5.1" high by 19.3" do that much to change the sound.
deep. It weighs 66lb—1lb more than stern Art admonished. My first take was: The Levante’s sound was too lush. Too big.
Too densely atmospheric.
Listening RAAL-requisite’s HSA-1b played Rollin’ & Tumblin’ in a clean,
When the time came to install the Riviera Levante, I had been solid, keep-the-beat manner. Very third-harmonic, front’n’center. I
powering my Falcon Gold Badge LS3/5a with RAAL-requisite’s would describe the RAAL’s version of transparency as an unmitigat-
11.7lb, 10Wpc (into 8 ohms), HSA-1b headphone/speaker ampli- ed clarity that, while remarkable and enjoyable, exhibited a rather
fier. The little RAAL amp is unique in that it was engineered narrow depth of field that limited my ability to peer deeply into
to put 7A into a capacitive 0.4 ohm load. Powering my more recordings (this latter characteristic, I suppose, is best described as a
ics (fig.3), the latter higher in level than the the THD+N percentage changed with fre- 4 ohms (cyan, magenta traces) and into 2
former, particularly in the left channel (blue quency at 4.89V, which is equivalent to 3W ohms (green, gray traces). The distortion
trace). (The odd-order spuriae are probably into 8 ohms, 6W into 4 ohms, and 12W into was slightly lower with the JJ tubes (not
due to magnetic interference from the mas- 2 ohms. With the Mullard tubes the distor- shown), but the behavior was otherwise
sive power transformer.) tion into 8 ohms (fig.8, blue and red traces) identical.
With both channels driven, the Levante’s was 0.47% at low and middle frequencies, These levels of distortion would be very
maximum power in class-A is speci- rising slightly in the treble. It also rose into audible if they comprised the fifth and
fied as 30Wpc into 8 ohms and 60Wpc
into 4 ohms (both powers equivalent to
14.8dBW). We define clipping as when
the THD+noise in an amplifier’s output
reaches 1%. By that standard, the Levante
didn’t meet its specified powers, the 1%
% %
THD+N power measuring 16Wpc into 8
ohms (12dBW, fig.4) and 21.3Wpc into
4 ohms (10.27dBW, fig.5). However,
relaxing the criterion to 3% THD+N, the
Riviera amplifier clipped at 49Wpc into 8
ohms (16.9dBW) and 79Wpc into 4 ohms
W W
(16dBW). The picture was similar in class-
AB. The Levante delivered 12Wpc into 8 Fig.6 Riviera Levante, Mullard tubes, class-AB, distortion Fig.7 Riviera Levante, Mullard tubes, class-AB, distortion
ohms (10.1dBW) at 1% THD+N, 125Wpc at (%) vs 1kHz continuous output power into 8 ohms. (%) vs 1kHz continuous output power into 4 ohms.
3% (21dBW, fig.6), and 18Wpc into 4 ohms
(9.54dBW) at 1% and 195Wpc into 4 ohms
at 3% (19.9dBW, fig.7). The AC mains volt-
age was 119.1V with the amplifier clipping in
class-A into 4 ohms.
The upward slope of the traces below the
%
actual clipping power in figs.4–7 indicates
that the distortion increases in almost a
linear manner with increasing power before
the onset of actual waveform clipping.
This will be due to what is called a “bent”
transfer function. (The transfer function of Hz
Avg: 16
an amplifier with no distortion is a straight

line.) I suspect that this bent function will Fig.8 Riviera Levante, Mullard tubes, class-A, THD+N Fig.9 Riviera Levante, Mullard tubes, class-A, 1kHz
(%) vs frequency at 4.89V into: 8 ohms (left channel waveform at 10W into 8 ohms, 0.95% THD+N (top); dis-
be due to the input tube rather than the blue, right red), 4 ohms (left cyan, right magenta), 2 tortion and noise waveform with fundamental notched
amplifier’s output stage. I examined how ohms (left green, right gray). out (bottom, not to scale).

Focal Naim America has launched “Mixed on Focal” – showing off songs mixed on Focal Professional
Series monitors. Each playlist features engineers and the models of monitor they mixed the
song on, along with a link to the song playable on high-resolution streaming services such as
TIDAL, Qobuz, Apple Music, and Amazon Music HD.
Mix engineers featured on the second “Mixed on Focal” playlist include Thomas “Tillie” Mann (Focal Twin6 Be), Mike
Pepe (Focal Trio6 Be / Twin6 Be), Ryan West (Focal Solo6 Be), Eric Stenman (Focal Trio6 Be), Rob Tavaglione (Focal
Trio11 Be), Jimmy Bralower (Focal Twin6 Be), Ian Boxill (Focal Solo6 Be), Daniel Sanint (SM9), and Will Yip (Focal
Trio6 Be).
A selection of recording artists they mixed and are included in the playlist are Jor’Dan Armstrong, Ingrid Jensen,
Jason Miles, Martha Wash, Lauren Henderson, Flawes, Gameface, Virgil Of War, The Mystery Plan, Carolina Reign,
Sydney Sprague, Wilder, Taking Back Sunday, Sundressed, Lenny White, Rebecca Angel, Mark Rivera, Chad Everett
Butler, Tigers Jaw, and Movements, with many more artists, albums, and songs to be announced and available on
“Mixed on Focal” streaming playlists in the future.
Discover our Mixed on Focal High-Resolution Audio Playlist
About Focal Naim America

Born from the merger of Focal, world leader in acoustic sound made in France, and Naim Audio, world leader
in British-made hi-fi electronics, VerVent Audio Group’s brand subsidiaries signal a new investment phase and
direction for VerVent in the US and Canada. By creating its own distribution entity, the group is striving to turn
the North American territory into the market leader for Focal and Naim. Focal Naim America also distributes
SPL, IsoAcoustics, Zaor Studio Furniture, Vicoustic, EarSonics, Thorens (US only), Musical Fidelity, Solid Tech,
and in Canada only: Clear Audio Electronic GmbH and BDI. For more information about Focal Naim America
visit their website at https://www.focalnaimamerica.com or call (800)-663-9352.
All trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Pro Audio Press Relations contact: Paul de Benedictis, Focal Naim America (650) 303-2565 pauljdb@gmail.com
HI-FI Press Relations contact: Wendy Knowles, Focal Naim America (813) 447-9035 - w.knowles@focal-naim.com
deviation from transparency). of the (Levante’s) sound is due

The Levante’s version of Rol- to this first stage circuit, which
lin’ & Tumblin’ included much changes simply by changing
more reverberance, enhancing the tube.” Because there is no
the Riviera’s inner vision, mak- feedback or degeneration on
ing it more textured, shim- the 12AT7 totem pole, every
mering, and microscopic, with tube change can, and likely
more harmonic nuance. The will, make a noticeable, pos-
Levante-Falcon combo brought sibly measurable difference in
out previously unnoticed details the Levante’s sound character.
from the spaces beside and (JA take note!)
behind Burnside. This detail Curiosity revved, I decided
was either not there or less to swap tubes.
noticeable with the RAAL. When I unpacked the
If I were to speculate, I Levante, I noticed two pairs
would wager that the RAAL develops a third-harmonic–dominant of boxed ECC81 tubes and thought oh nice, they sent spares. Not so:
distortion spectrum while the Levante reverses that equation. I The pairs were different brands. The Mullard boxes were empty;
say this because high third harmonic and low second harmonic the JJ tube boxes were full.1 Before turning on the Levante, I
produces a sense of clarity and beat-keeping, whereas the reverse removed its top cover and verified that, yes, only two tubes are
emphasizes space and atmosphere. required, and the Mullard pair was installed.
Thinking about this reminded me of what Luca Chiomenti 1 The JJ’s come with the amplifier. The Mullards were NOS tubes that just happened to
wrote in his email. “A great part of the distortion and ‘character’ be inside the box; they’re not supplied by Riviera Audio.—Jim Austin
higher harmonics.3 However, fig.9 indicates Levante’s measured behavior is dominated lend this amplifier a distinctive sonic char-
that the relatively subjectively benign by the designer’s decision not to use feed- acter.—John Atkinson
second harmonic was dominant in both back, especially around the input tubes. 3 I created tracks on Stereophile’s Test CD 2—see
class-A and class-AB output modes. This His reasons for doing so are discussed in stereophile.com/content/istereophileis-test-cd-
2-tracks-20-26—to allow listeners to hear at what
waveform graph was taken with the Mul- the review, but my experience has been percentage of second, third, and seventh harmonic they
lard tubes. Though HR found the JJ tubes that the resultant harmonic signature will become aware of the distortion.
to sound different from the Mullards, the
JJs produced an almost identical THD+N
waveform (fig.10). This was confirmed
by the spectra of the amplifier’s output
at moderate power into 8 ohms with the d
Mullard tubes (fig.11) and JJ tubes (fig.12). B
r
The second harmonic is by far the highest A
in level, at –40dB (1%) with the Mullards
and –43dB (0.7%) with the JJs. The second
was also by far the highest-level harmonic
present in the headphone output, at –47dB Avg: 16
(0.42%, not shown) at 1V into 300 ohms. Hz

Finally, when the Levante drove an equal Fig.10 Riviera Levante, JJ tubes, class-A, 1kHz waveform
at 10W into 8 ohms, 0.75% THD+N (top); distortion and Fig.11 Riviera Levante, Mullard tubes, class-A, spectrum
mix of 19 and 20kHz tones at 10W peak noise waveform with fundamental notched out (bottom, of 50Hz sinewave, DC–1kHz, at 10W into 8 ohms (left
into 8 ohms in either class-A or class- not to scale). channel blue, right red; linear frequency scale).
AB with both Mullard and JJ tubes, the
second-order difference product at 1kHz lay
at –44dB (0.6%, fig.13), with the higher-
order intermodulation products at 18kHz
and 21kHz 10dB lower in level. At the same
d d
voltage into 4 ohms, the intermodulation B B
r r
products rose by 3dB.
A A
With its output stage capable of being
switched between class-A and class-AB
operation, Riviera’s Levante reminded me
of the Marantz MA-5 amplifier that I re-
viewed for Hi-Fi News magazine in August Hz Hz
1983, which, like the Levante, could output
30W in class-A and 120W in class-AB. But Fig.12 Riviera Levante, JJ tubes, class-A, spectrum of Fig.13 Riviera Levante, Mullard tubes, class-A, HF
50Hz sinewave, DC–1kHz, at 10W into 8 ohms (left intermodulation spectrum, DC–30kHz, 19+20kHz at
unlike that Marantz, which featured con- channel blue, right red; linear frequency scale). 10W peak into 8 ohms (left channel blue, right red; linear
ventional levels of negative feedback, the frequency scale).

Patiently, gently, and mindfully, I removed the Mullards, then,

even more carefully, I inserted the JJ 12AT7s. Voila, a new amp ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
was born.
The sound-character change was significant, as Luca had pre- Analog sources Dr. Feickert Analogue Blackbird turntable with
dicted. The Levante integrated was no longer “too lush” or even Schick 10.5” tonearm, Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum, My
lush; it now had some third-harmonic ping, an occasional flash of Sonic Lab Ultra Eminent Ex moving coil cartridges; EMIA, Koetsu,
glare and stronger drive. and Lundahl LL1931Ag SUTs, EAR Phono Classic, Sutherland
When I played my favorite Rollin’ & Tumblin’ tracks, there was Engineering Little Loco phono stages.
still plenty of juice in Burnside’s voice and lots of bendy twang Digital sources Roon Nucleus+ music server; HoloAudio May
in his guitar. But the Levante’s sound with the JJ tubes was now (Level 3) D/A processor; Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC, dCS Bartók
overtly direct, less misty and possessed of a more sharply focused, DAC/Streamer with Mosaic control app.
less-granular clarity than it had been with the Mullards. Vocal Integrated amplifiers Pass Labs INT-25, Rogue Audio Sphinx V3.
intelligibility was five-star. Power amplifier Parasound Halo A 21+.
Loudspeakers Magnepan .7, DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93,
Magnepan .7s Falcon Acoustic LS3/5a (Gold Badge).
The Levante’s new brighter, more starkly clear persona inspired Headphones HiFiMan Susvara, RAAL-requisite SR1a, ZMF Vérité.
me to see what it would do powering Magnepan’s .7 quasi-ribbon Cables Digital: standard Ethernet, AudioQuest Diamond USB.
panel speakers. The .7s always please me, but I was not sure a no- Interconnect: AudioQuest Mackenzie, Black Cat Coppertone,
feedback, low–damping factor amplifier would please them. Cardas Clear Cygnus. Speaker: Triode Wire Labs American
With the Riviera Levante switched to class-A, the 4 ohm Series. AC: AudioQuest Tornado, manufacturer’s own.
Magnepan .7s seemed pleased enough to generate a larger, more Accessories AudioQuest Niagara 1000 power conditioner;
colorful but less dense Burnside than my Gold Badges. Their pro- Harmonic Resolution Systems M3X-1719-AMG GR LF isolation
jected sound was quieter at its core, with blacker deep spaces and platform (A21+ amplifier); Kuzma Platis 65 isolation platform
more voluminous bass. As I had anticipated, the JJ-tubed Levante (Feickert Blackbird turntable), Sound Anchor Reference speaker
vitalized the Maggie membranes, making recordings sound clearer stands (LS3/5a).—Herb Reichert
and livelier.
On my anthem, Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers to Cross” from
the album Wonderful World, Beautiful People (24/96 FLAC, A&M/ But when it sounds right, it is a thriller and a stunner—very alive.
Qobuz), the Riviera-Maggie combo presented Cliff’s music in With the Mullards, the Prince recording sounded tamed, as a
glowing, extremely rich, detailed sound, which showed me tons of Bernie Grundman–mastered recording should. Coming off the
background information I’d never heard before. If you want your Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum and its matching Koetsu
4 ohm Maggies to make shin-kicking bass, you’re gonna need an SUT, Prince’s voice and piano, via the Levante, made the DeVores
amp with steel-toed boots and more feedback than none. sound like mastering-studio monitors: the opposite of dark, and
When I switched the Levante to class-AB, I observed no change, high-resolution. On “Cold Coffee & Cocaine,” the Levante did
suggesting that even when set to class-AB, it was still operating in a remarkable job of showing the room echo that framed Prince’s
class-A. I tried switching again with the Magnepan .7s; I did hear voice. Supervivid sound. Inspired performances. No glare.
some change, but it was too subtle to comment on. With the Mullard-Levante and the O/93s, I felt like I was
home with Mama. The sound was sweet,
DeVore O/93s round, and voluptuous. I began repeat-
With the Levante powering the 10 ohm playing La Guitarra dels Lleons, with Xavier
DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93 loud- Diaz-Latorre (guitar) and Pedro Estevan
speakers, it took only a minute for me to (percussion) playing Isaac Albéniz’s “Pre-
change my mind about those made-in- ludio: Asturias (Leyenda)” (16/44.1 FLAC,
Slovakia JJ 12AT7s. Now, playing The Four L’Auditori/Tidal). With the Levante pow-
Quarters, a new release of contemporary ering the O/93s, Xavier Diaz-Latorre’s
classical music from the Solem Quartet artful playing felt profound and exquisitely
(24/96 FLAC, Orchid Classics/Qobuz), full, super-3D, and very naturally toned.
the sound was tinfoil bright. Instru- I kept staring at the image on the album’s
ments were still luminous and clear, but cover, thinking, “that guitar is one of the
now they were distinctly forward, with most beautiful objects I’ve ever seen. Is
moments of ear-flashing brightness. I Diaz-Latorre actually playing that guitar?”
switched back to the Russian-made Mul- This recording was the Levante’s Wow!
lards. moment.
With the Mullards, the DeVore speak- What I noticed most about the sound
ers did not sound too lush, or soft or fuzzy. was the uninhibited glow and flow. Just
They were just more textured and relaxed. wood and strings vibrating, very naturally.
To verify this observation and validate What the Falcons can’t do that the De-
my final choice of tubes, I played this Vore O/93s do extremely well is play cello
new LP I’m hooked on: Prince: Piano & a or viola da gamba recordings in a com-
Microphone 1983 (LP, NPG/Warner R1 pletely satisfying way. With the Levante,
566557/603497861285). I’ve played this reproducing Jordi Savall performing Tobias
recording through enough different com- Hume’s Musicall Humors (Londres, 1605) on
ponent groups to know it does not take viola da gamba (16/44.1 FLAC, AliaVox/
much to make it squeal and glare brightly. Qobuz), the quantity and quality of deep,

rich-toned harmonics held my attention. It seemed this Riviera ture on any integrated amplifier, but the Levante impressed me
amp and DeVore speaker were made to reproduce Tobias Hume’s immediately. With HiFiMan’s Susvara playing R.L. Burnside’s
worldly poetics and Jordi Savall’s incredibly sonorous viol sound. composition “Fireman Ring the Bell” from Rollin’ & Tumblin’, I
The main treat of the O/93 + Levante show was how the heard all the spark, bite, and electric twang of R.L.’s guitar. The
Riviera amp felt naturally coupled to the DeVore speakers. Their fearful strangeness in Burnside’s voice came through explicitly. The
electromagnetic dance felt intimate and just right. sound was luxurious and musically effective. However, mixed with
these enjoyments, I noticed a slight roundness added to the sound
Vs. Pass Labs INT-25 of every recording, meaning the Levante probably struggled a little
I’ve used Pass Labs’ $7250 INT-25 integrated since it came out in in powering the 83dB/mW, 60 ohm Susvara.
2019. When it arrived, it immediately became my reference for Going to the other extreme, I connected my ZMF Vérité
everything good about solid state: firm control of low frequencies, closed-backs, which, sonically, are on the same mountain of great-
a strong sense of well-sortedness (or the illusion thereof), and con- ness as the Susvara, the JPS Labs Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC, and the
spicuous clarity. In my amp herd, the INT-25 remains my clearest, Stax SR-009S. Driven by the Levante, the 300 ohm, 99dB/mW
most brightly lit, most dynamic solid state microscope for examin- Vérité sounded unusually precise and vibrant; “pretty and fast”
ing the inner workings of recordings. would be a good description. The Vérité has always played best
Powering the DeVore O/93 and the Falcon Gold Badges loud- with no-feedback tube amplifiers like Ampsandsound’s Bigger Ben
speakers, the Riviera Levante presented itself as less water-clear and ZMF’s Pendant (both designed by Justin Weber). But here,
and dynamically charged than the INT-25. Compared to the Pass almost unbelievably, playing Bahaman guitarist and singer Joseph
Laboratories INT-25, the Riviera amplifier sounded thick and less Spence’s Bahaman Folk Guitar: Music of the Bahamas, Vol. 1 (24/96
sharply focused. But! The Levante “microscoped” even better than FLAC, Smithsonian Folkways/Qobuz), I felt like I was experienc-
the Pass Labs did, exposing more and denser delicate sounds and ing an avalanche of previously unnoticed microdetails. Finally, I
nuanced tonal shadings in the depths behind and to the sides of the could make out the majority of the words in Spence’s vocalizations.
performers. It made the molecules of the soundspace feel juiced With the Burnside recording, the lyrics became completely clear. I
and activated. never imagined there’d be an integrated amplifier with a head-
With the DeVores, the Pass Labs amp got out of the way of phone amplifier of this caliber.
the music by virtue of its electrical invisibility. The Levante amp
disappeared because it sucked my mind extra-deep into the rich- Conclusion
ness of the music. Every day I listened, I applauded Riviera Labs for their courage
to make and market the exquisitely fashioned, extremely natural-
The headphone output sounding, all-analog, zero-feedback Levante integrated.
I cannot remember being impressed with the headphone fea- Bravo Luca Chiomenti and Silvio Delfino! Q
Enjoy the Experience

Pass Laboratories
13395 New Airport Rd. Ste G.
Auburn, CA 95602
(530) 878-5350 - www.passlabs.com
EQ UIPMENT RE PO RT
KEN MICALLEF
Fyne Audio F500SP

LOUDSPEAKER
I
n my April 2020 review of Fyne in contrast to the regular F300 and F500
Audio’s inexpensive F301 stand- lines, which are manufactured at Fyne
mount loudspeakers,1 I wrote, Audio’s Asia facility. The SP line adds
“The Fyne F301s impressed with features found in the more expensive
their exceptional rendering of sound- 700 line to the 300 and 500 speakers.
stage width and depth, reasonably wide There’s a clear resemblance between
dynamic range, extended low end (for some Fyne Audio speakers—including
their size), and exuberant, I-can’t-stop- the F500SP—and some Tannoy speak-
spinning-records presentation. The Fynes ers, the most obvious being the use of
presented a finely layered, spatially con- coaxial drivers, which Fyne Audio calls
vincing soundstage with images that were “IsoFlare.” “Fyne Audio’s IsoFlare driver
solid, if small.” is a point-source system whereby the
Upon receiving Editor Jim Austin’s bass/midrange driver shares a common
assignment to review the Fyne F301’s big center with the high frequency unit,”
brother, the F500SP, an upgraded version Max Maud explained in an email. “[E]
of the company’s F500 model, I won- nergy is radiated isotropically with
dered if listening would reveal a house constant directivity following the flare
sound. Fyne’s bookshelf speakers share a of the driver cone. Sound is produced
similar look, and similar parts and design. emanating from a single point.” The
But, while the F301s cost just $425/pair F500SP utilizes a 6" version.
and the base-model F500s, $849/pair, the “Our IsoFlare point-source drivers
F500SP will set you back $1995/pair in are built around a custom-tooled, rigid,
gloss black or white, $2295/pair in wal- cast-aluminum chassis,” Maud contin-
nut. The F500SP’s dedicated FS6 stands ued. The high-frequency unit’s annular
add $995/pair to the price. waveguide has “a computer-optimized
Founded in 2017, Fyne Audio is the 1 See stereophile.com/content/fyne-audio-f301-
brainchild of several former Tannoy loudspeaker.
employees, including Dr. Paul Mills, the
company’s technical director, who was formerly the engineering The Fyne revealed Trane’s horn as
director at Tannoy; and Max Maud, Fyne’s sales and marketing the loudest thing in the mix; the Fyne
director, who formerly served as Tannoy’s sales manager. “SP”
designates Fyne’s “Special Production” speakers, which are made at seemed to capture the sound of his lips
Fyne’s Glasgow factory by the company’s “Special Projects” team, on the saxophone’s reed.
SPECIFICATIONS
Description Two-way, bass- passive, low-loss, 2nd-order piano gloss white, walnut. Suite 42, Grovewood Business
reflex loudspeaker with coaxial low-pass, 1st-order high-pass. Serial numbers Centre, Strathclyde Business
tweeter/midbass driver and Recommended amplifier pow- of units reviewed Park, Bellshill, Lanarkshire,
down-firing port with diffuser. er: 30–120W RMS. Continuous F80000381210908100724A, ML4 3NQ, Scotland.
Drive unit complement: 6" power handling: 60W RMS. F80000381210908100724B. Email:
(150mm) “IsoFlare” point- Sensitivity: 90dB/2.83V/m. “Designed, engineered, and enquiries@fyneaudio.com.
source driver with multifiber Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. made in UK.” Tel: 0141-428-4008.
bass/midrange cone with Frequency response (–6dB in a Price $1995/pair gloss black Web: fyneaudio.com.
“FyneFlute” surround, 1" typical room): 42Hz–34kHz. or white; $2295/pair walnut. US distributor:
(25mm) magnesium-dome Dimensions 12.7" (323mm) Dedicated FS6 stands, $995/ The Sound Organisation,
compression tweeter with H × 7.9" (200mm) W × 12.6" pair. Number of US dealers: 42. 1009 Oakmead Dr.,
neodymium magnet system. (320mm) D. Weight: 17.6lb Warranty: 7 years. Arlington, TX 76011.
Crossover frequency: 1.7kHz. (8.1kg). Manufacturer Tel: (972) 234-0182.
Crossover type: Biwired, Finishes Piano gloss black, Fyne Audio Ltd., Web: soundorg.com.

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FYNE AUDIO F500SP
expansion rate and geometry to provide flat frequency response duced by “specialist subcontractors to our design,” Maud said.
and avoid internal reflections.” The F500SP’s crossover utilizes “low-loss, laminated core induc-
The Fyne website further elucidates the technology used in the tors and audiophile-grade polypropylene capacitors.” The F500SP
500SP: The 6" cone is “multi-fibre”; its bass reproduction is said provides two sets of inputs—it’s biwirable—plus one unusual
to be enhanced by a “twin-magnet motor system”—an additional feature: a grounding terminal that allows you to ground the driver
magnet positioned behind the main magnet system “focuses oth- chassis to “eliminate amp or cable born[e] RF interference.” The
erwise stray magnetic flux into the voice coil gap to improve low only other loudspeaker brand I’m aware of that offers anything like
frequency performance”—and a composite-rubber surround, which this is Audiovector.2
Fyne calls “FyneFlute.” This special surround is said to “reduce The F500SP is a substantial-looking speaker, squat and hefty.
cone resonances at the driver termination.” The speaker’s rear and front baffles are
The F500SP is a bass-reflex design with a slightly rounded, which is said to improve
port that opens onto Fyne’s “BassTrax Trac- the dispersion of the IsoFlare driver.
trix diffuser system,” which is mounted to Max Maud told me the F500SP was
the plinth to which the speaker is attached voiced using a “CLIO measurement system
by four aluminum feet. The BassTrax and a wide range of partnering equipment
Tractrix system “converts plain wave port in subjective evaluation.”
energy to a spherical 360-degree wave
front, integrating energy uniformly into the Setup
room.” Fyne Audio says that the BassTrax Tractrix
At the center of the F500SP’s coaxial diffuser ensures that the loudspeaker is “less
driver is a “highly rigid,” magnesium- critical of room positioning.” Maybe so, but
diaphragm tweeter, which is energized by a I found this speaker to be less forgiving than
neodymium high-frequency magnet. “The other small, ported speakers of near-wall
unique geometry of the high frequency placement. Siting them approximately 33"
unit’s waveguide provides a flat frequency from the front wall, 59" apart, and 59" from
response and avoids internal reflections,” my listening seat gave the most spatially ap-
Fyne says. That glossy waveguide is made of pealing sound with a deep soundstage, open
mild steel. treble, clear mids, and strong bass. I didn’t
The tweeter’s rear chamber “is vented have the matching stands, so I placed the
through the magnet system,” Maud Fynes on a pair of 24"-high Sonus Audio
explained. “This has foam damping to speaker stands.
avoid reflections and lowers the resonant
2 See Jim Austin’s review of the Audiovector R8 in the
frequency for improved tweeter low-end September 2021 issue of Stereophile or at stereophile.com/
performance.” The IsoFlare driver is pro- content/audiovector-r-8-arrete-loudspeaker.
MEASUREMENTS
I
used DRA Labs’ MLSSA system, an The traces in fig.1 are free from the small audibility.
Earthworks microphone preampli- discontinuities that would imply the pres- The saddle centered on 53Hz in the
fier, and a calibrated DPA 4006 ence of resonances of some kind. When impedance-magnitude trace suggests
microphone to measure the Fyne I investigated the enclosure’s vibrational that this is the tuning frequency of the
Audio F500SP’s farfield behavior, and an behavior with a plastic-tape accelerometer, downward-firing port that reflex-loads
Earthworks QTC-40 mike for its nearfield I found a couple of resonant modes on the the woofer. The red trace in fig.3 shows
responses. I left off the grille for the mea- side panels (fig.2). However, these are rela- the port’s nearfield output measured at
surements. I used Dayton Audio’s DATS V2 tively low in level, have a moderately high 1 EPDR is the resistive load that gives rise to the same
system to measure the impedance magni- Q (Quality Factor), and are relatively high peak dissipation in an amplifier’s output devices as the
loudspeaker. See “Audio Power Amplifiers for Loud-
tude and electrical phase angle. in frequency, all of which will work against speaker Loads,” JAES, Vol.42 No.9, September 1994, and
Fyne Audio specifies the F500SP’s sensi- stereophile.com/reference/707heavy/index.html.
tivity as a high 90dB/2.83/m. My estimate Stereophile Fyne F500 Impedance (ohms) & Phase (deg)
vs Frequency (Hz)
was 87dB(B)/2.83V/m. The F500SP’s
impedance is specified as 8 ohms; I found
that the impedance magnitude (fig.1, solid
trace) remained above 6 ohms for almost
all the audioband, with a minimum value
of 5 ohms between 157Hz and 203Hz. The
electrical phase angle (dashed trace) is
occasionally high, and the EPDR 1 drops to
3 ohms between 111Hz and 161Hz, with a
minimum value of 2.32 ohms at 121Hz. The
F500SP’s EPDR lies above 4 ohms through- Fig.2 Fyne Audio F500SP, cumulative spectral-decay
plot calculated from output of accelerometer fastened to
out the treble, however, and overall, this Fig.1 Fyne Audio F500SP, electrical impedance (solid) center of sidewall (MLS driving voltage to speaker, 7.55V;
loudspeaker will be relatively easy to drive. and phase (dashed) (2 ohms/vertical div.). measurement bandwidth, 2kHz).

David Lewis Audio.com
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ACCUPHASE BALANCED AUDIO HEGEL NORDOST

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AMG CANTON JOSEPH SIMAUDIO
ATOLL CLARUS KIMBER KABLE SME
AVALON DAN D’AGOSTINO KII SOULUTION
AVM DCS KRELL SUTHERLAND
AYRE ESOTERIC KUBALA SOSNA VIENNA
BACKERT LABS FRANCO SERBLIN NOLA VIVID
FYNE AUDIO F500SP
A 6' pair of Auditorium 23 speaker cables connected the Fynes KV364 / Concertone Pour Deux Violons Et Orchestre En Ut Majeur
to the Ayre EX-8 2.0 integrated amplifier,3 which, according to JA’s KV190 with Jean-François Paillard and the Orchestre J.-F. Paillard
measurements, should deliver a maximum of 107W into a nomi- (Denon OX-7022-ND).
nal 8 ohm load. I also tried the Heed Audio Elixir, Parasound Hint The F500SP is not a forgiving speaker like my Spendor BC1,
6 Halo, and Schiit Audio Ragnarok 2 integrated amplifiers. which sounds great with any moderately powerful amplifier. Nor
For this review, I mostly listened to records with my Kuzma is it naturally warm and lush like my DeVore Fidelity Orangutan
Stabi R turntable and Kuzma 4Point tonearm and the EMT O/96. The F500SP is precise but not analytical, resolving but not
TSD15 N Super Fineline moving coil cartridge. The output of surgical, clean but not sterile. It extracted abundant detail from
that front-end was equalized and preamplified by a Tavish Audio old recordings and made contemporary records sound full bodied,
Design Adagio phono preamp con- dense, deep, and quick.
nected to those integrated amps via a The F500SPs seem to be low in
2m run of Triode Wire Labs Spirit II distortion, which allows them to place
single-ended (RCA) cables. each record in its unique place in time.
1950s mono jazz records cut at Rudy Van
Listening Gelder’s Englewood Cliffs studio sounded
I evaluated the F500SP with a variety zippy and energetic. 1990s electronic
of vinyl recordings, starting with dance records pounded and pulsed, their
a 1961 pressing of Hank Mobley’s spectral synths and robot drum machines
hard bop blowout, Roll Call (Blue sounding creamy and enveloping—almost
Note BLP 4058). I also explored feline. Modern rock records had plenty
Nils Frahm’s cerebral, treated-piano of bite and drive, with crisp snares and
journey, Felt (Erased Tapes Records guitars, palpable vocals, and well-imaged,
ERATP033LP), the 25th Anniversary well-defined electric bass guitar. Repro-
remastered edition of Buena Vista duced by the F500SPs, music sounded
Social Club (BMG WCV05025), John meaty, visceral, and full bodied and proved
Coltrane’s Ballads (Impulse! AS-32), capable of spinning a deep, wide sound-
Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis’s 1958 mono stage with clear spatial relationships among
kicker, The Cookbook (Prestige 7141), instruments. It portrayed music with gobs
the 2020 reissue of Tom Petty’s 1994 of air and space when those qualities were
album Wildflowers and All the Rest on the recording, as on Frahm’s Felt.
(Warner Records 093624892991), The F500SP reproduced bass instru-
and Symphonie Concertante Pour Violon, 3 See my review of the Ayre at stereophile.com/content/
Alto Et Orchestre En Mi Bemol Majeur ayre-acoustics-ex-8-integrated-hub-integrated-amplifier.
the opening at the speaker’s base. The well above the audioband, at 29kHz, but the Fig.4 shows the F500SP’s farfield
response broadly peaks slightly higher in drive unit’s output above 5kHz is disturbed response averaged across a 30° horizon-
frequency than the port tuning frequency, by narrow peaks and dips. I suspect that tal window centered on the tweeter axis.
and the upper-frequency rolloff is clean, this behavior is due to reflections of the co- The boost in the upper bass is due to the
though a low-level peak can be seen axially mounted, horn-loaded tweeter from nearfield measurement technique, and the
between 600Hz and 700Hz. The blue trace the circumference of the woofer cone. The response has a slightly rising trend from
below 350Hz shows the nearfield response tweeter appears to be balanced a couple of the middle of the midrange through to the
of the woofer. The woofer’s farfield output dB higher in level than the woofer, which, mid-treble.
peaks slightly before crossing over to the in combination with the latter’s slightly The Fyne’s horizontal dispersion is
tweeter (fig.3, green trace) at 1.5kHz. The shelved-down output in the midrange, shown in fig.5. (The traces are normalized
tweeter’s fundamental dome response lies could make the F500SP sound a little thin. to the response on the tweeter axis, which
Amplitude in dB
Amplitude in dB
Frequency in Hz Frequency in Hz
Fig.3 Fyne Audio F500SP, acoustic crossover on tweeter Fig.4 Fyne Audio F500SP, anechoic response on tweeter Fig.5 Fyne Audio F500SP, lateral response family at 50",
axis at 50", corrected for microphone response, with axis at 50", averaged across 30° horizontal window and normalized to response on tweeter axis, from back to
the nearfield response of the port (red) and the woofer corrected for microphone response, with the complex front: differences in response 90°–5° off axis, reference
(blue), respectively plotted below 1kHz and 350Hz. sum of the nearfield responses plotted below 300Hz. response, differences in response 5°–90° off axis.

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FYNE AUDIO F500SP
ments in convincing fashion; upright and electric bass, timpani, ace Silver’s The Cape Verdean Blues (Blue Note 4220).
bass drums, low organ notes, viola, cello, and the like came across When I inserted the Ayre EX-8 2.0 into the chain, the Fynes cut
with coherent, leading-edge exactness, with no overhang or bass loose and started singing. Bass became bigger and deeper, sound-
bloat. Some small speakers present a soft and spongy impression of stage depth and bloom increased. Records sounded smoother and
bass. The Fynes produced actual notes down there: a taut, coherent creamier as though a layer of grit had been removed. The Ayre
bass message, though without as much weight as larger speakers stayed in my system for the remainder of the review.
(with larger woofers) can convey. John Coltrane’s tenor sax on Ballads (LP, Impulse! AS-32) as
The F500SPs were texture kings. They captured the sound of played through the Ayre/Fyne combo had notable depth, intimacy,
a wire brush circling a plastic drumhead; of air rushing through imaging, and presence. The Fyne revealed Trane’s horn as the
a metal saxophone; of the resounding rasp of a vibraslap; of the loudest thing in the mix; the Fyne seemed to capture the sound
bristling character that distinguishes a Fender Telecaster from a of his lips on the saxophone’s reed. Jimmy Garrison’s acoustic bass
Stratocaster. occupied the center,
Parasound’s Hint 6 sounding soft but full.
Halo extracted clarity The Fynes cast a wide,
from the F500SP, but the immersive soundfield
combination produced playing with Kraftwerk’s
glare that left my ears Tour De France (2LP,
ringing. The Hungarian Kling Klang 50999 9
Heed Audio Elixir proved 66109). Depth, midrange
a warmer and more clarity, and low-end
liquid match, fleshing out warmth were stand-out
the speaker’s low end and qualities. The star of
producing a more bal- the four-part “Tour De
anced tonal palette. The France”—the bass drum—
Schiit Audio Ragnarok 2 was big, deep, round,
made the best match yet and tight. I often use this
to the F500SP, with hot- track as a bass torture
shot dynamics, density, test, but the Fynes didn’t
good tone, and sound- notice they were being
stage depth; the Ragnarok tortured.
2 added a visceral qual- For something entirely
ity that made the music different, I dropped Ed-
more involving, especially die “Lockjaw” Davis’s
on a first pressing of Hor- The Cookbook on the
thus appears as a straight line.) The loud- axis, is shown in fig.6. As expected from the ial mounting at the rear of the woofer’s pole
speaker becomes more directional as the symmetrical drive-unit array, it is similar piece, its output arrives after the woofer’s.
frequency increases above the midrange, to the speaker’s behavior in the horizontal The F500SP’s cumulative spectral-decay
which will tend to compensate for the plane. plot (fig.8) is generally clean, though with
tweeter’s +2dB balance, but the off-axis Turning to the time domain, the three narrow-band ridges of resonant decay
behavior is complex in the region where F500SP’s step response on the tweeter axis present in the mid-to-high treble.
the on-axis response has narrow peaks and (fig.7) indicates that the woofer’s output The Fyne Audio F500SP’s measured
dips. Experimenting with toe-in may well arrives first at the microphone and that this performance is dominated by its use of a
optimize the F500SP’s top-octave balance. drive unit is connected in positive acoustic coaxially mounted tweeter. Careful experi-
The Fyne Audio’s vertical dispersion, again polarity. The tweeter is connected in nega- mentation in positioning and toe-in should
normalized to the response on the tweeter tive polarity and, as expected from its coax- optimize its balance.—John Atkinson
Data in Volts
Fig.6 Fyne Audio F500SP, vertical response family at

50", normalized to response on tweeter axis, from back Time in ms
to front: differences in response 45°–5° above axis,
reference response, differences in response 5°–45° Fig.7 Fyne Audio F500SP, step response on tweeter axis Fig.8 Fyne Audio F500SP, cumulative spectral-decay
below axis. at 50" (5ms time window, 30kHz bandwidth). plot on tweeter axis at 50" (0.15ms risetime).

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FYNE AUDIO F500SP
Kuzma’s platter. I love late ’50s, early ’60s jazz recordings like this,
and Lockjaw’s records have terrific energy, swing, and flow. Along- ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
side Shirley Scott’s brisk, key-hammering Hammond B3 organ
stabs, drummer Arthur Edgehill and bassist George Duvivier play at Analog sources Kuzma Stabi R turntable/4Point tonearm, EMT
gleefully slow tempos. One rarely hears anything like this anymore. TSD 15 N Super Fineline moving coil phono cartridge.
Lockjaw’s quartet energized Rudy Van Gelder’s Englewood Preamplification Tavish Audio Design Adagio phono.
Cliffs studio that day (June 20, 1958, says Wikipedia), and the Integrated amplifiers Ayre EX-8 2.0, Heed Audio Elixir, Parasound
Fynes unpacked the opening track, “Have Horn, Will Blow,” in a Hint 6 Halo, Schiit Audio Ragnarok 2.
large, wide mono center-fill spot with real depth and reverbera- Power amplifiers LKV Research Veros PWR+.
tion. These old RVG recordings reveal the sound of Rudy’s studio, Loudspeakers GoldenEar BRX, Polk Audio Legend L100.
something many contemporary reissues somehow miss; maybe Cables Interconnect: Two-meter Triode Wire Labs Spirit II.
information is lost in the process of removing tape hiss. Duvivier’s Speaker: 8' pair Auditorium 23. AC: Triode Wire Labs Obsession
acoustic bass sounded deep, full, and clear through the Fynes, NCF, manufacturers’ own.
resonating over Edgehill’s perky hi-hat and snare drum jabs. This Accessories One pair 24" Sanus speaker stands; Pro-Ject VC-S2
record has a spicy top-end, and the Fynes relayed it loud and clear, ALU Record Cleaning Machine; Audiodesksysteme Vinyl Cleaner
as on Scott’s penetrating organ comping, her single note stabs Pro LP Cleaning System; Hunt Mark 6 Carbon Fiber Record
shredding the air, and on Lockjaw’s big-bosomed tenor tirades. Cleaning Brush; RTOM Moongel Drum Damper Pads (stylus
It’s hard to find Lockjaw records in good shape; apparently folks cleaner); Kuzma Platis 65 isolation platform; IsoTek EVO3
partied with them, which I understand. But, as with many old Aquarius line conditioner; (2) Salamander five-tier rack; IKEA
deep-groove LPs, you can hear the music floating clear and pristine Aptitlig bamboo chopping boards (under turntable, preamp,
above the decades of damage. power amps); mahogany blocks (2" × 2" × 0.5") under boards; 3"
The Fynes bared the experimental R&B of FKA Twigs’s LP1 studio-treatment damping (ceiling, walls).—Ken Micallef
(Young Turks YTLP118); the F500SP’s compression tweeter
uncovered every jot and tittle of her freaky synth
show. They exposed the rich string textures of could with the BRXs, and the bass drum sound
Orchestre de chambre Jean-François Paillard (an was less focused, but—again—that bass drum
early digital recording), but here the presenta- had more weight. The Fynes sounded more
tion was forward and ear-biting. (It’s a forward- laid-back than the BRX. Those strings had
sounding recording.) The Fynes better suited more depth and populated a fuller, wider, more
Nils Frahm’s atmospheric Felt, issuing treated open soundstage.
piano sounds that twinkled, rustled, and shim- The soundstage and images produced by
mered, producing a magic halo of sound. The the much-less-expensive Polk Legend L100s
Fynes came back to earth with Buena Vista Social were smaller than those produced by either the
Club, reproducing this warm, natural-sounding Fynes or the GoldenEars, and the sound lacked
recording with a spacious soundstage that im- the weight that both pairs of more expensive
aged guitars, percussion, vocals, and brass upfront speakers produced. The Polk presentation was,
and on an equal plane. however, clean and punchy—outstanding at the
price. The Fynes played larger than either the
Fyne, GoldenEar, Polk GoldenEars or the Polks.
I used Tom Petty’s “It’s Good to Be King” to
compare the Fyne F500SP to the somewhat Conclusion
less-expensive GoldenEar BRX ($1599/pair) Standmount loudspeakers on Stereophile’s
and the considerably less-expensive Polk Audio Recommended Components list near the Fyne
Legend L100 standmounts. The song has tight, F500SP’s price include the big, beefy KLH
locked-in bass drum and electric bass and a Model Five ($1998/pair), Sonus Faber Lumina
deep soundstage (mapped out especially by the III ($2199/pair), and Tekton Design Impact
massed strings). Petty’s vocal is very upfront and Monitor ($2000/pair). I haven’t heard the
palpable. Acoustic and electric guitars also figure last two. The KLH, though hard to beat at its
in the mix. price, needs room to groove and sing. I like the
The GoldenEar BRX standmount played GoldenEar BRX a lot. The Fyne has a wider
the track with a creamy, tight, smooth, almost and deeper stage, although it lacks the BRX’s
treated-sounding low end. The song’s bridge, determined focus and resolution.
where Steve Ferrone switches to the bell of his The Fyne is somewhat picky as to what gear
ride cymbal, sounded forward and shrill—it’s it associates with—in my system, it didn’t like
recorded that way. The production had lots of the Parasound Hint 6 integrated but sounded
air with the BRX, which benefited the swirling good with the Heed Audio Elixir, great with
strings that appear toward the track’s end. Petty’s the Schiit Ragnarok 2 and even better with the
voice was immediate, with a pronounced leading Ayre EX-8 2.0. When locked in and squared
edge. The BRX rendered the Petty track visceral away, the Fyne F500SPs played music with
and punchy, with excellent grip. a big, wide, deep stage, satisfying punch and
The Fynes played the track without the precision, and much humanity.
acute focus of the BRXs but with slightly more If you’re in the market for a pair of stand-
weight and with fleshier, chunkier images. I mount speakers near this price, try to hear
couldn’t hear Ferrone’s hi-hat notes as clearly as I these. Q

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EQ UIPMENT RE PO RT
KALMAN RUBINSON
Topping Pre90
LINE PREAMPLIFIER
T The Pre90 offers [this music]

here has not been a I didn’t really want a preamp in the system;
conventional preampli- I just needed more muscle. My DACs, which
fier in my main audio up with great depth and have a specified maximum output of 3V, were
system for quite a while, detail, approaching what being pushed to the limit. The Pre90 was
because no multichannel preamp I hear in the multichannel enticing me with 16dB of maximum gain and
is available that’s of high enough potential output of up to 50V peak-to-peak.
quality. Instead, I use the high- version of this recording. “I see [a preamp] as a high-quality volume
precision digital volume controls control plus input selector,” said Topping’s John
in my players and DACs and choose sources with a relay-based Yang. “The main goal is to achieve [the] lowest noise and distor-
multichannel analog switch. Plus, I tell myself that no preamp can tion possible. Digital volume controls in DACs are in the digital
be more accurate and transparent than no preamp. domain, before the D-to-A conversion, so the noise of the DAC
However, I recently installed DiracLive3, which effectively re- remains the same after attenuation. So, you always lose S/N ratio
duces the available system gain by almost 20dB! In my salad days, I this way, regardless of the precision of the digital volume control.
would have designed and built a balanced driver with gain for each An analog volume control conserves SNR, because it attenuates
channel; today, I require an off-the-shelf solution. After weeks of the noise as well as the signal from upstream.” However, a careful
research, I found one: the Topping Pre90 ($599). design is required, he noted, to avoid adding more noise. “The
SPECIFICATIONS
Description Stereo line-level (XLR output). Maximum output Dimensions 8.75" (222mm) two years for $44.99 or $60.99,
preamplifier with remote control level: 25V (RCA), 50V (XLR). W × 1.75" (45mm) H × 6.3" respectively.
and relay-selected resistor DC offset at output: <1mV (160mm) D. Weight: 2.47lb Manufacturer
arrays for level control. Inputs: RMS. Frequency response: (1.12kg). Guangzhou TOPPING
1 pair RCA (unbalanced), 1 pair 20Hz–100kHz, ±0.1dB. Channel Finish Black or Silver Electronics & Technology Co.,
XLR (balanced). Input imped- separation: >130dB (1kHz). Serial number of unit reviewed Ltd., 26th Jiaomen Rd., Huangge,
ance: 2k ohms. Input sensitivity: THD+N (1kHz, A-weighted): 2010632162. Country of manu- Nansha, Guangzhou, China.
9.2V @ 0dB. Outputs: 1 pair <0.00007%, all combinations of facture: China. Web: tpdz.net.
RCA (unbalanced), 1 pair XLR inputs and outputs. S/N ratio @ Price: $599. Warranty: Two Authorized U.S. retailer Apos
(balanced). Output imped- 1kHz, A-weighted: 137dB–145dB, years transferrable when Inc., 1400 Coleman Ave., #E23,
ance: 20 ohms (RCA), 40 ohms depending on input/output com- purchased from apos.audio. Santa Clara, CA 95050.
(XLR). Gain: –99dB to +10dB bination. Power consumption: Purchasers using Amazon can Tel.: (510) 858-6585
(RCA output), –93dB to +16dB <1W standby, 6W in use. extend the warranty by one or Web: apos.audio.

TOPPING PRE90
noise needs to be low at all volume settings.

Low-impedance internal circuitry allows this
low-noise performance.”
A high-quality preamp can serve other
functions, too, and it’s precisely what I’m
seeking: Adding an active, buffered gain stage
can add gain and drive capability and reduce
distortion.
Internally, the Pre90 is the very model of
a modern analog preamp. It is fully balanced.
It increments gain in 0.5dB steps via relays
that switch among resistor arrays. Its active
stages are based on nested feedback/com-
posite amplifiers (NFCAs), an increasingly
popular construct that can deliver extremely
low noise and distortion without resorting to
complex, bulky circuits or esoteric semicon-
ductors. On paper, it seemed perfect, with
two channels of balanced or unbalanced The back panel of
provide any adjustment for interchannel (L–R) balance, so if you
input and output, adjustable gain, and eye- the Topping Pre90 need that capability, you’ll need to find a place for it elsewhere in
popping specifications. Despite its low cost with the Ext90, which your signal path.
expands the number
and small package, the Pre90 shares many of inputs.
characteristics with larger, more complex, Setup
more expensive products, including the The Pre90 arrives in a nice cardboard box. Its chassis is compact,
recently reviewed Benchmark Media LA41/HPA42 and the Pass sleek, well-finished and substantial. The front-panel display is
Laboratories XP-323. easy to read, with an on/off/function button on the left and the
One limitation to the naked Pre90 is that it provides just one knob to control volume and other settings on the right. The rear
RCA and one XLR input. Topping, though, has a solution in
the form of a matching accessory: The Ext90 costs just $249, 1 See stereophile.com/content/benchmark-la4-line-preamplifier.
connects to the Pre90 with an included umbilical, and adds one 2 See stereophile.com/content/benchmark-hpa4-headphone-amplifierline-preamplifier.
more RCA and three more XLR input pairs. The Pre90 doesn’t 3 See stereophile.com/content/pass-laboratories-xp-32-line-preamplifier.
TOPPING PRE90
panel bears a power switch, an IEC power connector, the RCA XLR output will be 6dB louder than the display indicates. These
stereo output pair, the XLR stereo output pair, the two input phenomena are not affected by the choice of input.
pairs (RCA and XLR), and, finally, a multipin connector for at- I inserted the Topping into my setup between the output from
taching the Ext90. my Coleman 7.1SW source switch and my power amps using the
The Ext90 comes in a matching box with the same chassis as balanced connections. I chose the XLR outputs, inserted the AC
the Pre90. It has no front panel controls or indicators; its rear cord, flipped the power switch, and configured the Pre90 with the
panel bears, from right to left, a single RCA stereo input pair, remote control.
three XLR stereo input pairs, and a complementary multipin The remote control is frustrating. One must aim it carefully at
connector for attaching to the Pre90. When attached by the pro- the IR sensor, which is situated at the right side of the display panel
vided cable, it is automatically recognized and integrated into the but hard to see. The RC is sensitive to poor lateral aim in particu-
Pre90’s operations. lar—less accommodating than most other RC’s I’ve used.
With just the base Pre90, you can toggle between the two inputs I found the knob on the Pre90 chassis somewhat small for
with either the front-panel button or the included remote control. comfortable use. It is lightly stepped and smooth, but it lacks the
When the Ext90 is installed, the front-panel button steps through inertia of larger controls on more expensive devices. Assuming you
the inputs in one direction. Remote-control buttons permit step- aim well, the remote control works better: Just click the volume
ping through the inputs in either direction, but neither permits buttons for 0.5dB steps or hold them down for continuous linear
direct input selection. You can also set level settings independently stepping. As with other volume controls of this type, volume
for each input and output, set the volume at turn-on or for input- changes are accompanied by quiet relay clicks.
switching, and set the brightness of the display. All these settings
can be saved. Listening
One peculiarity: You can set the Pre90’s output to “XLR only,” Since my original use for the Pre90 was as a low-noise gain stage,
“RCA only,” or both “RCA and XLR.” As is typical in devices I needed to see if it was as quiet and transparent as required for
that offer both, balanced output is 6dB higher than unbalanced such a self-effacing role. For a quick check, I set it on top of one of
output. When you choose XLR output only, the display reflects the power amps at the speaker end of my 25' balanced intercon-
the XLR output—as you would expect. Similarly, when you select nects, where it would be easy to swap it in and out of circuit. At
RCA output only, the display shows the RCA output. But when unity gain, no change in the sound was immediately discernible.
you choose “RCA and XLR” output, the XLR output will be Moreover, at any level setting from –99dB to +16dB, there was
higher than the RCA output by 6dB, but the display will indicate no audible noise, even when I pressed my ear to each of the eight
the gain at the RCA output. So, the Pre90 will display 0dB when drivers in my speakers. So far, so good.
the RCA is outputting the same level as the input signal—but the I relocated the Pre90 to the main equipment rack and inserted
MEASUREMENTS
I
measured the Topping Pre90’s absolute polarity (ie, was noninverting) The unbalanced output impedance was 21.5
performance with my Audio Precision with both balanced and unbalanced inputs ohms, again from 20Hz to 20kHz.
SYS2722 system (see the January and outputs. (Its XLR jacks are wired with The preamplifier’s audioband frequency
2008 As We See It 1), repeating some pin 2 hot, the AES convention.) response was flat in balanced mode (fig.1,
tests with the magazine’s higher-perfor- The Pre90’s unbalanced input imped- blue and red traces), with the ultrasonic
mance APx555 system. ance was 9.9k ohms at 20Hz and 1kHz and rolloff reaching –0.5dB at 100kHz. Fig.1
The Pre90’s volume control operated in 9.6k ohms at 20kHz. The balanced input was taken with the Pre90’s volume control
accurate 0.5dB steps. The maximum gain at impedance was low, at 2k ohms from 20Hz at its maximum setting of “16.” Both the
the unbalanced outputs was the specified to 20kHz, which might give a bass-light frequency response and the superb channel
10dB for both the balanced and unbalanced balance with source components that have matching were preserved in unbalanced
inputs; the maximum gain at the balanced a tubed output stage. The balanced output mode, at lower settings of the control,
outputs was the specified 16dB for both impedance was the specified 40 ohms at 1 See stereophile.com/content/measurements-maps-
types of inputs. The preamplifier preserved all audio frequencies, which is usefully low. precision.
d d
B B
r r %
A A
Hz Hz V
Fig.1 Topping Pre90, balanced frequency response with Fig.2 Topping Pre90, balanced spectrum of 1kHz Fig.3 Topping Pre90, balanced distortion (%) vs 1kHz
volume control set to “+16.0” at 2V into 100k ohms sinewave, DC–1kHz, at 2V into 100k ohms (left channel output voltage into 100k ohms.
(left channel blue, right red), 600 ohms (left cyan, right blue, right red) and at 0V (left cyan, right magenta)
magenta) (0.5dB/vertical div.). (linear frequency scale).

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WHAT OBSESSION SOUNDS LIKE

TOPPING PRE90
it into the signal chain. The gain controls in

Roon and JRiver were set to “Fixed,” and those
in the sources (Okto and exaSound DACs and
my Oppo player; see the Associated Equipment
sidebar) were set to 0dB. I quickly confirmed
the essential transparency of the Topping Pre90
across a wide range of attenuation and gain set-
tings. I began listening carefully but not in an
organized fashion. I played whatever struck my
fancy—my usual procedure as I gradually latch
on to the salient characteristics of the sound.
Sooner or later, I stumble on a selection that
allows me to define more exactly what a new
component is contributing. This time, it was
Sol & Pat (Alpha Classics Alpha 757, 16/44.1
PCM download), which pairs violinist Patricia
Kopatchinskaja and cellist Sol Gabetta play-
ing works from the 17th century through the
present. The first track is startling: Tambourin
in C Major by Jean-Marie Leclair opens with a
tambourine. Sol and Pat’s strings dance along The Pre90 is a simple, compact, offers a stylish program of
while someone stamps out the beat on the floor. music in the French style by
The perspective via the Pre90 (with the other analog stereo preamplifier with Giovanni Girolamo Kaps-
components in the system) is fairly close, tightly a transparent, noise-free sound. berger (Il Tedesco, Harmonia
presented within a modest ambient frame so Mundi HMM 902645,
that, at a realistic level, the duo is right there in the space between 16/44.1 PCM download). The opening a cappella of “Lunge da
my left and right front speakers. I was hooked and so listened voi ben mio” is lovely and airy with realistically rounded voices
to the rest of this delightfully varied program, ranging from the spread across the front within a moderately deep acoustical space.
simple and familiar to the challenging and fascinating. The full ensemble soon joins; the instruments fill that space, front
Moving to a larger ensemble—10 voices and players— to back and side to side, even as all the voices and instruments
L’Escadron Volant de la Reine (The Queen’s Flying Squadron) remain distinct.
and into low impedances (fig.1, cyan and unbalanced inputs shorted to ground and the output voltage into 100k ohms. We
magenta traces). the volume control set to “+16,” was 66.5dB usually specify clipping voltage as when
The Topping preamp’s channel separa- in the left channel, 73.8dB in the right, the THD+N reaches 1%. However, as you
tion was superb, at 110dB in both directions both ratios ref. 2V output. Restricting the can see from this graph, the output voltage
below 2kHz, and decreased only slightly, measurement bandwidth to the audio- actually decreases as the input voltage in-
to 90dB at the top of the audioband (not band increased the S/N ratio to a superb creases after the abrupt rise in distortion at
shown). The Pre90 offered extremely low 118.8dB in both channels, while switching 17V. The same behavior was apparent with
noise in both balanced and unbalanced an A-weighting filter into circuit further the Pre90’s balanced output driving 600
modes, with no power-supply–related improved this ratio, to 121.5dB. The Pre90 ohms (not shown) and with the unbalanced
spuriae in its output even with the volume is one of the quietest preamplifiers I have output (fig.4). According to Topping, this
control set to its maximum (fig.2). The encountered. behavior is due to the Pre90’s protection
wideband, unweighted signal/noise ratio, Fig.3 plots the percentage of THD+noise circuit operating when the volume exceeds
measured at the balanced outputs with the in the Pre90’s balanced output against a preset limit.
d
B
% % r
A
V Hz Hz
Fig.4 Topping Pre90, unbalanced distortion (%) vs 1kHz Fig.5 Topping Pre90, balanced distortion (%) vs Fig.6 Topping Pre90, balanced spectrum of 50Hz
output voltage into 100k ohms. frequency at 11V into 100k ohms (left channel blue, right sinewave, DC–1kHz, at 2V into 100k ohms (left channel
red), 600 ohms (left cyan, right magenta). blue, right red; linear frequency scale).

TOPPING PRE90
Finally, I tested the line preamplifier—although

Pre90 with a full symphony both are considerably more
orchestra, the Kansas City expensive than the Top-
Symphony conducted by ping. Neither was available.
Michael Stern in Sibelius’s Pricewise, the Schiit Freya+
Symphony No.7 (One ($949 with tubes) makes an
Movement Symphonies, even better match, but it has
24/176.4 PCM download, not yet been reviewed in
Reference Recordings Stereophile —an omission that
RR-149). The bass fiddles will soon be corrected. In
open, rumbling from the any case, its tubed opera-
deep, far right, as the upper tion (in its active mode: the
strings slowly fill in across Freya+ can operate in pas-
the front. The woodwinds sive, differential buffer, or
enter center right between differential gain modes, the
the two tiers of strings. The most remarkable moment occurs with latter using tubes) makes it a very different creature than the Pre90.
the astonishing Largamente (19:33) as the hushed strings extend In my search for a preamp for comparison, only one turned
over a wide, deep soundstage. The Pre90 offers it up with great up: Pass Laboratories’ three-chassis, 62.5lb, $17,500 XP-32 line
depth and detail, approaching what I hear in the multichannel preamplifier.4
version of this recording. On its face, it may seem silly to compare a $17,500, three-box
In order to hear what of the lively, balanced, dynamic sound can preamp with Topping’s diminutive, $850 (including the Ext90),
be ascribed to the Pre90, I removed it. Without it, I noted margin- 5lb preamp. And yet, they accomplish the same tasks with
ally less weight and a bit less dynamic impact. comparable functionality and, on the test bench, should perform
comparably. Besides, I was eager to try out the big, beautiful Pass
Is the Pass XP-32 a silly comparison? Labs machine.
I don’t own a preamp, so I sent out an SOS to other reviewers, The unboxing and setup experience was certainly different:
hoping that I might borrow an already-reviewed preamp to com- The Pass called on muscles usually reserved for loudspeakers and
pare the Topping to. power amps. The XP-32 has more inputs and outputs, including a
Among the amplifiers that would make reasonable, logical can- dedicated home-theater bypass and a useful balance control. Pass’s
didates for comparison to the Topping Pre90 are the two Bench- metal remote control is heavier than Topping’s lightweight plastic
mark preamplifiers—the LA4 line preamplifier ($2599) and the
HPA4 headphone amplifier ($2999), which can also be used as a 4 See stereophile.com/content/pass-laboratories-xp-32-line-preamplifier.
The THD+N was extraordinarily low ual levels in the Audio Precision SYS2722’s at a peak level of 10V into 100k ohms,
at normal output levels of a few volts, so signal generator. I therefore repeated the the second-order difference product at
I measured how the Pre90’s distortion spectral analysis at 10V into 600 ohms 1kHz lay at –130dB (0.00003%), and
changed with frequency at 11V. Despite (fig.7). Despite the stressful conditions, the the higher-order products were all below
the very high voltage level, the THD+N second and third harmonics each lie close –115dB (fig.9).
percentage was extremely low into both to –120dB (0.0001%). At higher frequen- The Pre90 preamplifier’s measured
100k ohms and 600 ohms, at 0.0004% cies (fig.8), the third harmonic was slightly performance is simply superb. The fact that
(fig.5), with a slight increase in the top higher than the second, but both are still that performance can be achieved in such a
audio octaves. With a 50Hz tone at 2V into vanishingly low in level. small chassis and for such a low price sug-
100k ohms (fig.6), the harmonics at 100Hz, Tested for intermodulation distortion gests that Topping has some serious audio
150Hz, and 250Hz were close to the resid- with an equal mix of 19 and 20kHz tones engineering talent in-house.—John Atkinson
d d
B B
Level (dBV)
r r
A A
Hz Hz
Frequency (Hz)
Fig.7 Topping Pre90, balanced spectrum of 50Hz Fig.9 Topping Pre90, balanced HF intermodulation spec-
sinewave, DC–1kHz, at 10V into 600 ohms (left channel Fig.8 Topping Pre90, balanced spectrum of 1kHz trum, DC–30kHz, 19+20kHz at 10V into 100k ohms (left
blue, right red; linear frequency scale). sinewave, DC–1kHz, at 3V into 200k ohms (left channel channel blue, right red; linear frequency scale).
blue, right red; linear frequency scale).

40 DRIVERS
7 FEET TALL
1 UNFORGETTABLE
PERFORMANCE
0 FOOTPRINT
martinlogan.com
TOPPING PRE90
one and much more dependable. The XP-32’s large volume knob
is almost too large, just as the Topping’s knob is almost too small. ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
The XP-32’s volume settings range over 200 0.5dB steps, from 000
to 199 (–99dB to +10dB); 179 is equal to 0dB, or a gain of 1×. The Digital sources Oppo Digital UDP-105 universal disc player,
volume chosen applies to all inputs (except the HT bypass). The custom Baetis Prodigy-X4i music server running JRiver Media
XP-32 cannot be powered off from the front panel or the remote Center v28 and Roon 1.8, exaSound s88 streaming DAC and
control. The Pre90’s volume settings range over 232 0.5db steps, Okto DAC8 Pro D/A processors. QNAP TVS-873 NAS.
from –99dB to +16dB, and can be set and remembered for each Preamplifiers Coleman Audio 7.1SW for source switching, Pass
input; settings are retained through a power recycle. The Pass runs Laboratories XP-32.
moderately warm. Power amplifiers Benchmark AHB2, NAD C 298.
I inserted the XP-32 into the system by simply pulling the XLR Loudspeakers Revel Ultima2 Studio with IsoAcoustics Gaia I
cables from the Pre90 and plugging them into the appropriate isolation feet. Revel Performa3 f206 for surrounds. Two SVS SB-
jacks on the Pass preamp. Powering up the Pass initiates a warm-up 3000 & one SB-2000Pro subwoofers.
process that takes a few minutes and concludes with a subtle relay Cables Digital cables: AudioQuest Coffee (USB). Analog inter-
click and the display of the volume level: 000. After advancing connects: Benchmark Studio&Stage XLR-XLR, Kubala-Sosna
the level up to “179” (0dB), I could hear a barely discernible soft Anticipation (RCA), Cardas Cross (subwoofers). Speaker cables:
“ssshh” with my ear within 1–2" inches of the tweeter—much too Benchmark Studio&Stage, Canare 4S11 (Blue Jeans Cable). AC
quiet to have any effect on listening at any level. The Pre90 was cables Kubala-Sosna Emotion, SignalCable MagicPower 20A.
even quieter. Accessories AudioQuest Niagara 5000 and Brick-Wall BrickWall
With the XP-32 in the system and Sol & Pat cued up, I clicked 8RAUD power conditioners, Teddy Pardo 12v PS (for exaSound
“play” and—gosh darn, the Pass XP-32 does sound wonderful! s88), HDPLEX 400W ATX Linear Power Supply and CyberPower
Just as lively, just as dynamic, just as transparent as the Topping, 850PFCLCD AC filter (for the Baetis server).
but different. The tambourine sounded the same, but the foot- Listening room 24' L × 14' W × 8' H, furnished with 2 MSR
stomping was deader and quieter. The instruments sounded clear, Acoustics Dimension4 SpringTraps in the front corners. Front
more rounded, and a foot or two farther back; that gave me the wall has large windows partly covered by fabric drapes and 4"
impression of a gentle treble rolloff, although JA’s measurements thick 2' × 4' OC 705 panels. Rear of room opens into 10' × 7'
refute that. foyer and a 12' × 8' dining area.—Kalman Rubinson
I had a surprising experience with a recent recording, Concerti
All’Arrabbiata (Aparte AP262 CD, 16/44.1 download) with the
Freiburger Barockorchester conducted by Gottfried von der Multichannel use
Goltz. It includes spirited, zesty concerti, all employing winds, I introduced this review by saying that I needed a multichannel
including horns. With the Pre90, I was startled by the up-front, preamp. But the Topping Pre90 is a stereo preamp—not multichan-
in-your-face horns and, although the winds remained integrated nel—and this review has been conducted in stereo. What gives?
with the strings, there was little depth to the soundstage. Exciting I bought three Pre90s. In principle, the volume on all three
and delightful as that was, I hoped that the XP-32 would expand Pre90s can be controlled with a single carefully aimed remote
the soundstage and restore the brass to their proper place at the control and monitored via the numbers on the front-panel display.
rear of the stage. With the XP-32, the lower end of the spectrum But I tried that approach with the Benchmark LA4 and found it
(mostly two cellos and a double bass) was full, and the ambient a less-than-ideal solution.6 It’s not ideal because the volume can
space seemed deep if less detailed. The main ensemble was a bit easily get out of synch among the three preamps, and we already
more distant, but the brass was still up front. When I consulted know that the Pre90’s remote control is finicky.
the booklet, I found a photograph of the ensemble in performance With the Benchmark preamplifiers, I improved things by buying
and, lo and behold, the horns were right up front! an IR receiver/splitter on the internet for about $20. This little box
On Jane Ira Bloom’s “Song Patrol” (Early Americans, Sono Lu- accepts a tiny, wired IR sensor as input and has four tiny, wired IR
minus SLE-70005, Blu-ray), the XP-32 sounds louder and richer, transmitters as outputs. I attached one transmitter to the IR sensor
especially in the bass, and the instruments fill the space between on each of the three Benchmark LA4s. It’s a bit of a kludge, but it
the speakers. With the Pre90, instruments have marginally less worked. I intend to try the same thing with the Topping preamps.
impact but are more distinctly placed within the space. With the
above-mentioned Kapsberger recording, the XP-32 offered a more Conclusions
immediate and flattering presentation of voices and instruments The Pre90 is a simple, compact, analog stereo preamplifier with a
than the Topping, at the expense of their disambiguation and a transparent, noise-free sound. Signal selection, power on/off, mut-
reduction in the sense of place. ing, and volume adjustments are equally noise-free, save for the
Is one preamp more accurate than the other? There’s no way to subtle ticks of the relays that accomplish those tasks.
know, since we cannot know exactly what the mastering engi- Although it is small and inexpensive, the Topping preamp (with
neers committed to the recording. That’s Floyd Toole’s Circle the Ext90 extension) has all the necessary features, with one ex-
of Confusion5. All we can determine by listening is what sounds ception. It lacks a channel-balance control, which may be critical
right or merely more right in our own systems. F. Scott Fitzgerald to some users. Also, the effectiveness of the remote control could
said, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two be improved.
opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability Some people may summarily reject it because of its low cost,
to function.” My dominant left hemisphere says that the Pre90 is small size, limited warranty, Chinese manufacture, or the fact that
more literal and therefore more honest; it argues that the XP-32 is it’s only sold online. All those parameters must be weighed against
adding something. My right hemisphere maintains that the XP-32 its low price and outstanding performance. It fits my needs, and it
simply sounds better, whatever that means, and the resulting enjoy- fits my ears, so for me it’s a great bargain. Q
ment is what this is really all about. My left and right hemispheres 5 See stereophile.com/content/katzs-corner-episode-17-perfecting-perfection.
often wrestle over this at night. 6 See stereophile.com/content/benchmark-la4-line-preamplifier-multichannel-application.

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EQ UIPMENT RE PO RT
JOHN ATKINSON
Questyle Audio M12

PORTABLE USB D/A HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER
T
here are words that, for reasons I can’t fathom,
I cannot stand. One such is “dongle.” So when
Bluebird Music’s PR rep emailed me to ask if I
would be interested in reviewing a new dongle
from Chinese company Questyle Audio, I shuddered. But
I must admit that “dongle” rolls off the tongue a lot more
readily than “portable USB D/A headphone amplifier.” I
put aside my grammatical quibble and agreed to a review.
The M12
Priced at $139.99, the tiny, 2"-long M12 Mobile Hi-Fi
Headphone Amplifier with DAC features a case ma-
chined from aluminum. On one end is a USB-C port.
On the other is a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack. On top
are two multicolor LEDs, one to indicate the gain setting,
the other the incoming data status. On the bottom are lo-
gos for MQA, ESS, and “Current Mode Amplification.”
That’s all there is to see.
The M12’s complexity lies inside. “Current Mode
Amplification” refers to a “patented SiP amplifier mod-
ule” that Questyle says provides “high” current output,
“vanishingly low” distortion, and “astonishing noise levels
of –130dB.” The “Smart Impedance Detection” feature
refers to the M12’s ability to detect the impedance of
headphones when they’re plugged in and automatically
set the gain to the appropriate value. With low-imped-
ance headphones, the M12 switches to low gain, and the
Gain LED glows green. With high-impedance head-
phones, like my Sennheiser HD 650, the M12 switches
to high gain and the LED glows red.
D/A conversion is performed with an ESS ES9281AC DAC PCM data, red for DSD data. The M12 can also work as an MQA
chip. According to the chip’s datasheet, it works with 16-, 24-, renderer, performing the final unfold of MQA data when fed from
and 32-bit PCM data sampled at all rates from 44.1 to 768kHz— an MQA-compatible source that performs the first unfold. The
the M12’s specifications say 384kHz—and with DSD data from status LED glows magenta with MQA data.
DSD64 to DSD256. The data status LED illuminates green for The M12 can be used with computers, of course; no special
SPECIFICATIONS
Description Portable, USB- 3.5mm stereo headphone plied accessories: USB-C–USB-C Warranty: 1 year.
powered, MQA-capable jack. Frequency response: cable, USB-C–USB-A cable. Manufacturer Questyle Audio
digital-to-analog processor/ 20Hz–20kHz ±0.1dB. THD+N: Dimensions 2" (51mm) L by Technology Co., Ltd., Suite
headphone amplifier with ESS 0.0003%. Maximum output 0.65" (16.5mm) W by 0.32" 804, Building B, Jialin Highrise,
ES9281AC DAC chip. Sup- voltage: 2V RMS into 100k (8.1mm) D. Weight: not speci- No.2001, Shennan Rd., Futian
ported operating systems: Apple ohms; gain is adjusted automati- fied. District, Shenzhen, China.
MacOS, Apple iOS, Microsoft cally for load impedances <70 Finish Black/Silver. Tel: (86) 755-82835670.
Windows, Android 5.0 and ohms, >70 ohms, and >600 Serial number of unit reviewed US distributor:
above. Sample rates supported: ohms. Output power: 46.11mW 6 972007 012406, “Made in Bluebird Music Ltd., 1100
44.1–384kHz (PCM), DSD64, into 16 ohms, 26.71mW into 32 China.” Military Rd., Kenmore, NY 14217.
DSD128, DSD256. Digital input: ohms, 12.26mW into 300 ohms Price $139.99. Approximate Tel: (416) 638-8207.
USB Type-C. Analog output: (automatically adjusted). Sup- number of dealers: 28. Web: bluebirdmusic.com.

QUESTYLE AUDIO M12
driver is required with MacOS and Windows 10 v.18.3 and above. Henry Wood Hall, which I produced.2 The image of the clarinet
It also works with tablets and smartphones and is compatible with was clean and clear, with the orchestra unambiguously presented
iOS and Android 5.1 and above. Included in the box are two adapt- to the sides and behind. The low strings in the orchestra were
er cables: one USB-C–USB-A cable to use with computers, and warm sounding, perhaps a bit too much so. I played Pat Martino’s
one USB-C–USB-C cable for use with devices running Android. Live at Yoshi’s (16/44.1 FLAC, Blue Note/Tidal). This was a recom-
Those who wish to use the Questyle with an iOS device will need mendation from Sasha Matson when we were discussing guitarist
to purchase a USB-C–Lightning adapter cable with an OTG (“On Martino’s passing last November. Martino is joined on this album
the Go”) interface. According to Questyle, the M12’s Torex DC/ by Billy Hart on drums and Joey DeFrancesco on Hammond B3
DC converter combines high efficiency with low power consump- organ, and the bass lines, played by DeFrancesco on the organ ped-
tion to maximize smartphone battery life. als, were somewhat loose-sounding.
I replaced the AudioQuests with Sennheiser HD 650s, which
Listening have an impedance that varies between 300 ohms and 500 ohms.
I had been impressed by the sound quality on offer from Que- The Gain LED glowed red, and as I started playing Live at Yoshi’s
style’s QP1R hi-rez portable player, which I reviewed in Decem- the instruments were confined to the center of my head—mono!
ber 2015,1 so I looked forward to what I was going to hear from The Sennheiser cable was terminated with a 1/4" plug, and I was
the M12. Using the USB-C–USB-A cable, I plugged the M12 using a generic 1/4"–3.5mm adapter cable. I fiddled with the
into one of the USB ports on my late 2014 Mac mini and plugged 3.5mm plug in the M12’s jack, and mono turned to stereo. The
in a pair of AudioQuest NightHawk headphones. The Questyle’s Hammond organ’s bass pedals now had a better balance between
Gain LED glowed green—as expected, since the NightHawks have low-frequency weight and control than they had with the Night-
an impedance of 23 ohms. The Roon app didn’t recognize the Hawks.
M12 but did identify it as an ALSA device. I selected the M12 as I replaced the Sennheisers with the Audeze LCD-Xes that I had
a playback zone and set it to receive DSD data over PCM (DoP), purchased after my review in March 2014.3 The Audezes have an
to render MQA files, and to allow its volume to be adjusted with impedance of 22 ohms. The M12’s Gain LED turned from red to
Roon. Then I started playing music. green, and I had no connection problems with the 3.5mm plug on
The first piece I played was Antony Michaelson’s 2003 perfor- 1 See stereophile.com/content/questyle-audio-qp1r-hi-rez-portable-player.
mance of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto (16/44.1 ALAC file, Mu- 2 See stereophile.com/musicrecordings/804k622/index.html.
sical Fidelity Recordings), recorded by Tony Faulkner in London’s 3 See stereophile.com/content/audeze-lcd-x-headphones.
MEASUREMENTS
I
measured the Questyle M12 with rates from 44.1 to 768kHz rather than the will switch automatically to a specified
my Audio Precision SYS2722 system 384kHz specified by Questyle. A Drok USB maximum output level of 2V. With the DAC
(see the January 2008 As We See tester indicated that with no signal being connected to the Audio Precision analyzer’s
It 1). I performed a full set of tests with passed, the M12 drew 40mA of current high 100k ohm load, the maximum output
WAV and AIFF test-tone files played with from the host’s USB port. Driving a 1kHz level was 1.937V and the Gain LED on the
Pure Music 3.0 and Adobe Audition on my tone at 0dBFS into 100k ohms, the M12’s top of the DAC illuminated red. However,
MacBook Pro running on battery power, current draw increased to 90mA, while when I switched the load impedance from
and on my iPad mini using the Lightning-to- with the full-scale signal into the Audio- 100k ohms to 30 ohms without unplugging
USB-A–to–USB-C cable combination. Quest NightHawk headphones’ 23 ohms, the output jack plug, the LED didn’t change
Apple’s USB Prober utility identified the the current draw was 150mA. (All measure- from red to green, as it had done with the
M12 as “M12” from “Questyle” with the ments are ±5mA.) low-impedance headphones I used for my
serial number “0.” The USB port operated The M12’s maximum gain is specified as auditioning. I realized that the M12 detects
in the optimal isochronous asynchronous adjusting according to the load imped- the load impedance when its output is
mode, and Apple’s AudioMIDI utility ance—high gain with loads above 70 ohms, disconnected then reconnected. However,
revealed that the M12 accepted 16-, 24-, low gain with loads below 70 ohms. With 1 See stereophile.com/content/measurements-maps-
and 32-bit integer data sampled at all a load higher than 600 ohms, the M12 precision.
d
B d
V r B
r
A
sec Hz Hz
Fig.1 Questyle M12, impulse response (one sample at Fig.2 Questyle M12, wideband spectrum of white noise Fig.3 Questyle M12, frequency response at –12dBFS into
0dBFS, 44.1kHz sampling, 4ms time window). at –4dBFS (left channel red, right magenta) and 19.1kHz 100k ohms with data sampled at: 44.1kHz (left channel
tone at 0dBFS (left blue, right cyan) into 100k ohms with blue, right green), 96kHz (left cyan, right magenta), and
data sampled at 44.1kHz (20dB/vertical div.). 192kHz (left blue, right red) (1dB/vertical div.).

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QUESTYLE AUDIO M12
the Nordost Heimdall cable that I was using with these head-
phones. The M12 did a good job controlling both the Hammond’s
bass pedals with these ’phones and the orchestra’s low strings in my
Mozart recording.
Streaming the Martino album reminded me that Billy Hart had
played drums on the first multitrack digital recording I had made:
pianist Marc Copland’s quartet with guitarist John Abercrombie
and bassist Peter Herbert, and Hart, at a private concert for the
Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival in 1997. The late Wes Phillips,
who had been at the concert, described Hart as about the quiet-
est drummer he’d ever heard. Hart “uses silence in large blocks,”
he once wrote, explaining that Hart’s playing featured a very wide
dynamic range. I didn’t use any compression in mixing this record-
ing, so it was a good test of the M12’s ability to preserve low-level
detail while at the same time handling the high-level peaks.
Hart starts Copland’s “Billy’s Bounce” (16/44.1 ALAC file, unre-
leased) with a quiet dotted pattern on snare and hi-hat but gradu-
ally increases the complexity of the accompaniment, exploring the
different textures of his ride and crash cymbals as first Abercrom-
bie then Copland take solos. When Hart takes his own solo, the
sounds of the toms, snare drum, and kickdrum were well-differ-
entiated. The final rimshots on the snare almost took my head off
when, seduced by the clarity, I set the M12’s volume to “100”!
The M12 handled DSD data with aplomb. An album I have
mentioned several times in my reviews is violinist Christian
Tetzlaff and pianist Lars Vogt’s superbly idiomatic performances
of the Brahms Violin Sonatas (DSD128 files, Ondine ODE1284-
2D/HDtracks), especially the first sonata. Pressing “Play” in
when I did this with a 30 ohm load con- was noninverting) and offered a very low blue) was not suppressed as much as I was
nected to both output channels, the gain output impedance of 0.5 ohm at 20Hz and expecting, lying at –93dB. Other than the
LED still lit up red. A paradox. 1kHz, 0.8 ohm at 20kHz. Fig.1 shows the third at –93dB (0.002%), the distortion
The maximum output level into 30 ohms M12’s impulse response with 44.1kHz data. harmonics associated with the 19.1kHz tone
only changed slightly, but more significant- The M12’s impulse response has a small all lay below –100dB (0.001%), however.
ly, the output waveform was now clipping amount of ringing before the single high Fig.3 shows the M12’s frequency re-
on the negative half-cycles. (I suspect the sample and more ringing after it. This is sponse with data sampled at 44.1, 96kHz,
charge pump used to generate the output typical of the “Hybrid” filter for PCM data and 192kHz. The response follows the same
stage’s negative voltage rail from the single- offered by the ESS Sabre DAC chips.2 The basic shape at all three sample rates, with
ended 5V USB supply was running out of filter’s ultrasonic rolloff (fig.2, magenta and a steep rolloff just below half of each rate.
juice into this load in the high-gain mode.) red traces) starts just below 20kHz and Channel separation at 1kHz was good in
Increasing the load impedance to 60 ohms reaches full stop-band attenuation at exact- both directions, at 62dB. An increase in bit
eliminated the clipping. I continued my ly half the sample rate (the vertical green depth from 16 to 24, with dithered data rep-
testing primarily with the 100k ohm load. line at 22.05kHz). The aliased image at 2 See, for example, fig.5 at stereophile.com/content/okto-
The M12 preserved absolute polarity (ie, 25kHz of a full-scale tone at 19.1kHz (cyan, dac8-stereo-da-processor-measurements.
d d
B B
r V r
A A
Hz sec Hz
Fig.4 Questyle M12, spectrum with noise and spuriae Fig.5 Questyle M12, waveform of undithered 1kHz Fig.6 Questyle M12, 24-bit data, spectrum of 50Hz sin-
of dithered 1kHz tone at –90dBFS with: 16-bit data (left sinewave at –90.31dBFS, 16-bit data (left channel blue, ewave, DC–1kHz, at 0dBFS into 100k ohms (left channel
channel cyan, right magenta), 24-bit data (left blue, right right red). blue, right red; linear frequency scale).
red) (20dB/vertical div.).

SORRY
Our new Reserve Series sounds so amazing
you’re going to want to buy new speakers.
Did we mean to make our speakers sound this
good? Absolutely. Our engineers can’t help it;
they're rock star scientists. Dig into Reserve’s
Turbine Cone, Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter,
Power Port or any of the other tech we pulled
into Reserve from our flagship Legend line,
and you’ll understand.
Funny thing is that none of this tech is particularly
expensive. It just sounds ridiculously good.
Which gave us a choice–sell the Reserve
Series at a price much more reasonable than
the competition, or do what the competition
does and ask for top dollar. Sadly for our
competitors, we opted to take care of you.
Everyone deserves great sound. So while we
are sorry that we made other brand’s gear
suddenly feel so overpriced, for those of you
looking for speakers that sound even better,
but cost far less…
PolkAudio.com/Reserve
Reserve
Series
(speakers not to scale) … (sorry)
EXPECT GREAT SOUND

QUESTYLE AUDIO M12
Roon turned the data status LED red, and the

violin sounded appropriately delicate and the piano
suitably majestic when required, both instruments
suspended in a subtle ambient halo.
The Questyle did equally well with hi-rez PCM
files. I am slowly ripping my LPs to 24/192 files us-
ing the Ayre QA-9 A/D converter. A favorite Beach
Boys album is Holland (Brother/Reprise K54008),
and the M12 reproduced the dropped-octave
synth-bass notes on “The Trader” with an excellent
combination of low-frequency clarity and weight.
The cloud of voices behind Carl Wilson’s lead vocal
was positioned well back in the soundstage. I was
startled anew by the girl saying “Hi” into my left ear
before the song starts.
Comparisons
At $139.99, the Questyle M12’s price falls between those of Audio- The AudioQuest’s volume control is poorly calibrated, ie, the
Quest’s DragonFly Black ($99.95) and DragonFly Red ($199.95). clipping voltage is lower than the maximum setting of the control,
I didn’t have a Black or a Red to hand, but I still had the sample of increasingly so as the headphone impedance drops. This wasn’t
the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt I reviewed in December 2019.4 an issue in actual use, as the highest setting of the volume control
The Cobalt retails for $299.95 and uses the ESS ES9038Q2M without waveform clipping was too loud for me to tolerate for
DAC chip in combination with an ESS Sabre9601 amplifier chip. long. By contrast, even with the low-impedance Audeze ’phones,
The Cobalt has been my go-to dongle ever since I wrote that the M12 at full volume didn’t have any problem with the high-
review. Like the Questyle, the AudioQuest is an MQA renderer, level, low-frequency organ notes in my 2014 recording of Jonas
but unlike the M12, it is limited to decoding PCM data with a
maximum sample rate of 96kHz, and it can’t convert DSD data. 4 See stereophile.com/content/audioquest-dragonfly-cobalt-usb-da-headphone-amplifier.
resenting a 1kHz tone at –90dBFS, dropped harmonic the highest in level at just –110dB (0.0001%).
the M12’s noisefloor by 6dB (fig.4). This (0.0003%). As I mentioned earlier, replac- The M12 offered excellent rejection of
suggests a resolution of 17 bits, not quite ing the 100k load with 30 ohms, the M12’s word-clock jitter. Fig.9 shows the spectrum
as good as the AudioQuest DragonFly output clipped. However, when I reduced of the M12’s output when it was fed high-
Cobalt’s 18 bits,3 but still respectable for the signal level by 3dB to 1.4V, the clipping level 16-bit J-Test data. All the odd-order
a USB bus-powered DAC. When I played vanished, and the distortion was as low as harmonics of the undithered low-frequency,
undithered data representing a tone at it had been with 100k ohms (fig.7). LSB-level squarewave lie at the correct
exactly –90.31dBFS, the waveform was The M12 offered virtually no intermodu- levels, and there are no other sideband
symmetrical, with a negligible DC offset, lation distortion when reproducing an equal pairs visible.
but the three DC voltage levels described mix of 19 and 20kHz tones at 0dBFS into Questyle’s M12 performed well on the
by the data were obscured by high-frequen- 100k ohms. Even when I reduced the load test bench, in particular offering vanishingly
cy noise (fig.5). impedance to 300 ohms, the difference low levels of both harmonic and intermodu-
The Questyle produced low levels of tone at 1kHz was absent (fig.8), and while it lation distortion.—John Atkinson
harmonic distortion with the high 100k ohm made an appearance at the same level into 3 See fig.4 at stereophile.com/content/audioquest-drag-
load, even at full level (fig.6), with the third 30 ohms (not shown), it lay at just –120dB onfly-cobalt-usb-da-headphone-amplifier-measurements.
d d d
B B B
r r r
A A A
Hz Hz Hz
Fig.7 Questyle M12, 24-bit data, spectrum of 50Hz sin- Fig.8 Questyle M12, 24-bit data, HF intermodulation Fig.9 Questyle M12, high-resolution jitter spectrum of
ewave, DC–1kHz, at –3dBFS into 30 ohms (left channel spectrum, DC–30kHz, 19+20kHz at 0dBFS into 300 analog output signal, 11.025kHz at –6dBFS, sampled
red; linear frequency scale). ohms, 44.1kHz data (left channel blue, right red; linear at 44.1kHz with LSB toggled at 229Hz: 16-bit USB data
frequency scale). sourced from MacBook Pro (left channel blue, right red).
Center frequency of trace, 11.025kHz; frequency range,
±3.5kHz.

QUESTYLE AUDIO M12
Nordwall’s performance of Widor’s Organ Symphony No.5

(24/88.2 ALAC file).5 ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
I mentioned earlier that the Marc Copland recording was the
first multitrack digital recording I had made. The second was of the Sources Roon Nucleus+ server, Mac mini running Roon 1.8,
Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, augmented by violinist Daniel MacBook Pro running Pure Music and Adobe Audition, iPad mini,
Phillips of the Orion String Quartet and Robert Rinehart on viola, iPhone 11.
performing that English chamber music masterwork, Elgar’s Piano Headphones Audeze LCD-X, AudioQuest NightHawk,
Quintet, at the 1998 Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. As I wrote Sennheiser HD 650.
in the booklet for the CD release,6 I wasn’t allowed to turn off the Cables Headphones: manufacturer’s own with AudioQuests and
venue’s air conditioning, so I close-miked all the instruments as Sennheisers; Nordost Heimdall with Audezes. AC: manufactur-
well as using my usual distant-spaced pair of omnis. ers’ own.
Although I had used as much as I could of the distant omnis in Accessories AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ, AudioQuest Niagara
the mix to endow the sound with enough of the lush balance that I 1000 Low-Z Power/Noise-Dissipation System.—John Atkinson
felt appropriate, listening to the 16/44.1 files on the M12 made me
wish I could have used a touch more. The clarity was impressive,
however, and the positioning of the instruments was precisely as I the M12, as the app can’t “see” the Questyle DAC.
had intended. Playing the same files with the DragonFly Cobalt, Out of curiosity, I selected an MQA-encoded file of one of my
matching the levels as closely as I could by ear, the instrumental recordings that I had in my DropBox folder and pressed “Play.” It
images sounded a touch more palpable—if it is appropriate to did play, but as the M12 can’t perform the first unfold of the data,
describe things that appear to be positioned inside one’s head as the data LED glowed green, not magenta.
“palpable.” However, the Pat Martino album sounded a little too Rather than playing another of my own recordings, I then
mellow with the AudioQuest DragonFly. streamed YouTube videos, first from Acapella World, then from
Stereo Classics, of the isolated vocals from Queen’s “Bohemian
Enter the FMJ Rhapsody.” With the M12 and LCD-Xes, the clarity with which
A few weeks before I received the review sample of the M12, I could hear each of the singers supporting Freddie Mercury’s
AudioQuest sent me their new JitterBug FMJ. The FMJ ($69.95) impassioned lead vocal was impressive. I could even readily hear
performs the same USB noise filtering as the original JitterBug some mains hum accompanying Brian May’s first guitar solo on
but replaces the original plastic housing with aluminum. When I the Acapella World version.
reviewed the original JitterBug in September 2015,7 I couldn’t find Having auditioned the M12 with my iPad mini, I tried using it
any significant measured effect that the JitterBug had on the analog with my iPhone 11. Unfortunately, the cable combination that had
signals output by the three D/A processors I had to hand. Yet I been successful with the iPad mini didn’t work, even after I blew
heard an improvement in sound quality that I had to attribute to high-pressure air into the phone’s Lightning port. I bought a new,
the JitterBug. “I hate when that happens,” I wrote, but I have used OTG-compatible USB-C/USB-A–Lightning adapter cable. (As
a JitterBug ever since with DACs that have a USB input. always, the Amazon driver left the package in front of the sign fac-
The FMJ’s case is slightly too thick for it to be plugged into ing the street that says “Do not leave packages here.”) That did the
one of the vertical USB ports on my Mac mini, next to the one trick. I clicked on a copy of David Crosby’s demo of “Guinnevere”
in which I had plugged Questyle’s USB adapter cable. I therefore (24/44.1, 320kbps AAC) that I had uploaded to DropBox because
plugged an extender USB cable into the Mac mini, the FMJ into I wanted Sasha Matson to hear Jack Casady’s superbly inventive
the extender cable, the M12’s USB adapter cable into the FMJ, and bass guitar work. Even with the lossy compression, the M12’s
the Audeze LCD-X headphones into the M12. low-frequency transparency driving the LCD-Xes served Casady’s
With the JitterBug FMJ, the M12’s presentation took on a tad instrument well, and when he struck a low note, the bass sound
more transparency coupled with a touch more ease to its sound. impressively “phat.”
My Elgar recording sounded closer to what I had experienced with I did wonder if the relatively limited capacity of the iPhone’s
the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt, for example. And before the battery would be current-limiting, given the M12’s demand for
objectivists among the magazine’s readers demand that my license current with the low-impedance Audeze LCD-X cans. I therefore
to review audio components be rescinded, both Kal Rubinson and finished my auditioning of the M12 with my iPhone with the
Jon Iverson, neither of whom is a dyed-in-the-wool subjectivist, Widor organ torture track and the iPhone’s volume control set to
reported hearing similar improvements with the original Jitter- its maximum—the massive sounds of the organ’s 16' pipes at the
Bug and their reference DACs. (See their addenda to the website work’s coda had me shaking in my seat. Well, almost.8
reprint of my review.)
Conclusions
With iOS devices Questyle’s M12 dongle—still hate that word—is an impressive-
My iPad mini didn’t recognize the M12 with a generic USB-C– sounding portable USB DAC/headphone amplifier. Its transpar-
Lightning adapter cable that I had to hand. I replaced it with Que- ency, coupled with the ability to control the low frequencies with
style’s USB-C–USB-A cable plugged into a 2015-vintage Light- low-impedance headphones, is impressive for such a relatively low-
ning–USB-A camera connector cable that I found in my camera priced device. Add to that the fact that it can handle hi-rez PCM
bag. The combination was unwieldy, but it worked. The iPad and DSD files, and the M12 is an easy recommendation. Q
reported that it had found a USB accessory and I was able to send
music to the M12 with the iTunes and Roon apps, with YouTube 5 Readers are welcome to download this track from https://tinyurl.com/y4qdnjuz.
videos streamed with Safari, and from audio files streamed from 6 See stereophile.com/features/134/index.html.
my DropBox folder with the DropBox iOS app. 7 See stereophile.com/content/audioquest-jitterbug-usb-noise-filter.
With the DropBox and iTunes apps, volume can be adjusted 8 When playing audio sampled at 2Fs and higher from DropBox with an iOS device, the
data appear to be downsampled to 44.1kHz. Playing 24/192 files on my iPad with Roon,
with the device’s control. However, the Roon app appears to con- the M12 was fed the 24/192 data, while DSD128 data was transcoded by Roon to 24-bit
trol playback volume with the iPad’s volume control, not that of PCM sampled at 352.8kHz.

A SECOND IMPRESSION
FOLLOW-UP BY JOHN ATKINSON
THIS ISSUE : John Atkinson measures the darTZ-

eel NHB-18NS v.2014 preamplifier.
DARTZEEL NHB-18NS MK.2 PREAMPLIFIER inferred from the performance of its con-
After Michael Fremer reviewed the darTZeel NHB-18NS full-function preamplifier in ventional, unbalanced operation.
the June 2006 issue of Stereophile,1 he bought the review sample. He subsequently replaced The NHB-18NS Mk.2 uses a battery-
it with the NHB-18NS Mk.2, which he wrote about in June 2017.2 It has been his refer- based power supply. I ensured that the
ence preamplifier ever since. battery was fully charged before starting
Although I performed a complete set of measurements on the original NHB-18NS, I the measurements. Looking first at the
never did so on the newer version, officially known as v.2014. As darTZeel had sent a new line inputs, the maximum gain without
sample along with the NHB-108 Model Two power amplifier that Jason Victor Serinus the switchable 6dB input attenuation was
will review in a forthcoming issue, I took advantage of this opportunity to do so. 11.63dB for balanced inputs measured at
I examined the darTZeel

NHB-18NS v.2014’s measured
performance with my Audio
Precision 2722 system,3 repeat-
ing some of the tests with the
magazine’s higher-performance
Audio Precision APx500. As I
do not have test gear with the
50 ohm impedances necessary
to test darTZeel’s proprietary
impedance-matched Zeel input
and darT output connections,
I tested the preamplifier’s con-
ventional balanced and unbalanced line
inputs and outputs. The preamp’s behavior
using the proprietary connections can be
the balanced outputs. From the unbal-

anced inputs, the gain was 5.4dB at the
balanced outputs and 10.65dB at the
d d
unbalanced outputs. The “unity gain” set-
B B ting of the volume control gave a gain of
r r
0.27dB, left channel, and 0.1dB, right chan-
A A
nel for balanced operation and –0.56dB
and –0.75dB, respectively, for unbalanced
operation. (These differences were too
small to be compensated for with the bal-
Hz Hz
ance control.)
The major difference between the
Fig.1 darTZeel NHB-18NS Mk.2, unbalanced input/output, Fig.2 darTZeel NHB-18NS Mk.2, balanced input/output, original NHB-18NS and the Mk.2 was the
frequency response with volume control set to unity gain spectrum of 1kHz sinewave, DC–1kHz, at 2V into 100k
at 1V into 100k ohms (left channel blue, right red) and ohms (left channel blue, right red) (linear frequency replacement of the transformer-coupled
600 ohms (left cyan, right magenta) (1dB/vertical div.). scale). balanced inputs and outputs with a direct-
coupled topology. With the balanced
input impedance set to normal mode, the
input impedance was 18.8k ohms across
the audioband. In “Pro” mode, which was
the only balanced input option with the
original NHB-18NS, it was an extremely
% %
low 640 ohms. The unbalanced input
impedance was 22k ohms at 20Hz and
1kHz, dropping to a still-high 13k ohms at
20kHz. The balanced output impedance
1 See stereophile.com/solidpreamps/607dart/index.html.
V V 2 See stereophile.com/content/dartzeel-nhb-18ns-pream-
plifier-mk2-june-2017.
Fig.3 darTZeel NHB-18NS Mk.2, balanced input/output, Fig.4 darTZeel NHB-18NS Mk.2, unbalanced input/out- 3 See stereophile.com/content/measurements-maps-
distortion (%) vs 1kHz output level into 100k ohms. put, distortion (%) vs 1kHz output level into 100k ohms. precision.

FOLLOW-UP
was usefully much lower than the original balanced output. This rise was smaller in a peculiar rise in the noisefloor between
version’s, at 199 ohms from 20Hz to unbalanced operation, but I doubt that it 5kHz and 8kHz. I have no idea what
20kHz. The unbalanced output impedance would have any subjective consequences in causes this behavior or what subjective
was a low 153 ohms, again from 120Hz to either mode. consequences it might have, but it can also
20kHz. The output impedance at the Rec As with the original preamplifier, the be seen in the spectrum of the darTZeel’s
Out jacks was even lower, at 79 ohms. distortion is predominantly the benign output with an equal mix of 19kHz and
The frequency response from the unbal- second harmonic. This peak lay at –86dB 20kHz tones (fig.8). The actual intermod-
anced inputs to the unbalanced outputs (0.005%) for balanced operation (fig.6) ulation products, though, are well down in
was perfectly flat within the audioband, and –80dB for unbalanced operation (not level: The difference component at 1kHz
with the ultrasonic output down 1.5dB at shown). When I repeated the spectral lies at –86dB (0.005%), and the higher-
200kHz (fig.1). The frequency response analysis at a lower output level using the order products are even lower in level.
measured at the balanced outputs with the APx500 analyzer, the distortion harmonics Toggle switches next to the phono input
balanced inputs was also flat in the audio- were even lower in level (fig.7). However, jacks allow the gain to be varied from
band but was now down by just 0.1dB at as with the 2006 measurements, there was 57dB to 72dB and the input impedance
200kHz (not shown). Both the frequency
response and the channel matching with
both types of inputs and outputs were pre-
served at all settings of the volume control.
Both types of input and output preserved d
absolute polarity, which indicates that the %
B
r
XLR jacks are wired with pin 2 hot.
A
Channel separation (not shown) was su-
perb below 2kHz at >110dB for balanced
operation, >100dB for unbalanced opera-
tion, and a still excellent 92dB and 80dB,
respectively, at 20kHz. The wideband, W Hz
unweighted S/N ratio, ref. 1V output and
taken with the unbalanced input shorted Fig.5 darTZeel NHB-18NS Mk.2, balanced input/output, Fig.6 darTZeel NHB-18NS Mk.2, balanced input/output,
THD+N (%) vs frequency at 2V into 100k ohms (left spectrum of 50Hz sinewave, DC–1kHz, at 2V into 100k
and the volume control set to its maxi- channel blue, right red) and 600 ohms (left cyan, right ohms (linear frequency scale).
mum, was a good 72.2dB (average of both magenta).
channels). Switching in an A-weighting
filter gave a slight improvement, to 80dB.
The low-frequency spectrum of the
darTZeel’s balanced noisefloor with the
volume control set to its maximum was
d
free from power supply–related spuriae B
(fig.2), though the level of the random
Level (dBrA)
noise components is around 20dB higher A
than that of the Topping Pre90 preampli-

fier that is reviewed elsewhere in this issue.
Fig.3 plots the percentage of
THD+noise in the NHB-18NS Mk.2’s
Hz
balanced output against output voltage
into 100k ohms. The trace’s upward slope Frequency in Hz
Fig.8 darTZeel NHB-18NS Mk.2, unbalanced input/out-
with decreasing frequency below 2V put, HF intermodulation spectrum, DC–30kHz, 19+20kHz
Fig.7 darTZeel NHB-18NS Mk.2, balanced input/output,
indicates that the distortion components spectrum of 1kHz sinewave, DC–10kHz, at 1V into 200k at 2V peak into 100k ohms (left channel blue, right red)
are buried beneath the noisefloor. The true ohms (linear frequency scale). (linear frequency scale).
distortion begins to rise gently above 3V
but remains low up to the actual clipping
point, which is just above 10V into this
high impedance and still 7.5V into 600
ohms (not shown). The unbalanced output d
Level (dBrA)
clipped at 5.5V into 100k ohms (fig.4) and B

r
3.4V into 600 ohms (not shown). These A
levels are well above what will be required
to drive a power amplifier into clipping.
The balanced output’s THD+N per-
centage against frequency at 2V into 100k
ohms (fig.5, blue and red traces) was con-
Hz
sistent across the audioband. However, into
600 ohms (cyan and magenta traces), there Fig.9 darTZeel NHB-18NS Mk.2, phono input, RIAA error, Frequency in Hz
was a peculiar rise in the THD+N cen- measured at the Tape Out jacks with Neumann 4th pole
EQ off and Subsonic filter on (left channel blue, right red) Fig.10 darTZeel NHB-18NS Mk.2, phono input, spectrum
tered at 3.5kHz, which was very similar and Neumann 4th pole EQ on and Subsonic filter off (left of 1kHz sinewave, DC–10kHz, at 1V into 200k ohms,
to what I found with the original version’s green, right gray) (1dB/vertical div.). measured at the Tape Out jacks (linear frequency scale).

FOLLOW-UP
–6dB at 10Hz.
The phono input’s channel separa-
tion was very good, any crosstalk lying
below the noisefloor, and even with
the high gain, this input was very
quiet. The wideband, unweighted
signal/noise ratio (ref. 500μV input at
1kHz and measured at the Tape Out
jacks) measured a superb 74.3dB. This
improved to 75dB when the measure-
ment was restricted to the audioband,
and to 83.6dB when A-weighted.
The NHB-18NS Mk.2’s phono-
stage overload margin was good, at
to be varied from 43 ohms to 300 ohms. rationale behind this is to compensate for 14dB across the audioband (ref. 500μV in-
As supplied for review, the phono input the fact that the gain of the record-cutting put at 1kHz), but will increase as the gain
had a maximum gain of 71.3dB measured head doesn’t rise indefinitely but starts to is reduced. Harmonic distortion was very
at both the preamp’s main output and the flatten out beyond 50kHz.4) In the original low, with the second harmonic the highest
unbalanced Rec Out jack. Set to 150 ohms, measurements sidebar, I wrote that I in level at –83dB (0.007%) and the third
the input impedance was 150 ohms across wished that this was a switchable option, harmonic a little lower in level (fig.10).
the audioband. Both the gain and imped- for reasons I discussed. The Mk.2 pream- With an equal mix of 19kHz and 20kHz
ance ranges are appropriate for low-output plifier grants my wish. tones at a level 7.5dB below overload, the
moving coil cartridges. Without the Neumann EQ (fig.9, blue second-order difference component lay at
The rear-panel switches also allow for and red traces above 80Hz), the Mk.2’s –50dB, or 0.3%.
the activation of a subsonic filter and a RIAA error is minimal and much lower In almost all respects, the NHB-18NS
choice of conventional RIAA equalization than that of the original NHB-18NS. Mk.2’s measured performance was better
or so-called Neumann 4th pole equaliza- With the Neumann EQ (green and than that of its predecessor, though the line
tion. The latter choice features an addi- gray traces), the response rises above the inputs still have a higher level of random
tional filter time constant of 3.18μs, which audioband, reaching +7dB at 100kHz. The noise than I was expecting. —John Atkinson Q
prevents the RIAA rolloff from continuing subsonic filter (blue and red traces below 4 See stereophile.com/content/cut-and-thrust-riaa-lp-
indefinitely with rising frequency. (The 80Hz) rolls off the low bass, reaching equalization-neumann-4th-pole-sic.
Brinkmann Audio Taurus

Perfectionist Direct Drive
Photo © MichaelRasche.com 2022
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“ MUSIC WAS
MINE TO
EXPERIENCE.”
BY ROGIER VAN BAKEL
FOR ALL ITS GHASTLINESS
and heartbreak, the COVID-19
pandemic has been good to
Keb’ Mo’. When the virus hit
the US, it forced the cancelation
of a string of his concerts. “I was
getting a little burned out on
touring,” he confesses.
In the subsequent months,
he happily spent a good deal of
time at home with his wife and
their 14-year-old son. When
his creativity needed an outlet,
along came an offer from CBS
to write and record the theme
song and musical cues for a new
comedy show, B Positive. And
after the pandemic peaked, he
told me, “I did some concerts,
got a little gig-playing money. It
was fine, really.”
PHOTO: JEREMY COWERT

KEB’ MO’
Mind-Blowing
Sound… from
a Phone!
Most of all, the pandemic hiatus was an “When you’re down to your last 14 dollars,
opportunity to write and record Good to that’s when you gotta get a job. I learned
Be …, his latest studio album, scheduled that to get through life, you need a roof
for release January 21. Full of cozy blues and a phone. A roof to keep the weather “Mind-blowing...
grooves coated in a mellifluous pop-wise off you, and a phone to receive calls in case
sound, it’s a safe yet sophisticated record. somebody wants to work with you.” The sound quality is
Its 13 tracks draw you in and make you
smile. Standouts include “Medicine Man,” Keb’ Mo’ freaking ridiculous.”
a country-blues stomper that, despite the Since 1994, when Sony released the —Jonathan Morrison, YouTube
40-beats-per-minute tempo, will quickly superb, self-titled delta-blues record that
put you in a party mood, and the bouncy catapulted Keb’ Mo’ into the good graces
“So Easy,” in which a Hammond organ, of a growing audience, his phone has rung As streaming services finally
punchy horns, and exuberant vocals com- often, with offers of concerts, TV appear- make high-resolution music
bine to sound as Pharrell Williams might ances, and musical collaborations. Keb’ Mo’
if he recorded Philly soul. No obvious new put him on course to release a dozen more readily available, many more
ground is broken, and that’s okay: In a well-received studio records, gain an inter- people want to know how to
time when nerves are frayed and tempers national audience, and win five Grammys. get the best possible sound
are short, I’ll take solid and soothing any It wasn’t his first solo effort; Rainmaker,
day. from 1980, was his real debut, released from their phones.
Speaking by Zoom from his home- under his real name: Kevin Moore. It sank
based Nashville recording studio, Keb’ like a stone, and Moore acknowledged that It’s a great question. Fortunately,
Mo’ looks the part, too: trim, energetic, and it deserved few accolades. Consisting of AudioQuest has three outstanding
much younger than his 70 years. What’s eight fairly middling tracks of pop confec-
his secret, I ask—does he inject himself tion, it seems to be aiming for a slicked-up answers. DragonFlys Black, Red,
with the blood of virgins? Eagles/Donald Fagen sound. He rarely and Cobalt play all music files—
“I got good lighting today!” he quipped sounds soulful or confident on the album.
back. “Honestly, I go to the gym several Only the affecting “Anybody Seen My
from MP3 to MQA and high-res—
times a week, and I have a trainer, and I Girl” stood out; Moore dusted it off and and work with the devices most
eat good. I cut out sugar about six months rerecorded it for his sophomore album. people already own, iPhones and
ago, and I don’t take pharmaceuticals.” “Rainmaker went nowhere because I’d
Half a lifetime of economic struggles started listening to people around me Androids alike.
stoked his attachment to good health. “I rather than to myself,” he said. “Also, I had
had a whole bunch of low-paying jobs, some serious vocal trouble and needed Whether streaming from Apple
which meant I couldn’t get sick because I an operation. You can hear how weak my or Amazon, Tidal or Qobuz,
had no health insurance. So I ate my fiber, voice was. It took me 10 years to get over
and I exercised, ’cause I didn’t want to the fact that that record failed. It hurt me Spotify or Deezer or YouTube…
die.” so bad.” AudioQuest’s DragonFly DACs
“I was a messenger, a janitor, a handy- Those 10 years, though, awakened the
man,” he recalled. “I delivered airline tick- bluesman in him. “I was living in Los
deliver naturally beautiful
ets. Worked in a flower shop.” He invokes Angeles, and I got a call from a local friend sound, unraveling the emotional
bluesman Paul deLay’s song “14 Dollars [jazz guitarist Spencer Bean] who was expression and nuance that
in the Bank,” and sings the signature line going to Atlanta for a couple of weeks. He
for me: had this steady gig in the house band at makes music and movies so
14 dollars in the bank, Marla’s Memory Lane in L.A., a jazz and enjoyable.
1500 worth of unpaid bills. blues joint, and asked me to sit in for him
Then he burst into laughter—which he while he was gone. So I covered him for
often did during the two hours we talked. the two weeks. Well, he never came back,
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KEB’ MO’
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so that got to be my gig, playing night after “PEOPLE THINK OF Roy Gregory found in his recent
night with Charlie Tuna.” That’s guitarist IT AS THREE CHORDS, review for TheAudioBeat.com:
Charles “Tuna” Dennis, who became B.B. AS A PATTERN. BUT
King’s sideman in the early 2000s. IT’S A FEELING.” “They can penetrate right to the
The gig at Marla’s was “the gift that kept
on giving,” he said. “Soon, I had Texas and heart of a recording, revealing
Chicago in my ear, all these styles, ’cause ing works by Bach. “I started seeing the both the fact of the performance
we were backing everybody: Pee Wee correlation between these classical pieces and its meaning, preserving both
Crayton, Albert Collins, Merry Clayton, and what I was doing in jazz and blues. its sense and sensibilities.”
Billy Preston, Big Joe Turner. I couldn’t Aeolian and Mixolydian modes, harmonic
believe it. I got to actually play with all of minor, melodic minor, all of that. So I got
them.” this real mix of information that not many Please plan ahead
All through the ’80s, as the blues seri- people had. And that all played into what We regret that there just aren’t as
ously beckoned, Moore broadened his happened next.”
many Lyra cartridges as there are
horizons, studying music at Hollywood’s He means recording his breakout album,
Guitar Institute of Technology, learning which won the W.C. Handy Award for the vinyl enthusiasts ready to fall in love
about harmony, sitting in with jazzmen. year’s best country/acoustic blues album. with them. But, on behalf of Stig,
“I wasn’t much of a guitar player, and not Moore says he was shocked by the success Jonathan, and Mishima, we promise
much of a singer either, so I’d take my that followed, but he felt he was ready. that they are well worth the wait.
money from my flower shop job and get “When I got signed to Sony and made
some vocal lessons and guitar lessons,” he the Keb’ Mo’ record, I was 41 years old, and
recalled. I had studied enough. I’d played the clubs,
He also analyzed classical music, includ- I had got enough formal education, I knew

KEB’ MO’
the street, I knew about

being broke. All of that gave
me all the energy I needed,
and all the information to
succeed. Nothing went
unused.”
The album, which estab-
lished him as a major coun-
try-blues artist, is a triumph.
There’s a clear connection
to the delta-blues tradition,
but he doesn’t copy anyone,
and he expands the scope
of the genre. In his hands,
the blues seemed refreshed,
even surprising — no mean
feat in a genre that, for all
the beauty it spawned, is
known for three-chord
laments and a guitar-case–
ful of musical and lyrical
clichés.
Purists need not apply

A central contradiction
in Moore’s work is that
although he’s a bluesman, it
was never his thing to dwell
on pain and gloom. There’s
a persistent sunniness about
his music that belies song
titles like “The Worst Is Yet
to Come” and “Somebody
Hurt You.” When Moore sings “Perpetual concerned with offering a nice, smooth,
Blues Machine,” about a deceitful lover, bluesy pop that was perfect for the House
he sounds peppy and ebullient—less of Blues, not for a seedy roadhouse.” Is
Howlin’ Wolf than Stevie Wonder (whose that a fair thing to say?
“Isn’t She Lovely” he covered on his aptly He manages a smile: “I’ll take that.” But
named album Big Wide Grin from 2001). then it’s clear that he’s stung and wants to
Mo’s fealty to unadulterated country sting back.
blues lasted all of one album, which upset “Let me guess—that was a white guy!”
purists. On 1996’s Just Like You, pop influ- A little bewildered by the foray into
ences drifted into the work, and by the race, I confessed I didn’t know.1
time he made The Door in 2000, it was “I could give a flying fuck about what
clear that he had full-on embraced a lov- critics say,” he blasted. “Critic dudes don’t
ingly stirred amalgam of Americana styles know shit, only how to critique stuff.
in which the blues was but one of several That’s just people making noise to make a
ingredients. little money. I don’t listen to them. If I lis-
Keb’ Mo’ is one of the few artists whose tened to those people, I’d be boring myself
music can be called adult-contemporary to tears trying to please them.”
without insult—demonstrating that the Moore, who was a Buddhist for 15
label need not be a proxy for unimagina- years, quickly regained his sanguinity.
tive, middle-of-the-road pap. Moore is, to “It’s hard to argue with success,” he said,
me, masterful and still the real deal—but if smiling again. “Okay, I’m not crazy about
you require your blues steeped in rawness ‘Baby Shark’ (an earworm of a children’s
and pain, I can see that it makes some dog- song by Korea’s Pinkfong that racked up
matists crazy that he’s covered both Robert a record-breaking seven billion views on
Johnson’s “Come on in My Kitchen” and YouTube), but in general when something
the Eagles’ “One of These Nights”; both is successful, I go, ‘Hey, that did something,
Donny Hathaway’s “Someday We’ll All what happened there.’ There’s a story
PHOTO: DIREKTOR GAYLE
Be Free” and Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow that Quincy Jones once walked across the
Taxi.” I read him a quote from All Music A&M lot with a Peter Frampton record
Guide: “Authenticity was not a concept 1 The answer, for what it’s worth, is yes. See allmusic.
that troubled Keb’ Mo’. He was more com/album/slow-down-mw0000600608.

KEB’ MO’
under his arm. Someone came up to him reading self-help books. He credits the
and said, ‘Quincy, what are you doing? tomes with his generally jovial and
What’s the Frampton album for?’ And optimistic disposition. “Metaphysics,
Quincy said, ‘He just sold 14 million re- consciousness, how the mind works.
cords, you’d better go get you a copy too!’” Deepak Chopra, and Gary Zukav, and
Not that Moore is desperately trying to Don Miguel Ruiz. … I kept reading those
force huge commercial success. But he’s books over and over, to undo the negative
bullish by choice. thinking surrounding me. I believe that
“It seems to me that when I’m having helped me ward off any excuse for failure,
my most positive thoughts, the best things or anything where I would feel like
happen to me. That has nothing to do with someone’s against me. Even if I’m the
what anybody thinks of me or doesn’t stupidest guy on the planet, anything that
think of me. If I need something, you can’t anybody thinks of me has nothing to do
keep it from me. If something is mine, you with what I can do in my life. I don’t give
can’t take it from me. And if it’s not mine, my power away like that.”
I won’t be able to keep my hands on it. Sounds like he’s got his mojo workin’.
But it’ll keep coming, just keep coming to Circling back to his minirant about
me, like music kept coming to me. Music critics, he turns conciliatory—sort of. “I
was mine to experience.” like a guy who speaks his mind like that.
Reminds me that one day, after I’d moved
Metaphysics and consciousness to Nashville, they offered me a decent fee
Since his early 20s, Moore says, he’s been to play at a Fourth of July celebration, and

KEB’ MO’
I said sure. Then a journalist from a local It’s like a Dylan or a Springsteen voice, or
paper asked me, ‘What does the Fourth a Gil Scott-Heron voice. It’s not a Michael
of July mean to you?’ I said, ‘Don’t mean
nothin’ to me; it’s just a day off to get
some barbecue. I didn’t get my indepen-
Bublé voice. It’s just a guy singing, and I’m
comfortable with that.”
Sometimes, he has found, a great singer
Cadenza
dence on that day.’ And they put it in the
paper. ‘Keb’ Mo’: The Fourth of July means
nothing to him.’ Which was accurate. Why
can be tiring. “Because it’s all these big
moments all the time, and big high notes,
so the singing becomes the thing, rather
Red
should I celebrate that day? People are than the songs.”
happy about their independence, but back Moving Coil Cartridge
when they got it, black people were still in That guttural moan
chains, picking cotton, getting their asses Does he feel that the blues is still mallea-
whupped. I love America, don’t get me ble enough today that it can be shaped into
wrong. It’s the best place for me. But I’m something new and exciting? No question.
not gonna mince words.” “People think of it as three chords, as a
Barbs like that are more common from pattern. But it’s a feeling. When you listen
Moore than people who accuse him of We Need To Talk About Kevin: An animated Keb’ Mo’
blandness may realize. Notwithstanding during our Zoom interview.
songs like “God Trying to Get Your At-
tention” and the gospel-tinged “Hand It to Robert Johnson, Reverend Gary Davis,
Over,” he’s no longer a Christian, and he Elizabeth Cotten, all those people who
doesn’t mind rattling Christ followers from after working all day sat down and played
time to time. A few years ago, he released the guitar—it’s that feeling that makes
a satirical song and video titled Christmas Is it like that. Like the way Robben Ford
Annoying, complete with ugly sweaters and does ‘Ain’t Got Nothin’ But the Blues,’
a Jesus figurine that Moore lifts mock- and when Johnnie Taylor sings ‘Last Two
ingly to the heavens. In “Stand Up,” a song Dollars.’ … When you hear Son House
about taking action against injustice, he singing ‘Death Letter’ and Howlin’ Wolf
sings “Don’t wait for Jesus, he ain’t coming doing ‘How Many More Years,’ … it’s a
back no more.” thing, man. There’s a moan that came out
“That line went over like a lead balloon,” of slavery, that came out of the cotton
he says. “But come on, how long has it fields, that came out of the ships coming
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musical debt to his upbringing in the even have to say words. You just go (half-
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Baptist Church. “The voices there were moans, half-hums a doleful, wordless blues
just marvelous. Nothing but great singers. tune), people know exactly what you’re
I have what they call a voice of the people. talking about.”

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KEB’ MO’
But, looking ahead, can the genre still tions in the hallway, about how they’re with artists like Sting, Steely Dan, Foo
be innovated? Reinvented? recording things, where they’re putting the Fighters, Beck, and Paul Simon. “It never
“Sure! Taj Mahal, when he was coming mikes. Over time, I learned how to voice lies,” Moore said of his Acura setup. He
up, people told him they didn’t think instruments, so they don’t bump into each bought the car because of it. “When you
the blues would last, that there was no other in the mix.” make music, you want it to ride good in
future in it. But he kept it going practically He insists that the sound mix starts the the car,” he laughed. “I like the rumble of
single-handedly—and he was innovative moment you hit the record button. “Now, the road. It makes some instruments sound
at the same time. Just when you think a lot of artists will just jump in, get every- so fine. For instance, a Hammond organ is
that the blues is going away, here comes thing down, ‘We’ll mix it later.’ No, get it great in a car.”
Jontavious Willis, and Kingfish”—he’s talk- now. Record it right the first time, because We were about to hit the two-hour
ing about blues-guitar phenom Christone otherwise you’re going to be chasing your mark of the interview when talk turned
“Kingfish” Ingram—“and Gary Clark tail. Who knows how long you’ll be trying once more to his midlife career restart.
Junior. And Larkin Poe. The Fantastic to get it to sound good.” “People say, ‘It was a turning point,
Negrito. The spirit of the blues, it always how did you do it?’ Well, I walked a little
grabs somebody.” You’re standing on it ways, and I caught a bus a little ways, and
Moore is not one to rave about the I rode a mule a little ways, and I racked
Get it now virtues of high-end audio. “When you up a lot of road miles. Every step was an
Moore’s own creativity and innovation lies listen to old scratchy records, you don’t experience, and every experience was a
partly in how he makes his albums sound. need a really fancy stereo,” he chortled. step. After a while, like now, I can see the
Frequently, there’s an unusual-sounding Nonetheless, he loves his Adams Audio progression of life, how things panned out.
instrument in his lush, airy mixes. “I S3X-H studio speakers, powered midfield Somehow everything was just perfectly
bought a little amplifier last week that monitors that cost a cool $8000 a pair. For arranged, all the way up to today.”
sounds like crap. It has this kind of bark headphone listening, he prefers “those That’s why his favorite movie is The
to it that sounds different and interesting. Bose lockout ’phones”—noise-canceling Wizard of Oz, he told me. “Because when
I know I’ll use it at some point. Every ones. “They just broke on me. I’ll probably the question is, how do you get to Emerald
record I make, I try to subtly move into get another pair.” City, the good witch says, ‘Follow the
a sonic atmosphere that’s a little different But the audio gear that takes him deep- yellow brick road.’ And where do you find
than before.” est into music is the Elliot Scheiner–de- that road? ‘You’re standing on it,’ she says.
For each recording, Moore selects the signed system in his Acura RLX.2 Scheiner You’re standing on it! You know?” Q
instruments he needs from a large locker is the celebrated engineer and producer
in his home studio. “I’ll pull down some who collected eight Grammys for his work 2 See acura.com/els-studio.
things. It’s like picking clothes: I’ll get
that shirt, those pants. So, I get that guitar,
and that other one, and that mandolin. … WE RESTORE RECORDS! HEAR & FEEL IT!
Those will be the core instruments I make
my record with. A few years ago, I bought
an octave mandolin, and that became the
main instrument I use on the music for B
Positive, the TV show. They always want
a unique sound. I was just sitting around
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Now it’s finally got its use.”
I asked how come most of his albums The Kirmuss process changes the charge of the record temporarily
sound so good, with well-defined spaces to become opposite to that of the water used, where the result of
for each instrument and a lack of exces-
cavitation is attracted to the grooves removing the release agent
and micro-welded dust that account for less detail and many pops.
sive effects and compression. He laughed,
because it all started with a remarkably
lo-fi tool. BEFORE AFTER
“Most of what I know about recording
I learned on a Tascam four-track cassette
machine. I went right to the manual, and
the first thing it talked about was the
importance of mike placement. And while
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you were recording instrument tracks, you
had to EQ carefully—all you had was one
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LQVWUXPHQWDOWLPEUHÁndre Jennings, The Absolute Sound, March 2020
treble and one bass control—and see how
much room you had to scoop out to get
the vocal to sit on top. A while later, when
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Michael Fremer, Stereophile, July 2019
I was a songwriter and demo producer at
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who really knew what they were doing.
Supertramp came in to record some of
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A MONTHLY SURVEY OF THE BEST NEW LP REISSUES
REVINYLIZATION BY FRED KAPLAN THIS ISSUE : Analogue Productions

has reissued two seminal Charles
Mingus albums in good sound.
Mingus
I
n the annals of jazz, Charles Mingus—bassist, pianist, composer, bandleader, unique, a balancing act that few attempted and
headstrong, and deeply influential in every category—occupies the transit point fewer mastered.
between Duke Ellington and the post-’60s avant-garde, a station he carved out Mingus died of Lou Gehrig’s disease
deliberately. He venerated Ellington—his sophisticated rhythms and tonal colors, but in 1979 at the age of 56. Throughout his
also his attention to melody, harmony, and structure—and went beyond him (careened short lifetime, he recruited and cultivated
down a different path) in expressing emotion, chaos, and anger; it’s these elements that the a cohort of creative musicians—only
avant-gardists took from him, while abandoning (to a degree that intrigued but also dis- Ellington, Art Blakey, and Miles Davis
comforted Mingus) Ellingtonian form. Critic Gary Giddins described Mingus as the “most rivaled him in spotting and develop-
persistently apocalyptic voice” in jazz—“the best example we have of disciplined turmoil.” ing talent—and kept them on (through
turbulent streaks) as long as he could. The
As part of its collaborative series with alto and baritone saxophones crooning musicians on these two albums include
Chad Kassem’s Analogue Productions, a duet while a tenor supplies overtones, reedmen Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, and
the Universal Music Group has released and drums cascading through tempos that Charlie Mariano (whose solos on Black
fine vinyl pressings of two classic Mingus clash, align, or moodily undulate with the Saint are shiveringly sensuous); trombon-
albums from the Impulse! Label: Mingus music. Mingus pushed his band mates into ist Britt Woodman; and two of his longest
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus and Black a style of group improvisation rooted in and most sympatico companions, pianist
Saint and the Sinner Lady. Both feature Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton Jaki Byard and drummer Dannie Rich-
11-piece bands, but oth- mond. Like Ellington, he
erwise they’re different: composed parts, or whole
Mingus Mingus consists of compositions, with
variants on six Mingus particular musicians in
compositions first played mind. This is one reason
on earlier albums (some- why Ellington or Mingus
times under different tribute bands, even when
titles) plus Mingus’s bass- they’re competent and
heavy cover of Ellington’s impassioned, fall short of
“Mood Indigo.” Black the real thing.
Saint consists entirely of The sound quality of
new compositions, which the original Impulse!
Mingus conceived as a LPs—engineered by Bob
seamless suite for ballet. Simpson, who recorded
Remarkably, all of Black several jazz albums for
Saint and two of the seven RCA as well—is vibrant,
tracks on Mingus Mingus were recorded on but also thoroughly modern More remarkable dynamic, and tonally
the same day (January 30, 1963). The rest
of Mingus Mingus was recorded the follow-
without being merely
derivative: He’d yell at solo- still, both albums true. A couple of caveats.
First, there isn’t a seam-
ing September. ists, when they reverted to are masterpieces. less soundstage; rather,
More remarkable still, both albums Charlie Parker riffs, “Stop the instruments seem
are masterpieces. Mingus regarded Black imitating Bird!” (though Mingus, too, was crowded into three spheres—one group
Saint, at the time and also when looking deeply influenced by Parker). Above all around the left speaker, one group in the
back later, as his best album, and I agree. else, this music swoons and swings. center, one group around the right speaker.
Like most of Mingus, these two albums Mingus leapt wild pirouettes off the Second, there’s a bit too much reverb.
are unsuitable for background music; shoulders he stood on (Morton, Ellington, These are qualms, not serious problems.
they demand—and, once you give in, Parker). Even now, six decades later, it The Analogue Productions reissues, mas-
rivet—your attention. Especially on Black remains novel—yet you can hear his influ- tered by Ryan K. Smith, come close to the
Saint, the movements flit back and forth ence in music everywhere. originals, though they seem less present,
between ballads and howls, classical and Mingus developed his styles through as if some of the transient peaks had been
blues, romance and melancholy, joy and the 1950s with small groups he dubbed smoothed over. This too is a small thing,
nightmarish anxiety. (This may be the only Jazz Workshops. He fused the styles and though. These LPs are livelier than previ-
jazz album with liner notes written by the expanded the ensembles in the ’60s, these ous reissues, vinyl or otherwise.
musician’s psychiatrist. They’re insight- two albums being his most raucous experi- These are vital, essential works, and the
ful notes, too.) Within these movements, ments. Later, he shifted to ensembles of sound quality is more than good enough.
the orchestrations are oddly sublime: varying size and personnel, always inno- Buy the original pressings if you can find
flute meshing with contrabass trombone, vating while staying true to the traditions, them; buy these if you can’t. Q

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A DEEP-DIVE INTO OVERLOOKED AND UNDERAPPRECIATED MUSIC
REDISCOVERIES BY KEN MICALLEF THIS ISSUE :Except for a limited-edition Mosaic release
of the classic Blue Note albums, Joe Henderson’s
catalog is hard to access in physical form.
Are you listening, record companies?
Joe Henderson: Blue Note and Beyond
C
alled “the phantom” by fellow musicians and dubbed the “bearded, goateed But couldn’t an audiophile reissue, in any
astronaut of the tenor sax” by a close friend, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, the medium, include bonus tracks left on the
enigmatic Joe Henderson recorded five albums for the Blue Note label that are studio floor?
uniformly regarded as jazz classics. Mosaic Records has gathered those records— 1973’s Multiple (Milestone M-9050), an
Page One, Our Thing, In ’n Out, Inner Urge, Mode for Joe—plus Henderson’s sideman dates album that fetches crazy prices online as
and alternate takes for Blue Note for a limited-edition, five-CD box set, The Complete Joe fans await a reissue, is another Henderson
Henderson Blue Note Studio Sessions (Mosaic Records MD5-271). high point, from DeJohnette’s simmering
“Bwaata” and the eerie vocals and organ
Henderson’s music on Blue Note is ce- Afterthought” is basically a drums-vs-tenor sighs of “Song for Sinners” to the funky
rebral but earthy; his dark, arid saxophone battle, and the reading of Jerome Moross’s Dave Holland vehicle “Turned Around.”
gusts soar with friendly ferocity. Such tranquil, lonely “Lazy Afternoon”—a Hen- Taking cues, apparently, from Bitches Brew
Henderson standards as “Blue Bossa,” derson landmark—is stunning. Soundwise, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago’s Bap-
“Recorda Me,” “Caribbean Fire Dance,” though, it’s a typical 1970s studio record- Tizum, Multiple is a timeless capsule of Joe
“Punjab,” and “A Shade of Jade” share the ing, lacking depth and space and thin and Henderson magic.
rare quality of sounding eternally fresh, splashy in the treble. Hoping for a hit, 1976’s Black Miracle
inner seams bristling with energy and In Pursuit of Blackness (Milestone MSP (Milestone M-9066) was tracked with
Henderson’s unique sonic logic. 9034) divvies up material recorded in the L.A. session players including drummer
Mastered from 24-bit transfers from studio and at The Lighthouse in Hermosa Harvey Mason and guitarist Lee Riten-
Rudy Van Gelder’s original tapes, the discs Beach, California. It’s a hard-driving set, our. It includes covers of Stevie Wonder’s
all sound clear, rich, and dynamic, and the with drummer Lenny White and bassist “My Cherie Amour” and Dawilli Gonga’s
box is still available. Grab yours (George Duke’s) Zappa-friendly
while you can, though: It’s a fusion “Old Slippers.” It’s almost
limited edition, and if you want a CTI tribute—bold horn lines
a physical copy of this music (as challenge chunky guitar in
opposed to streaming), it’s hard to dense arrangements—but Joe’s
find elsewhere. Are you listening, horn holds court; his miraculous
Blue Note? tenor tempest is the main at-
1968 marked the end of traction. It’s now the mid-1970s,
Henderson’s contract with Blue and the sound is rich and flat—
Note—regrettable, since his music fit well “Stan” Clarke fueling potent solos by Hen- almost greasy.
there—but his career lasted decades longer. derson, trumpeter Woody Shaw, and key- 1981’s Relaxin’ at Camarillo (Contem-
His subsequent recordings for Milestone, boardist George Cables. The Henderson porary Records 14006)—the title echoes
Red, Enja, Contemporary, and MPS reveal samba standard “No Me Esqueca” is joined Charlie Parker—features Henderson blow-
a fertile, restless composer who embraced by a blazing “Shade of Jade” and “Invita- ing majestically alongside Chick Corea,
new sounds and styles within magnetic tion” and the raging “Mind Over Matter.” Richard Davis, and Tony Williams, plus
compositions and an increasingly avant- Henderson’s huge choruses are matched some highly skilled alternates on bass and
garde style. by Shaw’s molten trumpet. The sound is drums. It’s a return to hard bop classicism.
1968’s The Kicker (Milestone MSP 9008) clear but arid; it would sound better on Joe Henderson would go on to find
sounds like a lost Blue Note album, pre- audiophile vinyl made from lacquers cut well-deserved commercial success and
senting deeply felt hard bop explorations from original tapes. fame in the 1990s on the newly revived
alongside covers of “Nardis” (Miles Davis), Recorded in 1972, Black Is the Color, an- Verve label.
“Chelsea Bridge” (Strayhorn), and “With- other Milestone issue (MSP 9040), is filled But here’s the thing: Henderson’s
out a Song” (Eliscu, Rose, Youmans). The with long improvisations: It’s a jam session. post–Blue Note output is hard to track
sound is thin but acceptable. The original idea of creating a free-jazz down in physical form. Sure, most of these
1969’s Power to the People (Milestone record was deep-sixed, so Henderson and recordings can be streamed in CD resolu-
MSP 902) features an outstanding band, producer Orrin Keepnews overdubbed tion from Tidal or Qobuz. But few if any
with Mike Lawrence on trumpet, Herbie synthesizers on deep-funk workouts are currently in print, and most are hard to
Hancock on piano and Fender Rhodes, incorporating percussionist Airto Moriera, find and/or expensive on the used market.
Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette bassist Dave Holland, and DeJohnette. The Fortunately, all the records I described
on drums. “Black Narcissus,” “Afro-Cen- music flows from heady funk to full-on, above are on the Milestone or Contem-
tric,” and “Isotope” (which first appeared mind-bending avant-garde. Henderson’s porary labels—both part of the Concord
on Inner Urge) show the evolution of Hen- soloing is powerful and inspired. This is Group. Craft Recordings is Concord’s
derson’s songwriting and the ratcheting-up recorded in good-sounding stereo—better reissue label.
of his tornadolike soloing. “Foresight and than previous hard-panned stereo releases. Craft Recordings, are you listening? Q

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CLASSICAL
ROCK / POP
JAZZ
RECORD REVIEWS
T
he Doors flew like a Window” and “The WASP (Texas
comet across the rock/ EDITOR’S PICK Radio and the Big Beat).” In total,
pop universe, running
only four and a half RECORDING it is a well-sequenced, powerful
album with something to recom-
years and six studio albums with OF THE MONTH mend every cut.
lead singer/poet/shaman Jim For this reissue, the original
Morrison. L.A. Woman, their last album was remastered using the
album, marked a hard turn back Plangent process, which time-aligns
to the rock and blues basics from the audio to the high-frequency
whence they sprang in 1966 as a bias signal on the tape, eliminating
hot bar band on Sunset Strip. It is wow and flutter. Botnick has used
a masterpiece, a hit out of the gate Plangent for Doors anniversary
that has grown in stature over time. releases since Waiting for the Sun’s
Morrison took a sabbatical shortly deluxe reissue in 2018. Also worth
before its release, decamped to noting: The CDs are MQA-
Paris, and died there as this record encoded.
climbed the charts. Two extra CDs contain session
Like most turns on the Doors’ outtakes and chatter—interesting
career path, the album started because you can hear the evolution
out with drama. The band and of familiar sounds. Before a take
producer Paul Rothchild arrived of “Riders on the Storm,” Mor-
at Sunset Sound, where they had rison makes a thunderstorm sound
recorded their first two albums and says, “We should start it with
with engineer Bruce Botnick. Ten- a storm.” Botnick says from the
sions between band and producer THE DOORS control room, “I have a recording
had been brewing for years, and L.A. Woman (50th Anniversary of that,” which turned out to be an
after one full take of “Riders on Elektra sound-effects LP. Another
the Storm,” the pot boiled over. Deluxe Edition) time, at the start of a take of “L.A.
Rothchild condemned the song Elektra/Rhino R2 659055 (3CD/1LP). 2021. Woman,” Manzarek doubles
as “cocktail jazz” and walked out. Bruce Botnick/Doors, prods.; Botnick, eng. Scheff’s bassline on his Fender
That early version of what became PERFORMANCE Rhodes. Morrison says, “That’s
a rock classic is the last track on SONICS great, keep doing that,” and an
CD1 of this 50th Anniversary iconic song takes form.
Deluxe reissue. It’s indeed flaccid The LP was cut by Bernie
compared to the album version. along the back wall, and drummer John Grundman from the 24/192 Plangent-
The band asked Botnick to stay on and Densmore sat opposite Morrison, sur- processed master file. It and CD1 offer a
help produce the album, sharing that duty rounded by sound baffles. Morrison’s vocal sharply defined sound-picture, with every
with the band. They hand-carried a 3M and harmonica mike was connected both instrument in a specific place in the stereo
M23 8-track tape recorder, a Langevin to the recording console and to a Fender mix. The sound is spread out but dense
14-input solid state console, JBL 4310 guitar amp that served as his PA system in enough to hang together well—quite
monitor speakers, monitor amps, and a the room. No one wore headphones. This different from the hazy stereophony
pile of microphones to the Doors Work- simple setup in a small space led to a pow- and weaker low end of the original LP
shop, located around the corner from the erful and fully connected sound, the band release; better or worse will be a matter
Elektra Records studio. The band recorded looking at and hearing each other, locked of personal opinion. Much to Botnick’s
in their 15' × 30' rehearsal space, using a in and rocking. credit, the sound is dynamic; drums punch
closet and bathroom as isolation booths Rooted in blues structures and simple and pop as they should. Morrison’s vocals
when needed. Their manager’s upstairs arrangements, the album was recorded sit just right in the mix, as do Manzarek’s
office was the control room. over six days, mostly live to tape, begin- varied, interesting-sounding keyboards.
Session photos published in the booklet ning November 30, 1970. It was mixed Krieger is on the right, Benno on the left,
show Morrison standing between Ray at Poppi Studios in L.A. in early February with plenty of space for them to stand out.
Manzarek’s large array of keyboard 1971 and released April 19. Morrison died Scheff’s bass strongly anchors the center.
instruments and guitarist Robby Krieger. July 3. Completing the package is a well-
Rhythm guitarist Marc Benno (brought in The big hits from the album were illustrated booklet with a contextual essay
on Botnick’s recommendation) sat in the “Love Her Madly,” “Riders on the Storm,” by David Fricke and recording notes and
back corner, bassist Jerry Scheff (on break and, eventually, the title track. But don’t memories by Botnick. A half-century later,
from Elvis Presley’s touring band) set up overlook gems like “Cars Hiss By My the Doors’ comet burns bright.—Tom Fine

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RECORD REVIEWS
R OC K/P OP
BEN LAMAR GAY PRETENDERS was much better.

Open Arms to Open Us Pretenders and Pretenders II The band lived as hard as they worked,
International Anthem IARC0051 (CD, LP, download).
(40th Anniversary Deluxe Editions) and fate caught them. Farndon developed
2021. Ben LaMar Gay, Dave Vettraino, prods.; Sire/Rhino 0190296691812 (3CD) and 0190296691874 a heroin habit and was kicked out of the
Dave Vettraino, eng. (3 CD). 2021. Chris Thomas, prod.; Bill Price, Tim Young, band in June 1982. A few days later, Hon-
Chris Thomas, Dave Schultz, Dan Hersch, engs.
PERFORMANCE eyman-Scott died of a cocaine-induced
SONICS PERFORMANCE heart attack at age 25. Farndon died a year
Ben LaMar Gay draws from experience, SONICS later, age 30.
and plenty of it. He has dueted with the There were women rockers before Beyond and above the tragedy, the
DuSable Bridge in downtown Chicago Chrissie Hynde, but she rocked harder Pretenders were a great rock band. The
(check YouTube) and is a member of that than almost all of them.1 An American ex- first album was something new and great,
city’s fertile Association for the Advance- hippie in punk-era London, Hynde spent a fusion of classic rock with punk and a
ment of Creative Musicians. He lived years toiling on the margins of the music good bit of soul. Hynde came prepared
and worked in Brazil for three years, and business, making connections and learning with a pile of good songs, and Honeyman-
last year was commissioned to compose how to sing, play guitar, and write songs. Scott was all about clever hooks, runs, and
a piece for New York City’s Wet Ink She played in bands, sometimes waiting mini-solos—a guitar hero for a more manic
Ensemble. His musical mind goes to many tables in the same dingy clubs. She paid and lean kind of rock.
places, and fortunately he’s got the intel- dues. Pretenders II was more of the same but
lect to hold it all together. At age 28, she burst onto the scene lead- with a harder edge. The playing showed
At the core of the vivid new Open Arms ing a group of young men from Hereford- growth, even if the songs weren’t all as
to Open Us is Gay’s cornet, synthesizer, shire, 130 miles to the northwest, in a new good as those on the first album, but there
and soulful voice and the steady, intricate band called the Pretenders, with one of the is a dark, exhausted current in this music,
drumming of Tommaso Moretti. The greatest debut albums ever. Three years audible evidence of the road taking its toll.
build is guest players and a layering of later, after two albums, half the band was The early demos on disc 2 of Pretenders
disparate sounds suggesting a lifetime of dead and Hynde started over. showcase the raw energy of a capable band
listening to hip hop. Each song is a new These two 3-CD 40th Anniversary box in the throes of early formative excite-
adventure, a different collage of R&B, sets, curated by Hynde, present the first ment. The early BBC shows on discs 2
techno, gospel, ethnographic field record- two Pretenders albums in context, with and 3 are somewhat rough but with con-
ing, playground chant, or postminimalism. demos, B-sides, and live performances stant improvement. Pretenders II includes
There are also buried bits of horn solos from the years 1979–81. less extra material, but the two concerts, at
and passages of scraping strings, but there’s In 1978, Hynde met a young bass player Central Park in August 1980 and in Santa
always a pulse defining the mix. named Pete Farndon, who introduced her Monica in 1981, are superb. It’s clear from
Any effort to extract specific influences to a guitar player buddy from Hereford- these concerts that the original Pretenders
would only reflect the listener’s own shire, James Honeyman-Scott. Soon, had further to go.
psycho-sonic profile. I can’t hear “Bang drummer Martin Chambers completed The remastering of both albums is
Melodically Bang” without Funkadelic’s the band. They recorded a single, “Stop meh—too much bass and overly dense
1977 single “Smokey” playing simultane- Your Sobbing”/“The Wait,” at Nick vocals and guitars. The original LPs were
ously in my head, but the polyrhythmic Lowe’s studio and settled on a band name. not sonic showcases, but the new sound is
folds of speech, horn, keys, and drums The single led to TV and radio perfor- overhyped and fatiguing. The bonus mate-
in “I Be Loving Me Some of You” aren’t mances. The band was signed to a record rial varies but mostly rocks plenty hard.
quite like anything I’ve heard before and deal, and the Pretenders recorded their Hynde moved forward with new
in a quick two minutes give way to the first album, which was released at the very Pretenders iterations, enjoyed decades of
slowly loping avant Afropop of “Nyuzura,” beginning of the decade they would help success and more hits. But the band never
sung within an authoritative half-octave define, in January 1980. The second album recaptured that initial magic of this relent-
by British-Rwandan performance artist came a year and a half later. less lady from Ohio and three blokes from
Dorothée Munyaneza. The Pretenders practiced constantly and the English sticks getting together and
Open Arms is a fast-moving album of toured relentlessly, and its sound tightened breaking through. —Tom Fine
mostly midtempo songs. Only three of 16 and hardened. The contrast between a
tracks break the four-minute mark; a half- March 1980 Boston concert included with 1 Joan Jett certainly rocks hard, as did Janis Joplin, and
dozen are less than two. Cohesion comes Pretenders and a September 1981 Santa let’s not forget Exene Cervenka and Poly Styrene (Mari-
anne Joan Elliott-Said), and I’m sure readers will name
from the grip Gay keeps on his Technicol- Monica concert, included with Pretenders others. Bottom line, women can rock hard, and Chrissie is
or, time-tripping ship. —Kurt Gottschalk II, is striking. The more experienced band one of the hardest rockers.

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RECORD REVIEWS
R OC K/P OP CL AS S ICA L
DAMON ALBARN CECILIA BARTOLI HINDEMITH

The Nearer the Fountain, Unreleased Symphony “Mathis der Maler,”
More Pure the Stream Flows Beethoven, Mozart, Myslivecek, and Haydn
Nusch-Nuschi-Tänze, Sancta Susanna
Cecilia Bartoli, mezzo-soprano; Kammerorchester Basel, Soloists, Women of Wiener Singakademie, ORF Vienna
Transgressive TRANSS55IX (vinyl). 2021. Damon Albarn,
Muhai Tang, cond. Radio Symphony, Marin Alsop, cond.
Samuel Egglenton, prods.; Stephen Sedgwick, eng.
DG 4852093 (24/96 WAV). 2021. Arend Prohmann, Naxos 8.574283 (CD). 2021. Erich Hofmann, prod.;
PERFORMANCE prod.; Philip Siney, eng. Robert Pavlecka, Friedrich Trondl, engs.
SONICS
PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE
Since the breakup of Blur, Damon Albarn
SONICS SONICS
has been a restless traveler, continually
seeking new musical lands to explore. Any concerns that artistic shortcomings Imaginative programming brings music
Those explorations led him to lead the might have been the reason that Cecilia from two of Hindemith’s controversial
supergroup “project” The Good, the Bad, Bartoli held back release of this 2013 col- one-act operas together with his popular
and the Queen, with drummer Tony lection of concert arias and extended vocal symphony. The “dances” from Das Nusch-
Allen, Paul Simonon of The Clash, and scenas are dispelled immediately once Nuschi don’t sound particularly dancey,
Simon Tong of the Verve. This, his second you listen. It may be difficult to imagine save in the shimmying at the start of the
solo album, follows the first in eschew- Bartoli’s light mezzo-soprano undertaking second one and in some parts of the third.
ing catchy choruses; if you’re looking for Beethoven’s dramatic scena “Ah! perfido” The brief opening is mostly busy-busy
those, you can find them in his other, in a major opera house, but her limpid and buzzing, only occasionally settling into a
more commercially successful project, impassioned vocalism, wisely supported lilt. The deftly wrought, rambunctious tut-
Gorillaz. by a chamber orchestra, hits the mark. In tis make even the dancing bits feel severely
This album is one of reflection and a voice that recalls Mozart’s Donna Elvira symphonic. Alsop has everything well in
contemplation. It began life as a set of in- about to fly off the handle, Bartoli awes hand and gauges the crescendos well.
strumentals composed and recorded with with smooth, perfectly defined downward The clear, tranquil opening of Sancta
a group of talented Icelandic musicians at runs, multi-octave leaps, and the strength Susanna belies the psychosexual drama
his home just outside Reykjavik. When of her convictions. She’s equally fabulous that gradually unfolds. Angular melodic
COVID came, he returned to the UK for when she pulls out all the stops at the contours add a disturbed undertone to
the lockdown. There, he added vocals. fiendishly difficult conclusion of Mozart’s otherwise humdrum statements; a short
Perhaps it is the settings of its creation “Bella mia fiamma, addio … Resta, o cara.” role in rhythmic speech evokes alienation.
that account for its tone. The album sleeve “Perfection” is the only way to describe Renée Morloc (Klementia) falls short
and the photographs within are of the Bartoli’s rendition of Mozart’s great “Ch’io just where authority is required, and she’s
large lumps of black lava that cover the mi scordi di te?” … Non temer, amato whoopy at peak moments; Ausrine Stun-
desolate Icelandic landscape. Folklore says bene K490.” With Maxim Vengerov’s elo- dyte (Susanna) sounds a bit bottled up.
that this is where the hidden people live. quent violin accompaniment—he sounds Both will serve. Alsop draws characterful
Themes of loss, rebirth, and isolation are just as expressive in Mozart’s “L’amerò, playing, controlling the churning agitation
central to those folk tales. They’re also sarò costante” from Il re pastore—Bartoli’s into the shocking climax.
important in the songs on The Nearer the performance earns its place on the same Against the other two works’ Expres-
Fountain. exalted pedestal formerly reserved for sionist bent, the Mathis der Maler is clear-
On “Cormorant,” Albarn asks “Am I Kathleen Battle’s radiant, albeit far more eyed and aspiring. The hieratic mood
imprisoned on this island?” Does he mean emotionally contained version. No one established by the vibrant opening string
physically imprisoned or psychologically? can replace soprano Elisabeth Schumann chords gradually builds into affirmative,
Which island: Britain or Iceland? Is it the in “L’amerò, sarò costante,” but Bartoli’s even cheerful, passages, culminating in
isolation of lockdown or a love lost? version is likely more historically authen- jubilant outpourings. The middle move-
The music is a blend of jazz, pop, and tic; it’s certainly equally credible. ment’s searching reed writing, including
electronica. The production keeps the The best is reserved for last, Haydn’s a prominent oboe solo, is answered by
vocal close to the keyboards; it’s some- Scena di Berenice Hob. XXIVa:10. In a work weighty brass chording. Despite incidental
times reminiscent of Icelandic jazz groups seemingly tailor-made for her gifts, Bartoli ensemble lapses, Alsop’s leadership is pur-
ADHD and the Sunna Gunnlaugs Trio. renders the beginning of the Cavatina, poseful and persuasive, aptly linking and
Occasionally a sax, harpsichord, or trom- “Non partir, bell’idol mio,” with heart- characterizing the finale’s diverse materials.
bone will burst in—even a field recording rending beauty and sings with the loveliest Sonics are quite good, especially vivid
of the sea. Albarn has created an album warm glow in the center of her voice. The in the liquid clarinet duets in Nusch-Nuschi
of sublime beauty, managing warmth in a searing two-octave rise at the scena’s end is and the deep, powerful brass choir
cold climate. —Phil Brett stunning. Get this! —Jason Victor Serinus throughout. —Stephen Francis Vasta

RECORD REVIEWS
CL A SS IC AL JA ZZ
MC Quintet
Red
Moving Coil Cartridge
MÉTAMORPHOSES EDWARD SIMON

nocturnes Solo Live
R. Strauss, Respighi, Schoenberg Simon, piano
Appassionato, Mathieu Herzog, cond.; Ridgeway RRCD017 (CD, available as download). 2021.
Adèle Charvet, mezzo Edward Simon, prod.; Norman Landsberg, eng.
Naïve V 7423 (CD). 2021. Ken Yoshida, prod. and eng. PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE SONICS
SONICS Edward Simon is in the second echelon
I’m surprised no one else thought to of jazz pianists. He is firmly established,
combine these string-based works on disc. widely respected, and not quite a star.
They work well together, though none of He was born in Venezuela but came to
these performances quite nails it. the United States at 16, 36 years ago. His
Tagging the Metamorphosen as for “twen- impressive list of credits includes Greg
ty-three solo strings” is misleading: Strauss Osby, Terence Blanchard, and the SFJAZZ
combined them into varied sectional Collective.
groupings, with few exposed solos. Herzog Solo Live is his 15th album as a leader,
paces the slow sections patiently while but his first unaccompanied and only his
maintaining the flow; when he impetu- second live recording. It comes from a
ously steps up the tempi, they’re just right, performance at the Piedmont Piano Com-
despite a few bits of confused scansion. pany in Oakland, California, a piano store
The sonority is full and vibrantly “sung” that puts on regular concerts in a space
without achieving Karajanesque saturation; with excellent acoustics. Engineer Norman
the overall motion is good, though the big, Landsberg’s recording renders Simon’s Ya-
biting downward leap arrives underpre- maha instrument as an existential presence.
pared, and the pulsing afterbeats leading Simon’s playing retains rhythmic ele-
into it are buried. (Those in the coda, ments from his South American heritage,
however, get in the way.) but they are integrated within an expan-
Respighi scored Il tramonto with quartet sive style that also reflects his early classical
accompaniment; orchestral performances training. His music sustains two qualities
add string basses. The impassioned open- that are not always compatible in art:
ing leads to a calmer passage; the next tastefulness and lavish, lyrical, liberated
brings incisive attacks and full-bodied tone. romanticism.
Charvet inflects expressively with a lovely, Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” contains
soft-edged timbre. Her muffled vowels all the above and more. It begins with the
leave the text unclear, however—you need song’s familiar hovering pregnant pauses,
to follow along with the “booklet”—and but they are soon swept up in Simon’s
the upper notes betray strain. Her final own decorations. He shifts among many
unaccompanied note is under pitch. tempos, the most surprising of which is
The “transfiguration” in the Schoenberg, stride. The creative proceeding becomes
from the big D-major chord (track 13) to a vast unwinding that keeps glancing off
the end, is fervently, movingly phrased. “Lush Life.” “Monk’s Mood” is more
Gentle lyric passages carry a disturbed un- patient, a gradual process of unfolding and
dercurrent appropriate to the score’s pro- discovery in which Monk’s melody is a
gram. But you have to get there first. The resonant recurring touchpoint.
ORTOFON INC
very slow opening elicits grainy tone from The most patient of all is “I Loves You,
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the basses and the piano violins; it goes on Porgy.” It is the most literal interpretation
Ossining, NY 10562
endlessly, despite some strong accents and here. It is as if Simon is reluctant to depart
914.762.8646
undulating landings. Herzog misses the very far from Gershwin’s abiding melody.
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RECORD REVIEWS
JAZ Z
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF FRED HERSCH

LOUIS ARMSTRONG ALL STARS Breath by Breath
A Gift to Pops Hersch, piano; Drew Gress, bass; Jochen Rueckert, drums;
Rogerio Boccato, percussion (one track);
Wycliffe Gordon, trombone, vocals; Nicholas Payton,
Joyce Hammann, Laura Seaton, violins;
Wynton Marsalis, trumpet; Reginald Veal, bass;
Lois Martin, viola; Jody Redhage Ferber, cello
Herlin Riley, drums, vocal; Common, guest vocal; others
Palmetto PM2198 (CD, available as download). 2022.
Verve (CD, LP). 2021. Gordon, Payton, Jackie Harris,
Franky Rousseau, Fred Hersch, prods.; James Farber,
prods.; Misha Kachkachishvili, Mack Mayor,
David Stoller, engs.
Jesse Snyder, engs.
PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE
SONICS SONICS
Rarely has such a troubled recording Fred Hersch has reached a level of
project yielded such a delightful record. eminence among jazz pianists that makes
In 2018, a group of musicians performed everything he does important. Breath by
a Louis Armstrong tribute at the Joy of Breath is his first recording with piano trio
Jazz Festival in South Africa. Jackie Harris and string quartet. The trio includes a
of the Armstrong estate, who organized longtime collaborator, bassist Drew Gress,
the concert, proposed an album; they and a new drummer, Jochen Rueckert.
all agreed. Trumpeter Nicholas Payton Hersch says the project was inspired by
volunteered to produce it, and the troubles his meditation practice, which provided a
began. He chose a studio run by a friend, “refuge” during the pandemic. The album
who wasn’t up to the task. A couple of does not sound meditative. It sounds mea-
newly hired musicians turned out to be sured, graceful, meticulously detailed, and
ill suited. No one much liked the results. melodic. But if one purpose of meditation
Harris wanted a do-over at Misha Kachka- is to transcend distraction and remain in
chishvili’s renowned Esplanade Studios the present, the music aligns with this
in New Orleans. Payton quit. Wycliffe quest. It is patient, proportional, under-
Gordon became the new producer. Tunes stated, and complete in itself.
were redone, embellished, remixed. Verve, Hersch’s writing for string quartet is
which bought the tapes, designed an remarkably sure handed for a first attempt.
album cover that looks like an Armstrong He incorporates strings into the music
compilation; none of the musicians are organically, as active foreground, as rapt
mentioned on the front or back. background, or as pervasive energy. On
And yet, the album is terrific. It sounds “Awakened Heart” and the title track,
terrific. It’s a joy. Most of these musicians, Hersch’s alluring melodies are gradually
especially Gordon and Payton, are deeply assembled and arrayed, pieced out among
steeped in traditional and modern jazz—a four stringed instruments. Then his piano
rare thing. They play Armstrong’s music in enters like a light of fresh intelligence and
the spirit of its time: no nudges or winks; flows through those melodies and beyond
no academic amber. Yet the arrangements them. Surprisingly, the most haunting
are imbued with a flavor of our own piece is by the quartet alone. “Know
times: a bit more blues, R&B, gospel, or, That You Are” is a sonic watercolor. The
in one case, hip-hop than Pops would have stringed instruments become four brushes,
indulged but that he might have liked each painting a different pastel hue.
anyway. This erudite undertaking prioritizes
Kachkachishvili did a wonderful job composition and ensemble form. Hersch’s
mixing all the elements to make them piano is one voice among seven. The great
seem cohesive. The tracks that only he Hersch albums (like his trio recordings at
recorded sound a little cleaner and clearer the Village Vanguard) focus on his piano
than the others, but the entire CD is brilliance. But Breath by Breath fulfills its
tonally true, dynamic, spacious, and im- motivation. It occupies a special niche in
mersive. (The LP was not available yet at Hersch’s distinguished discography.
deadline.) —Fred Kaplan —Thomas Conrad

INSIDER DISPATCHES FROM HI-FI’S FRONT LINES
RE-TALES BY JULIE MULLINS

THIS ISSUE :
Two hi-fi dealerships
sell to new and existing
customers inside record stores.
Going where the music lovers are
I
s combining a record store with a hi-fi dealership a radical idea? Maybe not: It could known McIntosh as a brand. I always
be a way to reel in new, music-loving hi-fi customers where they’re most comfort- aspired to it as a kid.” He has also owned a
able, in record stores searching for music. Rega turntable for years.
Brick-and-mortar hi-fi dealerships need customers in their stores—now more BEK, too, carries Rega turntables. They
than ever following pandemic closures. The hi-fi industry’s long-term survival depends on also carry classic marques like Luxman and
bringing in new blood. New, music-loving customers might begin as casual listeners. In Harbeth, niche brands like Brinkmann
time, a few will advance to full-blown audiophilia; everyone has to start somewhere. and Simaudio, brands from nearby areas
like DeVore, Oswalds Mill Audio (OMA),
Why shouldn’t their first experience with Decker’s record customers at least take and Rogue. Konigsberg likes having direct
better sound happen when they walk into a peek into his hi-fi room. “They are at access to smaller companies’ designers. “I
a record store—or when, after shopping least intrigued enough to look over, to see can ask them why they do certain things:
for records, they wander next door to an my stuff,” he said. That starts conversa- ‘What’s your thinking behind this?’” he
adjacent hi-fi dealership and ask to listen to tions. “The interesting thing is, it’s repeat told me.
one of the records they just bought? business,” he told me. “There are a lot of While Supervinyl’s brick-and-mortar
I recently spoke with two dealers who people getting into vinyl, the vinyl craze.” store is Perlman’s primary emphasis, the
show and sell hi-fi equipment in record Perlman had wondered why record store also sells equipment online—all the
stores. The two share some common stores don’t sell audio equipment—some- store’s lines except McIntosh and Sonus
ground, but they’re located in different thing better than the Crosley players occa- Faber.
markets, take different approaches, and— sionally seen for years in record stores—so Perlman has spent some time in hi-fi
for the most part—serve different kinds of he decided to do so himself. From the dealerships. “It was never a real pleasant or
customers. outset, he planned for Supervinyl, which friendly experience,” he told me. “They’d
Barry Perlman owns Supervinyl, a focuses on new vinyl, to carry turntables. have three records. They never played
record store cum hi-fi shop in Los Angeles. Perlman told me he doesn’t consider what I wanted.”
He has been in the retail business since he himself an audio dealer—at least not in Perlman wants Supervinyl to be differ-
was 17 years old. You may have heard of the usual sense. “There are already a lot ent. He wants to get people involved and
one of his companies: He co-founded the of good audio stores in L.A.,” Perlman make audio “fun and easy to understand,”
Lucky Jeans brand in 1990. said. “We’re sort of an outsider on [the to make it make sense for those starting
Perlman has always loved music.1 He audiophile scene].” Supervinyl is first and out. “They sell Teslas at Century City
opened Supervinyl about a year and a foremost a record store. “We sell lots of Mall,” Perlman said. “It’s time for doing
half ago in Hollywood, on N. Sycamore cool records and boxed sets, and [we] sell things differently.”
Avenue near Santa Monica Boulevard, a gear to complement that. It feels a little Konigsberg doesn’t sell online. “We
neighborhood where many new business- different” than a dealership. want customers to come in.” He, too, aims
es are opening: cafés, restaurants, fashion Supervinyl has a small listening room to make audio fun. “People are already
boutiques. Foot traffic is increasing. The where Perlman demonstrates select intimidated by this hobby a little bit,” he
store is near the Record Plant recording McIntosh components. He also sells Rega said. It’s all about piquing people’s interest,
studios and XM Satellite Radio’s broadcast and Andover turntables, including an providing that first experience of better
offices, so Supervinyl gets walk-in traffic automatic model. He displays turntables— sound. Those demos he puts on are really
from people in the music industry. some of which local artists have hand- fun for him, he says.
Local traffic also walks in to BEK HiFi, painted—displayed on round merchandise “Younger generations in general have
a hi-fi shop in Allentown, Pennsylvania, tables among LP boxed sets. He encour- never heard what good audio can sound
that shares a dual storefront and some in- ages touching. “People can try them out,” like,” Konigsberg told me. “They’re blown
terior space with preowned vinyl specialist he said. away. This is real. This is how music can
Double Decker Records. Some newbies will get hooked; some be. ‘Go tell your friends and your parents!’”
Thirty-something Erik Konigsberg— won’t. That’s fine; the audiophile hobby Even in an online era—or especially in an
EK—manages BEK Audio, a business his isn’t for everyone. online era—word of mouth is powerful.
father Barry—that’s the B—founded as Konigsberg, too, wants to bring new It’s mainly music that brings music
a home-based dealership in 2005. Since customers into the hobby, but for him lovers in the door. The opportunity to
2013, BEK has rented space in a partner- it’s not just about newcomers: He enjoys hear their favorite music on a good audio
ship with Double Decker, which opened building systems that appeal to seasoned system encourages them to stay. A few of
25 years ago. audiophiles, to bring them back in, give them will want to take it home. Q
“I get a lot of walk-in traffic,” Konigs- them “a sense of joy and elation about
berg said; he told me that about 20% of music again.” 1 Launched in 1996, his company’s Lucky Brand Founda-
tion held fundraising events including performances from
his sales come from walk-in customers. Perlman has a personal connection to Jackson Browne, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, and others to
He also estimated that 70–80% of Double the equipment Supervinyl carries. “I’ve support children’s charities.

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STEREOPHILE
dCS 47 Magico 2 Tenacious Sound 129
ADVERTISER INDEX Definitive Technology 100, 122 Martin Logan 104 Ultra Systems 150
Devialet 6 Monitor Audio 53 Upscale Audio 66, 148
Acoustic Signature 63
Dynaudio 78 MSB 73 Used Cable 151
Alta Audio 60
Elusive Disc 26, 27, 138 Music Direct 29, 32, 33, 136 VAC 18
AMG Von Schweikert 10
Esoteric 128 NAD 45, 51
(Analog Manufaktur Germany) 134
Estelon Audio 80 Ortofon 131, 145 VooDoo Cable 150
Analog Matters 98
Excel Audio 140 Paradigm 8, 9 Western Electric 70
Antipodes Audio 130
Fidelis Distribution 35 Pass Laboratories 86 Wilson Audio 4
Aqua Acoustic Quality 43
Focal Naim America 82 Polk Audio 112 Wireworld 142
Audio Advice 88
Gem Dandy 151 PrimaLuna 24 Wynn Audio 12
AudioQuest 123, 125, 127
GoldenEar 20 PS Audio 22, 23 YG Acoustics 96
Audiovector 41
Gryphon 68 PSB 77 Zesto Audio 58
Axiss Audio 110
Hana 30 Pure Fidelity 85 Zu Audio 58
BEK Hifi 150
Bel Canto 108 HiFi Rose Back Cover Rogers High Fidelity 146
Bowers & Wilkins 74 Joseph Audio 147 Rogue Audio 60
Brinkmann 119 KEF 39, 57 Scott Walker Audio 144
Cabasse 102, 114, 126 Kimber Kable 124 Sierra Sound 134 The Ad Index is provided as a
Cable Company 14, 15 Kirmuss Audio 133 Siltech 155 courtesy. The publisher is not
liable for incorrect information
CH Precision 55 KLH Audio 106 Sound Organisation 132
or excluded listings. Advertisers
Clearaudio 36 Lab 12 35 Suncoast Audio 94 should contact their sales
Dan D’Agostino 17 Lumin 116 SVS 120 representative to correct or update
a listing.
David Lewis Audio 90 Luxman 92 Technics 49

To advertise, contact Ed DiBenedetto
152 stereophile audio mart 917.662.6936 • edibenedetto@avtechmediausa.com
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ANY CLOD CAN HAVE THE FACTS; HAVING OPINIONS IS AN ART
MANUFACTURERS’
COMMENTS
THIS ISSUE : Representatives from Accustic Arts,
Ferrum Audio, Monitor Audio, Fyne Audio, and
Questyle respond to our reviews of their products.
Accustic Arts AMP V also note Herb’s comments regarding the use was delighted with the F500SP’s perfor-
While measuring the Accustic Arts AMP V of OOR as a stand-alone preamplifier, which mance and value.
(January 2021), John Atkinson found that the he described as “solid state at its best” and The Special Production concept has been
AMP V did not meet its specified maximum his conclusion: “Ferrum’s first two products an excellent success for Fyne, and we will
output power. We measured it again and con- do exactly as their advertising claims: The continue to expand the “SP” concept across
firmed that our specification for the power HYPSOS + OOR will drive any headphones our midrange loudspeakers into the future.
output is correct. You can find the specified effortlessly while preserving the soul and es- Max Maud, Sales & Marketing Director
figures and the test setup on our homepage. sence of the music they amplify.” We couldn’t Fyne Audio
Then, as Atkinson was preparing to have said it better!
measure noise and distortion with high- Anthony Chiarella, National Sales Manager Questyle M12
frequency test tones at 200Wpc into 2 ohms, VANA, Ltd. Our thanks to Editor Jim Austin and of
the amplifier turned itself off after about 10s, course to John Atkinson for his meticulous
apparently going into protection mode. After Monitor Audio and enlightening review and testbench
cooling, it did not restart. John checked the The team at the Monitor Audio Group thank analysis. We’re pleased but not surprised that
external fuses and found them intact. Stereophile for their time in reviewing our the M12 portable USB DAC/headphone
After the review, the AMP V was sent product. amplifier continued his run of favorable expe-
back to our distributor, Rutherford Audio. The Monitor Audio team riences with Questyle products—and notice
When it was unpacked, connected, and that we didn’t call it a “dongle”!
switched on, the red LEDs on the front panel Fyne Audio Questyle products have always offered ex-
were lit, and there was no sound. When they It was great to read Ken Micallef’s in-depth cellent value, with cutting-edge technologies,
looked at the rear panel of the AMP V, they review of our F500SP. The SP editions of the superb build, and stunning sound quality. The
found the MUTE button activated. After the F500-Series loudspeakers use a comprehen- M12 is no exception—all at a remarkably low
MUTE button was deactivated, the AMP V sive selection of upgraded components over price, to boot.
started playing immediately. the standard models, many of these derived As John points out, the M12’s Smart
It is possible that the AMP V went into from the features and designs developed for Impedance Detection automatically sets the
protection mode, as it should to protect the the more affluent Fyne Audio F700-series proper gain level for any headphone connect-
electronics. Probably John Atkinson activated speakers. These are then adapted and the ed to the device, ensuring the best possible
the MUTE button when he disconnected the crossover tuned to the F500SP cabinet and performance and user control. Questyle’s
cables and didn’t deactivate it again after the the more advanced BassTrax LF diffuser port- proprietary Current Mode Amplification
AMP V cooled off. Whenever the MUTE ing system. delivers dead-quiet backgrounds, extended
button is activated, the two red LEDs will The result is a compact, standmount frequency response, and remarkable clarity
be lit. loudspeaker with premium components that and resolution at all volume levels with even
When the AMP V is driven extremely derive maximum performance from our complex program material: As John observed
hard and goes into protection mode, it will point-source driver technology at this price. with his own recording, “The clarity was im-
begin playing again automatically after cool- For an aesthetic upgrade, we introduced the pressive, however, and the positioning of the
ing off, unless the internal fuses have blown. option of the rich, piano-lacquered walnut instruments was precisely as I had intended.”
Such a situation as occurred during testing veneer finish, also from our F700 series. Throw in the M12’s ability to act as an
can never be achieved in real life (with music) All our SP models benefit from be- MQA renderer and its ability to process
and is only possible with a special testing ing built, hand-finished, and tested at our hi-rez PCM and DSD, and you have a unit
setup. Glasgow, UK, factory, allowing our engineer- whose performance is amazing at any price.
Jochen Voss, Managing Director ing and development team day-to-day QA At under $140 in the US, we think the M12
Accustic Arts access to the production. Like our premium is an absolute steal and proof that high perfor-
F700-Series and High-End F1 designs, the mance is not limited to audio products with
Ferrum Audio HYPSOS + OOR SP models are genuinely “Made in the UK” sky-high prices.
All of us at both VANA and Ferrum wish to loudspeakers—a very rare commodity at this We can think of no better summary than
thank Herb Reichert for his comprehensive price. John’s own conclusion: “Questyle’s M12
review of our OOR Headphone Amplifier It is interesting to note Ken’s finding when dongle—still hate that word—is an impressive-
and HYPSOS Power Supply. We feel Herb’s the F500SP’s are partnered with different sounding portable USB DAC/headphone
technical and sonic assessments were spot-on, electronics. We consider them fairly agnostic amplifier. Its transparency, coupled with the
especially when comparing the improve- toward amplification compared to many ability to control the low frequencies with
ments to OOR’s sound quality wrought by standmount designs on the market, but they low-impedance headphones, is impressive
adding HYPSOS. Stereophile readers should do benefit further from fine-tuning across for such a relatively low-priced device. Add
room placement, toe-in, and loudspeaker to that the fact that it can handle hi-rez PCM
cable. Our French distributor has recently and DSD files, and the M12 is an easy recom-
been using the F500SP with high-end mendation.”
Accuphase amplification. After half a day’s Jay Rein, President
experimenting with placement and setup, he Bluebird Music

GOOD AND BAD, I DEFINE THESE TERMS QUITE CLEAR...—BOB DYLAN
MY BACK PAGES BY JIM ANDERSON THIS ISSUE : Grammy Award–winning

recording engineer Jim Anderson talks about
what he’s after when he enters the studio.
Forget about the sound of the recording.
H
ello, and Happy New Year! I’m greeting you in October 2021—just before transparent, vivid, balanced, dynamic,
Halloween, in anticipation of Stereophile’s publication deadline—but by the time warm (but not too warm), whole, pres-
this magazine arrives in your mailbox, it’ll be after the holidays. ent, mellow, with plenty of air and depth.
If I hadn’t told you, you wouldn’t have known when I wrote this essay— To the audio-aware reviewer, most of
and you still don’t know where I was when I wrote it: my office? In an airplane 36,000 the words in that list correspond to sonic
feet up? Similarly, I don’t know where you’ll be when you read it, or when: Maybe in virtues (mellow could go either way), but
early 2022 in your listening chair; maybe you’ll find it in a box in an attic many years what do they mean to a recording engi-
hence and read it then. neer? Not much. There is no “Mellow”
knob or “Vivid” button on the record-
What I’m getting at goes much deeper ing console (although pro-audio devices
than the when and the where. It’s also about that contain buttons and knobs labeled
the what: While we share a common “Warmth” do exist—and leave it to the
language, the words I choose, alone and in late Rupert Neve to put a “Silk/Texture”
combination, mean something slightly dif- control on several products).
ferent to me than they do to you. And yet, In the studio, we speak in precise, quan-
when I write something, I want you to ig- titative terms. Decibels and frequencies
nore the writing and absorb what it is that and milliseconds are the vocabulary I teach
I’m saying. The analogy isn’t perfect, but students in my critical listening classes at
the relationship between reader and writer NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded
is much like the relationship between the Music, along with some precise descrip-
listener and the recording engineer—and tive aural language. Sure, there’s room in
everyone involved in the recording, really, the studio for nebulous talk about “air”
since recording music is a collaborative and “depth” and so on, especially when
endeavor. engineers speak to less technical folks (say,
I should take a moment to introduce There is no “Mellow” musicians and some producers), but if we
myself. I’m Jim Anderson, recording knob or “Vivid” button want to get something done before the day
engineer and producer. I’ve been involved ends, someone has to know how to turn a
in audio, on the “pro” side, for many years. on the recording console. knob to change a level by X decibels at Y
I say “audio” and not “music” because in frequency, or set a delay at Z milliseconds
addition to music of many genres, I’ve also than 60 years. or a reverb at K seconds with P predelay.
recorded radio documentaries, film scores— Usually when we listen, we don’t A good recording, like a good piece
even, I’m proud to say, the Muppets. know much about a recording, unless we of writing, shouldn’t draw attention to
To me, Kind of Blue, the Miles Davis read about when or where it was made, the work that went into it. If you enjoy
classic, could have been recorded last or whether the musicians were together thinking about recordings in terms of air
week, just as many recordings made today in the same room at the same time, or and warmth and so on, there’s no harm in
could have been made in 1959 when whether, instead, the music was over- it—but when I’m in the studio, my goal is
Kind of Blue was recorded. Kind of Blue is dubbed track by track in different locations to make you forget about that stuff. I don’t
a perfect marriage of musicianship and on different dates. Some recordings don’t want you thinking about my process, about
technology, and in its many rereleases, even have a proper where or when. how the sausage is made. I want my work
both music and engineering stand up to Duke Ellington said, “There are simply to be transparent, although that word usu-
scrutiny, thanks to the work of Columbia two kinds of music, good music and the ally means something different to audio-
engineer Fred Plaut. There are plenty of other kind. … The only yardstick by savvy listeners than it does to me.
other recordings like this, which don’t tip which the result should be judged is sim- With my listener hat on, a great record-
you off as to when or where they were ply that of how it sounds.” Something like ing is one that, as I listen to it, I’m not
made. When you listen, what you hear is that could also be said about recordings of aware of any recording technology. I don’t
the music. music—but who’s to say what’s good and want to listen to microphone placement,
Of course, with Kind of Blue, there was a what isn’t? Baritone saxophonist Pepper panning, reverb, compression, or equaliza-
when and a where. The musicians entered Adams said in an interview that he worked tion. I want to listen to music. My engi-
Columbia’s 30th Street studio on March 2 very hard on a particular album—Live at Fat neering success depends upon not letting
and April 22, 1959; they played together, Tuesday’s—which then received only two you hear my struggles in the recording. I’d
PHOTO: CECILE VACCARO
and the total recording time was about 10 stars in DownBeat. It was my first Gram- be happy if, in attempting to describe a re-
hours. The band was well-rehearsed, and my-nominated recording. cording’s sound, you find yourself at a loss
the approach left room for enough spon- Audiophiles (and others) toss words for words. My goal as a recording engineer
taneity to keep the music fresh for more around to describe how recordings sound: is to disappear. Q

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EDITOR JIM AUSTIN AVTECH MEDIA AMERICAS INC

Innovation Spotlight: SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Cascade-Fusion Bracing COPY EDITOR LINDA FELACO

FOUNDER J. GORDON HOLT

COVER PHOTO ERIC SWANSON

ART DIRECTOR JEREMY MOYLER

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS (AUDIO) IMPORTANT STEREOPHILE

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THE PROGRESSION M550 MONAURAL AND S350 STEREO AMPLIFIERS

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cartridge and the basic performance Sister” French’s Ortofon A95–ﬁtted

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the much less expensive OOR is that it

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