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IN THIS ISSUE<br />
ISSUE 161 ■ APRIL/MAY 2006<br />
122 COVER STORY<br />
Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son N o. 326S Preamplifier and<br />
N o. 432 Power Amplifier<br />
Listen<strong>in</strong>g to Lev<strong>in</strong>son’s latest, Robert Harley f<strong>in</strong>ds the company’s<br />
tradition of excellence not just upheld but improved upon.<br />
85 Basic Repertoire: South African and West African Pop<br />
Derk Richardson dips <strong>in</strong>to a richly varied musical culture, and<br />
recommends essential record<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
22<br />
22 A Higher High End—The 2006<br />
Consumer Electronics Show<br />
Jo<strong>in</strong> us on a trip to Las Vegas, where our staff shows you a bounty of<br />
fasc<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g new gear and reports on the state of the high end.<br />
EQUIPMENT REPORTS<br />
14 Absolute Analog: Lamm Industries LP2 Deluxe<br />
Phonostage and Clearaudio Titanium Cartridge<br />
Sp<strong>in</strong> a few LPs with Jonathan Val<strong>in</strong>, who is savor<strong>in</strong>g some tasty<br />
analog goods.<br />
97 Sonus Faber Concerto Domus Loudspeaker<br />
Neil Gader on an Italian speaker that makes you feel right at home.<br />
101 Thule Audio Spirit IA350B Integrated Amplifier and<br />
Space DVA250B DVD/CD Player<br />
Sallie Reynolds on two sweet performers from Denmark.<br />
106 Esoteric X-03 CD/SACD Player<br />
Jacob Heilbrunn listens to the latest from TEAC’s high-end division.<br />
97<br />
112 Channel Islands Audio D-200 Monoblock Amplifier<br />
Class D amps are all the rage. Chris Martens listens to another offer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>this</strong> rapidly grow<strong>in</strong>g field.<br />
118 Krell SACD Standard CD/SACD Player<br />
Fred Kaplan expla<strong>in</strong>s how one player changed a critic’s m<strong>in</strong>d about the<br />
SACD format.<br />
130 HP’s Workshop<br />
Memoirs of the CES: What happened <strong>in</strong> Las Vegas doesn’t stay <strong>in</strong><br />
Las Vegas—<strong>this</strong> time around.<br />
85<br />
2 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
VIEWPOINTS<br />
6 Letters<br />
134 Manufacturer Comments<br />
COLUMNS<br />
12 From The Editor<br />
MUSIC<br />
136 Record<strong>in</strong>g of the Issue: Mogwai’s Mr. Beast<br />
136 Rock Etc.<br />
Reviews of 11 new CDs, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the latest from the Flam<strong>in</strong>g Lips,<br />
Drive-By Truckers, Cat Power, Loose Fur, Rosanne Cash, Sarah Harmer,<br />
Tom Zé, and Swear<strong>in</strong>g at Motorists. Plus, a round-up of recent<br />
Pure Pleasure and Analogue Productions audiophile blues LPs.<br />
151 Classical<br />
Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1with Han-Na Chang, Shostakovich’s<br />
Piano Trios Nos. 1 and 2 with Beaux Arts Trio, Handel’s Delirio with<br />
Natalie Desay, and five more new CDs critiqued. Also, four Mozart<br />
SACDs with which to celebrate the composer’s 250 th birthday.<br />
161 Jazz<br />
The scoop on the latest from Manu Katche, Ken Hatfield, Paul Motian,<br />
and Qu<strong>in</strong>s<strong>in</strong> Nachoff, plus four N<strong>in</strong>a Simone re<strong>issue</strong>s and Monster Cable’s<br />
V<strong>in</strong>ce Guaraldi set.<br />
168 TAS Retrospective:<br />
Harman Kardon Citation 16 Power Amplifier<br />
Sue Kraft goes shopp<strong>in</strong>g on eBay.<br />
founder; chairman, editorial advisory board<br />
Harry Pearson<br />
editor-<strong>in</strong>-chief Robert Harley<br />
editor Wayne Garcia<br />
executive editor Jonathan Val<strong>in</strong><br />
manag<strong>in</strong>g and Bob Gendron<br />
music editor<br />
acquisitions manager Neil Gader<br />
and associate editor<br />
news editor Barry Willis<br />
equipment setup Danny Gonzalez<br />
editorial advisory board Sallie Reynolds<br />
advisor, cutt<strong>in</strong>g edge Atul Kanagat<br />
senior writers<br />
John W. Cooledge, Anthony H. Cordesman,<br />
Gary Gidd<strong>in</strong>s, Robert E. Greene, Fred Kaplan,<br />
Andrew Qu<strong>in</strong>t, Paul Seydor, Alan Taffel<br />
reviewers and contribut<strong>in</strong>g writers<br />
Soren Baker, Greg Cahill, Dan Davis, Andy Down<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
Jim Hannon, Stephan Harrell, Jacob Heilbrunn,<br />
John Higg<strong>in</strong>s, Sue Kraft, Mark Lehman, Ted Libbey,<br />
David McGee, Derk Richardson, Don Saltzman, Dan<br />
Schwartz, Aaron M. Shatzman,<br />
Arnie Williams<br />
design/production Design Farm, Inc.<br />
publisher/editor, AVGuide Chris Martens<br />
web producer Ari Ko<strong>in</strong>uma<br />
Absolute Multimedia, Inc.<br />
chairman and ceo Thomas B. Mart<strong>in</strong>, Jr.<br />
vice president/publisher Mark Fisher<br />
advertis<strong>in</strong>g reps Cheryl Smith<br />
(512) 891-7775<br />
Marv<strong>in</strong> Lewis,<br />
MTM Sales<br />
(718) 225-8803<br />
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Phone (888) 732-1625 (US) or (815) 734-5833<br />
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Address letters to: The Editor, The Absolute Sound,<br />
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136<br />
112<br />
© 2006 Absolute Multimedia, Inc., Issue 161, April/May 2006.<br />
The Absolute Sound (ISSN #0097-1138) is published ten times per year,<br />
$42 per year for US residents, Absolute Multimedia, Inc., 4544 S. Lamar,<br />
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Absolute Sound, Subscription<br />
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4 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
L E T T E R S<br />
Best Article Ever<br />
As a reader s<strong>in</strong>ce Volume 1 and a subscriber<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce Volume 2, I have enjoyed<br />
your publication and believe you are<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g hard to make it even better.<br />
The <strong>in</strong>terview <strong>in</strong> Issue 159 with<br />
Benjam<strong>in</strong> Zander [by Jonathan Val<strong>in</strong><br />
and Mark Lehman] has to be the best<br />
article I have ever read <strong>in</strong> an audio publication!<br />
The passion <strong>this</strong> man has to get<br />
the “message” of classical music to the<br />
non-<strong>in</strong>itiated is unprecedented. If only<br />
more people <strong>in</strong> the bus<strong>in</strong>ess/art had that<br />
desire we would not be talk<strong>in</strong>g about<br />
the demise of classical music.<br />
JOHN C. SHAW<br />
No Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son?<br />
I bought the December <strong>issue</strong> of The<br />
Absolute Sound and was amazed that the<br />
list<strong>in</strong>g of recommended products does<br />
not feature any components from Mark<br />
Lev<strong>in</strong>son. On <strong>this</strong> side of the ocean,<br />
these are often regarded as reference gear<br />
and have some “cult-status.”<br />
See <strong>this</strong> <strong>issue</strong>’s cover story. –RH<br />
JOHN VAN POLEN<br />
THE NETHERLANDS<br />
Gett<strong>in</strong>g the Bass Right<br />
Thank you for REG’s article on gett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the bass right us<strong>in</strong>g the TacT 2.2X and<br />
corner subs. Flat bass response coupled<br />
with time-alignment <strong>in</strong> a real room<br />
should be heard by music lovers everywhere.<br />
I’ve experimented with sub/sat<br />
arrangements s<strong>in</strong>ce my first M&K system<br />
back <strong>in</strong> 1982. F<strong>in</strong>ally, with the<br />
TacT, the promise is realized. The room<br />
effects, and the loss of midrange magic,<br />
obscured by those ever-present bass<br />
nodes, are effectively removed. My TacT<br />
replaced eight room lenses and bass<br />
busters <strong>in</strong> the corners and the effect is an<br />
order of magnitude more profound (and<br />
the Wife Acceptance Factor is high, too).<br />
While corner/front-fir<strong>in</strong>g subs can<br />
sound really good with the TacT (I’ve<br />
used several, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g VBT and RBH)<br />
I would encourage TacT users to experiment<br />
with dipole bass also. I use a pair<br />
of stacked L<strong>in</strong>kwitz Phoenixes beside<br />
my l<strong>in</strong>e arrays, and the bass is simply<br />
fabulous. I’m not a bass freak, and<br />
mostly listen to acoustic jazz, but the<br />
room-fill<strong>in</strong>g bass from eight 12" drivers<br />
provides a foundation of power and<br />
musical drive that I’d never experienced<br />
before <strong>in</strong> a listen<strong>in</strong>g room. The<br />
m<strong>in</strong>iscule trade-off <strong>in</strong> transparency<br />
with the TacT is more than compensated<br />
for <strong>in</strong> musical realism.<br />
RICHARD SHWERY<br />
The new room-correction system from<br />
Lyngdorf Audio appears to be a significant<br />
advancement <strong>in</strong> the technology. See REG’s<br />
report from CES <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> <strong>issue</strong>. –RH<br />
Perhaps it Was Breath<strong>in</strong>g Those<br />
Solder Fumes<br />
I must write after read<strong>in</strong>g the garbage<br />
written by Bob Gendron about high end<br />
do<strong>in</strong>g the nosedive because manufacturers<br />
are ignor<strong>in</strong>g new music. Hip-hop,<br />
Bob, is garbage music from a garbage<br />
culture that glorifies gangs, cop kill<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
and the white man as the root of all evil.<br />
What’s worse is to see rich suburban<br />
kids listen<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>this</strong> shit with their four<br />
18" subwoofers. All of the other<br />
garbage, like the bands Garbage and<br />
Phish, follow suit.<br />
Yes, gone are the days when an<br />
artist sat <strong>in</strong> front of a microphone and<br />
performed with real talent. Nowadays,<br />
the music is a MIDI patch stuck on<br />
repeat. Where is the melody? Today’s<br />
music is like Hollywood’s latest films.<br />
We need another K<strong>in</strong>g Kong? Most<br />
movies today are patches of other movies<br />
put together under a new title. There is<br />
no creativity at all.<br />
If you like <strong>this</strong> shit Bob, you need<br />
to talk to someone who actually knows<br />
about music. Like a real musician. Neil<br />
Young’s latest album Prairie W<strong>in</strong>d is perhaps<br />
one of the f<strong>in</strong>est albums to come<br />
along <strong>in</strong> years. There are no MIDI tracks<br />
stuck on repeat. It’s real music made by<br />
a real person <strong>in</strong> real time. The lyrics are<br />
timeless. Will the world remember the<br />
band Garbage <strong>in</strong> 20 years?<br />
Back to the real reason high end is<br />
do<strong>in</strong>g the tip. No one builds kits anymore.<br />
When I was sixteen all I could<br />
afford were Dynakits and AR turntables<br />
on my lawn-mow<strong>in</strong>g budget. I got so<br />
turned on to hi-fi by build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>this</strong> stuff<br />
that it became a part of my soul. I’ll bet<br />
Upcom<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> TAS<br />
A complete Goldmund system<br />
Hovland HP-200 preamp<br />
Adept Response power conditioner<br />
Revel F52 speaker<br />
Basic Repertoire: Free-jazz guitarists<br />
Wilson Benesch Full circle turntable system<br />
HP’s Workshop<br />
6 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
L E T T E R S<br />
a large number of equipment manufacturers put kits together<br />
when they were young, too. It gets <strong>in</strong> the blood. Though I’m<br />
not an electrical eng<strong>in</strong>eer, I know what resistors and capacitors<br />
and transistors are. Kids nowadays don’t care about <strong>this</strong> unless<br />
it’s an Xbox. That’s it.<br />
Could you own a ’57 Chevy and not have your head under<br />
the hood? There are people that try, but it just doesn’t work.<br />
You can’t get to the next level until you tweak the transmission<br />
or put <strong>in</strong> a Hurst shifter—stuff like <strong>this</strong>. This is the stuff of love.<br />
And like that ’57 Chevy owned by a non-motorhead, you<br />
just can’t go out and buy a good high-end system the first time.<br />
It will sound like crap because the person buy<strong>in</strong>g it didn’t<br />
know why he was buy<strong>in</strong>g it. It was just because it cost a lot of<br />
money, and the guy at the stereo shop said <strong>this</strong> was top shelf.<br />
When you get to your sixth or seventh power amp, you’ll<br />
know why you don’t have the other ones anymore. You let <strong>this</strong><br />
stuff get <strong>in</strong>to your blood.<br />
My advice to equipment manufacturers is <strong>this</strong>: There has to<br />
be a lot more touchy-feely to <strong>this</strong> stuff. Help consumers understand<br />
what goes on under the hood. Make some stuff that can<br />
be tweaked at home. Let them breath <strong>in</strong> solder fumes. Once<br />
hooked, <strong>this</strong> Audiofish will soon know the difference between<br />
good and garbage.<br />
WAYNE NIELSON<br />
Buy<strong>in</strong>g Used Gear<br />
I love read<strong>in</strong>g TAS, but I’m also a poor college student, as I’m<br />
sure many of you were <strong>in</strong> your glory days, and noth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>terests<br />
me more than budget hi-fi. I am constantly amazed by the<br />
magic that companies can work for less than $1k. Last month’s<br />
article about the $2000 system raises some serious po<strong>in</strong>ts about<br />
how to build a modest listen<strong>in</strong>g setup. I understand that the<br />
goal of the article was not to build the perfect $2000 system,<br />
but to demonstrate the state of normal, two-channel hi-fi <strong>in</strong> a<br />
world of big-box electronics stores peddl<strong>in</strong>g $200 surround systems.<br />
However, <strong>in</strong> my humble op<strong>in</strong>ion, I’m not sure if I agree<br />
with the system put together by the local hi-fi shop, particularly<br />
the peculiar cost imbalance of the components. I believe the<br />
best solution is to go at least partially with used components.<br />
I don’t th<strong>in</strong>k that there is any serious audiophile who<br />
would agree that the best budget system can or should be<br />
built entirely from new gear. For example, the Web site<br />
Audiogon is filled with great used gear; most of the sellers are<br />
honest audio freaks like you and me who take care of their<br />
stuff and are will<strong>in</strong>g to part with it at substantially reduced<br />
prices. It’s also important to note that many f<strong>in</strong>e, expensive<br />
CD players dim<strong>in</strong>ish <strong>in</strong> value after only a couple of years—all<br />
the more reason to go used. A buyer could snatch up someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
like my amp, the 60W Rotel RA972 (w/remote)—a<br />
perfectly good substitute for the pricey 1062. This would<br />
leave several hundred dollars extra to devote to the rest of the<br />
system. It’s <strong>this</strong> k<strong>in</strong>d of balanc<strong>in</strong>g/compromis<strong>in</strong>g that will <strong>in</strong><br />
the end yield a system that gives a true taste of the high end,<br />
and all it requires is a bit of brows<strong>in</strong>g and e-mail<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
DAVID METHOT<br />
The Retail Experience<br />
After read<strong>in</strong>g Barry Willis’ article on The Quest for Great Sound<br />
on a $2000 budget, I could not agree more with his experience<br />
with Mr. Patrick Pack at Access to Music <strong>in</strong> San Rafael,<br />
California. I was a novice audiophile look<strong>in</strong>g for a decent twochannel<br />
system and visited almost all the high-end audio shops<br />
<strong>in</strong> the San Francisco Bay Area. I must say that not all salespersons<br />
are alike <strong>in</strong> the so-called high-end audio market. Everyone<br />
appears to be a self-proclaimed audiophile who has the necessary<br />
technical knowledge on the products he sells, but certa<strong>in</strong>ly with<br />
vary<strong>in</strong>g attitudes. Mr. Pack stands out <strong>in</strong> the crowd with his<br />
enthusiasm and will<strong>in</strong>gness to help a novice customer like me. I<br />
ended up purchas<strong>in</strong>g my system from Mr. Pack who handdelivered<br />
the speakers free of charge to my third floor San<br />
Francisco apartment on his day off. What exemplary service! In<br />
comparison to that, when I visited a well-known high-end<br />
audio-video store <strong>in</strong> San Francisco, a salesperson almost laughed<br />
at my budget and called it “mid-fi” (which is probably true by<br />
his standards).<br />
I th<strong>in</strong>k it’s the experience that counts when you are shopp<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for your audio gear. In <strong>this</strong> age when true audiophile<br />
salespersons are a bl<strong>in</strong>k away from ext<strong>in</strong>ction, I cannot com-<br />
8 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
L E T T E R S<br />
mend enough the positive experience a<br />
salesperson like Mr. Pack provides to all<br />
his customers no matter what the size of<br />
their wallets. An experience like <strong>this</strong> is<br />
hard to f<strong>in</strong>d, and we ought to acknowledge<br />
such outstand<strong>in</strong>g service whenever<br />
we can so that others <strong>in</strong> the sales market<br />
will learn from such examples.<br />
JIN KIM<br />
Red Book CD is Forever?<br />
Congratulations on upp<strong>in</strong>g TAS to<br />
monthly <strong>issue</strong>s. This is a welcome event,<br />
as most people still prefer to read <strong>in</strong><br />
physical form over a computer screen.<br />
My letter concerns your persistent<br />
push for new formats <strong>in</strong> audio. You have<br />
been do<strong>in</strong>g <strong>this</strong> s<strong>in</strong>ce at least the mid<br />
1990s—not too many years after CDs<br />
became mass-market giants. It almost<br />
looks as if you have a personal <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong><br />
a new format, but I’m not charg<strong>in</strong>g you<br />
with <strong>this</strong> per se.<br />
In your most recent editorial, you<br />
blame the mass market for reject<strong>in</strong>g<br />
SACD, creat<strong>in</strong>g its downfall. But it was<br />
audiophile rejection of <strong>this</strong> format that<br />
really did the damage. If SACD can’t satisfy<br />
audiophiles, then how can it satisfy<br />
the mass market?<br />
Understand that when I say <strong>this</strong> I<br />
mean the majority of audiophiles, not all<br />
of them. There is a small group out there<br />
that swears by DSD record<strong>in</strong>gs, most<br />
notably David Rob<strong>in</strong>son, editor of Positive<br />
Feedback Onl<strong>in</strong>e. Many audiophiles used to<br />
be SACD fans, but, due to advances <strong>in</strong><br />
Red Book record<strong>in</strong>gs and playback, they<br />
are no more.<br />
It’s funny that <strong>in</strong> your piece you didn’t<br />
mention the <strong>in</strong>credible advances <strong>this</strong><br />
“old” format has made <strong>in</strong> recent years. I<br />
recommend sp<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g a few record<strong>in</strong>gs by<br />
Hyperion, Harmonia Mundi, or EMI<br />
Classics through the Reimyo CD player<br />
(or the Zanden gear if you’re not afraid of<br />
the price) to get a refresh<strong>in</strong>g update on<br />
CD playback technology.<br />
So my theory that “Red Book is<br />
Forever” holds true, but I’ll be the first<br />
to admit that we still could use a few<br />
more bits <strong>in</strong> word length—why not<br />
HDCD?<br />
JOHN HARNICK<br />
Editorial Wh<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
Your January piece on the neglected<br />
high-res audio potential of Blu-ray and<br />
HD DVD was <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>in</strong>formative,<br />
but I believe it ultimately represents<br />
another <strong>in</strong>stance of misdirected<br />
energy <strong>in</strong> the audiophile community.<br />
Misdirected because you enterta<strong>in</strong> the<br />
slim possibility that someday the<br />
<strong>in</strong>dustry might <strong>in</strong>deed agree upon, roll<br />
out, and support a better audio format<br />
for all music genres, and misdirected<br />
because you dismiss the current success<br />
of SACD as a niche format. By declar<strong>in</strong>g<br />
SACD and DVD-A dead already,<br />
you’re discourag<strong>in</strong>g audiophiles, many<br />
of whom are niche-music fans, from<br />
support<strong>in</strong>g a hi-res format that’s<br />
already here.<br />
As a classical, jazz, and roots-music<br />
follower, I’ve watched many important<br />
European and American boutique labels<br />
enthusiastically embrace SACD. They’re<br />
not only cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>issue</strong> new product;<br />
some of them seem to be <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g<br />
their output. Great producers like Jared<br />
Sacks, Robert Wood, and Ted Perry<br />
know what their customers want, and<br />
they’re back<strong>in</strong>g SACD. The series of<br />
Bach cantata discs I’ve been acquir<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for a couple of years now—beautiful performances<br />
by the Japan Bach Collegium<br />
on early <strong>in</strong>struments—will be <strong>issue</strong>d,<br />
from Vol. 28 onward, <strong>in</strong> SACD hybrid<br />
format only; their label (BIS, Sweden)<br />
understands that SACD offers not only<br />
improved sound but also a competitive<br />
edge <strong>in</strong> the classical marketplace. Last<br />
month The Gramophone, England’s venerable<br />
classical-music magaz<strong>in</strong>e, devoted a<br />
special section to SACD, with capsules<br />
of the best music released so far, reviews<br />
of new hardware (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g pricey twochannel<br />
gear), and heartfelt advocacy for<br />
the technology itself. They have seen a<br />
future that’s actually possible, and they’re<br />
try<strong>in</strong>g to encourage it.<br />
In contrast, your forlorn wish for<br />
some future, more universal format flies<br />
<strong>in</strong> the face of the evidence and only comforts<br />
the enemy. Major labels have<br />
already essentially abandoned m<strong>in</strong>ority<strong>in</strong>terest<br />
genres like classical and jazz.<br />
Why should they <strong>in</strong>vest <strong>in</strong> technology<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 9
L E T T E R S<br />
that likewise <strong>in</strong>terests only a few consumers?<br />
Let’s face it: The most reliable<br />
consumer base for hi-res, now and <strong>in</strong> the<br />
future, consists ma<strong>in</strong>ly of people who<br />
know what a Stradivarius or a Mart<strong>in</strong><br />
Dreadnought actually sounds like and<br />
are will<strong>in</strong>g to pay to hear it <strong>in</strong> their liv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
rooms (or, OK, possibly through<br />
their E5c’s, suck<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a high-sample file<br />
from an iPod).<br />
All those iPods have conv<strong>in</strong>ced the<br />
majors that ord<strong>in</strong>ary folks, many of<br />
whom have never heard an acoustic<br />
<strong>in</strong>strument or experienced unamplified<br />
music <strong>in</strong> a performance space, want<br />
music that’s portable and easy to manipulate,<br />
not “sweet” or “absolute.” Ashlee<br />
Simpson fans are never go<strong>in</strong>g to rise up<br />
and demand Blu-ray.<br />
By repeatedly and prematurely<br />
sound<strong>in</strong>g the death knell for SACD and<br />
DVD-A, you are hurt<strong>in</strong>g those who actually<br />
care. We’ll probably survive—after<br />
all, we’ve been hear<strong>in</strong>g reports of the<br />
“death” of classical music for years now—<br />
but cont<strong>in</strong>ued editorial wh<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g from<br />
<strong>in</strong>fluential voices like yours will only further<br />
dim<strong>in</strong>ish the stream of new domestic<br />
releases on exist<strong>in</strong>g hi-res formats. It certa<strong>in</strong>ly<br />
won’t pave the way for Blu-ray<br />
audio; as you admit, its chances are slim.<br />
Please consider giv<strong>in</strong>g more space<br />
and support <strong>in</strong> TAS to digital hi-res<br />
that’s here, now, <strong>in</strong>stead of cultivat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
false hopes for formats that are far less<br />
likely to emerge, let alone succeed.<br />
LAWRENCE SCHENBECK, DMA<br />
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MUSIC HISTORY<br />
SPELMAN COLLEGE, ATLANTA<br />
For the record, I never said that SACD was<br />
“dead.” Rather, my po<strong>in</strong>t was that as a niche<br />
format at best, SACD (and DVD-Audio)<br />
would not satisfy the two essential criteria of<br />
great sound and availability of a significant<br />
percentage of the world’s recorded music. –RH<br />
CD, High-Res Digital, and LP<br />
First of all, I would like to congratulate<br />
you on a magaz<strong>in</strong>e which is courageous<br />
enough to tackle new and varied highresolution<br />
types of music reproduction<br />
such as SACD and XRCD. Thank you<br />
for propos<strong>in</strong>g to the reader what you<br />
hear and how you hear it on certa<strong>in</strong><br />
equipment when most other magaz<strong>in</strong>es<br />
are ignor<strong>in</strong>g or barely mention<strong>in</strong>g such<br />
important changes <strong>in</strong> the formats of<br />
sound reproduction. In the future, it<br />
will be <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g to see how you tackle<br />
the new high-resolution formats <strong>in</strong><br />
the form of Blu-ray and HD DVD, with<br />
what seems to be the relegation of<br />
SACD and DVD-Audio, <strong>in</strong> particular,<br />
to footnotes of audio history. This<br />
upheaval <strong>in</strong> high-res digital helps me<br />
appreciate your fallback mode with the<br />
LP. It is already a niche market, and as<br />
such is like an old shoe, always familiar<br />
and comfortable. It is for most of us,<br />
10 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
L E T T E R S<br />
the <strong>in</strong>itial impr<strong>in</strong>t of musical <strong>in</strong>formation<br />
aside from live performances, and<br />
as such holds a very dear and special<br />
place <strong>in</strong> our hearts. When I listen to my<br />
LPs, there is always a remembered<br />
experience, which is <strong>in</strong> itself an art<br />
form. Our shared experience with the<br />
people who make the music on the LP,<br />
and those who share our love of hear<strong>in</strong>g<br />
it many times over, is a very engag<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and life-affirm<strong>in</strong>g activity. Naturally,<br />
we f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>this</strong> experience so <strong>in</strong>tensely<br />
personal that we want to relive and<br />
enjoy the sensation we have found <strong>in</strong><br />
such an activity.<br />
I have found the new high-res formats<br />
rem<strong>in</strong>d me of much that I loved<br />
with my LPs. My CD collection on the<br />
other hand has not been able to live up<br />
to the musical art form I felt with LPs<br />
and my SACDs, DVD-Audios, and<br />
XRCDs. Only <strong>in</strong> the last couple of<br />
years have I heard some CDs that really<br />
do express the art of music <strong>in</strong> the<br />
digital format. Ma<strong>in</strong>ly <strong>in</strong> the high-res<br />
formats have I found the soul and joy of<br />
music as it is relayed to the listener <strong>in</strong><br />
the earlier LP mode. However, even <strong>in</strong><br />
the high-res format I’ve found sterile<br />
and univolv<strong>in</strong>g music performances<br />
such as the Sonoma SACD of “Music<br />
for Organ, Brass and Timpani.” I realize<br />
<strong>this</strong> is highly regarded by you, but I<br />
would ask you to listen to the Strauss<br />
“Feierlicher E<strong>in</strong>zug Der Ritter Des<br />
Johanniterordens” on the Audite label.<br />
It is with the Rundfunk-S<strong>in</strong>fonieorchester<br />
Saarbrucken conducted by<br />
Johannes Wildner and performed <strong>in</strong> the<br />
gothic church of St. Arnual.<br />
Where the Graham Ashton<br />
Ensemble is perfect <strong>in</strong> their execution of<br />
the piece on Sonoma, they also, to me,<br />
kill its sense of artistic excitement. The<br />
Wildner group br<strong>in</strong>gs the excitement<br />
and artistic sense of life to <strong>this</strong> music <strong>in</strong><br />
great measure, and makes me want to listen<br />
to it over and over, just as I used to<br />
listen to my best LPs. Both record<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
are <strong>in</strong> the SACD format. I would just say<br />
to you that the joy of music is the real<br />
basis of listen<strong>in</strong>g, no matter the format.<br />
For the above reasons, I would like<br />
to say that I f<strong>in</strong>d the XRCD record<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
of RCA Liv<strong>in</strong>g Stereo far more listenable<br />
than many of the SACD RCA<br />
Liv<strong>in</strong>g Stereo record<strong>in</strong>gs. The SACDs<br />
are screechy <strong>in</strong> the highs and terribly<br />
congested <strong>in</strong> louder passages, whereas<br />
the same performances on XRCD are<br />
much smoother <strong>in</strong> the treble and bass,<br />
and much less congested <strong>in</strong> fuller passages,<br />
where <strong>in</strong>struments are play<strong>in</strong>g at<br />
a forte level.<br />
I realize much of <strong>this</strong> is how I hear<br />
music and thus my op<strong>in</strong>ion, but I would<br />
ask you to always listen for the joy of<br />
music <strong>in</strong> all that you review.<br />
STEVE LIVINGSTON<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 11
f r o m t h e e d i t o r<br />
ne plus ultra <strong>in</strong> Aust<strong>in</strong>, Texas<br />
TAS Plus<br />
Robert Harley<br />
I’m pleased to announce that Absolute<br />
Multimedia, publisher of The Absolute Sound<br />
and The Perfect Vision, has acquired the<br />
British magaz<strong>in</strong>e Hi-Fi+. We th<strong>in</strong>k that Hi-<br />
Fi+ is a natural fit with The Absolute Sound<br />
from both an editorial and a bus<strong>in</strong>ess perspective.<br />
Both magaz<strong>in</strong>es share a fundamental<br />
viewpo<strong>in</strong>t on high-quality music reproduction,<br />
although we have our own dist<strong>in</strong>ctive<br />
flavors. The magaz<strong>in</strong>es’ respective editorial directions<br />
and staff will rema<strong>in</strong> the same now and <strong>in</strong> the foreseeable<br />
future.<br />
We see an opportunity to <strong>in</strong>crease the presence of<br />
The Absolute Sound <strong>in</strong> the U.K. and <strong>in</strong> Europe <strong>in</strong> concert<br />
with Hi-Fi+, and to make Plus more readily available <strong>in</strong><br />
North America. The magaz<strong>in</strong>es will co-exist side-byside<br />
<strong>in</strong> all markets throughout the world. We at TAS<br />
have long admired Hi-Fi+ and are delighted to welcome<br />
Editor Roy Gregory and his team to the Absolute<br />
Multimedia family.<br />
Absolute Multimedia is mak<strong>in</strong>g big waves <strong>in</strong> the<br />
automotive-publish<strong>in</strong>g world too with its start-up autoenthusiast<br />
magaz<strong>in</strong>e, W<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g Road. After just seven<br />
<strong>issue</strong>s, W<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g Road has more than 120,000 readers,<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g it the world’s fastest-grow<strong>in</strong>g auto magaz<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
The dean of automotive publish<strong>in</strong>g, David E. Davis, just<br />
assumed the role of Editor-<strong>in</strong>-Chief. Mr. Davis led Car<br />
and Driver to great success beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 1962, and went<br />
on to found Automobile magaz<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> 1985.<br />
W<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g Road is a free digital magaz<strong>in</strong>e available at<br />
www.w<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>groad.com.<br />
* * *<br />
As discussed <strong>in</strong> last <strong>issue</strong>’s Roundtable on the state<br />
of high-end audio as a bus<strong>in</strong>ess, the premium-grade<br />
presentation of high-end equipment is becom<strong>in</strong>g a lost<br />
art—to the great detriment of the <strong>in</strong>dustry. There’s no<br />
way to tell someone about great sound; one must hear it<br />
for oneself to appreciate what high-end audio is all<br />
about. Given the overall decl<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> the number of places<br />
to experience high-end audio at its best, I was greatly<br />
heartened to discover a relatively new high-end dealership<br />
that is fully committed to deliver<strong>in</strong>g the best possible<br />
sound <strong>in</strong> an absolutely wonderful environment.<br />
That dealer is ne plus ultra <strong>in</strong> Aust<strong>in</strong>, Texas.<br />
Proprietor Casey McKee, an <strong>in</strong>dustry veteran, has set up<br />
shop <strong>in</strong> a Victorian mansion <strong>in</strong> downtown Aust<strong>in</strong>.<br />
Although a by-appo<strong>in</strong>tment retail establishment, ne plus<br />
ultra feels noth<strong>in</strong>g like a store. Rather, it’s like listen<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to music <strong>in</strong> an elegantly furnished home (which, <strong>in</strong> fact,<br />
it is). The “store’s” five listen<strong>in</strong>g suites feature a spectrum<br />
of gear all the way from a Sugden <strong>in</strong>tegrated<br />
amplifier and Audio Physic loudspeakers to the Wilson<br />
Alexandria X-2. (A full list<strong>in</strong>g of l<strong>in</strong>es carried is available<br />
at www.neplusultra<strong>in</strong>c.com.) Every room I heard<br />
delivered terrific sound and the atmosphere encouraged<br />
relaxed listen<strong>in</strong>g and appreciation of the musical pleasure<br />
these products can provide. Ne plus ultra is a model<br />
of how high-end audio should be presented and sold.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally, I’d like to encourage you to jo<strong>in</strong> the writers<br />
and editors of The Absolute Sound and The Perfect Vision at<br />
our new on-l<strong>in</strong>e forum for discuss<strong>in</strong>g all th<strong>in</strong>gs audio.<br />
All your favorite writers will be there along with lots of<br />
other TAS readers. Visit www.avguide.com and br<strong>in</strong>g<br />
your questions, comments, and suggestions. We’d love<br />
to hear from you, and look forward to some lively and<br />
<strong>in</strong>formative discussions.<br />
&<br />
12 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
a b s o l u t e a n a l o g<br />
Lamm Industries LP2 Deluxe Phonostage<br />
and Clearaudio Titanium Cartridge<br />
Jonathan Val<strong>in</strong><br />
I’ve been patt<strong>in</strong>g MBL speakers and<br />
electronics on the back so often<br />
lately for their transparency and<br />
resolution that the front-end components<br />
I’m about to review have<br />
been k<strong>in</strong>d of lost <strong>in</strong> the shuffle. True, the<br />
“grip” of the 101 E Radialstrahlers,<br />
6010 D l<strong>in</strong>estage preamp, and 9011<br />
monoblock amps on very low-level<br />
musical details is phenomenal; <strong>in</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ation,<br />
they simply don’t let go of a<br />
sound until the <strong>in</strong>strument stops sound<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
reach<strong>in</strong>g with greater clarity higher<br />
<strong>in</strong>to fortissimos and lower <strong>in</strong>to pianissimos<br />
than other electronics, and reproduc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the way a note dies off so clearly<br />
and completely that you can hear the<br />
exact moment when the fa<strong>in</strong>test sound<br />
stops and silence starts.<br />
As I mentioned <strong>in</strong> my review of the<br />
ARC Reference 3 preamp and 210 amps<br />
<strong>in</strong> Issue 159, my locus classicus for <strong>this</strong><br />
sort of th<strong>in</strong>g is the first movement<br />
cadenza of the Montsalvatge Concerto<br />
Breve [London], where pianist Alicia de<br />
Larrocha susta<strong>in</strong>s a note via f<strong>in</strong>ger and<br />
pedal for what seems like an eternity,<br />
provid<strong>in</strong>g a primer on the way a piano’s<br />
overtones gradually die out. With the<br />
MBL gear, the <strong>in</strong>stant that de Larrocha<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ally lets up on pedal and key and that<br />
last little enharmonic overtone, which<br />
has been sound<strong>in</strong>g at an extremely low<br />
level for several seconds, f<strong>in</strong>ally stops is<br />
so marked that the moment of rest<br />
which follows takes your breath away.<br />
The clear divide between very-lowlevel<br />
sounds and silence is someth<strong>in</strong>g you<br />
hear <strong>in</strong> concert halls all the time, but<br />
typically don’t hear on stereo systems,<br />
which tend to add enough of their own<br />
noise to obscure both. With <strong>this</strong> record<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and the superb ARC tube gear, for<br />
example, you would be harder put to tell<br />
precisely when that last overtone stops<br />
and silence beg<strong>in</strong>s. The one just seems to<br />
vaguely meld <strong>in</strong>to the other without an<br />
unambiguous l<strong>in</strong>e of demarcation. With<br />
the MBL electronics, the moment that<br />
overtone dies out is like a bank vault<br />
door clos<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
On the other hand, <strong>in</strong> the<br />
<strong>in</strong>stants between successive<br />
notes, the ARC gear<br />
has a magical ability to<br />
“hang” harmonics almost<br />
visibly <strong>in</strong> the air, so you can<br />
hear the way the colors of<br />
one note of, say, John<br />
Ogden’s Ste<strong>in</strong>way—at the<br />
start of the great Andante of<br />
Shostakovich’s Second Piano Concerto—<br />
harmonize with and re<strong>in</strong>force the colors<br />
of the next note, as you would (to an<br />
even greater degree) <strong>in</strong> life.<br />
All of <strong>this</strong> perceived detail is a testament<br />
to the class-lead<strong>in</strong>g resolution of<br />
MBL and ARC electronics (and MBL’s<br />
second-l<strong>in</strong>e preamp, the $8000 5011,<br />
and second-l<strong>in</strong>e amp, the $40k 9008<br />
monoblocks, belong <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> same exalted<br />
company). But it is also a testament to<br />
the transparency of the Lamm LP2<br />
phonostage, the Clearaudio Titanium<br />
cartridge, and the Walker Proscenium<br />
Gold record player that feed these preamps<br />
and amps.<br />
This front end is a veritable pane of<br />
glass when it comes to low-level<br />
detail—and frankly to just about every<br />
other aspect of high-fidelity reproduction.<br />
It is also neutral enough to allow<br />
the ARC gear to show its set of virtues<br />
to full advantage and the MBL its rather<br />
different one, without stamp<strong>in</strong>g its own<br />
personality too markedly on either.<br />
Though other cartridge/phonostage/<br />
record-player combos have significantly<br />
different virtues and several items on<br />
the horizon look promis<strong>in</strong>g, as a music<br />
source noth<strong>in</strong>g I’ve yet heard betters<br />
the Clearaudio/Lamm/Walker, analog<br />
or digital.<br />
There was a time<br />
when I wouldn’t have<br />
said <strong>this</strong>—when I<br />
would’ve conceded that<br />
digital (particularly<br />
SACD) had the edge <strong>in</strong> reproduc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
certa<strong>in</strong> k<strong>in</strong>ds of details,<br />
particularly transient-related<br />
14 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
ones. And while I still th<strong>in</strong>k that<br />
CD/SACD is superior to the best analog<br />
<strong>in</strong> def<strong>in</strong>ition, extension, and impact <strong>in</strong><br />
the low bass, everywhere else the<br />
Lamm/Clearaudio/Walker stomps it.<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce it was the addition of the<br />
$6000 Clearaudio Titanium cartridge<br />
that elevated the Lamm and Walker to<br />
new levels of clarity, I’ll start with it.<br />
The Suchys of Clearaudio (Peter,<br />
Robert, and Patrick) and their U.S.<br />
importer, Garth Leerer of Musical<br />
Surround<strong>in</strong>gs, have been k<strong>in</strong>d of vague<br />
about what it is that makes <strong>this</strong> mov<strong>in</strong>gcoil<br />
cartridge (one of several new “HD”<br />
Series Clearaudio mov<strong>in</strong>g coils, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the Gold, the Stradivari, and the<br />
Concerto) sound so much better. One<br />
difference is obvious. A flanged plastic<br />
disc—look<strong>in</strong>g rather like a small gear or<br />
gigantic, serrated Marigo Dot—sits<br />
atop the cartridge where it mounts to<br />
the headshell. Playfully designated<br />
“magic f<strong>in</strong>gers” by Leerer, it is said to<br />
serve some sort of decoupl<strong>in</strong>g/resonancecontrol<br />
function. Like most quasi-magical<br />
audio “tweaks,” the science of it is<br />
less important than the effect, which<br />
appears to be profound. Clearaudio cartridges<br />
have always been high <strong>in</strong> detail;<br />
<strong>this</strong> one is the highest yet, with simply<br />
unparalleled (<strong>in</strong> my experience) resolution<br />
of both attacks and decays from the<br />
midbass to the upper treble and a (to my<br />
ear) nearer-to-ideal tonal palette than<br />
Clearaudio has before achieved.<br />
It has become a reviewer cliché to<br />
rhapsodize about how much more <strong>in</strong>formation<br />
rema<strong>in</strong>s to be discovered <strong>in</strong> the<br />
thirty, forty, and fifty-year-old grooves of<br />
old-standby LPs, but, folks, it is simply<br />
m<strong>in</strong>d-boggl<strong>in</strong>g to play back a record<br />
you’ve heard scores of times—like the<br />
Rózsa Viol<strong>in</strong> Concerto [RCA]—and<br />
hear new details <strong>in</strong> Heifetz’s bow<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ger<strong>in</strong>g, and, best of all, <strong>in</strong> the sumptuous<br />
tone of his Guarnerius. Listen<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to <strong>this</strong> disc through MBL, ARC, and<br />
Edge electronics, I got the eerie feel<strong>in</strong>g I<br />
was hear<strong>in</strong>g a slightly different press<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of the LP with each pair of preamps and<br />
amps—fresh features were brought to<br />
the foreground by each combo. In comb<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
with that of the Lamm LP2<br />
Deluxe, the cartridge’s transparency to<br />
the source seems to make every disc a<br />
veritable smorgasbord of audio<br />
delights—a table so large and varied<br />
that no one set of electronics can sample<br />
all that is be<strong>in</strong>g offered.<br />
The Titanium (so-called because it is<br />
housed <strong>in</strong> a titanium body) uses lowermass<br />
coils and higher-efficiency magnets<br />
than previous top-end Suchy designs,<br />
although both coils and magnets are configured<br />
<strong>in</strong> same “symmetrical” fashion as<br />
classic Clearaudios, and output rema<strong>in</strong>s a<br />
relatively high 0.8mV. The Titanium<br />
does have a completely new stylus, however—a<br />
design that the Suchys call<br />
“Micro HD.” I don’t know what geometric<br />
changes the Micro HD may entail,<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 15
ut the resolution, tone color, transients,<br />
soundstag<strong>in</strong>g, and transparency<br />
of the cartridge are doubtlessly attributable<br />
<strong>in</strong> part to the extremely low mass<br />
(0.00016 grams) of the HD stylus and<br />
perhaps to the high mass (9 grams) of<br />
the titanium hous<strong>in</strong>g, which is said to<br />
lower resonance and reflections and permit<br />
better dynamics. (Clearaudio claims<br />
a dynamic range of +95dB, which<br />
would expla<strong>in</strong> the Titanium’s way with<br />
start<strong>in</strong>g and stopp<strong>in</strong>g transients.) At a<br />
VTF of about 2.35 grams, the Titanium<br />
also tracks beautifully.<br />
The Titanium isn’t perfect. It is not<br />
as thunderous or extended <strong>in</strong> the very<br />
deep bass as, say, the MBL 1621A/<br />
1611E CD player are. Though it has<br />
plenty of “oomph” on doublebasses,<br />
timps, piano, or low brass and w<strong>in</strong>ds, it<br />
won’t reproduce someth<strong>in</strong>g like a battery<br />
of Tsuridaiko and Kakko drums or<br />
the synths on David Bowie’s Earthl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
[Sony] with the jaw-dropp<strong>in</strong>g impact of<br />
the MBL digital gear. On the tip-top it<br />
is just a little less st<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>gly dynamic<br />
than CD/SACD on attacks like cymbal<br />
strikes, although it compensates for <strong>this</strong><br />
with greater treble-range air, superior<br />
extension, more natural tone colors, and<br />
simply marvelous decays. The way the<br />
16 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
Titanium/Lamm hangs on to someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
like the long reverberation of the tamtam<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Decca record<strong>in</strong>g of Henze’s<br />
charm<strong>in</strong>g ballet-cum-flute-concerto The<br />
Emperor’s Night<strong>in</strong>gale [L’Oiseau-Lyre] is<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g to marvel at. Its midband is,<br />
as noted, much more gemütlich than previous<br />
Clearaudio I’ve auditioned,<br />
though not overly warm after the fashion<br />
of a Koetsu or gravy-rich-and-thick<br />
like a Shelter. On a superb cut like “All<br />
My Trials” from Peter Paul & Mary’s In<br />
the W<strong>in</strong>d [Warner]—a record that really<br />
ought to be re<strong>issue</strong>d by someone—it<br />
comes as close to mak<strong>in</strong>g voices and guitars<br />
sound <strong>in</strong>-the-room-with-you there as<br />
anyth<strong>in</strong>g I’ve heard from any source.<br />
If the Titanium has added new layers<br />
of musical detail to my front-end setup,<br />
the $6990 Lamm Industries LP2 Deluxe<br />
phonostage has preserved them <strong>in</strong>tact.<br />
To be honest it has taken me a very<br />
long time to appreciate the virtues of the<br />
LP2 Deluxe. When I first got it—several<br />
years ago, now—I thought it was too<br />
polite, too lack<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> bloom, too dark<br />
and lifeless. Why, then, did I use it?<br />
Because it was also, and <strong>in</strong> spite of these<br />
serious deficiencies, dead quiet.<br />
Vladimir Lamm lives and works <strong>in</strong><br />
Brooklyn, where RFI is a genu<strong>in</strong>e problem.<br />
Unlike certa<strong>in</strong> other designers of<br />
phonostages, who seem<strong>in</strong>gly live on<br />
mounta<strong>in</strong>tops far from urban broadcast<br />
towers and who simply don’t appreciate<br />
how irritat<strong>in</strong>g it is to listen to an LP<br />
while a radio program <strong>in</strong>termittently<br />
drones on <strong>in</strong> the background, Vladimir<br />
feels your pa<strong>in</strong>. Thanks to what is<br />
unquestionably the best step-up transformer<br />
around (the unit is made by<br />
Jensen Transformers) and elaborate RFI<br />
filter<strong>in</strong>g of the AC voltage, he has seen<br />
to it that I don’t have to “tune out” some<br />
evangelist prais<strong>in</strong>g the Lord over the airwaves<br />
while Messaien praises Him after<br />
his own fashion on the turntable.<br />
Generally step-up devices rob you of<br />
transparency, and they do <strong>this</strong> at the very<br />
first l<strong>in</strong>k <strong>in</strong> the Great Cha<strong>in</strong> of<br />
Reproduction, which means there is no<br />
way of compensat<strong>in</strong>g for what’s been<br />
lost. I don’t know what’s different about<br />
the Jensen transformer, but it is phenomenally<br />
transparent, and, s<strong>in</strong>ce it isolates<br />
the signal from RFI/EMI contam<strong>in</strong>ation,<br />
phenomenally quiet.<br />
The step-up transformer aside, you<br />
wouldn’t th<strong>in</strong>k that the LP2 would be a<br />
world-beat<strong>in</strong>gly low-noise component,<br />
as it is all-tube save for one solid-state<br />
regulator for the heater supply.<br />
Vladimir, who likes to do th<strong>in</strong>gs differently,<br />
makes a superb solid-state<br />
l<strong>in</strong>estage preamp, the L2 Reference; for<br />
reasons only he can expla<strong>in</strong>, he turned to<br />
Western Electric 417A/5842 triodes for<br />
his phono preamp. You might th<strong>in</strong>k <strong>this</strong><br />
would soften the sound and grunge it up<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 17
a bit, but it doesn’t. Indeed, you’d be<br />
hard put to dist<strong>in</strong>guish the LP2 from its<br />
transistorized partner—it sounds so little<br />
like tubes. As noted, right out of the<br />
box it doesn’t sound particularly dist<strong>in</strong>guished,<br />
either.<br />
A friend and former employer of<br />
m<strong>in</strong>e, Jerry Gladste<strong>in</strong>, once told me that<br />
the keys to gett<strong>in</strong>g the most out of the<br />
LP2 were time and patience. He was<br />
right. It takes a good six months of constant<br />
play to start to get the LP2 to<br />
straighten up and walk right. Even then<br />
it still sounds the slightest bit dark,<br />
overly controlled, and lack<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> bloom<br />
compared to someth<strong>in</strong>g like the<br />
Aesthetix Io. But even before it fully<br />
loosens up, its clarity will impress you,<br />
and when it f<strong>in</strong>ally does break <strong>in</strong>...folks,<br />
you a<strong>in</strong>’t heard noth<strong>in</strong>g yet until you’ve<br />
heard <strong>this</strong> preamp with a truly high-resolution<br />
cartridge like the Titanium. It<br />
passes everyth<strong>in</strong>g through, uncolored<br />
and unedited (save for that slight persistent<br />
darkness and reduction <strong>in</strong> bloom),<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g for what may be the most transparent<br />
source component I’ve yet heard.<br />
With the LP2, what you get from the<br />
cartridge is essentially what you get from<br />
the Lamm unit’s outputs, which is why<br />
very different preamp/amp combos like<br />
the MBL 6010/9011 or 5010/9008 or the<br />
ARC Reference 3/210 or the Edge<br />
1.1/12.5 not only sound markedly different<br />
but br<strong>in</strong>g entirely different details of<br />
the record<strong>in</strong>g to life. The LP2 just transmits<br />
the <strong>in</strong>formation, lett<strong>in</strong>g the preamps<br />
and amps pick and choose the emphases.<br />
As different-sound<strong>in</strong>g as they are, the<br />
presentations of all these preamp/amp<br />
combos do have certa<strong>in</strong> th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> common<br />
that are attributable to the LP2.<br />
First, as noted, low-level transient<br />
and harmonic details are exceptionally<br />
clear, mak<strong>in</strong>g attacks and decays more<br />
lifelike and produc<strong>in</strong>g the best reproduction<br />
of the duration of notes I’ve yet<br />
heard. With the right record<strong>in</strong>gs, such as<br />
Viktor Kalabis’ Sonata for Viol<strong>in</strong> and<br />
Piano [Panton], you not only get the<br />
whole note you get the whole mechanism<br />
by which that note was sounded.<br />
The LP2 (with the Titanium and<br />
Walker) positively illum<strong>in</strong>ates the action<br />
of pianist Milian Langer’s piano, so that<br />
you can “hear” the depression of the keys,<br />
the felts of the hammers, the movements<br />
of the balanciers and the jacks. These are<br />
the k<strong>in</strong>ds of detail that, as Robert Harley<br />
noted <strong>in</strong> our last <strong>issue</strong>, contribute to the<br />
“realistic” presence of an <strong>in</strong>strument and<br />
<strong>in</strong>strumentalist, and the LP2 gives them<br />
to you, to quote Sallie Reynolds, <strong>in</strong><br />
spades and diamonds.<br />
Second, bass is unusually welldef<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
and extended. As noted, the LP2<br />
won’t give you CD def<strong>in</strong>ition and thwack<br />
on Japanese drums or bass synth, but as<br />
phonostages go it comes mighty close<br />
18 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
and is simply superb on low-pitched<br />
acoustic <strong>in</strong>struments, reach<strong>in</strong>g deeper<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the bottom than the Aesthetix Io but<br />
without all of the Aesthetix’s magical<br />
mid-and-upper-bass bloom.<br />
Third, though the LP2 is a supremely<br />
transparent device, it is slightly sweet<br />
and forgiv<strong>in</strong>g—noth<strong>in</strong>g ever really<br />
sounds awful through it, although<br />
whether <strong>this</strong> is a demerit I leave up to<br />
you. As for its tonal balance…at one<br />
early po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong> its sojourn, I thought the<br />
LP2 was darker than it actually is; either<br />
it or I have outgrown that phase, for it<br />
now sounds closer to neutral.<br />
Fourth, because the LP2 lacks the<br />
helium bloom of someth<strong>in</strong>g like the<br />
Aesthetix Io, <strong>in</strong>struments can sound<br />
slightly “flatter” through it than they do<br />
through classic tube phonostages.<br />
However, dimensionality depends to a<br />
large extent on what you feed the LP2<br />
<strong>in</strong>to. With l<strong>in</strong>estages that are capable of<br />
3-D imag<strong>in</strong>g, such as the Edge or ARC<br />
Reference 3, you get a very satisfy<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
three-dimensional sound.<br />
Fifth, the LP2 is not a one-size-fits-all<br />
soundstager like the Zanden phonostage.<br />
As with bloom, it doesn’t over-<strong>in</strong>flate the<br />
stage, but passes on what’s on the record,<br />
lett<strong>in</strong>g the l<strong>in</strong>estage/amp make its own<br />
<strong>in</strong>terpretation of the data. If the l<strong>in</strong>estage<br />
and amp are consistently big-sound<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
like the Ref 3/210, the stage is enormous.<br />
If they are more size-neutral, like the<br />
MBL 6010/9011 or 5011/9008, then the<br />
stage grows and shr<strong>in</strong>ks with the source.<br />
With speakers that are as capable as<br />
the 101 Es, and electronics that are as<br />
high <strong>in</strong> resolution as the MBL amps and<br />
preamps and the ARC amp and preamp,<br />
it is easy to forget how crucial the front<br />
end is. But its transparency to the source<br />
is, <strong>in</strong> fact, the key to all that follows, and<br />
<strong>in</strong> the case of the Titanium cartridge, the<br />
Lamm LP2 Deluxe phonostage, and the<br />
Walker ’table and arm, <strong>this</strong> transparency<br />
is so high that I seldom f<strong>in</strong>d myself listen<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to CDs or SACDs anymore. I can<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k of no higher compliment to pay an<br />
analog front end than that. &<br />
MANUFACTURER AND DISTRIBUTOR INFORMATION<br />
MUSICAL SURROUNDINGS, INC.<br />
5662 Shattuck Ave<br />
Oakland, California 94609<br />
(510) 547-5006<br />
musicalsurround<strong>in</strong>gs.com<br />
Price: $6000<br />
LAMM INDUSTRIES INC.<br />
2621 East 24th Street<br />
Brooklyn, New York 11235<br />
(718) 368-0181<br />
lamm<strong>in</strong>dustries.com<br />
Price: $6990<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 19
A HIGHER HIGH END<br />
2006<br />
CONSUMER<br />
ELECTRONICS<br />
SHOW<br />
This year’s CES was a most<br />
fasc<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g affair. For those<br />
of us assigned to cover the<br />
high-end exhibits at the<br />
Alexis Park and T.H.E.<br />
Show, it’s safe to say<br />
that <strong>this</strong> expo was<br />
unlike any other<br />
<strong>in</strong> recent<br />
memory.
It was almost exclusively about two-channel sound,<br />
and almost exclusively about very pricey gear. To be<br />
sure, there’s still plenty of affordable stuff out there<br />
(and you’ll f<strong>in</strong>d the cream of it on the follow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
pages), and aspir<strong>in</strong>g to the highest of the high end<br />
has always been an expensive game, but never before<br />
have we seen so many components at $10,000 and<br />
above. Manufacturers rout<strong>in</strong>ely described systems<br />
compris<strong>in</strong>g $30,000 monoblock amps, $15,000 preamps,<br />
$20,000 DACs, and $25,000–$60,000 speaker systems<br />
as “affordable.” To actually come across a component<br />
that was “merely” $10,000 was a k<strong>in</strong>d of perverse<br />
relief. In our current economy, the gap between the<br />
haves and have-nots is grow<strong>in</strong>g and the middle class is<br />
shr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g. If <strong>this</strong> trend is reflected <strong>in</strong> specialty audio—<br />
and we believe it is—it <strong>in</strong>dicates that what was once the<br />
bread-and-butter price range of $1500– $5000 per<br />
component is shr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g as well. If last year’s show<br />
<strong>in</strong>dicated a grow<strong>in</strong>g separation between two-channel<br />
audio and home theater and an <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> analog<br />
sales, <strong>this</strong> year’s—at least <strong>in</strong> our little high-end world—<br />
even more forcefully announced itself as two-channel,<br />
analog-based, pricey, and proud of it. So, pour yourself<br />
a dr<strong>in</strong>k, put on some music, sit back, and tour the<br />
show with our staff. Eight enthusiastic and ultimately<br />
footsore gents were assigned to report on the most <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g<br />
components seen and heard. Although we don’t<br />
list every item displayed <strong>in</strong> every room, we’re confident<br />
that our commentary reflects what makes CES—and<br />
our hobby—so much fun. F<strong>in</strong>ally, apologies to the<br />
many worthy manufacturers who we were unable to<br />
mention due to either time or space limitations.<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 23
CES2006 REPORT<br />
LOUDSPEAKERS $4000–$10,000<br />
NEIL GADER<br />
Every CES has its own characteristic vibe. Over the last<br />
few years that vibe has been decidedly downbeat <strong>in</strong> the<br />
audio sector, with the home-theater groundswell creat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a siege mentality among high-end exhibitors. In<br />
a half-baked response, a bevy of new subwoofers, center<br />
channel and surround speakers, and even <strong>in</strong>-walls<br />
were floated like lifeboats<br />
on the swiftly ris<strong>in</strong>g<br />
video-centric tide.<br />
This year the mood<br />
was more upbeat, even<br />
defiant. And certa<strong>in</strong>ly<br />
more focused. Clearly<br />
attendance was lighter<br />
and exhibitors fewer, but<br />
accord<strong>in</strong>g to some distributors<br />
more serious<br />
bus<strong>in</strong>ess was be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
done. The exhibits<br />
seemed to pander less to<br />
potential crossover buyers<br />
and more to the<br />
high-end’s dedicated base.<br />
TAS’ Neil<br />
Gader chats As a result, entry-level products played second<br />
with Elite’s fiddle to some of the most impressive flagship loudspeakers<br />
I’ve seen <strong>in</strong> some time. There was even an<br />
Scot Markwell<br />
(a former<br />
unapologetic trend towards small but mondoexpensive<br />
“statement” components <strong>in</strong> product cate-<br />
colleague)<br />
gories typically associated with cost sav<strong>in</strong>gs. Whereas <strong>in</strong>tegrated<br />
amplifiers and stand-mounted two-ways were rarely priced north<br />
of three or four grand a few years ago, they sure aren’t today. Fresh<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifier offer<strong>in</strong>gs like the CA200 control amplifier<br />
from Conrad-Johnson and the Précis from Chapter Electronics<br />
and speakers like the Duette from Wilson Audio and the 121<br />
from MBL exemplified <strong>this</strong> champagne-and-caviar trend.<br />
Small Speaker for Big Spenders<br />
These noteworthy compacts may not be at the<br />
top of their respective l<strong>in</strong>es, but the seriousness<br />
of their performance could signal a revolution<br />
<strong>in</strong> small-speaker design—and an<br />
important development for high-res multichannel<br />
fans seek<strong>in</strong>g space-sav<strong>in</strong>g alternatives<br />
to large floorstanders.<br />
Eben of Denmark made a strong impression<br />
<strong>in</strong> a couple of sett<strong>in</strong>gs, but it was its X-<br />
Centric ($9200), a stand-mounted monitor<br />
with a planar-magnetic tweeter, that demonstrated<br />
a speed, dynamism, and punch rare <strong>in</strong><br />
Acapella’s Fidelio II<br />
<strong>this</strong> weight class.<br />
From Elac of<br />
Germany the BS 602<br />
X-Jet, a compact<br />
stand-mounted threeway,<br />
offered an <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g<br />
sp<strong>in</strong> on the<br />
concentric driver,<br />
wrapp<strong>in</strong>g a circular<br />
planar magnetic/honeycomb<br />
midrange<br />
around Elac’s own Jet<br />
III ribbon tweeter.<br />
Replete with <strong>in</strong>verted alum<strong>in</strong>um-cone<br />
woofer and high-tech<br />
alum<strong>in</strong>um enclosure, it jetted <strong>in</strong> at<br />
$9000. At $6800 the Acapella Fidelio<br />
II was a t<strong>in</strong>y but brilliant reproducer of vocals, although it will<br />
certa<strong>in</strong>ly benefit from a subwoofer for more aggressive listen<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Beautifully constructed of layered hardwoods rather than<br />
the customary MDF, it uses a pair of small woofers nestled<br />
tightly aga<strong>in</strong>st a centered tweeter. Bass output and extension<br />
are said to be roughly the equivalent of a s<strong>in</strong>gle 7" driver.<br />
The Wilson Audio Duette falls just wide of my category at<br />
$11,000, but I’ll take the liberty of mention<strong>in</strong>g the impressive<br />
performance it displayed at a demo <strong>in</strong> the Mirage. Its understated<br />
looks conceal some <strong>in</strong>trigu<strong>in</strong>g technology. Built to meet<br />
the challenges of “hostile environments”—that is, position<strong>in</strong>g at<br />
weird heights, like bookshelves or near boundaries—it can be<br />
optimized via an extravagant external crossover and custom<br />
crossover-to-speaker cabl<strong>in</strong>g. In an A/B/C comparison with two<br />
other ultra-prestige speakers, a compact two-way and a hefty<br />
floorstander, the Duette made the sonic peck<strong>in</strong>g order clear.<br />
Goldmund <strong>in</strong>troduced the Logos Active, part of the company’s<br />
new (and for Goldmund, affordable) Metis L<strong>in</strong>e. The Logos<br />
Active is a two-way satellite with solid alum<strong>in</strong>um cab<strong>in</strong>ets. Each<br />
of the speaker’s drivers is powered by a 200-watt Goldmund<br />
Telos amp. In addition, s<strong>in</strong>ce Goldmund DACs are built-<strong>in</strong>, the<br />
Logos Active accepts digital <strong>in</strong>put. Total cost is $10,000.<br />
Jewel-like <strong>in</strong> its construction, the MBL Radialstrahler-<br />
Compact 121 ($10,000) produced<br />
vivid three-dimensional<br />
imag<strong>in</strong>g and soundstag<strong>in</strong>g<br />
thanks to the omni<br />
tweeter/midrange technology<br />
that it shares with the vaunted<br />
MBL 101 and 111 speakers.<br />
With surpris<strong>in</strong>g bass output<br />
from its push-pull woofer configuration<br />
it displayed more<br />
than a pass<strong>in</strong>g resemblance to<br />
MBL Radialstrahler-<br />
Compact 121<br />
24 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
NEIL GADER’S Best of Show<br />
Most Significant New Product<br />
Any product that draws the younger generation toward the high<br />
end is significant. So my most significant new product is Arcam’s<br />
r-Lead ($85)—an “<strong>in</strong>telligent” cable that enables Arcam’s Solo<br />
remote handset to control the iPod, and provides track, song, and<br />
other iPod <strong>in</strong>formation on the receiver’s display. A more advanced<br />
unit, the r-Dock arrives later <strong>this</strong> year.<br />
Coolest New Products<br />
Thorens premiered a series of stunn<strong>in</strong>g electronics—the $2000<br />
TEP-302 phono preamplifier, the TEP-3800 preamp at $14,995,<br />
and the TEM-3200 tube/transistor hybrid monoblock amplifiers at<br />
$29,990.<br />
Coolest Accessory<br />
Synergistic Research has been clever enough to exploit the possibilities<br />
of one of the most musical subs out there, the REL l<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
Its SR Spec cables with active shield<strong>in</strong>g, specifically voiced for<br />
REL subs, are a natural expression of <strong>this</strong> cable manufacturer’s<br />
spirit of <strong>in</strong>novation.<br />
Most Frequently Heard Demo Music<br />
Diana Krall and Kodo drummers were popular. So was Nils<br />
Lofgren’s guitar-slash<strong>in</strong>g “Keith Don’t Go.” I was pretty numb from<br />
<strong>this</strong> track until I heard it on the Co<strong>in</strong>cident Speaker Technology<br />
Total Victory—a heckuva loudspeaker.<br />
Greatest Value<br />
In the m<strong>in</strong>i department, Silverl<strong>in</strong>e’s Prelude at $1200 is a t<strong>in</strong>y<br />
tower capable of play<strong>in</strong>g surpris<strong>in</strong>gly big and clean. From F<strong>in</strong>land,<br />
the Amphion Ion is a petite two-way that was tuneful with a<br />
vibrant presence range at $1350. F<strong>in</strong>ally, there was the Majestic<br />
Magic Diamond II two-way from TBI Sound. This m<strong>in</strong>i with a 2"<br />
paper-cone tweeter and 5" cone woofer made some serious highend<br />
music, while clock<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> at an estimated $1000.<br />
Biggest Surprise at CES<br />
The sheer number of turntables actively be<strong>in</strong>g used <strong>in</strong> exhibitor’s<br />
rooms was truly eye-open<strong>in</strong>g—as was their performance.<br />
Best Sound at CES<br />
Sonicweld takes a systems approach with its active loudspeakers.<br />
Not <strong>in</strong>expensive at $49,000–$64,000 (depend<strong>in</strong>g on subwoofers),<br />
the system comes complete with triple ICEpower modules<br />
for each quasi-l<strong>in</strong>e-array satellite speaker, a Subpulse bass<br />
module, and the DEQX PDC (preamp-style functions and digital<br />
crossover and room correction). Sonicweld’s trademark CNC alum<strong>in</strong>um<br />
construction throughout is a m<strong>in</strong>dblower.<br />
TAS Family Reunion:<br />
Neil Gader, Harry Pearson,<br />
Jon Val<strong>in</strong>, and Wayne Garcia<br />
its slamm<strong>in</strong>g big brothers. The new rosewood f<strong>in</strong>ish was a breathtak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
change from the more somber piano black seen throughout<br />
the show.<br />
Curves Are In<br />
It’s well known that non-parallel sidewalls make for better<br />
loudspeakers, and they made their presence known <strong>this</strong> year.<br />
Musical Surround<strong>in</strong>gs, the distributor of all th<strong>in</strong>gs analog, has<br />
taken on its first speaker l<strong>in</strong>e with fasc<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g Vivid Audio.<br />
Out of South Africa, with an ex-B&W designer at the helm,<br />
Vivid offered a series of graceful ovular loudspeakers that use<br />
carbon-fiber-loaded polyester-compound enclosures and drivers<br />
of Vivid’s own design and manufacture. The fully decoupled<br />
midrange and tweeter feature alum<strong>in</strong>um domes mounted <strong>in</strong><br />
tapered tubes. The new V1.5 ($7500), a two-way with a s<strong>in</strong>gle<br />
pole floorstand that flares out to a broad pedestal, is likely to be<br />
the meat-and-potatoes of the l<strong>in</strong>e. Available <strong>in</strong> any Pantone<br />
color for an additional $750.<br />
Much <strong>in</strong>k has been spilled writ<strong>in</strong>g about the Model 1<br />
loudspeakers from the TAD Pro Division of Pioneer<br />
Electronics. The new Pioneer EX Series embodies many of<br />
the Model One’s virtues, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the Coherent Source<br />
Transducer (a beryllium tweeter mounted with<strong>in</strong> a magnesium<br />
midrange), <strong>in</strong> a much more affordable package.<br />
Available as the stand-mounted three-way S-2EX for $6000<br />
and the S-1EX floorstander at $9000.<br />
Curves were also <strong>in</strong> evidence <strong>in</strong> the Evolution l<strong>in</strong>e from<br />
Italian maker Pearl Evolution. The speakers’ dynamic drivers<br />
are essentially decoupled from their front baffles, though<br />
they rema<strong>in</strong> pistonically l<strong>in</strong>ear and<br />
stable thanks to a rigid horizontal<br />
pole runn<strong>in</strong>g from the rear of the cab<strong>in</strong>ets<br />
to the back of the transducers’<br />
magnets. The result<strong>in</strong>g sound was<br />
boxless and electrostat-like <strong>in</strong> the<br />
mids and highs, meld<strong>in</strong>g transparency<br />
with dynamism like few speakers<br />
at the show. The Evo-203, a two-way<br />
Pearl, will retail for $6000.<br />
Mirage has rescaled its small<br />
potent Omnisat technology and driven<br />
it uptown with the curvaceous OMD-<br />
28. On display <strong>in</strong> a vivid burl gra<strong>in</strong>,<br />
<strong>this</strong> three-way, upward-fir<strong>in</strong>g omni<br />
with concentric tweeter/midrange<br />
sports a dual port <strong>in</strong> its base. Due <strong>in</strong><br />
late spr<strong>in</strong>g at $7500.<br />
Perennial Frontrunners<br />
Quad, one of the high-end’s legendary<br />
darl<strong>in</strong>gs, displayed the 2805 ($9000)<br />
and its larger cous<strong>in</strong> the 2905<br />
($11,500) electrostats. Derived from<br />
PHOTO BY ROBERT HARLEY<br />
Harbeth’s new, unnamed speaker<br />
26 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
the current 988 and 989 respectively, both boast improvements<br />
to the stator panel membrane and greater frame rigidity (thanks<br />
to hefty alum<strong>in</strong>um side extrusions and top caps, and an alum<strong>in</strong>um<br />
buttress <strong>in</strong> the rear).<br />
Focal’s new Electra 1007Be ($3995) compact two-way projected<br />
rich sonics via a beryllium <strong>in</strong>verted-dome tweeter. The<br />
bass-reflex design locates the port at the back near its base. Also<br />
available as a floorstander, the 1027Be, that will list for $7495.<br />
Harbeth premiered a mysterious, mid-sized, three-way,<br />
tri-wireable floorstander <strong>in</strong> gorgeous burl that employs a dualwoofer<br />
design with a rear port. The speaker embodied the characteristic<br />
Harbeth qualities of tonal neutrality and warmth <strong>in</strong><br />
an updated design. Available later <strong>this</strong> year. (Pric<strong>in</strong>g has not yet<br />
been announced.)<br />
Importer/distributor Immedia has replaced Audio<br />
Physic <strong>in</strong> its distribution cha<strong>in</strong> with another German contender,<br />
Sonics. The deep, narrow-baffle designs of the<br />
Allegretto and Allegro ($5300 and $7800) are rem<strong>in</strong>iscent<br />
of the best of Audio Physic (they should be with former AP<br />
designer Joachim Gerhard at the helm), and judg<strong>in</strong>g by a<br />
quick listen to Tony Bennett/Bill Evans tracks on the flagship<br />
PassionS ($32,000), Sonics offer<strong>in</strong>gs obviously have the<br />
transparency and many of the same soundstage qualities that<br />
have always dist<strong>in</strong>guished AP loudspeakers. ➤<br />
INTEGRATED/“CONTROL” AMPLIFIERS<br />
JIM HANNON<br />
As the audio venues <strong>in</strong> Las Vegas demonstrated, <strong>in</strong>tegrated<br />
amplifiers offer some of the best values <strong>in</strong><br />
audio, and several new offer<strong>in</strong>gs grabbed my attention.<br />
Designers are overcom<strong>in</strong>g some of the physical<br />
and performance limitations of <strong>in</strong>tegrated<br />
amplifiers, namely the relatively small size of<br />
power supplies and the <strong>in</strong>ability to completely isolate sensitive<br />
preamp circuitry from the noisier power amplifier section. Indeed,<br />
<strong>this</strong> show suggested that the performance gap between <strong>in</strong>tegrated<br />
amplifiers and their “separates” counterparts is narrow<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Conrad-Johnson CA200 control amplifier<br />
Several of the trends that I note <strong>in</strong> power amplifiers (see<br />
“Power Amplifiers under $10,000” below) also apply to <strong>in</strong>tegrated<br />
amplifiers. Some of the biggest names <strong>in</strong> audio are us<strong>in</strong>g their<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegrated and control amps to expand their markets <strong>in</strong>to lowerpriced<br />
segments. The good news here is that many are us<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
same circuits <strong>in</strong> their <strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifiers found <strong>in</strong> their more<br />
expensive separates—but at a significant sav<strong>in</strong>gs. Unfortunately,<br />
many of these components were on static display, so I am unable<br />
to comment on their sonics. However, if you’ve ever dreamed of<br />
own<strong>in</strong>g Conrad-Johnson, McIntosh, Bryston, or MBL separates<br />
but found their prices beyond your budget, I encourage you to<br />
check out their new <strong>in</strong>tegrated or control amplifiers.<br />
What’s a control amplifier? Conrad-Johnson is call<strong>in</strong>g it<br />
a new category between power and <strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifiers. The<br />
Conrad-Johnson CA200 control amplifier ($6500), for example,<br />
comb<strong>in</strong>es a set of <strong>in</strong>put selector switches, a stepped attenuator<br />
positioned at the <strong>in</strong>put of the amplifier, and a reduced<br />
power version of CJ’s Premier 350 amplifier. This design<br />
JIM HANNON’S Best of Show<br />
Most Significant New Products<br />
The upcom<strong>in</strong>g Classic Records re<strong>issue</strong>s, particularly the 35mm<br />
Everests, the mono Blue Notes, the Coltrane (One Down, One Up),<br />
and Voodoo Child from the Jimi Hendrix collection.<br />
Coolest New Products<br />
The Manley Labs Manta Ray <strong>in</strong>tegrated (th<strong>in</strong>k two Snappers on<br />
one big chassis, five l<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>puts, a USB connector, and a remote),<br />
and the Wavelength Audio Jupiter 50 (the first commercially<br />
available amp based on the RCA 50 tube).<br />
Coolest Accessory<br />
The Acoustic System Resonators. These m<strong>in</strong>ute metal objects<br />
that rest on wooden bases can help focus your soundstage and<br />
disperse room “nasties.”<br />
Most Frequently Heard Demo Music<br />
Can’t say s<strong>in</strong>ce I asked them to play jazz and classical music.<br />
Greatest Value<br />
The McIntosh MA6300 and NuForce IA7 <strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifiers<br />
with circuits from their much more expensive separates.<br />
Biggest Surprise at CES<br />
The number of turntable rigs be<strong>in</strong>g used <strong>in</strong> demos. How I wish I<br />
could afford the Kuzma straight-l<strong>in</strong>e arm and Reference table.<br />
Listen<strong>in</strong>g to the marvelous sound of the Merl<strong>in</strong> VSM-MXs driven<br />
by a VPI TNT VI rig made my ears go “Ahhhhh!”<br />
Best Sound at CES<br />
Besides the $750,000 Bosendorfer Grand Piano, the big<br />
SoundLab Millennium-1 PXs (Tascam DV-RA1000/Blowtorch<br />
Pre/Parasound JC1s) captured my heart with their seamless<br />
coherence from top to bottom, ultra-low distortion, transient<br />
speed, and truth of timbre. However, my head said the nod<br />
should go to the big MBLs for their resolution and <strong>in</strong>credible<br />
dynamic range. Honorable mentions: Merl<strong>in</strong>, Kharma, Wisdom<br />
Audio/Edge, Rockport/Nagra/Purist, Verity Audio/Nagra, Usher<br />
(particularly the BE-20s), Wilson/Audio Research, and<br />
B&W/Musical Fidelity.<br />
28 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
essentially elim<strong>in</strong>ates the l<strong>in</strong>estage and<br />
has no ga<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> the “control section.”<br />
We’ve seen some f<strong>in</strong>e amplifiers with volume<br />
controls, but <strong>this</strong> solution allows the<br />
use of multiple sources.<br />
McIntosh premiered its MA6300<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifier (price is still TBD<br />
but is projected around $3000), which<br />
comb<strong>in</strong>es the preamp circuit from the C46<br />
Audio Control Center with the output<br />
topologies of its MC2KW power amplifier and MA6500 <strong>in</strong>tegrated.<br />
It is rated at 100Wpc <strong>in</strong>to 8 ohms and uses a new type<br />
of output device that locates the thermal sensor <strong>in</strong>side the transistor.<br />
This is said to result <strong>in</strong> lower distortion at all power levels<br />
without excess heat. All switch<strong>in</strong>g is done at the jacks, and<br />
the switches are encased <strong>in</strong> a nitrogen bath. Switches need to be<br />
cleaned once every 325 years—so put that <strong>in</strong> your will.<br />
Bryston’s B100-SST ($2995) <strong>in</strong>tegrates the circuitry and<br />
power supply of the 2B-SST stereo amplifier with the BP-16<br />
preamplifier <strong>in</strong> a dual-mono configuration. The layout of the<br />
amplifier looked very clean, with good isolation of critical components,<br />
and it comes with a full-function remote control.<br />
The MBL 7006 <strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifier ($3500) is rated at<br />
180Wpc but uses the same circuits as the MBL 8006 B amplifier<br />
and 4006 preamplifier combo that I liked so much driv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the low-sensitivity MBL 121 compact monitors.<br />
Two less familiar makers of high-performance separates also<br />
<strong>in</strong>troduced noteworthy products that made me forget I was listen<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to <strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifiers. The Karan KAI 180 ($8500)<br />
is hand-built with no caps <strong>in</strong> the signal path, no phase distortion,<br />
gold-plated circuit boards, resonance control, and no negative<br />
feedback. It is balanced from <strong>in</strong>put to output and held the<br />
new Ascendo C7s under complete control, yield<strong>in</strong>g a highly<br />
musical result with excellent detail, transparency, and transient<br />
speed. The Chapter Précis <strong>in</strong>tegrated ($6500) exemplified an<br />
emerg<strong>in</strong>g trend towards us<strong>in</strong>g Class D output stages. It is rated<br />
at 130Wpc <strong>in</strong>to 8 ohms and, like the Karan, its sound was fast,<br />
accurate, and liquid without a trace of hardness. It also sports<br />
KEF’s KHT 3000 Series system<br />
an iPod <strong>in</strong>put on the front panel, a feature that is appear<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
more new <strong>in</strong>tegrated amps.<br />
Perhaps the most anticipated <strong>in</strong>troduction among Class D<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegrated amps was the NuForce IA7 ($1195). It utilizes the<br />
same chassis as the NuForce Reference 9 and is said to <strong>in</strong>clude<br />
two Reference 9 boards and the board of the P8 stereo preamplifier.<br />
It comes with a remote, preamp outputs, and home-theater<br />
bypass, and can be daisy cha<strong>in</strong>ed for surround. The sound<br />
on a pair of monitors was clean and transparent but given the<br />
Reference 9’s performance, I suspect it will also produce very<br />
good bass. (Given the speakers, it was impossible to verify <strong>this</strong>.)<br />
Several manufacturers of <strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifiers displayed<br />
offer<strong>in</strong>gs at very attractive prices, typically because of off-shoremanufactur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
efficiencies. The Genesis I60 ($3495) is rated<br />
at 60Wpc, uses KT88s, and employs very little feedback. If it<br />
sounds anyth<strong>in</strong>g like the Genesis M60 monoblocks ($3995) I<br />
heard driv<strong>in</strong>g a pair of G3 speakers, it is def<strong>in</strong>itely someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to check out. That Genesis combo had a lot of dynamic slam<br />
but also considerable harmonic richness.<br />
LA Audio was show<strong>in</strong>g its A-6550 <strong>in</strong>tegrated ($3900)<br />
rated at 150Wpc with po<strong>in</strong>t-to-po<strong>in</strong>t wir<strong>in</strong>g and hand-wound<br />
transformers.<br />
PrimaLuna was show<strong>in</strong>g a prototype of its Dialogue One<br />
($2000), an EL-34-based <strong>in</strong>tegrated with a remote control and<br />
triode/ultral<strong>in</strong>ear switch. At approximately 70 pounds <strong>this</strong><br />
baby was heavy.<br />
Some attractive entry-level <strong>in</strong>tegrateds were the Music Hall<br />
A25.2 ($600), the Creek EVO ($895), and the Audiolabs 800S<br />
($995). Creek was also demonstrat<strong>in</strong>g a f<strong>in</strong>e-sound<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>tegrated<br />
under $2k, the New Dest<strong>in</strong>y, which uses MOSFET output<br />
devices. It sounded very natural and musical on vocal record<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
As part of its Masters Series, NAD was show<strong>in</strong>g its M3<br />
dual-mono <strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifier ($2799). It is rated at 180Wpc<br />
<strong>in</strong>to 8 ohms and uses custom-made Holmgren transformers.<br />
NAD’s Bjorn Erik Edvardsen designed the preamp section to<br />
keep signal paths as short as possible.<br />
Last, but certa<strong>in</strong>ly not least, was the new Manta Ray <strong>in</strong>tegrated<br />
from Manley Labs ($4000). It is essentially a stereo<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegrated version of Manley’s popular Snapper monoblocks,<br />
us<strong>in</strong>g Manley’s own output transformers <strong>in</strong> a low-feedback<br />
design with a fully symmetrical circuit. It looks very cool. As<br />
Manley Labs Manta Ray<br />
30 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
F<strong>in</strong>al Sound’s Virtual Home<br />
an aside, the Manley Labs folks seemed to be hav<strong>in</strong>g the most<br />
fun at the show. ➤<br />
LOUDSPEAKERS UNDER $4000<br />
CHRIS MARTENS<br />
CES 2006 left me conv<strong>in</strong>ced that now is a terrific time<br />
to be shopp<strong>in</strong>g for loudspeakers <strong>in</strong> the sub-$4000<br />
price range. Why? The short answer is that technological<br />
and market forces are converg<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> ways<br />
that both enable and compel manufacturers to build<br />
speakers that sound great for not a lot of money.<br />
We’re all for that, aren’t we? To see how speaker manufacturers<br />
are pull<strong>in</strong>g <strong>this</strong> off, let’s consider three trends.<br />
Def<strong>in</strong>itive debuted its $1099 ProC<strong>in</strong>ema 800 and<br />
$1499–$1649 ProC<strong>in</strong>ema 1000 5.1-channel systems, both<br />
with satellite speakers that <strong>in</strong>corporate top-mounted passive<br />
radiators and drive units featur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>novative new suspension<br />
systems. The result is a small satellite/subwoofer system that<br />
offers almost shock<strong>in</strong>g levels of openness and midrange subtlety,<br />
and terrific dynamics.<br />
The British firm KEF unveiled its new KHT 3000 Series<br />
surround system, which will sell for approximately $1500,<br />
with drive units that—much like those <strong>in</strong> the Def<strong>in</strong>itive systems—offer<br />
<strong>in</strong>novative new suspension systems. As an additional<br />
twist, KEF molds slender radial stiffen<strong>in</strong>g ribs <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
backs of the KHT 3000 Series mid/bass driver cones—a change<br />
said to <strong>in</strong>crease resolution of low-level details. A brief listen<strong>in</strong>g<br />
session showed that <strong>this</strong> system offers remarkably smooth,<br />
well-focused sound with unexpected dynamic punch.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally, the Dutch manufacturer F<strong>in</strong>al Sound exhibited a<br />
remarkably affordable 90i-based 2.1-channel Virtual Home<br />
Theater system based on two stand-mounted, dipolar electrostatic<br />
panels and a very fast powered subwoofer—all for just<br />
$1300. F<strong>in</strong>al Sound has developed new-generation electrostatic<br />
panels that offer good dispersion, support surpris<strong>in</strong>gly high<br />
playback levels, and elim<strong>in</strong>ate the weight and bulk of previous<br />
designs. F<strong>in</strong>al’s entry-level Virtual Home Theater system puts<br />
electrostatic sound with<strong>in</strong> reach at an unprecedented low price.<br />
The sonic gravy, so to speak, is that the system’s dipolar electrostatic<br />
panels sound particularly good when used with the SRStype<br />
virtual-surround-sound decoders <strong>in</strong> modern A/V receivers.<br />
Compact speakers that offer a taste of<br />
“audiophile heaven”<br />
Each year, it seems, CES br<strong>in</strong>gs us a new crop of compact speakers<br />
that somehow manages to deliver disproportionately huge<br />
Budget-priced surround systems as<br />
entry-level music systems<br />
Surpris<strong>in</strong>g though it seems, today’s most cost-effective and<br />
musical small speakers are often found <strong>in</strong> surround systems.<br />
That’s because space and budget constra<strong>in</strong>ts are lead<strong>in</strong>g many<br />
enthusiasts to choose multichannel home-enterta<strong>in</strong>ment systems<br />
that serve double-duty for film and music playback. And<br />
buyers’ performance expectations run high, though their equipment<br />
budgets are slim by audiophile standards. Further, mount<strong>in</strong>g<br />
anecdotal evidence suggests that many “home-theater” customers<br />
regard music listen<strong>in</strong>g as the primary activity for which<br />
they use their systems. Manufacturers are answer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>this</strong> challenge<br />
by develop<strong>in</strong>g new technologies calculated to help small,<br />
affordable speakers perform as never before. At CES, three good<br />
examples of <strong>this</strong> trend came <strong>in</strong> the form of new surround speaker<br />
systems from Def<strong>in</strong>itive Technology, KEF, and F<strong>in</strong>al Sounds.<br />
DALI’s IKON series<br />
32 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
CHRIS MARTENS’ Best of Show<br />
Most Significant New Products<br />
Class D amplifiers from a variety of manufacturers are chang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the way we th<strong>in</strong>k about amplification, both for purist audiophile<br />
and home-theater systems. The best designs provide sonic<br />
f<strong>in</strong>esse and substantial power <strong>in</strong> surpris<strong>in</strong>gly small, cool-runn<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
affordable packages.<br />
Coolest New Products<br />
Combo cellphone/PDA/digital-video-and-audio-players from a variety<br />
of manufacturers. Could future high-end audio systems be<br />
based on handheld devices? Perhaps.<br />
Coolest Accessory<br />
The Chang Lightspeed Encounter parallel noise s<strong>in</strong>k/power strip.<br />
Just plug the Encounter <strong>in</strong>to the same power circuit you use for<br />
your hi-fi system and watch the noise floor drop. Neat.<br />
Most Frequently Heard Demo Music<br />
There were few clear-cut trends, but various Diana Krall tracks,<br />
especially “Narrow Daylight” from The Girl In the Other Room,<br />
appeared quite frequently.<br />
Greatest Value<br />
DALI’s new IKON loudspeaker family offers value that is off the<br />
charts.<br />
Biggest Surprise At CES<br />
The SLS Loudspeakers Q-l<strong>in</strong>e surround system (endorsed by Qu<strong>in</strong>cy<br />
Jones), which provides five ribbon-driver-equipped satellites, a powered<br />
subwoofer, and an AVR for—I am not mak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>this</strong> up—$500.<br />
Best Sound At CES<br />
The Sound Lab Millenium-1 full-range electrostats. Accuracy, neutrality,<br />
high resolution, and musicality converge right here.<br />
help<strong>in</strong>gs of audiophile magic. My sense is that as driver technologies<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ue to improve and as designers become more<br />
adept at juggl<strong>in</strong>g performance trade-offs, small monitors are<br />
becom<strong>in</strong>g more and more capable of surpris<strong>in</strong>g us with what<br />
they can do. This year, two of the most pleas<strong>in</strong>g surprises came<br />
from ERA and Amphion.<br />
ERA loudspeakers are developed by the team at Signal<br />
Path International (the U.S. distributors for Musical<br />
Fidelity), and at CES ERA demonstrated its t<strong>in</strong>y new Design 3<br />
loudspeaker, whose projected price is just $400, alongside a<br />
pair of B&Ws flagship 800Ds. The funny part was that the little<br />
ERAs sounded so full, warm, and three-dimensional that<br />
some suite visitors sheepishly asked, “Which ones are play<strong>in</strong>g?”<br />
Does <strong>this</strong> mean the $400 ERAs sound as good as the big<br />
B&Ws? Of course not, but it does mean they’re good enough<br />
to keep listeners guess<strong>in</strong>g, at least for a while.<br />
Amphion is a F<strong>in</strong>nish loudspeaker manufacturer whose<br />
designs emphasize controlled directivity, achieved by us<strong>in</strong>g<br />
dish-shaped waveguides said to help m<strong>in</strong>imize <strong>in</strong>teractions<br />
between the speakers and the listen<strong>in</strong>g room. (The theory: You<br />
hear more music and fewer room anomalies.) Among the least<br />
expensive Amphions are the $1300 stand-mount Ions, which I<br />
found capable of remarkable purity, delicacy, and expressiveness.<br />
Though not the last word <strong>in</strong> bass extension or high output, the<br />
Ions <strong>in</strong> other respects rem<strong>in</strong>d me of more costly monitors.<br />
Brilliant generalists at affordable prices<br />
The best speakers <strong>in</strong> the $2000–$4000 range have gotten so<br />
good that they truly qualify as brilliant generalists that do all<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs well. While expensive top-tier models have undeniable<br />
appeal, I suspect speakers <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> lower price range will, for<br />
many music lovers, represent the po<strong>in</strong>t of dim<strong>in</strong>ish<strong>in</strong>g returns.<br />
And judg<strong>in</strong>g by the sounds of three new floorstanders from<br />
DALI, ProAc, and Reference 3A, those sonic returns are greater<br />
than ever before.<br />
TAS readers will know our writers hold DALI’s Helicon<br />
Series speakers <strong>in</strong> high regard, so what we didn’t see com<strong>in</strong>g<br />
was a new family of DALI loudspeakers that deliver about 90%<br />
of the goodness of Helicons for about one third their price. Yet<br />
that is precisely what DALI’s new IKON Series speaker offers.<br />
The IKON features wood-composite fiber-cone mid/bass drivers,<br />
oversized fabric-dome mid/high drivers, and ribbon tweeters,<br />
just as the bigger Helicons do, yet the flagship IKON 7<br />
floorstanders will sell for just $2100. A brief listen to the<br />
IKON 6 floorstanders ($1595) conv<strong>in</strong>ced me these speakers are<br />
the real deal.<br />
ProAc speakers from Great Brita<strong>in</strong> have long been audiophile<br />
favorites, and while they offer compell<strong>in</strong>g sonic merits I<br />
doubt anyone would have termed them “barga<strong>in</strong> priced”—<br />
until now. ProAc demonstrated its delightful new Studio 140<br />
floorstander, and my first impression was that it offered the<br />
k<strong>in</strong>d of balanced performance and effortless musicality likely to<br />
make it extremely expensive. I was surprised and delighted to<br />
learn the Studio 140 will sell for just $2800. (Based on its<br />
sound, I feared it might cost twice that.)<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally, I was entranced by Reference 3A’s new<br />
$3000–$3300 Veena floorstander, specifically because it does<br />
all the good th<strong>in</strong>gs for which Reference 3A’s smaller standmount<br />
monitors are famous—openness, textural f<strong>in</strong>esse, terrific<br />
resolution of <strong>in</strong>ner details—while offer<strong>in</strong>g improved three-<br />
A bevy of Pro-Ject turntables<br />
34 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
dimensionality, greater bass extension, and more neutral tonal<br />
balance. What particularly caught my ear was the Veena’s ability<br />
to reveal deep <strong>in</strong>terior aspects of the music—much as costly<br />
top-tier speakers do—but at a budget-friendly price. ➤<br />
PREAMPS UNDER $10,000 AND<br />
ANALOG SOURCES<br />
DON SALTZMAN<br />
Ithought I had the plum assignment with analog<br />
sources—report on a few turntables, maybe a random cassette<br />
player or 8-track, then kick back and enjoy the Las<br />
Vegas nightlife. Not. There was a turntable here, turntable<br />
there, everywhere a turntable. I had to scramble all four<br />
days just to try to cover them all. Vacation, anyone?<br />
No CES <strong>in</strong> recent memory had had a better show<strong>in</strong>g of analog<br />
sources, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g new v<strong>in</strong>yl. That’s the good news. The<br />
not-so-good news: Statement turntables are now priced like<br />
cars, and I’m not talk<strong>in</strong>g about that most musical of vehicles,<br />
the Hyundai Sonata. Let’s see, do I buy that new M-B 500S or<br />
a Cont<strong>in</strong>uum Caliburn turntable? Maybe that sh<strong>in</strong>y Carrera S<br />
I’ve spied at my local dealer, or a Blue Pearl Audio JEM?<br />
Perhaps an easy decision for most folks, but, sadly, if you’ve got<br />
the analog bug you’ll decide there’s really noth<strong>in</strong>g wrong with<br />
the Civic you’ve been driv<strong>in</strong>g for the last 10 years.<br />
To be fair, there was no shortage of affordable turntables,<br />
either. Let’s start with those manufacturers who showed cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g<br />
devotion to mak<strong>in</strong>g analog accessible to the masses.<br />
Sumiko showcased a static display of stylish new Pro-Ject<br />
turntables that should make it easy for those presently without<br />
analog to see what they’ve been miss<strong>in</strong>g. At only $299, the<br />
Debut III <strong>in</strong>cludes a pre-mounted Ortofon OM-5E mov<strong>in</strong>gmagnet<br />
cartridge and, for a slight upcharge, is available <strong>in</strong> one of<br />
eight different colors. The Xpression II ($499) <strong>in</strong>cludes a carbonfiber<br />
arm with pre-mounted Sumiko Oyster cartridge, while a<br />
handy feature on the Xperience ($999) is a pl<strong>in</strong>th-mounted<br />
phono-<strong>in</strong>put jack which allows use of connect<strong>in</strong>g cables of your<br />
choice. Round<strong>in</strong>g out the new offer<strong>in</strong>gs are the space-efficient<br />
RM-5 ($649, carbon-fiber arm, quick VTA and azimuth adjustment)<br />
and RM-9.1 ($1499, acrylic platter, s<strong>in</strong>gle-piece carbonfiber<br />
arm and headshell). Pro-Ject also <strong>in</strong>troduced a t<strong>in</strong>y phono<br />
preamp with up to 60dB of ga<strong>in</strong> and a match<strong>in</strong>g turntable speed<br />
controller, each priced at only $119, about 5% of the sales tax on<br />
Sumiko’s superb SME 30/2 turntable. If that isn’t attractive to<br />
the v<strong>in</strong>yl lover on a budget, what is?<br />
The friendly folks at Roksan were show<strong>in</strong>g their very<br />
attractive Radius 5 turntable which features a frosted acrylic<br />
platter and a pl<strong>in</strong>th available <strong>in</strong> acrylic, walnut, or maple.<br />
Roksan also has an updated Artemiz tonearm ($2495) and a<br />
too-cool electronic track<strong>in</strong>g force gauge that reads to the hundredth<br />
of a gram for only $199.<br />
Clearaudio had an entire room devoted to turntables,<br />
arms, cartridges, record clean<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>es, and fasc<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g<br />
accessories <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g “The V<strong>in</strong>yl Doctor,” a device that looks<br />
like a laptop until you open it up to discover it is designed to<br />
bake (safely, Clearaudio assures me) the warps out of records. As<br />
always, Clearaudio showed an amaz<strong>in</strong>g array of beautiful tables<br />
and arms at all price po<strong>in</strong>ts, simply too many to cover <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong><br />
report—but it was the <strong>in</strong>credible new “Statement” turntable<br />
that had the visitors buzz<strong>in</strong>g, more about which later.<br />
In the “mid-price” category I found the new SE-1 recordplay<strong>in</strong>g<br />
system from Sound Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g of Nashville,<br />
Tennessee. S<strong>in</strong>ce it came from Nashville, I shouldn’t have been<br />
surprised to see it sport<strong>in</strong>g a precision platter made of wood<br />
similar to that used <strong>in</strong> Gibson guitars. With a custom Tom<br />
Roksan’s Radius 5; Immedia’s “Spiral Groove” SG1;<br />
Cont<strong>in</strong>uum's $90,000 Caliburn 'table and Cobra arm<br />
36 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
Evans-designed DC motor-controller, beautifully<br />
mach<strong>in</strong>ed center weight, and periphery<br />
clamp, the SE-1C retails for a still-reasonable<br />
$7450. Unfortunately, I did not get to hear <strong>this</strong><br />
’table because an amplifier had failed just before<br />
I visited the room, but it sure looked like it was<br />
worth a serious audition.<br />
Venerable turntable manufacturer Thorens<br />
had its new TD350 on static display. With a<br />
float<strong>in</strong>g sub-chassis, belt-drive, motor controller,<br />
and TP250 arm, it should offer typically<br />
outstand<strong>in</strong>g Thorens performance at an affordable<br />
$3599.<br />
DON SALTZMAN’S Best of Show<br />
Most Significant New Product<br />
A four-way tie to new turntables that attempt to<br />
advance the state of the art—the Caliburn by<br />
Cont<strong>in</strong>uum, the Statement by Clearaudio, the JEM<br />
by Blue Pearl Audio, and the top models from Transrotor. All use<br />
magnetic suspension as part of their design philosophy.<br />
Coolest Accessory<br />
A tie between the Roksan digital stylus force gauge and The V<strong>in</strong>yl<br />
Doctor from Clearaudio.<br />
Most Frequently Heard Demo Music<br />
Selections from Harry Belafonte and Ray Charles.<br />
Greatest Value<br />
Epiphany 6-6 Plus. At $10,900, these speakers added two 8"<br />
bass drivers, self-powered, to the six midrange/bass cones and<br />
six ribbon tweeters of their 6-6 model. I thought the speakers<br />
were a knockout. Open and spacious like other Epiphany models,<br />
they now have true bass slam and extension and need make no<br />
apology whatsoever for their low-frequency performance. I also<br />
must add the lower-priced turntable/tonearm comb<strong>in</strong>ations from<br />
Pro-Ject, Clearaudio, and Basis, which offer high performance at<br />
a reasonable cost.<br />
Biggest Surprise at CES<br />
I didn’t catch a cold—first time for a CES. Other than that, I was<br />
pleasantly shocked at the great proliferation of analog sources.<br />
Best Sound at CES<br />
The first was the room show<strong>in</strong>g the Cont<strong>in</strong>uum turntable, Boulder<br />
preamplifier, Wavac amplification and Venture Grand Excellence<br />
Signature loudspeakers. While the sound varied day to day, at its<br />
best it was extremely direct with great body, tonal color, and pac<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
For once, you could forget about the equipment.<br />
Kharmas have been speakers I admired but could not quite<br />
see br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g home. They didn’t seem to fully flesh out large-scale<br />
orchestral music, although they certa<strong>in</strong>ly excelled at the presentation<br />
of almost everyth<strong>in</strong>g else. But the comb<strong>in</strong>ation of the<br />
Kharma Midi-Exquisites ($75,000), ASR Emitter II amplifier, and<br />
MBL CD player took me over the top. The soundstag<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
imag<strong>in</strong>g were truly phenomenal; the speakers disappeared, as did<br />
the walls of the demonstration room. While they still did not quite<br />
deliver the majesty of a full orchestra, they came close enough<br />
so it wasn’t a distraction.<br />
Clearaudio’s 770-pound<br />
“Statement”<br />
Very <strong>in</strong>trigu<strong>in</strong>g was<br />
the new Monaco turntable<br />
from noted equipmentstand<br />
manufacturer Grand<br />
Prix Audio. The result of<br />
substantial research and<br />
development, the Monaco<br />
features a beautifully designed<br />
carbon-fiber pl<strong>in</strong>th,<br />
active-feedback speed control<br />
for its DC motor, a<br />
magnesium platter and<br />
bronze flywheel supported<br />
by a pressurized film of oil,<br />
and magnetic drive. This<br />
’table looks fully raceready,<br />
<strong>in</strong> a Ferrari sort of way, and I want a test drive! I refuse<br />
to let the $15,000 price set me back—my wife can work two<br />
jobs if necessary.<br />
MusicDirect exhibited the sexy Avid Acutus which, at<br />
$13,000 with motor controller and suspended 22-pound platter,<br />
represents the top of the Avid l<strong>in</strong>e of turntables. Grac<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
armboard was a Dynavector DV-507 arm ($4200) that features<br />
a pivot <strong>in</strong> the vertical plane located right beh<strong>in</strong>d the headshell.<br />
Not to be outdone by Clearaudio, Grand Prix Audio, or<br />
Avid on the all-important sex<strong>in</strong>ess front, the entire l<strong>in</strong>e of<br />
Transrotor turntables was simply dazzl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the AXISS<br />
room. It was hard to take my eyes off the Tourbillon (about<br />
$35,000), with its three drive motors, thick clear acrylic pl<strong>in</strong>th<br />
to accommodate up to three tonearms, and frosted acrylic platter<br />
with chrome or gold outer weights. After only two or three<br />
m<strong>in</strong>utes of gaz<strong>in</strong>g at the sp<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g Tourbillon, your spouse will<br />
be hypnotized <strong>in</strong>to agree<strong>in</strong>g you really need one. Equally entic<strong>in</strong>g<br />
was the Apollon TMD ($15,000), constructed of polished<br />
alum<strong>in</strong>um and black acrylic and also capable of hold<strong>in</strong>g three<br />
tonearms. “TMD” stands for Transrotor Magnetic Drive, while<br />
the new FMD Magnetic Drive System featured on the Orion<br />
and several other Transrotor models drives the platter through<br />
a separate flywheel with magnetic coupl<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Big news at the show came from Allen Perk<strong>in</strong>s of Immedia<br />
Distribution. No, he has not left Immedia. But he has started a<br />
new company, “Spiral Groove,” devoted to the manufacture of<br />
new turntables and arms. He showed two new ’tables at CES.<br />
The SG1 (about $20,000) is a compact design constructed<br />
largely of sta<strong>in</strong>less steel, alum<strong>in</strong>um, and layers of damp<strong>in</strong>g<br />
agents. The turntable base is extremely dense—I was shocked<br />
when I tried to lift one corner of the table and discovered it<br />
weighs 70 pounds. A very cool feature is a bayonet mount for<br />
the arm board, allow<strong>in</strong>g quick changes of tonearms. The SG1<br />
also has a sta<strong>in</strong>less-steel periphery r<strong>in</strong>g at the bottom of the<br />
platter for <strong>in</strong>creased speed stability. Similar <strong>in</strong> design, the less<br />
38 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
expensive SG2 (about $12,500) has lower mass than the SG1<br />
and gives up the bayonet mount for a removable arm board.<br />
The new Spiral Groove arm was not on display.<br />
And now, someth<strong>in</strong>g completely different—Garrard, yes<br />
Garrard, still lives. The British manufacturer of f<strong>in</strong>e recordclean<strong>in</strong>g<br />
mach<strong>in</strong>es, Loricraft, is distribut<strong>in</strong>g a modern version<br />
of the Garrard table utiliz<strong>in</strong>g a drive system whereby an idler<br />
wheel directly drives the <strong>in</strong>side of the platter. The new Garrard<br />
501, at approximately $20,000, looks a little retro but uses the<br />
f<strong>in</strong>est parts. The manufacturer claims that idler drive elim<strong>in</strong>ates<br />
the m<strong>in</strong>ute, but audible, speed fluctuations of most beltdrive<br />
turntables.<br />
Which br<strong>in</strong>gs us to the Big Boys of the show, the cost-noobject<br />
contenders for state of the art <strong>in</strong> turntable technology.<br />
Cont<strong>in</strong>uum Audio Laboratories of Australia mounted a<br />
compell<strong>in</strong>g demonstration of its Caliburn turntable, Cobra<br />
arm, and Castellon isolation stand (all for approximately<br />
$90,000, give or take). Space does not permit a detailed<br />
description of these technological wonders, but <strong>in</strong> a nutshell<br />
the Caliburn is driven by a battery-powered DC motor and provides<br />
vacuum hold-down via a small and silent pump, while the<br />
Cobra (about $12,000 separately) has a computer-designed<br />
shape like no other tonearm and is built of organic materials.<br />
The Castellon features two heavy, oppos<strong>in</strong>g magnetic plates<br />
that are said to completely isolate the Caliburn from external<br />
vibrations. An excit<strong>in</strong>g package that produced excit<strong>in</strong>g sound<br />
(see “Best of Show” on p. 38). The show sample was purchased<br />
(before the show) by a friend who lives near me—I’m sure I’ll<br />
get to know the ’table better <strong>in</strong> the next few months.<br />
Also fall<strong>in</strong>g squarely with<strong>in</strong> the second mortgage category is<br />
the <strong>in</strong>credible new “Statement” turntable from Clearaudio<br />
(approximately $90,000), shown <strong>in</strong> static display at CES.<br />
Weigh<strong>in</strong>g 770 pounds (!) and stand<strong>in</strong>g over four feet tall on its<br />
dedicated stand, <strong>this</strong> ’table too is a technological tour de force. I<br />
can’t possibly describe all of its features here. Indeed, I don’t fully<br />
understand how it all works. What I can tell you is that the huge<br />
frosted acrylic platter rests entirely on a cushion of air created by<br />
oppos<strong>in</strong>g magnetic forces. The platter is magnetically driven by<br />
a sub platter, a magnetic clutch so to speak, with no physical<br />
contact between the two. The ma<strong>in</strong> chassis is oil damped, and the<br />
motor drive is controlled by a high-speed processor. But wait—<br />
there’s more. Hang<strong>in</strong>g from the sub platter is a long metal tube<br />
with a very heavy weight at the bottom, like a pendulum. As I<br />
understand it, the tube rides <strong>in</strong> a gyroscopic-type bear<strong>in</strong>g so that<br />
the weight of the pendulum keeps the top platform (and therefore<br />
the platter) level at all times, with no air pumps or compressors.<br />
The new Statement TQI l<strong>in</strong>ear track<strong>in</strong>g arm was <strong>in</strong> prototype<br />
form, with the production version anticipated <strong>in</strong> a few<br />
months. The turntable will hold up to four different arms. I<br />
already have a call <strong>in</strong> to my mortgage broker.<br />
Also us<strong>in</strong>g a magnetically suspended platter, the Britishbuilt<br />
Blue Pearl Audio JEM turntable is a relative barga<strong>in</strong> at<br />
only $82,000—its 103-pound platter is supported by a beautiful,<br />
floorstand<strong>in</strong>g base that appears to be made of granite.<br />
Shown with an SME arm, the JEM was an exquisite sight to<br />
behold. This was at the end of the show on Sunday, and by <strong>this</strong><br />
time I was delirious and actually consider<strong>in</strong>g the possibility of<br />
a third mortgage (or head<strong>in</strong>g to the cas<strong>in</strong>os). Mercifully, the<br />
manufacturer saved me by <strong>in</strong>form<strong>in</strong>g me that HP had already<br />
laid claim to the JEM.<br />
With too many turntables and too little time, I apologize to<br />
those manufacturers with new products I may not have mentioned<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> overview. Any omission was purely un<strong>in</strong>tentional.<br />
Two channel is still very much alive and well, as witnessed<br />
by a number of new stereo preamplifier entries <strong>in</strong> the under-<br />
$10,000 category. Balanced Audio Technology displayed its<br />
new reference solid-state preamplifier, the VK-42SE (approximately<br />
$6000). Us<strong>in</strong>g a topology similar to its acclaimed tube<br />
preamplifiers, with proprietary oil capacitors <strong>in</strong> a new power supply,<br />
<strong>this</strong> unit promises the delicacy of BAT’s tube preamps<br />
with the bass extension and slam of solid-state.<br />
Also promis<strong>in</strong>g to deliver more than a little of the<br />
great sound of the 6010 D that JV has raved about,<br />
MBL displayed its full remote 5011 stereo preamplifer<br />
($8382). This should offer a great amplification<br />
system when paired with one of MBL’s Noble l<strong>in</strong>e of<br />
amplifiers.<br />
Rogue Audio displayed two new tube preamplifiers,<br />
the 99 and the 66. Surpris<strong>in</strong>gly well f<strong>in</strong>ished at<br />
their price po<strong>in</strong>ts, the 66 Magnum ($1495) can be<br />
configured as a l<strong>in</strong>estage or a preamplifier with<br />
phono. The 99 Magnum ($2495 l<strong>in</strong>estage, $2995<br />
Edge GM 8 Statement amps (bottom); Kharma<br />
Matrix MP150-SE amps (top)<br />
40 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
with phono) offers a larger power supply, additional flexibility,<br />
and higher-quality components. Both preamps have separate<br />
power supplies and an analog remote volume control. While I<br />
have not heard either of these preamps, Rogue Audio has a<br />
good reputation for quality sound at reasonable prices, and I<br />
would expect both to further that reputation.<br />
Simaudio <strong>in</strong>troduced the Moon P-7 preamplifer, the<br />
newest addition to its Evolution Series. This $5500 preamp<br />
offers elegant cosmetics, <strong>in</strong>dividual ga<strong>in</strong> trim for each <strong>in</strong>put,<br />
ROBERT HARLEY’S Best of Show<br />
Most Significant New Product<br />
Rather than follow traditional methods of improv<strong>in</strong>g loudspeaker-driver performance,<br />
Jim Thiel has forged his own path <strong>in</strong> the radical new Thiel<br />
CS3.7. This new speaker’s corrugated metal diaphragms and coaxial<br />
midrange-tweeter are just the start of the CS3.7’s <strong>in</strong>novations.<br />
Coolest New Product<br />
Imag<strong>in</strong>e the sound quality of a freestand<strong>in</strong>g loudspeaker com<strong>in</strong>g from a<br />
small speaker mounted on a shelf or <strong>in</strong> a cab<strong>in</strong>et aga<strong>in</strong>st a wall. That’s<br />
exactly what Wilson Audio’s new Duette promised—and delivered, based<br />
on the demonstration I heard.<br />
Coolest Accessory<br />
The new l<strong>in</strong>e of Pro-Ject LP-playback products,<br />
which share a t<strong>in</strong>y yet sturdy chassis,<br />
were the coolest—and cutest—accessories.<br />
The Head-Box II is a headphone amplifier;<br />
the Phono Box II is a m<strong>in</strong>iature outboard<br />
phono preamp; and the Speed Box II<br />
turntable speed regulator allows you to<br />
switch from 33rpm to 45rpm without mov<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a belt. The units are priced at $119 each.<br />
Most Frequently Heard Demo<br />
Music<br />
Bizarrely, Dire Straits’ Brothers <strong>in</strong> Arms.<br />
Greatest Value<br />
Although not demonstrated, the M3 <strong>in</strong>tegrated<br />
amplifier, part of NAD’s new<br />
Masters Series, looks like a w<strong>in</strong>ner. The<br />
M3 sports gorgeous metalwork along with<br />
<strong>in</strong>terior parts and build-quality that would<br />
be at home <strong>in</strong> a product cost<strong>in</strong>g $10k.<br />
Biggest Surprise at CES<br />
Without question, the biggest surprise was the move toward super-expensive<br />
products, along with the <strong>in</strong>troduction of lots of very high-end turntables.<br />
The <strong>in</strong>dustry has apparently decided to pursue customers who are<br />
upgrad<strong>in</strong>g rather than those just gett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to high-end audio.<br />
Best Sound at CES<br />
The MAGICO M<strong>in</strong>i didn’t have quite the size and scale of some of the<br />
show’s behemoth loudspeakers, but <strong>this</strong> stand-mounted two-way bowled<br />
me over with its stagger<strong>in</strong>gly realistic render<strong>in</strong>g of timbre, huge and<br />
nuanced spatial presentation, and wonderfully direct musical communication.<br />
I’m go<strong>in</strong>g to cheat and also mention the Aerial 20t and its fabulous<br />
top-to-bottom coherence and super-sweet yet detailed treble.<br />
precision volume control, and great flexibility for stereo and/or<br />
home-theater use.<br />
Thorens displayed its new TEP 302 phono preamp<br />
($2000). This attractive and nicely f<strong>in</strong>ished solid-state unit<br />
offers 60dB of ga<strong>in</strong> (MC) and adjustable <strong>in</strong>put capacitance and<br />
<strong>in</strong>put impedance. ➤<br />
POWER AMPLIFIERS UNDER $10,000<br />
JIM HANNON<br />
Twenty-five years ago I attended my first CES. I<br />
recall that the ma<strong>in</strong> floor was awash <strong>in</strong> a sea of<br />
white shoes, white belts, gold cha<strong>in</strong>s, and polyester,<br />
and I felt like I had traveled to another planet.<br />
However, quietly ensconced <strong>in</strong> a separate hotel were<br />
a group of high-end audio companies with representatives<br />
with strik<strong>in</strong>gly different demeanors and cloth<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Here were some of the titans of the <strong>in</strong>dustry, easily accessible to<br />
all who walked through the doors of their hotel<br />
suites. While the ma<strong>in</strong> hall has changed considerably,<br />
I still enjoyed some of the same vibe at the<br />
audio venues that I had many years before.<br />
Perhaps <strong>in</strong> response to the soar<strong>in</strong>g prices of<br />
years past, I noted three trends <strong>in</strong> the under-$10K<br />
segment. First, many of the big boys—you know,<br />
the ones who produce products you covet but can’t<br />
afford—<strong>in</strong>troduced products that are more with<strong>in</strong><br />
reach but have some of the same sonic attributes as<br />
their more costly brethren. New entries from Edge,<br />
Boulder, Musical Fidelity, and MBL def<strong>in</strong>itely<br />
caught my attention and were <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> systems<br />
that produced some of the best sounds of the show.<br />
The new Edge GM 8 Statement amps (<strong>in</strong>troductory<br />
price of $8488) are dual-channel amps <strong>in</strong><br />
two chassis. They are rated at 575Wpc <strong>in</strong>to 8<br />
ohms but lack the laser-bias<strong>in</strong>g of Edge’s more<br />
expensive amps. They were driv<strong>in</strong>g a new luxury<br />
speaker system, the Precision Acoustic Labs<br />
Model 27, on extremely demand<strong>in</strong>g material,<br />
with terrific control and explosive dynamics, and without the<br />
fa<strong>in</strong>test h<strong>in</strong>t of clipp<strong>in</strong>g, transistor brightness, or gra<strong>in</strong>. I am<br />
one admitted tube lover who could happily live with them. For<br />
those on tighter budgets, Edge displayed the two-channel GS 8<br />
Statement ($5288) at 150 watts a side, as well as the 100Wpc<br />
G.5 ($2488).<br />
The MBL 8006 B ($3500) is a new 180Wpc stereo power<br />
amplifier that was effortlessly driv<strong>in</strong>g the 82dB-sensitive MBL<br />
121 monitors. This combo offered surpris<strong>in</strong>gly good resolution,<br />
imag<strong>in</strong>g, and freedom from distortion, as well as the ability to<br />
start one’s toes tapp<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Boulder <strong>in</strong>troduced the 850 mono power amplifier, the<br />
Jim Thiel with the<br />
radical new CS3.7<br />
42 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
Bardone’s Music Server<br />
company’s first $10,000 amplifier offer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
“<strong>in</strong> a long, long time,” accord<strong>in</strong>g to a<br />
Boulder spokesperson. The 200-watt-perchannel,<br />
all-analog 850 draws on technology<br />
developed for Boulder’s 1000 and<br />
2000 series amplifiers. I was impressed by<br />
its crystall<strong>in</strong>e highs and ability to reproduce<br />
subtle details when driv<strong>in</strong>g B&W<br />
802D speakers.<br />
Another attractive alternative at the<br />
$10k price po<strong>in</strong>t is the Musical Fidelity<br />
kW 750. This all-choke-regulated powerhouse<br />
was ultra-quiet, with nice timbre<br />
and focus. Driv<strong>in</strong>g a pair of B&W<br />
Signature 800Ds, it produced some of the<br />
best, most-tightly-controlled-and-def<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
bass at the show—Jaco Pastorius’ bass guitar<br />
sounded terrific.<br />
Another high-power amplifier, the<br />
Cary 500 MB ($7000/pair), is a 500Wpc<br />
monoblock (<strong>in</strong>to 8 ohms) that offers traditional Cary musicality<br />
<strong>in</strong> a true balanced, solid-state design. The piano on a record<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of Beethoven’s Appassionata sonata sounded quite natural<br />
with particularly impressive bass on the Dynaudio C4s.<br />
Another trend among new power amplifier entries is the<br />
use of Class D/switch<strong>in</strong>g technology. Designers seem to have<br />
really attacked the noise, distortion, and dynamic-limit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
problems associated with previous Class D amps. The<br />
Kharma Matrix MP150-SE monoblocks ($6800) were produc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
lovely, nuanced sound from the Kharma M<strong>in</strong>i-<br />
Exquisite loudspeakers, and soundstag<strong>in</strong>g fans will likely go<br />
nuts over <strong>this</strong> combo. The 150s use a unique pulse-control<br />
scheme yield<strong>in</strong>g extremely low output impedance over their<br />
entire bandwidth.<br />
In passive displays, Halcro was show<strong>in</strong>g its low-distortion<br />
MC20 amplifier ($4600) us<strong>in</strong>g its patented LYRUS technology,<br />
and Rowland was premier<strong>in</strong>g its dim<strong>in</strong>utive Model<br />
102 ($1490), a 100Wpc stereo amp milled from a s<strong>in</strong>gle piece<br />
of alum<strong>in</strong>um. It uses ICEpower technology and sports balanced<br />
<strong>in</strong>puts (adaptors are available for s<strong>in</strong>gle-ended use).<br />
Not to be outdone, one of the pioneers <strong>in</strong> produc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
musical Class D amplifiers, John Ulrick of Spectron, was<br />
show<strong>in</strong>g his Musician III stereo power amplifier ($5495)<br />
rated at 600Wpc <strong>in</strong>to 8 ohms. It seemed to have a bit more<br />
ref<strong>in</strong>ement <strong>in</strong> the highs and mids than some of the less expensive<br />
Class D amps I heard at the show.<br />
Another good performer among Class D amps was<br />
Channel Island’s new D200 Class D monoblocks ($2300).<br />
The f<strong>in</strong>al trend is that several companies are offer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
power amplifiers with price/performance capabilities unheard<br />
of a few years ago, typically through off-shore manufacture.<br />
For those of you who always<br />
wanted a Threshold S/350e but<br />
couldn’t afford the $3900 price<br />
tag more than a decade ago, the<br />
re<strong>issue</strong> is practically half the price<br />
at $2000.<br />
I walked <strong>in</strong>to the Hyperion<br />
room and spotted some 845-based<br />
amps, th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g they were approximately<br />
$10k, but they were less<br />
than half of that. The HT-845s<br />
($4600) are rated at 25 watts of<br />
pure Class A, have po<strong>in</strong>t-to-po<strong>in</strong>t<br />
wir<strong>in</strong>g, and use hand-wound transformers.<br />
They were mated to the<br />
new HPS-986 loudspeakers; the<br />
DCS Verdi Encore<br />
44 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
combo had transient quickness, coherence, and surpris<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
controlled deep bass.<br />
Antique Sound Lab <strong>in</strong>troduced the barga<strong>in</strong>-priced<br />
Explorer 805 DT amps ($2995), which produced a seductive<br />
and musical sound driv<strong>in</strong>g the Reference 3A Veenas.<br />
Cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g its welcome tradition of offer<strong>in</strong>g high-value<br />
tube products, PrimaLuna <strong>in</strong>troduced two new 70Wpc<br />
monoblock amplifiers <strong>in</strong> the Upscale Audio suite: the EL34-<br />
based ProLogue Six ($2295) and KT-88-based ProLogue Seven<br />
($2695). These monoblocks feature PrimaLuna’s adaptive autobias<br />
and soft-start capabilities, as well as wideband, low-loss output<br />
transformers that are built to handle difficult loads. Both<br />
amps sounded great, and I’d love to try them on my Quads.<br />
A few noteworthy amps do not fit <strong>in</strong>to any of these categories.<br />
The Muse Model 200 ($3275) starts life as a power<br />
amp, but with the addition of optional modules can become an<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifier.<br />
For s<strong>in</strong>gle-ended fans, the new Wavelength Jupiter 50<br />
($6000) is the first commercially available amplifier that is based<br />
on the RCA 50 tube (RCA’s answer to the WE300B). If you can<br />
get by with 5-watts/channel, you could be <strong>in</strong> heaven. ➤<br />
DIGITAL SOURCES AND<br />
MULTICHANNEL ELECTRONICS<br />
ALAN TAFFEL<br />
Olive Opus<br />
At <strong>this</strong> year’s CES, everyth<strong>in</strong>g old was new aga<strong>in</strong>.<br />
Peggy Lee’s chestnut “Fever” wafted through the<br />
Alexis Park and St. Tropez corridors. Stereo experienced<br />
a renaissance, as not a s<strong>in</strong>gle audio system<br />
I saw boasted more than two channels. The resolution<br />
of source material—universally CDs or<br />
LPs—never exceeded the level available twenty years ago.<br />
Conventional solid-state or tubed electronics drove, for the<br />
most part, conventional cone or even horn speakers. And <strong>in</strong> one<br />
of the show’s biggest announcements, Classic Records unveiled<br />
its plan to release a slew of early Everest record<strong>in</strong>gs—<strong>in</strong> mono.<br />
This is the cutt<strong>in</strong>g edge of audio? Yes, it is, if sonics is your<br />
yardstick. Though the <strong>in</strong>gredients were old-fashioned, the<br />
sound cooked up at <strong>this</strong> year’s CES was impressively consistent<br />
<strong>in</strong> its excellence. Determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the best sound of the show<br />
entailed real deliberation.<br />
ALAN TAFFEL’S<br />
Best of Show<br />
Most Significant New Product<br />
Olive Opus ($3000). A fully networked<br />
high-resolution media server, with wireless<br />
connectivity to multiple listen<strong>in</strong>g zones, the Opus also plays<br />
and burns good old CDs. But beyond features, the Opus is<br />
significant as a harb<strong>in</strong>ger of what such devices can and will<br />
achieve sonically.<br />
Coolest New Product<br />
Goldmund Logos Active Speaker ($10,000). This satellite<br />
speaker, a steal consider<strong>in</strong>g its built-<strong>in</strong> tw<strong>in</strong> 200W amps<br />
plus Goldmund’s excellent DAC, accepts either digital or<br />
l<strong>in</strong>e-level analog signals. Small though the Logos’ alum<strong>in</strong>um<br />
enclosure may be, it delivered tower<strong>in</strong>g dynamics and a<br />
rhythmic <strong>in</strong>sight sorely lack<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> many of the show’s “statement”<br />
products.<br />
Coolest Accessory<br />
Stello HP100 headphone amp ($595). In a revelatory<br />
demo, <strong>this</strong> amp goosed a pair of Sennheiser 600 headphones<br />
to unsuspected sonic heights—highly detailed,<br />
open, and dynamic.<br />
Most Frequently Heard Demo Music<br />
Peggy Lee’s “Fever.”<br />
Greatest Value<br />
Resolution Opus 21 CD player. Three grand for a CD player<br />
seemed cheap at <strong>this</strong> show, but the Resolution’s performance<br />
belied its sane price. Not to be missed.<br />
Best Sound at CES<br />
The Kharma M<strong>in</strong>i-Exquisite/mbl/Kubala-Sosna Room. An<br />
exceed<strong>in</strong>gly difficult choice <strong>this</strong> year, but the f<strong>in</strong>alists came<br />
down to the Lamm room, with its impeccable setup of the<br />
Wilson Maxx2’s, and the two Kharma suites. The system<br />
that kept call<strong>in</strong>g me back featured the new M<strong>in</strong>i-Exquisite<br />
speakers, the entry level for diamond-tweetered Kharmas. I<br />
preferred its purity and coherence over even the larger,<br />
costlier Midi-Exquisites next door. No doubt the associated<br />
equipment played a major part <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> system’s effortless<br />
ability to conjure the magic of real music.<br />
Stello HP100 headphone amp<br />
46 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
Still, a novice visitor might be excused for<br />
wonder<strong>in</strong>g whether recent <strong>in</strong>novations such as<br />
multichannel audio, high-resolution media,<br />
Class D amplification, or post-Fifties music<br />
ever existed. Next year, I predict, the availability<br />
of Blu-ray and HD DVD—with their<br />
associated hi-res Dolby and DTS digital audio<br />
formats—will prompt a metamorphosis of the<br />
venerable audio architecture. In the meantime,<br />
there were still some noteworthy trends on<br />
display at CES 2006.<br />
Cost is (Apparently) No Object<br />
One th<strong>in</strong>g truly new at <strong>this</strong> year’s show was<br />
the shock<strong>in</strong>gly stratospheric prices to which<br />
functionally humble, technologically mature<br />
components have climbed. Imag<strong>in</strong>e an auto<br />
show at which every car on display is some<br />
variation of a Bentley, and you have the equivalent<br />
of <strong>this</strong> CES. Perhaps manufacturers were<br />
conv<strong>in</strong>ced that a N<strong>in</strong>eties-like economic juggernaut<br />
will materialize to m<strong>in</strong>t thousands of<br />
new millionaires. Or maybe, given the current<br />
limbo between old and new sonic frontiers,<br />
they simply saw few options other than<br />
maximiz<strong>in</strong>g quality (and thus cost). For whatever<br />
reason, manufacturers abandoned affordability<br />
<strong>in</strong> droves.<br />
I lost count of the bonanza <strong>in</strong> new<br />
$40,000+ speaker models—how many people<br />
can really afford such th<strong>in</strong>gs?—and a surpris<strong>in</strong>g<br />
number of CD playback systems emerged<br />
<strong>in</strong> similar territory. These <strong>in</strong>cluded the<br />
$43,000 dCS stack consist<strong>in</strong>g of the new<br />
Verdi Encore transport ($17,995) plus<br />
$25,000 worth of exist<strong>in</strong>g clocks and DACs; a<br />
resurgent Wadia’s $38,000 rig that <strong>in</strong>cludes<br />
its new 781 transport (est. $10,000); and<br />
mbl’s exquisite 1622 transport (est.<br />
$24,000), designed for use with its $21,450<br />
1611 DAC. In the context of such extravagant<br />
<strong>in</strong>troductions, the plethora of new<br />
$5000 CD players—occupy<strong>in</strong>g a price po<strong>in</strong>t<br />
once considered fairly lofty—resembled<br />
downright barga<strong>in</strong>s.<br />
CD Strikes Back<br />
Last year, even two-channel systems took<br />
advantage of high-resolution formats such as<br />
SACD. Not so <strong>this</strong> year, as CD and CD-play<strong>in</strong>g<br />
equipment made a triumphant comeback.<br />
The announced players sported several<br />
features that elevated them above Pla<strong>in</strong> Jane<br />
status. For <strong>in</strong>stance, while universal players<br />
were virtually ext<strong>in</strong>ct, nearly every new CD<br />
player could also accommodate SACDs. This<br />
puzzled me, s<strong>in</strong>ce that format, along with<br />
DVD-A, is essentially dead. However, several<br />
manufacturers expla<strong>in</strong>ed that CD and<br />
SACD are technologically “friendlier” to<br />
each other, at the design and implementation<br />
level, than are CD and any other format. All<br />
three of the aforementioned flagship models<br />
play SACD, but the trend was evident at<br />
every price po<strong>in</strong>t, as exemplified by<br />
Esoteric’s new X-01 Limited ($14,000) and<br />
SZ-1 ($5600) players, as well as<br />
Goldmund’s Eidos 18 ($5450).<br />
While CD player prices climbed—five<br />
grand qualify<strong>in</strong>g as “entry-level” at <strong>this</strong><br />
show—many of them partially offset that<br />
<strong>in</strong>crease by obviat<strong>in</strong>g the need for a separate<br />
l<strong>in</strong>estage. To accomplish <strong>this</strong>, several players<br />
featured digital <strong>in</strong>puts and/or digital volume<br />
controls, enabl<strong>in</strong>g them to serve as a<br />
system’s control po<strong>in</strong>t. Typify<strong>in</strong>g <strong>this</strong> trend,<br />
which began last year with Meridian’s 808i ($14,950), was<br />
Wadia’s 581i ($8450) and Burmester’s 052 (est. $8000).<br />
Many players, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the dCS, Burmester, and Wadia units,<br />
also <strong>in</strong>cluded upsampl<strong>in</strong>g circuitry, once the exclusive<br />
prov<strong>in</strong>ce of outboard DACs.<br />
Music-M<strong>in</strong>ded Media Servers<br />
Media servers are no longer novel, but CES demonstrated that these<br />
devices are beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g to take sound quality more seriously. In general,<br />
servers fell <strong>in</strong>to two categories: those utiliz<strong>in</strong>g a PC platform,<br />
and those aimed at mitigat<strong>in</strong>g the need for a PC. In the first camp<br />
is Bardaudio, whose hardware, along with the user’s choice of PC<br />
music software (iTunes, etc.) turns one’s computer <strong>in</strong>to the front end<br />
of a 2.4GHz wireless, whole-house music system.<br />
Ofra and Eli Gershman displayed the impressive<br />
Black Swan speaker; Sonicweld’s alum<strong>in</strong>um speaker<br />
48 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
ROBERT E. GREENE’S Best of Show<br />
Most Significant New Products<br />
The Avega Wireless System and the Lyngdorf Audio “Room<br />
Perfect” correction device and algorithm. The Avega seems to the<br />
way of the future. Meanwhile, kudos to Lyngdorf and <strong>in</strong>ventor J.A.<br />
Pedersen for their efforts on the big frontier: room-correction algorithms<br />
that give natural, truthful sound.<br />
Coolest New Product<br />
Morch anisotropic arm (prototype). At long last, a pivoted arm that<br />
plays the bass of records right (bigger moment of <strong>in</strong>ertia horizontally<br />
than vertically, for deep bass and warp track<strong>in</strong>g both at once).<br />
[Note: I was an <strong>in</strong>formal, unpaid consultant on <strong>this</strong> project.]<br />
At the PC sits the BardUSB, a thumb-sized transmitter of<br />
content that resides on either the PC’s hard drive or on a CD<br />
<strong>in</strong>serted <strong>in</strong>to the computer. Significantly, music is sent <strong>in</strong> uncompressed<br />
44.1kHz/16-bit format, provid<strong>in</strong>g full CD-quality sound.<br />
At the receiv<strong>in</strong>g end, users can choose either a Bardone receiver/DAC,<br />
which then connects to a traditional audio system’s analog<br />
<strong>in</strong>put, or a Bardthree, which <strong>in</strong>cludes a 25-watt stereo amplifier<br />
for direct connection to speakers. Refresh<strong>in</strong>gly, both options<br />
are em<strong>in</strong>ently affordable; a BardUSB/Bardone set lists for $599,<br />
while a BardUSB/ Bardthree combo sells for just $1295.<br />
Olive Media represented the music-server camp. The<br />
Symphony ($899) and Musica ($1099) models look like traditional<br />
CD players—<strong>in</strong>deed, they can play CDs normally—but<br />
are actually ultra-quiet, ultra-<strong>in</strong>tuitive, 80- and 160-gigabyte<br />
servers, respectively. Olive offers a simple wireless receiver, the<br />
Sonata ($199), which employs the 802.11g Wi-Fi standard.<br />
The forthcom<strong>in</strong>g Melody receiver ($499, April availability)<br />
will also <strong>in</strong>clude a built-<strong>in</strong> amplifier and small speakers.<br />
Olive’s most noteworthy show <strong>in</strong>troduction was the Opus<br />
($3000), a 400-gigabyte server that raises the stakes on sound<br />
quality. Built around Burr-Brown DACs, the Opus can download<br />
music from the Internet <strong>in</strong> virtually any format. For example,<br />
Opus can receive 96kHz/24-bit material from, say, MusicGiants,<br />
then transmit that content losslessly to any system <strong>in</strong> the house.<br />
Compared to a $40,000 standalone, non-networked CD player<br />
with <strong>in</strong>herently lower resolution, the Opus and its ilk make more<br />
sense all the time. ➤<br />
DSP AT CES<br />
Morch prototype arm<br />
Coolest Accessory<br />
Isol-Pads. This small, <strong>in</strong>expensive isolation device (set of four for<br />
$25) does a lot of what the far more awkward and expensive<br />
ones do.<br />
Most Frequently Heard Demo Music<br />
A category, not a s<strong>in</strong>gle record<strong>in</strong>g—the miserably recorded, male, pseudo-blues<br />
vocal accompanied by sound without acoustic antecedents.<br />
(Multiples of a middle-class monthly salary to hear <strong>this</strong>?)<br />
Greatest Value<br />
Tyler Acoustics PD 20. Imag<strong>in</strong>g, natural voices, clarity, bass<br />
extension, and big dynamics for $2800. Some horn artifacts, but<br />
so what, at the price?<br />
Biggest Surprise at CES<br />
So much DSP!<br />
Best (DSP) Sound at CES<br />
Sonicweld, <strong>in</strong> a room exhibited with enough damp<strong>in</strong>g, very close to<br />
the reality of the record<strong>in</strong>gs. Honorable mention: the Lyngdorf system.<br />
And for bass: Wisdom Audio/Edge electronics (analog EQ’d).<br />
ROBERT E. GREENE<br />
This was the breakout year for the use of digital signal<br />
process<strong>in</strong>g (DSP) <strong>in</strong> high-end speaker design.<br />
There have been DSP-based speakers earlier, from<br />
Philips, more than ten years ago, Meridian on an<br />
ongo<strong>in</strong>g basis for a long time, and the conspicuously<br />
successful NHT design of a year or so ago. But<br />
<strong>this</strong> CES seemed the moment when DSP became a “go to”<br />
th<strong>in</strong>g for new designs aspir<strong>in</strong>g to the proverbial state of the art.<br />
Products from Sonicweld, Wasatch, and MSB represented allout<br />
attempts to compete at the highest level. Digital room correction<br />
also cont<strong>in</strong>ued apace, with new developments from<br />
Lyngdorf Audio (formerly TacT Europe), from TacT USA, and<br />
DEQX. DSP room correction also cont<strong>in</strong>ued to expand its presence<br />
<strong>in</strong> the lower-priced world, with developments from<br />
Denon/Audyssey and Harman.<br />
Perhaps the most strik<strong>in</strong>g of all, however, was the Avega<br />
system. The Avega <strong>in</strong>volves actual products—a DSP speaker<br />
called the Oyster, for example—but it is preem<strong>in</strong>ently a vision<br />
of the digital future. It is based on wireless data transmission<br />
from computer source to speakers (if you <strong>in</strong>sist, though, you<br />
can wire a CD player to it). This is no doubt a convenience, but<br />
more importantly the system is based around the idea that once<br />
music is made digital, it becomes natural to treat it as computer<br />
data. In its ultimate form, the Avega system will allow the<br />
50 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
user not only to do equalization for room correction or just to<br />
taste, it will also allow manufacturers and perhaps eventually<br />
consumers to change the crossover sett<strong>in</strong>gs—frequencies<br />
and slopes/alignment—of the speakers, or <strong>in</strong>deed of any<br />
speaker which is us<strong>in</strong>g the DSP and amplification provided.<br />
Wireless data transmission is fast enough with room to spare<br />
to do uncompressed digital audio <strong>in</strong> real time (16-bit words<br />
at 44.1kHz require 706kbps, while Wi-Fi is on the order of<br />
several Megabits/sec, depend<strong>in</strong>g on the standard used). And,<br />
of course, computers are plenty fast enough to do crossover<br />
and room-correction calculations <strong>in</strong> real time. But somehow<br />
no one had put it all together until Avega. The days of the<br />
stand-alone audio systems may well be numbered. Only<br />
speakers, the actual mechanism of mak<strong>in</strong>g sound, will be<br />
anyth<strong>in</strong>g but a computer peripheral <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> brave new world.<br />
Stand by for the revolution!<br />
In the world of conventional standalone speaker designs,<br />
DSP speakers from Sonicweld and Wasatch were us<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
DEQX digital box to good advantage. Both systems used<br />
crossover slopes much steeper than usual, tak<strong>in</strong>g advantage of<br />
digital filters with steep slopes but l<strong>in</strong>ear phase. Both speakers<br />
have very flat frequency response and excellent phase behavior.<br />
They also have a very wide radiation pattern, which implies<br />
some considerable dependence of the sound on the room characteristics<br />
(above the bass, where DEQX room correction was<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g used). As it happened, the Sonicweld was <strong>in</strong> a large, heavily<br />
curta<strong>in</strong>ed room. It sounded very smooth all the way up, and<br />
<strong>in</strong>deed offered quite stunn<strong>in</strong>g performance. Neil Gader called<br />
it “lovely,” and it seems an apt word. I had the sense of hear<strong>in</strong>g<br />
very exactly what was on the record<strong>in</strong>gs. Listen<strong>in</strong>g to my own<br />
play<strong>in</strong>g (from REG Plays Dvorák, available on regonaudio.com)<br />
was like look<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a mirror, sonically speak<strong>in</strong>g, so exactly did<br />
it sound like my own <strong>in</strong>strument. The Wasatch, <strong>in</strong> a smaller<br />
and less damped room, was also superb <strong>in</strong> the bass and<br />
midrange, with altogether remarkable reproduction of<br />
Reference Record<strong>in</strong>gs’ Rutter Requiem. But to my ears, the<br />
speakers would have benefited <strong>in</strong> the top end from a “softer”<br />
environment. In the treble, the room still counts, even when<br />
the bass is DSP corrected!<br />
The MSB S8 speaker, a DSP design us<strong>in</strong>g a custom digital<br />
crossover, with an enclosure of an unusual spherical shape, was<br />
sound<strong>in</strong>g very natural on vocal material. All three, MSB,<br />
Wasatch, Sonicweld, are remarkable—at a price. (All three systems<br />
were <strong>in</strong> the $40,000–$65,000 bracket.)<br />
Lyngdorf Audio demonstrated a new room-correction system<br />
developed by Jan A. Pedersen called “Room Perfect,”<br />
which is based not only on measurements at the listen<strong>in</strong>g position<br />
but also on overall room behavior. Demonstrated with corner<br />
woofers, it sounded really excellent <strong>in</strong> the bass and<br />
midrange, <strong>in</strong> spite of the small room, though the target curve<br />
was set a bit “hot” to my ears <strong>in</strong> the top end (<strong>this</strong> is useradjustable,<br />
though the <strong>in</strong>itial choice of target curve is automated).<br />
This system may well be a major advance <strong>in</strong> room correction,<br />
where the real DSP action is to my m<strong>in</strong>d. (Analog speakers<br />
already work quite well, but their <strong>in</strong>teraction with the room<br />
usually does not.)<br />
Tact USA was silent when I visited due to speakers be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
damaged <strong>in</strong> transit, but it had on visual display a digital, PCbased,<br />
“while it plays,” tone-control system—just po<strong>in</strong>t at the<br />
screen and click to change the tonal balance—and an <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g<br />
system of “loudness controls,” with personalized Fletcher-<br />
Munson-type equi-loudness curves for unusual listen<strong>in</strong>g levels<br />
(e.g., low, one hopes). Really good ideas here.<br />
Interest<strong>in</strong>gly, the best bass I heard at the show was from<br />
Wisdom (with Edge amplification)—Wisdom adjusts bass to<br />
the room by analog electronics, not DSP. Stunn<strong>in</strong>g bass sound,<br />
with power and superb def<strong>in</strong>ition comb<strong>in</strong>ed.<br />
Analog design <strong>in</strong> more affordable price ranges was not neglected,<br />
though I did not do a systematic survey.<br />
At entry-level prices, Tyler Acoustics new<br />
PD20 gave excellent imag<strong>in</strong>g (controlled dispersion<br />
really works), loudness without stra<strong>in</strong>, and<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g overall a lot like music <strong>in</strong> a pro monitor<br />
context (Em<strong>in</strong>ence drivers)—not perfect (a<br />
few horn artifacts), but at $2800 and drivethem-with-anyth<strong>in</strong>g-at-all<br />
sensitivity, one<br />
impressive system.<br />
Two of my perennial favorites, Harbeth,<br />
with a prototype floorstander with superbly natural<br />
midband, and Gradient, with an improved<br />
woofer system offer<strong>in</strong>g the room <strong>in</strong>dependence<br />
that only controlled radiation pattern can provide,<br />
were sound<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>e, <strong>in</strong>deed. Even <strong>in</strong> an<br />
<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly DSP world, analog sound was alive<br />
and well and liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Las Vegas <strong>in</strong> 2006. ➤<br />
Hannl record clean<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>e<br />
52 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
HIGH-END LOUDSPEAKERS AND<br />
ELECTRONICS—THIS AND THAT<br />
WAYNE GARCIA<br />
My assignment for <strong>this</strong> year’s show was to cover<br />
speakers and electronics between $10,000 and<br />
$20,000, and my pal Jon Val<strong>in</strong> was to cover the<br />
same items priced above $20,000. Problem<br />
was, as Jonathan and I made the rounds together,<br />
it quickly became clear that most of the<br />
rooms at the Alexis Park and St. Tropez fell <strong>in</strong>to his half of the<br />
draw, or, at the other extreme, well below both our designated<br />
ranges. And because his report later <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> section is so thorough<br />
and straddles both our categories, I’ve decided to focus on<br />
what I found to be the best-sound<strong>in</strong>g and most <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g<br />
items regardless of cost.<br />
Elite Audio Video Distribution displayed a system compris<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the Kuzma Stabi XL Turntable and Airl<strong>in</strong>e arm<br />
($27k), an ASR Basis Exclusive phonostage, the Pl<strong>in</strong>ius M8<br />
l<strong>in</strong>estage ($3695) and SA-Reference amps ($14,495), and the<br />
$12,000 Nola Viper Reference speakers (all very f<strong>in</strong>e items but<br />
for some reason Nola speakers don’t seem to sound their best at<br />
shows). What captured my fancy were three relatively<br />
compact, remarkably quiet, and beautifully<br />
made record-clean<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>es from<br />
Germany’s Hannl—the Micro ($1399),<br />
the Mera ($1999), and the top-of-the-l<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Aragon ($2999). The Mera is on the way<br />
for review, so I’ll report back.<br />
I believe I was more impressed by the<br />
sound <strong>in</strong> Von Schweikert Audio’s display<br />
than Jonathan was, but then I didn’t<br />
have his experience with <strong>this</strong> same setup<br />
at the Rocky Mounta<strong>in</strong> show, which I<br />
missed due to illness. Plus, as anyone<br />
who has been to any audio show can<br />
tell you, between horrid acoustics,<br />
marg<strong>in</strong>al AC, and a host of other<br />
potential disasters, good sound at<br />
these th<strong>in</strong>gs is a rarity; great sound is<br />
a comb<strong>in</strong>ation of luck, know-how,<br />
and someth<strong>in</strong>g like a miracle, and we<br />
must cut manufacturers a healthy bit<br />
of slack if their sound isn’t up to<br />
snuff. On Tom Brosseau’s What I<br />
Mean To Say Is Goodbye CD, the<br />
$60,000 Von Schweikert VR9-SEs<br />
displayed a good balance, natural<br />
sound<strong>in</strong>g vocals, and very (overly?)<br />
sweet viol<strong>in</strong> sound. And with JV’s LP<br />
of Prokofiev’s First Viol<strong>in</strong> Sonata, the Andante sounded lovely,<br />
with lilt<strong>in</strong>g microdynamics dur<strong>in</strong>g a pizzicato passage. The system<br />
was fleshed out by the Swiss-made Dartzeel NHB-18NS<br />
preamplifier and NHB-108 Model One amps ($18,000), which<br />
are red-hot these days, the EMM Labs CDSD and DAC6, and<br />
the $15,000 Grand Prix Monaco, a carbon-fiber composite<br />
direct-drive(!) turntable, and Tri-Planar VII arm ($3900).<br />
Importer/distributor Music Hall was show<strong>in</strong>g its wide<br />
range of goodies, but the three that stood out for me were the<br />
new Whest Audio Reference V phonostage with outboard<br />
power supply (est. $7k–$8k), and Music Hall’s own rdr-1 table<br />
radio and Takahashi One Box, a m<strong>in</strong>i stereo CD player.<br />
Whest’s James Henriot (one hell of a sweet guy) was a bit<br />
sheepish when we met each other, as he’s been promis<strong>in</strong>g me a<br />
review sample of the MC Reference for the past several months<br />
(designs usually take longer than expected to complete). In any<br />
case, it appears to be worth the wait and is not simply a hotrodded<br />
version of the company’s acclaimed PS.20 (a review of<br />
that one is <strong>in</strong> the works) but a totally fresh design. As for the<br />
Music Hall items, how refresh<strong>in</strong>g it is to see a guy with Roy<br />
Hall’s high-end standards th<strong>in</strong>k “outside the box.” The $189<br />
rdr-1 (stands for “radio done right”) is a compact table radio<br />
with remote control that, while on static display only, should<br />
be one sweet-sound<strong>in</strong>g item, given its pedigree. The $699<br />
Takahashi One Box was also on static display, and <strong>in</strong> a ra<strong>in</strong>bow<br />
of available colors appears to be someth<strong>in</strong>g of a high-enders<br />
m<strong>in</strong>i-stereo—a pair of 3" speakers sit just a<br />
few <strong>in</strong>ches apart <strong>in</strong> the unit’s lower section.<br />
Whatever else it does well, a wallto-wall<br />
soundstage is probably not<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g one should expect.<br />
Distributor Aydn displayed a very<br />
f<strong>in</strong>e sound<strong>in</strong>g system compris<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Artemis Labs SP-1 amplifier<br />
($11,400) as well as the $2850 LA-1<br />
l<strong>in</strong>estage and $3350 PL-1 phonostage<br />
I reviewed so favorably last year.<br />
Speakers were the $5800 Triangle<br />
Australe, which were open, sweet on<br />
viol<strong>in</strong>s, and rich sound<strong>in</strong>g with piano<br />
(if not the last word <strong>in</strong> deep bass),<br />
while a Galibier Stelvio ’table and<br />
Schroeder Reference Arm combo<br />
($17,550) provided the signals.<br />
As they usually do, Co<strong>in</strong>cident<br />
Technology and Manley Labs<br />
showed together, and fun was had by<br />
all. This is easily the most down-toearth<br />
room at the show, <strong>in</strong> large part<br />
due to EveAnna Manley’s party-girl<br />
spirit, which bubbles over all who<br />
visit. Manley’s outstand<strong>in</strong>g Steelhead<br />
Von Schweikert VR9-SE<br />
54 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
phono preamp ($7300) and Snapper<br />
monoblocks ($4250/pair)—fed by VPI’s<br />
HRX turntable and a Helikon cartridge, as<br />
well as an Audio Aero Prestige CD/SACD<br />
player—were driv<strong>in</strong>g Israel Bloom’s Co<strong>in</strong>cident<br />
Technology Total Victory II speakers ($13k). The sound was<br />
lively, quite coherent, tonally warm, and musically <strong>in</strong>vit<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Alon Wolf and his MAGICO l<strong>in</strong>e are generat<strong>in</strong>g a great<br />
deal of positive buzz (see last <strong>issue</strong>’s feature on <strong>this</strong> excit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
young company), and over at the St. Tropez Alon’s near-field<br />
setup with an Esoteric digital player, Edge Signature One<br />
l<strong>in</strong>estage, and Convergent Audio Technology JC-1 monoblocks<br />
sent chills down my sp<strong>in</strong>e. Whether it was the Barber Viol<strong>in</strong><br />
Concerto [Stern on Sony CD] or Wilco’s “Jesus, Don’t Cry” the<br />
sound was <strong>in</strong>credibly open, detailed, and lively, with beautiful<br />
textures and lots of air. JV is slated to get the M<strong>in</strong>i, so expect<br />
more on <strong>this</strong> little sweetheart <strong>in</strong> a future <strong>issue</strong>.<br />
Also at the St. Tropez was Peter Clark of Redpo<strong>in</strong>t—another<br />
of my recent favorites—who was show<strong>in</strong>g his newest<br />
turntable, the Model D ($16,000) with a Tri-Planar MK VII arm<br />
and Transfiguration Temper cartridge ($4k each) with a comparatively<br />
modest system made up of the Naim NAP 112 preamp<br />
Val<strong>in</strong> and Garcia relax<strong>in</strong>g with Roy Hall<br />
Music Hall’s rdr-1 radio<br />
($1350) and NAP 200 amp ($3495), and a new,<br />
yet-to-be-priced-or-named Harbeth floorstand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
speaker. Though the sound was not as airy, detailed,<br />
or dynamic as I’m used to hear<strong>in</strong>g from the<br />
Redpo<strong>in</strong>t Model B and Tri-Planar at home, it still<br />
exemplified what a great front-end can do by creat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
sounds so <strong>in</strong>herently beautiful, <strong>in</strong>vit<strong>in</strong>g, and<br />
musically pleasurable from very good but modestly-priced<br />
speakers and electronics.<br />
Back at the AP, Hovland was play<strong>in</strong>g a particularly<br />
lovely sound<strong>in</strong>g system us<strong>in</strong>g its $9500<br />
HP-200 tube preamplifier (which I’m <strong>in</strong> the process of review<strong>in</strong>g),<br />
the newly <strong>in</strong>troduced $34,000 Stratos solid-state mono<br />
amps, a modified Kenwood LO-7D turntable/Grado Statement<br />
cartridge, a Mac M<strong>in</strong>i-based digital source feed<strong>in</strong>g a prototype<br />
USB DAC, and Avalon Eidolon Diamond speakers. The sound<br />
here was consistently elegant, detailed, and natural, with<br />
WAYNE GARCIA’S Best of Show<br />
Most Significant New Products<br />
Too many to choose just one: I would cite two newly revised horncone-hybrid<br />
speakers as rais<strong>in</strong>g the bar for their type—the new<br />
Avantgarde Duo Omega and the Acapella Arts High Viol<strong>in</strong> MkIII.<br />
Both are from Germany, both hover just above $25k the pair, and<br />
both are exceptionally low <strong>in</strong> horn coloration, unusually coherent,<br />
and possess the immediacy and lifelike dynamics horns excel at.<br />
I’d also have to mention the new ARC Ref 3 preamp, and the new<br />
affordable analog goodies from Pro-Ject.<br />
Coolest New Product<br />
Kharma’s M<strong>in</strong>i-Exquisite speaker…cooler than cool.<br />
Coolest Accessory<br />
The Hannl record cleaners distributed by Elite Audio Video.<br />
Most Frequently Heard Demo Music<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce JV and I walked most of the show together—does that make us<br />
Brokeback audiophiles?—I heard everyth<strong>in</strong>g on his list plus N<strong>in</strong>e Inch<br />
Nails’ With Teeth [Innerscope], David Bowie’s Earthl<strong>in</strong>g [Sony],<br />
and my own pop and jazz discs: Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot<br />
[Nonesuch], Tom Brosseau’s What I Mean To Say Is Goodbye<br />
[Loveless], Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morn<strong>in</strong>g [Saddle<br />
Creek], and James Carter’s Chas<strong>in</strong>’ the Gypsy [Atlantic].<br />
Greatest Value<br />
Music Hall rdr-1 radio.<br />
Biggest Surprises at CES<br />
Stratospheric prices, fewer exhibitors, so many (really good<br />
sound<strong>in</strong>g) horns, and so much more analog stuff than even<br />
last year.<br />
Best Sound at CES<br />
Be<strong>in</strong>g a sucker for a great two-way, I’m go<strong>in</strong>g to give a close<br />
runner’s up nod the to the MAGICO M<strong>in</strong>i, with my best sound<br />
at the show reserved for the Kharma M<strong>in</strong>i Exquisite. And<br />
exquisite is the right word for <strong>this</strong> speaker’s sound, look, and<br />
build-quality.<br />
56 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
Hovland’s own musical selections and also<br />
with Wilco, Bright Eyes, and Jon Val<strong>in</strong>’s<br />
LP of the Prokofiev sonata.<br />
Canada’s Pierre Gabriel showed<br />
his speakers and cables with a bevy of<br />
Jadis electronics, and after several<br />
years’ absence <strong>in</strong> the U.S. it’s nice to<br />
see Jadis back.<br />
No real listen<strong>in</strong>g was done, but we<br />
did get a run down on the French tube<br />
maker’s extensive l<strong>in</strong>e of gear, which<br />
now <strong>in</strong>cludes many affordable components.<br />
We’re l<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g up review samples<br />
for future <strong>issue</strong>s.<br />
AXISS Distribution had its<br />
extensive l<strong>in</strong>e of goods on hand, from<br />
Accuphase to Air Tight to Shelter to<br />
Transrotor. Among the new offer<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
were a lovely sound<strong>in</strong>g new Koetsu<br />
cartridge called the Bloodstone ($7k),<br />
which dur<strong>in</strong>g a brief listen sounded<br />
very Koetsu-like—beautiful, tonally<br />
rich, and highly seductive—and the first cartridge<br />
from Air Tight.<br />
As per usual, distributor GTT Audio was mak<strong>in</strong>g some of<br />
the best sounds at the show, and was I ever smitten by the new<br />
Kharma M<strong>in</strong>i-Exquisite, which is an aptly named two-way<br />
floorstand<strong>in</strong>g design ($45k) of exceptional musicality.<br />
Essentially a super-duper version of my reference Kharma 3.2<br />
with a newly fashioned cab<strong>in</strong>et, crossover, ceramic mid/bass<br />
driver, and diamond tweeter, it swept me away with the purity,<br />
detail, and sheer beauty of its sound. I listened to it with a wide<br />
range of music and could barely tear myself away. Luckily, I’ll<br />
soon be gett<strong>in</strong>g a pair for review. And if I’m even luckier, I’ll<br />
get the same system GTT’s Bill Parish and the Kubla-Sosna<br />
cable boys were play<strong>in</strong>g. Along with the K-S cables it comprised<br />
MBL’s 6010 D solid-state preamp ($19k), 1611-E<br />
Reference DAC ($21.5k), and Reference CD transport ($21k),<br />
as well as the dim<strong>in</strong>utive and terrific sound<strong>in</strong>g Kharma<br />
MP150-SE monoblock amplifiers ($6800). ➤<br />
A<br />
All<br />
Hovland’s new<br />
Stratos mono<br />
amps<br />
ULTRA-HIGH-END<br />
LOUDSPEAKERS<br />
AND ELECTRONICS<br />
JONATHAN VALIN<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs considered, <strong>this</strong> was the<br />
most <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g CES I’ve been to—not<br />
just because the sound was on average<br />
better than usual, but because of three<br />
trends that together add up to a seismic<br />
shift <strong>in</strong> what got shown at the world’s<br />
biggest high-end audio expo.<br />
Trend number one was the reduced<br />
number of exhibitors at the Alexis Park<br />
and St. Tropez. Usually, virtually every<br />
room on every level of the AP and ST<br />
houses a display. This year there was more<br />
of a “gap-toothed” distribution of exhibits,<br />
with empty rooms (and empty floors)<br />
galore. The reason for <strong>this</strong> is simple: With a<br />
few exceptions, home-theater systems<br />
weren’t be<strong>in</strong>g shown alongside traditional stereo systems. This<br />
show was about old-fashioned two-channel audio, above all else.<br />
Trend two rather proves the po<strong>in</strong>t. This year there was more<br />
analog to be found at both the AP and ST than at any time<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce the early 1980s. It seemed as if everyone was demo’<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with v<strong>in</strong>yl (or, at least, with v<strong>in</strong>yl and CD), once aga<strong>in</strong> re<strong>in</strong>forc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the traditionalist high-end bent of <strong>this</strong> year’s CES.<br />
Need more proof? Trend three: There was a lot more veryhigh-priced,<br />
very-hardcore-high-end two-channel gear at <strong>this</strong><br />
CES than <strong>in</strong> years past. It was almost as if the middle ground—<br />
which had been largely taken up by multichannel and dualpurpose<br />
home-theater rigs—had disappeared. The goodies on<br />
display here were for the very-well-heeled, analog-lov<strong>in</strong>g, twochannel<br />
audiophile.<br />
Put all three trends together and what you get, I th<strong>in</strong>k, is<br />
the end of an identity crisis that has been plagu<strong>in</strong>g high-end<br />
audio shows s<strong>in</strong>ce the advent of home theater. It’s almost as if<br />
everyone decided at once that dual-purpose theater systems just<br />
weren’t what the monied hi-fi buyer wanted to see at a highend<br />
expo. It was time, <strong>in</strong>stead, to return to two-channel roots,<br />
and admit that the customers high-end dealers<br />
really want to court are wealthy audiophiles<br />
old enough (or young enough) to<br />
appreciate the glories of analog and the<br />
superb reproduction of music via<br />
stereo. I will leave it to others to speculate<br />
on how <strong>this</strong> trend jibes with the<br />
Jadis Orchestra <strong>in</strong>tegrated amp<br />
58 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
Time to get off the soapbox and on with the show,<br />
which was, as noted, mighty good sound<strong>in</strong>g. My<br />
assignment <strong>this</strong> year was to report on speakers and<br />
electronics above $20k. Little did I know that there<br />
would be so much of both. Below you will f<strong>in</strong>d a selection<br />
of what I heard; my apologies <strong>in</strong> advance to<br />
exhibitors I didn’t get the chance to visit or I didn’t<br />
have the space to comment on.<br />
I have organized my report by room, list<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
system and then comment<strong>in</strong>g on it. Remember: This<br />
is a report on the sound of rooms at a trade show, not<br />
a series of formal reviews of equipment.<br />
A multi-armed Transrotor w/Koetsu Bloodl<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Bush economy and the current conservative spirit of <strong>this</strong> country,<br />
but there is clearly some sort of fit.<br />
Other sub-trends which fed <strong>this</strong> larger one were the ascendance<br />
of high-priced European high-end gear,<br />
especially gear from Germany (two-and-a-half<br />
of my Best Sounds at CES were German systems).<br />
Given the premium Americans must<br />
pay for foreign goods, it is clear aga<strong>in</strong> that, at<br />
least at <strong>this</strong> year’s CES, price was not the<br />
deterrent it has been at previous shows. Also,<br />
we are see<strong>in</strong>g more horn speakers than ever<br />
before—or speakers that make use of horn<br />
drivers. Once aga<strong>in</strong>, it takes a committed<br />
audiophile to buy a horn-loaded speaker.<br />
Handsome though they may be, horns take<br />
up room and, generally, cost a lot.<br />
There is an obvious downside to the<br />
trends at <strong>this</strong> year’s CES, as well. Lasertarget<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the very-well-heeled traditionalist<br />
audiophile is also a tacit concession<br />
that the high-end market is ag<strong>in</strong>g and is<br />
or will, alas and alack, soon be shr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
But then the high-end market has<br />
always been small and select—and <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>this</strong> economy they are plenty of young<br />
monied folks who may catch the highend<br />
fever, just as we did when we were<br />
young. The reduced number of displays<br />
may also be a sign of show-exhaustion.<br />
With CES, CEDIA, Rocky<br />
Mounta<strong>in</strong>, the two Primedia<br />
shows, and the <strong>in</strong>numerable<br />
Canadian, British, European, and<br />
Asian expos, resources have to be shepherded <strong>in</strong> what<br />
is, after all, a small specialty market.<br />
Nola I<br />
Nola Viper Reference ($12k)<br />
Kuzma Stabi XL Turntable ($18k)<br />
Kuzma Airl<strong>in</strong>e tonearm ($9k)<br />
Pl<strong>in</strong>ius SA-Reference amps ($14.5k)<br />
Pl<strong>in</strong>ius M8 l<strong>in</strong>estage ($7k)<br />
ASR Basis Exclusiv phonostage ($5690)<br />
The relatively dim<strong>in</strong>utive Nola Vipers were transparent, but<br />
brighter than and not as detailed nor as <strong>in</strong>cisively dynamic as<br />
what I’m used to hear<strong>in</strong>g on the Shostakovich Second Piano<br />
Concerto LP and other discs. Perhaps the Pl<strong>in</strong>ius<br />
electronics were hold<strong>in</strong>g them back because<br />
the Vipers sounded great with deHavilland<br />
tube gear at the Rocky Mounta<strong>in</strong> show.<br />
Von Schweikert I<br />
Von Schweikert VR-9 SE ($60k)<br />
Dartzeel amp and preamp ($18k apiece)<br />
Monaco turntable and Tri-Planar arm<br />
($18,900)<br />
This system was one of the great hits of the<br />
Rocky Mounta<strong>in</strong> Audio Fest. At CES, it<br />
was less impressive. Part of the reason had<br />
to be the room, which was about a quarter<br />
the size of the one <strong>in</strong> Denver. In any event<br />
it is clear that these very large speakers<br />
need space around and beh<strong>in</strong>d them to<br />
show their best. In Vegas, they sounded a<br />
little “hi-fi” and considerably more forward<br />
and less expansive and alive than <strong>in</strong> Denver,<br />
but still warm, sweet, and solid, though<br />
they did have a bit of a “cupped hands” coloration<br />
<strong>in</strong> the mids and were a little closed<strong>in</strong><br />
on top. Overall, the Von Ses were just<br />
too syrupy for my taste, at least <strong>in</strong> the room<br />
they were <strong>in</strong> at the AP.<br />
Kharma’s M<strong>in</strong>i-Exquisite<br />
60 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
Wisdom Audio/Edge<br />
Wisdom Audio M-75s ribbons l<strong>in</strong>e-source with separate<br />
cone subwoofers ($52k)<br />
Edge G CD player ($4788)<br />
Edge G 2 solid-state preamp ($4788)<br />
Edge G 8 stereo amplifier ($6588)—subs<br />
Edge NL12.1 stereo amplifier ($18.5k)—panels<br />
The M-75s were a little reticent dynamically (which has<br />
always been the case with Wisdom speakers driven by<br />
Edge electronics), but had good openness, bloom, and<br />
neutrality (all of which are also typical of the<br />
Wisdom/Edge pair<strong>in</strong>g). This year, I thought the <strong>in</strong>tegration<br />
of the outboard subwoofer and the ribbon panel was<br />
considerably less than ideal. (OTOH, REG thought it<br />
was the best bass at the show! Go figure.)<br />
Kuzma Stabi XL turntable and Airl<strong>in</strong>e arm<br />
Calix<br />
Calix Venus Phoenix Grand horn-loaded loudspeaker ($13k)<br />
Chord CPM <strong>in</strong>tegrated amp<br />
Chord CD player<br />
A dynamic horn speaker system, the Calixes are, ultimately,<br />
prettier to look at than to listen to because of driver <strong>in</strong>tegration<br />
and localization problems.<br />
TAD<br />
TAD Model 3 three-way floorstander with concentric<br />
beryllium mid/tweet and 10" bass drivers ($40k)<br />
Pass Labs XA600.5 for bass ($12k)<br />
Pass Labs XA150 for concentric mid/tweet ($20k)<br />
Keith Johnson custom DAC and TEAC Esoteric transport ($TBD)<br />
This fancy TAD loudspeaker, with technology borrowed from<br />
Andrew Jones’ top-of-the-l<strong>in</strong>e Model 1, had good focus, con-<br />
Hiroyasu Kondo, Rest <strong>in</strong> Peace<br />
It is with considerable sadness that we report the death of<br />
Hiroyasu Kondo, founder of Audio Note Japan, who passed<br />
away <strong>in</strong> his sleep on January 8, 2006, while attend<strong>in</strong>g CES <strong>in</strong><br />
Las Vegas. He is survived by his wife Kazuko, his son Yuji, and<br />
his daughter Hisae.<br />
The son of a Buddhist priest, Kondo San was a professor of<br />
electronic eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and molecular metallurgy before found<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Audio Note <strong>in</strong> Japan <strong>in</strong> 1976. Famous for his revolutionary use of<br />
silver <strong>in</strong> audio equipment, Kondo almost s<strong>in</strong>gle-handedly revived<br />
the s<strong>in</strong>gle-ended-triode amplifier; his 211-based SET, the Ongaku,<br />
rema<strong>in</strong>s the exemplar of Japanese high-end audio.<br />
TAS Associate Editor Jonathan Val<strong>in</strong>, who reviewed Audio<br />
Note’s Neiro and Kegon amplifiers <strong>in</strong> Fi, says: “It’s both appropriate<br />
and ironic that Kondo San passed away at the Consumer<br />
Electronics Show—appropriate because high-end audio was his<br />
art and ironic because he was as far from mak<strong>in</strong>g ‘consumer<br />
electronics’ as a human be<strong>in</strong>g could get. He was an artisan like<br />
Fabergé and Tiffany, and the beautiful th<strong>in</strong>gs he made, like theirs,<br />
were fit for czars and k<strong>in</strong>gs.”<br />
Audio Note Japan reports that Kondo San had been <strong>in</strong> ill health<br />
for some time. In order to ensure that his standards would be ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed,<br />
he appo<strong>in</strong>ted his close colleague and chief designer Masaki<br />
Ashizawa as President of Audio Note Japan six months ago.<br />
Andrew Jones describes the TAD Model 3<br />
62 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
trol, and coherence and very good tight bass.<br />
Though plenty lively, the Model 3 was not as<br />
abrasive as TAD speakers have sounded at<br />
other shows. (But then I wasn’t listen<strong>in</strong>g at the<br />
rocket-launch levels I’ve heard TADs play at <strong>in</strong><br />
other shows.) I was very impressed by the Pass<br />
electronics, which were neutral and detailed<br />
and civilized without be<strong>in</strong>g polite, mak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
these sometimes too-aggressive speakers sound<br />
less “shouty” than usual.<br />
Acapella Arts<br />
Acapella Arts High Viol<strong>in</strong> MkIII three-way<br />
horn-loaded/hybrid floorstander ($26k)<br />
E<strong>in</strong>ste<strong>in</strong> “The Tube” preamplifier ($13.5k)<br />
E<strong>in</strong>ste<strong>in</strong> “The F<strong>in</strong>al Cut” monoblock tube<br />
amplifiers ($25,250/pair)<br />
To my ear, these gorgeous horn speakers (with<br />
dynamic woofer) from Germany, driven by gorgeous-look<strong>in</strong>g<br />
(and sound<strong>in</strong>g) E<strong>in</strong>ste<strong>in</strong> tube<br />
electronics, sounded far more like electrostats<br />
than horns: extremely delicate, beautiful, open,<br />
transparent, and detailed. Though perhaps a<br />
little “dark” <strong>in</strong> overall balance, they were one of<br />
the better sounds of the show—very close to<br />
one of the best. Co<strong>in</strong>cidentally, they also represent<br />
a m<strong>in</strong>i-trend. Although Acapella has been<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g horns for better than thirty years (it<br />
pioneered the spherical horn), the show saw<br />
more and more manufacturers us<strong>in</strong>g the oldest<br />
of loudspeaker technologies, the horn driver, as<br />
a component <strong>in</strong> some of the newest and most sophisticated<br />
designs.<br />
AAA Audio<br />
AAA Audio XLH Ref 1812 three-way horn-loaded/dynamic<br />
loudspeaker system ($50k)<br />
XLH SL-11XS dual-mono preamp ($5k)<br />
XLH M-2000 monoblock amplifier ($20k/pair)<br />
Orig<strong>in</strong>al Leonardo A9.3 CD player ($3k)<br />
These remarkable-look<strong>in</strong>g speakers from Ch<strong>in</strong>a comb<strong>in</strong>e a huge<br />
horn tweeter (work<strong>in</strong>g from 1.8kHz up) with high-quality treated-paper<br />
midrange and woofer drivers. The sound they produced<br />
was very live, open, and transparent. I could hear a little localization<br />
of the horn (unlike the Acapella), and the bass from the<br />
18" woofer (!) was considerably overblown. The midrange, however,<br />
was great. On the whole, a promis<strong>in</strong>g design.<br />
Lumen White<br />
Lumen White Silverflame Precision Monitors ($27,750/pair)<br />
Ayon Spheris tube preamplifier ($24k)<br />
Ayon Reference monoblock SET amplifiers ($30k/pair)<br />
Blue Pearl Audio JEM turntable ($80k)<br />
Graham Phantom tonearm ($4.4k)<br />
Lumen<br />
White<br />
Silverflame<br />
Precision<br />
Lyra Titan cartridge<br />
Though the presentation on several<br />
familiar record<strong>in</strong>gs was not quite as spacious<br />
as what I’m used to, and a little<br />
closed <strong>in</strong> on top and dark overall, these<br />
beautiful jigsaw-piece Austrian speakers<br />
and superb Austrian tube electronics<br />
were nevertheless gorgeously detailed<br />
and gorgeously rich <strong>in</strong> tone color. One of<br />
the better sounds of the show, they<br />
illustrate yet another trend <strong>in</strong> hi-fi: the<br />
ascendance of European (particularly<br />
Austro-German) high end to a position of<br />
equality with—and <strong>in</strong> some cases outright<br />
superiority to—American products.<br />
Harbeth<br />
Harbeth “Untitled” floorstand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
loudspeakers ($TBA)<br />
Red Po<strong>in</strong>t Model D turntable ($16k)<br />
Tri-Planar MkVII tonearm ($4k)<br />
Transfiguration Temper cartridge ($4k)<br />
Naim NAP 112 preamp ($1350)<br />
Naim NAP 200 amp ($3495)<br />
A little lack<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> dynamics with imag<strong>in</strong>g<br />
that is slightly m<strong>in</strong>iaturized and flatter<br />
than life, these new, as yet unnamed multiway<br />
loudspeakers from Harbeth were<br />
still strik<strong>in</strong>gly lovely sound<strong>in</strong>g—so<br />
voluptuous <strong>in</strong> tone color they rem<strong>in</strong>ded<br />
me of m<strong>in</strong>i-Sonus Faber Stradivarii. The<br />
Harbeth room illustrated yet another<br />
trend at CES—the triumphant return of<br />
analog. No more than a year or two ago,<br />
you would only f<strong>in</strong>d turntables <strong>in</strong> one out of twenty or thirty<br />
rooms. This year the digital-only-room was the exception.<br />
Analog was everywhere, which either means that retailers are<br />
sell<strong>in</strong>g it far more briskly or that the folks who run show demos<br />
have recovered their hear<strong>in</strong>g. Either way, a<strong>in</strong>’t it grand!<br />
Hansen’s newly crowned “The Pr<strong>in</strong>ce”<br />
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CES2006 REPORT<br />
Hansen Audio<br />
Hansen “The Pr<strong>in</strong>ce” loudspeaker ($27k)<br />
VAC Reference preamp ($10k)<br />
VAC Phi 300 power amp ($15k)<br />
Redpo<strong>in</strong>t MG turntable ($20k)<br />
Tri-Planar tonearm ($4k) with Phasteck cartridge<br />
DCS P-8i CD/SACD player ($14k)<br />
Dynalab MD109 tuner (approx. $10k)<br />
Lars Hansen <strong>in</strong>troduced “The Pr<strong>in</strong>ce” floorstanders,<br />
slightly smaller versions of the excellent-sound<strong>in</strong>g<br />
“The K<strong>in</strong>gs” he demo’d at RMAF.<br />
Immedia<br />
Sonics PassionS loudspeakers ($27k)<br />
Alan Perk<strong>in</strong>s Spiral Groove turntable with Immedia<br />
arm ($20k)<br />
Lyra Titan cartridge ($4k)<br />
Lyra Connoisseur 4-2L l<strong>in</strong>estage preamp ($25k)<br />
Lyra Connoisseur 4-2P phonostage preamp ($25k)<br />
German designer Joachim Gerhard’s PassionS—a<br />
modular three-way D’Appolito floorstander that<br />
looked a bit like a segmented orange slice—<br />
sounded open but also a bit bright and stressedout<br />
on heavily modulated passages. The electronics,<br />
orig<strong>in</strong>ally designed by Mares Design<br />
of California, were from the Japanese cartridge-design<br />
firm Lyra.<br />
Ridley Audio<br />
Ridley Audio powered loudspeaker ($TBA)<br />
Ridley Audio One full-function preamp<br />
(ca. $15k)<br />
Ridley Turntable with modified Well-Tempered<br />
Arm ($TBA)<br />
These self-powered ribbon/cone hybrid l<strong>in</strong>esource<br />
loudspeakers were undoubtedly the<br />
The Sonic<br />
PassionS<br />
Up and<br />
com<strong>in</strong>g—<br />
Ray Ridley<br />
best sound I heard at the show from equipment<br />
that wasn’t yet for sale. The whole system—<br />
from speakers to amps to preamp to<br />
turntable—was a prototype designed by<br />
British eng<strong>in</strong>eer Dr. Ray Ridley. The selfpowered<br />
speakers were particularly fasc<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
The amp sits atop the columnar speaker<br />
and is designed to look like an <strong>in</strong>tegral element.<br />
What makes it so fasc<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g (and<br />
perhaps part of what made the system so<br />
good) was a little stroke of genius that, like<br />
most great ideas, is so simple you wonder<br />
why no one else thought of it. It dawned on<br />
Dr. Ridley that all amplifiers—tube and<br />
solid-state—sound better after their parts<br />
have “warmed up.” So why not warm them up<br />
immediately? To <strong>this</strong> end he literally heats,<br />
via <strong>in</strong>ternal elements, the amp so that the<br />
components will operate from startup at precisely<br />
the right temperatures to function optimally.<br />
I assume the heat<strong>in</strong>g element is sensitive<br />
to ambient temperatures, so that the amount of<br />
heat<strong>in</strong>g depends on the warmth of your room.<br />
Fanfare International<br />
Pearl Evolution four-way loudspeaker ($20k)<br />
ASR Emitter 1 ($15.5k)<br />
Stibbert Blue Note Mk II CD player ($4950)<br />
The Pearl/ASR/Stibbert combo was very<br />
detailed with nice sparkle on the upper octave<br />
of piano <strong>in</strong> the Rachman<strong>in</strong>off Third, but it was<br />
also a little light <strong>in</strong> the bass and, I thought, slightly<br />
too homogenized overall. I will have more to say on <strong>this</strong><br />
subject when we come to the ASR Emitter 2/Nola Pegasus<br />
room later <strong>in</strong> the report.<br />
Zanden Audio<br />
Peak Consult Empress three-way loudspeaker ($25k)<br />
Zanden 3000 5687-based tube preamp ($15k)<br />
Zanden 9500 845-based monoblock amplifiers ($40k)<br />
Zanden 5000 MkIV Signature DAC ($15.5k)<br />
Zanden 2000P Premium transport ($28k)<br />
The most analog-like digital I heard at CES. Spacious, lively,<br />
extraord<strong>in</strong>arily airy, wonderfully detailed and neutral,<br />
Zanden electronics from Japanese guru Yamada San (<strong>in</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
with these very nice floorstand<strong>in</strong>g three-ways from<br />
Denmark, which sound like slightly-more-hooded Kharma<br />
Reference Monitor 3.2s) are <strong>in</strong> a class of their own (the Weiss<br />
Medea DAC excepted) when it comes to mak<strong>in</strong>g Red Book<br />
CD sound like LP. Like all digital the presentation was a little<br />
less three-dimensional <strong>in</strong> the midband than analog<br />
(though the room may not have helped here or <strong>in</strong> the bass,<br />
which was a little lightweight). One of the better sounds of<br />
the show.<br />
66 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
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E.A.R.<br />
Mart<strong>in</strong> Miles III loudspeakers ($12.5k)<br />
E.A.R. 913 preamp ($10k)<br />
E.A.R. 810 amplifier ($5595)<br />
E.A.R. Discmaster turntable ($13.5k)<br />
Helius Omega tonearm Deluxe ($4k)<br />
Tim de Paravac<strong>in</strong>i’s latest amp and preamp were just pla<strong>in</strong><br />
beautiful-sound<strong>in</strong>g. Very detailed and def<strong>in</strong>ed, the E.A.R. gear<br />
was at once the slightest bit dark and bright <strong>in</strong> balance and perhaps<br />
a little reticent on really hard transients; nonetheless, tone<br />
colors were ravish<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Acoustic Precision<br />
Venture CR One loudspeaker ($15k)<br />
Lamm ML 2.1 SET monoblock amplifiers ($30k)<br />
Lamm L2 Reference preamp ($15k)<br />
Metronome Kalista Reference CD transport/C2A<br />
Signature DAC ($37k)<br />
Very spacious and detailed (heck, Acoustic Precision was us<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the world’s best low-powered amp with their French speakers<br />
and French CD player). Like the E.A.R. gear, <strong>this</strong> wasn’t the<br />
bloomiest sound I heard from CD (for which see Zanden above<br />
or Weiss below), but it was still mighty damn f<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
Zanden 9500 amplifier<br />
Talon/Joule Electra<br />
Talon Firehawk Diamond loudspeakers ($32k)<br />
Joule Electra Rite of Passage OTL monoblock amplifiers ($28k)<br />
Joule Electra LA150 preamplifier ($5250)<br />
Joule Electra OPS2 phonostage ($4100)<br />
In the past I’ve very much liked the Talons, which (like<br />
Kharma speakers) use high-quality diamond tweeters and<br />
Accuton ceramic drivers <strong>in</strong> a three-way configuration. I am<br />
also a fan of the always-beautiful-sound<strong>in</strong>g Joule Electra electronics.<br />
While the sound <strong>this</strong> year was as gorgeous as ever,<br />
and spacious and nicely detailed to boot, there was a def<strong>in</strong>ite<br />
peak <strong>in</strong> the midbass (and some glare <strong>in</strong> the upper mids, too)<br />
that made for a disappo<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g presentation. Too bad, because<br />
<strong>this</strong> gear is first-rate.<br />
Nola II<br />
Nola Pegasus loudspeakers ($50k)<br />
ASR Emitter II amplifier ($30k)<br />
Lector CD player ($8500)<br />
Nola’s new Pegasi were notable for their openness, neutrality,<br />
and tonal accuracy <strong>in</strong> the mids. That said, they, like every<br />
other large Nola I’ve heard at shows, have a bass-driver <strong>in</strong>tegration<br />
problem that simply swamps the speakers’ otherwiseexcellent<br />
sonics. I need to say someth<strong>in</strong>g here about the ASR<br />
Emitter amplifier that was driv<strong>in</strong>g the Pegasus. I heard it (or<br />
versions of it) <strong>in</strong> several rooms, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g several rooms that I<br />
liked. It is a very low-noise, very detailed device, with worldclass<br />
reproduction of low-level dynamic and harmonic <strong>in</strong>formation.<br />
It is not, however, <strong>in</strong> any of the rooms <strong>in</strong> which I<br />
heard it on any of the speakers I heard it with, a world-beater<br />
when it comes to large-scale dynamics and the reproduction<br />
of bass. It is, <strong>in</strong> fact, like many battery-powered products (it<br />
has a battery-powered <strong>in</strong>put stage), rather polite <strong>in</strong> both these<br />
regards. I realize that <strong>in</strong> say<strong>in</strong>g <strong>this</strong> I am contradict<strong>in</strong>g my<br />
mentor, HP, whose op<strong>in</strong>ions about audio I value most highly.<br />
But I th<strong>in</strong>k I know why HP doesn’t hear the ASR as I do: In<br />
his system (and <strong>in</strong> others), the ASR Emitter II may be com-<br />
Designer Tim de Paravac<strong>in</strong>i<br />
68 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
Eben Loudspeakers/Radho<br />
Eben XCentric planar/cone two-way, stand-mounted loudspeaker ($12k)<br />
Chapter Précis <strong>in</strong>tegrated amp ($6800)<br />
Electroaccompaniet CD player ($5k)<br />
These cute Danish two-ways from designer Michael Boerresen<br />
sounded lively and lovely and freed-up <strong>in</strong> the mids, a little soft<br />
<strong>in</strong> the treble, and a little muffled <strong>in</strong> the bass. The <strong>in</strong>tegration<br />
between planar tweeter and cone mid/bass, though not perfect,<br />
was acceptably good. Designed to be used as a stand-alone m<strong>in</strong>i<br />
or the center channel of a surround system.<br />
E.A.R. Discmaster and Helius Omega arm<br />
pensat<strong>in</strong>g for an excess of Nola bass, its slight politeness<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g unnoticed or actually play<strong>in</strong>g to the strengths of the<br />
overall presentation.<br />
Burmester Audiosysteme<br />
Burmester B100 loudspeaker ($, mucho)<br />
Burmester 808 MkV preamp ($, see above)<br />
Burmester 909 monoblock power amp ($, see below)<br />
Burmester 969 CD transport ($, go to top)<br />
Burmester 970 SRC DAC ($, see above)<br />
This very costly, entirely Burmester-designed-and-manufactured<br />
system was, along with the MBL room, the best all-digital<br />
display at CES. Though I’ve not been a fan of previous<br />
Burmester loudspeakers, the B100s sounded terrific <strong>this</strong><br />
year—exceptionally open, extraord<strong>in</strong>arily detailed, and neutral<br />
without the customary Burmester chill or bite. Soundstag<strong>in</strong>g<br />
was superb. Though Burmester digital does not sound analog,<br />
like Zanden’s and Weiss’ great CD players do, neither does it<br />
sound dark or lifeless like virtually every other digital device<br />
on earth. It is its own, quite realistic th<strong>in</strong>g. One of the better<br />
sounds of the show.<br />
Co<strong>in</strong>cident Technology/Manley<br />
Co<strong>in</strong>cident Technology Total Victory II ($13k)<br />
Manley Steelhead phono preamp ($7300)<br />
Manley Snapper EL34-based monoblock amplifiers ($4250/pair)<br />
VPI HRX turntable with Helikon<br />
cartridge ($10k)<br />
Audio Aero Prestige CD/SACD player ($14.8k)<br />
The Total Victory IIs, powered by Manley, were extremely coherentsound<strong>in</strong>g<br />
at very loud levels, though lack<strong>in</strong>g the deepest bass.<br />
Jim Wang of Harmonic Technology<br />
Party Girl EveAnna Manley<br />
70 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
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Sound Lab<br />
Sound Lab M1-PX full-range electrostatic<br />
loudspeaker ($22,770)<br />
Parasound amp, preamp, and CD player<br />
($, affordable)<br />
Simply gorgeous-sound<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>this</strong> latest, updated<br />
version of the Sound Lab M-1 was the best fullrange<br />
’stat at CES, with <strong>in</strong>comparably beautiful<br />
tone color and superb <strong>in</strong>ner detail. Even the bass,<br />
which has been a touch overblown <strong>in</strong> past M-1s, sounded<br />
“right,” though the M-1s are not the k<strong>in</strong>ds of speakers that<br />
stage outside the “box.” You need space for these babies and<br />
height, too. As <strong>in</strong> past demos, the affordable Parasound electronics<br />
the M-1s were paired with drove these ’stats extremely<br />
well, prov<strong>in</strong>g that you don’t have to spend a fortune on amps,<br />
preamps, and CD players to get a world-class system. One of<br />
the better sounds of the show.<br />
Artemis Labs<br />
Triangle Australe loudspeaker ($5800)<br />
Artemis Lab LA-1 l<strong>in</strong>estage preamp ($2850)<br />
Artemis Lab PL-1 phonostage preamp ($3550)<br />
Artemis Labs SP-1 amplifier ($11,400)<br />
Galibier Design Stelvio turntable with Schroeder Reference<br />
arm ($17,550)<br />
The Triangle loudspeakers were neutral, open, and transparent,<br />
with very nice bass down to 50Hz but a slight (probably room<strong>in</strong>duced)<br />
discont<strong>in</strong>uity <strong>in</strong> the upper bass. The Galibier<br />
turntable, which sounded terrific at the Rocky Mounta<strong>in</strong> show,<br />
was aga<strong>in</strong> impressive, as were the<br />
Artemis electronics.<br />
Chapter Précis<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegrated amp<br />
MAGICO<br />
MAGICO M<strong>in</strong>i ($22k)<br />
Convergent Audio Technology JC-1<br />
monoblock amplifiers ($20k)<br />
Edge Signature One battery-powered<br />
l<strong>in</strong>estage preamp ($15k)<br />
We come now to the first of my Best<br />
Sound at CES award-w<strong>in</strong>ners. These<br />
exquisitely made, stand-mounted twoways<br />
from ultra-perfectionist designer<br />
Alon Wolf have everyth<strong>in</strong>g I most prize<br />
about loudspeakers: livel<strong>in</strong>ess, neutrality,<br />
openness, bloom, presence, natural size<br />
and scale, and seamless, s<strong>in</strong>gle-driver<br />
coherence. On top of their Kharma-grade<br />
disappear<strong>in</strong>g act and soundstag<strong>in</strong>g, the<br />
M<strong>in</strong>is have terrific bass for a two-way (down to<br />
about 50Hz, I’d reckon) and extraord<strong>in</strong>arily natural<br />
tone color (the most realistic vocals I heard<br />
at the show on Wayne Garcia’s Wilco CD). I have<br />
to say a word or two about the electronics, as<br />
well. Alon happened to be us<strong>in</strong>g “my” Edge preamp<br />
(the review sample I shipped to CES), which, as I’ve<br />
noted, is a wonder when it comes to reproduc<strong>in</strong>g tone colors<br />
and the natural size and bloom of <strong>in</strong>struments and voices, but<br />
isn’t (like all battery-powered stuff) the last word <strong>in</strong> dynamics<br />
or bass. Happily, he was also us<strong>in</strong>g Ken Stevens’ JC-1<br />
monoblocks, which are close to the last words <strong>in</strong> each.<br />
Simultaneously among the most dynamic and most delicate of<br />
pentode tube amplifiers, the JC-1s were able, <strong>in</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
with the preamp and speakers, to reproduce the physical scale<br />
and “action” of the real th<strong>in</strong>g. A truly wonderful stereo system.<br />
Audio Research Corporation<br />
Wilson Audio Specialties Sophia Series 2 ($12k)<br />
ARC Reference 3 tube l<strong>in</strong>estage preamp ($10k)<br />
ARC Reference 210 monoblock tube amplifiers ($20k/pair)<br />
ARC Reference PH-7 phonostage<br />
preamp ($5995)<br />
VPI Super Scoutmaster turntable/JMW arm<br />
The three words I wrote down, after<br />
hear<strong>in</strong>g a trio of my favorite LPs played<br />
back on the ARC/Wilson system, were<br />
“gorgeous-ity,” “bloom,” and “depth,”<br />
all of which <strong>this</strong> system had <strong>in</strong> spades.<br />
Indeed, the Audio Research/Wilson gear<br />
was the only combo that reproduced the<br />
piano <strong>in</strong> my Prokofiev LP at the proper<br />
depth and distance from the viol<strong>in</strong>.<br />
Were it not for the fact that I am not<br />
wild about the Sophias’ tonal palette,<br />
the ARC system would’ve been a shoe<strong>in</strong><br />
for one of my Best Sound at CES<br />
awards. But the speakers were just a little<br />
too dark and opaque for my taste.<br />
Even at that, they couldn’t conceal the<br />
glory of the electronics. So, for its quality<br />
alone, the ARC Ref 3/210/PH-7 phono combo<br />
earns one of my Best Electronics at CES awards.<br />
(BTW, that Super Scoutmaster is a helluva turntable!)<br />
MAGICO M<strong>in</strong>i<br />
72 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
Ascendo<br />
Ascendo Systems M/S three-way ribbon/cone hybrid<br />
loudspeaker ($45k)<br />
Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Ultimate preamplifier ($9k)<br />
Convergent Audio Technology JL-3 Signature monoblock<br />
amplifiers ($36k)<br />
Reimyo CD player ($13k)<br />
Though these <strong>in</strong>geniously time-aligned ribbon/cone<br />
hybrids from Germany didn’t image much outside their<br />
boxes, spread<strong>in</strong>g sounds between the speakers but not<br />
far beyond them, they still ev<strong>in</strong>ced gorgeous tone color<br />
with simply marvelous reproduction of str<strong>in</strong>gs (both<br />
the str<strong>in</strong>g itself and the body of the <strong>in</strong>strument) on the<br />
Barber Viol<strong>in</strong> Concerto, tremendous dynamic power,<br />
and great low-level detail. Part of their excellence, I’m conv<strong>in</strong>ced,<br />
was due to the driv<strong>in</strong>g electronics from Ken<br />
Stevens, who, for his show<strong>in</strong>g here and <strong>in</strong> the MAGICO<br />
room, earns my second Best Electronics at CES award.<br />
Despite the slightly curtailed soundstage, the Ascendos<br />
were certa<strong>in</strong>ly one of the better sounds of the show, narrowly<br />
miss<strong>in</strong>g a Best Sound award. (P.S. The Reimyo CD<br />
player was also fabulous.)<br />
Avalon/Hovland<br />
Avalon Acoustics Eidolon Diamond loudspeakers ($33k)<br />
Hovland HP-200 full-function tube preamplifier ($9500)<br />
Hovland Stratos solid-state monoblock amplifiers ($34k)<br />
Hovland-modified<br />
Kenwood LO-7D<br />
turntable with Grado<br />
Statement cartridge<br />
I haven’t been a fan of<br />
Avalon Eidolon Diamonds,<br />
but they certa<strong>in</strong>ly<br />
showed well <strong>this</strong><br />
year driven by Hovland<br />
electronics. Light <strong>in</strong><br />
balance, they were airy,<br />
nimble, articulate, and<br />
fast-sound<strong>in</strong>g. On the<br />
Prokofiev sonata LP,<br />
they came very close to<br />
the lifelike sound I hear<br />
<strong>in</strong> my own system at<br />
home. Cooler than the<br />
Ascendos and not as<br />
voluptuous <strong>in</strong> tone<br />
color, they are<br />
realistic <strong>in</strong> their own<br />
right, with wonderful <strong>in</strong>tegration<br />
of their drivers. Certa<strong>in</strong>ly,<br />
one of the better sounds at CES<br />
Eben XCentric<br />
Convergent<br />
Audio<br />
Technology JC-1<br />
and, like the Sound Labs, Lumen Whites, and Ascendos, razorclose<br />
to one of the very best.<br />
Signals-SuperFi<br />
Peak Consult Zoltan loudspeaker ($37k)<br />
Cont<strong>in</strong>uum Audio Labs Caliburn turntable/tonearm/isolation-rack<br />
system ($90k)<br />
Wavac HE-833 v1.3 SET amplifiers<br />
Boulder 2008 phonostage preamp<br />
Boulder 2010 l<strong>in</strong>estage preamp<br />
This 90 grand turntable/tonearm didn’t sound sixty grand better<br />
than a Walker Proscenium Gold, IMO.<br />
Jeff Rowland Design Group<br />
MAGICO M<strong>in</strong>is ($22k)<br />
Rowland 302 solid-state stereo amplifier ($14.8k)<br />
Rowland Synergy full-function solid-state preamplifier ($6200)<br />
SME Model 20 turntable with SME 4 arm and some farchachdat<br />
stra<strong>in</strong>-gauge cartridge<br />
Jeff Rowland was hav<strong>in</strong>g some trouble with his stra<strong>in</strong>-gauge cartridge,<br />
which may have contributed to the slightly smoothedout,<br />
less lively, more homogeneous sound of the MAGICO M<strong>in</strong>is<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> room. For <strong>in</strong>stance, while the viol<strong>in</strong> and piano of the<br />
Prokofiev sonata LP had good meat on their bones, they didn’t<br />
have the life they should have had—and did have—<strong>in</strong> other<br />
exhibits. Nor did the speakers seem to have the same reach and<br />
coherence <strong>in</strong> the bass that they had <strong>in</strong> Alon Wolf’s room.<br />
DALI Loudspeakers<br />
DALI Megal<strong>in</strong>es ($40k)<br />
McIntosh electronics ($God only knows)<br />
This room was a true disappo<strong>in</strong>tment, s<strong>in</strong>ce the ribbon/cone<br />
hybrid Megal<strong>in</strong>es are among my favorite l<strong>in</strong>esource loudspeakers.<br />
With McIntosh driv<strong>in</strong>g them, they sounded wiry, flat, and boomy<br />
on the Barber Viol<strong>in</strong> Concerto—a hard feat to accomplish with a<br />
74 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
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Avantgarde Acoustic<br />
Avantgarde Duo Omega two-way spherical-horn loudspeakers with<br />
dynamic subwoofer ($27k)<br />
Avantgarde One.A solid-state monoblock amps ($40k)<br />
Avantgarde One.P solid-state preamp ($30k)<br />
Weiss Medea DAC ($18k)<br />
In the past, the only Avantgarde spherical-horn/dynamic-sub<br />
loudspeakers I’ve truly liked have been the three-way Trios. This<br />
year, however, I was absolutely floored by the two-way Duo<br />
Audio<br />
Research<br />
Reference 610T<br />
disc <strong>this</strong> gorgeous, but DALI, Mc, and AP sonics managed it.<br />
Ayre Acoustics Inc.<br />
JBL K2 S9800se loudspeakers ($30k)<br />
Ayre P-5xe phono preamp ($2350)<br />
Ayre K-1xe l<strong>in</strong>estage preamp ($7k)<br />
Ayre MX-R monoblock power amps ($TBA)<br />
Ayre C-5xe universal disc-player ($TBA)<br />
SME Model 20 turntable with SME Model IV.Vi tonearm and SME<br />
Celebration cartridge ($15k)<br />
See<strong>in</strong>g JBL loudspeakers at the Alexis Park certa<strong>in</strong>ly took me<br />
by surprise. But these numbers are rarities, usually available<br />
only <strong>in</strong> Japan—three-way floorstanders with horn-loaded<br />
supertweeters and horn-loaded mid/tweeters and 15" ported<br />
woofers. The sound was surpris<strong>in</strong>gly smooth and well <strong>in</strong>tegrated,<br />
but, alas, not very alive.<br />
Chord CPA 4000 preamplifier<br />
JONATHAN VALIN’S Best of Show<br />
Most Significant New Products<br />
The ARC PH-7 Phono and Reference CD-7, which (along with the<br />
Reference 3 preamp and Reference 210/610T amps) completes<br />
ARC’s fabulous new suite of Reference electronics, and the<br />
Avantgarde One.A amp and One.P preamp, which worked wonders<br />
with Avantgarde’s Duo Omega horn loudspeakers.<br />
Coolest New Product<br />
Though I was greatly impressed with Lumen White Precision loudspeakers<br />
and the Ayon electronics, the Ascendo ribbon/cone<br />
hybrid loudspeakers, and the Sound Lab M1-PX electrostats, the<br />
M<strong>in</strong>i-Exquisite two-way loudspeakers from Kharma would get the<br />
nod from me.<br />
Coolest Accessory<br />
The good old 33rpm long-play<strong>in</strong>g v<strong>in</strong>yl record. New, used, or re<strong>issue</strong>d<br />
it just comes closer to the sound of the real deal.<br />
Most Frequently Heard Demo Music<br />
The Andante of Prokofiev’s First Viol<strong>in</strong> Sonata [Salerno-<br />
Sonnenberg/Rivers, Musicmasters LP], the Andante of<br />
Shostakovich’s Second Piano Concerto [Ogdon/Foster, EMI LP],<br />
the Allegro of Kodály’s Duo for Viol<strong>in</strong> and Cello [Hajdu/Déri,<br />
Hungaraton LP], “All My Trials” from PP&M’s In the W<strong>in</strong>d [Warner<br />
LP], “All the Love <strong>in</strong> the World” from N<strong>in</strong>e Inch Nails’ With Teeth<br />
[Halo LP]—all discs that I brought to the show.<br />
Greatest Value<br />
The best value system I heard (and remember because my<br />
assignment was the ultra-high end, I didn’t hear a lot of lowerpriced<br />
gear) comprised the Tonian Acoustics TL-D1 ribbon/cone<br />
hybrid two-way floorstand<strong>in</strong>g loudspeakers ($1500) driven by<br />
Stellavox (Goldmund/JOB) monoblock amplifiers ($3000) and a<br />
Marantz PM17 player ($1700). The sound was simply swell for<br />
about $6k.<br />
Biggest Surprise at CES<br />
As noted, the amount of very pricey two-channel-only gear and the<br />
number of rooms equipped with analog playback equipment were<br />
the biggest surprises.<br />
Best Sound at CES<br />
Perhaps it is a testament to the general quality of the show, but<br />
there wasn’t one system that stood head-and-shoulders above all<br />
other (as for <strong>in</strong>stance, the MBL 101 Es did last year). My four best<br />
sounds—the MAGICO M<strong>in</strong>is driven by Edge/CAT electronics, the<br />
Avantgarde Duo Omegas driven by Avantgarde electronics, the<br />
Kharma M<strong>in</strong>i-Exquisites driven by MBL/Kharma gear, and the MBL<br />
116 Elegances driven by MBL components—were all stand-outs.<br />
76 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
Reimyo CD player; Avantgarde’s Duo Omega<br />
Omegas, driven by<br />
Avantgarde’s superb electronics<br />
and fed by “my”<br />
Weiss Medea DAC (the<br />
review sample I shipped<br />
to the show). Either the<br />
new Avant-garde electronics<br />
are elim<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g<br />
previous coherence and<br />
coloration <strong>issue</strong>s or the<br />
speakers themselves have<br />
been greatly improved or<br />
both, because past problems<br />
with woofer/horn<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegration didn’t crop up,<br />
nor did driver-localization<br />
troubles (where<strong>in</strong> sounds<br />
seem to be p<strong>in</strong>ned to <strong>in</strong>dividual<br />
horns), nor did<br />
“cupped-hand” horn colorations.<br />
The presentation<br />
was, <strong>in</strong> fact, superb: lively<br />
as hell, transparent as<br />
glass, detailed as all<br />
get-out, and as<br />
neutral as you can<br />
f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>in</strong> a horn-loaded<br />
JBL K2<br />
speaker (short of MAGICO’s<br />
monsters). Avantgarde’s<br />
owner Holger Fromme and<br />
his ace-designer Matthias Ruff have clearly outdone<br />
themselves, reach<strong>in</strong>g a new plateau of horn-loudspeaker<br />
excellence, for which they earn my second<br />
Best Sound at CES award and, also, one of my Best<br />
Electronics at CES awards for the tremendous improvements<br />
their phenomenal preamp and amp have made to<br />
the sound of their speakers. (The preamp is battery-powered,<br />
BTW, but with speakers as <strong>in</strong>herently dynamic as the Duo<br />
Omegas any slight politeness—coupled with the extremely low<br />
noise floor of the battery-powered One.P—only worked <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong><br />
high-sensitivity system’s favor.)<br />
Von Schweikert II<br />
Von Schweikert VR-7 SE loudspeakers ($36k)<br />
VAC Renaissance MkII full-function tube preamplifier ($9k)<br />
VAC Renaissance Signature 140 triode-tube monoblock<br />
amplifiers ($14k)<br />
Oracle Delphi Mk V turntable with SME 345 tonearm ($10k)<br />
This Von S/VAC system had lovely presence on the Prokofiev<br />
sonata LP, with very good attack and adequate decay on the<br />
lower octaves of the piano. Though a little thick <strong>in</strong> the midbass<br />
and a little down on top, it had nice midband transparency,<br />
too. Like the E.A.R system, <strong>this</strong> was among the<br />
most gorgeous of sounds at the AP; it was, nonetheless, not<br />
among the most realistic, be<strong>in</strong>g a bit prettier than life and<br />
not as wide-range.<br />
Genesis Advanced<br />
Technologies<br />
Genesis G3 ribbon/cone<br />
hybrid l<strong>in</strong>esource loudspeaker<br />
($30k)<br />
It was a pleasure to<br />
see Arnie<br />
Nudell’s work<br />
back at the<br />
show—with<br />
the old familiar<br />
circular ribbon<br />
tweeters,<br />
newly designed<br />
midbass couplers,<br />
and sidemounted<br />
servo-woofers.<br />
Bass, as you would<br />
expect from Genesis,<br />
was very deep<br />
and powerful<br />
and, as you<br />
might not<br />
expect, fairly well<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegrated. Depth<br />
was good; width<br />
somewhat constricted.<br />
Overall<br />
balance was<br />
problematical,<br />
with a bit too<br />
much tweet<br />
and woof for<br />
my taste.<br />
78 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
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MBL’s 116 Elegance<br />
GTT Audio<br />
Kharma M<strong>in</strong>i-Exquisite two-way floorstand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
loudspeaker ($45k)<br />
MBL 6010 D solid-state stereo preamplifier<br />
($19k)<br />
MBL 1611-E Reference DAC ($21.5k)<br />
MBL 1621 Reference CD transport ($21k)<br />
Kharma MP150-SE monoblock amplifiers<br />
($6800)<br />
We come now to my third Best Sound at<br />
CES award w<strong>in</strong>ner and it happens to be<br />
another two-way. (Curious, a<strong>in</strong>’t it?) Though<br />
its tonal balance is noth<strong>in</strong>g like that of the<br />
MAGICO M<strong>in</strong>i, it shares with that remarkable<br />
stand-mounter those virtues that I most<br />
prize <strong>in</strong> speakers, which, once aga<strong>in</strong>, are:<br />
livel<strong>in</strong>ess, neutrality, openness, bloom, presence,<br />
natural size and scale, and seamless,<br />
s<strong>in</strong>gle-driver coherence. The M<strong>in</strong>i-Exquisites<br />
are improved-upon versions of the Kharma<br />
Reference Monitor 3.2s that were my reference<br />
speakers for two years and are currently<br />
Wayne Garcia’s reference speakers. S<strong>in</strong>ce I<br />
know the sound of the 3.2s almost by heart,<br />
I can assure you that these are, <strong>in</strong> fact,<br />
improved. Equipped with diamond tweeters,<br />
an even better ceramic mid/bass driver, and<br />
an Exquisite-level cab<strong>in</strong>et, they were stunn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to hear. A more detailed loudspeaker<br />
will be hard to f<strong>in</strong>d and so, <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> case, will<br />
be a more beautiful-sound<strong>in</strong>g one. Driven by<br />
what I consider to be the world’s best solidstate<br />
preamp, the MBL 6010 D (for which,<br />
see below), and Kharma’s own superb Class<br />
D monoblocks, <strong>this</strong> was a sound I could live<br />
with and Wayne Garcia (lucky man) will, as<br />
he is slated to review the M<strong>in</strong>i-Exquisites.<br />
Brace yourselves for a rave.<br />
MBL of America<br />
MBL 116 Elegance 4-way loudspeakers ($20k)<br />
MBL 5011 solid-state preamp ($8.4k)<br />
MBL 9007 solid-state stereo amplifier ($13.3k)<br />
MBL 1521 A ($8.9k)/1511 E DAC ($9.1k)<br />
80 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
CES2006 REPORT<br />
As I hear them every day and know their <strong>in</strong>credible virtues,<br />
I didn’t audition my own reference speakers—the 101 Es—<br />
which MBL had set up <strong>in</strong> an adjo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g room. (I’m told that<br />
they weren’t quite as m<strong>in</strong>d-boggl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>this</strong> year as they have<br />
been for the last two <strong>in</strong> a row, but I’m sure they were still<br />
plenty boggl<strong>in</strong>g.) Instead, I listened long and hard to MBL’s<br />
second l<strong>in</strong>e of gear and all I can say, aga<strong>in</strong>, is “Wow!” Even<br />
upon com<strong>in</strong>g from room after room of very f<strong>in</strong>e gear generat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
very f<strong>in</strong>e sonics, as soon as I heard the 116s start to play<br />
I felt as if I’d stepped from a hi-fi store <strong>in</strong>to a concert hall. To<br />
my ears, even at <strong>this</strong> slightly reduced quality level, MBL is<br />
still high among the fullest-range, most alive-sound<strong>in</strong>g<br />
music-reproduc<strong>in</strong>g equipment that money can buy. The<br />
116s’ bass was through the floor, its midrange was just pla<strong>in</strong><br />
realistic, and its treble was, as all Radialstrahler treble is,<br />
nonpareil. So, my f<strong>in</strong>al Best Sound at CES award goes to the<br />
MBL 116 room and my f<strong>in</strong>al Best Electronics at CES award<br />
also goes to MBL, not only for the gear I heard play<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> its<br />
own display but for the phenomenal 6010 D that I heard <strong>in</strong><br />
Bill Parish’s GTT Audio room.<br />
&<br />
Photographs by Leonard Norwitz (www.lensphoto.com), with supplementary<br />
shots <strong>in</strong> their sections by RH, JH, CM, DS, and AT.
T A S J O U R N A L<br />
Basic Repertoire<br />
Southern African and West African Pop<br />
Derk Richardson<br />
The third <strong>in</strong> an occasional series that highlights the “basic<br />
repertoire” of a particular music by identify<strong>in</strong>g the recorded<br />
essentials.<br />
While thousands, if not millions, of<br />
pop music fans <strong>in</strong> the United<br />
States ga<strong>in</strong>ed their <strong>in</strong>itial exposure<br />
to African pop music <strong>in</strong><br />
1986 through the vehicle of Paul<br />
Simon’s Grammy-w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g Graceland album, the<br />
taste provided by the globetrott<strong>in</strong>g s<strong>in</strong>ger-songwriter’s<br />
groundbreak<strong>in</strong>g disc and subsequent tour<br />
was not only diluted <strong>in</strong> Simon’s shimmer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and ethnically eclectic folk-pop, but<br />
was also as narrow as it was buoyant and<br />
emotionally uplift<strong>in</strong>g. The primary African<br />
<strong>in</strong>fluence on Graceland was South African,<br />
represented most prom<strong>in</strong>ently by the male<br />
vocal ensemble Ladysmith Black<br />
Mambazo. (Senegalese superstar Youssou<br />
N’Dour was overdubbed onto “Diamonds on the Soles of Her<br />
Shoes,” but it would take a collaborative 1987 tour with that<br />
even more ambitious pop promoter of world music, Peter<br />
Gabriel, to break N’Dour onto the <strong>in</strong>ternational scene.)<br />
If listeners had strictly followed Simon’s lead, they might<br />
have rediscovered the resurgent Miriam Makeba and Hugh<br />
Masekela, who both jo<strong>in</strong>ed the Graceland tour, and might have<br />
made further <strong>in</strong>vestigations <strong>in</strong>to South African pop music rooted<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Zulu a cappella s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g (isicathamiya) of Ladysmith<br />
Black Mambazo—plus such styles as marabi and kwela, the precursors<br />
that led to mbaqanga and township jive. That, of course,<br />
would have yielded plenty to enjoy, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g music by<br />
Mahlath<strong>in</strong>i and the Mahotella Queens, the Boyoyo Boys, and<br />
others. But just as Graceland was neither the first nor last<br />
attempt to fuse African and Western musical styles, so even a<br />
deep dip <strong>in</strong>to South African popular music hardly penetrates<br />
the surface of what the African cont<strong>in</strong>ent has to offer.<br />
African pop music was be<strong>in</strong>g dissem<strong>in</strong>ated to the West well<br />
before Simon scored a cassette copy of Gumboots: Accordion Jive<br />
Hits, Volume II from a friend. Musicologist John Storm Roberts<br />
had been study<strong>in</strong>g and gather<strong>in</strong>g the Afro-pop sounds that orig<strong>in</strong>ated<br />
<strong>in</strong> the 1950s, and founded his sem<strong>in</strong>al Orig<strong>in</strong>al Music<br />
record label <strong>in</strong> the 1970s; Fela Anikulapo Kuti made his first<br />
trip from Lagos, Nigeria, to Los Angeles <strong>in</strong> 1971, hipp<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
hipsters to his funky and political Afrobeat sounds; and by<br />
1982, the potentate of Nigerian juju music, K<strong>in</strong>g Sunny Adé,<br />
had been signed to Chris Blackwell’s Mango label<br />
and was poised to break big—by virtue of albums<br />
and tours—<strong>in</strong> the U.S.<br />
In the 20 years s<strong>in</strong>ce the release of Graceland, the<br />
many genres and subgenre variations of African pop<br />
have become ever more familiar to the grow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
legions of “world music” fans <strong>in</strong> the West. When you<br />
consider that even <strong>in</strong> a somewhat more politically<br />
and socially cohesive country like the United States you have<br />
great disparities <strong>in</strong> popular music styles—from Memphis soul<br />
to Seattle grunge, Delta blues to Southern California surf, to<br />
name but a few—the task of build<strong>in</strong>g a representative repertoire<br />
of African pop is daunt<strong>in</strong>g. Even conf<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g a survey of<br />
essential record<strong>in</strong>gs to southern and western Africa (for the<br />
time be<strong>in</strong>g sidestepp<strong>in</strong>g the fertile cultures of the northern,<br />
eastern, and central regions) yields a plethora of bright, bubbl<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
poignant, and politicized regional genres, styles, and<br />
artists as crucial cornerstones for any African pop collection.<br />
SOUTHERN AFRICA<br />
Largely because of the long and ultimately victorious struggle<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>st apartheid, South Africa has been <strong>in</strong> the cultural spotlight<br />
longer and more consistently than most other African<br />
nations. Its music <strong>in</strong>dustry is nearly 100 years old, with commercial<br />
record<strong>in</strong>g dawn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 1912, and Eric Gallo found<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the country’s first professional studio <strong>in</strong> the 1930s. By then,<br />
African-American musicians were already mak<strong>in</strong>g the transatlantic<br />
voyage to enterta<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> South African cities, and gospel<br />
and jazz <strong>in</strong>fluences were merg<strong>in</strong>g with the <strong>in</strong>digenous traditions<br />
of the Zulu, Sothos, and Xhosa peoples—a tendency that<br />
would cont<strong>in</strong>ue with the assimilation of rock, soul, disco, reggae,<br />
and hip-hop as the century progressed.<br />
South African jazz artists—<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g trumpeter Masekela,<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ger Makeba, pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, and saxophonist<br />
Dudu Pukwana—were among the first to travel (and exile themselves)<br />
to the U.S. and Europe <strong>in</strong> the early 1960s. Makeba—a.k.a.<br />
“Mama Africa,” whose life journey <strong>in</strong>cluded play<strong>in</strong>g for President<br />
Kennedy, testify<strong>in</strong>g aga<strong>in</strong>st apartheid at the U.N., collaborat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 85
with Harry Belafonte, and marry<strong>in</strong>g and liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Gu<strong>in</strong>ea with<br />
black-power leader Stokely Carmichael—reconciled with her<br />
folk heritage on the enthrall<strong>in</strong>g 1988 comeback album Sangoma<br />
[Warner Bros.]. Although the production seems to<br />
strive more for the gloss of ma<strong>in</strong>stream ’80s pop, and<br />
Makeba’s seasoned and sometimes raspy vocals are<br />
overdubbed <strong>in</strong>to choral tapestries that don’t always<br />
r<strong>in</strong>g true, the s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g, punctuated by sharp, surpris<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
and sonically crisp tongue clicks, is noth<strong>in</strong>g less<br />
than <strong>in</strong>spirational.<br />
The vocal arrangements on Sangoma are <strong>in</strong>debted<br />
to mbube, a choral style rooted <strong>in</strong> the male vocal groups that<br />
competed with one another <strong>in</strong> Zulu m<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g communities. The<br />
four-part harmonies crossed over <strong>in</strong>to the pop realm on<br />
Soloman L<strong>in</strong>da’s 1939 hit song that the U.S. came to know as<br />
“Wimoweh,” as recorded by the Weavers <strong>in</strong> 1950, and “The<br />
Lion Sleep Tonight,” the Tokens’ hit of 1961. As the tradition<br />
grew more ref<strong>in</strong>ed, it came to be known as isicathamiya (mean<strong>in</strong>g<br />
“to step lightly on one’s toes”). Under the leadership of<br />
Joseph Shabalala, it was Ladysmith Black Mambazo that<br />
became—and still rema<strong>in</strong>s—the most renowned promulgator<br />
of the lush ensemble style. Though the group has released more<br />
than 40 albums—plus a str<strong>in</strong>g of high-profile collaborations,<br />
with Bill Withers, the English Chamber Orchestra, Emmylou<br />
Harris, Taj Mahal, and others—1999’s superbly recorded Live<br />
at the Royal Albert Hall [Shanachie] stands out for its delightfully<br />
spirited and sonically generous representation<br />
of the simultaneously rugged and velvety textures of<br />
the men’s layered voices.<br />
On the gruffer end of the vocal spectrum, Simon<br />
“Mahlath<strong>in</strong>i” Nkab<strong>in</strong>de earned his moniker—“the<br />
Lion of Soweto”—by virtue of his deep “groan<strong>in</strong>g”<br />
style and forbidd<strong>in</strong>g stage presence. Recruited <strong>in</strong><br />
1965 by producer Rupert Bopape to front the powerful<br />
Makhona Tsohle band, with the Mahotella Queens added<br />
for enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g dance moves and harmony vocals, the former<br />
church choir and township band s<strong>in</strong>ger rode the new, harddriv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
mbaqanga sound to stardom. Mahlath<strong>in</strong>i and the<br />
Mahotella Queens dubbed their dance-augmented style<br />
mqashiyo (“to bounce”), and Mahlath<strong>in</strong>i’s contributions to<br />
1986’s <strong>in</strong>dispensable landmark anthology The Indestructible Beat<br />
of Soweto [Shanachie/Earthworks] burned their way <strong>in</strong>to western<br />
listeners’ consciousness. As the Graceland juggernaut got<br />
roll<strong>in</strong>g, and older township styles ga<strong>in</strong>ed new credibility with<br />
younger audiences, Mahlath<strong>in</strong>i, the Mahotella Queens, and a<br />
reunited Makhona Tsohle band (featur<strong>in</strong>g phenomenal guitarist<br />
86 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
Marks Mankwane and rock-solid bassist Joseph Makwela) hit<br />
the <strong>in</strong>ternational tour<strong>in</strong>g circuit and <strong>in</strong> 1989, ten years before<br />
“the Lion” died, recorded Paris: Soweto [Polydor], an album that<br />
benefits more than it suffers from its high-sheen audio, which<br />
enhances the dance drive while polish<strong>in</strong>g the edges.<br />
South Africa ga<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong>dependence from England <strong>in</strong> 1934,<br />
but white m<strong>in</strong>ority rule was not overthrown until 1994.<br />
Zimbabwe, South Africa’s neighbor to the north, declared <strong>in</strong>dependence<br />
from English colonial rule <strong>in</strong> 1965, and another 15<br />
years of struggle by the Shona and Ndebele was necessary to dislodge<br />
the m<strong>in</strong>ority leadership. The liberation movement gave<br />
rise to cultural nationalism that sought to recover long-suppressed<br />
tribal traditions. In music, the players most<br />
audible to western ears have been Thomas Mapfumo<br />
and Oliver Mtukudzi. Before form<strong>in</strong>g his band<br />
Blacks Unlimited, Mapfumo absorbed a tremendous<br />
array of musical <strong>in</strong>fluences—the Shona mbira (metal<br />
thumb piano) music of his rural upbr<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g, South<br />
African jazz, Congolese rumba, and English and<br />
American rock and soul. With Blacks Unlimited,<br />
Mapfumo transposed mbira l<strong>in</strong>es to electric guitars and sang<br />
rebellious songs with such titles as “Mothers, Send Your<br />
Children to War.” He called his sound chimurenga, after the<br />
Shona word for struggle. His s<strong>in</strong>gles became virtual anthems<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the civil war and have been re<strong>issue</strong>d on several anthologies,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g 1984’s rous<strong>in</strong>g Chimurenga S<strong>in</strong>gles [Shanachie].<br />
The record<strong>in</strong>g quality is <strong>in</strong>consistent, but message and danceability<br />
r<strong>in</strong>g loud and clear. A restless and cont<strong>in</strong>ually outspoken<br />
spirit, Mapfumo eventually re<strong>in</strong>troduced mbiras <strong>in</strong>to his band,<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ued to denounce corrupt political leaders after <strong>in</strong>dependence,<br />
and f<strong>in</strong>ally exiled himself to the northwestern United<br />
States, broaden<strong>in</strong>g his collaborations to <strong>in</strong>clude avant-garde<br />
trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and guitarist Henry Kaiser.<br />
Where Mapfumo’s music immediately <strong>in</strong>terested Western<br />
world-beat fans who responded to the potent mix of political<br />
content and updated traditional elements,<br />
Mtukudzi has enjoyed a broader cross-cultural<br />
appeal s<strong>in</strong>ce the worldwide release of his 1999<br />
album, Tuku Music. Thematically, he takes a lowerkey<br />
approach than Mapfumo when address<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
travails of everyday life <strong>in</strong> Zimbabwe. Musically, he<br />
is more catholic <strong>in</strong> his resources, which <strong>in</strong>clude<br />
South African pop, gospel vocal harmonies, and<br />
R&B. Above all, Mtukudzi (“Tuku,” for short) is a soul man, a<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ger-songwriter/guitarist with an appeal<strong>in</strong>gly rough voice<br />
that draws frequent comparisons to Otis Redd<strong>in</strong>g and Toots<br />
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Hibbert. His ethos of <strong>in</strong>terconnectedness manifests most radiantly<br />
on 2002’s Vhunze Moto [Putumayo], notable for its successful<br />
keyboard-buoyed crossover moves, crisp and<br />
richly textured sound, and ready-for-radio sonics<br />
that convey tightness but not compression.<br />
The cross-fertilization of styles between<br />
Zimbabwe and South Africa is a common phenomenon<br />
across the cont<strong>in</strong>ent, where national boundaries<br />
are rarely more than crude demarcations that don’t<br />
necessarily correspond to the cultural geography of<br />
tribal history and tradition. The island nation of Madagascar<br />
does have natural borders, and isolated as it is off the eastern<br />
coast of southern Africa <strong>in</strong> the Indian Ocean, it is home to<br />
thousands of endemic plant and animal species. But<br />
Madagascar also harbors a multiculturalism that should make<br />
any American activist th<strong>in</strong>k twice about us<strong>in</strong>g the word. The<br />
island’s 16 million people (and 18 ethnic groups) descend from<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ental Africans, Polynesians, Malaysians, Southeast<br />
Asians, and Arabs, and their music reflects <strong>this</strong> mix. While lilt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
melodies and complex <strong>in</strong>terlock<strong>in</strong>g rhythms seem common<br />
to most of the folk and commercial styles rounded up on Henry<br />
Kaiser and David L<strong>in</strong>dley’s comprehensive three-volume series,<br />
A World Out of Time: Henry Kaiser & David L<strong>in</strong>dley <strong>in</strong> Madagascar<br />
[Shanachie], shock<strong>in</strong>gly well-recorded <strong>in</strong> 1992, the <strong>in</strong>strumentation<br />
ranges from acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, and<br />
percussion to valiha (zither), the mandol<strong>in</strong>-like kabosy, and sod<strong>in</strong>a<br />
(flute). Although some of the bigger stars have<br />
toured off the island s<strong>in</strong>ce their record<strong>in</strong>gs became<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternationally available, the names Rossy, Dama<br />
Mahaleo, Rakoto Frah, D’Gary, and Tarika Sammy<br />
have hardly ensconced themselves on the western<br />
radar <strong>in</strong> any way commensurate with the tremendous<br />
marvels of their music.<br />
Bandleader/guitarist Jaojoby has a slightly better<br />
chance, partly because his few record<strong>in</strong>gs have been picked up<br />
for European and <strong>in</strong>ternational distribution, and partly because<br />
his magnetic personality and magnetic lead vocals, the<br />
enthrall<strong>in</strong>g backup s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g by family members and friends, and<br />
the unshowy virtuosity of his guitar-heavy band, make his 12/8-<br />
time salagy dance music sound less complex than it really is. The<br />
full-bodied 2004 record<strong>in</strong>g Malagasy [World Village], with its<br />
sparkl<strong>in</strong>g and well-rounded sonics, captures much of the excitement<br />
and all of the endear<strong>in</strong>g sweetness of a Jaojoby concert.<br />
WEST AFRICA<br />
When a homegrown world-beat movement started to materialize<br />
<strong>in</strong> the U.S. <strong>in</strong> the early 1980s, many of its practitioners, such<br />
as the Looters and Big City <strong>in</strong> the San Francisco Bay Area, found<br />
88 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
their <strong>in</strong>spiration <strong>in</strong> the pop music of West Africa, especially the<br />
politically charged Afro-Beat of Nigerian superstar Fela<br />
Anikulapo Kuti. Itself a hybrid of the <strong>in</strong>digenous and the<br />
imported—the longstand<strong>in</strong>g West African pop form known as<br />
“highlife” plus the hardcore African-<br />
American funk of James Brown—Fela’s<br />
Afro-Beat was characterized by deep,<br />
extended grooves driven by electric guitars,<br />
keyboards, bass, drums, and hand percussion,<br />
and punctuated with crisp horn section<br />
blasts and jazzy saxophone solos. Fela,<br />
who was born <strong>in</strong> 1938, had dozens of wives,<br />
and died <strong>in</strong> 1997 (from complications attributed to AIDS),<br />
sharpened the edge of his fundamentally dance-oriented music<br />
with lyrics that challenged his country’s political and economic<br />
leadership, and represented the <strong>in</strong>terests of his region’s poor<br />
and disenfranchised. As a consequence, he experienced severe<br />
persecution, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g raids on his family compound and<br />
imprisonment. Fela’s big bands, under such names as Africa<br />
70 and Egypt 80, often swelled to as many as 30 members and<br />
<strong>in</strong>dulged <strong>in</strong> extended jazz-<strong>in</strong>flected jams that could occasionally<br />
gr<strong>in</strong>d down <strong>in</strong>to bor<strong>in</strong>g ruts or, more often, ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> a<br />
thrill<strong>in</strong>gly high level of explosive tension.<br />
Although he has been succeeded on the <strong>in</strong>ternational music<br />
scene by his son Femi Kuti, and his musical legacy cont<strong>in</strong>ues to<br />
thrive stateside, most notably <strong>in</strong> the New York-based Antibalas<br />
Afrobeat Orchestra, Fela was a unique force, and his musical<br />
<strong>in</strong>novations should be experienced <strong>in</strong> their orig<strong>in</strong>al form.<br />
Fortunately, MCA’s massive turn-of-the-century Fela re<strong>issue</strong><br />
program <strong>in</strong>cluded 2000’s The Best of Fela Kuti, a two-CD set<br />
that squeezes 13 songs (some edited down from half-hour versions)<br />
<strong>in</strong>to just over an hour and a half. Cornerstones of Fela’s<br />
repertoire such as “Lady,” “Zombie,” “No Agreement,” and<br />
“Army Arrangement” are represented, and though they<br />
embody 17 years of record<strong>in</strong>g, from 1972 through 1989, and<br />
are of slightly vary<strong>in</strong>g sound quality, most tracks boast clean<br />
def<strong>in</strong>ition of the critical elements: guitars,<br />
horns, percussion, and the leader’s <strong>in</strong>flammatory<br />
vocals.<br />
The highlife music out of which Fela’s<br />
Afro-Beat grew was a sem<strong>in</strong>al fusion of traditional<br />
African rhythms (rooted <strong>in</strong> the<br />
drumm<strong>in</strong>g of the Yoruba, Ashanti, and<br />
Ewe peoples) and modern western sounds.<br />
Military brass band music, calypso, and Cuban son were among<br />
the first <strong>in</strong>gredients stirred <strong>in</strong>to the pot by such practitioners as<br />
Ghana trumpeter E.T. Mensah. American sw<strong>in</strong>g entered the<br />
mix dur<strong>in</strong>g World War II, and highlife rema<strong>in</strong>ed the dom<strong>in</strong>ant<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 89
Youssou N'Dour<br />
dance music <strong>in</strong> Ghana and Nigeria until new variations arose <strong>in</strong> the 1970s. One of the<br />
most endear<strong>in</strong>g and popular progeny of highlife was juju—dance music with layers of<br />
<strong>in</strong>terlock<strong>in</strong>g guitar parts weav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> and out of powerful polyrhythms churned up by<br />
a percussion section that usually has Yoruban talk<strong>in</strong>g drums at the forefront. Although<br />
juju music’s roots extend back to the 1920s and ’30s, the ability to plug <strong>in</strong> and amplify<br />
guitars <strong>in</strong> the 1950s made all the difference—a difference first exploited by I.K.<br />
Dairo, the father of the modern large juju ensemble. (He called his the Morn<strong>in</strong>g Star<br />
Orchestra, and later, the Blue Spots.)<br />
But it was the competition between two popular giants of Nigerian juju <strong>in</strong> the<br />
1970s that ignited the music’s explosion onto the <strong>in</strong>ternational scene. Chief<br />
Commander Ebenezer Obey and K<strong>in</strong>g Sunny Adé (born Sunday Adéniyi <strong>in</strong> 1946) vied<br />
to dom<strong>in</strong>ate the Nigerian marketplace, crank<strong>in</strong>g out several record<strong>in</strong>gs annually. And<br />
while Obey reached far-flung audiences with his 1980 LP Current Affairs, Adé enjoyed<br />
the patronage of Island Records impresario Chris Blackwell, who <strong>issue</strong>d 1982’s breakthrough<br />
overview, Juju Music, and cast the charismatic Adé as the West African successor<br />
to reggae hero Bob Marley.<br />
With its <strong>in</strong>sistent pulse, lilt<strong>in</strong>g melodies, chant-like choral s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g, and <strong>in</strong>strumental<br />
subtleties (accordion, keyboards, and even pedal-steel guitar add <strong>in</strong>trigu<strong>in</strong>g<br />
colors and textures to the mix), juju music is especially <strong>in</strong>fectious. That of Adé and His<br />
African Beats is the most beguil<strong>in</strong>g of all. Purists can debate the “compromises” he<br />
made to sell himself to non-African listeners (and they will f<strong>in</strong>d much satisfaction <strong>in</strong><br />
the 2003 Shanachie Records anthology of tunes from 1967-74, The Best of the Classic<br />
Years), but as universally appeal<strong>in</strong>g pop music, it’s hard to beat 1983’s Synchro System<br />
[Mango]. Consolidat<strong>in</strong>g the success of his now-legendary 1982 U.S. tour, Adé hooked<br />
up with French keyboardist/producer Mart<strong>in</strong> Meissonnier and made an album that is<br />
sonically sizzl<strong>in</strong>g and sophisticated, with drums, guitars, and harmony s<strong>in</strong>gers buoy<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Adé’s sweet, enchant<strong>in</strong>g lead vocals.<br />
While Nigeria and South Africa produced the pop music that most successfully<br />
penetrated the global consciousness <strong>in</strong> the 1980s, less populous nations whose bloodl<strong>in</strong>es<br />
extend back to the great Empire of Mali of the 13 th , 14 th , and 15 th centuries<br />
spawned the biggest <strong>in</strong>ternational stars of the 1990s and the early 21 st century. Of the<br />
15 countries that make up modern West Africa, Senegal, Gu<strong>in</strong>ea, and Mali have catapulted<br />
an extraord<strong>in</strong>ary number of musicians to superstardom. Some descend from<br />
Sundjata Keita—the founder of the Malian empire and cultural hero of the Mande (or<br />
Mand<strong>in</strong>ka, Mand<strong>in</strong>g, or Mal<strong>in</strong>ke) people—and others from the griots (a caste of professional<br />
oral historians <strong>in</strong> the Mali Empire) whom he <strong>in</strong>spired to develop and pass<br />
down the oral tradition of bear<strong>in</strong>g witness to history, s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g the praises of benefactors,<br />
and provid<strong>in</strong>g enterta<strong>in</strong>ment. The pivotal traditional <strong>in</strong>struments—the xylophone-like<br />
balafon, the lute-like n’goni, and the harp-like kora—have susta<strong>in</strong>ed their presence over<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 91
the centuries, and the griot (or jeli) tradition of declamatory<br />
s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g is carried on to sp<strong>in</strong>e-t<strong>in</strong>gl<strong>in</strong>g effect by many of the<br />
most popular contemporary performers. Between the modern<br />
griot-tradition vocalists and the virtuoso <strong>in</strong>strumentalists (especially<br />
guitarists and kora players), West<br />
Africans have stepped forward to claim a<br />
predom<strong>in</strong>ant position <strong>in</strong> African pop.<br />
The most recognizable voice belongs to<br />
Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour, who followed up<br />
his world tour with Peter Gabriel by jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
the Amnesty International Human Rights<br />
Now! Tour <strong>in</strong> 1988 and releas<strong>in</strong>g albums<br />
that succeeded <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternationaliz<strong>in</strong>g the mbalax pop music he<br />
made with his Super Étoiles band. A stirr<strong>in</strong>g, flexible s<strong>in</strong>ger<br />
with command of five languages (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g his native Wolof,<br />
French, and English), N’Dour has sometimes gone overboard <strong>in</strong><br />
cater<strong>in</strong>g to western tastes, but he made what has now become<br />
an almost obligatory return to roots on 2002’s Noth<strong>in</strong>g’s <strong>in</strong> Va<strong>in</strong><br />
(Coono du Reer) [Nonesuch], an album that succeeds <strong>in</strong> showcas<strong>in</strong>g<br />
his amaz<strong>in</strong>g band and spectacular s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g. Airy, punchy<br />
sonics do justice to every <strong>in</strong>strument and complex grooves.<br />
Unlike N’Dour, who descended from griots on his mother’s<br />
side, Salif Keita was born <strong>in</strong>to noble l<strong>in</strong>eage <strong>in</strong> Mali, but<br />
he nonetheless chose a career as a professional s<strong>in</strong>ger. Like<br />
N’Dour, he soon dist<strong>in</strong>guished himself with his powerful<br />
voice, a sometimes-raw sound<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>strument, ak<strong>in</strong> to that of a<br />
high-pitched blues shouter. In 1970, he jo<strong>in</strong>ed the legendary<br />
Rail Band, which featured the masterful guitarist Djelimady<br />
Tounkara and was sponsored by the Malian Railway<br />
Company to provide stewardship for Mali’s <strong>in</strong>digenous kora<br />
and balafon music. Keita left two years later (succeeded by<br />
another future superstar, Mory Kanté) and founded Les<br />
Ambassadeurs, tak<strong>in</strong>g a plunge <strong>in</strong>to fusion that became full<br />
immersion when he moved to Paris <strong>in</strong> 1984. If some of<br />
Keita’s record<strong>in</strong>gs—such as 1992’s Amen, a collaboration<br />
with Weather Report’s Joe Zaw<strong>in</strong>ul, and 1999’s Papa, coproduced<br />
by Vernon Reid—sound more<br />
like jazz and rock than African pop despite<br />
a consistent thread of the Arabic <strong>in</strong>fluences<br />
present <strong>in</strong> the Wassoulou region of southern<br />
Mali, they still garnered Grammy<br />
nom<strong>in</strong>ations and helped build an <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />
follow<strong>in</strong>g that one hopes stuck with<br />
him for 2002’s transcendently beautiful<br />
Moffou [Universal]. Though not a total return to roots, the<br />
record’s toned-down dynamics (captured with clean, spacious<br />
21 st century high fidelity) give Keita’s s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g a lum<strong>in</strong>ous<br />
presence, even amidst 23 <strong>in</strong>strumentalists and s<strong>in</strong>gers.<br />
92 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
N’Dour and Keita’s younger distaff counterpart <strong>in</strong> vocal<br />
brilliance, Oumou Sangaré, rose to stardom <strong>in</strong> 1990 when she<br />
sold more than a quarter-million copies of her album Moussolou.<br />
Born <strong>in</strong> the Malian capital of Bamako, Sangaré used the<br />
Wassoulou musical idioms of her family heritage to express the<br />
social and cultural concerns of modern African women. On<br />
1996’s <strong>in</strong>ternational breakthrough, Worotan [Nonesuch],<br />
Sangaré brought soul-jazz saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis and a horn<br />
section <strong>in</strong>to an essentially acoustic mix. The two-CD anthology<br />
Oumou [Nonesuch] <strong>in</strong>cludes songs from Moussolou, 1993’s Ko<br />
Sira, Worotan, and the Malian-only 2003 cassette release Laban.<br />
Predom<strong>in</strong>antly featur<strong>in</strong>g kamalengoni (six-str<strong>in</strong>g “young person’s<br />
harp”), dejembe (hand drum), flute, and traditional viol<strong>in</strong>, Oumou<br />
has a vibe and tempos that are more contemplative than those of<br />
even the acoustic N’Dour and Keita. But the fem<strong>in</strong>ist themes<br />
(sung <strong>in</strong> call-and-response style), contemporary studio touches,<br />
and generally superb audio separation and def<strong>in</strong>ition<br />
belie any oversimplified notion of Sangaré<br />
as a folkloric musician.<br />
Young performers such as 31-year-old<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ger/composer Rokia Traore, who takes<br />
Sangare’s social concerns and musical experiments<br />
to the next level on Wanita [Indigo] and<br />
Bowmboi [Nonesuch], and relatively new Amadou & Mariam<br />
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arrivals on the global scene—<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g charismatic guitarist<br />
Habib Koite and his band Bamada and Ben<strong>in</strong>’s excit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Gangbé Brass Band—are West Africa’s future cultural ambassadors.<br />
Currently, “the Bl<strong>in</strong>d Couple of Mali” and a band of<br />
guitar-play<strong>in</strong>g nomadic tribespeople are the most prom<strong>in</strong>ent<br />
musical diplomats.<br />
Amadou Bagayoko, a former guitarist with Les<br />
Ambassadeurs, and s<strong>in</strong>ger Mariam Doumbia met at<br />
the Institute for Young Bl<strong>in</strong>d People <strong>in</strong> Bamako.<br />
Mak<strong>in</strong>g music together over the past 20 or so years<br />
as Amadou & Mariam, their widen<strong>in</strong>g travels took<br />
them to Paris, where their musical palette broadened<br />
to <strong>in</strong>clude Cuban son, blues, and reggae—a mix<br />
nowhere more evident than on last year’s remarkable Dimanche<br />
a Bamako [Nonesuch]. Produced by Manu Chao, as eclectic and<br />
studio savvy as American pop maestro Joe Henry and Brazilian<br />
legend Caetano Veloso comb<strong>in</strong>ed, the album is a joyous, subversive<br />
riot of unpredictable arrangements and special effects<br />
that celebrate Chao’s experimentalism and Amadou and<br />
Mariam’s sweet sensitivity. Guitars and the couple’s voices<br />
rema<strong>in</strong> prom<strong>in</strong>ent, although you may not always be able to discern<br />
their Malian orig<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> f<strong>in</strong>ely spun aural candy. The<br />
sonics are sumptuous enough—warm, translucent, and smooth<br />
throughout the spectrum—to make <strong>this</strong> a major studio event,<br />
yet there’s more heart <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> music than you’d f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>in</strong> a decade’s<br />
worth of most disco-doomed French productions of African<br />
crossover pop.<br />
The members of T<strong>in</strong>ariwen, a guitar band born of the<br />
struggles of the Touareg people at the oft-brutal Saharan edge<br />
of Mali and Algeria, may not be as theatrical and universally<br />
enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g as Amadou & Mariam, but their sound is far more<br />
grounded <strong>in</strong> a particular sense of place—or at least a long<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for home. Their “guitar revolution” began <strong>in</strong> the 1970s among<br />
young Touaregs seek<strong>in</strong>g refuge as far from home as Libya, and<br />
it reaches a thrill<strong>in</strong>g climax on 2004’s Amassakoul [World<br />
Village], T<strong>in</strong>ariwen’s second <strong>in</strong>ternationally distributed CD.<br />
Trancelike tensions build from a half-dozen guitarists overlapp<strong>in</strong>g<br />
riffs that are part Ali Farke Toure blues, part Bo Diddley<br />
and Chuck Berry rock and roll, and part Jimi Hendrix overdrive,<br />
and s<strong>in</strong>gers moan<strong>in</strong>g, chant<strong>in</strong>g, and rapp<strong>in</strong>g their pla<strong>in</strong>ts<br />
and protests, with little more than handclaps, percussion, and<br />
flute stippl<strong>in</strong>g additional texture. Simple, unfussy, and direct,<br />
the sonics are almost as raw as the passions and true to the rock<br />
’n’ rebellion spirit of <strong>this</strong> important music.<br />
The vanguard features fresh faces, but plenty of elders,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g such revived veteran bands from the 1960s and ’70s<br />
as Gu<strong>in</strong>ea’s Bembeya Jazz (featur<strong>in</strong>g the dazzl<strong>in</strong>g Sekou<br />
“Diamond F<strong>in</strong>gers” Diabate on guitar) and Senegal’s multicultural<br />
Orchestra Baobab, are hold<strong>in</strong>g or reclaim<strong>in</strong>g their positions<br />
as pillars of West African pop. Fifty-two-year-old Baaba<br />
Maal catapulted himself out of Senegal’s fisherman caste and<br />
onto the world stage with a vibrant, punchy electric fusion of<br />
pop, reggae, and rock styles as played by his band Daande<br />
Lenol. But although his star rose with the crossover-savvy<br />
1990s albums Wango, Fir<strong>in</strong>’ <strong>in</strong> Fouta, and Nomad Soul, his<br />
“night<strong>in</strong>gale” s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g (<strong>in</strong> the Pulaar language of the nomadic<br />
Fula people) has always been most affect<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>imalist sett<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
that emphasize the <strong>in</strong>terplay of his and longtime musical<br />
partner Mansour Seck’s guitars and vocals over percolat<strong>in</strong>g percussion.<br />
That’s what Maal got back to on 2001’s<br />
wonderful Miss<strong>in</strong>g You (Mi Yeewnii) [Palm], ten<br />
years after the release of the similarly hypnotically<br />
spiritual Baayo. But the place to start is where many<br />
westerners discovered Baaba Maal and Mansour<br />
Seck—1989’s Djam Leelii [Mango], an <strong>in</strong>formalfeel<strong>in</strong>g<br />
session quietly bristl<strong>in</strong>g with complex but<br />
casually rendered acoustic guitar filigrees, absorb<strong>in</strong>g<br />
vocals, and light accents of hand percussion and electric guitar.<br />
The sonics may not be as prist<strong>in</strong>e and dramatic as later Maal<br />
record<strong>in</strong>gs, but everyth<strong>in</strong>g you need to hear is present and<br />
clearly accounted for.<br />
Ali Farka Toure was nearly 50 before westerners en masse<br />
connected the dots between his dron<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>gerpicked guitar<br />
patterns and the snaky boogie of African-American bluesman<br />
John Lee Hooker, mak<strong>in</strong>g Toure the most celebrated guitarist<br />
not only of Mali but perhaps the entire African cont<strong>in</strong>ent.<br />
Self-consciously embody<strong>in</strong>g and giv<strong>in</strong>g voice to the multiple<br />
historic cultures of his native Niafunke, Toure is at his best<br />
when his tersely eloquent acoustic and electric guitar l<strong>in</strong>es<br />
and conversational vocals are least adorned, although he did<br />
w<strong>in</strong> a Grammy for his collaboration with Ry Cooder on<br />
1994’s Talk<strong>in</strong>g Timbuktu [Hannibal] and was paired to gorgeous<br />
effect with kora player Toumani Diabate on last year’s<br />
mesmeriz<strong>in</strong>g In the Heart of the Moon [World<br />
Circuit/Nonesuch]. S<strong>in</strong>ce the 1998 release of his eponymous<br />
album for Mango made him an overnight sensation, the farm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
guitarist has gone <strong>in</strong> and out of retirement. Important retrospective<br />
compilations of historic stripped-down tracks, such<br />
as Radio Mali [World Circuit] and Red & Green [World<br />
Circuit/Nonesuch], have filled the gaps between new studio<br />
record<strong>in</strong>gs. But start with 1999’s Niafunke [Hannibal], which<br />
rewards the curious with superior sonics and soulful performances.<br />
Recorded with a state-of-the-art mobile studio <strong>in</strong> his<br />
home village, it captures Toure s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g and play<strong>in</strong>g guitars,<br />
viol<strong>in</strong>, and percussion with judicious accompaniment (guitar,<br />
viol<strong>in</strong>, percussion, and vocals). The production is welldef<strong>in</strong>ed,<br />
warm, and airy. Void of anyth<strong>in</strong>g more technologically<br />
modern than an amplified guitar (and all the <strong>in</strong>visible<br />
microphones and record<strong>in</strong>g gear necessary for such realistic<br />
audio), Niafunke is nonetheless a p<strong>in</strong>nacle of West African<br />
popular music, with a sensibility that comb<strong>in</strong>es deep spirituality<br />
and musical exploration.<br />
Toure’s brief l<strong>in</strong>er notes come to a conclusion that applies to<br />
more than just his personal and regional permutations of what<br />
the Art Ensemble of Chicago has called “Great Black Music—<br />
Ancient to Future.” He writes, “In the West perhaps <strong>this</strong> music<br />
is just enterta<strong>in</strong>ment and I don’t expect people to understand.<br />
But I hope some might take the time to listen and learn.” &<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 95
equipment<br />
report<br />
Sonus Faber Concerto Domus Loudspeaker<br />
Mak<strong>in</strong>g You Feel Right At Home.<br />
Neil Gader<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce the word “domus” is<br />
Lat<strong>in</strong> for house or home, it<br />
is safe to conclude that<br />
Sonus Faber’s new Domus<br />
Series of loudspeakers has<br />
been designed for any media habitat,<br />
the aim be<strong>in</strong>g to please both music<br />
(stereo or multichannel) and home-theater<br />
aficionados. 1 Although technically<br />
positioned as Sonus Faber’s entry-level<br />
l<strong>in</strong>e, the Domus speakers are imbued<br />
with so many of the physical and sonic<br />
virtues of the Italian speaker-maker’s<br />
more expensive Classic and Homage<br />
Series offer<strong>in</strong>gs that even the faithful will<br />
likely be fooled. I was.<br />
Like any of the f<strong>in</strong>e Sonus Faber<br />
speakers from founder/designer Franco<br />
Serbl<strong>in</strong>, the new Domus Series builds<br />
upon its predecessors’ strengths.<br />
Along with <strong>in</strong>creases <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>terior volume it<br />
borrows the Concert l<strong>in</strong>e’s decoupl<strong>in</strong>g of the<br />
side panels for cab<strong>in</strong>et-resonance control,<br />
while the elegant arch<strong>in</strong>g of its solid walnut panels<br />
are clearly <strong>in</strong>spired by the Cremona l<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
Fitted out with Sonus’ trademark leather-effect<br />
material on the front and top panels, the Domus<br />
comes to market richly appo<strong>in</strong>ted technically,<br />
and ripe with the charisma that Sonus Faber and<br />
Serbl<strong>in</strong> have cultivated—an Old World aesthetic replete with<br />
classical forms and shapely allusions to the art of the master<br />
viol<strong>in</strong> and lute builders of Cremona. Its cab<strong>in</strong>et is “tuned” by<br />
the same means that the great str<strong>in</strong>ged-<strong>in</strong>strument builders<br />
used to create the characteristic sound of their prized <strong>in</strong>struments—with<br />
brac<strong>in</strong>g, vary<strong>in</strong>g wood thicknesses, and varnishes.<br />
Mystique or market<strong>in</strong>g, to gaze upon a Sonus Faber loudspeaker<br />
is to almost smell the pungent aroma of golden varnish<br />
or feel the f<strong>in</strong>e grit of ebony dust on your f<strong>in</strong>gertips.<br />
The Concerto Domus is the smaller of two floorstanders <strong>in</strong><br />
the Domus Series. It’s a two-way bass-reflex design with a forward-fir<strong>in</strong>g<br />
port. Like all Sonus Faber speakers, the<br />
Scand<strong>in</strong>avian-sourced drivers are manufactured to Serbl<strong>in</strong>’s specs<br />
In short, the<br />
Concerto Domus<br />
has the soul of<br />
the Romantic.<br />
and further tricked out at the factory. In a<br />
clever bit of eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g, Sonus Faber has<br />
ensured smooth driver <strong>in</strong>tegration by<br />
physically scallop<strong>in</strong>g the tweeter’s mount<strong>in</strong>g<br />
plate where it abuts the mid/bass driver’s<br />
frame. The semi-gloss cab<strong>in</strong>et-work<br />
is exemplary, the gently arched side panels<br />
term<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> smoothly radiussed edges<br />
at the rear. Domus also features the ventedphase-plug<br />
design premiered <strong>in</strong> Sonus’<br />
Stradavari Homage flagship—a design<br />
that boasts exceptionally low compression<br />
characteristics. The s<strong>in</strong>gle pair of b<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g<br />
posts is top notch. For added stability, a<br />
heavy, black-crackle, steel pedestal bolts to<br />
the bottom of the speaker. Adjustable<br />
spikes let you angle the Concerto back a<br />
few degrees to mechanically time-align<br />
the silk r<strong>in</strong>g-radiator tweeter with the<br />
mid/bass transducer.<br />
This was the first Sonus I’ve had for evaluation<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce my visit to the factory a couple of<br />
years ago for the debut of its flagship, the<br />
Stradavarius. At a tenth the cost of the Strad you’d<br />
expect some epic sonic differences <strong>in</strong> the area of<br />
dynamics and extension, and you wouldn’t be<br />
entirely wrong. But <strong>in</strong> terms of the Concerto<br />
Domus’ voice, the bloodl<strong>in</strong>e was unmistakable.<br />
That voice was an expressive one, a h<strong>in</strong>t darker <strong>in</strong><br />
character with a seductive overall warmth that was utterly nonfatigu<strong>in</strong>g<br />
across the octaves. The Concerto is virtually <strong>in</strong>capable<br />
of reproduc<strong>in</strong>g a sterile-sound<strong>in</strong>g note. The bass, which extends<br />
confidently <strong>in</strong>to the upper 30Hz range, was well def<strong>in</strong>ed and<br />
generally well controlled with a warmth <strong>in</strong> the midbass that, at<br />
its best, enriched acoustic bass l<strong>in</strong>es, bassoons, and bass drums.<br />
The treble frequencies, while not ruler-flat, were unprickly and<br />
had an <strong>in</strong>herent sweetness that pla<strong>in</strong>ly speaks to the quality of<br />
the r<strong>in</strong>g-radiator tweeter. Overall, its spectral balance was comparatively<br />
even, marked by benign undulations <strong>in</strong> a couple of<br />
frequency bands—a shallow dip <strong>in</strong> the presence region, and a<br />
bump or resonance <strong>in</strong> the midbass—that the ear easily <strong>in</strong>tegrates<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the listen<strong>in</strong>g experience.<br />
1 The Domus l<strong>in</strong>e also <strong>in</strong>cludes the Grand Piano floorstander, the stand-mounted Concert<strong>in</strong>o, its wall-mount cous<strong>in</strong> the Wall Domus, the Center Domus, and a subwoofer, Gravis<br />
Domus. The entire l<strong>in</strong>e is magnetically shielded.<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 97
equipment<br />
report<br />
Like its forbears, the Concerto<br />
Domus doesn’t study sound through the<br />
lens of a cl<strong>in</strong>ician. Rather, it treats music<br />
<strong>in</strong> a holistic way, not segmented <strong>in</strong>to a<br />
SPECIFICATIONS<br />
Type: Two-way floorstand<strong>in</strong>g loudspeaker<br />
Driver complement: 1" r<strong>in</strong>g-radiator tweeter,<br />
7" coated-paper mid/bass<br />
Frequency response: 35Hz–20kHz<br />
Sensitivity: 88dB<br />
Impedance: 4 ohms<br />
Dimensions: 8.25" x 39" x 12.25"<br />
Weight: 50 lbs.<br />
ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT<br />
Sota Cosmos Series III turntable; SME V<br />
pick-up arm; Shure V15VxMR cartridge;<br />
Sony DVP-9000ES, Simaudio Moon<br />
Supernova; Pl<strong>in</strong>ius 9200 <strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifier:<br />
REL Britannia B3 subwoofer; Nordost<br />
Blue Heaven and Kimber Kable BiFocal XL,<br />
and Wireworld Equ<strong>in</strong>ox III cables; Wireworld<br />
Silver Electra & Kimber Palladian power<br />
cords; Richard Gray l<strong>in</strong>e conditioners<br />
dry checklist of audiophile criteria. In<br />
short, the Concerto Domus has the soul<br />
of the Romantic. The result is a sensation<br />
that frequencies across the bandwidth<br />
are <strong>in</strong> harmony with one another<br />
and dynamically open.<br />
The most obvious beneficiaries of <strong>this</strong><br />
were vocals of all stripes. For example, the<br />
deep sonorities of a bass-baritone like<br />
Bryn Terfel s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g “Shenandoah” [S<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Favourites, DG] were lush and expressive.<br />
Similarly Claire Mart<strong>in</strong>’s “Black Coffee”<br />
[Too Darn Hot, L<strong>in</strong>n SACD] revealed a<br />
full-bodied vocal presence with all the<br />
sizzle of a live performance.<br />
The Concerto Domus’ soundstage<br />
was wide with better than average<br />
dimensionality—a listen<strong>in</strong>g perspective<br />
that was relaxed but not distant.<br />
Although it’s not a physically large<br />
speaker by any means, its sonic images<br />
do not undergo death-ray m<strong>in</strong>iaturization.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g Lisa Gerard’s “Who Are<br />
We To Say” [A Thousand Roads, Wide<br />
Blue Sky], the Concerto produced a<br />
wide, vibrant soundstage where the output<br />
from surg<strong>in</strong>g str<strong>in</strong>g crescendos kept<br />
<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> volume but rema<strong>in</strong>ed firmly<br />
rooted <strong>in</strong> position on stage. Images<br />
were cleanly del<strong>in</strong>eated without the<br />
deadly etch of artificiality. Similarly, the<br />
Domus recovered low-level details without<br />
drama. Dur<strong>in</strong>g Jackson Browne’s<br />
“Color of the Sun” [Greatest Hits,<br />
Asylum] there’s an alternat<strong>in</strong>g high-hat<br />
figure that varies <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>tensity and character<br />
with each strike—dist<strong>in</strong>ctions that<br />
go along way to conjur<strong>in</strong>g up the live<br />
listen<strong>in</strong>g experience. Hear<strong>in</strong>g details<br />
like these were one of the great pleasures<br />
of spend<strong>in</strong>g time with the Concerto. As<br />
I expected from a Serbl<strong>in</strong>-designed twoway,<br />
driver <strong>in</strong>tegration was superior, the<br />
sweetspot comfortably large. You’d<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k <strong>this</strong> <strong>issue</strong> would be a slam-dunk<br />
with contemporary two-ways but driver<br />
discont<strong>in</strong>uities cont<strong>in</strong>ue to plague many<br />
so-called high-end designs.<br />
98 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
equipment<br />
report<br />
However, topp<strong>in</strong>g my lengthy list<br />
of positive impressions was the<br />
Concerto’s cool comb<strong>in</strong>ation of midband<br />
dynamic livel<strong>in</strong>ess and lowerrange<br />
oomph—muscular attributes that<br />
I don’t normally associate with Sonus<br />
speakers <strong>in</strong> the way that I might with,<br />
say, a Revel or a Krell. I know it sounds<br />
odd, but <strong>this</strong> is a Sonus that does Slayer<br />
as well as Schubert—Korn as well as<br />
Korngold. Take as examples the propulsive<br />
kick-drum <strong>in</strong>tro of The Police’s<br />
“Murder By Numbers” [Synchronicity,<br />
A&M] or the bottomless, flat-pick electric<br />
bass of Mary Chap<strong>in</strong>-Carpenter’s<br />
live version of “Stones <strong>in</strong> the Road”<br />
[Party Doll, Columbia], and you’ll hear<br />
how the elegant little Concerto hides a<br />
bit of the beast beneath all the beauty.<br />
And more to the po<strong>in</strong>t, its guts<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong><br />
the low end rarely <strong>in</strong>terferes with the<br />
f<strong>in</strong>er po<strong>in</strong>ts of bass pitch and def<strong>in</strong>ition.<br />
At least some of the credit must go to<br />
the <strong>in</strong>ert enclosure—throughout my<br />
evaluations it was for all <strong>in</strong>tents and<br />
purposes <strong>in</strong>visible.<br />
Ultimately, however, even the most<br />
grandiloquent two-way hits the dynamic<br />
wall. At its limits there was a sense of the<br />
port shoulder<strong>in</strong>g more of the burden and<br />
of the otherwise-well-discipl<strong>in</strong>ed bottom<br />
end grow<strong>in</strong>g a bit underdamped. But<br />
only moderately. There was never any<br />
conspicuous chuff<strong>in</strong>g or overhang to give<br />
away the location of the speaker. Of<br />
greater significance was the slight softness<br />
of lead<strong>in</strong>g-edge dynamics <strong>in</strong> the<br />
uppermids/lower treble—an occasional<br />
lack of zip and attack on transients. No<br />
doubt an effect <strong>in</strong>tertw<strong>in</strong>ed with the<br />
p<strong>in</strong>ch of brilliance <strong>in</strong> the mid-treble, it<br />
was most often characterized by a subtle<br />
round<strong>in</strong>g of the edges of percussion<br />
<strong>in</strong>struments—i.e., the <strong>in</strong>itial tick of the<br />
stick on the high-hat or the tickle of the<br />
upper-octave ivories on piano.<br />
This trait can be an enhancement,<br />
however. On the Bryn Terfel record<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
for example, the Concerto sweetens edgy<br />
moments by round<strong>in</strong>g off Terfel’s more<br />
aggressive vocal peaks. By the same<br />
token, it can also cast some shade over the<br />
ultimate transparency of great record<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
In a market where viability literally<br />
depends on catch<strong>in</strong>g the ear of the consumer,<br />
the Concerto Domus neither<br />
po<strong>in</strong>ts, punctuates, underl<strong>in</strong>es, nor<br />
exclaims its merits. Rather, it achieves<br />
an exquisite equilibrium of virtues. The<br />
Sonus Faber Domus Concerto is about<br />
ref<strong>in</strong>ement and balance and musicality.<br />
It’s a speaker that I would be proud to<br />
welcome <strong>in</strong>to my home, any time. &<br />
DISTRIBUTIOR INFORMATION<br />
SUMIKO AUDIO<br />
2431 Fifth Street<br />
Berkeley, California 94710<br />
(510) 841-4500<br />
sumikoaudio.net<br />
Price: $3595<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 99
equipment<br />
report<br />
Thule Audio Spirit IA350B Integrated Amplifier<br />
and Space DVA250B DVD/CD Player<br />
A report on two sweet performers from Denmark.<br />
Sallie Reynolds<br />
In the past two decades, a slow evolution<br />
has taken place <strong>in</strong> audio, as<br />
top-notch designers come more<br />
and more to understand the nature<br />
of the beasts they are work<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with. Today it is not hard to put together<br />
a system that is clean and musical,<br />
and extremely well built, for a moderate<br />
price. My reference system—modest by<br />
reviewer standards—retails for about<br />
$13,000. It is cleaner, clearer, more<br />
extended at the frequency extremes,<br />
more excit<strong>in</strong>g—more musical—than<br />
one cost<strong>in</strong>g three times that <strong>in</strong> the mid-<br />
1980s. It is also a reviewer’s system. That<br />
is, it accommodates changes. Different<br />
technologies <strong>in</strong> a plethora of review gear<br />
pass through it with grace and accuracy,<br />
so that most visitors can strut their various<br />
stuffs. It is forgiv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> many<br />
ways—placement of speakers, power<br />
capabilities, “system match<strong>in</strong>g,” and the<br />
like—and a strict taskmaster <strong>in</strong> others.<br />
It suffers frequency imbalances not at<br />
all, shows up badly recorded CDs, and<br />
shudders at “hi-fi” sizzle and boom. The<br />
weak po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong> the system now is the<br />
room. S<strong>in</strong>ce I live <strong>in</strong> it, I hesitate to<br />
make it a laboratory of acoustic treatment<br />
devices. (Of course, most consumers<br />
probably have that same hesitation,<br />
and will be happy to learn that<br />
some speaker designs <strong>in</strong>teract less with<br />
room resonances than others.)<br />
This is not entirely the system I<br />
might buy for pure listen<strong>in</strong>g pleasure,<br />
although I love its sound. Buy<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
pleasure, I might opt for a p<strong>in</strong>ch more<br />
sweetness (forgiv<strong>in</strong>g of bad digital<br />
record<strong>in</strong>gs). A po<strong>in</strong>t that br<strong>in</strong>gs me to<br />
the present items—the Danish Thule<br />
(pronounced “toola”) Spirit IA350B 2-<br />
/5-channel <strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifier and<br />
Space DVA250B DVD/CD player, both<br />
of which are truly sweet, <strong>in</strong> that word’s<br />
best possible light. They offer, together<br />
and apart, extended frequency response,<br />
rich bass, subtle and startl<strong>in</strong>gly transparent<br />
midranges, and shimmer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
beautiful highs. They are simple to use,<br />
good look<strong>in</strong>g, reasonable <strong>in</strong> price. The<br />
amp goes for $4000, the player for<br />
$2200. I could be quite happy with<br />
them as permanent lodgers <strong>in</strong> my system,<br />
and they would lower that system<br />
considerably <strong>in</strong> price (with Spendor S8e<br />
loudspeakers at $3000, and Nordost<br />
Blue Heaven cabl<strong>in</strong>g at about $1000 <strong>in</strong><br />
my configuration, the total would drop<br />
to around $11,000). The Thules are simple<br />
black boxes that make musical<br />
magic. If you pair them with good<br />
speakers and cables, you’ll have a f<strong>in</strong>e<br />
system that needs no subwoofer, no powerl<strong>in</strong>e<br />
conditioner, and no fancy resonance-control<br />
feet or other tweaks.<br />
The silvery high harmonics touched the ears like<br />
eldritch chimes.<br />
So much for the verdict. Now the<br />
evidence. With the Thule player <strong>in</strong> a<br />
system based on Musical Fidelity’s<br />
kW500 <strong>in</strong>tegrated, Vienna Acoustics’<br />
Mozart Grand loudspeakers, and REL’s<br />
108Q subwoofer, the luscious midrange<br />
opened like a flower. I had not expected<br />
that, s<strong>in</strong>ce that musical range was<br />
already quite wonderful. But the added<br />
clarities of the Thule made lyrics, for<br />
example, come through with new <strong>in</strong>telligibility;<br />
viol<strong>in</strong>s had added ros<strong>in</strong>y bite;<br />
mid-tones <strong>in</strong> the gamelan shimmered<br />
and rang. All <strong>this</strong> on Lou Harrison’s<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 101
equipment<br />
report<br />
Gamelan Music [Music Masters Classic].<br />
The first cut, “Philemon and Baukis,”<br />
beg<strong>in</strong>s with a soft figure on the liquid<br />
xylophone-sound<strong>in</strong>g part of the gamelan<br />
(an orchestra of wonderful percussivetype<br />
Indonesian <strong>in</strong>struments), touched<br />
with a deep bell tone. A few seconds<br />
later, the viol<strong>in</strong> softly comes <strong>in</strong> with a<br />
melodic theme, the xylophone figure<br />
ongo<strong>in</strong>g beh<strong>in</strong>d it, and that soft, yet<br />
deep and reverberant “bong” of the bell<br />
or gong an occasional rem<strong>in</strong>der of the<br />
Dark. About ten years ago, when I got<br />
<strong>this</strong> CD, a system had to be extraord<strong>in</strong>ary<br />
(and expensive) to get the subtleties<br />
of the soft tones and the drama of the<br />
depths, at once. The gong was swallowed<br />
up if you played the piece at a low<br />
enough level to get the delicious<br />
nuances of the soft themes, so you<br />
turned up the volume. But even just a<br />
little of that made the gong overwhelm<br />
that soft little figure. And when the full<br />
gamelan orchestra came <strong>in</strong> about two<br />
m<strong>in</strong>utes further on, you ran for the volume<br />
knob. (In those days, a remote’s circuitry<br />
was thought to contam<strong>in</strong>ate the<br />
purity of high-end sound.) Today, illustrat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
my theme that audio designers<br />
have solved many old problems, I’ve<br />
heard a number of systems that get <strong>this</strong><br />
piece dynamically right, or nearly so.<br />
On the Thule player, <strong>in</strong> the first configuration<br />
(with the MF amp and Vienna<br />
Acoustics speakers subwoofed), the open<strong>in</strong>g<br />
subtleties were lovely, and the low<br />
gong haunt<strong>in</strong>g yet clean and shapely,<br />
reced<strong>in</strong>g slowly <strong>in</strong>to silence while the<br />
music swirled on around it. The rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
pieces on <strong>this</strong> record<strong>in</strong>g have always<br />
been difficult for me. Harrison uses chorus<br />
and solo voices <strong>in</strong> many of the cuts, and I<br />
never really liked them. The harmonies<br />
bordered on harsh, and the songs slipped<br />
so far <strong>in</strong>to atonality they lost me. But that<br />
Thule clarity <strong>in</strong> the midrange brought out<br />
the lyrics and some subtle vocal tones. I<br />
found myself entranced. Also there was<br />
sparkl<strong>in</strong>g air and light among the separate<br />
<strong>in</strong>struments of the gamelan. Those elements<br />
I’d found harsh now revealed subtle<br />
musical rapprochements. The swell<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
decay of the various gamelan tones<br />
became sheer enchantment. The room<br />
filled with the quick onset then slow fade<br />
of boom, under—not swimm<strong>in</strong>g over—<br />
the rest, and the silvery high harmonics<br />
touched the ears like eldritch chimes.<br />
All good equipment, <strong>in</strong> my experience,<br />
br<strong>in</strong>gs out different elements of a<br />
good record<strong>in</strong>g. If the gear really is basically<br />
well designed, choos<strong>in</strong>g becomes a<br />
matter of musical and sonic taste and<br />
system capabilities. These are areas<br />
where the listener will make his choices.<br />
An old-time eng<strong>in</strong>eer said to me recently<br />
that he couldn’t understand how we<br />
reviewers cont<strong>in</strong>ue to hear differences <strong>in</strong><br />
digital equipment, when <strong>in</strong> theory no<br />
differences can exist. Perhaps he’s right,<br />
<strong>in</strong> theory. But <strong>in</strong> truth, I hear differences.<br />
And so do other reviewers. We’re not<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>this</strong> up, you know, as Anna<br />
Russell once hilariously said. Differences<br />
subtle and not so exist. Where they<br />
come from, if theory denies them, I<br />
couldn’t beg<strong>in</strong> to say. But if you don’t<br />
believe me, listen to the clarity <strong>in</strong> the<br />
voice range with the Thule player. This<br />
is real, because real is what is <strong>in</strong> the ears.<br />
Next I hooked up my reference<br />
Spendor S8e, tak<strong>in</strong>g out the subwoofer<br />
too, and listened aga<strong>in</strong> to the whole<br />
record<strong>in</strong>g. The Spendors don’t need a<br />
subwoofer (<strong>in</strong> theory, they go no lower<br />
than the Viennas, but see “theory” above).<br />
You will feel, not hear a 16–20Hz note;<br />
you will get good, clean, solid bass that<br />
ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>s its character throughout—no<br />
muffl<strong>in</strong>g or fatten<strong>in</strong>g. The overall fabric<br />
SPECIFICATIONS<br />
IA350B Integrated Amplifier<br />
Power output: Two channels x 350 watts/<br />
five channels x 120 Watts, at 8 ohms<br />
Inputs: Four l<strong>in</strong>e-level stereo <strong>in</strong>puts (via<br />
RCA jacks), one balanced stereo <strong>in</strong>put<br />
(via XLR connectors), one 6-channel<br />
multichannel <strong>in</strong>put (via RCA jacks)<br />
Outputs: One stereo tape output (via RCA<br />
jacks), one stereo preamp output (via<br />
RCA jacks), two subwoofer outputs (via<br />
RCA jacks), five speaker taps (via WBT<br />
b<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g posts)<br />
Dimensions: 16.5" x 4.7" x 14.75"<br />
Weight: 46.3 lbs.<br />
DVD250B DVD/CD Player<br />
Formats: MP3, HDCD, CD, CD-R, CD-RW,<br />
CD-DA, VCD, SVCD, DVD-Video and<br />
DVD-Audio<br />
Dimensions: 16.5" x 3.5" x 11.8"<br />
Weight: 14.3 lbs.<br />
ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT<br />
Spendor S8e and Vienna Acoustics<br />
Mozart Grand loudspeakers; Musical<br />
Fidelity k500 <strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifier and A5<br />
CD player; Nordost Blue Heaven cabl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 103
equipment<br />
report<br />
An old-time eng<strong>in</strong>eer said to me recently that he<br />
couldn’t understand how we reviewers cont<strong>in</strong>ue<br />
to hear differences <strong>in</strong> digital equipment, when <strong>in</strong><br />
theory no differences can exist.<br />
of the music rema<strong>in</strong>ed much the same,<br />
except that s<strong>in</strong>ce there might have been<br />
some added emphasis <strong>in</strong> the midrange of<br />
the Viennas, the frequency balance<br />
sounded better to my ears.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally, I replaced my reference amp<br />
with the Thule IA350B <strong>in</strong>tegrated (runn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
two-channel), and listened some<br />
more. I was worried that without the<br />
sub and the sheer power of the kW500,<br />
the sound would be th<strong>in</strong>. But <strong>this</strong> amp<br />
has bass—noticeable bass, yet without<br />
the sense of be<strong>in</strong>g “bass weighted.”<br />
What <strong>this</strong> means, technically, aga<strong>in</strong> I<br />
haven’t a clue. The low frequencies are<br />
full and low, clear and largely satisfy<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
And the amp has what I suppose to be<br />
the Thule earmarks of sweetness, clarity,<br />
and richness <strong>in</strong> the midrange. The highs<br />
are transparent, smooth (ragged where<br />
they must be, musically—as <strong>in</strong> some<br />
non-beautiful high notes of the viol<strong>in</strong>),<br />
and sparkl<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
This amp does not, however, have<br />
the power of my big reference Musical<br />
Fidelity, nor should that be a surprise. It<br />
costs less than half as much. Still the<br />
overall feel is noticeably lighter. Clean,<br />
good, reach<strong>in</strong>g deep <strong>in</strong>to the musical<br />
fabric, even <strong>in</strong> the lows, light <strong>in</strong> comparison<br />
to a bigger unit. This showed up<br />
throughout. At its worst, as on ”In<br />
Honor of Mr. Mark Twa<strong>in</strong>” on the<br />
Harrison CD, where bells or chimes<br />
come <strong>in</strong> beh<strong>in</strong>d the chorus, the Thule<br />
simply loses a bit of steam. On the MF,<br />
the sheet of bell sound rises, threatens to<br />
surround the voices (s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> unison),<br />
then retreats. Through the Thule, these<br />
high tones faded <strong>in</strong> strength unless I<br />
turned the volume up higher than was<br />
“right” for <strong>this</strong> music. The r<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g was<br />
still there, musically, but its dramatic<br />
power was gone. At <strong>this</strong> effect’s mildest,<br />
which is most of the time, you may not<br />
notice the lack of the “air,” “force,” and<br />
“feel” that you’d get from lots of power<br />
cleanly done. But <strong>in</strong> immediate comparisons,<br />
you will. The Thule is clean, clear,<br />
balanced. But it does not have the sheer<br />
presence of a beefier unit.<br />
Aside from <strong>this</strong> one th<strong>in</strong>g, the Thule<br />
amp is more than satisfy<strong>in</strong>g with all types<br />
of music. I played Diana Krall and<br />
Patricia Barber and got <strong>in</strong>timate, closemiked,<br />
<strong>in</strong>-the-jazz-club clarity, and luscious<br />
vocal nuances—and bass and smallensemble<br />
power <strong>in</strong> spades and diamonds.<br />
With Vaughan Williams’ A Sea<br />
Symphony’s [Telarc], full orchestral sound<br />
also came through, as much, that is, as a<br />
non-mega-multi-driver system <strong>in</strong> an ord<strong>in</strong>ary<br />
room can provide. The Thule player<br />
is a jewel, and the combo is extraord<strong>in</strong>arily<br />
good. And both play well with others.<br />
In addition, they can do double duty: two<br />
channel and multi. They are, <strong>in</strong>deed, a<br />
wonderful bridge between the worlds of<br />
pure audio and home theater.<br />
The Thule amp provides l<strong>in</strong>e-level<br />
subwoofer outputs driv<strong>in</strong>g the low-level<br />
<strong>in</strong>puts found on most powered subwoofers.<br />
Because the Thule is a balanced<br />
amp, technicians recommend aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />
us<strong>in</strong>g it with subs that require speakerlevel<br />
<strong>in</strong>puts. 1<br />
In fiddl<strong>in</strong>g with the sub setup, I<br />
ended up tak<strong>in</strong>g it out completely, just<br />
for a listen. To my surprise, the sound<br />
was f<strong>in</strong>e. Then I went on a simplification<br />
journey. I also took out the powerl<strong>in</strong>e<br />
conditioner. Listened some more. The<br />
sound was f<strong>in</strong>e. In fact—it was better.<br />
One never plugs amps <strong>in</strong>to l<strong>in</strong>e conditioners,<br />
but digital players had always<br />
sounded clearer. Well, two new designs<br />
so far sound oceans better just <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
wall outlet. The AC fluctuations and<br />
1 Henrik, Thule’s Technical Support person, wrote, <strong>in</strong> answer to my query about sub hook up: “…<strong>this</strong> is a balanced<br />
amplifier, so the negative (black) term<strong>in</strong>al is not ground, as it would be on a normal amplifier. In a balanced amplifier,<br />
the output signal is the difference between the red term<strong>in</strong>al and black term<strong>in</strong>al, and there’s no reference to ground (the<br />
audio system is 100% separated from ground and the usual noise runn<strong>in</strong>g ground). This means that it is also not possible<br />
to use a chassis bolt as ground [for the sub].”<br />
noise problems I probably still have are<br />
not audible to me any longer. And the<br />
constriction of the soundstage and the<br />
timbral veil<strong>in</strong>g I was expect<strong>in</strong>g, sans<br />
condition<strong>in</strong>g, just didn’t happen.<br />
I began to suspect that I was still<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g on ideas developed <strong>in</strong> 1980s and<br />
’90s. This made me really rampageous,<br />
and I stripped the system to its bare<br />
bones. Sub and conditioner already out;<br />
I now removed all isolation feet.<br />
Listened. Put back only those under the<br />
speakers. I took off all damp<strong>in</strong>g r<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
and such from old CDs. With each<br />
change—tak<strong>in</strong>g out “ref<strong>in</strong>ements”—the<br />
sound got better and better. And yes, I<br />
believe <strong>this</strong> reveals another advance <strong>in</strong><br />
modern audio design: Much of the new<br />
gear is so cleanly designed, with knowledge<br />
of circuitry garnered over the<br />
decades, it sounds better naked.<br />
So, as I h<strong>in</strong>ted at the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
today is a good day to buy a high-end system.<br />
You can get beauty, accuracy, depth,<br />
and excitement for a modest sum. And<br />
you may be able to simplify: no subwoofer,<br />
no powerl<strong>in</strong>e conditioner, few isolation<br />
devices. A system of well-designed,<br />
solidly built gear needs little makeup.<br />
Try it, at least as a start<strong>in</strong>g po<strong>in</strong>t.<br />
Complications you can always add later.<br />
So how will you choose <strong>this</strong> clean,<br />
solid stuff? Well, by listen<strong>in</strong>g first, and<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g about your druthers. If you have<br />
good, clean speakers and you like sound<br />
that is clear, yet rich <strong>in</strong> depth and dynamics,<br />
and possesses great midrange magic, I<br />
wager you will love the Thule IA350B<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegrated amp. The DVA250B DVD-<br />
CD player will enchant you. The amp<br />
offers 2 or 5 channels, and the combo will<br />
give you a f<strong>in</strong>e system for home-theater or<br />
multichannel listen<strong>in</strong>g, to boot.<br />
Magic and practicality—the mark of<br />
modern sonic miracles.<br />
&<br />
DISTRIBUTOR INFORMATION<br />
CRAIG ACOUSTICS, INC.<br />
1006 West 20th Street<br />
Santa Ana, California 92706<br />
(714) 648-0983<br />
<strong>in</strong>fo@craigacoustics.com<br />
thule-audio.com<br />
Prices: IA350B, $3995; DVD250B, $2195<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 105
equipment<br />
report<br />
Esoteric X-03 CD/SACD Player<br />
The latest disc-sp<strong>in</strong>ner from TEAC’s high-end division.<br />
Jacob Heilbrunn<br />
It’s an old story that the more reveal<strong>in</strong>g<br />
an audio system becomes, the<br />
faster it can teeter on the edge of<br />
abrasiveness. In the audiophile<br />
quest for detail, highs can become<br />
sear<strong>in</strong>g and mids th<strong>in</strong>ned out. The effect<br />
may <strong>in</strong>itially be enthrall<strong>in</strong>g, but soon<br />
results <strong>in</strong> a serious case of listener<br />
fatigue—and may even deter the novice<br />
from ventur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to high-end waters at<br />
all. A case <strong>in</strong> po<strong>in</strong>t came for me a few<br />
years ago when, after lurch<strong>in</strong>g out of a<br />
room featur<strong>in</strong>g a super-duper, megabuck<br />
system with the excellent<br />
Avantgarde Trios and all the obligatory<br />
audio doo-dads, I wondered, “How can a<br />
system that expensive sound that lousy?”<br />
Nowhere is <strong>this</strong> danger more pronounced<br />
than <strong>in</strong> digital record<strong>in</strong>gs,<br />
which have long had a tendency towards<br />
stridency. Whip out a record<strong>in</strong>g from the<br />
matut<strong>in</strong>al years of CD <strong>in</strong> the early 1980s<br />
and you may well f<strong>in</strong>d yourself cry<strong>in</strong>g<br />
uncle. In recent years, however, matters<br />
have begun to improve and the perils<br />
recede as CD record<strong>in</strong>gs get better and<br />
new formats such as SACD and DVD-A<br />
take another step <strong>in</strong> the direction of a<br />
more <strong>in</strong>vit<strong>in</strong>g sound. The difference<br />
rema<strong>in</strong>s real, but there’s no deny<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
fact that it’s becom<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly difficult<br />
to dist<strong>in</strong>guish CDs from v<strong>in</strong>yl, and<br />
that the digital format is sometimes<br />
markedly superior, both because of better<br />
equipment and record<strong>in</strong>g techniques.<br />
Enter the TEAC Esoteric X-03. It<br />
produces one of the most natural,<br />
ref<strong>in</strong>ed, lum<strong>in</strong>ous, and above all, sophisticated<br />
sounds that I have ever heard<br />
from a digital player. Forget the three<br />
Gs: glare, grunge, and grit. Those terms<br />
Topp<strong>in</strong>g the scales at<br />
over fifty pounds, <strong>this</strong><br />
heavyweight is built<br />
like the Fort Knox of<br />
CD players.<br />
are utterly foreign to the Esoteric. This<br />
is a mellow and full-sound<strong>in</strong>g two-channel<br />
unit, but with excellent transparency.<br />
The Esoteric is <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> the big<br />
picture rather than spotlight<strong>in</strong>g details,<br />
which, <strong>in</strong>cidentally, is closer to what you<br />
actually hear at a concert.<br />
Seldom has a product been more misnamed.<br />
The Esoteric isn’t <strong>in</strong> the least esoteric.<br />
Its virtues aren’t hidden, but <strong>in</strong><br />
pla<strong>in</strong> sight. In fact, no small part of the<br />
Esoteric’s superlative performance, I’m<br />
certa<strong>in</strong>, can be ascribed to its phenomenal<br />
build-quality. I don’t know how it is with<br />
you, but I’m fairly <strong>in</strong>different to the way<br />
most audio equipment looks. What I’m<br />
more <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> is resonance control.<br />
I’ve found most isolation devices to be<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g of a mixed bag and have lost<br />
the desire and energy to do much tweak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
over the years, so I tend to place a premium<br />
on well-constructed equipment.<br />
Does the top case r<strong>in</strong>g when you rap it?<br />
When it comes to digital, immunity to<br />
vibration means that the laser can track<br />
the CD more precisely. This is why the<br />
lightweight, reverberant quality of some<br />
expensive gear never ceases to confound<br />
me. Not so with the Esoteric.<br />
The designers of the Esoteric have<br />
made Herculean efforts to ensure that both<br />
the tray and the cas<strong>in</strong>g of the unit are close<br />
to impregnable. Topp<strong>in</strong>g the scales at over<br />
fifty pounds, <strong>this</strong> heavyweight is built like<br />
the Fort Knox of CD players, and, consider<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the musical treasures it can unlock,<br />
so it should be. Another nice touch is that<br />
the unit only features three feet, which, <strong>in</strong><br />
theory, should help further isolate it from<br />
106 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
equipment<br />
report<br />
any nasty vibrations. There’s also a little<br />
hole cut <strong>in</strong>to the CD tray for your thumb,<br />
so that you can easily seat and unseat discs.<br />
And speak<strong>in</strong>g of the CD tray—it’s a special<br />
sled that’s been designed with an<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternal clamp<strong>in</strong>g system that essentially<br />
holds the disc <strong>in</strong> a vise. No stupid pucks<br />
placed on top of the CD that can wiggle<br />
and bounce around <strong>in</strong>side—these guys at<br />
TEAC are dead serious about excavat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the last drop of performance. To its credit,<br />
TEAC has clearly put a lot of thought,<br />
effort, and TLC <strong>in</strong>to <strong>this</strong> baby.<br />
While some audiophiles get hung up<br />
on the nuances of SACD versus CD. I don’t<br />
and neither does the Esoteric, which plays<br />
them both beautifully. In fact, the Esoteric<br />
never balked at play<strong>in</strong>g any disc—burned,<br />
scorched, seared, or otherwise. The<br />
mach<strong>in</strong>e is mechanically as unflappable as<br />
it sounds. It never loses its serenity. Far too<br />
many players suffer transport breakdowns<br />
or balk, for often <strong>in</strong>scrutable reasons, at<br />
play<strong>in</strong>g certa<strong>in</strong> discs.<br />
No doubt the Esoteric’s virtues come<br />
at a stiff tariff. At $7700 the Esoteric is<br />
not <strong>in</strong>expensive, but to acquire <strong>this</strong> k<strong>in</strong>d<br />
of sound five years ago would have<br />
required the fortune of a Croesus. It’s<br />
important to say upfront, however, that<br />
<strong>this</strong> is not a player for the headbang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
crowd. It doesn’t draw attention to itself<br />
and lacks the slam that rock aficionados<br />
not only crave, but also deserve. Rather,<br />
the Esoteric seduces you with its wonderful<br />
palette of tonal colors, bloom, and<br />
capacious soundstage.<br />
The first and most immediate<br />
impression that the Esoteric makes is<br />
how fully it reproduces the musical l<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
In visual terms, to me it’s the difference<br />
between a balloon that’s sagg<strong>in</strong>g or burst<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with air. On one of my favorite<br />
record<strong>in</strong>gs of the Handel Trio Sonatas<br />
[Convivium Ensemble, Hyperion], the<br />
mellowness of the oboe and the amount<br />
of tube-like air surround<strong>in</strong>g it were<br />
enchant<strong>in</strong>g. I can’t get that beautifully<br />
woody oboe out of my head. Overall, the<br />
sound was full and warm with each<br />
<strong>in</strong>strument carefully reproduced <strong>in</strong> its<br />
own space. Hear<strong>in</strong>g all four <strong>in</strong>struments<br />
like <strong>this</strong>, particularly the cello with its<br />
rich resonance, bumbl<strong>in</strong>g along together,<br />
each easily dist<strong>in</strong>guished, each limpidly<br />
communicat<strong>in</strong>g with the other to create a<br />
coherent musical message, is always a<br />
thrill for me. Isn’t that what <strong>this</strong> hobby<br />
is, or is supposed to be, about?<br />
The truth is that the Esoteric is so<br />
mellifluous that it simply floats out the<br />
music, tugg<strong>in</strong>g at your heartstr<strong>in</strong>gs rather<br />
than bellow<strong>in</strong>g, “Listen to me!” On “I<br />
Deserve It” [Warner], Madonna’s voice<br />
simply sounded immaculate—relaxed,<br />
luscious, and heart-rend<strong>in</strong>g—while the<br />
accompaniment, especially the drums,<br />
was perfectly <strong>in</strong> place, with nary a trace of<br />
harshness. It’s the k<strong>in</strong>d of sound, I’m conv<strong>in</strong>ced,<br />
that would <strong>in</strong>stantly make any<br />
non-audiophile, if not capitulate to the<br />
siren song of high-end audio, at least<br />
understand why a table radio may not<br />
always be the right answer. A friend of<br />
m<strong>in</strong>e who is an experienced listener discerned<br />
the Esoteric’s gentle qualities with<strong>in</strong><br />
seconds, and it was certa<strong>in</strong>ly fun to<br />
watch his eyes bulge at the ref<strong>in</strong>ed sound.<br />
Don’t get me wrong. The Esoteric<br />
does not smudge or blur transients. Quite<br />
the contrary. The Esoteric l<strong>in</strong>gers over<br />
notes, giv<strong>in</strong>g them their full value. Its<br />
sound is not effervescent, but stately with<br />
extremely measured and regular pac<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
This makes for a conv<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>gly whole<br />
presentation, unruffled and unhurried,<br />
where the notes simply unfold <strong>in</strong>stead of<br />
collid<strong>in</strong>g with each other.<br />
Indeed, what makes the Esoteric so<br />
enjoyable is the comb<strong>in</strong>ation of articulateness<br />
and bloom. The th<strong>in</strong>gs that<br />
audiophiles crave—the reproduction of<br />
quavers, vibratos, and shad<strong>in</strong>gs with<strong>in</strong> a<br />
phrase—are what make the rise and fall of<br />
a passage more than just a rote recapitulation<br />
of a series of pitches. The ability to<br />
deliver these qualities is what dist<strong>in</strong>guishes<br />
what the Germans like to call the<br />
Liebhaber, or amateur, from the Kenner, or<br />
expert, musician. The Esoteric, you<br />
might say, is a Kenner.<br />
After weeks and weeks of listen<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
the Esoteric, I returned to my regular<br />
Meitner digital gear. It re<strong>in</strong>forced the<br />
virtues of listen<strong>in</strong>g to different gear for me.<br />
The Meitner threw the Esoteric’s qualities<br />
<strong>in</strong>to even starker relief. The Meitner was<br />
more detailed, complex, and transparent,<br />
reveal<strong>in</strong>g more l<strong>in</strong>es of music. In addition,<br />
it was more energetic, particularly <strong>in</strong> the<br />
bass and treble. The Esoteric’s octave-tooctave<br />
balance is irreproachable, but it<br />
sounds slightly shrunken next to the<br />
Meitner. It’s simply not quite as big. It<br />
seems to me that the Esoteric is a piece<br />
that you love, excus<strong>in</strong>g any deficiencies,<br />
however m<strong>in</strong>or, because you love it, whereas<br />
the Meitner is the K<strong>in</strong>g Kong of digital.<br />
It simply commands awesome respect for<br />
its power and sweep. Ultimately, however,<br />
the similarities rather than the differences<br />
between the players are what stood out. I<br />
could easily live with either with no<br />
regrets. Of course, audiophiles like to place<br />
enormous importance on small dist<strong>in</strong>ctions,<br />
which is their right. F<strong>in</strong>e. One person’s<br />
dim<strong>in</strong>ish<strong>in</strong>g returns is another’s m<strong>in</strong>imum<br />
requirement. But both the Esoteric<br />
and the Meitner offer stratospheric performance,<br />
an embarrassment of riches, by<br />
any standards.<br />
Top-notch digital playback is becom<strong>in</strong>g<br />
scary stuff and breath<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> rarefied<br />
air can be a dizzy<strong>in</strong>g, even <strong>in</strong>toxicat<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
experience. The Esoteric draws<br />
you <strong>in</strong>to the sound to such an extent that<br />
you tend to forget about the nuts and<br />
bolts of the player and simply wallow <strong>in</strong><br />
the music. If you haven’t guessed by now,<br />
I did a not <strong>in</strong>substantial amount of wallow<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Yup, I liked it. A lot. And so, I<br />
bet, will you. If you’re <strong>in</strong> the market for a<br />
top-notch player and your budget permits<br />
the likes of the sumptuous Esoteric,<br />
I suspect that, after listen<strong>in</strong>g to it, you<br />
may decide not to waste much time look<strong>in</strong>g<br />
elsewhere.<br />
&<br />
SPECIFICATIONS<br />
Transport outputs: One optical, one coaxial,<br />
one i.LINK term<strong>in</strong>al<br />
Analog outputs: Balanced (XLR) and<br />
unbalanced (RCA)<br />
Dimensions: 17.5" x 6" x 13.75"<br />
Weight: 51 lbs.<br />
MANUFACTURER INFORMATION<br />
TEAC AMERICA, INC.<br />
7733 Telegraph Road<br />
Montebello, California 90460<br />
(323) 726-0303<br />
teac.com<br />
Price: $7700<br />
108 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
equipment<br />
report<br />
Channel Islands Audio D-200<br />
Monoblock Amplifier<br />
Another offer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a rapidly grow<strong>in</strong>g area of amplifier design.<br />
Chris Martens<br />
Imet Dusty Vawter, President of<br />
Channel Islands Audio (often<br />
abbreviated to CIAudio), on a shuttle-bus<br />
ride to the Denver airport<br />
as we returned home from the<br />
Rocky Mounta<strong>in</strong> Audio Fest. Mr.<br />
Vawter, I learned, had been head of customer<br />
service at now-defunct Audio<br />
Alchemy before found<strong>in</strong>g CIAudio, and<br />
the experience left him with a refresh<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
different slant on high-end design.<br />
Like any serious manufacturer of audio<br />
products, he is passionate about sound<br />
quality, but more than many he believes<br />
Class D amplifiers are light, but the D-200s weigh<br />
<strong>in</strong> at a comparatively chunky 15 pounds apiece.<br />
components should offer solid buildquality<br />
and should be rigorously<br />
designed and tested to provide troublefree<br />
performance and reliability at sensible<br />
prices. Amen to that.<br />
CIAudio offers a range of audio components<br />
that <strong>in</strong>cludes a family of Class D<br />
amplifiers, some of which I’d heard <strong>in</strong><br />
speaker manufacturers’ demonstration<br />
suites at RMAF. CIAudio amplifiers are<br />
based on the comparatively new<br />
Philips/Hypex UcD (Universal class D)<br />
modules, rather than on the earlier<br />
Tripath or Bang & Olufsen/ICEpower<br />
technologies used <strong>in</strong> many other Class D<br />
designs. Like the NuForce amplifiers<br />
recently reviewed <strong>in</strong> TAS, the CIAudios<br />
are analog switch<strong>in</strong>g amplifiers, not “digital”<br />
amplifiers—an approach that proponents<br />
say gives Class D amps a more<br />
open and detailed sound. With the current<br />
proliferation of new Class D amplifiers<br />
on the market, many TAS readers<br />
(and writers) are curious to learn how the<br />
latest designs sound, and for <strong>this</strong> review<br />
we chose a pair of CIAudio’s newest<br />
model, the D-200 monoblocks. The D-<br />
200s are small, cube-shaped units that<br />
deliver 200Wpc at 8 ohms and sell for<br />
$2299 per pair. At that price, the D-<br />
200s offer two options: either 26 or<br />
32dB of ga<strong>in</strong> (the latter <strong>in</strong>tended primarily<br />
for use with passive level-controls),<br />
112 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
equipment<br />
report<br />
and s<strong>in</strong>gle-ended or balanced <strong>in</strong>puts.<br />
Typically, Class D amplifiers are<br />
light, but the D-200s weigh <strong>in</strong> at a comparatively<br />
chunky 15 pounds apiece—<br />
heft that reflects both a beefy chassis on<br />
the outside and an even beefier powersupply<br />
on the <strong>in</strong>side. Early on, I discovered<br />
the CIAudio amps, <strong>in</strong> contrast to<br />
the NuForce Reference 9s, were utterly<br />
quirk-free. There were no power-on<br />
“pops,” no subtle <strong>in</strong>creases <strong>in</strong> background<br />
noise with muted <strong>in</strong>puts, and—<br />
says CIAudio—no sensitivities to noload<br />
or dead-short conditions. Vawter<br />
has zero tolerance for f<strong>in</strong>icky products.<br />
The D-200s also offer a feature I came to<br />
love: a play/mute switch <strong>in</strong> lieu of a traditional<br />
power switch. This feature<br />
enables users to keep the amplifiers<br />
warmed up and ready to play, while<br />
allow<strong>in</strong>g output mut<strong>in</strong>g when switch<strong>in</strong>g<br />
associated preamps on or off. At<br />
Vawter’s suggestion, I gave the D-200s<br />
about 100 hours of burn-<strong>in</strong> before listen<strong>in</strong>g<br />
critically, and dur<strong>in</strong>g burn-<strong>in</strong><br />
observed small, gradual improvements<br />
<strong>in</strong> bass solidity, midrange smoothness,<br />
and treble resolution.<br />
When I review components, I try to<br />
identify their dom<strong>in</strong>ant sonic characteristics,<br />
and what first struck me about the<br />
D-200s was the sweetness and delicacy of<br />
their midrange, the warmth and quickness<br />
of their midbass, and an overall presentation<br />
that, paradoxically, sounded at<br />
once detailed yet very smooth—almost<br />
to the po<strong>in</strong>t of sonic politeness.<br />
To zoom <strong>in</strong>: The midrange sweetness<br />
is the sort that makes both male and<br />
female voices sound graceful and rich,<br />
even if some rough edges are ever so<br />
slightly smoothed out <strong>in</strong> the process. A<br />
good example is Dave Alv<strong>in</strong>’s voice on<br />
“California Snow” from Blackjack David<br />
[MFSL SACD]; Alv<strong>in</strong>’s dark, smoky, storyteller’s<br />
voice comes through vividly,<br />
but with its typical gritty and gravelly<br />
textures planed down just a bit.<br />
Similarly, the D-200’s midrange makes<br />
str<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> general and solo viol<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong> particular<br />
sound ach<strong>in</strong>gly beautiful, albeit<br />
with their uppermost harmonics and the<br />
<strong>in</strong>ner textures of bow<strong>in</strong>g and f<strong>in</strong>ger<br />
changes diffused just a little. Listen to<br />
the Heifetz performance of the Sibelius<br />
Viol<strong>in</strong> Concerto [RCA Liv<strong>in</strong>g Stereo,<br />
SACD] through the D-200s, and see if<br />
you aren’t flat bowled over by the glory<br />
of Heifetz’s str<strong>in</strong>g tone.<br />
Still, the question of the D-200s’<br />
handl<strong>in</strong>g of high-frequency details and<br />
textures rema<strong>in</strong>s. My observation was<br />
that the amps reproduce low-level<br />
details well up to a po<strong>in</strong>t, and that their<br />
high-frequency response is not rolled off.<br />
However, as high-frequency details<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 113
equipment<br />
report<br />
SPECIFICATIONS<br />
Power output: 200 watts @ 8 ohms, 325<br />
watts @ 4 ohms<br />
Inputs: One s<strong>in</strong>gle-ended, or alternatively<br />
(at buyer’s option) one balanced<br />
Dimensions: 6.25" x 5.5" x 8"<br />
Weight: 15 lbs.<br />
ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT<br />
Kuzma Stabi S/Stogi S turntable/arm;<br />
Clearaudio Discovery cartridge; Supex<br />
SDT-722 transformer; Musical<br />
Surround<strong>in</strong>gs Phonomena phonostage;<br />
Musical Fidelity kW500 <strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifier<br />
and Tri-Vista SACD player; Rogue Audio<br />
Metis preamplifier; NuForce Reference 9<br />
and Audio Research 300.2 power amplifiers;<br />
Magnepan MG1.6/QR and Wilson-<br />
Benesch Curve loudspeakers; PNF Audio<br />
and Cardas <strong>in</strong>terconnects and speaker<br />
cables; RGPC 1200S power conditioner<br />
become progressively f<strong>in</strong>er and subtler,<br />
the D-200s eventually allow their contours<br />
to melt <strong>in</strong>to a soft diffuseness—the<br />
sonic equivalent of a c<strong>in</strong>ematic dissolve<br />
to white. In fairness, I should say <strong>this</strong><br />
blurr<strong>in</strong>g affects only the very-lowestlevel<br />
details, but when it occurs, key<br />
<strong>in</strong>gredients of transparency and of great<br />
soundstag<strong>in</strong>g are, to some degree, lost.<br />
This leaves me of two m<strong>in</strong>ds. On the one<br />
hand, the D-200s are never guilty of the<br />
sort of overwrought transient excesses<br />
that drive many of us nuts, which is a<br />
very good th<strong>in</strong>g. On the other, they fall<br />
short of the profound transparency and<br />
three-dimensionality that amplifiers<br />
such as the NuForce Reference 9s offer.<br />
The D-200s’ midbass is pleas<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
warm and weighty, with a good measure<br />
of transient snap that helps make basses<br />
(acoustic, electric, and human) and low<br />
percussion <strong>in</strong>struments sound articulate<br />
and expressive. Listeners will particularly<br />
appreciate these qualities on record<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
such as bassist Charlie Haden’s<br />
Nocturnes [Verve], where the ever-tasteful<br />
Haden makes his musical po<strong>in</strong>ts not<br />
through flashy pyrotechnics, but<br />
through delicate variations <strong>in</strong> the attack,<br />
susta<strong>in</strong>, and voic<strong>in</strong>g of his well-chosen<br />
notes. Overall, I found the D-200s<br />
offered midbass clarity on a par with<br />
that of the considerably more powerful<br />
and expensive Audio Research 300.2<br />
power amplifier and Musical Fidelity<br />
kW500 <strong>in</strong>tegrated that I had on hand<br />
for comparison. Alongside the NuForce<br />
Reference 9s, the D-200s delivered<br />
slightly warmer and more prom<strong>in</strong>ent<br />
midbass, while the Reference 9s offered<br />
more potent and extended low bass and<br />
an even greater degree of overall bass<br />
control and def<strong>in</strong>ition.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally, the D-200s sound unfail<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
smooth, even on complicated,<br />
densely layered material such as<br />
114 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
equipment<br />
report<br />
Respighi’s P<strong>in</strong>a di Roma [Deutsche<br />
Grammophon, LP], which can make<br />
some components sound frazzled or distressed.<br />
Provided you don’t crank the D-<br />
200s to levels where they start to run out<br />
of power (someth<strong>in</strong>g I’d not recommend<br />
with <strong>this</strong> or any amplifier), they’ll sound<br />
graceful and self-assured. But <strong>this</strong> selfassurance<br />
carries, I th<strong>in</strong>k, a small but<br />
audible sonic price, namely, a tendency<br />
toward sonic “politeness” that—<strong>in</strong> a<br />
very subtle way—softens the vividness<br />
and livel<strong>in</strong>ess of reproduced music. It’s<br />
not that the Channel Islands amplifiers<br />
sound dull or compressed; they don’t. In<br />
fact, the D-200s sound very expressive<br />
<strong>in</strong> comparison to well-regarded traditional<br />
l<strong>in</strong>ear amplifiers such as the current<br />
generation McCormacks. It’s just<br />
that there is an elusive layer of dynamic<br />
accuracy, or <strong>in</strong>tensity if you will, that<br />
the D-200s can’t quite reach. After you<br />
play a selection of reference record<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
on the D-200s, the first word that would<br />
come to m<strong>in</strong>d might be “smooth.” After<br />
you hear the same selection on the<br />
NuForce Reference 9s, the one-word<br />
description might change to “alive.”<br />
The Channel Islands Audio D-200s<br />
are very good amplifiers, and they show<br />
every sign of be<strong>in</strong>g a polished, thoroughly<br />
tested, trouble-free design<br />
(would that every high-end manufacturer<br />
took product reliability and test<strong>in</strong>g as<br />
seriously as Channel Island does). The<br />
CIAudios earn high marks sonically, as<br />
well, sound<strong>in</strong>g noticeably better than<br />
many old-school l<strong>in</strong>ear amplifiers and<br />
offer<strong>in</strong>g sound that is on a par with that<br />
of contemporary Class D amps such as<br />
the Audio Research 300.2. But the D-<br />
200s’ most direct competitors are the<br />
NuForce Reference 9s, and a comparison<br />
forces the <strong>issue</strong>. The fact is that the D-<br />
200s sound very good and have no vices<br />
whatsoever, while the slightly more<br />
costly Reference 9s offer elements of true<br />
sonic greatness, but at the expense of<br />
some annoy<strong>in</strong>g quirks and foibles. The<br />
sonic differences between the amplifiers<br />
are such that I could imag<strong>in</strong>e listeners<br />
choos<strong>in</strong>g one or the other purely as a<br />
matter of taste, and both offer exceptional<br />
value for money. If you like amplifiers<br />
that comb<strong>in</strong>e detail, smoothness,<br />
warmth, and clarity, then the D-200s<br />
could be perfect for you; but for greater<br />
overall transparency and three-dimensionality,<br />
and more lifelike dynamics,<br />
the Reference 9 would get my nod. &<br />
MANUFACTURER INFORMATION<br />
CHANNEL ISLANDS AUDIO<br />
567 W. Channel Islands Blvd., PMB #300<br />
Hueneme, California 93041<br />
(805) 984-8282<br />
ciaudio.com<br />
Price: $2299<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 115
equipment<br />
report<br />
Krell SACD Standard CD/SACD Player<br />
How one player changed a critic’s m<strong>in</strong>d about the SACD format.<br />
Fred Kaplan<br />
At the turn of the decade,<br />
when the first SACD players<br />
made their debuts at<br />
the hi-fi shows, I remember<br />
wonder<strong>in</strong>g what the<br />
fuss was about. The specs looked great,<br />
but the discs sounded weirdly antiseptic.<br />
As recently as a couple years ago, a manufacturer<br />
whose expensive amp I was<br />
review<strong>in</strong>g loaned me the same company’s<br />
five-figure SACD player. I thought:<br />
Better, but the high frequencies are still<br />
odd. They were smooth but flat, un<strong>in</strong>flected;<br />
cymbals, for <strong>in</strong>stance, all sounded<br />
the same. Around <strong>this</strong> time, TAS<br />
published a forum, <strong>in</strong> which some critics<br />
wondered if <strong>this</strong> was an <strong>in</strong>herent flaw <strong>in</strong><br />
the format, which offers vast bandwidth<br />
and ultra-fast sampl<strong>in</strong>g speed but s<strong>in</strong>gle-bit<br />
signals.<br />
I wondered so, too, until I heard the<br />
Krell SACD Standard. Is it flawless? No,<br />
but its sonic shortcom<strong>in</strong>gs are extremely<br />
slight. At the very least, it redeems the<br />
format’s technical promise. It makes<br />
recorded music a pleasurable experience,<br />
to a degree that few digital mach<strong>in</strong>es <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>this</strong> price-range approach.<br />
About those oft-problematic high<br />
frequencies, listen to the pierc<strong>in</strong>g purity<br />
of Lorra<strong>in</strong>e Hunt Lieberson’s excursions<br />
on Handel arias [Avie] or the shimmer<br />
of Philly Joe Jones’ cymbals on the Miles<br />
Davis qu<strong>in</strong>tet’s Relax<strong>in</strong>’ [Acoustic<br />
Sounds SACD]; they’re airy, even ethereal;<br />
you hear their dist<strong>in</strong>ct tones and resonances,<br />
and the ambience around them.<br />
The highs don’t stick out—neither as<br />
too bright nor too veiled—as digital<br />
highs often do.<br />
I was about to write<br />
“sensationally,” but<br />
that’s not right; it does<br />
so naturally, seamlessly,<br />
without call<strong>in</strong>g<br />
attention to itself.<br />
The midrange is also sweet and natural,<br />
if a bit on the warm side (which I don’t<br />
m<strong>in</strong>d). The bass goes stagger<strong>in</strong>gly deep<br />
and stays tuneful. If your speakers are fairly<br />
seamless from top to bottom, <strong>this</strong> digital<br />
mach<strong>in</strong>e won’t spoil the illusion.<br />
The ma<strong>in</strong> appeal of most SACD<br />
players (even the cheap ones, for <strong>in</strong>stance<br />
Sony’s first-generation model, which I<br />
bought for $200 a few years ago) is that<br />
they project the sound <strong>in</strong>to your room;<br />
you sense the music breath<strong>in</strong>g forth<br />
from the speakers, three-dimensionally,<br />
<strong>in</strong> a way that PCM digital just can’t<br />
manage (and <strong>in</strong> a way that good analog<br />
does rout<strong>in</strong>ely). The Krell Standard<br />
pulls off <strong>this</strong> feat…I was about to write<br />
“sensationally,” but that’s not right; it<br />
does so naturally, seamlessly, without<br />
call<strong>in</strong>g attention to itself.<br />
On the Academy of Ancient Music’s<br />
SACD of Bach solo and double viol<strong>in</strong><br />
concertos, Andrew Manze and Rachel<br />
Podger’s viol<strong>in</strong>s waft <strong>in</strong>to your room on<br />
a wave and their overtones float up to<br />
the ceil<strong>in</strong>g. The level of detail is extraord<strong>in</strong>ary,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the “<strong>in</strong>ner detail” of<br />
specific <strong>in</strong>struments. You can dist<strong>in</strong>guish<br />
the thickness of the six guitar<br />
str<strong>in</strong>gs that Gene Bertonc<strong>in</strong>i picks and<br />
strums on Quiet Now [Ambient Music]. I<br />
hadn’t realized the cellist was bow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
every beat on “Ruby Tuesday,” until I<br />
listened through the Krell to the<br />
Roll<strong>in</strong>g Stones’ Hot Rocks SACD.<br />
The Krell Standard also tosses up a<br />
soundstage as wide and as deep as the<br />
record<strong>in</strong>g and the rest of your equipment<br />
allow. Listen<strong>in</strong>g to Michael Tilson<br />
118 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
equipment<br />
report<br />
Thomas’ series of Mahler symphonies,<br />
especially the N<strong>in</strong>th, on the San<br />
Francisco Symphony’s own label, you<br />
can “see” precisely the position of the<br />
various <strong>in</strong>struments and sections.<br />
It’s fair to ask why you should buy an<br />
SACD player at all. Only a small number<br />
of labels are still produc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the format.<br />
The rush of jazz and pop SACDs, which<br />
so excited audiophiles a few years ago (the<br />
multi-disc series of the Stones, Dylan,<br />
and so forth), has slowed to a near-halt. I<br />
have two replies. First, the labels still<br />
putt<strong>in</strong>g them out—Harmonia Mundi,<br />
SFSA, Telarc, Deutsche Grammophon,<br />
Songl<strong>in</strong>es, Acoustic Sounds, among others—put<br />
out quite a lot of great record<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
Second, and more to the po<strong>in</strong>t here,<br />
the Krell Standard also does a superb job<br />
of play<strong>in</strong>g standard Red Book CDs.<br />
Everyth<strong>in</strong>g I’ve said about it as an SACD<br />
player also holds for its performance as a<br />
CD player (allow<strong>in</strong>g, of course, for the<br />
differences between the two formats).<br />
How does the Krell hold up to<br />
v<strong>in</strong>yl? Not at all badly, but, hey, it’s not<br />
a miracle worker. Listen to Acoustic<br />
Sounds’ re<strong>issue</strong>s of Bill Evans’ Waltz for<br />
Debby. On the title tune, Paul Motian’s<br />
hard-brushed snare-slaps sound a bit less<br />
dynamic, a bit more softly slapped, on<br />
the SACD than on the 180-gram LP. In<br />
general, transients are softened, dynamic<br />
contrasts are shaded—noticeably, but<br />
not dramatically, not much more than<br />
the effect you’d hear by lower<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
phono cartridge’s VTA by a few hairs.<br />
When TAS editor Jonathan Val<strong>in</strong><br />
reviewed an earlier version of the<br />
Standard a couple years ago, <strong>in</strong> Issue 145<br />
(more later on what’s different about <strong>this</strong><br />
revised version), he praised, <strong>in</strong> particular,<br />
its “exceptionally rich and powerful bass”<br />
as well as its “midband bloom and sweetness.”<br />
At the same time, he compared it<br />
unfavorably with two much costlier models<br />
(EMM Labs’ DAC6e and EMM’s modified<br />
Philips 1000), f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g the Krell<br />
“less extended and <strong>in</strong>cisive <strong>in</strong> the treble”<br />
and for soften<strong>in</strong>g transients “more than a<br />
tad, as if it were…a tube unit.”<br />
I haven’t heard the EMM units<br />
(except at a Consumer Electronics Show<br />
too long ago to remember). But I have<br />
heard the old and new versions of the<br />
Krell Standard, side by side, and can<br />
report that I agree with JV (as <strong>this</strong> review<br />
bears out), although the new model is<br />
still deeper and tighter <strong>in</strong> the bass and<br />
slightly crisper on the treble transients.<br />
What is different about the new<br />
model—which, on the outside, looks<br />
exactly like the old one—is where some<br />
qualms come <strong>in</strong>to play, though they’re<br />
strictly ergonomic qualms. The ma<strong>in</strong><br />
difference between the two is a new<br />
servo-drive—a change necessitated<br />
when the supplier, Philips, suddenly<br />
stopped produc<strong>in</strong>g the old one. In most<br />
ways, <strong>this</strong> turned out to be good news.<br />
Judg<strong>in</strong>g from a few onl<strong>in</strong>e high-end<br />
chat sites, the old drive had notorious<br />
reliability problems. (An earlier version<br />
of the unit, which I started to review,<br />
went haywire, as did one purchased by a<br />
friend.) However, by all accounts, the<br />
Inside the SACD Standard<br />
The Standard’s servo-mechanism—<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g separate lasers for CDs and<br />
SACDs—is unusually stable, so as to focus the beam onto a disc’s pits with<br />
m<strong>in</strong>imal error. The chassis is actually a chassis-with<strong>in</strong>-a-chassis—a steel<br />
plate <strong>in</strong>side an alum<strong>in</strong>um enclosure—to dampen vibrations. (This is one of the few<br />
CD players, or pieces of electronic gear generally, that doesn’t benefit from TipToetype<br />
cones or pucks.) The transport and the analog circuits draw on separate power<br />
supplies; the analog stage’s is a hefty toroidal transformer. As with much of Krell’s<br />
electronics l<strong>in</strong>e, the Standard’s circuitry employs a balanced topology, which boosts<br />
the signal-to-noise ratio by 6dB. It also manipulates current <strong>in</strong>stead of voltage all the<br />
way through the signal cha<strong>in</strong> up to the output stage, a possibly unique approach<br />
that, Krell’s tech people say, expands bandwidth, <strong>in</strong>creases speed, and greatly m<strong>in</strong>imizes<br />
distortions caused by impedance <strong>in</strong>teractions.<br />
FK<br />
new model is function<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>e. Still it,<br />
too, has some idiosyncrasies. It’s noisy,<br />
though not noisy enough to be heard<br />
when music is play<strong>in</strong>g, as long as you’re<br />
sitt<strong>in</strong>g at least five feet away (except I<br />
should add for two discs <strong>in</strong> my collection<br />
that for some reason produce a very<br />
loud gr<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g). It takes a long time to<br />
load a disc (15 seconds for SACDs, 25<br />
seconds for CDs). And after the first few<br />
seconds of a track, the track number disappears<br />
from the display panel. (If you<br />
like what you’re hear<strong>in</strong>g on a CD and<br />
wonder which song it is, you’ll have to<br />
start the track over to f<strong>in</strong>d out.)<br />
Apparently, these problems are built<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the drive; there’s noth<strong>in</strong>g to be<br />
done. Krell’s technical people say they<br />
decided to use <strong>this</strong> drive anyway,<br />
because it sounds so much better than<br />
any other they’ve tried. I have no reason<br />
to doubt them. The mach<strong>in</strong>e is a bit of a<br />
drag, like cuff l<strong>in</strong>ks on a sleeve. But, at<br />
least to my m<strong>in</strong>d (yours may be to calculate<br />
costs and benefits differently), the<br />
pleasures outweigh the foibles. &<br />
SPECIFICATIONS<br />
Stereo and multichannel CD and SACD<br />
player with 24-bit/192kHz DACs on<br />
each channel<br />
Analog outputs: One balanced XLR connectors,<br />
six s<strong>in</strong>gle-ended RCA connectors<br />
Digital outputs: One S/PDIF RCA connector,<br />
one EIAI optical TosL<strong>in</strong>k connector<br />
Dimensions 17.3" x 5.72" x 16.5"<br />
Weight: 25 lbs.<br />
ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT<br />
Krell KAV-280p l<strong>in</strong>estage and FPB400cx<br />
amplifier; Verity Audio Parsifal Ovation and<br />
Krell Resolution 2 speakers; Nirvana<br />
cables; Bybee Technologies Signature<br />
power purifier and Monster Cable AVS-2000<br />
voltage-regulator (though not for amp)<br />
MANUFACTURER INFORMATION<br />
KRELL INDUSTRIES, INC.<br />
45 Connair Road<br />
Orange, Connecticut 06477<br />
(203) 799-9954<br />
krellonl<strong>in</strong>e.com<br />
sales@krellonl<strong>in</strong>e.com<br />
Price: $4000<br />
120 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
E X P L O R I N G T H E A R T A N D T E C H N O L O G Y<br />
The Cutt<strong>in</strong>g Edge<br />
Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son N o. 326S Preamplifier<br />
and N o. 432 Power Amplifier<br />
A tradition of excellence, not just<br />
upheld but improved upon.<br />
Robert Harley<br />
Today’s Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son brand of electronics traces it l<strong>in</strong>eage back to 1972 when Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son<br />
(the man) founded Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son Audio Systems (MLAS). The company’s first product, the JC-<br />
1 preamp (named after its designer, the great John Curl), jump-started the entire American<br />
high-end renaissance <strong>in</strong> the early-to-mid 1970s. Along with Audio Research and Magnepan,<br />
MLAS paved the way for the creativity and <strong>in</strong>novation <strong>in</strong> high-performance audio design that<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ues more than thirty years later.<br />
122 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
The Cutt<strong>in</strong>g Edge<br />
Unlike those two other pioneers of the American high end,<br />
which to <strong>this</strong> day are owned and operated by their respective<br />
founders, the Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son brand has been produced under a<br />
succession of corporate umbrellas. Founder Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son left<br />
the company <strong>in</strong> the early 1980s to start Cello. Madrigal Audio<br />
Laboratories, the parent company that owned the brand for<br />
much of its existence (1984 to 1995), sold part of the company<br />
to the giant Harman International <strong>in</strong> 1993. (By chance, I was<br />
at the factory on a tour the day the announcement was made to<br />
the employees.) The l<strong>in</strong>k between Madrigal and Harman was<br />
no accident; Madrigal CEO Sandy Berl<strong>in</strong> had been Sidney<br />
Harman’s right-hand man dur<strong>in</strong>g the decades that Harman<br />
became a behemoth by buy<strong>in</strong>g smaller audio companies.<br />
Madrigal cont<strong>in</strong>ued to operate <strong>in</strong>dependently until 1995 when<br />
Harman bought the rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> the company. The<br />
Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son brand is now part of the Harman Specialty<br />
Group, which comprises Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son, Lexicon, and Revel.<br />
Perhaps the biggest shakeup <strong>in</strong> the company’s history<br />
occurred <strong>in</strong> October, 2003, when Harman closed Madrigal’s<br />
venerable Middletown, Connecticut, factory and moved all production<br />
to the Lexicon factory <strong>in</strong> Massachusetts. This move<br />
took dealers and customers by surprise, and resulted <strong>in</strong> a complete<br />
cessation of production for several months. Some products<br />
were out of production for more than a year as the new factory<br />
ramped up. By mid-2005, however, the company was back <strong>in</strong><br />
full sw<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
The question on everyone’s m<strong>in</strong>d was whether the Mark<br />
Lev<strong>in</strong>son products made <strong>in</strong> the new factory were true to the<br />
orig<strong>in</strong>al <strong>in</strong>tent of its founders, as well as to the eng<strong>in</strong>eers and<br />
product-development managers who made the brand iconic<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the 1980s and 1990s.<br />
Which br<strong>in</strong>gs us to the subject of <strong>this</strong> review, the Mark<br />
Lev<strong>in</strong>son N o. 326S preamplifier and N o. 432 power amplifier. My<br />
aim is to not only evaluate these products <strong>in</strong> and of themselves,<br />
but to discover whether the traditional Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son design<br />
and build-quality, meticulous attention to every detail (down to<br />
the shipp<strong>in</strong>g boxes), and dist<strong>in</strong>ctive sonic signature are embodied<br />
<strong>in</strong> the new products. Has <strong>this</strong> venerable marque become<br />
merely a boutique brand under Harman? Or does Harman’s<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ancial stability provide a platform for a new era <strong>in</strong> creativity<br />
and <strong>in</strong>novation that is true to the brand’s great legacy?<br />
This project is of particular <strong>in</strong>terest to me; I lived with and<br />
reviewed a number of Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son products start<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />
late 1980s and became quite familiar with their designs and<br />
sonic signature, as well as with the company ethos. Madrigal<br />
Audio Laboratories was second to none <strong>in</strong> expla<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to the<br />
press the <strong>in</strong>tricacies of its products, the meticulousness with<br />
which it built its components, and the passion that drove new<br />
development.<br />
The $10,000 N o. 326S is a s<strong>in</strong>gle-chassis preamp based on<br />
the highly acclaimed N o. 32 Reference preamplifier, a $15,950<br />
two-box unit <strong>in</strong>troduced <strong>in</strong> 1999. The N o. 32 was, astonish<strong>in</strong>gly,<br />
the first preamplifier to which the then-27-year-old company<br />
applied the designation “Reference.” Unlike other audio<br />
companies that use the term for market<strong>in</strong>g purposes, Mark<br />
Lev<strong>in</strong>son reserved that special word for products that embodied<br />
the company’s best possible effort. Lev<strong>in</strong>son Reference gear<br />
served as an <strong>in</strong>ternal benchmark for what could be done <strong>in</strong> a<br />
product category, and as an ideal to which to aspire <strong>in</strong> subsequent,<br />
less-costly designs. Lev<strong>in</strong>son had <strong>in</strong>troduced Reference<br />
power amplifiers, digital processors, and transports, but never a<br />
preamplifier until the N o. 32.<br />
The N o. 326S’s chassis is smaller than that of most components,<br />
but the styl<strong>in</strong>g cues (curved front panel, matte alum<strong>in</strong>um<br />
buttons, red LED display) are unmistakably Mark<br />
Lev<strong>in</strong>son. Interest<strong>in</strong>g features <strong>in</strong>clude the ability to customize<br />
the unit by nam<strong>in</strong>g each <strong>in</strong>put, deactivat<strong>in</strong>g unused <strong>in</strong>puts,<br />
adjust<strong>in</strong>g the ga<strong>in</strong>-offset of each <strong>in</strong>put, and assign<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
record-out jacks to an <strong>in</strong>put. A unity-ga<strong>in</strong> bypass mode (called<br />
Has <strong>this</strong> venerable marque<br />
become merely a boutique<br />
brand under Harman? Or does<br />
Harman’s f<strong>in</strong>ancial stability<br />
provide a platform for a new era<br />
<strong>in</strong> creativity and <strong>in</strong>novation that is<br />
true to the brand’s great legacy?<br />
“SSP” for surround-sound processor) allows the N o. 326S to be<br />
used with a home-theater controller. The controller’s left and<br />
right outputs feed one of the 326S’s l<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>puts. With the 326S<br />
<strong>in</strong> SSP mode, it’s as though the preamp isn’t <strong>in</strong> the signal path.<br />
This connection method, which I use <strong>in</strong> my system, allows you<br />
to have a two-channel signal path completely separate and<br />
uncorrupted by a surround-sound system. In a nice touch,<br />
switch<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>puts or absolute polarity causes the volume to<br />
quickly ramp down before switch<strong>in</strong>g, and then ramp up to the<br />
previous level, prevent<strong>in</strong>g pops or other noises from reach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
your loudspeakers. Optional phono boards ($1400) convert the<br />
N o. 326S from a l<strong>in</strong>estage to a full-function preamplifier.<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 123
The Cutt<strong>in</strong>g Edge<br />
The 326S’s fundamental design is dual-mono, with the left<br />
and right audio channels physically separated <strong>in</strong> the chassis and<br />
powered from completely separate supplies. Only the AC<br />
power cord is shared between channels. The <strong>in</strong>ternal topology<br />
is fully balanced, which requires that an unbalanced <strong>in</strong>put signal<br />
be converted to balanced by a phase splitter at the <strong>in</strong>put. A<br />
differential amplifier at the output converts balanced signals<br />
back to unbalanced. This topology adds additional circuitry to<br />
the signal path for unbalanced signals. The upside is that balanced<br />
signals rema<strong>in</strong> balanced from <strong>in</strong>put to output. Note that<br />
a truly balanced preamplifier, such as the N o. 326S, employs<br />
four signal paths (+/– left, +/– right) and four volume-control<br />
elements rather than two.<br />
The N o. 326S’s volume control is a work of art. Identical <strong>in</strong><br />
design and execution to that developed for the N o. 32<br />
Reference, it is a stepped attenuator us<strong>in</strong>g a discrete-resistor<br />
array. The front-panel volume knob’s motion is converted <strong>in</strong>to<br />
digital data which then engages the resistor network to achieve<br />
the desired attenuation. Volume can be adjusted <strong>in</strong> 1dB <strong>in</strong>crements<br />
up to 23dB, and 0.1dB <strong>in</strong>crements above 23dB.<br />
Lev<strong>in</strong>son <strong>in</strong>troduced the switched-resistor volume control <strong>in</strong><br />
the N o. 38 preamplifier, but that unit employed an MDAC<br />
(multiply<strong>in</strong>g digital-to-analog-converter), an IC that provided<br />
digital control over analog signals. The N o. 326S’s volume control<br />
is significantly more sophisticated, employ<strong>in</strong>g discrete<br />
resistors rather than resistive elements <strong>in</strong> an IC. Advantages of<br />
a switched-resistor network over a traditional volume control<br />
are that the audio signal is never subjected to the wiper and<br />
resistive element <strong>in</strong> a potentiometer, and that high precision<br />
can be achieved between the left and right channel ga<strong>in</strong>.<br />
Even more important <strong>in</strong> a fully balanced preamplifier,<br />
perfect ga<strong>in</strong> match<strong>in</strong>g is possible between<br />
the + and – phases of the balanced signal.<br />
From a user’s po<strong>in</strong>t of view,<br />
the switched-resistor network<br />
and front-panel volume display<br />
allow precise level sett<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
match<strong>in</strong>g—a feature of even more utility<br />
to a reviewer.<br />
The N o. 326S’s circuit boards are made<br />
from Arlon, a material developed for circuit<br />
boards used <strong>in</strong> microwave and radar applications.<br />
It reportedly has ideal properties for<br />
audio, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g low dielectric loss and exceptionally<br />
low conduction between traces. Because Arlon is<br />
extremely expensive it is reserved for Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son’s more<br />
costly products.<br />
The remote control is a beautifully made oval with nice<br />
button layout and enough functions to be useful without<br />
becom<strong>in</strong>g cluttered. The owner’s manual is also superb.<br />
The parts and build-quality are all comparable to the standards<br />
set previously by Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son products. I have, however,<br />
two very small nits to pick. The first is that the N o. 326S’s<br />
front-panel power button is a different size, color, and material<br />
than all the other front-panel buttons. Given that the N o. 326S<br />
is meant to be left <strong>in</strong> standby mode, the power button could<br />
have been mounted on the rear panel. The second is that the<br />
remote control’s battery-access panel sticks out slightly, disrupt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the remote’s cont<strong>in</strong>uous curve on the back. These are<br />
admittedly m<strong>in</strong>or <strong>issue</strong>s, but the company is famous for be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
maniacal about such details.<br />
Look<strong>in</strong>g next at the N o. 432, the power amplifier cont<strong>in</strong>ues<br />
a trend started about ten years ago by Madrigal to make Mark<br />
Lev<strong>in</strong>son amplifiers more <strong>in</strong>stallation-friendly. Among these<br />
measures are <strong>in</strong>ternal heat s<strong>in</strong>ks, rack-mount<strong>in</strong>g capability, and<br />
the ability to <strong>in</strong>tegrate the amplifier <strong>in</strong>to a system with control<br />
and communication ports.<br />
The N o. 432 shares the circuit topology of the company’s<br />
flagship N o. 33H monoblocks. The unit features a massive<br />
power supply with separate toroidal transformers for each channel.<br />
Indeed, the N o. 432 is rated at 400Wpc <strong>in</strong>to<br />
8 ohms, and can double that figure <strong>in</strong>to 4<br />
ohms. Any amplifier that doubles its output<br />
power as the load impedance is halved<br />
must have a massive power supply, a<br />
robust output stage, and serious<br />
heats<strong>in</strong>ks. High-level signals are<br />
routed through the amplifier on<br />
large buss bars rather than via<br />
wir<strong>in</strong>g. The DC-servo’d<br />
<strong>in</strong>put and driver stages are<br />
fully balanced. As with the<br />
N o. 326S, the power amplifier<br />
employs Arlon circuit<br />
boards.<br />
I started the evaluations by <strong>in</strong>sert<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the N o. 432 power amplifier <strong>in</strong>to my reference<br />
system and immediately recognized the<br />
124 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
The Cutt<strong>in</strong>g Edge<br />
familiar Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son presentation. That sound is characterized<br />
by an extremely sophisticated, cool, and polite render<strong>in</strong>g<br />
that doesn’t try to impress by hi-fi fireworks. Instead, the<br />
N o. 432 presented a f<strong>in</strong>ely woven fabric of musical subtleties<br />
that <strong>in</strong>vited me <strong>in</strong>to the music. Although laid-back, the<br />
N o. 432 had tremendous resolv<strong>in</strong>g power, but <strong>in</strong> a much more<br />
subtle way than that of most power amplifiers. The sound had<br />
an easy-go<strong>in</strong>g and relaxed quality that fostered an immediate<br />
<strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>in</strong> the performance. To draw an analogy with<br />
pianists, the N o. 432 was like Bill Evans; no flash, but a wealth<br />
of subtlety and expression if you take the time to listen.<br />
The N o. 432 presented a wonderful impression of space,<br />
depth, and dimensionality. This was one of the amplifier’s<br />
def<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g—and best—qualities. The overall perspective was<br />
characteristically Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son—that is, with a feel<strong>in</strong>g of sitt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a little farther back <strong>in</strong> the hall. The soundstage was beautifully<br />
rendered, with a tremendous sense of size, air, and<br />
bloom. The soundstage had the unusual (unusual <strong>in</strong> an audio<br />
SPECIFICATIONS<br />
N o. 326S<br />
Type: Solid-state, two-channel preamplifier<br />
Inputs: Three balanced stereo l<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>puts on XLR, four unbalanced<br />
stereo l<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>puts on RCA (phono <strong>in</strong>put optional)<br />
Outputs: One stereo balanced on XLR (ma<strong>in</strong>), one stereo balanced<br />
on RCA (ma<strong>in</strong>), two stereo record-out on RCA<br />
Dimensions: 13.62" x 2.66" x 13.58"<br />
Weight: 30 lbs.<br />
N o. 432<br />
Type: Solid-state, two-channel power amplifier<br />
Output power: 400Wpc <strong>in</strong>to 8 ohms, 800Wpc <strong>in</strong>to 4 ohms<br />
(20Hz–20kHz at
The Cutt<strong>in</strong>g Edge<br />
component to resolve space between <strong>in</strong>strumental images.<br />
Dimensionality is that quality of an audio system that provides<br />
the impression of an <strong>in</strong>strument’s size, shape, texture,<br />
and precise position <strong>in</strong> the soundstage. Lots of hi-fi components<br />
throw images between the loudspeakers, but very few<br />
project a conv<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>g illusion of the <strong>in</strong>strument’s body hang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> three-dimensional space before you. Dimensionality<br />
is also related to a component’s ability to differentiate tone<br />
colors, allow<strong>in</strong>g the listener to pick out a s<strong>in</strong>gle <strong>in</strong>strument<br />
from with<strong>in</strong> a dense orchestration. This particular quality<br />
was apparent on the JVC XRCD res<strong>issue</strong> of Holst’s The<br />
Planets dur<strong>in</strong>g the loud and brash multiple brass l<strong>in</strong>es on<br />
“Mars.” I heard no smear<strong>in</strong>g, no congestion, and no congeal<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of <strong>in</strong>strumental textures, just a sound very much<br />
closer to what one hears <strong>in</strong> the concert hall. (I had the benefit<br />
of hear<strong>in</strong>g The Planets performed recently.)<br />
Interest<strong>in</strong>gly, counterpo<strong>in</strong>t was well served by the N o. 326S’s<br />
dimensionality, particularly its ability to keep left- and<br />
right-hand piano l<strong>in</strong>es dist<strong>in</strong>ct. Listen to the Bach<br />
Passacaglia and Fugue as transcribed for piano and performed<br />
by Junichi Steven Sato [Sato Music Editions] on a<br />
fabulous new record<strong>in</strong>g. The N o. 326S simply made the<br />
counterpo<strong>in</strong>t more <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g and engag<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Dimensionality is of course dependent on cues encoded <strong>in</strong><br />
the signal, but is actually created by the bra<strong>in</strong>. The signals<br />
driv<strong>in</strong>g the left and right loudspeakers are two-dimensional<br />
<strong>in</strong> nature—merely voltages that vary over time. These signals<br />
are converted to two patterns of compression and rarefaction<br />
<strong>in</strong> the air. From <strong>this</strong> pair of two-dimensional signals, the<br />
bra<strong>in</strong> creates the illusion of objects (musical <strong>in</strong>struments)<br />
exist<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> space before us. How m<strong>in</strong>iscule the difference <strong>in</strong><br />
signals must be between a preamp that delivers dimensionality<br />
and one that doesn’t—but how important to the musical<br />
experience. Dimensionality gives music a natural sense of<br />
vividness and life without resort<strong>in</strong>g to hi-fi trickery. Some<br />
components attempt to make up for lack of dimensionality<br />
by sound<strong>in</strong>g forward, forced, and aggressive. This sonic<br />
vividness quickly becomes fatigu<strong>in</strong>g, but natural dimensionality<br />
has the opposite effect, draw<strong>in</strong>g the listener <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
presentation <strong>in</strong> a completely relaxed way that encourages<br />
long listen<strong>in</strong>g sessions.<br />
The N o. 326S had a remarkable transparency, not just sonically<br />
(lack of veil<strong>in</strong>g), but to the musical expression. For example,<br />
when I listened to guitarist John McLaughl<strong>in</strong>’s Que Alegria<br />
[Verve] from start to f<strong>in</strong>ish, the wide spectrum of expression on<br />
<strong>this</strong> album seemed to be heightened. The pensive, almost meditative<br />
tracks such as “Re<strong>in</strong>carnation” seemed even more <strong>in</strong>trospective,<br />
and the exuberant “1 Nite Stand” conveyed a stronger<br />
feel<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>this</strong> amaz<strong>in</strong>g trio lock<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to a groove and hav<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
blast. I had <strong>this</strong> impression every time I listened to the system<br />
128 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
The Cutt<strong>in</strong>g Edge<br />
with the N o. 326S and N o. 432—of the system convey<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
musical values on the record<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Bass extension, def<strong>in</strong>ition, and dynamics were another of the<br />
N o. 326S’s great strengths. Whether it was an orchestra’s double-bass<br />
section or an electric bass and kick drum work<strong>in</strong>g<br />
together, the bottom end had a solidity and power that anchored<br />
the music.<br />
The N o. 326S had a very clean, precise sound, present<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the music aga<strong>in</strong>st an utterly silent and velvet-black backdrop.<br />
Musical dynamics seemed to emerge suddenly from <strong>this</strong> <strong>in</strong>ky<br />
blackness, with deep silences between notes. There was a dist<strong>in</strong>ctive<br />
lack of haze, both <strong>in</strong> the background and overlay<strong>in</strong>g<br />
musical textures. This quality, comb<strong>in</strong>ed with the dimensionality<br />
described earlier, fostered a deep feel<strong>in</strong>g of engagement<br />
and <strong>in</strong>volvement with the music.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
The Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son N o. 432 power amplifier is a worthy successor<br />
to the company’s previous efforts <strong>in</strong> power-amplifier<br />
design. It comb<strong>in</strong>es brute-force output power with remarkable<br />
delicacy and resolution, and embodies the company’s aesthetic<br />
of subtlety <strong>in</strong> presentation. If you know and like the classic<br />
Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son sound, the N o. 432 won’t disappo<strong>in</strong>t.<br />
The N o. 326S preamp is a huge step forward for Mark<br />
Lev<strong>in</strong>son preamplifiers <strong>in</strong> resolution, transparency, and dimensionality.<br />
With less of an identifiable sonic signature, the<br />
N o. 326S is truer to the source, musically and sonically, than<br />
any previous ML preamp. There’s much to like about the<br />
N o. 326S, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g its jet-black background, unconstricted<br />
dynamic expression, bottom-end punch and extension, and<br />
clean, gra<strong>in</strong>-free render<strong>in</strong>g of timbres. It’s also beautifully built<br />
and a joy to use. But what really makes the N o. 326S special is<br />
its remarkable dimensionality. This preamp goes beyond conventional<br />
soundstag<strong>in</strong>g to throw a conv<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>g illusion of threedimensional<br />
<strong>in</strong>struments <strong>in</strong> a three-dimensional space.<br />
Based on my experience with the N o. 326S and N o. 432, the<br />
Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son brand under Harman International not only<br />
upholds the sterl<strong>in</strong>g tradition it spent 35 years develop<strong>in</strong>g, it<br />
has, <strong>in</strong> my view, actually expanded the reputation of one of the<br />
great marques of high-end audio.<br />
&<br />
MANUFACTURER INFORMATION<br />
MARK LEVINSON<br />
3 Oak Park Drive<br />
Bedford, Massachusetts 01730<br />
(781) 280-0300<br />
marklev<strong>in</strong>son.com<br />
Prices: $10,000 (No.326S), $8000 (No.432)<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 129
HP’S WORKSHOP<br />
Memoirs of CES:<br />
What Happened <strong>in</strong> Las Vegas Doesn’t Stay<br />
<strong>in</strong> Las Vegas—This Time Around<br />
Harry Pearson<br />
There are so many th<strong>in</strong>gs about the Consumer<br />
Electronics Show and Las Vegas that they don’t tell<br />
you <strong>in</strong> the usual show report, which <strong>this</strong> one isn’t<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g to be. They don’t tell you about the dry heat,<br />
and how it dehydrates you—to the po<strong>in</strong>t you’ll get<br />
new mean<strong>in</strong>g out of the phrase brick, uh, outhouse.<br />
So you’ll see most everyone lugg<strong>in</strong>g bottled water<br />
around, and tubes of what we now call lip “balm.” Oddly<br />
enough, with all the swimm<strong>in</strong>g pools and <strong>in</strong>cessant water<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
of the endless golf courses here <strong>in</strong> the desert, the air manages to<br />
be both dry and sweat-sticky at the same time.<br />
They probably don’t have to tell you that the area itself is<br />
the fastest grow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the United States. And that <strong>this</strong> has<br />
brought with it, mushroom-like fields of box hous<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
thicken<strong>in</strong>g traffic where lickety-split is the driv<strong>in</strong>g speed at any<br />
hour. Its hooker population now exceeds the taxi fleets <strong>in</strong> number—and<br />
there even appeared to be members of its “sisterhood”<br />
hired to entice the <strong>in</strong>nocent <strong>in</strong>to sparsely attended exhibits at<br />
the Alexis Park, the ma<strong>in</strong> high-end audio venue. They probably<br />
don’t tell you that taxis are at premium dur<strong>in</strong>g “rush” hours<br />
(the hookers, of course, at any time) and that you may have to<br />
wait <strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e a half-hour to go where you could walk <strong>in</strong> the same<br />
or less time. Or that, if you want to see more than just the esoterica<br />
of audio—say the more grandiloquent audio manufacturers<br />
and the big-time video guys—you’d have to tote yourself all<br />
over town; that’s how spread out the show is, how, really,<br />
impossible it is to get more than a taster’s sampl<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
It isn’t even possible <strong>in</strong> the four full days of demos to<br />
see/hear all that the high-end establishment has to show (off),<br />
for even the most <strong>in</strong>defatigable. The Alexis Park is packed<br />
with exhibitors and next door, <strong>in</strong> a rat’s maze known as the St.<br />
(Sa<strong>in</strong>t? Really?) Tropez, there is someth<strong>in</strong>g called T.H.E.<br />
show, the T.H.E. stand<strong>in</strong>g for, not “the high end,” but rather<br />
“the home enterta<strong>in</strong>ment” experience, where the even more<br />
esoteric tended to congregate. In all, between the two hotels,<br />
there were <strong>in</strong> excess of 450 high-end audio companies<br />
exhibit<strong>in</strong>g. As for me, I hadn’t darkened the show’s doors <strong>in</strong><br />
seven years and so, like Ma<strong>in</strong>e taffy (as opposed to Coons) I<br />
got yanked <strong>in</strong> all k<strong>in</strong>ds of directions by all sorts of people and<br />
wound up feel<strong>in</strong>g as if I had hardly skimmed the surface. But,<br />
what I did get was, I th<strong>in</strong>k, choice.<br />
Another th<strong>in</strong>g you probably could surmise, but that almost<br />
no one writes about, is the social aspect of the show, at least <strong>in</strong><br />
high-end-audio terms. This is a small <strong>in</strong>dustry, albeit with an<br />
<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly <strong>in</strong>ternational flavor<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong> which almost everybody<br />
either knows or is acqua<strong>in</strong>ted with everybody else, and <strong>this</strong><br />
works <strong>in</strong> sometimes unexpected ways. And, oh, what a talkathon<br />
it can be, with more than a bit of nasty backbit<strong>in</strong>g, especially<br />
when “sacred cows” are the topic.<br />
They talk over breakfast convocations, where the search is<br />
always on for the best (preferably, and often <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> town, free)<br />
buffet. (The one at Steve Wynn’s new pleasure dome got the<br />
highest rat<strong>in</strong>gs.) Keep <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d that audiophiles tend to the<br />
sensory pleasures, so the serious food<strong>in</strong>g, party<strong>in</strong>g, and dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g<br />
is done even<strong>in</strong>gs, especially now that most of America’s<br />
most famous chefs have set up shop <strong>in</strong> Lost Wages. Now let it<br />
be said that these self-same stars are virtually never personally<br />
<strong>in</strong> attendance, so there is a pig-<strong>in</strong>-the-poke k<strong>in</strong>d of gamble<br />
<strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> striv<strong>in</strong>g for a reservation <strong>in</strong> a “name” place. In certa<strong>in</strong><br />
circles, there’s a hot competition to see who can go to and<br />
rave, bitch, or moan about these starless (nighttime) establishments.<br />
And it would be for naught if there weren’t a largerthan-life<br />
aspect to all <strong>this</strong>, so typical of Vegasanary <strong>in</strong>flations.<br />
For example, Picasso, <strong>in</strong> the Bellagio, has noth<strong>in</strong>g but orig<strong>in</strong>al<br />
Pablo Picassos l<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g its walls, mak<strong>in</strong>g for what just maybe the<br />
world’s most expensive wallpaper. And <strong>in</strong> some places, the old<br />
LV hustle yet abounds. At a “deluxe” sushi jo<strong>in</strong>t, Shibuya <strong>in</strong> the<br />
MGM Grand, where my birthday was celebrated, the quality of<br />
the fish, which started out a breathtak<strong>in</strong>g level (along to be sure<br />
with the prices), descended as our consumption of sake ascended<br />
until the last course one my pussies would have given an “F”<br />
rat<strong>in</strong>g—a true demonstration of the PPDD, the Pearson<br />
Pr<strong>in</strong>ciple of Descend<strong>in</strong>g Discrim<strong>in</strong>ation, <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> case the theory<br />
here was that one’s discrim<strong>in</strong>ation descended as one’s sake<br />
<strong>in</strong>take ascended, an <strong>in</strong>verse proportion rule that def<strong>in</strong>itely does<br />
not apply to <strong>this</strong> writer.<br />
One can only wonder at what <strong>this</strong> fiesta of sound must cost<br />
the small companies who have to pay for it all—the hotel<br />
rooms (never acoustically heavenly), the cost of shipp<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
gear back and forth to Nevada, and the man-hours spent <strong>in</strong> the<br />
process, not to mention the not-<strong>in</strong>considerable “extras,” like<br />
food, transportation—well, you get the picture. And we<br />
haven’t even begun to wonder at the totals the foreign manufacturers<br />
must run up. And I have no way to estimat<strong>in</strong>g what<br />
might be lost at the gam<strong>in</strong>g tables, which are ubiquitous, but,<br />
perhaps happily, not at the two high-end show sites.<br />
130 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
HP’S WORKSHOP<br />
And there are disasters too numerous to count. S<strong>in</strong>ce it is<br />
high-end gear, 1 there are breakdowns, especially with the power<br />
surges that plagued the Alexis Park. Sometimes a perfectly<br />
good display of gear is either ru<strong>in</strong>ed or seriously compromised<br />
by mismatches <strong>in</strong> the system or clumsy setup. One particularly<br />
noxious episode occurred <strong>in</strong> the big Von Schweikert room at<br />
the St. Tropez, where the firm (m<strong>in</strong>us Albert when I was there)<br />
was demonstrat<strong>in</strong>g the VR-7 SE Reference, an ambitious fourway<br />
system, complete with a pure ribbon supertweeter and a<br />
dual-woofer system said to reach down <strong>in</strong>to the 15Hz region.<br />
Four of Kev<strong>in</strong> Hayes’ 140-watt amplifiers were driv<strong>in</strong>g the two<br />
speakers, and the soundfield was both expansive and eerily<br />
“right.” But, the Oracle ’table setup, complete with the<br />
Dynavector XV-1S, was off. The cartridge’s vertical track<strong>in</strong>g<br />
angle was set too low, which robbed the highs of air and bloom,<br />
and made the midbass fatter than I th<strong>in</strong>k, based on what I’ve<br />
heard from Von Schweikert’s earlier works, that it should have<br />
been, obviously, to these ears, obscur<strong>in</strong>g the very bottom<br />
octave. And the track<strong>in</strong>g pressure was too light. But despite my<br />
protestations and Kev<strong>in</strong> Hayes’ <strong>in</strong>tervention on my behalf, the<br />
guy <strong>in</strong> control would not change the sett<strong>in</strong>gs, say<strong>in</strong>g it would<br />
take 20 m<strong>in</strong>utes to do. Well, it wouldn’t have taken me 20<br />
m<strong>in</strong>utes to make those adjustments. And so, rather than listen<br />
to colorations that ought not to have been there, I walked out.<br />
Similarly, I was <strong>in</strong>vited for a private demonstration of the<br />
new Zanden equipment, be<strong>in</strong>g imported here from Japan. The<br />
CD player and decoder were the very same units I’ve had for<br />
evaluation (and loaned back to the company for the show), and<br />
they are honeys. So, to my ears, were the visually stunn<strong>in</strong>g electronics<br />
2 designed by Kazutoshi Yamada, their quite proud<br />
papa. But, to hear the strengths of the electronics, I had to listen<br />
around the speakers, which were not of Yamada design, and<br />
whose r<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g tweeters rem<strong>in</strong>ded me of those Focal units <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Wilson MAXX IIs. Once you’ve heard enough comb<strong>in</strong>ations of<br />
components, you can hear past an obvious irritant to see the<br />
magic that’s happen<strong>in</strong>g underneath, and <strong>this</strong> is exactly what<br />
happened to me here.<br />
I was surprised that there was such an abundance of turntables<br />
at the show. I’m not object<strong>in</strong>g, of course, but it does seem<br />
someone is do<strong>in</strong>g the time warp aga<strong>in</strong>, as the number of new<br />
record<strong>in</strong>gs on LP approach zero (disregard<strong>in</strong>g, for the moment,<br />
the proliferation and <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g abundance of remaster<strong>in</strong>gs of<br />
the Oldie Goldie hits from the past) and the prices of many<br />
turntables rise toward mania. The $100,000 pric<strong>in</strong>g of the<br />
Australian-made Cont<strong>in</strong>uum was, negatively speak<strong>in</strong>g, the<br />
talk of the show—would I ever like to get my hands on <strong>this</strong> to<br />
see if it could be, let’s say, 20 times better <strong>in</strong> sound that the<br />
circa-$5000 Super Scoutmaster. But, as the manufacturer let<br />
me know, that’s not bloody likely. I did, I th<strong>in</strong>k, manage to<br />
wrangle a promise from the guys beh<strong>in</strong>d the British Blue Pearl<br />
table (circa $90,000) for an evaluation sample. Roy Gregory,<br />
editor of Hi-Fi+, a magaz<strong>in</strong>e I admired long before AMI<br />
acquired it, wrote an impressive review of <strong>this</strong> that sparked my<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest. Given the conglomeration of equipment <strong>in</strong> the room<br />
where the Blue Pearl was be<strong>in</strong>g demonstrated (with the wonderful<br />
new Graham Phantom arm), I could make no judgments<br />
about its sound.<br />
There was a turntable that I could “hear,” and it was the<br />
Baron Tim de Paravic<strong>in</strong>i’s “magnetic” suspension DiscMaster<br />
(priced at a measly $16k—it’s a joke, Maude, a joke). There<br />
looks to be no “connection” between the drive mechanism and<br />
the platter, and, with<strong>in</strong> about five seconds, it was obvious to me<br />
that someth<strong>in</strong>g special had been achieved <strong>in</strong> the reduction of<br />
<strong>in</strong>herent turntable noise pollution. (Happily, they had on hand<br />
one of my reference record<strong>in</strong>gs for LP test<strong>in</strong>g, the Bartók<br />
Hungarian Sketches, with Re<strong>in</strong>er and the Chicago, and <strong>this</strong>,<br />
friends, told the tale.) That I <strong>in</strong>tend to test. The sound <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong><br />
room was, <strong>in</strong> its way, as good as anyth<strong>in</strong>g else I heard—and I<br />
heard at least three other setups that were, putt<strong>in</strong>g it mildly,<br />
stunn<strong>in</strong>g (and that <strong>in</strong> a hotel room no less). FYI: The other gear<br />
was the Esoteric Audio Research (the Baron’s company) 912,<br />
the 890 amplifier, and his new CD player, the Acute—about<br />
which more very shortly—the Marten Design Miles III speaker<br />
system, Jorma Design One <strong>in</strong>terconnects, and Acro-L<strong>in</strong>k<br />
power cords.<br />
Now, that CD player. I can’t be sure of <strong>this</strong>, without hear<strong>in</strong>g<br />
it <strong>in</strong> my reference setup <strong>in</strong> Sea Cliff, but, with the Howard<br />
Hanson Composer and His Orchestra, I heard what I thought was<br />
the cleanest high-frequency reproduction and extension I had<br />
encountered from a CD. By the time you read <strong>this</strong> deathless<br />
prose, I should have the unit <strong>in</strong> hand and be better able to see<br />
whether it was the excellent setup <strong>in</strong> Dan Me<strong>in</strong>wald’s suite or<br />
the player or my fevered imag<strong>in</strong>ation.<br />
Another most excellent setup was at the Hovland suite, an<br />
acoustic the Hovland folks have mastered s<strong>in</strong>ce they <strong>in</strong>sisted on<br />
the same room for three years runn<strong>in</strong>g. The sound was a coherent<br />
and nearly flawless entity, smooth, extended, and lush <strong>in</strong> all<br />
the right ways. The biggest surprise for me were the Avalon<br />
Ediolon Diamonds (at $33,000 the pair), which far surpass (at<br />
last) the orig<strong>in</strong>al Avalons that so endeared themselves to JWC<br />
(and me) many a moon ago. The sound was so coherent that I,<br />
for once, couldn’t be quite sure what was contribut<strong>in</strong>g what. I<br />
would have, that said, been curious to hear an analog source<br />
other than their own modified version of the Kenwood L0-7D<br />
playback system, with the Grado Statement mov<strong>in</strong>g-magnet<br />
cartridge. But, for the record, the system consisted of the HP-<br />
200 (weird <strong>in</strong>itials those, n’est ce pas?) preamplifier, which is<br />
available as a l<strong>in</strong>estage without the phonostage, the yet-to-be<br />
1 Pearson’s Second Law of High End: The more vital it is for the gear to work perfectly, the less chance it will.<br />
2 For example, the 845 push-pull mono blocks, the 1200 phonostage, the 3000 preamplifier, and 300 passive l<strong>in</strong>estage were on display.<br />
132 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
HP’S WORKSHOP<br />
released Stratos solid-state monoblock amps—and, boy, do they<br />
ever have looks to drool over—Hovland <strong>in</strong>terconnects, and a<br />
prototype USB digital-to-analog converter, and I quote “to<br />
become part of a complete computer-connectable CD player<br />
with a new technology data-extraction transport,” set for<br />
December release. In <strong>this</strong> <strong>in</strong>stance, we heard most undigital<br />
and conv<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>g digital sounds from a transport that was the<br />
Apple Mac M<strong>in</strong>i and iTunes “loaded,” it is said “with uncompressed<br />
CDs.”<br />
I don’t th<strong>in</strong>k anyth<strong>in</strong>g quite prepared me for the show’s<br />
sonic ballbusters. I stopped by Jeff Rowland’s suite because I<br />
was curious to know why he had dropped off the sonic map<br />
for a while—I didn’t f<strong>in</strong>d out. But we did discuss his new<br />
l<strong>in</strong>e of Class D amplification, which he said was neither digital<br />
nor switch<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> its design. While there I heard two<br />
quite small two-way speakers with voices bigger than a<br />
Metropolitan Opera star’s and <strong>in</strong>quired after them. “They’re<br />
called MAGICOS,” the guy said, with the requisite sneer<br />
about the Wal-Mart sound of its name. Then, later, one of<br />
our writers—pretty sure it was Val<strong>in</strong>osky, who had already<br />
managed to bag an evaluation pair—said if I thought they<br />
sounded good at Rowland’s place, I ought to go over to the<br />
St. Tropez and check out MAGICO’s own suite, to which,<br />
you can be sure, I hied me thither.<br />
I encountered the resident s<strong>in</strong>gularity beh<strong>in</strong>d what he calls<br />
the M<strong>in</strong>i’s, Alon Wolf, who came to the U.S. from Israel 17<br />
years ago with $324 <strong>in</strong> his pocket and has come to <strong>this</strong>. He had<br />
the Edge l<strong>in</strong>estage and Ken Stevens’ impos<strong>in</strong>g look<strong>in</strong>g (and<br />
impressive-sound<strong>in</strong>g) Convergent Audio Technology JL-3s. (I<br />
didn’t care much for the TEAC Esoteric player he was us<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
because I knew he could have done better, given the great<br />
strides forward <strong>in</strong> CD player design. But the Esoteric’s top-end<br />
digitis wasn’t fatal to the sound of the speakers).<br />
The speakers really took me by surprise, by storm even. You<br />
wouldn’t expect drivers <strong>this</strong> small (they are bonded to the rock<br />
solid cab<strong>in</strong>et) to have wide frequency response, particularly<br />
down low, or a dynamic response that illustrates better than<br />
anyth<strong>in</strong>g I’ve heard of late, the concept of “jump,” i.e., the ability<br />
of a speaker to respond, <strong>in</strong>stantly, to microdynamic variations,<br />
and, <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> case, not just microdynamics, but the macros<br />
as well. The sound is big, big, big. Not <strong>in</strong> the bloated sense,<br />
but big like lifelike sound is. More than one person visit<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
suite wondered where Wolf was hid<strong>in</strong>g the non-existent<br />
woofers. I heard no obvious colorations dur<strong>in</strong>g the session<br />
(which, <strong>in</strong>cluded, you can be sure, some unamplified classical<br />
cuts).<br />
To me, it was almost—I said almost—worth putt<strong>in</strong>g up<br />
with Vegas to make discoveries like <strong>this</strong> one, and the Baron’s<br />
“magnetic” drive turntable. It puts that old thrill back <strong>in</strong> highend<br />
audio.<br />
&<br />
Manufacturer’s Comments<br />
Krell SACD Standard<br />
I would like to thank Fred Kaplan for his very thorough<br />
review of the Krell SACD Standard. There are two po<strong>in</strong>ts that<br />
need to be re<strong>in</strong>forced.<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce we are not a transport manufacturer, we are at the<br />
mercy of our OEM manufacturer of <strong>this</strong> part. As a company<br />
that places sound reproduction first and foremost, we selected<br />
the Philips transport because it best met our performance<br />
criteria. The <strong>in</strong>herent drawbacks of <strong>this</strong> device, as Fred po<strong>in</strong>ts<br />
out, are a necessary evil.<br />
Not everyone is able to take full advantage of the latest<br />
high resolution SACD software. For us, it was extremely<br />
important to produce a mach<strong>in</strong>e that would give exemplary<br />
performance on Red Book CDs as well. We appreciate Fred’s<br />
careful listen<strong>in</strong>g and critical evaluation of the SACD<br />
Standard with CDs <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> format.<br />
Dan D’Agost<strong>in</strong>o<br />
Chief Executive Officer, Krell Industries, Inc.<br />
Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son N o. 432 Amplifier and N o. 326S<br />
Preamplifier<br />
To say that we are pleased with Robert Harley’s commentary<br />
on the N o. 432 amplifier and N o. 326S preamplifier would<br />
simply be stat<strong>in</strong>g the obvious. We offer a heartfelt “thank<br />
you” for the time and effort that led to his review.<br />
Beyond that, we’d like to offer your readers an observation.<br />
Both products benefited from significant work by the<br />
Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son team (HSG). Specifically, the N o. 432 underwent<br />
some circuit and manufactur<strong>in</strong>g changes to enhance<br />
reliability. The N o. 326S was revised even more thoroughly.<br />
Although based <strong>in</strong> part on the N o. 320 preamplifier (a product<br />
that existed only <strong>in</strong> prototype form when Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son<br />
moved to MA), the 326S underwent extensive listen<strong>in</strong>g tests,<br />
parts selection, and voic<strong>in</strong>g. Mr. Harley’s comments show<br />
just how successful those efforts were.<br />
The po<strong>in</strong>t is that the passion and aural sensitivity that<br />
was so <strong>in</strong>strumental <strong>in</strong> establish<strong>in</strong>g the Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son brand<br />
over the last three decades is, if anyth<strong>in</strong>g, even stronger today<br />
than it was several years ago. In addition, the resources we<br />
can now tap through Harman’s world-wide technology network<br />
ensure that Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son products will cont<strong>in</strong>ue to<br />
lead the <strong>in</strong>dustry <strong>in</strong> sonic accuracy.<br />
Walter Schofield<br />
Vice President of Sales & Market<strong>in</strong>g, Mark Lev<strong>in</strong>son<br />
134 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
m u s i c POPULAR<br />
Rock, Etc.<br />
RECORDING OF THE ISSUE<br />
Mogwai: Mr. Beast. Tony Doogan and<br />
Mogwai, producers. Matador 681 (CD and<br />
two-LP). Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★★<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce releas<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the eye-open<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Young Team<br />
n<strong>in</strong>e years ago,<br />
Mogwai has been<br />
hounded by lofty<br />
expectations even<br />
as its subsequent creations have helped<br />
lay the foundation for the flower<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>strumental and cosmic-rock outgrowths,<br />
ambitious developments that<br />
are commonly tucked under the descriptively<br />
vacant “post-rock” moniker.<br />
After consciously turn<strong>in</strong>g away from<br />
the soft-loud dynamic it veritably patented<br />
on its previous efforts, the Scottish<br />
qu<strong>in</strong>tet returns to but doesn’t simply<br />
recycle the strategy on Mr. Beast. Rather,<br />
the group makes it a subplot to noisier,<br />
heavier currents flow<strong>in</strong>g throughout the<br />
seismographic work. The gorgeous<br />
fragility that lightened 2003’s Songs for<br />
Happy People hasn’t disappeared, but is<br />
enveloped <strong>in</strong> piano-based soundscapes<br />
that convey lyrical episodes, the darklight<br />
tonal contrasts serv<strong>in</strong>g as speech<br />
even when words are present.<br />
Part of <strong>this</strong> secretive communication<br />
resides <strong>in</strong> Mogwai’s song titles, which<br />
here range from the mysterious “Folk<br />
Death 95” to the more overt “Travel is<br />
Dangerous.” With its treated piano <strong>in</strong>tro<br />
and harmonium glow, the latter fades<br />
<strong>in</strong>to view as a black-and-white photo, its<br />
mood of subdued glory suggest<strong>in</strong>g that of<br />
a dignitary’s funeral. “Emergency Trap” is<br />
similarly meditative, crawl<strong>in</strong>g piano<br />
strides doubl<strong>in</strong>g as locked gates barely<br />
able to hold off <strong>in</strong>truders—<strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> case,<br />
well<strong>in</strong>g waves of guitar-feedback that<br />
resemble str<strong>in</strong>g orchestras madly strik<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Mogwai<br />
their <strong>in</strong>struments. Mogwai also ventures<br />
<strong>in</strong>to other musical discipl<strong>in</strong>es. “I Chose<br />
Horses” is jump-started with f<strong>in</strong>gerpicked<br />
spiritual tremolo patterns before<br />
giv<strong>in</strong>g way to underwater synthesizer<br />
washes over which Envy member Tetsuya<br />
Fukagawa drapes words. “Acid Food”<br />
glides on sunny western motifs, pedalsteel<br />
l<strong>in</strong>es, and fa<strong>in</strong>tly whip-cracked electrobeats<br />
that elicit Daniel Lanois’ salted<br />
atmospherics. Aga<strong>in</strong>, while present, spoken<br />
language struggles to be deciphered<br />
over a submerg<strong>in</strong>g rhythmic drone.<br />
Words don’t even dare enter most<br />
realms, and while <strong>this</strong> approach is noth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
new for Mogwai, the album’s weighty<br />
d<strong>in</strong> and clamorous crescendos are an <strong>in</strong>tegral<br />
part of Mr. Beast’s unspoken premise—that<br />
there’s a monster rag<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>side<br />
all of us, and while it can’t be tamed, it<br />
can occasionally be harnessed. But more<br />
often, it roams freely. In response,<br />
Mogwai <strong>in</strong>crease the volume and physical<br />
mass on the record’s most thrill<strong>in</strong>g tracks,<br />
those <strong>in</strong> which the qu<strong>in</strong>tet seems to crash<br />
through glass-brick houses, ransack the<br />
premises, and move on for more. That the<br />
production allows for a multi-dimensional<br />
palette <strong>in</strong> which hues, volume, scales,<br />
and pitches are properly varied and monumentally<br />
presented does wonders for the<br />
music’s impact on the senses, particularly<br />
on attack<strong>in</strong>g passages that grow to enormous<br />
heights without ever simply<br />
devolv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to empty threats.<br />
Hence, “Glasgow Mega-snake”<br />
writhes aga<strong>in</strong>st wall upon wall upon wall<br />
of guitar distortion, the bass notes sway<strong>in</strong>g<br />
like a four-ton I-beam be<strong>in</strong>g precariously<br />
dangled from a crane. Warrior<br />
drums and low-end thunder mushroom<br />
on “Auto Rock,” the tune’s deadly outro<br />
mimick<strong>in</strong>g the claustrophobic sensation<br />
of ice pelt<strong>in</strong>g aga<strong>in</strong>st a car w<strong>in</strong>dshield.<br />
Brake-screech<strong>in</strong>g feedback is offset by<br />
lean, melancholic chords on “We’re No<br />
Here,” a batter<strong>in</strong>g-ram of a bender that<br />
feeds off the denial <strong>in</strong> the title. Rubb<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Star Rat<strong>in</strong>gs Key: ★ Poor ★★ Fair ★★★ Good ★★★★ Excellent ★★★★★ Extraord<strong>in</strong>ary<br />
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together like charged ions, the band’s<br />
<strong>in</strong>struments dissolve <strong>in</strong>to a melodic hail,<br />
the overdriven psychedelic cacophony<br />
po<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g towards the fall of a civilization<br />
and implicat<strong>in</strong>g that the monster lives,<br />
and there a<strong>in</strong>’t a damn th<strong>in</strong>g we can do<br />
about it.<br />
BOB GENDRON<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Pelican: The Fire In<br />
Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw; Mono:<br />
Walk<strong>in</strong>g Cloud and Deep Red Sky<br />
Loose Fur: Born Aga<strong>in</strong> In the USA. No producer<br />
credit. Drag City 309 (CD and LP).<br />
Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★★<br />
A<br />
side project<br />
for producer,<br />
occasional filmmaker,<br />
and former<br />
Sonic Youth<br />
member Jim<br />
O’Rourke and<br />
Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and Glenn Kotche,<br />
Loose Fur is three exceptionally simpatico<br />
musicians play<strong>in</strong>g with, off, and for<br />
each other, and obviously hav<strong>in</strong>g a ball <strong>in</strong><br />
the process. Unlike the group’s 2003 selftitled<br />
debut—a quite good if rather disjo<strong>in</strong>ted<br />
effort—Born Aga<strong>in</strong> In the USA has<br />
a greater feel<strong>in</strong>g of cohesion. Granted,<br />
these are three very experimental musicians.<br />
So don’t be surprised when<br />
“Wreckroom,” one of Tweedy’s songs (he<br />
and O’Rourke split the lyric writ<strong>in</strong>g<br />
duties while the band takes credit for all<br />
the music), beg<strong>in</strong>s as a tongue-<strong>in</strong>-cheek,<br />
vaguely John Lennon-ish pop song that’s<br />
<strong>in</strong>terrupted by occasional slashes of noise<br />
before unfold<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to a sonic dreamscape<br />
that lasts for much longer than you might<br />
anticipate. Song titles like that one as<br />
well as the open<strong>in</strong>g “Hey Chicken,” a<br />
nice rocker with a powerful backbeat,<br />
<strong>in</strong>dicate that Loose Fur doesn’t take itself<br />
too seriously, though there is some seriously<br />
good music mak<strong>in</strong>g at work.<br />
“The Rul<strong>in</strong>g Class” conta<strong>in</strong>s some of<br />
Tweedy’s wilder lyrics about current<br />
American society and saunters along at a<br />
country-waltz pace that’s bridged by<br />
hands-<strong>in</strong>-pockets whistl<strong>in</strong>g. Chang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
gears, O’Rourke’s “Answers To Your<br />
Questions” features his beautiful<br />
acoustic f<strong>in</strong>ger pick<strong>in</strong>g, filigreed textures,<br />
and r<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g vibes aga<strong>in</strong>st Kotche’s<br />
throbb<strong>in</strong>g bass drum, while the latter’s<br />
carefully syncopated stick work on<br />
“Apostolic” demonstrates why he’s<br />
arguably rock’s tastiest and most musically<br />
adventurous drummer. The<br />
record’s 10 tracks are equally strong, and<br />
as with its first record<strong>in</strong>g, the trio slips<br />
<strong>in</strong> a jazzy <strong>in</strong>strumental number, “An<br />
Ecumenical Matter.”<br />
The sound is first-rate, with a lovely<br />
overall balance and a warm, open, and<br />
easy nature that allows for a remarkable<br />
sense of space around the <strong>in</strong>struments<br />
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Loose Fur<br />
(even if many of them are overdubbed).<br />
Given those <strong>in</strong>volved and where it was<br />
recorded, Sear Sound and Wilco’s loft,<br />
I’d venture that <strong>this</strong> is an all-analog<br />
record<strong>in</strong>g. Great stuff here—for the<br />
musically adventurous, of course.<br />
WAYNE GARCIA<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Loose Fur: Loose<br />
Fur; The M<strong>in</strong>us 5: Down With Wilco<br />
Drive-By Truckers: A Bless<strong>in</strong>g and a Curse.<br />
David Barbe, producer. New West 3016.<br />
Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★ 1/2<br />
“T<br />
o love is<br />
to feel<br />
pa<strong>in</strong>,” solemnly<br />
states Patterson<br />
Hood dur<strong>in</strong>g “A<br />
World of Hurt,”<br />
the raw, barebones<br />
ballad that closes his band’s seventh<br />
album. The spoke-sung conclusion—as<br />
well as several other adages<br />
about emotion, persistence, and perception<br />
Hood utters matter-of-factly, as if<br />
read<strong>in</strong>g from a post-suicidal diary<br />
entry—are the core themes surround<strong>in</strong>g<br />
A Bless<strong>in</strong>g and a Curse, a work whose central<br />
tenet holds that without tenacious<br />
struggle and both good and bad times,<br />
life isn’t really lived at all.<br />
Hav<strong>in</strong>g gutted it out as a welltraveled<br />
group for a decade straight,<br />
Drive-By Truckers know of what they<br />
speak. The qu<strong>in</strong>tet’s last trio of records<br />
has been as brilliant as those of any<br />
other contemporary band, no small<br />
praise given the current streaks of<br />
Wilco, Radiohead, and Flam<strong>in</strong>g Lips.<br />
On those three prior efforts, the<br />
Truckers took on challeng<strong>in</strong>g Southern<br />
topics—the duplicitous history and<br />
legacy of its music and culture; the<br />
darker sides of its people and traditions;<br />
the customs and mythical figures—that<br />
universally resonate, yet<br />
nonetheless are regionally grounded <strong>in</strong><br />
Southern gothic. More worldly, the<br />
songwrit<strong>in</strong>g here reflects a greater<br />
degree of geographical <strong>in</strong>dependence.<br />
Guitarists Hood, Mike Cooley, and<br />
Jason Isbell aga<strong>in</strong> contribute orig<strong>in</strong>als,<br />
each member br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g dist<strong>in</strong>ctive tones<br />
and angles to the material, much of<br />
which cranks. Isbell offers cautionary<br />
advice on “Easy On Yourself,” his wispy<br />
voice nearly gett<strong>in</strong>g caught underneath<br />
the meaty gr<strong>in</strong>d and cowbell plunks that<br />
stamp the tune with a ’70s bent.<br />
Hustled and hoodw<strong>in</strong>ked, Hood<br />
nonetheless rema<strong>in</strong>s resilient and relaxed<br />
on “Aftermath USA,” a twist<strong>in</strong>gthrough-the-brambles<br />
hangover anthem<br />
that, narratively, is Southern rock’s<br />
unambiguous version of the Grateful<br />
Dead hit “Touch of Grey.”<br />
While the Truckers represent rock<br />
and roll’s free spirit <strong>in</strong> all its glory when<br />
they have the amps moan<strong>in</strong>g and drums<br />
stomp<strong>in</strong>g, a la the lonely “Wednesday”<br />
and punk-shot “Feb 14,” their unfl<strong>in</strong>ch<strong>in</strong>g<br />
approach to serious <strong>issue</strong>s and <strong>in</strong>telligent<br />
lyrical signature are why they are<br />
among music’s elite. An acoustic shuffle<br />
shot through with a rippl<strong>in</strong>g electric<br />
twang, Cooley’s pull-no-punches<br />
“Gravity’s Gone” depicts a protagonist<br />
who’s tired of champagne, hand jobs,<br />
and coca<strong>in</strong>e but still hasn’t yet hit bottom.<br />
Rum<strong>in</strong>ations on the deceptive<br />
pulls of nostalgia, guilty consciences,<br />
and permanence shroud “Goodbye,” a<br />
soulful tale of a busted friendship, the<br />
memories wallow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a Hammond<br />
organ’s afterglow. Pac<strong>in</strong>g as if it were<br />
keep<strong>in</strong>g time to a tick<strong>in</strong>g grandfather<br />
clock, “Space City” pictures life though<br />
the eyes of an elderly man who recently<br />
lost his wife, all of his machismo pretend<strong>in</strong>g<br />
worthless <strong>in</strong> the face of death’s<br />
aftermath. Somber and poignant, the<br />
<strong>in</strong>sightful character sketches and poetic<br />
movements force listeners to th<strong>in</strong>k.<br />
Reflection is not just a premise but a<br />
purpose of <strong>this</strong> impact<strong>in</strong>g record.<br />
Handled by the band’s longtime<br />
producer, David Barbe, the sonics are<br />
typical of the Truckers—raw, simple,<br />
dynamically present, and alert. When<br />
sticks hit drum sk<strong>in</strong>s, the beats resonate<br />
with realistic kickback vibrations; when<br />
members scrape an acoustic str<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
added texture, the extra f<strong>in</strong>ger pressure<br />
is ascerta<strong>in</strong>ed. Above all, the music is at<br />
it should be—unadorned, honest,<br />
declarative.<br />
BG<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Slobberbone:<br />
Everyth<strong>in</strong>g You Thought Was Right Was<br />
Wrong Today; Merle Haggard: Down Every<br />
Road<br />
Cat Power: The Greatest. Stuart Sikes,<br />
producer. Matador 626 (CD and LP).<br />
Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★★<br />
Chan Marshall,<br />
a.k.a. Cat<br />
Power, is notoriously<br />
shy, shunn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>terviews<br />
and turn<strong>in</strong>g concert<br />
performances<br />
<strong>in</strong>to high theater—complete with tearful<br />
meltdowns, deer-<strong>in</strong>-the-headlights<br />
bouts with stage fright, and abrupt<br />
walkouts. That makes the title of the<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ger’s seventh album, The Greatest, all<br />
the more out-of-character, like former<br />
Smash<strong>in</strong>g Pumpk<strong>in</strong>s frontman Billy<br />
Corgan nam<strong>in</strong>g a record Oh, Modest Me.<br />
Fortunately, the reference isn’t the<br />
result of newfound ego, but a nod to<br />
never-realized dreams (“Once I wanted<br />
to be the greatest,” Marshall coos on the<br />
title track), a theme that haunts the<br />
album’s twelve cuts. Recorded at<br />
Ardent Studios <strong>in</strong> Memphis with an<br />
assist from several Southern soul architects—among<br />
them guitarist Mabon<br />
“Teenie” Hodges and bassist Leroy<br />
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“Flick” Hodges from the Hi Rhythm<br />
band and drummer Steve Potts from<br />
Booker T. & the MG’s—The Greatest is<br />
clearly Marshall’s most mature record.<br />
It might also be her best.<br />
“Where Is My Love” is a tender ballad<br />
buoyed by graceful str<strong>in</strong>gs and a<br />
sympathetic piano l<strong>in</strong>e that dips and<br />
darts like a butterfly <strong>in</strong> a spr<strong>in</strong>g garden.<br />
“Lived In Bars” f<strong>in</strong>ds love long after last<br />
call, Marshall’s ethereal croon waltz<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the night away with Jim Spake’s sumptuous<br />
saxophone. “The Moon” offers a<br />
rudimentary astronomy lesson that doubles<br />
as a metaphor for emotional distance.<br />
Best of all is the frantic “Love &<br />
Communication,” Psycho str<strong>in</strong>gs and<br />
Marshall’s on-edge lyrics creat<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
grow<strong>in</strong>g paranoia as the song lurches to<br />
a devastat<strong>in</strong>g close.<br />
Marshall’s voice, which on past<br />
albums made even Norah Jones seem<br />
like a Broadway belter, sounds warmer<br />
and more soulful. Much of <strong>this</strong> change is<br />
due to the delicate production, which<br />
keeps the focus on the vocals, allow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the record to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> the feel of a liv<strong>in</strong>g-room<br />
jam session. Even when horns<br />
make an appearance on “Could We,”<br />
they sound distant, as if com<strong>in</strong>g from<br />
somewhere down the street. Overall<br />
dynamics are excellent, with clear separation<br />
between the <strong>in</strong>struments and a<br />
wide soundstage, though the drums do<br />
slightly lack impact—a m<strong>in</strong>or compla<strong>in</strong>t<br />
on album that manages to deliver<br />
on its brazen title. ANDY DOWNING<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Bonnie “Pr<strong>in</strong>ce” Billy:<br />
I See A Darkness; Edith Frost: It’s a Game<br />
Rosanne Cash: Black Cadillac. Bill Bottrell<br />
and John Leventhal, producers. Capitol<br />
43381. Music: ★★★★ 1/2 Sonics: ★★★★<br />
Steeped<br />
<strong>in</strong><br />
anger, confusion,<br />
melancholy,<br />
and existential<br />
angst, the challeng<strong>in</strong>g<br />
songs on<br />
Black Cadillac<br />
chronicle a wrench<strong>in</strong>g two-year period<br />
<strong>in</strong> which Rosanne Cash lost her stepmother,<br />
her natural mother, and her<br />
father. In response to tragedy multiplied<br />
threefold, she turned to song to work<br />
out her conflicted emotions, and then<br />
enlisted not one but two producers—her<br />
musical collaborator/husband John<br />
Leventhal, and Bill Bottrell, whose<br />
resume <strong>in</strong>cludes sterl<strong>in</strong>g work with<br />
Sheryl Crow and some exquisite soundscapes<br />
for Shelby Lynne.<br />
With Bottrell, Cash is backed by a<br />
harder-edged, rock-centric band whose<br />
members <strong>in</strong>clude another former collaborator,<br />
the Heartbreakers’ estimable<br />
keyboard master Benmont Tench. The<br />
Leventhal-produced tracks favor a rustic,<br />
earthy, largely acoustic atmosphere <strong>in</strong><br />
which some sounds are rather suggested<br />
than actually there. Regardless of the<br />
exquisitely balanced <strong>in</strong>strumental support,<br />
both producers keep Cash’s husky,<br />
pla<strong>in</strong>tive, and exceed<strong>in</strong>gly search<strong>in</strong>g<br />
voice close to the listener’s ear, as if to<br />
emphasize the supremacy of the text as<br />
well as the <strong>in</strong>timacy of these revelations.<br />
Whether the track gets <strong>in</strong>to a driv<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
rock<strong>in</strong>g mode, a la the Bottrell-produced<br />
“Burn Down This Town,” or<br />
offers a somber, folk-based, cabaret-<strong>in</strong>timate<br />
mus<strong>in</strong>g via the Leventhal-produced<br />
“God Is In the Roses,” the <strong>in</strong>struments<br />
are <strong>in</strong> perfect proportion to shadow—nay,<br />
illum<strong>in</strong>ate—lyrical passages<br />
that startle with unabashed frankness<br />
and vulnerability, even by Cash’s standards,<br />
as the s<strong>in</strong>ger struggles to f<strong>in</strong>d her<br />
balance when there seems to be no place<br />
to fall. “Black-hearted pa<strong>in</strong>…suits me<br />
just f<strong>in</strong>e,” she offers <strong>in</strong> an anguished<br />
memoir to her father, “Black Cadillac.”<br />
“Someone tell me how to live/now that<br />
we must live apart,” she pleads <strong>in</strong> “Like<br />
Fugitives,” a song she wrote after her<br />
mother’s pass<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong> which she also excoriates<br />
the church and lawyers for their<br />
<strong>in</strong>sensitivity to the human condition.<br />
It’s not like there’s no fanciful<br />
moments amidst all the agoniz<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
though. A snippet of melody from “As<br />
Tears Go By” tantaliz<strong>in</strong>gly surfaces <strong>in</strong><br />
“Like a Wave.” “The World Unseen”<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ds her copp<strong>in</strong>g the phrase “westward<br />
lead<strong>in</strong>g/still proceed<strong>in</strong>g” from the<br />
Christmas carol “We Three K<strong>in</strong>gs,” the<br />
carol’s melody clos<strong>in</strong>g the song <strong>in</strong> an austere,<br />
piano-and-organ <strong>in</strong>strumental outro<br />
that bleeds <strong>in</strong>to and is then later reprised<br />
at the end of “Like Fugitives.” But there’s<br />
noth<strong>in</strong>g easy about <strong>this</strong> journey or the<br />
philosophical howls fuel<strong>in</strong>g it.<br />
Sign<strong>in</strong>g off with 71 seconds of total<br />
silence, each second a tribute to each<br />
year of her natural parents’ time on<br />
earth, Cash’s mute exit suggests neither<br />
acceptance, nor resignation, nor denial,<br />
but rather a soul that’s free float<strong>in</strong>g, at<br />
loose on the land, search<strong>in</strong>g for a reason<br />
to believe.<br />
DAVID MCGEE<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Rodney Crowell: The<br />
Houston Kid; Joe South: Midnight Ra<strong>in</strong>bows<br />
Sarah Harmer: I’m A Mounta<strong>in</strong>. Harmer,<br />
producer. Zoë/Rounder 01143-1084.<br />
Music: ★★★ 1/2 Sonics: ★★★<br />
I<br />
’m A Mounta<strong>in</strong>,<br />
the third<br />
release from<br />
Canadian s<strong>in</strong>gersongwriter<br />
Sarah<br />
Harmer, settles<br />
upon the ear as<br />
sooth<strong>in</strong>g as a soft southern Ontario<br />
breeze. Arriv<strong>in</strong>g on the heels of 2005’s<br />
Juno-awarded All Of Our Names, the lilt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
11-track collection bridges old and<br />
new country, folk, and bluegrass.<br />
Comprised of eight orig<strong>in</strong>als and three<br />
covers, the tunes have a spontaneous liv<strong>in</strong>g-room<br />
candor that’s rarely bottled <strong>in</strong><br />
the cold environs of the record<strong>in</strong>g studio.<br />
All the better to allow Harmer’s<br />
assured voice, filled with tonal stra<strong>in</strong>s of<br />
Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, as<br />
well as some of Rosanne Cash’s throat<strong>in</strong>ess,<br />
to come through.<br />
In songs like the bluegrass-<strong>in</strong>spired<br />
“I Am Aglow,” “The R<strong>in</strong>g,” and<br />
“Oleander,” Harmer s<strong>in</strong>gs of second<br />
chances and possibilities with the clarity<br />
of a mature optimist. The Appalachianderived<br />
“Go<strong>in</strong> Out” r<strong>in</strong>gs true as a lullaby<br />
of abid<strong>in</strong>g faith. A tender cover of<br />
Parton’s “Will He Be Wait<strong>in</strong>g For Me”<br />
touches on the complex emotional layers<br />
of restlessness, regret, and long<strong>in</strong>g. And<br />
on “Escarpment Blues” and the title<br />
track, Harmer demonstrates the sharptongued<br />
wit of an environmentalist outsider.<br />
Although I’m A Mounta<strong>in</strong> is not<br />
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agenda heavy, hot-button topics like<br />
shopp<strong>in</strong>g-mall consumerism and global<br />
warm<strong>in</strong>g aren’t off of the radar screen.<br />
For those old enough to remember, fellow<br />
Canadian Joni Mitchell’s “Big<br />
Yellow Taxi” will easily come to m<strong>in</strong>d.<br />
Recorded at her Ontario home, the<br />
mix of mandol<strong>in</strong>, banjo, and guitar<br />
almost sounds like a live radio program—real<br />
musicians enjoy<strong>in</strong>g a real<br />
time exchange. And aside from the clatter<br />
of a flat-pick or scratch of ros<strong>in</strong> on a<br />
fiddle bow, there is little percussion.<br />
The sonics are pleasantly soft, like an old<br />
home studio that relied on its own<br />
acoustics with the odd mattress p<strong>in</strong>ned<br />
to the wall for added damp<strong>in</strong>g. Harmer’s<br />
vocals are unvarnished without a h<strong>in</strong>t of<br />
sibilance; the bass is fairly extended and<br />
decidedly wooly. Overall, a f<strong>in</strong>e effort<br />
from a very promis<strong>in</strong>g artist. NEIL GADER<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Dolly Parton: Little Sparrow,<br />
Emmylou Harris: Stumble Into Grace<br />
Swear<strong>in</strong>g At Motorists: Last Night<br />
Becomes This Morn<strong>in</strong>g. Dave Doughman,<br />
producer. Secretly Canadian 99 (CD and<br />
LP). Music: ★★★ 1/2 Sonics: ★★ 1/2<br />
In the press<br />
release that<br />
accompanies<br />
Swear<strong>in</strong>g at<br />
Motorists’ sixth<br />
a l b u m ,<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ger/guitarist<br />
Dave Doughman defends the “10 years<br />
and 2 million miles” the Dayton, Ohio<br />
two-piece has spent under the radar, writ<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
“For What? To be <strong>in</strong> debt? For the<br />
glory of 27 paid <strong>in</strong> Lawrence, KS? No, it’s<br />
because it’s because there’s no choice. It’s<br />
not what we do, it’s who we are.”<br />
Last Night Becomes This Morn<strong>in</strong>g is<br />
the culm<strong>in</strong>ation of all those lonely years<br />
on the road, Doughman’s lo-fi pop<br />
nuggets conjur<strong>in</strong>g empty hotel rooms,<br />
missed romantic connections, and midnight<br />
drives down endless highways.<br />
The album veers between stripped-down<br />
confessionals such as “Time Zones and<br />
Area Codes,” an acoustic dirge that plays<br />
like the flip side to Ludacris’ “Area<br />
Codes,” to the pop-perfection of<br />
“Tim<strong>in</strong>g Is Everyth<strong>in</strong>g,” which builds to<br />
a rapturous, horn-driven climax, the<br />
boozy, Doughman-led choir s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
“Why do I do the th<strong>in</strong>gs I do?”<br />
The frontman doesn’t waste any<br />
time soul-search<strong>in</strong>g to f<strong>in</strong>d an answer (“I<br />
don’t know, how ‘bout you?,” he quickly<br />
surmises), but that short attention<br />
span is what frequently makes his tunes<br />
so compell<strong>in</strong>g. The album has the effect<br />
of flipp<strong>in</strong>g through a manic journal that<br />
details everyth<strong>in</strong>g from how ten dollars<br />
could best be spent (on drugs, apparently)<br />
to thoughts of end<strong>in</strong>g it all (on<br />
“Done <strong>in</strong> a Hurry,” the s<strong>in</strong>ger pictures<br />
the tour bus plung<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the sea).<br />
While not everyth<strong>in</strong>g works—”Slave to<br />
the Kettle,” <strong>in</strong> particular, is a one-note<br />
joke—there’s rarely a dull moment.<br />
Most of the arrangements are sparse,<br />
whereby sawtooth guitars and Joseph<br />
Siw<strong>in</strong>ski’s hollow snare provide the backdrop<br />
for Doughman’s mus<strong>in</strong>gs. The production,<br />
as with most Swear<strong>in</strong>g At<br />
Motorist albums, is comfortably lo-tech,<br />
the sound echo<strong>in</strong>g the bedroom <strong>in</strong>timacy<br />
of early Meat Puppets. This approach<br />
br<strong>in</strong>gs out the best <strong>in</strong> the acoustic numbers,<br />
especially “This Is Not How Forever<br />
Beg<strong>in</strong>s,” where the soft hum of<br />
Doughman’s guitar makes it sound as if<br />
he’s try<strong>in</strong>g not to rouse a sleep<strong>in</strong>g lover.<br />
Meatier tunes, like the menac<strong>in</strong>g “You<br />
Will Not Die Tonight (Probably),” aren’t<br />
handled quite so deftly, the soft-touch sacrificed<br />
<strong>in</strong> favor of a thunderous rumble. AD<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Guided By Voices:<br />
Bee Thousand; Beulah: Yoko<br />
Tom Zé: Estudando O Pagode. Jair<br />
Oliveira, producer. Luaka Bop 350.<br />
Music: ★★★ 1/2 Sonics: ★★★<br />
At age 69,<br />
Brazilian pop<br />
wizard Tom Zé<br />
has taken up the<br />
cause of fem<strong>in</strong>ism,<br />
add<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
new radical twist<br />
to the cultural role he has previously<br />
described as “spoken and sung journalism.”<br />
Dedicated to 18 th century writer<br />
Mary Wollstonecraft (author of A<br />
V<strong>in</strong>dication of the Rights of Women),<br />
Estudando O Pagode was crafted as a 16-<br />
song operetta <strong>in</strong> three movements,<br />
musically unified by Zé’s postmodern<br />
142 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
m u s i c popular<br />
extrapolations of pagode, a style that began life <strong>in</strong> improvised<br />
samba songwrit<strong>in</strong>g gather<strong>in</strong>gs but which later evolved <strong>in</strong>to a<br />
popular street-dance music with often misogynist overtones.<br />
Zé “takes on” pagode <strong>in</strong> both mean<strong>in</strong>gs of the term. By<br />
adopt<strong>in</strong>g an idiom he identifies with Brazil’s urban underclass,<br />
he cont<strong>in</strong>ues to subvert bourgeois decorum, a project he’s pursued<br />
for more than 40 years as a found<strong>in</strong>g member of the tropicalia<br />
movement with Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa,<br />
and others. And by lyrically explor<strong>in</strong>g the metaphorical and literal<br />
connections between property ownership and the oppression<br />
of women, he challenges pagode’s backward assumptions<br />
about gender roles and relationships.<br />
The songs are sung <strong>in</strong> Portuguese by Zé, Luciana Mello,<br />
and Suzana Salles, so English speakers may have to take the<br />
Dadaist story l<strong>in</strong>e—which moves from a murder trial to<br />
Aphrodite’s garden to slave ships, the U.N. Security Council,<br />
and an ambiguous conclusion about the redeem<strong>in</strong>g qualities of<br />
love—on faith, or on its musical merits. Like the previous<br />
work of <strong>this</strong> Bahia native who found <strong>in</strong>ternational fame late <strong>in</strong><br />
life thanks to his “discovery” by David Byrne, Estudando O<br />
Pagode is a pastiche of folk and urban music, traditional and<br />
<strong>in</strong>vented <strong>in</strong>struments, acoustic and electronic sounds.<br />
Fractured and jittery, with layered vocals, acoustic guitars,<br />
percussion, sampled beats, homemade <strong>in</strong>struments (cha<strong>in</strong>saws,<br />
ficus leaves), and an <strong>in</strong>f<strong>in</strong>ite number of effects, the 63-m<strong>in</strong>ute<br />
album is charm<strong>in</strong>g and unnerv<strong>in</strong>g, part bossa nova and choro,<br />
part Beck-ology.<br />
Though the overall sound feels brittle and bright at the high<br />
end, the lows have a solid punch, and the often-processed vocals<br />
boast beguil<strong>in</strong>g textures. Meanwhile, the danc<strong>in</strong>g of myriad<br />
manipulated noises all over the broad aural panorama keeps listeners<br />
delightfully off-balance and engaged. DERK RICHARDSON<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Tom Zé: Com Defecto de Fabricacao<br />
(Fabrication Defect); Hermeto Pascoal: Slaves Mass<br />
The Gibson Brothers: Red Letter Day. Eric Gibson, Leigh Gibson,<br />
and Mike Barber, producers. Sugar Hill 4002. Music: ★★★ 1/2<br />
Sonics: ★★★ 1/2<br />
The brother duo has an honored place<br />
<strong>in</strong> bluegrass history, start<strong>in</strong>g at the<br />
very beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g with the Monroe<br />
Brothers and later, embrac<strong>in</strong>g giants<br />
such as the Stanley Brothers and Jim<br />
and Jesse. With their startl<strong>in</strong>g third<br />
album, the Gibson Brothers jo<strong>in</strong> the<br />
party, the promise of their first two albums realized here <strong>in</strong> a<br />
fully formed work of art.<br />
The orig<strong>in</strong>al songs are as meticulously crafted and as lyrically<br />
resonant as the vibrant covers they’ve chosen—no small feat<br />
that, given that the Gibsons tackle “Lonesome Number One” by<br />
Don Gibson, “I Got a Woman” by Ray Charles, and Bobby and<br />
Shirley Jean Womack’s “The Last Time,” an early Roll<strong>in</strong>g Stones<br />
hit. The play<strong>in</strong>g is precise, <strong>in</strong>tricately woven, and impassioned,<br />
and the stripped-down sound has straightforward high-lonesome<br />
rusticity, the vocals close-miked and <strong>in</strong>timately framed by the<br />
various acoustic <strong>in</strong>struments, with Mike Barber’s steadily puls<strong>in</strong>g<br />
bass provid<strong>in</strong>g an unwaver<strong>in</strong>g rhythmic lifel<strong>in</strong>e. It doesn’t hurt<br />
that the <strong>in</strong>strumental l<strong>in</strong>eup is rounded out on occasion by<br />
r<strong>in</strong>gers Ronnie McCoury on mandol<strong>in</strong> and Jason Carter on fiddle,<br />
both on loan from the Del McCoury Band.<br />
As writers and s<strong>in</strong>gers, Eric and Leigh Gibson have elevated<br />
their game to an <strong>in</strong>spired plateau. Teamed with evocative<br />
<strong>in</strong>strumental shadow<strong>in</strong>g from his sprightly banjo and Carter’s<br />
soar<strong>in</strong>g, triumphant fiddle, Eric’s reedy vocal on his self-penned<br />
strutter “Walk<strong>in</strong>g with Joanna” is the ideal vehicle with which<br />
to make a listener feel the urgency of a s<strong>in</strong>ner try<strong>in</strong>g to change<br />
his ways to w<strong>in</strong> the gal of his dreams just as Leigh’s sturdy,<br />
emotive tenor could not have been better cast to add the<br />
poignant edge to his steady shuffl<strong>in</strong>g rem<strong>in</strong>iscence of days long<br />
past, “The Barn Song.” Tenderness, heartache, triumph,<br />
tragedy, salvation, redemption—the stuff of life <strong>in</strong>forms Red<br />
Letter Day’s texts, and the musicians’ commitment to the cause<br />
makes <strong>this</strong> exactly what the album title proclaims for both the<br />
Gibsons and contemporary bluegrass.<br />
DM<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: The Monroe Brothers: What Would You Give<br />
<strong>in</strong> Exchange for Your Soul?; Keith Whitley & Ricky Skaggs: Second<br />
Generation Bluegrass<br />
quarter page ad<br />
2/2<br />
RENO<br />
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Marty Stuart and his Fabulous<br />
Superlatives: Live at the Ryman. Stuart<br />
and Harry St<strong>in</strong>son producers.<br />
Superlatone/Universal South 02670.<br />
Music: ★★★ Sonics: ★★★<br />
Noth<strong>in</strong>g if not<br />
prolific,<br />
Marty Stuart and<br />
his Fabulous<br />
Superlatones<br />
return with their<br />
third album <strong>in</strong><br />
less than a year, and it’s as different from<br />
<strong>this</strong> past fall’s Native American-themed<br />
Badlands: Ballads of the Lakota Sioux as<br />
that one was from the summer’s foray <strong>in</strong>to<br />
deep south gospel, Soul’s Chapel. This<br />
time, the sett<strong>in</strong>g the shr<strong>in</strong>e of country<br />
music, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium,<br />
the theme is bluegrass, and the modus<br />
operandi is a blend of new and old, with<br />
some of Stuart’s country hits retooled and<br />
mesh<strong>in</strong>g perfectly with timeless texts<br />
from the bluegrass cannon.<br />
Judg<strong>in</strong>g from the lively response—<br />
which isn’t cranked up to make it seem<br />
more than it was—Stuart and company<br />
get themselves and their audience all fired<br />
up from the start and don’t let up. “The<br />
Whiskey A<strong>in</strong>’t Work<strong>in</strong>g,” orig<strong>in</strong>ally a<br />
duet smash with Travis Tritt, is transformed<br />
<strong>in</strong>to a languid, old-timey backwoods<br />
dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>’ song with ample room for<br />
mandol<strong>in</strong> and fiddle sorties, while the<br />
stomp<strong>in</strong>g “Hillbilly Rock” gets a frenetic<br />
makeover as a rambunctious breakdown<br />
with decided locomotive overtones. In<br />
assay<strong>in</strong>g “Orange Blossom Special,” fiddler<br />
Stuart Duncan burns up the box with<br />
ferociously fiery solo<strong>in</strong>g that so energizes<br />
HOT WAX<br />
The Strokes: First Impressions of Earth. David Kahne, producer.<br />
RCA 82876 73177 (LP and CD). Music: ★★★ 1/2<br />
Sonics: ★★★ 1/2<br />
Back before The White Stripes hit it<br />
big, The Strokes’ 2001 debut Is This<br />
It ushered <strong>in</strong> a new era of straightforward<br />
garage rock. But the New York City<br />
qu<strong>in</strong>tet’s second out<strong>in</strong>g, Room On Fire, was<br />
a letdown, viewed by many as a retread.<br />
Hav<strong>in</strong>g someth<strong>in</strong>g of statement to make,<br />
the band teamed up with noted producer David Kahne (Paul<br />
McCartney, Tony Bennett) for First Impressions of Earth. And<br />
the results are mostly excellent.<br />
In many ways, First Impressions maps The Strokes’ history<br />
over the past five years—the joys, dismays, expectations,<br />
illusions, fleet<strong>in</strong>g fame, and mixed emotions that come with<br />
the job. “On the Other Side” beg<strong>in</strong>s with Nikolai Fraiture’s<br />
chugg<strong>in</strong>g bass grooves and a few m<strong>in</strong>or chords from guitarists<br />
Albert Hamley Jr. and Nick Valensi before Julian<br />
Casablancas’ ennui-soaked voice <strong>in</strong>tones, “I hate them all/I<br />
hate them all/I hate myself for hat<strong>in</strong>g them/so I’ll dr<strong>in</strong>k<br />
some more/I love them all/so I’ll dr<strong>in</strong>k even more.”<br />
Although The Strokes are plenty capable of craft<strong>in</strong>g<br />
pretty pop melodies, as the opener “You Only Live Once”<br />
demonstrates, and a cursory listen may <strong>in</strong>dicate a lack of<br />
structural and thematic variety, the more you hear <strong>this</strong><br />
album, the richer it gets. “Vision of Division” at first sounds<br />
like a few proceed<strong>in</strong>g numbers, but before you know it the<br />
music, buoyed by drummer Fab Moretti, surges beneath<br />
Casablancas, who repeatedly screams, “How long must I<br />
wait?” “Ask Me Anyth<strong>in</strong>g” f<strong>in</strong>ds the world-weary vocalist<br />
channel<strong>in</strong>g Lou Reed atop a burp<strong>in</strong>g synth. There are times,<br />
as <strong>in</strong> “Razor Blade,” where the yawn<strong>in</strong>g hipness seems like<br />
postur<strong>in</strong>g, but such moments are relatively rare.<br />
The v<strong>in</strong>yl press<strong>in</strong>g’s sound is quite good. Super studioclean<br />
and -polished, it’s dimensionally flat but dynamically<br />
lively. Clear and articulate, Casablancas’ vocals never<br />
breakup, even when he’s shredd<strong>in</strong>g the mic. The bottom end<br />
has a terrific solidity, and <strong>in</strong>strumentals are richly textured,<br />
with everyth<strong>in</strong>g sh<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g through the well-balanced mix.<br />
WAYNE GARCIA<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: The Strokes: Is This It; The White Stripes:<br />
De Stijl<br />
Lightn<strong>in</strong>’ Hopk<strong>in</strong>s: Lightn<strong>in</strong>’. Rudy Van Gelder, orig<strong>in</strong>al producer.<br />
Analogue Productions/Bluesville 1019 (two 200-gram 45rpm<br />
LPs). Music: ★★★ Sonics: ★★★★ 1/2<br />
Lightn<strong>in</strong>’ Hopk<strong>in</strong>s: Lightn<strong>in</strong>’ <strong>in</strong> New York. Bob d’Orleans, eng<strong>in</strong>eer.<br />
Pure Pleasure/Candid 9010 (180-gram LP).<br />
Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★★<br />
Otis Spann: Otis Spann Is the Blues. George Piros, eng<strong>in</strong>eer.<br />
Pure Pleasure/Candid 9001 (180-gram LP).<br />
Music: ★★★★ 1/2 Sonics: ★★★★<br />
Otis Spann: The Biggest Th<strong>in</strong>g S<strong>in</strong>ce Colossus... Warren Slaten,<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer. Pure Pleasure/Blue Horizon 63217 (180-gram LP).<br />
Music: ★★ 1/2 Sonics: ★★★<br />
Blues Jam at Chess. Mike Vernon and Marshall Chess, producers.<br />
Pure Pleasure/Blue Horizon 66227 (two 180-gram LPs).<br />
Music: ★★★ 1/2 Sonics: ★★★★<br />
Acoustic Sounds proprietor Chad Kassem has got the<br />
blues, and to prove it, he’s back with another sparkl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Fantasy 45rpm title and a distribution deal with Londonbased<br />
audiophile re<strong>issue</strong> label Pure Pleasure, whose latest LP<br />
titles <strong>in</strong>clude several outstand<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>ds.<br />
Lightn<strong>in</strong>’ Hopk<strong>in</strong>s has twice before been superbly documented<br />
on Analogue Productions’ extraord<strong>in</strong>arily expensive<br />
but ridiculously lifelike-sound<strong>in</strong>g 45rpm series. Lightn<strong>in</strong>’ is<br />
no different. Recorded <strong>in</strong> November 1960 by the <strong>in</strong>estimable<br />
Rudy Van Gelder, the affair reflects the simplicity<br />
<strong>in</strong>herent <strong>in</strong> the record’s title. Hopk<strong>in</strong>s is backed by bassist<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 145
m u s i c popular<br />
his mates that one of them cries out, “Git<br />
it, boy!” before lett<strong>in</strong>g out a whoop <strong>in</strong><br />
response to the result<strong>in</strong>g fury. “The Great<br />
Speckled Bird,” one of the show’s few<br />
solemn moments, is def<strong>in</strong>ed by “Uncle<br />
Josh” Graves’ beautifully textured dobro<br />
solo, the passage eloquently and wordlessly<br />
speak<strong>in</strong>g to the song’s mystery.<br />
Bear<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d that Stuart did not go<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the show <strong>in</strong>tend<strong>in</strong>g to cut a live<br />
album, the production gets the job done.<br />
There’s a slight dead spot here and there<br />
when someone wanders off the mike, and<br />
what it might lack <strong>in</strong> vibrancy it more than<br />
makes up for with <strong>in</strong>fectious energy. DM<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Bill Monroe and<br />
Various Artists: Bean Blossom; Ricky<br />
Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder: Live At the<br />
Charleston Music Hall<br />
The Flam<strong>in</strong>g Lips: At War With the<br />
Mystics. Dave Fridmann and Flam<strong>in</strong>g Lips,<br />
producers. Warner Brothers.<br />
Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★★<br />
When<br />
the<br />
Flam<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Lips released<br />
Yoshimi Battles<br />
the P<strong>in</strong>k Robots <strong>in</strong><br />
July 2002, the<br />
ensu<strong>in</strong>g culturealter<strong>in</strong>g<br />
effects weren’t yet <strong>in</strong> sight.<br />
Many critics (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g yours truly)<br />
lauded it as the band’s third landmark<br />
album, but no one expected it would<br />
atta<strong>in</strong> plat<strong>in</strong>um status, land the Lips<br />
prom<strong>in</strong>ent exposure, fuel grand tour<strong>in</strong>g<br />
spectacles that culm<strong>in</strong>ated with s<strong>in</strong>ger<br />
Wayne Coyne roll<strong>in</strong>g around Coachella<br />
<strong>in</strong> a transparent bubble, and at long last,<br />
solidify the group’s place as one of pop’s<br />
most <strong>in</strong>fluential and <strong>in</strong>genious artists—<br />
an achievement cast <strong>in</strong> stone by the<br />
2005 documentary The Fearless Freaks<br />
and journalist Jim Derogatis’ new biography,<br />
Star<strong>in</strong>g at Sound. Of course, the<br />
storybook success didn’t come easily or<br />
by mistake. In 23 years, the Oklahoma<br />
band has never lost sight of its oddball<br />
visions, pulled back on the reigns of<br />
enthusiasm, or satisfied its <strong>in</strong>satiable<br />
crav<strong>in</strong>g for the unknown.<br />
While to the naked eye Coyne and<br />
company may seem silly and overly<br />
theatrical, the group has always<br />
responded to its surround<strong>in</strong>gs by criti-<br />
Leonard Gask<strong>in</strong> and drummer Belton Evans, both of whom<br />
provide <strong>in</strong>conspicuous small-combo jazz accompaniment.<br />
Stick<strong>in</strong>g to his acoustic guitar, Hopk<strong>in</strong>s deals country blues<br />
and lazy Texas shuffles, occasionally upp<strong>in</strong>g the pace for a<br />
get-down boogie such as the romp<strong>in</strong>g “You Better Watch<br />
Yourself,” a rural talk<strong>in</strong>g-blues that cautions aga<strong>in</strong>st excessive<br />
dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g. “Sh<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>’ Moon” meanders a bit, allow<strong>in</strong>g its<br />
narrator to share his peep<strong>in</strong>g-tom observations<br />
while the musicians lock <strong>in</strong>to and<br />
rock the groove as if it were an automatic<br />
transmission. That’s the only problem<br />
here. At times, Hopk<strong>in</strong>s is too laid back,<br />
the songs com<strong>in</strong>g too easily. That said,<br />
every musical gra<strong>in</strong> is vividly present—<br />
Evans’ weightless sticks-on-sk<strong>in</strong> drum rolls, Hopk<strong>in</strong>s’ deep<br />
hull-of-a-ship vocals, the purity of the natural acoustic. Not<br />
essential, but worthy of deluxe treatment.<br />
Made six days later, Lightn<strong>in</strong>’ In New<br />
York offers a more fasc<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g perspective<br />
of the Houston-based s<strong>in</strong>ger-guitarist. By<br />
the mid ’50s, Hopk<strong>in</strong>s had commercially<br />
peaked with his earlier electric sides. But<br />
his career got a boost from the burgeon<strong>in</strong>g<br />
folk movement, with which he came to be associated. This<br />
out<strong>in</strong>g is a solo affair, the music offer<strong>in</strong>g a wide-angle snapshot<br />
of Hopk<strong>in</strong>s’ Texas vernacular. Expectedly, Hopk<strong>in</strong>s<br />
dazzles with two-f<strong>in</strong>ger pick<strong>in</strong>g techniques while keep<strong>in</strong>g<br />
one digit free to pluck a bass l<strong>in</strong>e. But the biggest surprise<br />
is Hopk<strong>in</strong>s’ turns on piano, particularly on tracks where he<br />
simultaneously strikes keys, strums chords, and s<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
Rarely has Hopk<strong>in</strong>s sounded so free, loose, open, relaxed,<br />
and will<strong>in</strong>g. Consider his ad libb<strong>in</strong>g on “Mighty Crazy.” Or<br />
the stomp<strong>in</strong>g “Your Own Fault,” an unhurried New<br />
Orleans jaunt <strong>in</strong> which spidery piano l<strong>in</strong>es cast voodoo<br />
spells. And the moan<strong>in</strong>g and cry<strong>in</strong>g “I’ve Had My Fun If I<br />
Don’t Get Well No More,” a prayer on which Hopk<strong>in</strong>s’ guitar<br />
doubles as a back<strong>in</strong>g choir. The emotions range from<br />
lonely to romantic, the delivery s<strong>in</strong>cere to playful to stern.<br />
Fitt<strong>in</strong>gly, the album closes with the carefree “Black Cat,”<br />
Hopk<strong>in</strong>s stag<strong>in</strong>g a conversation between a black man and a<br />
white man who are dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g Thunderbird w<strong>in</strong>e. Outside of<br />
some upper-end crackle when Hopk<strong>in</strong>s raises his voice to a<br />
near-shout, the sonics are glorious, with tremendous presence<br />
and a control-room view of a thrill<strong>in</strong>g performance.<br />
Pure Pleasure also unearthed Otis Spann Is the Blues,<br />
another treasure from 1960. The son of a blues guitarist (his<br />
mother) and pianist (his father), Spann learned to play by ear<br />
and made a name for himself as part of Muddy Waters’<br />
pathf<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g band. Here, on his debut, he turns the electricity<br />
down and works just with guitarist Robert Lockwood Jr.<br />
The results are a veritable bluepr<strong>in</strong>t of post-WWII Chicago<br />
piano blues, the chemistry between the players as close to<br />
perfect as one can get. Spann is a heavy hitter whose bold<br />
strokes <strong>in</strong>duce tremors and whose hands are equally capable<br />
of forceful chords or loose boogie-based bars, his left hand<br />
jigger<strong>in</strong>g repetitive two- and three-note patterns that<br />
respond to Lockwood’s milky licks. Both bluesmen possess<br />
rivet<strong>in</strong>g voices, Spann’s slightly lighter and conta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g a<br />
p<strong>in</strong>ch of Mississippi drawl and Lockwood’s<br />
a darker-hued call that howls <strong>in</strong> the night.<br />
There’s an abundance on-the-spot playfulness,<br />
the pair lock<strong>in</strong>g horns on the country<br />
blues “Beat Up Team” and drift<strong>in</strong>g off<br />
<strong>in</strong>to their own worlds before cross<strong>in</strong>g<br />
paths on “I Got Rambl<strong>in</strong>g On My M<strong>in</strong>d.”<br />
Throughout, Spann hypnotizes. On the uptempo “Great<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 147
m u s i c popular<br />
cally th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g about superior possibilities,<br />
and on the base level, circumvent<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the mundane by deliver<strong>in</strong>g<br />
happ<strong>in</strong>ess and optimism to audiences<br />
eager to go along for the ride. At War<br />
With the Mystics lacks the conceptrecord<br />
schematic of its predecessor but<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ds the trio thread<strong>in</strong>g large and small<br />
ideas through song. It’s an album that<br />
could be <strong>in</strong>terpreted as an anti-war<br />
statement, though the stakes are much<br />
higher and themes too complex for<br />
such a simple read<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Where Yoshimi had our heroes battl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
mach<strong>in</strong>es over the future of<br />
humanity, the quest at hand takes on<br />
the very-real Powers That Be via existentialism<br />
and perception. For the Lips,<br />
imag<strong>in</strong>ation and melody rema<strong>in</strong> the<br />
most expressive, effective, and accessible<br />
weapons. The psychic will and<br />
means to make change is outl<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong><br />
“The W.A.N.D.,” a fuzz-blasted slice of<br />
pop magic that takes by the horns questions<br />
presented <strong>in</strong> the guitar-talk-box<br />
lathered “Yeah Yeah Yeah Song” and<br />
puts decision-mak<strong>in</strong>g authority back <strong>in</strong><br />
the peoples’ hands. Contemplations of<br />
humank<strong>in</strong>d’s place <strong>in</strong> the universe<br />
(“Ve<strong>in</strong> of Stars”), acknowledgements of<br />
that which we don’t grasp but strive to<br />
understand (“The Sound of Failure”),<br />
life-affirm<strong>in</strong>g admittances of mortality<br />
(“Mr. Ambulance Driver”), and cheerful<br />
proclamations <strong>in</strong> the face of pessimism<br />
(“My Cosmic Autumn<br />
Rebellion”) <strong>in</strong>habit a moody galaxy<br />
that isn’t without sadness or frustration.<br />
Yet the Lips’ ambition isn’t to<br />
steer anyone away from reality but to<br />
demonstrate that we can alter its detrimental<br />
parts, transform m<strong>in</strong>dsets without<br />
resort<strong>in</strong>g to violence, and at the<br />
least, confront our doubts by embrac<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a sense of wonder.<br />
Expand<strong>in</strong>g their musical palette,<br />
the Lips get down with funk, soul, and<br />
disco, all of which are stirred <strong>in</strong>to a<br />
melt<strong>in</strong>g pot along with their trademark<br />
space-rock excursions. With Dave<br />
Fridmann at the controls, the concoctions<br />
aga<strong>in</strong> make for an advanced study<br />
<strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d-popp<strong>in</strong>g psychedelic arrangement.<br />
Choral crescendos, Rhodes<br />
pianos, synthesized-flute <strong>in</strong>strumentals,<br />
str<strong>in</strong>g-laden orchestrations, skitter<strong>in</strong>g<br />
percussion, blurp<strong>in</strong>g electronics,<br />
splashy cymbals—all expertly played<br />
and composed by Steven Drozd and<br />
Michael Iv<strong>in</strong>s—are layered, placed, and<br />
stretched across warm sonic canvasses,<br />
the production three-dimensional and<br />
aglow with textures.<br />
In that journeys occasionally meander<br />
and cosmic waltzes sometimes lead<br />
to unspectacular ends, Mystics sets its<br />
sights high but ultimately falls short of<br />
the tallest Lips summits. But these few<br />
missteps are m<strong>in</strong>or blips <strong>in</strong> a work<br />
where blaxploitation funk, soul-jazz<br />
grooves, wordless vocal harmonies, aciddipped<br />
guitar riffs, bubbl<strong>in</strong>g bass l<strong>in</strong>es,<br />
and bobb<strong>in</strong>g hooks unite to mean<strong>in</strong>gfully<br />
deal with the hurt of the present while<br />
simultaneously tapp<strong>in</strong>g a spiritual and<br />
emotional currency that rewards persistence<br />
and gives reason to believe <strong>in</strong> a<br />
brighter future.<br />
BG<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Sly & The Family<br />
Stone: There’s A Riot Go<strong>in</strong>’ On; Bobby<br />
Conn: Homeland<br />
Northern Stomp,” a jitterbug of touchand-go<br />
rhythms and fluid melodies,<br />
Spann’s two hands sound like four, the<br />
clickety-clack of the keys br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g a taste<br />
of the Southern cotton fields up to the<br />
Midwestern pla<strong>in</strong>s. The LP lacks the f<strong>in</strong>al<br />
word <strong>in</strong> presence, but separation between<br />
<strong>in</strong>struments is f<strong>in</strong>e, the vocals centered and Lockwood’s<br />
guitar off to the right. It’s miss<strong>in</strong>g the firm reach-out-andgrab-you<br />
hold of Kassem’s 45s, but <strong>this</strong> is a very wellrecorded<br />
piece.<br />
Spann also plays on The Biggest Th<strong>in</strong>g S<strong>in</strong>ce Colossus and<br />
Blues Jam at Chess, both recorded <strong>in</strong> January 1969 and featur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the orig<strong>in</strong>al (read: genu<strong>in</strong>e) Fleetwood Mac l<strong>in</strong>eup.<br />
The former is just Spann and Mac (sans Jeremy Spencer).<br />
Peter Green’s knife-sharp guitar fills and lash<strong>in</strong>g hooks are<br />
plenty nasty, but Spann is buried beh<strong>in</strong>d splashy drums and<br />
middl<strong>in</strong>g arrangements that owe more to rock than blues.<br />
Several songs, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the funky “It Was A Big Th<strong>in</strong>g,”<br />
are either dated or <strong>in</strong>stantly forgettable. And even on the<br />
m<strong>in</strong>imalist, mournful read of the evergreen “A<strong>in</strong>’t Nobody’s<br />
Bus<strong>in</strong>ess,” Spann seems like he’s play<strong>in</strong>g down to the band<br />
rather than with them. In addition, sonics are bogged down<br />
by muddled passages and a cloistered soundstage.<br />
A much better example of the Spann-Fleetwood Mac<br />
pair<strong>in</strong>g is gleaned from Blues Jam at Chess, an <strong>in</strong>formal<br />
studio blowout recorded <strong>in</strong> Chicago that also counts<br />
Walter Horton, Willie Dixon, and J.T. Brown among the<br />
rotat<strong>in</strong>g cast of participants. What it lacks <strong>in</strong> focus it<br />
makes up for <strong>in</strong> fun, via straightforward grooves, shuffleboard<br />
riffs, huff-and-puff harmonica<br />
solos, and jive-and-wail throwdowns.<br />
Dixon is especially hot, slapp<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
thump<strong>in</strong>g his stand-up bass with soulful<br />
passion. Mac slide guitarist Jeremy<br />
Spencer does make <strong>this</strong> date. His contributions<br />
are knockoffs of Elmore James<br />
and JB Lenoir standards, but the tunes jump, honk, and sway<br />
with R&B delight. The Brits don’t let <strong>in</strong>fatuation get the<br />
best of them, and while they seldom force the blues greats to<br />
break a sweat, the cross-cultural connection and creative<br />
sparks make for an enjoyably lively experience. Speak<strong>in</strong>g of<br />
which, the sonics nail the detail and pluck of Dixon’s bass.<br />
There’s a bit of vocal congestion, but the soundstage opens up<br />
and allows the big-band rush to get the room hopp<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
BOB GENDRON<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 149
m u s i c CLASSICAL<br />
Classical Caps<br />
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1; Cello<br />
Sonata. Han-Na Chang, cello; London<br />
Symphony Orchestra, Antonio Pappano,<br />
conductor. David Groves, producer;<br />
Jonathan Allen, eng<strong>in</strong>eer. EMI 32422.<br />
Music: ★★★★ 1/2 Sonics: ★★★★<br />
Korean cellist<br />
Han-Na<br />
Chang was a<br />
teenage prodigy;<br />
today, she’s an<br />
artist. As evidence,<br />
here’s her<br />
outstand<strong>in</strong>g version of Shostakovich’s<br />
first Cello Concerto, a work conceived<br />
on a broad, symphonic scale and written<br />
for Rostropovich <strong>in</strong> 1959. Chang<br />
is jo<strong>in</strong>ed by conductor Antonio<br />
Pappano and the London Symphony at<br />
the top if its considerable form, the<br />
important horn solos brilliantly<br />
played by Tim Jones.<br />
But Chang is the star of <strong>this</strong> show.<br />
Without neglect<strong>in</strong>g the composer’s sly<br />
humor, she’s vigorous <strong>in</strong> the virtuoso<br />
first movement and really lets go <strong>in</strong> the<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ale, full of Shostakovich’s trademark<br />
orchestral grotesqueries, flashy solo<br />
work, and earthy rhythms. In the long<br />
slow movement, Chang mesmerizes<br />
with her caress<strong>in</strong>g tenderness and ghostly,<br />
hushed harmonics. In the follow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
melancholy, six-m<strong>in</strong>ute-long solo cadenza,<br />
her outstand<strong>in</strong>g technique and ability<br />
to <strong>in</strong>fuse each note with expressive<br />
content are rivet<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
The disc’s other half is given over to<br />
a vastly different, earlier Shostakovich<br />
piece, the Cello Sonata. Written <strong>in</strong><br />
1934, at about the time that Stal<strong>in</strong>’s<br />
m<strong>in</strong>ions promulgated the notorious<br />
“socialist realism” dogma for the arts,<br />
it’s far more conservative <strong>in</strong> form and<br />
content than his earlier, cheekier works.<br />
But you can’t keep a good man down,<br />
and there’s much lovely music here. The<br />
long first movement gives Chang opportunities<br />
to flaunt her big-toned lyricism,<br />
and <strong>in</strong> the Largo she projects the longlimbed<br />
melody with sympathetic<br />
<strong>in</strong>wardness. Here, conductor Pappano<br />
puts down the baton and skillfully jo<strong>in</strong>s<br />
her on the piano.<br />
With its vivid sound and powerful<br />
bass, <strong>this</strong> is one of the best-sound<strong>in</strong>g<br />
versions of both works. The eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
realistically captures the different timbres<br />
of the horn solos—brazen at first,<br />
warmer later on—with exactitude. In<br />
the cadenza, the wide dynamics are<br />
thrill<strong>in</strong>g, the cello mov<strong>in</strong>g from roars to<br />
whispers, with <strong>in</strong>f<strong>in</strong>ite gradations <strong>in</strong><br />
between. EMI’s also taken care to provide<br />
venues that yield appropriate<br />
acoustics for each work. DAN DAVIS<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Shostakovich: Cello<br />
Concerto (Rostropovich); Prokofiev:<br />
Symphony-Concerto for Cello and<br />
Orchestra (Chang)<br />
Shostakovich: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2.<br />
Seven Romances on Verses by Alexander<br />
Blok. Beaux Arts Trio; Joan Rodgers,<br />
soprano. Da-Hong Seetoo, producer and<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer. Warner 2564 62514.<br />
Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★★<br />
When<br />
the<br />
Beaux Arts<br />
Trio first performed<br />
at the<br />
Berkshire Music<br />
Festival <strong>in</strong> 1955,<br />
the pianist was<br />
Menahem Pressler. He still is. I saw the<br />
Trio <strong>in</strong> December 2005, and the 82 yearold<br />
Pressler—now play<strong>in</strong>g with two seasoned<br />
chamber musicians (viol<strong>in</strong>ist Daniel<br />
Hope and cellist Antonio Meneses) who<br />
weren’t born when the Beaux Arts was<br />
formed—has lost little of his technical<br />
edge and none of his musical <strong>in</strong>sight.<br />
On its second Warner release, the<br />
BAT takes on three Shostakovich works<br />
that span the composer’s career. The concise<br />
Trio No. 1 was written when<br />
Shostakovich was only 17 but is easily<br />
recognizable as his music, despite the<br />
more traditionally Romantic-era feel of<br />
the harmonies and ensemble textures.<br />
The Second Trio, from 1943-44, is<br />
among Shostakovich’s greatest—and<br />
grimmest—works. Inspired by both the<br />
premature death of a close friend and the<br />
emerg<strong>in</strong>g details of the Holocaust, the<br />
piece has a decidedly haunted quality. In<br />
the f<strong>in</strong>ale, Shostakovich vividly represents<br />
accounts he’d heard of Jews be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
forced to dance before open graves prior<br />
to be<strong>in</strong>g shot. The Beaux Arts doesn’t<br />
sensationalize the horror but <strong>in</strong>stead creates<br />
an aura of cold cruelty.<br />
Lastly, there’s the Alexander Blok<br />
Romances, composed <strong>in</strong> the 1960s when<br />
Shostakovich was already a sick man.<br />
Each of the seven movements has the<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ger accompanied by a different comb<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
of the three <strong>in</strong>struments—<br />
s<strong>in</strong>gly, <strong>in</strong> pairs, and as a full trio. The<br />
music, <strong>in</strong> the composer’s stark and concentrated<br />
late style, is extraord<strong>in</strong>arily<br />
evocative. Joan Rodgers’ creamy soprano<br />
matches the sonority of the two str<strong>in</strong>g<br />
players’, and she’s exceptionally responsive<br />
to the texts.<br />
The audio quality is superb, thanks<br />
to Da-Hong Seetoo, to whom the<br />
Emerson Str<strong>in</strong>g Quartet entrusts its<br />
sound. The piano is placed beh<strong>in</strong>d the<br />
str<strong>in</strong>gs, allow<strong>in</strong>g for a natural scal<strong>in</strong>g of<br />
the three <strong>in</strong>struments. Tonally, the<br />
record<strong>in</strong>g is exquisite. There’s no question,<br />
for <strong>in</strong>stance, that the spectral l<strong>in</strong>e<br />
open<strong>in</strong>g the Second Trio is the cello play<strong>in</strong>g<br />
high harmonics, rather than the viol<strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong> its upper register. ANDREW QUINT<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Shostakovich: Str<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Quartets (Emerson); Dvorák/<br />
Mendelssohn: Piano Trios (Beaux Arts)<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 151
m u s i c classical<br />
Handel: Delirio – Solo Cantatas. Natalie<br />
Dessay, soprano; Le Concert d’Astrée,<br />
Emmanuelle Haïm, conductor. Daniel<br />
Zalay and Laurence Heym, producers;<br />
Michel Pierre, eng<strong>in</strong>eer. Virg<strong>in</strong> 332624.<br />
Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★★<br />
Natalie Dessay<br />
is a coloratura-lyric<br />
soprano<br />
with a great<br />
voice, who also<br />
delivers material<br />
with rare <strong>in</strong>telligence<br />
and passion. Here she jo<strong>in</strong>s lead<strong>in</strong>g<br />
lights of the new wave of period<br />
<strong>in</strong>strument specialists, Le Concert<br />
d’Astrée and Emmanuelle Haïm, <strong>in</strong> a<br />
pair of Handel’s cantatas and an oratorio<br />
aria, all written dur<strong>in</strong>g an Italian<br />
sojourn the composer took <strong>in</strong> his 20s.<br />
The works are typical of the period:<br />
figures from mythology dwell on the<br />
torments of love; the protagonist, an<br />
abandoned woman who veers between<br />
plead<strong>in</strong>g with her lover and go<strong>in</strong>g ballistic<br />
with rage. The longest and most<br />
substantial work is Delirio amoroso,<br />
whose three long arias, recitatives, and<br />
orchestral sections add up to a meaty 37<br />
m<strong>in</strong>utes of terrific play<strong>in</strong>g and s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
The orchestra of about 30 players is<br />
superb, with special mention due to<br />
oboe soloist Patrick Beaugiraud, whose<br />
rounded juicy tone and lively phras<strong>in</strong>g<br />
are exemplary <strong>in</strong> the work’s orchestral<br />
sections and <strong>in</strong> duet with Dessay. The<br />
latter is splendid, toss<strong>in</strong>g off flashy coloratura<br />
runs with ease, <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
hopeful parts of the narrative with<br />
bright-voiced emotion, the dramatic<br />
sections with fiery ardor. Her pianissimos<br />
are ravish<strong>in</strong>g too, and she matches<br />
her voice to perfectly suit the accompaniments,<br />
an important part of what<br />
makes <strong>this</strong> such a f<strong>in</strong>e work s<strong>in</strong>ce the<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ger engages <strong>in</strong> wonderful duets with<br />
oboe, viol<strong>in</strong>, and, <strong>in</strong> the longest aria,<br />
“Per te lascia la luce,” the cello.<br />
The disc is filled out with an aria<br />
from Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, and a<br />
chamber cantata for soprano, oboe, and<br />
basso cont<strong>in</strong>uo, Mi palpita il cor, which<br />
gets the same deluxe treatment, albeit<br />
on a more fitt<strong>in</strong>g smaller scale. The<br />
sound is admirable—plenty of texture<br />
and body to voice and <strong>in</strong>struments, a<br />
touch of the reverberant space around<br />
them, and excellent balances. The voice<br />
and accompany<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>struments are<br />
depicted naturally, yield<strong>in</strong>g a transparent<br />
stage picture.<br />
DD<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Handel: Aci, Galatea<br />
e Polifemo; Dessay: Mozart Arias<br />
Williams: Munich. John Williams, conductor.<br />
Williams, producer; Shawn Murphy,<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer. Decca B0006093.<br />
Music: ★★★ 1/2 Sonics: ★★★ 1/2<br />
Williams: Memoirs of a Geisha. Yo-Yo Ma,<br />
cello; Itzhak Perlman, viol<strong>in</strong>. John<br />
Williams, conductor. Williams, producer;<br />
Shawn Murphy, eng<strong>in</strong>eer. Sony Classical<br />
82876747082. Music: ★★★★<br />
Sonics: ★★★★<br />
Howard: K<strong>in</strong>g Kong. Pete Anthony, Mike<br />
Nowak, Bruce Babcock, conductors.<br />
James Newton Howard and Jim Weidman,<br />
producers; Joel Iwataki and Alan<br />
Meyerson, eng<strong>in</strong>eers. Decca B0005715.<br />
Music: ★★★ Sonics: ★★ 1/2<br />
The Oscars are upon us, and the w<strong>in</strong>ner<br />
is…. Well, as of <strong>this</strong> writ<strong>in</strong>g it’s too<br />
early to say who the w<strong>in</strong>ners will be, but<br />
not too early to note that 2005 was some<br />
k<strong>in</strong>d of year <strong>in</strong> filmmak<strong>in</strong>g and film<br />
scor<strong>in</strong>g. By himself, John Williams, the<br />
dean of Hollywood soundtrackers, composed,<br />
conducted and produced the<br />
record<strong>in</strong>gs of four feature-length<br />
scores—Star Wars: Episode Three—Revenge<br />
of the Sith, War of the Worlds, Memoirs of a<br />
Geisha, and Munich. At the age of 74,<br />
which he will be by the time <strong>this</strong> review<br />
appears, he is scarcely slow<strong>in</strong>g down.<br />
Nor is he los<strong>in</strong>g his touch. While people<br />
have long compla<strong>in</strong>ed that when he isn’t<br />
parrot<strong>in</strong>g someone else’s music—<br />
Walton’s, or Prokofiev’s, or Holst’s—he’s<br />
repeat<strong>in</strong>g himself, <strong>in</strong> fact he is still f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g ways of mak<strong>in</strong>g music an<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegral and emotionally tell<strong>in</strong>g element<br />
of the films he works on. The scores to<br />
both Munich and Memoirs of a Geisha<br />
show that he is very much at the top of<br />
his game.<br />
Williams has long been unsurpassed<br />
at limn<strong>in</strong>g the character, the emotional<br />
terra<strong>in</strong>, of a film, through the application<br />
of orchestral color and dist<strong>in</strong>ctive<br />
rhythmic and harmonic <strong>in</strong>flections <strong>in</strong><br />
his music. One of his tricks is f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the right “voice” to go with the subject<br />
and mood of a film. In Sch<strong>in</strong>dler’s List it<br />
was the viol<strong>in</strong>, <strong>in</strong> The Term<strong>in</strong>al, the clar<strong>in</strong>et.<br />
For Munich, another <strong>in</strong> the long<br />
l<strong>in</strong>e of Spielberg films he has scored, he<br />
chose a real voice, the voice of Lisbeth<br />
Scott, whose haunt<strong>in</strong>g, exposed vocals<br />
contribute powerfully to the sense of<br />
anguish and suspense that pervades the<br />
score. The ideas Williams works with<br />
are rich and <strong>in</strong>trigu<strong>in</strong>g, the “Israeli”<br />
accent conv<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>g but not too thick.<br />
Best of all, he gives the str<strong>in</strong>gs real stuff<br />
to do (as <strong>in</strong> the touch<strong>in</strong>g “A Prayer for<br />
Peace”), and they respond. The record<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
made at Sony Pictures Studios with<br />
the usual topflight<br />
band of L.A. studio<br />
musicians, is<br />
better than<br />
decent—tonally<br />
natural and with a<br />
plausible reverb.<br />
But Williams’ best work of the year<br />
(which would be a lifetime best for<br />
many a Hollywood journeyman) may<br />
well be the score he produced for Rob<br />
Marshall’s Memoirs of a Geisha.<br />
Aphoristic, contemplative, and powerfully<br />
evocative, it features major solos by<br />
cellist Yo-Yo Ma (with whom Williams<br />
also worked on Seven Years <strong>in</strong> Tibet) and a<br />
couple of cameos from Itzhak Perlman<br />
(featured <strong>in</strong> Willams’ music for<br />
Sch<strong>in</strong>dler’s List, but their collaboration<br />
goes all the way back to 1971’s Fiddler on<br />
the Roof, for which Williams won his<br />
first Oscar). The score relies on drones<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 153
m u s i c classical<br />
and spare textures, with Japanese accents<br />
provided by koto, a plethora of exotic<br />
percussion, and prom<strong>in</strong>ent use of<br />
shakuhachi—a breathy “bamboo” flute.<br />
This is a ve<strong>in</strong> Williams has been m<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
for a long time, but he comes up strong<br />
here: effortlessly susta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g long sections<br />
of music, he recaptures some of the magic<br />
he found <strong>in</strong> E.T. and Hook, and some of<br />
the suspense he achieved <strong>in</strong> Close<br />
Encounters, especially <strong>in</strong> the spectral, suspenseful<br />
“The Rooftops of the<br />
Hanamachi.” Most of the record<strong>in</strong>g was<br />
done at UCLA’s Royce Hall, where the<br />
Los Angeles Philharmonic used to record<br />
for Decca, and that really helps the sound.<br />
The imag<strong>in</strong>g is solid, with excellent<br />
front-to-back depth, the orchestral sound<br />
well balanced, with appropriate body, and<br />
the solos immediate and nicely <strong>in</strong>tegrated<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the whole.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally, to Peter Jackson’s K<strong>in</strong>g Kong.<br />
But first, some precedent. Max Ste<strong>in</strong>er’s<br />
score for RKO’s 1933 K<strong>in</strong>g Kong was the<br />
first full-length film score, and established<br />
the model for the adventure/horror<br />
genre that <strong>in</strong> many ways Hollywood<br />
still follows today. In the case of James<br />
Newton Howard’s score for the new K<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Kong, “follows” is <strong>in</strong>deed the operative<br />
word. Howard certa<strong>in</strong>ly knows his craft,<br />
and he knows what others have done,<br />
almost too well. He gets it all <strong>in</strong>: the<br />
tremulous rustl<strong>in</strong>gs and eerie harmonics<br />
<strong>in</strong> the str<strong>in</strong>gs; the meditative solo piano<br />
and guitar obbligato; the pound<strong>in</strong>g percussion<br />
and om<strong>in</strong>ous brass; and, at<br />
moments of greatest urgency, the awed<br />
choral overlay. All the clichés <strong>in</strong> the<br />
book, piled high as the jungle canopy,<br />
but, let’s admit it, masterfully handled.<br />
Most of the score is <strong>in</strong> what used to be<br />
called “the key of woe m<strong>in</strong>or,” and there<br />
are little tips of the hat to Bernard<br />
Herrmann and John Williams just to<br />
make sure you get it. Not very orig<strong>in</strong>al,<br />
but undoubtedly effective. The ma<strong>in</strong><br />
drawback is the sound. The score was<br />
recorded piecemeal <strong>in</strong> numerous venues,<br />
some of them pretty dry and “studioish,”<br />
and mixed and processed to a fare-theewell.<br />
The result sounds way too artificial<br />
to listen to, unless you happen to be<br />
watch<strong>in</strong>g the movie at the same time.<br />
Which, for K<strong>in</strong>g Kong, is clearly the<br />
po<strong>in</strong>t—it’s about the ape, stupid!<br />
TED LIBBEY<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Williams:<br />
Sch<strong>in</strong>dler’s List; Howard: The Sixth Sense<br />
Philip Glass/Allen G<strong>in</strong>sberg: Symphony<br />
No. 6, Plutonian Ode. Bruckner Orchester<br />
L<strong>in</strong>z, Dennis Russell Davies, conductor;<br />
Lauren Flanigan, soprano. Michael<br />
Riesman and Kurt Munkacsi, producers;<br />
Dan Bora, Ichiho Nishiki, and Dave Perry,<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eers. Orange Mounta<strong>in</strong> Music 0020.<br />
Music: ★★★★ 1/2 Sonics: ★★★★<br />
Bongos<br />
be<br />
damned.<br />
When the great<br />
beat poet Allen<br />
G<strong>in</strong>sberg chose to<br />
read to music, he<br />
eschewed “conventional”<br />
bohemian trapp<strong>in</strong>gs associated<br />
with folk and bebop music of the ’50s and<br />
’60s. Especially later <strong>in</strong> life, he preferred<br />
either the downtown Manhattan cutt<strong>in</strong>gedge<br />
fusions masterm<strong>in</strong>ded by producer<br />
Hal Willner or avant-classical sett<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
crafted most notably by fellow Buddhist<br />
Philip Glass. On the occasion of his 65 th<br />
birthday, the latter was commissioned by<br />
Carnegie Hall and Austria’s<br />
Brucknerhaus L<strong>in</strong>z to compose his sixth<br />
symphony, us<strong>in</strong>g G<strong>in</strong>sberg’s epic 1978<br />
poem as the libretto. By the time the poet<br />
died <strong>in</strong> 1997, he had recorded several<br />
read<strong>in</strong>gs of the work, which decries the<br />
“radioactive nemesis,” envisions an idyllic<br />
threat-free world of “sunlit mounta<strong>in</strong><br />
meadows sloped to rust-red sandstone<br />
cliffs above brick townhouse roofs,” and<br />
calls on like-m<strong>in</strong>ded dissenters, artists,<br />
and spiritual fellow travelers to “take <strong>this</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>halation of black poison to your heart,<br />
breathe out <strong>this</strong> bless<strong>in</strong>g from your breast<br />
on our creation.”<br />
To realize G<strong>in</strong>sberg’s tripartite vision,<br />
Glass, who orig<strong>in</strong>ally conceived of the<br />
project as piano music, wrote three correspond<strong>in</strong>g<br />
orchestral movements, performed<br />
here by the Bruckner Orchester<br />
L<strong>in</strong>z and the dar<strong>in</strong>g lyric soprano Lauren<br />
Flanigan. Conducted by Dennis Russell<br />
Davies, the orchestra <strong>in</strong>vests Glass’ trademark<br />
arpeggios with robust energy, and<br />
Flanigan adds pierc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>tensity above<br />
the two-aga<strong>in</strong>st-three pulses that almost<br />
<strong>in</strong>variably drive Glass’ music. The dark<br />
drama of the work, even if often r<strong>in</strong>gs alltoo<br />
familiar, suits G<strong>in</strong>sberg’s forebod<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and embodies the message when the<br />
words are not clearly discernible <strong>in</strong><br />
Flanigan’s delivery.<br />
Smooth through the entire <strong>in</strong>strumental<br />
range, the sonics are rich <strong>in</strong> the<br />
lows and mids and sparkl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the range<br />
of brass and bells, grandly push<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
pure, clear tones of Flanigan’s voice to the<br />
fore. On the second disc, G<strong>in</strong>sberg’s read<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of the poem is overdubbed out <strong>in</strong><br />
front of the symphony and soprano performance.<br />
He adds warm, gritty emotionalism<br />
that some may f<strong>in</strong>d mismatched to<br />
the lofty art music, but it makes the<br />
humanity of his concerns more palpable<br />
and rem<strong>in</strong>ds us how <strong>in</strong>spirational his<br />
unique, homey, and greatly missed voice<br />
could be.<br />
DERK RICHARDSON<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Philip Glass/Allen<br />
G<strong>in</strong>sberg: Hydrogen Jukebox; Kronos<br />
Quartet: Howl, U.S.A.<br />
Orlando Consort: The Rose, the Lily & the<br />
Whortleberry. Nicholas Parker, producer<br />
and eng<strong>in</strong>eer. Harmonia Mundi 907398.<br />
Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★★<br />
On The Rose, the<br />
Lily & the<br />
Whortleberry, the<br />
Orlandos give us<br />
24 motets and<br />
chansons written<br />
between 1250 and<br />
1565 whose texts reference flower and<br />
garden imagery. Lest you th<strong>in</strong>k <strong>this</strong><br />
makes for a disc full of pastoral boredom,<br />
be advised that many of the selections are<br />
full of X-rated sexual <strong>in</strong>nuendos and double<br />
entendres. A 15 th century English<br />
motet, for example, compares a beauty’s<br />
breast to clusters of grapes, and a chanson<br />
from Burgundy has the lady s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g “I<br />
was spr<strong>in</strong>kled … by the lov<strong>in</strong>g dew,” and<br />
I don’t th<strong>in</strong>k she had a light drizzle <strong>in</strong><br />
m<strong>in</strong>d. Tame by current standards, but<br />
154 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 250 th<br />
birthday year has only just begun,<br />
but worthy new SACD record<strong>in</strong>gs of the<br />
Austrian master’s music have been<br />
appear<strong>in</strong>g for months.<br />
Andrew Manze, the baroque viol<strong>in</strong>ist<br />
par excellence, is jo<strong>in</strong>ed by his usual<br />
accompanist Richard Egarr on fortepiano<br />
to offer stunn<strong>in</strong>g performances of<br />
four sonatas for keyboard and viol<strong>in</strong>.<br />
The two works <strong>in</strong> F and the one <strong>in</strong> E-<br />
flat were among the very first pieces<br />
Mozart composed after mov<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
Vienna <strong>in</strong> 1781, f<strong>in</strong>ally escap<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
stifl<strong>in</strong>g environment of Pr<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
Archbishop Colloredo’s court <strong>in</strong><br />
Salzburg. The pieces exude a sense of<br />
liberation and a progressive spirit that<br />
is fully evident <strong>in</strong> these fresh, exuberant<br />
read<strong>in</strong>gs. On pianoforte, Egarr<br />
plays full out without overwhelm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the viol<strong>in</strong>ist, and Manze’s vibratoless<br />
but very appeal<strong>in</strong>g tone makes the<br />
material sound especially vivid and<br />
adventuresome, thanks to the brac<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
earthy colors of the period <strong>in</strong>struments.<br />
The disc also holds the Sonata <strong>in</strong> C<br />
major, two movements completed by<br />
Mozart with a f<strong>in</strong>ale idiomatically f<strong>in</strong>ished<br />
up by Maximilian Stadler, who<br />
knew the composer well. Recorded <strong>in</strong> a<br />
Dutch church, the SACD doesn’t provide<br />
much suggestion of a reverberant<br />
acoustic, even <strong>in</strong> surround, but the characteristic<br />
sonorities of the viol<strong>in</strong> and<br />
keyboard are faithfully captured.<br />
Likewise, Manze’s approach to three<br />
of the Mozart viol<strong>in</strong> concertos is emotionally<br />
direct. The impression of a dialogue<br />
between soloist and orchestra is<br />
strong, reflect<strong>in</strong>g the close work<strong>in</strong>g relationship<br />
between Manze and The<br />
English Concert. (The viol<strong>in</strong>ist took<br />
over the directorship of the renowned<br />
orig<strong>in</strong>al <strong>in</strong>strument group from Trevor<br />
P<strong>in</strong>nock <strong>in</strong> 2003.) Manze’s technique<br />
may not possess the steely perfection of<br />
an Anne-Sophie Mutter but neither is it<br />
threadbare. These are self-effac<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>term<br />
u s i c classical<br />
Andrew Manze<br />
then aga<strong>in</strong>, we live <strong>in</strong> coarser times.<br />
The four-man Consort s<strong>in</strong>gs with<br />
ideal purity, their well-blended voices<br />
weav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> and out of the complex contrapuntal<br />
l<strong>in</strong>es. In a French chanson<br />
about a maid’s deflower<strong>in</strong>g, they s<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with a rhythmic zest you could dance to,<br />
and an English selection opens with a<br />
hypnotically melismatic open<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
leads to an early example of the round,<br />
with each voice tak<strong>in</strong>g the lead <strong>in</strong> turn.<br />
Not surpris<strong>in</strong>gly, many of the texts are<br />
drawn from the Biblical Song of Songs,<br />
either directly or by <strong>in</strong>ference. An Agnus<br />
Dei from a Mass by Frye makes a surpris<strong>in</strong>g<br />
appearance due to its use of the<br />
melody of the secular motet on the preced<strong>in</strong>g<br />
track. Other composers <strong>in</strong>clude<br />
such lum<strong>in</strong>aries as Machaut, Brunel,<br />
Gombert, and our old friend,<br />
Anonymous.<br />
Performances are first rate, the music<br />
attractive though perhaps best heard <strong>in</strong><br />
chunks of several tracks unless you’re a<br />
devotee of <strong>this</strong> period’s dense counterpo<strong>in</strong>t.<br />
At over 76 m<strong>in</strong>utes, tim<strong>in</strong>g is generous.<br />
And the packag<strong>in</strong>g is downright<br />
opulent: a 116-page book with copious<br />
color illustrations, texts, and translations,<br />
even a design for a “new medieval garden”<br />
with recommended grasses, trees,<br />
hedges and flowers.<br />
The eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g is ideal. Voices have<br />
body, timbres are true, and the ensemble<br />
s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g is transparent. Despite a resonant<br />
church venue that lends warmth to the<br />
sound, the clarity is such that you can<br />
trace each of the complex vocal l<strong>in</strong>es as<br />
they dip and bob and soar, essential <strong>in</strong><br />
music that otherwise might sound congealed.<br />
DD<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Orlando Consort:<br />
The Toledo Summit; Orlando Consort:<br />
Food, W<strong>in</strong>e and Song<br />
SACD<br />
Mozart: Viol<strong>in</strong> Sonatas <strong>in</strong> F, K. 376; F, K.<br />
377; E-flat, K. 380; C, K. 403. Andrew<br />
Manze, viol<strong>in</strong>; Richard Egarr, fortepiano.<br />
Rob<strong>in</strong>a G. Young, producer; Brad Michel,<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer. Hybrid multichannel. Harmonia<br />
Mundi 807380. Music: ★★★★ 1/2<br />
Sonics: ★★★<br />
Mozart: Viol<strong>in</strong> Concertos Nos. 3, 4 & 5.<br />
Andrew Manze, viol<strong>in</strong>; The English<br />
Concert. Rob<strong>in</strong>a G. Young, producer; Brad<br />
Michel, eng<strong>in</strong>eer. Hybrid multichannel.<br />
Harmonia Mundi 807385.<br />
Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★ 1/2<br />
Mozart: Viol<strong>in</strong> Concertos 3 & 4. Adagio, K.<br />
261. Rondo, K. 269. Julia Fischer, viol<strong>in</strong>;<br />
Netherlands Chamber Orchestra; Yakov<br />
Kreizberg, conductor. Job Maarse, producer;<br />
Sebastian Ste<strong>in</strong> and Jean-Marie<br />
Geijsen, eng<strong>in</strong>eers. Hybrid multichannel.<br />
PentaTone 5186 064. Music: ★★★★<br />
Sonics: ★★★ 1/2<br />
Mozart: W<strong>in</strong>d Concertos: for Horn (No. 1);<br />
for Flute (No. 1); for Bassoon; for Oboe.<br />
Soloists; Concertgebouw Chamber<br />
Orchestra. Everett Porter, producer; Jean-<br />
Marie Geijsen, eng<strong>in</strong>eer. Hybrid multichannel.<br />
PentaTone 5186 079.<br />
Music: ★★ 1/2 Sonics: ★★★ 1/2<br />
156 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
m u s i c classical<br />
HOT WAX<br />
Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites 1 and 2, Lyric Suite. Eileen Farrell<br />
(soloist); Boston Pops Orchestra, Arthur Fiedler, conductor.<br />
Cisco/RCA LSC 2125. Music: ★ 1/2 Sonics: ★★★<br />
Are<strong>issue</strong> like <strong>this</strong> one rather makes<br />
me wonder what level of the barrel<br />
we’ve come to. It’s not that<br />
Fiedler and the Pops don’t play the<br />
dickens out of Grieg’s three suites, or<br />
that the sound from <strong>this</strong> relatively<br />
early RCA Shaded Dog isn’t up to<br />
snuff. The Boston Pops, than whom none was better at <strong>this</strong><br />
sort of fare when Fiedler was at the helm, do their customary<br />
ebullient job, and Cisco’s repress<strong>in</strong>g is a great improvement<br />
over the orig<strong>in</strong>al <strong>in</strong> every regard. The weakish bass, <strong>in</strong><br />
particular, has undergone a sea change, ga<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g considerable<br />
power, color, and solidity (though it still isn’t the most<br />
floor-shak<strong>in</strong>g I’ve heard—for <strong>in</strong>stance, on the celebrated<br />
bass drum thwacks at the f<strong>in</strong>ish of “In the Hall of the<br />
Mounta<strong>in</strong> K<strong>in</strong>g”). Str<strong>in</strong>g, w<strong>in</strong>d, and brass tone are gorgeous.<br />
Nonetheless, given all the marvelous, little-known<br />
repertory that hasn’t been sold and resold on LP scores of<br />
times, I’m still left wonder<strong>in</strong>g whether the world needs<br />
another v<strong>in</strong>yl re<strong>issue</strong> of the Peer Gynt Suites, even one as<br />
well-played and good-sound<strong>in</strong>g as <strong>this</strong> is.<br />
A few months ago, I actually had to sit through the<br />
Suites, which made up the post-<strong>in</strong>termission half of a<br />
C<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>nati Symphony Orchestra concert. (The first half was,<br />
believe it or not, Bartók’s Music for Str<strong>in</strong>gs, Percussion and<br />
Celesta!) I couldn’t leave for political reasons (though I saw<br />
my friend Mark Lehman sneak<strong>in</strong>g out) and perforce had to<br />
endure “Ase’s Death” and “Anitra’s Dance” and “Ingrid’s<br />
Lament” for what seemed like days. My po<strong>in</strong>t is: You don’t.<br />
Unless you’re a Grieg completist, a Fiedler fan, or an RCA<br />
collector (and barr<strong>in</strong>g the off chance that you’ve never heard<br />
<strong>this</strong> music before <strong>in</strong> some elevator), my advice would be to<br />
steer clear. And my advice to my friend Robert P<strong>in</strong>cus at<br />
Cisco is that it is time to turn the page on bottom-of-thebarrel<br />
RCAs. There is a veritable universe of EMIs, Argos,<br />
Decca Heads, L’Oiseau Lyres, Novas, Hungarotons,<br />
Supraphons, MusicMasters, Pantons, Caprices,<br />
Contemporary Music Series, Epics, and Columbias out there<br />
that no one has touched. Be a little dar<strong>in</strong>g. JONATHAN VALIN<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Ernst H. Meyer: Symphonie für Streicher;<br />
Viktor Kalabis: Sonáta pro Housle a Klavír<br />
pretations devoted to serv<strong>in</strong>g the composer’s<br />
expressive voice rather than to<br />
mere virtuosic display. The soloist wrote<br />
the stylistically apt cadenzas himself.<br />
The concertos were recorded at Air<br />
Studios’ Lyndhurst Hall <strong>in</strong> London, and<br />
the sound is <strong>in</strong>timate and relaxed—<br />
perfect for <strong>this</strong> music and Manze’s<br />
approach to it. The orchestra’s slapp<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of bows on str<strong>in</strong>gs dur<strong>in</strong>g the “Turkish”<br />
episode of No. 5’s f<strong>in</strong>ale is strik<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
dynamic immediacy.<br />
I certa<strong>in</strong>ly have no problem with<br />
Mozart—or Haydn, Bach, Handel, or<br />
Vivaldi—executed on modern <strong>in</strong>struments,<br />
though the two PentaTone<br />
SACDs demonstrate the range of possible<br />
outcomes. Julia Fischer’s render<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
of Concertos Nos. 3 and 4 are big, bold,<br />
and extroverted. She plays with graceful,<br />
lithe musicality and a sweetness of<br />
tone rem<strong>in</strong>iscent of Hilary Hahn, who’s<br />
just a few years her senior. Yakov<br />
Kreizberg supports her sensitively, provid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a wonderful ease and flow to the<br />
orchestral contribution. The disc is<br />
filled out with “substitute” movements<br />
from two other Mozart concertos, a<br />
lovely Adagio and a sprightly Rondo.<br />
Like Manze, Fischer plays her own<br />
cadenzas for most of the eight movements<br />
on the program.<br />
There can be no compla<strong>in</strong>ts about<br />
the technical capacities of the four<br />
soloists on the W<strong>in</strong>d Concerto album.<br />
Jacob Slagter (French horn), Emily<br />
Beynon (flute), Gustavo Núñez (bassoon),<br />
and Alexei Ogr<strong>in</strong>tchouk (oboe)<br />
are, after all, first-chair players <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. But<br />
these performances, beautiful as they<br />
are, are wrong <strong>in</strong> scale, overly ripe and<br />
plush. As a result, some of the operalike<br />
drama is miss<strong>in</strong>g, and they beg<strong>in</strong> to<br />
take on the flavor of n<strong>in</strong>eteenth-century<br />
confections. The conductorless orchestra—aga<strong>in</strong>,<br />
all RCO members—plays<br />
well, if a bit blandly. Both the W<strong>in</strong>d<br />
Concerto disc and the Fischer program<br />
were recorded <strong>in</strong> Amsterdam’s Waalse<br />
Kerk; multichannel presents a very<br />
atmospheric feel for the venue. Fischer<br />
sounds to be positioned very close to the<br />
orchestra, and balances between soloist<br />
and ensemble are excellent on the W<strong>in</strong>d<br />
Concerto disc.<br />
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Aliante Speakers, Night<strong>in</strong>gale Class<br />
A Tube Amps imported from Italy.<br />
Custom American made tube amps,<br />
wired <strong>in</strong>ternally with pure silver cryo<br />
treated wire. Incredibly sweet and<br />
euphoric. troy-logan@sbcglobal.net<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 159
m u s i c JAZZ<br />
Jazz Caps<br />
Manu Katche: Neighbourhood. Manfred<br />
Eicher, producer. ECM 1896 350.<br />
Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★★<br />
Attentive pop<br />
fans will recognize<br />
the name<br />
Manu Katche<br />
from the French<br />
drummer’s associations<br />
with<br />
Peter Gabriel, St<strong>in</strong>g, Joni Mitchell, Dire<br />
Straits, Robbie Robertson, and Youssou<br />
N’Dour. Some might have tracked down<br />
his 1992 BMG France record<strong>in</strong>g as a<br />
leader, It’s About Time, with its all-star<br />
fusion l<strong>in</strong>eup that featured Gabriel,<br />
Daniel Lanois, Branford Marsalis, David<br />
Sancious, and others. Jazz aficionados<br />
with ears tuned towards the dist<strong>in</strong>ctive<br />
European elegance of the ECM impr<strong>in</strong>t<br />
probably know Katche’s work with saxophonist<br />
Jan Garbarek on such albums<br />
as Twelve Moons, In Praise of Dreams, and<br />
Ragas and Sagas.<br />
For <strong>this</strong> work, ECM impresario<br />
Manfred Eicher negotiated a merger<br />
between the Katche-Garbarek partnership<br />
and one of his label’s latest franchise<br />
players, trumpeter Tomasz Stanko,<br />
who brought along his pianist, Marc<strong>in</strong><br />
Wasilewski, and bassist, Slawomir<br />
Kurkiewicz, to complete the band for<br />
Katche’s ECM debut as a leader. The<br />
moves paid off. Katche, a 37-year-old<br />
Conservatory-tra<strong>in</strong>ed Parisian with<br />
family roots <strong>in</strong> Ivory Coast, makes himself<br />
at home <strong>in</strong> the ECM aesthetic of<br />
cool emotions, warm undercurrents, and<br />
spacious sonics.<br />
Neighbourhood often sounds like it<br />
could have been Garbarek’s or Stanko’s<br />
date. Both saxophonist and trumpeter<br />
take characteristic solo turns marked by<br />
bittersweet melodies, carefully constra<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
passions, and impeccable<br />
tones. And Wasilewski, who anchors<br />
the Stanko rhythm section (which has<br />
recorded impressively as Trio), gets<br />
ample room to exercise his nimble and<br />
graceful touch. Still, by virtue of<br />
Katche’s all-orig<strong>in</strong>al compositions and<br />
his certa<strong>in</strong> guidance of the <strong>in</strong>sistent<br />
govern<strong>in</strong>g pulses and deceptively simple-sound<strong>in</strong>g<br />
rhythmic configurations,<br />
it’s clear that everyone is play<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />
drummer’s house. Unlike many of the<br />
drummers Eicher favors, Katche is<br />
more prone to set up a very musical,<br />
almost melodic, pattern on toms and<br />
snares rather than spread<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
rhythm until it almost dissolves. As he<br />
manipulates it <strong>in</strong> place, the other musicians<br />
meditate on closely bound<br />
melodies that have a 1960s<br />
Miles/Hancock/Shorter feel.<br />
With lots of air and space, the sonics<br />
grant an exquisite realism to every<br />
<strong>in</strong>strument, especially the wood, sk<strong>in</strong>,<br />
and metal of Katche’s kit, to po<strong>in</strong>t where<br />
you can actually luxuriate <strong>in</strong> a cymbal<br />
splash.<br />
DERK RICHARDSON<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Jan Garbarek: In<br />
Praise of Dreams; Tomasz Stanko:<br />
Suspended Night<br />
Ken Hatfield: Str<strong>in</strong>g Theory. Hatfield, producer;<br />
Jim Clouse, eng<strong>in</strong>eer. Arthur Circle<br />
Music 7502. Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★★<br />
This is the<br />
most satisfy<strong>in</strong>g<br />
solo guitar<br />
album I’ve heard<br />
<strong>in</strong> a long time. I<br />
don’t know<br />
whether to call it<br />
jazz—it’s as much classical, folk, gypsy,<br />
and blues—but Ken Hatfield has such a<br />
command of all these genres, <strong>in</strong> technique<br />
and idiom, that he can call it<br />
whatever he wants.<br />
A confession: I usually f<strong>in</strong>d solo<br />
jazz guitar a bit bor<strong>in</strong>g and, when it’s<br />
imbued with classical <strong>in</strong>fluences, a bit<br />
precious to boot. But there’s someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
different about Hatfield, whose<br />
name I’d never run across until his<br />
publicist sent me <strong>this</strong> CD; it’s a name<br />
we’d all be see<strong>in</strong>g, if justice ruled the<br />
music biz.<br />
Listen to his 12 “Snowhill<br />
Variations,” each about a m<strong>in</strong>ute long,<br />
cover<strong>in</strong>g the same theme as, vary<strong>in</strong>gly,<br />
baroque, Renaissance, Irish, Spanish,<br />
pop, bluegrass, f<strong>in</strong>ally end<strong>in</strong>g with an<br />
<strong>in</strong>fectiously rhythmic samba—none<br />
gimmicky, each style conv<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>g, elegant,<br />
even passionate on its own terms.<br />
On half the album, Hatfield plays<br />
nylon-str<strong>in</strong>g guitar; on the other half,<br />
he plays overdubbed duets with dobro<br />
or mandol<strong>in</strong>. S<strong>in</strong>ce his music tends<br />
toward the polyphonic on his own,<br />
these duets are head-shak<strong>in</strong>gly rich.<br />
But there’s noth<strong>in</strong>g self-conscious<br />
about his virtuosity; there’s even a casualness,<br />
which lets <strong>in</strong> an airy sw<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Hatfield, who lives <strong>in</strong> Queens but grew<br />
up <strong>in</strong> Virg<strong>in</strong>ia, can also stir a backwoods<br />
wit when he wants. His threepart<br />
opener, “The Gospel Accord<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
Sam,” is an ironic tribute to his<br />
Southern homily-recit<strong>in</strong>g dad, not<br />
some righteous meditation. The disc’s<br />
f<strong>in</strong>al seven tracks, under the head<strong>in</strong>g<br />
“Borges & I,” are named after stories by<br />
the Argent<strong>in</strong>e surrealist Jorge Luis<br />
Borges, and they share some of his<br />
knotty playfulness.<br />
Str<strong>in</strong>g Theory was recorded <strong>in</strong> a tilefloored<br />
basement-turned-studio through<br />
a stereo pair of Earthworks QTC-1 and<br />
QTC-30 omni microphones (known for<br />
their extended high frequencies and fast<br />
response to transients) with no EQ or<br />
compression. And that’s how <strong>this</strong> album<br />
sounds: live, spacious, naturally reverberant,<br />
and f<strong>in</strong>ely detailed. Had the session<br />
been taken down on analog tape or<br />
Direct Stream Digital, <strong>in</strong>stead of a conventional<br />
hard drive, sonics might have<br />
been close to perfect; as is, the sound is<br />
damn f<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
FRED KAPLAN<br />
Further Listen<strong>in</strong>g: Marc Ribot: Sa<strong>in</strong>ts;<br />
Gene Bertonc<strong>in</strong>i: Quiet Now<br />
WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 161
m u s i c jazz<br />
Paul Motian Band: Garden of Eden.<br />
Manfred Eicher, producer. ECM 1917.<br />
Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★★<br />
Given his historic<br />
associations<br />
with Bill<br />
Evans and Keith<br />
Jarrett, as well as<br />
his recent <strong>in</strong>timate<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g<br />
relationship with Marilyn Crispell and a<br />
track record that extends all the way<br />
back to Lennie Tristano and up through<br />
Carla Bley, Mose Allison, and Gonzalo<br />
Rubalcaba, it would be easy to th<strong>in</strong>k of<br />
Paul Motian as “a pianist’s drummer.”<br />
But as a leader, Motian has favored electric<br />
guitars over keyboards, probably<br />
because their tonal elasticity so naturally<br />
suits his supple approach to time and<br />
his emphasis on color and texture over<br />
relentless drive.<br />
Last year, after long st<strong>in</strong>ts record<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for JMT and W<strong>in</strong>ter and W<strong>in</strong>ter, Motian<br />
returned to ECM (the label where he<br />
made his debut as a leader <strong>in</strong> 1972) <strong>in</strong> a<br />
trio with longtime collaborators Bill<br />
Frisell and Joe Lovano on I Have the Room<br />
Above Her. For Garden of Eden, he builds<br />
on the larger Electric Bebop Band format<br />
he <strong>in</strong>troduced <strong>in</strong> the early ’90s with<br />
three guitarists (Jacob Bro, Steve<br />
Cardenas, and Ben Monder), two saxophonists<br />
(Tony Malaby and Chris<br />
Cheek), and electric bass (Jerome<br />
Harris). The septet context and relative<br />
brevity of the pieces keep the solos<br />
re<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> and further emphasize the<br />
tonal-watercolor aspect of the ensemble<br />
sound. After open<strong>in</strong>g with two Charles<br />
M<strong>in</strong>gus classics, “Pithecanthropus<br />
Erectus” and “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,”<br />
the program concentrates on moody,<br />
mostly contemplative orig<strong>in</strong>als (seven<br />
by Motian and one each by Cheek and<br />
Cardenas) on the way to a boppish conclusion<br />
with Monk’s “Evidence” and<br />
Charlie Parker’s “Cheryl.”<br />
With solos deemphasized between<br />
the opener and closers, Garden of Eden<br />
unfolds as a series of <strong>in</strong>tertw<strong>in</strong>ed melodic<br />
l<strong>in</strong>es and pastoral harmonic washes.<br />
Paul Motian<br />
Although the lush and crystall<strong>in</strong>e sonics<br />
give precise def<strong>in</strong>ition to <strong>in</strong>dividual<br />
<strong>in</strong>struments, the snap of Motian’s sk<strong>in</strong>s<br />
and the ticks, soft crashes, and purrs of<br />
his cymbals are especially prist<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> the<br />
midrange-dom<strong>in</strong>ant mix.<br />
DR<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Paul Motian and the<br />
Electric Bebop Band: Re<strong>in</strong>carnation of a<br />
Love Bird; Jerry Granelli: A Song I Thought<br />
I Heard Buddy S<strong>in</strong>g<br />
N<strong>in</strong>a Simone: The Soul of N<strong>in</strong>a Simone.<br />
RCA/Legacy 71973. Music: ★★★★<br />
Sonics: ★★★<br />
N<strong>in</strong>a Simone: Forever Young, Gifted &<br />
Black. RCA/Legacy 74413.<br />
Music: ★★★★ Sonics: ★★★<br />
N<strong>in</strong>a Simone: N<strong>in</strong>a Simone S<strong>in</strong>gs the<br />
Blues. RCA/Legacy 73334. Music: ★★★<br />
Sonics: ★★<br />
N<strong>in</strong>a Simone: Silk & Soul. RCA/Legacy<br />
73335. Music: ★★ Sonics: ★★<br />
For The Soul of N<strong>in</strong>a Simone: Barry<br />
Feldman, producer. For all others: Danny<br />
Davis, orig<strong>in</strong>al producer; Richard Seidel,<br />
re<strong>issue</strong> producer.<br />
You need only listen to the way N<strong>in</strong>a<br />
Simone transforms the British<br />
Invasion ballad “Don’t Let Me Be<br />
Misunderstood” <strong>in</strong>to a simmer<strong>in</strong>g spiritual<br />
to know that she’s someth<strong>in</strong>g special.<br />
No wonder she’s regarded as the<br />
High Priestess of Soul and an <strong>in</strong>spiration<br />
to a new generation of strong female<br />
s<strong>in</strong>gers and songwriters, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Alicia<br />
Keys, Lauryn Hill, and Norah Jones. Yet<br />
for many, Simone, who died <strong>in</strong> 2003 at<br />
the age of 70, rema<strong>in</strong>s a mystery.<br />
The Juilliard-tra<strong>in</strong>ed pianist started<br />
vocaliz<strong>in</strong>g as a way to expand her role as<br />
an <strong>in</strong>strumental accompanist. Blessed<br />
with a reedy voice and a no-nonsense<br />
attitude, Simone is a bold song <strong>in</strong>terpreter<br />
who defies categorization. Her<br />
albums have spanned blues, soul, jazz,<br />
gospel, folk, show tunes, pop, and<br />
protest songs—a multi-faceted career<br />
that baffles those eager to pigeonhole<br />
someone who has described these seem<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
far-flung styles simply as black<br />
classical music.<br />
This quartet of newly re<strong>issue</strong>d discs<br />
<strong>in</strong>cludes expanded editions of her first<br />
two RCA LPs, N<strong>in</strong>a Simone S<strong>in</strong>gs the<br />
Blues and Silk & Soul, and a pair of new<br />
compilations, Forever Young, Gifted &<br />
Black: Songs of Freedom and Spirit and the<br />
DualDisc anthology The Soul of N<strong>in</strong>a<br />
Simone, all steps toward restor<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Simone’s catalogue and help<strong>in</strong>g put <strong>this</strong><br />
unique s<strong>in</strong>ger’s gifts <strong>in</strong> sharper focus.<br />
1967’s N<strong>in</strong>a Simone S<strong>in</strong>gs the Blues,<br />
released eight years after her debut on<br />
the small Bethlehem label scored a Top<br />
20 hit with “I Loves You Porgy,” <strong>in</strong>troduced<br />
Simone to a wider audience. The<br />
162 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
m u s i c jazz<br />
album ranges from the gritty urban<br />
blues of “Do I Move You” to the uptempo<br />
soul of “Real Deal.” At times these<br />
studio arrangements are madden<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
generic, but the players (especially guitarist<br />
Eric Gale) and Simone’s own excellent<br />
piano work spark plenty of magic.<br />
All that, two bonus tracks, and the sassy<br />
“I Want a Little Sugar <strong>in</strong> My Bowl”—<br />
not too shabby.<br />
Less soulful than its bluesy predecessor,<br />
the uneven Silk & Soul suffers from a<br />
slick studio sound and forgettable covers—a<br />
so-so read<strong>in</strong>g of Burt Bacharach’s<br />
“The Look of Love,” a sappy take on the<br />
Association’s “Cherish.” Simone is best<br />
when left to her own design. Check out<br />
the stripped-down blues ballad “Love ’o<br />
Love,” written by husband/manager<br />
Andy Stroud, or the defiant “I Wish I<br />
Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free.”<br />
Simone hit her stride <strong>in</strong> 1969 with<br />
the release of “Young, Gifted and<br />
Black,” an <strong>in</strong>spirational Black Power<br />
salute that was a hit for Aretha Frankl<strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong> 1972. The song lends its name to a<br />
new compilation that gathers such<br />
civil-rights-era anthems as “I Wish I<br />
Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”<br />
and Simone’s powerful “Mississippi<br />
Goddam,” heard here wracked with<br />
pa<strong>in</strong> and pathos and recorded the night<br />
after the assass<strong>in</strong>ation of Mart<strong>in</strong> Luther<br />
K<strong>in</strong>g. The title track is <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong><br />
both studio and live versions. This mov<strong>in</strong>g<br />
collection also features an unedited<br />
live version of “Why (The K<strong>in</strong>g of Love<br />
is Dead),” a heart-wrench<strong>in</strong>g MLK tribute<br />
penned by bassist Gene Taylor and<br />
performed the next night.<br />
Arrangements are sparse, thus allow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
songs to soar on the w<strong>in</strong>gs of Simone’s<br />
barely conta<strong>in</strong>ed rage.<br />
For the un<strong>in</strong>itiated, The Soul of N<strong>in</strong>a<br />
Simone is a good primer. Her transcendent<br />
take on the Anthony Newly pop<br />
tune “Feel<strong>in</strong>g Good” alone is worth the<br />
price of admission. The collection also<br />
<strong>in</strong>cludes the aforementioned “Don’t Let<br />
Me Be Misunderstood,” the bluesy<br />
lover’s lament “In the Dark,” an emotionally<br />
naked sp<strong>in</strong> on Randy<br />
Newman’s “I Th<strong>in</strong>k It’s Go<strong>in</strong>g to Ra<strong>in</strong><br />
Today,” and the gleeful “My Baby Just<br />
The Best <strong>in</strong> New-Format Software<br />
(All titles multichannel unless otherwise noted)<br />
SACD<br />
Bach: The Four Great Toccatas and Fugues. Biggs, organ. Sony 87983 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 143)<br />
Baltic Voices 3. Harmonia Mundi 80739 (★★★★★) (TAS 160)<br />
Patricia Barber: Modern Cool. Mobile Fidelity Hybrid Stereo 2003 (★★★★) (TAS 137)<br />
Beck: Sea Change. Geffen 0694935372 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 141)<br />
John Coltrane: Soultrane. Mobile Fidelity 2020 (★★★★) (TAS 143)<br />
Dvorák: Symphonies 8 and 9 (Fischer). Philips 470 617 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 142)<br />
Love & Lament (Cappella Figuralis). Channel Classics 17002 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 137)<br />
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 (Tilson Thomas). SFS Media 0002 (★★★★★) (TAS 139)<br />
Music for Organ, Brass, and Timpani. Sonoma 001 (★★★★★) (TAS 159)<br />
Music of Tur<strong>in</strong>a & Debussy (Lopez-Cobos). Telarc 60574 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 135)<br />
N<strong>in</strong>e Inch Nails: The Downward Spiral. Interscope 3739 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 152)<br />
Popov: Symphony No. 1. Shostakovich: Theme and Variations. Telarc 60642 (★★★★★) (TAS 152)<br />
Poulenc: Concerto for Organ. L<strong>in</strong>n Records CKD 180 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 138)<br />
Ra<strong>in</strong>bow Body. Barber. Copland. Theofanidis. Telarc 60596 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 144)<br />
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2 (Jarvi). Telarc 60601 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 149)<br />
Ravel: Orchestral Music (Skrowaczewski). Mobile Fidelity 4002 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 146)<br />
Rózsa: Three Choral Suites (Kunzel). Telarc 60631 (★★★★★) (TAS 154)<br />
Ross<strong>in</strong>i: Famous Overtures (Marr<strong>in</strong>er). PentaTone 5186 106 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 142)<br />
Roxy Music: Avalon. Virg<strong>in</strong> 83871 (★★★★ 1/2)<br />
Sa<strong>in</strong>t-Saëns/Tchaikovsky/Bruch: Cello Works. Channel (★★★★★) (TAS 133)<br />
Ste<strong>in</strong>er: The Adventures of Mark Twa<strong>in</strong>. Naxos 6.110087 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 153)<br />
Strav<strong>in</strong>sky: L’Histoire du soldat. Ragtime. PentaTone 5186 046 (★★★★★) (TAS 149)<br />
Vivaldi: La Stravaganza. (Podger) Channel Classics 19504 (★★★★★) (TAS 145)<br />
DVD-A<br />
Beethoven: The N<strong>in</strong>e Symphonies (Abbado). DG 01462/3/4/5/6 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 148)<br />
Deacon John’s Jump Blues. AIX 81004 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 144)<br />
The Flam<strong>in</strong>g Lips: Yoshimi Battles the P<strong>in</strong>k Robots. Warner Brothers (★★★★★) (TAS 145)<br />
Grateful Dead: Work<strong>in</strong>gman’s Dead. Warner Brothers 78356 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 135)<br />
Mickey Hart: Best Of: Over the Edge and Back. Rykodisc 10494 (★★★★★) (TAS 137)<br />
John Williams: A.I. Warner Brothers 48096 (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 135)<br />
Frank Zappa: QuAUDIOPHILIAc. DTS Enterta<strong>in</strong>ment (★★★★ 1/2) (TAS 151)<br />
Zephyr: Voices Unbound. AIX 80012 (★★★★★) (TAS 139)<br />
164 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
m u s i c jazz<br />
Cares for Me,” which put Simone back<br />
on the UK pop charts <strong>in</strong> 1987 after it<br />
was used <strong>in</strong> a Chanel No. 5 TV ad. The<br />
DualDiscs’s DVD side features n<strong>in</strong>e<br />
stunn<strong>in</strong>g performances from the Ed<br />
Sullivan Show (1960), the Bitter End<br />
nightclub (1968), and the Harlem<br />
Festival (1969), all of which capture the<br />
powerhouse performer’s frank stage persona<br />
and musical acumen.<br />
Although remastered, sonically, the<br />
discs are a mixed bag. The two 1967<br />
re<strong>issue</strong>s are bright and harsh. But Forever<br />
Young, Gifted & Black fares much better,<br />
and the DualDisc offers an “enhanced<br />
stereo” that smoothes out the rough<br />
edges. All four discs offer good stereo<br />
separation, with Simone placed clearly<br />
on a wide soundstage. The DVD footage<br />
is a marvel; Simone <strong>in</strong>tensity radiates<br />
with a white heat few performers have<br />
ever matched.<br />
GREG CAHILL<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Abbey L<strong>in</strong>coln: The<br />
World is Fall<strong>in</strong>g Down; Lauryn Hill: The<br />
Miseducation of Lauryn Hill<br />
V<strong>in</strong>ce Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown<br />
Christmas. Noel Lee and John Burk, re<strong>issue</strong><br />
producers; Stephen Hart, re<strong>issue</strong><br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer. Monster Music (two discs: one<br />
stereo CD; one 5.1 DTS DVD with Dolby<br />
headphone surround). Music: ★★★★ 1/2<br />
Sonics: ★★★<br />
M onster<br />
Cable, manufacturer<br />
of f<strong>in</strong>e<br />
cables and power<br />
conditioners, is<br />
gett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to<br />
audiophile music<br />
<strong>in</strong> an odd way. It’s licensed a handful of<br />
hits and re<strong>issue</strong>d them as multiple surround-sound<br />
“experiences.” With the<br />
V<strong>in</strong>ce Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown<br />
Christmas—the most musically worthy of<br />
Monster’s releases—you get two discs.<br />
One is a stereo CD mastered from the<br />
orig<strong>in</strong>al 1965 three-track analog tapes.<br />
The other is a DVD (audio only), playable<br />
as Dolby Digital or as 96/24 DTS, <strong>in</strong> any<br />
of three different surround-sound perspectives—“Front<br />
Row,” “On Stage Jazz<br />
Club,” or “On Stage Concert Hall.” (This<br />
disc can also be downloaded onto an iPod<br />
and heard as simulated surround through<br />
conventional headphones.)<br />
The stereo CD sounds quite nice;<br />
the piano is up front and particularly<br />
resonant, though the drums are off <strong>in</strong> a<br />
corner and seem isolation-booth compressed.<br />
The DVD is another story.<br />
“Front Row” is f<strong>in</strong>e, especially <strong>in</strong> DTS, a<br />
nice left-to-right stereo spread (the<br />
drums sound a bit louder and crisper)<br />
with a subtle ambience from the rear<br />
channels—just enough for a h<strong>in</strong>t of<br />
envelopment, which is the whole po<strong>in</strong>t<br />
of surround sound.<br />
But the “On Stage” mixes, alas, are<br />
as the name implies. They try to put you<br />
<strong>in</strong> the middle of the band—the piano <strong>in</strong><br />
front of you, the drums beh<strong>in</strong>d you. “On<br />
Stage Concert Hall” is the same, but<br />
with tons of artificial echo pumped <strong>in</strong>,<br />
to make those who have never been <strong>in</strong> a<br />
concert hall feel like they might be. For<br />
those who like <strong>this</strong> sort of th<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>this</strong> is<br />
just the sort of th<strong>in</strong>g they like (as Max<br />
Beerbohm once put it), but who are<br />
these people and why do they like <strong>this</strong><br />
sort of th<strong>in</strong>g? And why is Monster Cable<br />
pander<strong>in</strong>g to them, just as a fair number<br />
of record<strong>in</strong>g labels are f<strong>in</strong>ally beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to get surround sound right?<br />
The music, of course, is irresistibly<br />
charm<strong>in</strong>g—breezy, sweet, and quietly<br />
sw<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g. Like Fantasy Records’ commercial<br />
CD, the disc also conta<strong>in</strong>s a bonus<br />
track, from a different session: a lilt<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
off-centered take of “Greensleeves” that’s<br />
masterful by any standard.<br />
FK<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: V<strong>in</strong>ce Guaraldi Trio:<br />
A Boy Named Charlie Brown; Wynton<br />
Marsalis: Crescent City Christmas Card<br />
SACD<br />
Qu<strong>in</strong>s<strong>in</strong> Nachoff: Magic Numbers. Nachoff<br />
and Tony Reif, producers; David Travers-<br />
Smith, eng<strong>in</strong>eer. Hybrid multichannel.<br />
Songl<strong>in</strong>es 1556. Music: ★★★ 1/2<br />
Sonics: ★★★★<br />
Magic Numbers<br />
doesn’t seem<br />
to be a promis<strong>in</strong>g<br />
album on the face<br />
of th<strong>in</strong>gs. A<br />
moody soprano<br />
saxophone, freestyle<br />
bass, and R&B-<strong>in</strong>flected drums,<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>ed by a str<strong>in</strong>g quartet—what New<br />
Age fusion hell is <strong>this</strong>? But Magic<br />
Numbers turns out to be someth<strong>in</strong>g else<br />
entirely: a heady delight, complex but<br />
immediately engag<strong>in</strong>g, brood<strong>in</strong>g but<br />
also sw<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Qu<strong>in</strong>s<strong>in</strong> Nachoff, a Canadian saxophone<br />
player who’s new to me, has apparently<br />
learned much from Wayne Shorter, and<br />
learned it well—those sweet, dart<strong>in</strong>g high<br />
notes mixed <strong>in</strong> with dark, dissonant <strong>in</strong>tervals.<br />
The str<strong>in</strong>g arrangements are a kick:<br />
<strong>in</strong>ventive harmonies, unexpected cadences, a<br />
dash of Bartók to spice the blues. Bassist<br />
Mark Helias and drummer Jim Black are<br />
lively staples of New York’s “downtown”<br />
jazz scene, where eclecticism is the norm;<br />
they know just when to play <strong>in</strong>to, off, and<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>this</strong> music’s multiple strands.<br />
The sonics, <strong>in</strong> stereo or multichannel,<br />
are excellent. The soundstage is a bit<br />
dark—you don’t get the lum<strong>in</strong>ous seethrough<br />
effect of the best SACD record<strong>in</strong>gs—but<br />
each <strong>in</strong>dividual <strong>in</strong>strument<br />
sh<strong>in</strong>es. The str<strong>in</strong>gs sound properly lush<br />
and resonant; the horn is clearly made of<br />
brass and reed, and you can practically<br />
see its size and shape. The bass and<br />
drums snap, bang, and sizzle. FK<br />
FURTHER LISTENING: Lee Konitz: Str<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
for Holiday; Art Pepper: W<strong>in</strong>ter Moon<br />
MUSIC EDITOR BOB GENDRON’S SYSTEM<br />
BAT VK-300x <strong>in</strong>tegrated amplifier; Gallo Nucleus Reference3 loudspeakers; Rotel RSX-1065 receiver; Sony SCD-CE775 SACD player;<br />
Panasonic DVD-RP91 DVD-A player; Clearaudio Champion turntable; Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood cartridge; Bright Star Audio IsoRock<br />
GR3 speaker supports; Synergistic Research, MIT, Monster Cable, and Audioquest cables and <strong>in</strong>terconnects; SolidSteel 5.5 rack<br />
166 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006
TAS Retrospective<br />
Harman Kardon Citation 16 Power Amplifier<br />
Sue Kraft<br />
“Noth<strong>in</strong>g is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory.” –Frankl<strong>in</strong> P. Adams<br />
It would seem the more we revisit the past, the<br />
better it gets. The component HP deemed as “a<br />
major disappo<strong>in</strong>tment” back <strong>in</strong> 1976 (Volume<br />
2, Number 8) has now become a fairly popular<br />
commodity on the used-high-end-audio market.<br />
EBay watchers can verify that a Harman Kardon<br />
Citation 16 power amplifier <strong>in</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g condition still<br />
fetches up to $400 at auction. That’s not bad consider<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the unit sold for $795 new.<br />
Of course, that was 30 years and a couple of lifetimes<br />
ago. For most of us, anyth<strong>in</strong>g with a w<strong>in</strong>dow sticker<br />
approach<strong>in</strong>g eight bills was a pipe dream back then, especially<br />
when it came to “frivolities” such as stereo. I was<br />
barely out of high school <strong>in</strong> the mid ’70s and pull<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
a whopp<strong>in</strong>g $55 per week after taxes, $54 of which was<br />
spent ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g a ’74 Chevy Nova with a hopped-up<br />
small-block 350 under the hood. It wasn’t until the mid<br />
’80s that I gave up weekend drag rac<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> favor of audio,<br />
as I thought it would be easier on the wallet. (Little did<br />
I know that a power cord would someday sell for more<br />
than a new car.)<br />
In a recent fit of nostalgic curiosity, I ran across a<br />
Citation 16 on eBay with one channel out, and was high<br />
bidder at $150. The amp arrived <strong>in</strong> otherwise good condition<br />
with retro-chic multicolored LED output meters,<br />
front-panel handles, and captive power cord. (The word<br />
“detachable” hadn’t been <strong>in</strong>vented yet.) Upon contact<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Harman Kardon for possible technical assistance, I<br />
received word back via e-mail that because the company<br />
had changed hands so many times, I was basically SOL.<br />
Luckily for me technical manuals are readily available on<br />
eBay as well.<br />
With schematic <strong>in</strong> hand, I brought the HK to a techie<br />
friend who diagnosed a burned out op-amp on the driver<br />
board. While <strong>in</strong> the shop, I also had the large filter caps<br />
replaced, and a speaker protection circuit <strong>in</strong>stalled.<br />
Although the Citation 16 has a DC filter network on the<br />
<strong>in</strong>put side, there’s no factory fail-safe <strong>in</strong> the event of<br />
major meltdown on the output side. I didn’t even want to<br />
imag<strong>in</strong>e what the B&W 800D would look like with<br />
woofer cones strewn about the floor. I should also note<br />
that at some po<strong>in</strong>t prior to my purchase it appeared the<br />
output transistors were also replaced.<br />
In the orig<strong>in</strong>al TAS capsule review KJL concluded<br />
(with HP concurr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a follow-up) that the Citation 16<br />
“lacks openness, is hollow <strong>in</strong> the midrange and is too<br />
bright up top.” While I’m not about to question what<br />
anybody (especially HP) heard so many years ago, I’d say<br />
that I’ve somehow managed to stumble <strong>in</strong>to one of those<br />
“opposite universe” th<strong>in</strong>gs I saw on an episode of Star<br />
Trek. Upon listen<strong>in</strong>g, the first th<strong>in</strong>g I noted about the HK<br />
was its remarkable openness, transparency, and wall-towall<br />
soundstag<strong>in</strong>g. The highs were extended, perhaps<br />
more so than even the Meridian G57 amplifier I’m us<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
but not overly bright. And I’d describe the midrange as<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g sweet, not hollow. The bottom end was also tight<br />
and well def<strong>in</strong>ed, the pace quick and energetic. I wasn’t<br />
disappo<strong>in</strong>ted at all.<br />
When all was said and done, the Harman Kardon<br />
Citation 16 set me back roughly <strong>in</strong> the neighborhood of<br />
$300. That’s a heck of a nice neighborhood when you’re<br />
talk<strong>in</strong>g about a 150W “tw<strong>in</strong>-powered” (dual-mono)<br />
solid-state amp <strong>in</strong> a bulletproof chassis. I wouldn’t call<br />
<strong>this</strong> v<strong>in</strong>tage piece a giant-killer, but even with its primitive<br />
design, it still performs surpris<strong>in</strong>gly well aga<strong>in</strong>st the<br />
amplifiers of today. As for the transformation <strong>in</strong> sound<br />
from the orig<strong>in</strong>al reviewed back <strong>in</strong> 1976, who knows?<br />
Certa<strong>in</strong>ly modern-day speaker technology and a few new<br />
parts under the hood didn’t hurt. A fellow audiophile old<br />
timer tells me (with a smile) that age has a tendency to<br />
dull the senses a bit. That could be true. Or perhaps the<br />
Citation 16 just needed 30 years to f<strong>in</strong>ally break <strong>in</strong>.<br />
168 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006