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Philips are stepping out in style with their new CD104-B compact disc player, a smart new version of the much acclaimed CD104.

Under that handsome black exterior it's still the same CD player that the critics love to love and the competition have been forced to aspire to.

The CD104-B is fully featured

with everything that makes CD listening such a unique pleasure,

including of course the original Philips' compact disc sound.

In fact, Philips compact disc players are widely regarded

as having the best error correc-tion and sound quality available.

It can be programmed to play tracks in any order with repeat, and

at all times a 6-digit display provides track and time information.

Which makes it, overall, a very sound choice for anyone who's really serious about CD.You'll find the CD104-B is part of the new gener-ation of Philips CD players, some of which offer every feature from music scan to remote control.

Isn't it time you saw the dark?

PHILIPS

HR NEWS SEPTEN1I3ER 1q85

COVER We make no apologies for devot-ing the cover and much of the equipment review coverage this month to the full- range ribbon Apogee Scintilla, one of the most important loudspeaker introduc-tions since the Quad ESL-63. It has been known for decades that ribbon technology confers immense benefits upon louds-peaker performance, but with attendant penalties of cost, ineffi-ciency and weight. American company Apogee took their cour-age in both hands and went ahead regardless. Three of HFN/ RR's review team describe the results starting on p49. Cover concept and red stripes by John Gash.

REGULARS

13 COMMENT by John Atkinson

14 VIEWS - Letters on Absolute Phase, Ultra- linear valve amps, how Tweek works, & the dynamics of FM broad-casting

17 NEWS 29 TECHNOLOGY by Barry Fox 31 RADIO by Angus McKenzie

MBE 47 ACCESSORIES CLUB 81 CLASSICAL WAX by 'fan

Payne 82 NOTES Music news by

Edward Seckerson 43 BOOKS (& 65) 128 CLASSIFIED ADS 106 LOCAL DEALER ADS 129 ADVERTISERS' INDEX

FEATURES 21 THE HFN/RR TEST COM-

PACT DISC

• Il1,4 sa.

•

. DENN •

23 CHICAGO 85 John Atkinson & Ken Kessler report from the Summer Consumer Elec-tronics Show

VOLUME 31INU%113ER

The Apogee Scintillas (review p49) making great sounds with Krell amps at Chicago (report p23)

33 HOW HI THE Fit Andy Giles offers some thoughts on the implications cot the word 'fidelity' and of the politics of reviewing

35 THE 1985 GOLDEN TUR-KEYS Ken Kessler & John Atkinson examire hi-fi of the gallinaceous kind

40 POINTS & PLOUGHSHARES PART TWO Stanley Kelly concludes his look at the evolution o' the diamond stylus

45 POT POURRI 1 James Boyk on the Music of Sound, John Crabbe on Objectifying tne Subjective, and Christopher Eireunig on the diversity of critical opinion

47 THE HFN/RR ACCESSORIES CLUB This month we offer Tweek, the Mission Isoplat, and the HFN/RR Flux Dumper and Phase Shunter

79 GEORGE BUTTERWORTH %ter Herring celebrates the centenary with a look at this English composer's music on record

81 CLASSICAL WAX lfan Payne on a quest for outstanding choral recordings

82

82

86

NOTES Music news com-piled by Edward Seckerson

ELIAHU INBAL conductor, interviewed by Alvin Gold

COMPACT DISC MONITOR The latest class.cal silver discs reviewed

130 BACK DOOR Can opera sin-gers change their style? Sue Hudson investigates

EQUIPMENT THE SCINTILLATING APOGEE Martin Colloms, Ken Kessler and John Atkinson audition, live with, measure, and finally get down to reviewing the first modern full-range ribbon loudspeaker to each the UK

49 Introduction 52 KK & the Apogee Scintilla 56 MC & the Apogee Scintilla 63 JA & the Apogee Scintilla

STARTING POINT Martin Col-or-s advises on system match-ing within tight budgets 66 The' £300 system 66 The £350 system 66 Adding a tuner 67 The £450 system 67 The CD-based system 67 The £550 system 67 The £750 LP-based system 69 The £750 CD-based system

POT POURRI 2 A round-up of short reports from Martin Col-loris and Ken Kessler

71 TEAC R-999X cassette leck 73 Denon PMA-737 integrated

amplifier 73 harman/kardon PM645 inte-

grated amplifier 75 Monster Interlink Reference

interconnect 75 Monster Powerline 2 loud-

speaker cable 75 Linn Index loudspeaker 75 Proac Tablette ebt louds-

peaker 75 JBL TLX-4 loudspeaker 77 Marantz SD-64 cassette deck 77 Marantz ST-64L tuner

,RECORD REVIEW 85 RECORDS OF THE MONTH 85 RECORD REVIEW INDEX 86 COMPACT DISC MONITOR 93 CLASSICAL ISSUES &

REISSUES 103 CLASSICAL COLLECTIONS 105 NON-CLASSICAL ISSUES &

REISSUES by Fred Dellar, Ken Hyder, Pete Clark, Denis Argent, Steve Harris and the HFN/RR team

NEXT MONTH Compact Disc players feature in October, with machines from B&O, Pioneer, Sansui, Aiwa, Esher, Toshiba, TEAC and Hitachi visiting Martin Collorns' laboratory and listening room. Other equipment scheduled for review includes the affordable Musica Fidelity Al, as well as amplifiers from Lux, Onkyo and Audio Innovations, and John Atkinson will be describing his experiences with the monolithic Monolith 2 electrostatic louds-peakers from Audiostatic. - With all this in store, we hope you won't mind paying a little extra for your October issue of HFN/RR. We have managed to keep the cover price steady for exactly one year, but time and inflation wait for no man, and we have no choice but to raise the admission fee to the contents of the most stimulating hi-fi maga-zine to f1.10. To make up for this. however, we will be offerMg readers a free Maxell XL11 C90 cassette.

TEST COMPACT DISC SEE P21

Published monthly on the third Friday of the month preceding cover date by Link House Magazines Ltd, Dingwall Avenue, Croydon CR9 2TA. Distributed by Newstrade Link, Mole Business Park, Unit 7, Randalls Road, Leatherhead KT22 78A, Tel: 0372 379727. Typeset by Marlin Graphics, Orpington, Kent. Printed in England by Alabaster Passmore & Sons Ltd, Tovd, Maidstore, Kent. ISSN 0142-6230 SUBSCRIPTIONS All subscription enquiries to HFN/RR Subscriptions, Link House Magazines Ltd, Central House, 27 Park Street, Croydon CRO 1YD. Tel: 01-760 0054. Annual surface-mail subscription rates are £ 12 ( UK) and £16.70 ( overseas), except USA which is $35. Overseas airmail: f40. USA US mailing agents: Expediters of the Printed Word Ltd, 515 Madsen Avenue, Suite 917, New York, NY 10022. Second-class postage paid at New York, NY

HI-El NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER Pi85 3

NAD the world's most acclaimed 111-Fi

NAD 3020B Amplifier

Lateu of the critically acclaimed NAD 3020 seres with true audiophile features such as heavy duty binding ›osts, impedance selectors and separable pre amp and tower amp.

£139.00

£28.00 DOWN and 6 monthly payments of £ 8.50 (INTEREST FREE)

NAD 4020B Tuner

Features a dual-gate MOSFET front end system for an excellent combination of sensitivity and resistance to overload. Awarded "Best Buy" is Hi-Fi Choice, February 1985.

£139.00

• Arv.;:velVii«

Complementary cassette deck to the 3020B amplifier and 4020B tuner, the 6050C incorporates a host of advanced features including Dolby B and Dolby C. Awarded "Best Buy" in Hi-Fi Choice, Autumn 1983.

£159.00

NAD 3120 Amplifier

In response tc reviewers suggestions' NAD have produced this version of the NAD 30208 without tone controls. "Best Buy" Hi-Fi Choice, February 1985

£119.00

NAD 5120 Turn ble

Comb.nes unique styling, superb record- playing performance and exceptional freedom from resonant colouration. Complete with tabular tonearm are cartridge. "Best Buy". latest Hi-Fi Choice.

£109.00 •

NAD 1020B Pre Amplifier

£109.00

£22.00 DOWN and 6 monthly payments of £14.50 (INTEREST FREE)

HI•FI MARKETS The - e care about hi-fi

NAD 2155 Power Amplifier

£209.00

£42.00 DOWN and 6 monthly payments of £27.84 (INTEREST FREE)

now available at Hi-fi Markets on

io.

ttA New NAD 3155 Amplifier deer re", ,e2>, seth (is 5

Represents the kind of value that has made NAD world famous. With flexible aid musically useful controls, very low noise and wide dynamic range, and powerful high-current output stages.

£249.00

£50.00 DOWN and 6 monthly payments of £33.17 (INTEREST FREE)

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NAD 4155 Digital AM/FM Tuner

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Winner of the Hi-Fi Grand Prix Award 1984. "Excellent performance at a price that never ceases to amaze me" AUDIO December 1984. Nearly twice as sensitive as other FM stereo tuners.£ 229.00

£46.00 DOWN and 6 monthly payments of £30.50 (INTEREST FREE)

NAD 714 Receiver

"In its design and performance NAD's 7140 is an exceptional value ... so outstanding in so many respects ... at its price, its overall performance is unmatched". STEREO REVIEW September 1984

£39.00

£68.00 DOWN and 6 monthly payments of £45.17 (INTEREST FREE)

Offer ends September 30th 1985

NAD 6125 Cassette Deck

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The NAD 6125 cassette deck has a slimline, low wow and flutter trans-port mechanism. There's an MX head for wider frequency response, superior wear characteristics and excellent headroom.

£149.00

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£30.00 DOWN and 6 monthly payments of £19.84 (INTEREST FREE)

NAD 7125 AM/FM Receiver

"NAD has built its reputation on maximum musical perform&nce per E" HIGH FIDELITY September 1984. A compact receiver with low-profile design which -s elegant and moderr yet highly functional.

£239.00

4.1)

£48.00 DOWN and E monthly payments of £31.84 (INTEREST FREE)

NAD 7155 Receiver

Offers all the features of the 7140 Plus independent input selectors for recording and listening. "An audiophile best buy... an outstantfing receiver" -UGH FIDELITY May 1985

£389.00

H1+1 MARKETS

£78.00 DOWN and 6 monthly payments of L51.84 (INTEREST FREE)

The place where people care about hi-fi

This super system cornpri two NAD units which have been awarded "Best Buys" in a recent issue of Hi-Fi Choice — the NAD 3120 Amplifier and NAD 5120 Turntable. A pair of highly acclaimed Boston MO speakers complete a true high fidelity system. Hear it at your local Hi-Fi Markets today — you won't get better vafue for money. £337.00

£68 DOWN and 6 monthly payments of £44.83 (INTEREST FREE)

HMI MARKETS The place where people care about hi-fi

Offer ends 30th September 19'85

New KEF C-Series

HI-FI FOR PLEASURE Februar 1985

HI-FI FOR PLEASURE January 1985

held prices constant yet performance and aesthetic improvements abound. The introduction of polypropylene as the new cone material in particular has brought major benefits of reduced colouration and substantially improved efficiency. Many of the C-Series drive units are very similar to those used in the computer-matched Reference Series. Consequently they benefit from the same fine engineering. KEF C20 £119.00 KEFC30 £149.00 KEFC40 £199.00

Hi- Pi Markets are pleased to present Celestion's exciting new DL range — developed with the aid of revolutionary laser interferometry. Celestion used this technology to design and OJild their hignly successful SL6 and SL600 speakers. Now the same philosophy has been applied to the DL series. Allow ng budget conscious audiophiles to enjoy superb Celestion performance at lowest ever prices. Celestion DL4 £99.90 Celestion DL6 £129.90 Celes:ion DL8 £ 79.90

eie once again new ground. Seldom has new speaker technology pleased the eye as beautifully as the ear. The softly curving edges of AR's new Preference series is an important advance in acoustic design, reducing diffraction distortior to a minimum. And new high performance drivers give the Preference series wide dynamic range, adequate powe-handling and low colouration. AR18BX £99.90 AR19B £119.90 AR2OB £149.90

Yamaha A-320 - OUP best selling amp under NM

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Yamaha A-320 Amplifier From the moment our experts auditioned the Yamaha A-320, they knew that here was another Yamaha winner. At an incredible £89.50 this high current unit has been snapped up by our customers and lauded by the critics ("the cheapest truly worthwhile amplifier on the market ... self- evidently the best amp at its price" HI- Fl ANSWERS May 1985).

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It's easily our best selling amplifier under C100! Power output is a powerful 30 watts per channel (8 ohms, 20-20,000Hz) with 0.05% total harmonic distortion, and the A-320 boasts an impressive list of features. Low noise phono equalizer, pure current servo amp, built-in subsonic filter, gold plated phono term.nals. £89.50

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New Yamaha T-320, AM/FM Tuner Matching tuner to the A-320, the Yamaha T-320 ensLres extremely high broadcast reception quality with the use of exclusive Yamaha tuning technologies. It offers an attractive choice to those tuner enthusiasts who prefer the manual controt and "feel" of analogue tuning with a large, heavy tuning

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BM MARKETS The place where people care about hi-fi

knob. Yamaha's Pilot Tone Multiplex tuning system provides extremely high broadcast reception quality, and tuning is aided with a 3-segment signal quality meter. No automated functions, just high quality with pure and simple operation.

£89.50

Yamaha A-420 Amplifier The Yamaha A-420 features very high dynamic power, enabling it to deliver large volumes of power in response to transient peaks and to reproduce the full dynamic range of high quality music sources such as digital audio discs.

£139.50

New Yamaha T-520 AM/FM Tuner Matching tuner to the A-420, the T-520 offers new front panel design giving greater readability of frequency and signal quality displays. A total of 8 AM and 8 FM stations can be preset for instant, one-touch tuning. The FM stereo/mono mode is also memorized along with the station's frequency.

£139.50

Twin DIU II ph for Yamaha CD Players

Yamaha continues to dominate the compact disc market by offering an unbeatable combination of high technology and low prices. Yamaha compact disc players have received critical acclaim all down the line, with the CD-3 and CD-XII both winning the most prized accolade of them all —

Yamaha CD-X2 Compact Disc Player

With the CD-X2, Yamaha have managed to produce a compact disc player which amazingly

BEST BUY's in the latest issue of Hi-Fi Choice. Hi-Fi Markets were amongst the first dealers to recognise the potential of the sensational new Yamaha compact disc players. Hurry along and hear these fabulous best buys for yourself.

"Best Buy" HI-FI CHOICE Summer 1985

su rpasses its predecessor, the critically acclaimed CD-X1. The Yamaha CD-X2 features music search (track, index and normal), repeat ( full track programme), random memory and play (9

select.on). The Yamaha CD-X2 is a real thoroughbred unit, offering value that simply cannot be beaten.

£299.00

"Best Buy" MUM SOUNO COMPACT DOWD CO-3

Yamaha CD-3 Compact Disc Player

The CD-3 continues the Yamaha tradition of excellence in compact disc player performance, with

HI-FI CHOICE Summer 1985

refinements in circuit design and functions that offer simple straightforward operation. And it comes with a remarkably low price tag, making the high reproduction quality of a top-grade CD player

more affordable than ever befo-e. A 12 mode remote control Jn it is supplied with the CD- 3, for total control over all player funcions.

£399.00

The place where people care about hi-fi

"They advance the art of mid-price cartridge design by a good notch

or two" HI-FI ANSWERS May 1985

New Goldring G1000 Cartridges The G1000 series has a strong one-piece body construction and incorporates ultra rigid glass reinforced polyester pocan — the latest development in material technology. The result is a range of advanced, high quality magnetic cartridges

Gadens

which offer outstanding performance, consistency and reliabil'ty for the audiophile and budget hi- f, owner alike. Goldring G1010 with Elliptical stylus £29.95

Goldring G1020 with van den Hul Type 2 stylus £44.95 Goldring G1040 with van den Hul Type 1 stylus £69.95

"The EPIC is a winner" WHAT HI-FI July 19

Goldring EPIC A new magnetic cartridge of advanced design which delivers the performance and quality of much more expensive models. The diamond tip bonded to a sapphire shank yields a lower tip mass for accurate high frequency tracking.

£16.50

4

NAD 9100 Cartridge The NAD 9100 cartridge has been awarded a Best Buy' by HI- Fl CHOICE. Outstanding value for money at Hi-Fi Markets low price.

£11.50

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NAD 9200 Cartridge This highly acclaimed cartridge has taken its place amongst our foremost budget cartridges due to its excellent performance and

value for money. "Ahead of any of the cartr dges discussed so far" WHAT HI- Fl October 1983.

£25.00

Yamaha YHL-008 Headphones

Available in black, red or grey, the YHL-006 offer a new dimension in headphone performance — and fashion. Designed by Porsche, they feature unique wrap-around styling that's contemporary, yet functional. Extremely

NAD Mat

The NAD Mat is a full 5 millimetres thick, has a smooth lower surface which makes uniform contact with the entire platter area, and is made of carefully selected soft- rubber

HI•Ell MARKETS The place where people care about hi-fi

lightweight and compact, their form-fitting headband and earpiece design provides optimum pressure for maximum listening comfort And they roll up tightly to fit easily into pocket or purse.

£29.50

compound with optimum density and pliancy for efficient absorption of most audio-frequency vibrations.

£9.95

Hi-Fi Markets-the largest specialist retailer in the country

Gillingham Blackmore Vale Shops The Square, Tel: 07476 2474/2728 Poole Direct Vision The Arndale Centre. Tel:0202 432143

ESSEX Barking H yper-fi 28-32 Longlyidge Road. Tel: 01-591 6961 Braintree Beechwood Audio 6 Market Staeet. Tel: 0376 29060 Chelmsford Rush Hi-Fi & Vèdeo Centre 5-6 Cornhill Tel: C245 57593/64393 Cokhester Golding & Co 14-16 Culver Street West. Tel: 0206 48101 Harlow Essex Discount 57 Harvey Centre Tel: 0279 26155 Hornchurds Waters & Stanton Electronics 12 North Street. Tel 04024 44765 illord

Laboratories 442-444 Crambrook Road. Gants Hill. Tel: 01-518 0915 Loughton Esses Discount 152 High Road. Tel: 01-508 0247 Romford Essex Discount 8/9 Swan Walk. Tel: 0708 46600

AVON Bath C. Milsoms 11/12 Northgate St. Tel 0225 65975 Bristol Hi-Fi Markets 36 Union Street. Tel: 0272 294183 Radford Hi-Fi 52-54 Gloucester Rd. Tel 0272 428248 Weston Super Mare Paul Roberts Hi-Fi 203 Milton Road Tel 0934 414423

BEDFORDSHIRE Bedford Bedford Audio-Comm 76 Bedford Road. Kempston. Tel 0234 854133 Dunstable Target Electrical 45 Katherine Drive. Tel: 0582 67750

BERKSHIRE Bracknell B & B Hi-Fi The Pavillion, Princess Square. Tel 0344 424556 Maidenhead Hi-Fi Markets 18 King Street. Tel: 0628 73420 Newbury B & B Hi-Fi 62 Northbrook Street. Tel: 0635 32474 Reading B& B Hi-Fi 36 Minster Street. Tel 0734 583730 Windsor Radford Hi-Fi 43 King Edward Court. Tel 95 56931

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Aylesbury Aylesbury HI Fidelit y 98 Cambridge Street. Tel, 0296 28790 High Wycombe B& B Hi-Fi 4 Priory Road. Tel 0494 35910 Milton Keynes XV Hi-Fi & Video Superstore 1 Viscount Way. Dukes Drive, Bletchley. Tel 0908 367341

CAMBRIDGESHIRE Cambridge Hi- Fi Markets 19-20 Market Street. Tel 0223 312240 Peterborough The Hi- Fi People 42 Cowgate. Tel 0733 41755

CHESHIRE Warrington Doug Brady Hi-Fi Kingsway Studios, Kingsway North. Tel 0925 828009 Wilmslow Swift of Wilmslow 4/8 St Anne, Parade. Tel 0625 526213

CLEVELAND Middlesbrough Gilson Audio 172 Borough Road. Tel: 0642 248793

CORNWALL Truro E.T.S. Electrkentres 25 King Street Tel 0872 79909

CUMBRIA Barrow ln Furness Searle Audio 223-225 Rawlinson St. Tel: 0229 21233

DERBYSHIRE Chesterfield Auchoscene 132 Chatsworth Road. Brampton Tel 0246 204005 Derby Active Audio 12 Osmaston Road. The Spot. Tel- 0332 380385

DEVON Exeter K.J.B. Electronics 143a Fore Street. Tel: 0392 37888 Radford Gulliford 28 Cowick Street. St. Thomas. Tel: 0392 218895 Plymouth Framptons Ltd 90/92 Cornwall St. Tel 0752 27600

DORSET Bournemouth Suttons Hi-Fi Centre 10 Gervis Place. Tel 0202 25512 Christchurch HAT V. 183 Barrack Road. Tel 0202 473901

LANCASHIRE Blackburn

1U Preston New Road. Tel: 0254 698185 Blackpool Practical Hi-Fi 198 Church Street. Tel, 0253 27703 Lancaster Practical Hi-Fi 84 Penny Street. Tel: 0524 39657 Preston Norman Audio 51 Fishergate. Tel: 0772 53057

LEICESTERSHIRE Leicester Mays Hi-Fi 27 Churchgate. Tel. 0533 58662 Loughborough Stuart Westmoreland 33 Cattle Market. Tel: 0509 230465

LINCOLNSHIRE Lincoln Super-Fi Lincoln 271a High Street. Tel: 0522 20265 Stamford Rodger & Green Hi-Fi 9 Red Lion Square. Tel: 0780 62128

LONDON Manor Park Eli Kimberley Hi-Fi 698 Romford Road London E17 Myers Audio

Southend 7 Central Parade. Hoe Street. Essen Discount Tel: 01-520 7277 15-24 SoutIrchurch Road, Victoria Circus London N7 Tel 0702 63400 Bartlett's Hi-Fi Soundtrack Video Market 175-177 Holloway Road. Tel: 01-607 2148 149 Leigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea. London N12 Tel: 0702 79150 Analog Audio

849 High Road. Tel, 01-445 1443 London N22 Hi-Tek 150 High Road, Wood Green. Tel 01-B81 3320 London NW6 Studio 99 79-81 Fairfax Road. Tel: 01-328 6666 Audio T 190 West End Lane, Tel: 01-794 7848 London W1 K.J. Lenuresound 48 Wigmore Street. Tel: 01-4868263 London W2 Kimberley Hi-Fi 376 Edgware Road. Tel: 01-724 0454 London W3 Acton Camera & Hi-Fi Centre 86 High Street. Accon. Tel, 01-992 4788/2305 London SE13 Bill Vee Sound Systems 218 Lee High Road. Lewisham. Tel: 01-3183755 London 5E18 Sevenoaks Hi-Fi 8, Video 162 Pown Street. Woolwich, Tel: 01-855 8016 London SW7 Undet 14 Bute Street. Tel 01-589 2586 London SW11 Sound Information 13 St. Johns Hill. Tel: 01-228 7126 London SW19 M. O'Brien Ltd 95 High Street, Wimbledon Village. Tel: 01-946 1528

GLOUCESTERSHIRE Cheltenham Absolute Sound & Video 42 Albion Street. Tel: 0242 583960 Gloucester Robbs of Gloucester 13-15 Worcester Street. Tel 0452 23051/20518

HAMPSHIRE Aldershot Bryants Hi-Fi 81 High Street Tel: 0252 20728 Andover Andover An:110 105 High Street. -el. 0264 58251 Farnborough Aerco 7 Queensmead. Tel 0252 520146 Portsmouth Hopkins Hi-Fi Centre 38-40 Pratt-un Road Tel 0705 822155 Southampton Sextons 37 Bedford Place. Tel 0703 228434

HERTFORDSHIRE Berkhamsted Berkhamsted Photographic 48 Lower king: Road. Tel: 04427 5943 Harpenden Studio 99 82 High Suret. Tel, 05827 64246 Hitchin The Record Shop Hermitage Road. Tel 0462 34537 Watford Hi-Fi Markets 68 High Street. Tel: 0923 26169

HUMBERSIDE Grimsby Super-Fi Grimsby 71 Carter Gate. el: 0472-43539 Hull Simply Hiui 48 Springbank, Tel: 0482 29240

KENT Bromley Halcyon Electronics 38 Widmore Road. Tel: 01-464 2260 Canterbury Canterbury Hi-Fi Centre 21 The Bu•gate. Tel 0227 65315 Chatham Sevenoaks Hi-F, & Video 4 Railway Street Tel 0634 46859 Sevenoalts Sevenoaks Hi-Fi & Video Ill London Roar. Tel: 0732 459555 Tunbridge Wells Sevenoaks Hi-Fi & Video 34 Mount Ephraim. Tel 0892 31543

Tel: 01-478 5137

GREATER) MANCHESTE Bolton Cleartone Hi-Fi 8 Video 235 Blackburn Rd Tel: 0204 31423 Manchester Cleartone Hi- Fi & Video 62 King Street. Tel 061-835 1156 Rochdale Cleartone Hi-Fi & Video 52 Drake Street. Tel 0706 524652 Stockport Fairbotharn & Co 58.62 Luvvr. H ee Te' )6,-480 4872

MERSEYSIDE Birkenhead Peters Hi-Fi of Chester 11 St. Werburgh Square, Grange Precinct. Tel: 051-647 5626 Liverpool WA. Brady & Son 401 Smithdown Road. Tel: 051-733 6859 Beaver Radio 20-22 Whitechapel. Tel: 051-709 9898

MIDDLESEX Enfield

Laboratories 159a Chase Side Tel' 01-367 311'

Harrow Harrow Audio 27 Springfield Road. Tek 01-863 0938 Uxbridge Uxbridge Audio 278 High Street. Tel: 0895 33474

NORFOLK Norwich Scarfe Audio Visual 161 Unthank Road. Tel: 5600 22833

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Kettering Kettering 68 Stamford Road Tel 0536 515266 Northainpton Listen Inn 32A Gold Street Tel 0604 17871

NORTHERN IRELAND Belfast Audio Times 85 Royal Avenue Tel: 0232 229907 Audio Times Unit 12, Fountain Centre. College Street. Tel: 0232 24931 Coleraine Best Hi-Fi 24 Kingsgate Street, Tel: 0265 52843

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Nottingham Nottingham Hi-Fi 120-122 Alfreron Rd Tel 06.12 786919

OXFORDSHIRE Oxford Absolute Sound 8 Vide. 19 Old High Street, He.idington. Tel 0865 65961 Absolute Sound 8: Video 256 Banbury Road. Suirrnertown. Tel: 0865 53072

SALOP Shrewsbury Avon Hi-Fi 12 Barker Street. Tel: 0743 .5166

SCOTLAND Aberdeen Holburn Hi-Fi 441-445 Holborn Street. Tel:0224 585713 Dundee The Hi- Fr Shop 53 Overgate. Tel: 0382 78900 Edinburgh Hi-Fi Corner 1 Haddington Place. Te : 031-556 7901 The Gramophone Rose Street, Pedestrian Precinct. Tel: 031-225 9535 Glasgow Hi-Fi Corner 52 Gordon Street. Tel 041-248 2840 Stereo Showcase 98 Bath Street. Tel, 041•332 5012 Hamilton Tom Dickson Cameras 8/10 Cadzow Street. Tel: 0698 283193 Inverness Tele-on- the- Blink 65-67 Tomnaurich Street. Tel, 0463 233175

STAFFORDSHIRE Stoke-on-Trent Purkiss Hi-Fi Systems 51/53 Piccadilly Hanley Tel 0782 265010

SUFFOLK Ipswich Ea Audio 41 Rrarnlord Road Tel: 0473 217217

SURREY Croydon Spaldings 352-354 Lower Addisc.rnbr Road. Tel: 01-654 1231/2040 Vision Store 96-98 North End. Tel, ot-eri 7539 Woking Aerco 11 The Broadway. Tel- d4862 4926 New Malden Lindet 35 High Street. Tel 01-9429567

SUSSEX Brighton Sevenoaks Hi-Fi 55 Preston Street. Tel 0271 733338 Chichester Malcolm Audio & TV 12 South Street. Tel: 0243 787562 East Grinstead John Rees Hi-Fi 2 High Street. Tel: 0342 27787

lien MARKETS The place where people care about hi-fi

Hastings Hi-Fi 32 Western Road. Tel: 0424 442975 Haywards Heath Hi-Fi & Video Markets 13 South Road. Tel: 0444 450333

TYNE & WEAR Gateshead Lintone Audio 7-11 Park Lane. Tek 0632 774167 Sunderland Saxons 20-22 Waterloo Place. Tel 0783 657578

WALES Cardiff Audio Excellence 134 Crwys Road. Tel: 0222 28565 Swansea Audio Excellence 9 High Street Tel: 0792 474608

Warwlci JCV Hi-Fi & Video Wharf Street Tel- 0926 493796

WEST MIDLANDS Birmingham Norman H. Field 35-37 Hurst Street. Tel: 021-622 2323 Perfect Audio 504/516 Alum Rock Road, Alum Rock. Tel: 021-328 2103 Coventry Frank Harvey 8 Marlborough Road, Ball Hill. Tel 0203 458946 Walsall Bridge Hi-Fi Tudor House. Bridge Street. Tel: 0922 640456 Wednesbury Woods Audio Visual 1 Upper High Street. Tel 021-556 0473 Wolverhampton Woods Audio Visual 39 Victoria Street. Tel: 0902 772901

WILTSHIRE Devizes Louis J R utter 17 The Bruma. Tel 0380 2268 Salisbury Suttons Hi-Fi Centre 7 Endless Street Tel 0722 27171 Swindon Absolute Sound & Video 60 Fleet Street Tel 0793 38222

WORCESTERSHIRE Worcester Johnsons Sound Service 43 Friar Street. Tel 0905 25740

YORKSHIRE Castleford Eric Wiley 64 & 85 Beancroft Road Tel 0977 553066 Huddersfield Huddersfield Hi-Fi Centre 2-4 Cross Church Street. Tel 0484 44668 Leeds Super-Fi 34-36 Queen Victoria Street. Tel: 0532 449075 Image Hi-Fi 8 St. Atines Road. Headingley. Tel: 0532 789374 Sheffield Micron Audio 172 Baslow Rd.Totley.Tel: 0742 360295 ›uperfi 1 Rockingham Gate, The Moore. Tel: 0742-23768 York Sound Organisation 36 Gollygate Tel 0904 27108

VISA

Head °Ince: Cousteau House, Greycaine Road, Watford, WD2 4SB. Tel: 0923 27737

All prices quoted in the Hi-Fi Markets advertisements are correct at tome of going to press (25/7/85J but may be subie« to change without notice due to fluctuations in Manufacturers prices.

All Prices include VAT e. 15% Not all the products featured in Hi-Fi Markets advertisements are available at all branches.

Please check before travelling

You are looking at a piece of equipment that the rest of the system is

will improve the sound of your entire system.

"This improve-ment is indeed the most fundamental I've ever produced by the simple substitution of one product for another, be it cable, pre-amp cartridge or whatever:' Hi-Fi Answers, September 1984.

Monster Interlink Cable has been attracting reviews like this throughout the world. Yet people spend hundreds of pounds on the components of their hi-fi system only to throttle the resulting sound by forcing it through normal unbalanced cables. In the past most people thought that cables were just cables and that they all sounded alike. But the reverse is true. And to understand why, you must understand the nature of sound itself.

To reproduce music accurately, all the signals must travel through the cable uniformly and reach the ear at the same time. However, in conven-

tional interconnect cables these signals CUSTOM E ABLE get smeared and delayed.

SERVICE

From turntable to loudspeaker these frequency and phase distortions are significant and prevent proper music reproduction, regardless of how good

But Monster's new Interlink cables solve these problems by using balanced conductors consisting of two signal-carrying wires plus a shield.

Each signal-carrying conductor uses multiple gauge wire networks wound in a very special way developed

by Monster, to selectively control the speed and amplitude of the various audio frequencies as they travel through wire gauges, precision wound to divide the audio spectrum into bass, mid-range and high frequencies. From turntable, tape deck, or CD player to amplifier, the overall sonic improvements are truly impressive.

For a copy of the reviews,

plus full literature on Monster Cable, clip the coupon and send it to Custom Cable Service at Unilet.

EPlease send me free literature on the whole Molister Cable range. and details of the Unilet custom-cables-by-post service.

Name

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Custom Cable Sen ice ts a (II\ IS1011 of [ inlet Products Ltd. 35 High Street, New Malden, Surrey 01-942 9567 The full range of Monster products is now available in the UK through Custom Cable. Dealer enquiries to Portfolio Marketing, 0732 365071.

HFN 9/85

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U RECR ENT IF:NV Editorial and Advertising offices: LINK HOUSE, DINGWALL AVENUE

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EDITOR JOHN ATKINSON

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COMMENT EPTEMBER IS THE MONTH OF THE third HFN/RR Hi-Fi Show, which is being held at the Heathrow Penta Hotel

rom the 19th to the 22nd. It has been a year since there last was a hi-fi show in England, a sharp contrast with the situation a couple of years back when it seemed that there was one almost every weekend throughout the Autumn. It was partly as a reaction against that dilution of the exhibition scene that HFN/RR resolved to hold its own show. Our idea was to promote a single exhibition that would echo the spirit of the annual shows — Hotel Russell, Sonex, Olympia, Harrogate— and provide a single opportunity for the whole of the hi-fi industry to show its latest and greatest. Only in this way could the industry as a whole put on an exciting and interesting enough event to attract, in addition to the enthusiasts, those of the general public who potentially feel that listening to music in the home is a much underrated activity.

Sadly, as you will have seen from our letters pages in recent months (and also overleaf), the trade body representin9 UK manufacturers, the Federation of British Audio, decided not to support the HFN/RR show this year, wanting to go with the plans of BADA, the dealer association, and sponsor three dealer-organised shows. The fragmentation resulting from the 1985

FBA policy means that not every manufacturer will be able to appear at every show. The Heathrow Show, however, will still be featuring many of the interesting names in hi-fi: Musical Fidelity, Mordaunt Short, Acoustic Research, Krell, Exposure, conrad-johnson, Hafler, Beard, Revox, Audio Research, Magnum, van den Hul, Bose, Wharfedale, Decca, Myst, Sansui, Hitachi, Goldring, Denon, Philips, AKG, Magneplanar, Dual, Morel, Elite Townshend, Gale, Trio, Monitor Audio, SD Acoustics, Mentmore-TVA, Audiostatic, Epos, and Sheffield Labs are amongst the brands booked at the time of writing.

Several hot products will be on show, including Musical Fidelity's £ 189 class-A integrated amplifier and a new range of amplifiers from New Zealand called Linx, and if everything goes to plan Absolute Sounds will have the epoch-making Apogee Scintilla ribbon loudspeaker on demonstration. Amongst other attractions, HFN/RR will be running a series of psychoacoustic experiments and it is also hoped that ear-sore visitors will be able to get their hearing recuperated via live music. The Custom Cable Services stand will be making up special cables to visitors' specifications, all the HFN/RR Accessories Club products— including the HFN/RR Test CD, the Flux Dumper and the Phase Shuntnr—will be available in the Accessories Club room, while the software companies will be concentrating on Compact Disc, with

Covent Garden Records, Trim Records, and John Goldsmith's CD Service having a large selection for sale. Admission to the show is free, but

everyone who buys a show guide will be in the running to win a CD player— one has to be won every day from Friday to Sunday. The Heathrow Penta Hotel is surprisingly

easy to get to, lying on the main A4 road just east of the entrance to the Heathrow tunnel. Several bus routes- 105, 111, 140, 285, 704— run nearby, while the nearest tube stations are Heathrow Central and Hatton Cross—we are running a free courtesy bus every 10 minutes from Hatton Cross tube station during show hours. The courtesy bus also connects the car park — which will be clearly signposted — with the hotel.

Put the dates— Thursday 19th to Sunday 22nd September— and the times— Thursday and Friday morning for the trade only, with the public times 4-8pm Friday, 10am-6pm Saturday and Sunday— in your diary now.

ABSOLUTE STANDARDS In ' Pot Pourri' this month ( p45) John Crabbe calls out for more objectivity when it comes to making value judgements on the phenomena or tweaks coming to light on the hi-fi fringe. The objective facts, however, are already surfacing. Following the letter from John Curl last month on measurable capacitor differences and Malcolm Hawksford's seminal article on possible reasons for audible cable differences, a letter overleaf from Dr Hawksford's research group at the University of Essex reveals evidence that the contact-improving fluid Tweek does just what is claimed. (No-one yet, though, has produced any research on why— some would say whether— the controversial Flux Dumper brick works, but we live in hope. At least it qualifies for an Honorable Mention in this year's Golden Turkeys— see p39.) The topic of Absolute Phase is another

such fringe area that has been receiving attention of late and we also have two letters this month from enthusiasts who have tried experimenting with its audibility. To judge from these reports, if signal polarity inversion is significant, it would appear that some people are more sensitive to it than others. Ivor Humphreys' Phase Shunter (see p47) easily allows Double Blind Testing of this phenomenom, so one of the tests we will be carrying out at the Heathrow Penta Show will be to gather evidence on the degree of its audibility. I am writing some of these thoughts just

after the historic Live Aid concert ( and wasn't Springsteen good the previous week? You could almost seethe bass rolling out of the PA speakers during ' Born in the USA'). The whole affair gave me a warm glow, but the luxury of 16 hours of high quality stereo sound with vision— more hours than had been broadcast during the rest of 1985, I would wager— set me to wondering why it is so rare for the BBC to broadcast such simulcasts. Is it the BBC's tight budget? Or is it that nearly 30 years after the introduction of stereo LPs, the BBC still think that only a few of us tweaks regard a stereo soundtrack to televised music as essential?

Finally, this issue contains one of the longest reviews we have published, of the £4950 Apogee Scintillas. If you feel that the magazine spends too much space on cost-no-object products, ponder a while on this quote from John Ruskin unearthed by my Publisher: ' All works must bear a price in proportion to the skill, time, expense and risk attending their invention or manufacture. Those things called dear are, when justly estimated, the cheapest'.

John Atkinson

READERS LETTERS Letters for publication should be addressed to the Editor and roust contain no other material or enquiries. Letters seeking advice on technical matters will be answered, resources permitting, at our discretion but we regret that we are unable to answer questions on buying specific items of hifi equipment. MICROFILMS & INDEXING Microfilm and microfiche

copies of HFINI/HR or articles therefrom are available commercially from University Microfilms International. North American applications to: 300 N. Zeeb Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106, USA; UK and rest of world: 30/32 Mortimer Street, London W1N 7RA. Technical articles of full page length or over appearing in Hi-fi News & Record Review are detailed in the Current

Technology Index. BINDERS Loose-leaf binders for annual volumes of HFN/RR are available from Modern Bookbinders Chadwick Street, Blackburn, Lancs. 1971 to 1982 are covered by two binders (Jan-June/July-Decl: subsequent years require one balder each. Price f 3 50 each ( post paid). For earlier years, please ask for a quotation.

III Fl VO. ,\ RI - 1 ORD RI II ‘,\ SIiPFI5llIt R 19N5 I 3

... about the 1984 111711/1111 Show From: Ivor Tiefenbrun, Linn Products Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland Dear Sir, With respect to your editorial in the July issue, I must point out that the reason for the high attendance of foreign visitors is that my company mail-shotted 3000 industry personalities worldwide and it was due to our efforts on behalf of the FBA that we had a very high attendance at the Penta show. It was nothing to do with the show or the efforts of the organisers. Yours faithfully

But will those visitors fly to Bolton or Brighton, Ivor? I suspect not.— Ed

... about evaluating tables From: R Whittington, Loughborough, Leics. Dear Sir, Not Shaw, Johnson' Yours faithfully

. . . about hidden CD costs From: Peter Cockett, System Sound, Sudbury, Suffolk Dear Sir, As an avid reader of HFN/RR for many years I have closely followed the CD/vinyl disc debate. However, an important consideration appears to have received no discussion — the running costs of CD. When CD was first introduced it was

widely reported that the life of the laser 'pickup' would be many thousands of hours and would cost 'about £40' to replace. Our experience is to the contrary. The laser can last for as little as six weeks with many failing after 18 months. The replacement cost varies from about £120 plus fitting (£20-£30) to an amazing £470 plus fitting for the Technics SL-P10. This machine sold for £599 originally! These costs do not compare favourably with the replacement stylus cost of a conventional LP player. You may be interested to note that of the

four brands of CD players which we sell, Sony is by far the most reliable followed at a distance and in descending order by Philips, Technics and Pioneer. Yours faithfully

... about the ultralinear idea From . David Hafler, NW International, London N7 Dear Sir, Mr1 Harley's letter, May 1985, suggested that credit for invention of the ultra-linear circuit should be given to AD Blumlein rather than to me. He cited patent specification 496883, filed in 1937, as the source of this circuit. In that application, Mr Blumlein showed a single-ended valve circuit which provided operation intermediate between triode and pentode (or tetrode) with the stated objective of reducing the output impedance of the pentode valve. Mr Blumlein had a good idea; but as far as

I know, the idea was not explored, was not applied, and was apparently shelved without realisation that it was a starting point which could lead to further invention. The Blumlein patent was cited when the US patent application was being examined. The fact that my patent was issued despite the prior existence of Blumlein's indicates that there was more to ultra-linear operation than the concept of energising the screen grids with a portion of the anode signal. The original idea which led to my circuit

was based on an analysis by my partner at that time, Herb Keroes, in which he concluded that pentode valves could be

VIE improved in linearity by the application of small amounts of positive feedback which could be applied most practically via a tertiary winding on the output transformer. In actual trial this did not work out as well as had been theorised, but it set me to thinking about the potential benefits of using negative feedback in the same way. From that point it was an easy jump to the concept of screen feedback from primary taps. Being in the transformer business at that time, it was feasible to try a transformer with 50% taps on a pentode amplifier. The result was startling and made an

obvious audible improvement in the amplifier. Surprisingly, there was only a small decrease in power output compared with that attained by conventional pentode connection with the same DC potential on screen and anode. What I did then, which Blumlein

apparently did not do, was to take a push-pull stage and a transformer with multiple tapping points and investigate the range from pure pentode (screen at centretap) to pure triode (screen at anode) operation. For the KT-66 valves, taps at 43% of the primary halves were found to give maximum linearity ( hence 'ultra- linear'). For pentodes such as the EL-84, optimum was at 25%. This optimum point for KT-66s was later independently verified by Langford-Smith in Radiotronics.

Essentially the ultra-linear circuit created a new type of output valve having efficiency close to that of a pentode and with distortion and internal impedance comparable to triode operation. This was a compromise where little was given up and much was gained. Had Mr Blumlein felt that his idea was significant and investigated it further, he undoubtedly would have found all the salient features of the design, but he did not. I am gratified to be the one who stumbled on the same idea and carried it forward as a useful addition to the state-of-the-art of the time. As a result of my discoveries, there are hundreds of thousands of amplifiers which have used the ultra-linear circuit. Yours faithfully

. . . about stacking people on the Isle of Wight From: Derek Thomas, Wimborne, Dorset Dear Sir, Thank you for Barry Fox's illuminating article on the realities of solid-state digital music storage in July. Unfortunately, even Mr Fox's 0-Level Maths course — he did not say if he passed — did not endow him with a proper respect for the very

large numbers he was playing with. The loW has an area of about 300 miles', ie about 8x 105ft2. At a packing density of 1.5ftl person, this would allow 5000 Megapersons to stand to attention on the island — the world's population would fit with room to spare! As a fit punishment for his error, I suggest that Mr Fox be given the task of calculating the cost, in Japanese Yen, of carpeting the loW with conrad-johnson Premier Five power amplifiers. Yours faithfully

The 3 billion Premier Fives required to carpet the island would cost Y8.3 x 10's (at an exchange rate of Y400=£1 and without any quantity discount). They would be capable of a power output into an 8ohm load of around 750000MW, ie rather more than the electrical output of Europe's power stations, but I suspect that their combined weight of 106 million tons might well sink the loW — Ed.

. . . about the effect of Tweek From: Dr Malcolm Hawksford, Richard Bews, Paul Mills, Timothy Darling, Audio Research Group, Dept of Electronic Systems Engineering, University of Essex Dear Sir, In audio circles, Tweek is a mystery. It costs a fortune and even Dave Fletcher (USA source distributor) appears unaware of its chemical composition and mode of operation — yet it works! We are also informed that the liquid is

non-conductive, and an initial 'probing' with an AVO meter appears to confirm this observation. However, the following experiment may be of interest and give some initial clues as to Tweek's operation.

m4 33k

(24v T. Jr

relay contact under test

•

gold plated ca-ducts

Tweek

relay contac t unbased reference

The experiment is performed around a miniature RS 349-664 relay (the earlier type with gold-plated contacts) which is a two-pole changeover relay. The test circuit was constructed as shown in the diagram. A small globule of Tweek is placed on the normally 'open' contacts, where it naturally hangs by surface tension, bridging the two contacts even in the off position. In fact, both poles of the relay were treated in a like manner, with one pole used as a reference. The experiment proceeded by completing

a simple circuit of a 24V supply (V.), a milliammeter, a 3.3k resistor and the relay contact in the open position, though bridged with Tweek. As expected, the current was zero, at least initially. The circuit was left to its own devices, overnight. By morning, there was now a substantial current flowing of just over 6mA, suggesting a resistance across the 'open' contacts of about 400ohms. The Tweek had also turned a brown colour, whereas the reference, unpolarised contact remained perfectly clear and still measured high resistance. It would appear that some sort of electrolysis had taken place, taking gold from the contacts into suspension within the Tweek. So, conduction can take place, albeit under rather unnatural conditions. That result was interesting in itself. However, what follows is more so. The contact was operated lie closed once)

and then released, whereon the resistance went high and the current (as measured with

14 HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1955

a DVM) fell to zero. This state remained, as before, for some time, after which the current again increased as the 'Tweek' resistance fell. Further operation of the relay simply repeated the cycle of events. So it would appear that under 'forced'

conditions, there is a degree of interaction between Tweek and electrical contacts (gold in this case), though we admit the results are somewhat artificial and not representative of its cited application. Under close contact of two metal surfaces, coated with Tweek, it is just possible that small contact potentials could mimic our experiment, but at a microscopic level, where the effect enhances the electrical conduction. Tweek appears to work fine in all the cited

applications; our only reservation would be on coating DC biased relay contacts, where it is important not to bridge the contact with Tweek in the off position — Tweek likes forming bridges! Yours faithfully

. . . about broadcast dynamics From. Chris Daubney, Head of Engineering Information Service, IBA, Crawley Court, Hants. Dear Sir, Having read Angus McKenzie's 'Radio' column in the April 1985 HFN/RR, and noting his comments in the previous issue, I think an IBA comment would be pertinent.

After the earlier article, one of my colleagues visited Mr McKenzie and spent a long time talking to him and discussing with him some of the differences between his equipment and that used by professional broadcasters. I find it disappointing that Mr McKenzie had chosen to take advantage of those discussions in the April article in a way which does not fairly reflect the differences which were discussed during my colleague's visit. There are also some factual inaccuracies in Mr McKenzie's article. One would get the impression from the

fourth paragraph of the article in the April issue that Mr McKenzie's PPMs are the correct style, and that those used by radio stations operating in ILR are less satisfactory. The fact is that, along with the BBC and the Independent Television Companies, the ILR Companies use PPMs which are bought and tested against a specification which is not only a British standard but, more importantly, an IEC standard. The (dynamic) characteristics of those PPMs reflect — by their international status — a well thought out and reasoned balance of parameters, giving a proper level of performance overall. It would, of course, have been possible to choose faster attack characteristics for the broadcasters' PPMs; however, the result would have been a significant lowering of the average modulation depth in a system where there is not an excess of signal handling range even under good conditions and where, with the PPMs at the present operating characteristics, the problems due to transient over-modulation are kept to a sensible minimum. Of course very short duration transients will be ' missed', by the broadcasters' PPMs. The IEC specification requires the following indicated levels when a burst of a 10kHz sinusoidal signal of given duration is applied to this type of PPM. The assumption is made that a continuous 10kHz sinusoidal signal would be of such a level (1.94V rms) as to produce an indication of '6'. Some will be 'caught' by the limiters, to

which I will return later; others will cause the transmitter to over-deviate in a minor way momentarily and a few of those may lead to some audible distortion on a very few

Burst duration (ms)

Indication Tolerance

(dB) 100 6 • 0.5 10 51/2 • 0.5 5 5 • 0.75 1.5 33/4 • 1.0 0.5 ( see note) 13/4 , 2.0

Note: Since it is necessary for the tone-burst to include a minimum of 5 cycles, a frequency of at least 10kHz is required for these measurements.

occasions. However, the number of such short duration transients which 'slip through the net' is really very small when one remembers that considerable amounts of broadcast material, particularly in ILR, come from recordings, which will already have reduced such very fast transients. We will want to think again, of course, about system alignment and level indicators when significant parts of sound broadcasting (both radio and television) are digital. Turning to our deviation transmitter, we

allow a 'guard band' of 2dB in order to offset, in part, both the very few very short duration transients which may 'escape', and the effects of pre-emphasis, before the transmitter limiter operates at a level of + 10 dBm — corresponding to 75kHz of deviation. Again, the choice and size of the guard band was one taken with due care and after much thought, as being that which represented the best compromise. Of course the broadcasters would like to get rid of the guard band but that might necessitate, amongst other things, a change in the pre-emphasis characteristics or the acceptance of overall limiting. The latter we certainly are not prepared to entertain; the transmitter limitation is there as a protection device to a VHF transmission system which is as transparent as we can economically make it. Our maxim is that whatever sound the programme company generates at its station output is conveyed to the listener as free from distortion as possible. The transmitter limiter is not a programme tool. The former would be just feasible for the broadcasters to achieve, but changing the many millions of VHF receivers' corresponding de-emphasis circuits is clearly out of the question. Whilst we continue — as we shall for many years — with analogue VHF radio broadcasting, we are stuck with the 50ms pre-emphasis (although we are well aware that, were we to be making the choice of pre-emphasis today with modern equipment performance characteristics, microphone techniques and signal spectra, we would undoubtedly choose a smaller value of time constant), and we think that we have chosen the best compromise with the 2dB guard band. It is not true to say that the absolute maximum signal level allowed at the output of a Programme Company is PPM '6.5'. PPM '6' (+8dBm) is the correct maximum, the other 2dB being the guard band. The limiters at the transmitter are aligned

to prevent — except for very short duration transients— a deviation exceeding 75kHz at any audio frequency. Again, the broadcasters have to consider the best compromise within the economic reality. The IBA has chosen, along with many other broadcasters, to have limiters operating with an attack time of 1 millisecond and not 100milliseconds as Mr McKenzie claims. We have carried out experiments with 100 microseconds as the attack time but, as the BBC have also demonstrated in their publications, an attack time shorter than about 300 microseconds causes audible distortion too often. Yours faithfully

. . . about Absolute Phase From: David Hart, Piobino, Italy Dear Sir, I would like to thank Ken Kessler from the bottom of my heart for his article 'Phased and Confused' (HFN/RR June p26). Until I received your magazine I had my record collection neatly divided into two groups 'enjoyable' and 'unendurable' and I used to put this fact down to faulty recordings. Here are two examples from the

'unendurable': 1. Frank Zappa's box set Shut up'n play your guitar (CBS66368). I never got more than halfway through side one of the first record apart from the other two because the sound was harsh, shrill, two-dimensional and tended to split my head into two. When I inverted the phase at the speaker terminals I went through the box in one sitting because I was transported into another world.

2. Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, Herbert von Karajan, DG 2530296 was as flat as a pancake (2-D), the soundstage was to the left and it was just not music. When I inverted the phase it became very pleasurable indeed! I cannot agree with Ken Kessler's

comments on p29 where he says the differences involved are quite subtle. In my case it is a question of getting an instant headache or being completely satisfied with the sound of the music. I am now wondering what value reviews on equipment and records have if the question of Absolute Phase was not taken into consideration at the time and why such an elementary and important ( at least in my case) fact comes to light only now? Yours faithfully

.. . more about Absolute Phase

From: Mike Kontor, London W4 Dear Sir, Following Ken Kessler's article on Absolute Phase in June, I have been experimenting myself. Rather than invest in IH's Phase Shunter (which switches electronically at signal level), I decided to use switching after the power amplifier, which avoids extra electronics, and is cheaper. What you need: two good quality two-way

switches (I got mine at a local electronics shop); four female banana sockets. What to do: connect the centre two terminals of the switch to the power amp output; connect one set of 'out' pins of the switch to the female banana plugs, observing polarity; connect a jumper from each of these same 'out' pins to the other two 'out' pins of the switch, but to the opposite sides, ie out of phase, or 'criss-cross' across the switch; connect each speaker to the female banana sockets. While playing a record, you can now throw the two switches to invert the phase, as one side of the switch is wired to the female banana plugs in phase, while the other side is wired out of phase. Total cost was £4, including a box. As for the results, I could hear no

difference between Absolute and inverted phase at all. I switched back and forth many, many times during several types of music and recordings, but just could not hear a difference. I 'listened' to the switches and again heard no difference (they were silver switches with gold-plated pins, wired with van den Hul speaker cable) so concluded that these were not masking any difference. Yours faithfully

The all-electronic Phase Shunter, which avoids the potentially diodic effects of conventional switches, is available from the HFN/RR Accessories Club (see p47) for £51.45 inc. VAT and p&p. Ed.

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEP II >.11IER 1955 15

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NEW NAD AMP Bjorn- Erik Edvardsen, NAD's Norwegian born but UK-based Director of Research and the man responsible for a string of ampli-fier designs including the vener-able 3020, has not been resting on his laurels. Unveiled at the Chicago Show was a new model, the NAD 2200 'PowerTracker', which incorporates some interesting features, as well as potentially offering excellent sound quality.

For some time, Erik and his team have been concerned that the potential for increased recorded dynamic range posses-sed by CD is going to cause problems with conventionally-designed amplifiers. To pass faithfully a wide dynamic range signal without peak clipping implies an amplifier with high voltage rails, hence a high max-imum power delivery and a cor-respondingly high price. One way round this problem is to make the loudspeakers more sensitive — the approach adopted by KEF in their R104/2 — but NAD have looked at what the amplifier is supposed to do when hit with an uncompressed music peak.

It is well-known that these peaks do not last long, so the full output of an amplifier is not required for most of the time. What Erik has done with the 2200, therefore, is to offer a variant on the class-G idea ( used by Hitachi in 1977 as 'Dynaharmony' and

mixed with a host of other ideas in the Carver 'Cube'). Two power supplies are used: the first has relatively low voltage rails, but is of high current handling; the second has much higher rail vol-tages but can only deliver the requisite current for a short time. Control circuitry switches in the high voltage supply when the signal demands it. The recent signal history will also determine if that supply can handle the current demands. For example, the higher voltage rails cut in at an 8ohm equivalent power of 140W. For a fast transient, the equivalent of over 600W is avail-able, dropping to just under 500W after 20ms or so, and after 1.5s only the steady-state 104W is now on tap. The result is an amplifier which

appears to be a conventional 140W model when tested with continuous signals, but which will appear as a 500-600W model to music program with its high peak transients, handling those transients without distortion as long as they are over quickly enough. Other ideas in the 2200 involve inverting the signal polar-ity of just one channel internally, so that centrally placed high level signals — bass guitar and bass drum etc — will cause a symmet-rical demand on the power supply. NAD's soft-clipping is also featured, and the 2200 appears to be a formidable power amplifier indeed at a suggested price of £339.

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CHARITABLE PERFORMERS The latest cause to benefit from the recent spate of generosity on the part of pop musicians is Greenpeace, the environmental-ist organisation looking after aspects of our planet divorced from politics, nationalism or reli-gion. The benefit comes in the form of an LP titled Greenpeace (Towerbell/EMI FUND1), which will earn £ 1.15 per copy for the organisation; a single from the LP, in 7 and 12in. formats, will yield 14p per copy. The effort involves 16 songs donated by 16 artists, including such names as

Thomas Dolby, the Pretenders, George Harrison, Eurythmics, Howard Jones, Tears For Fears, Nik Kershaw, Queen and others of similar calibre. The labels cooperating on the venture, along with EMI, are WEA, Virgin, Stiff, Charisma, Phonogram, Mute, MCA and RCA. An added note of interest for the more hi-fi minded of ecologists is that all pressings, because they were prepared at Abbey Road, will be taking advantage of that studio's DMM facilities. A video will be released to accompany this pro-ject, which deserves success of the Band Aid level, especially in light of recent anti-Greenpeace terrorist activity.

HUNT EDA RETURN Following some confusion, the viability of the Hunt EDA acces-sories brandname has become assured, as it has been taken over by Fanmont Engineering, a com-pany with some considerable

experience of manufacturing record care products. The com-plete Hunt EDA range will be available, including the Mk VI brush, which will cost £7.95. Fan-mont Eng Co Ltd, Hunt EDA divi-sion, 442 Staines Road, Houns-low, Middx TVV4 5AB.

136c0 CD PLAYER We carried a brief note that B&O's first CD player was finally about to appear a while back, but now it has appeared, and very nice it is too. The £349 top-load-ing CDX is based on a Philips transport and over-sampling, digitally-filtered DACs, but is

NEW GALE At every show since 1977, we have heard tales about a 'baby' speaker to complement the venerable but well-resoected 401 and now 402 models. This year's CES actually saw its unveiling — the two-way, £249, Gale 301 is a reality! Vital statistics are 8in. woofer, 1 in. ferroflu.d-cooled dome tweeter, a black ash veneer finish and a distinctive chrome grille. DW Labs, PO Box 43, Dunstable, Beds LU6 2NZ. Tel: 0582 872138.

Some degree of controversy has surrounded the idea of whether CDs are sufficiently mechanically stable, or whether some degree of physical damping — from a second disc, for example — is beneficial in lowering the error rate. Meridian's Bob Stuart was

inimitably and identifiably B&01 in its styling. MC says very nice things about the sound in the latest Hi-Fi Choice, so it would seem that for a pretty affordable price, you get styling and sound — a rare combination indeed. B&O UK Ltd, Eastbrook Road,

Gloucester GL4 7DE. Tel: 0452 21591.

MERIDIAN CD STABILISER

one of the first to look into this, and it comes as no surprise, therefore, to learn that Meridian are marketing a 'Compact Disc Stabiliser'. No more than a flat black rubber mat, it did seem to lower the ' hash' level on the CD players — Marantz CD-63, Yamaha CD-X1 — with which we tried it. Try before you buy, however, if you can, to ensure compatibility.

DYNAVECTOR Following a spell of being dis.:ri-buted by Logic, Dynavector car-tridges are again available from Dynavector Systems ( UK) LA. In order to help re-establish the brand in the UK, Dynavector are offering some pretty generous deals: mail order customers will receive 24 days' free trial; the first 100 mail order customers will receive a free Casio watch; and

Dynavector will give a trade-in allowance on any cartridge regardless of condition until the end of 1985. There is also a new model available, a high-output — from the company that did it first — moving-coil, the DV50X, which is pretty competitively priced at just £42.55 inc VAT. Dynavector Systems ( UK) Ltd,

52 Park Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 6AU. Tel: 01-546 1434.

MITSUBISHI'S PCM CANS A fundamental tenet of the PCM process is that one should strive to keep the signal in the digital domain as far as possible if the full advantages of PCM are to be realised. In an ideal world, this would mean a recording/play-back chain starting with a mic-rophone having a digital output

corresponding to input sound pressure levels, and finishing with the converse, a loudspeaker which would directly convert digital information to sound. In June. Mitsubishi demonstrated headohones capable of the latter. Fed witn 8- bit digitally encoded signals, the piezoelectric plastic film transducer produced the analogous sounds, acting both as D/A converter and reconstruction filter.

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CUIVIPUSUNIGS UK The name Compusonics first came to our attention at the 1984 CES where they announced a digital music recording system based on 51/4 in. floppy discs. Extravagant claims were made, but it proved impossible to hear a demonstration, although Barry Fox managed finally to unearth that the signal was mono, of limited resolution, and of only a few minutes' playing time per disc. He reported in full on the Compusonics patents in 'Tech-

' April 'A ituite yy r IL

that the floppy disc-based system has evolved somewhat since its announcement. Sophisticated data compression techniques are used to expand the playing time; rather than record the digital sig-nal directly derived from the ana-logue waveform on the disc, as with CD, the Compusonics sys-tem stores the control signals for a bunch of 128 digital oscillators to recreate the music. The oscilla-tor control signals are updated every 100ms, which our gut feel-ing would suggest is not nearly

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of course, but a lot of what Corn-pusonics offer appears to be opti-mistic: according to Stereo Review's David Ranada, 'only the data necessary for a subjectively accurate reproduction of the sig-nal' are stored. Besides the implications of that statement, the conventional linear PCM pro-cess seems widely over-specified - but we're still arguing whether that is sufficiently good. At the 1985 CES, Compusonics were claiming 10m recording/playing time in stereo from one floppy

_ possible by the Autumn.

Well, you may be asking, what is the immediate relevance of all this techno-mythology to the UK? In short, Audio Video Marketing Ltd, of Ferrograph and NEAL fame, have signed a licensing agreement to manufacture a recorder based on the Compuso-nics patents in the UK. All, there-fore, should be revealed in due course. AVM-Ferrograph Ltd, Unit 20/21, Royal Industrial Estate, Jarrow, Tyne & Wear NE32 3HR. Tel: 091 489 3092.

BRIEFING AMSTRAD are planning to enter the CD market in early 86, prob-ably with a Korea-sourced CD midi system priced well below £500. MATSUSHITA, better known by its Panasonic, and Technics brandnames, is to open an R&D laboratory in the UK, the first such venture by a Japanese com-pany, we are told. HARROGATE show, originally scheduled for August, has been cancelled. NORDMENDE, the West German TV company, are now repre-sented in the UK by Hayden Labs, the Dual, Denon and Sennheiser importers. AUTOMATION SCIENCES, UK distributors for van den Hul, Burmester and conrad-johnson, have moved. New address is 20 Little Gaddesden, Little Gaddes-den, Berkhamsted, Herts HP4 IPA. Tel: 044284 2786. ITT Consumer Products have moved. New address is Paycocke Road, Basildon, Essex. Tel: 0268 27788. FUJI tape products, at present distributed in the UK by Bell & Howell, will be handled directly from November by Fuji Photofilm (UK) Ltd. DECCA Special Products - car-tridges, carbon-fibre record brush, tonearm and the Kelly rib-bon tweeter - are now available in the UK from Presence Audio, the Audiostatic and Jecklin importers. Presence Audio, East-land House, Plummers Plain, Hor-sham, West Sussex RH13 6NY. Tel: 044485 333. BADA, the British Audio Dealers' Association which aims to improve standards of hi-fi retail-ing in the UK, has further expanded their membership to around 70 shops. New members include Active Audio (Derby), Aerco (Woking & Farnborough), Audio Projects ( Leeds), Chris Brooks Audio ( Warrington), Erricks (Bradford & Keighley), Image Audio ( Leeds), Listen Inn (Northampton & Peterborough), Martins Hi-Fi (Norwich, Kings Lynn & Great Yarmouth), Photo-craft (Ashford), Practical Hi-Fi (Lancaster, Blackburn & Black-pool), Robert Ritchie Hi-Fi ( Mon-trose), Unilet (New Malden, Kens-ington & Guildford), Westwood & Mason (Oxford), and The Sound Organisation ( Leeds). EMI are setting up a Compact Disc manufacturing facility at their Swindon site, where they had established a plant to pro-duce discs for the ill-fated VHD video disc project. Production is due to start in early '86, with

eventual capacity planned at 8-10m discs annually. FINESPLICE, the digital post-pro-duction company set up by Tony Faulkner and John Boyden in 1984, has appointed Ben Turner, late of Tape One, as MD. Ben has already been responsible for the production of over 300 CD mas-ters. AKG's P1OOLE cartridge has won two of Japan's prestigious awards - 'Japan Stereo Compo-nent Grand Prix' and 'Component of the Year'. No, we have no idea what it sounds like. SONY is selling CD player kits to Samsung, GoldStar and Dae Woo in Korea, to be assembled and sold there. SENATOR BARRY GOLDWATER - remember his disastrous Pres-idential campaign in 1964 against LBJ - is apparently impressed by the fact that he can throw CDs across his apartment and they still play. Perhaps it is a good thing he never became President if he thinks that is the best aspect of Compact Disc. Or is he plan-ning to nuke Glasgow? MAXELL celebrate their 5th year of independence in the UK this month and the first birthday of their Telford factory, which pro-duces videocassettes and floppy discs. To mark the occasion, Mr Atsushi Nagai, President of Hitachi-Maxell in Japan, has translated the autobiography of the pioneer British civil engineer, Thomas Telford, into Japanese. TOSHIBA's latest CD player has two drawers so that two discs can be played consecutively. Cer-tainly a hot contender for next year's Golden Turkey Awards, we feel. GRUNDIG have finally ceased production of V2000 video recor-ders, the system that they pioneered with Philips. They still have around 135,000 machines in stock but their Nuremburg fac-tory will switch to VHS manufac-ture. Philips, however, are still committed to the ill-fated Euro-pean video system, though they too are emphasising their VHS VCRs in their UK advertising. HITACHI are manufacturing audio rack systems in Wales. SONY report a first half gain in profits in Japan. Sales of Betamax VCRs were down by 15%, but this was offset by increased turnover from profes-sional video equipment and Compact Disc players. HARMAN-KARDON is once more owned by Dr Sidney Harman, who bought the company from Shin Shirasuna Electric Corp for an undisclosed sum. Other com-panies in which Harman has a financial interest include JBL,

UREI, Infinity and Jensen. The Japanese company had acquired the brand from Beatrice Foods in 1979, who themselves had bought it from Harman when he joined the Carter administration in 1977. Shin Shirasuna will con-tinue to manufacture the h-k pro-duct line, as they have done all along, though it's planned to start up some production in the US. SCOTCH TAPE have introduced an entirely new range of blank cassettes, incorporating five types in 60 and 90m lengths. They are BX, CX, and XSI (Type I), XSII (Type II), and XSMIV (Type IV). STUDIO SOUND have just pub-lished their 1985/6 Professional Audio Directory. The price is £8, and it's available from Link House, Dingwall Avenue, Croydon CR9 2TA. CLIFF STONE'S highly-re9arded Foundation speaker stand is now available with a larger top-plate to make it usable with a wider range of speakers. A new option is also available for £14, uprating the stand to 'Super Heavy' status. Joining the Foundation is a new low-cost model called the Atlas, selling for £49.90 for 19 or 22in. versions, or £59.90 for the 15in. version. ONKYO have introduced a new range of electronics, the ampli-fiers being of particular interest because of clever new circuitry to preserve phase integrity. The line-up consists of four ampli-fiers, four cassette decks, two CD players and three tuners. JIM ROGERS, back after a hiatus from hi-fi, has just launched a new satellite-type loudspeaker called the Phobos. Price of these circular, shallow speakers is £90 plus VAT per pair; their useful-ness as rear-channel speakers in surround-sound set-ups is being emphasised along with their suitability for subwoofer arrange-ments. C & J WALKER have introduced a new turntable derived from their popular CJ58. The new model, to sell for £130 inc VAT, is the CJ58 II. Higher quality finish, a detach-able armboard, and numerous detail improvements signify the changes. TECHNICS have added two new turntables to their range of linear-trackers, the SL-L1 (£160), and the SL- L3 (£200). HEYBROOK, proving that hi-fi needs music to survive, co-spon-sored Concertone, a wind quartet plus piano, at a July concert in Yealmton, South Devon. This does seem much more appropri-ate than sponsoring Grand Prix races or football matches. ROSS ELECTRONICS have just

introduced some incredibly cost-effective headphones, the RE-2220 'Spectrum', to sell for a mere £7.95 inc VAT. Available in red or yellow, they should prove perfect for personal hi-fi use. LEWIS AUDIO are offering an improved version of their CLM10 loudspeaker available direct from the factory for £157.95 inc VAT or in basic kit form (less cabinets) for £85.95. TRANS-VALVE is the name of a new valve preamp from Holland. For details, write to Tan Audio, PO Box 5001, 3740 GA Baarn, Holland. SONDEX have a new disc ampli-fier to partner with their PCU passive control unit. The DE1 can be matched with different car-tridge types via a series of plug-in modules; price is £215.90. AIWA have expanded their range of midi-systems and portables, a notable stand-out being the HS-P8 auto-reverse personal hi-fi - with remote control! ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS, having refurbished Studios 1 and 2, have acquired a Philips PO Subcode Editor, enabling them to produce in-house all the necessary data for mastering. CROFT ACOUSTICS have moved to 15 Harrison Road, Erdington, Birmingham B24 9AB. Tel: 021 373 1142. They tell us that a £150 valve preamp is in the works. FRANCE has imposed a tape levy, the seventh country to do so. Anticipated taxes will be 2 francs per hour for audio tape and 4 for video. A BILL to impose a tape levy on hardware as well as software is under consideration in the USA. The proposal calls for a 10% royalty on cassette decks, 25% on twin-decks, and one cent per minute on tape. Video is not mentioned in the proposal.

EVENTS The SCOTTISH HI-Fl & VIDEO EXHIBITION, organised by Hi-Fi Corner, takes place from October 25th to 27th at the Post House Hotel, Edinburgh. FN/RR SHOW is scheduled for September 19th-22nd at the Heathrow Penta Hotel. BERLIN SHOW dates for 1985 are August 30th - September 8th. 400,000 visitors are anticipated. FBA WINTER SHOWS The FBA are backing three shows in the Autumn. These will be in Bolton, October 4th-6th; London, Octo-ber 12th- 14th; and Brighton, November 9th- 11th. SIM-MILAN show dates are 5th-9th September. consumer elec-tronics galore; 160,000 visitors expected.

111-1-1 NEWS à; Rit. OR!) REVIEW SEI'll'EMBER 14/t5 1)

THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE

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is the best, if not the only source of that help. Each issue of Choice is dedicated to a specific type of component, and reviews every worthwhile model on the market. In the course of a

year, Hi-Fi Choice covers every part of the audio chain. The tests in Choice are more comprehensive than those of any other publication in the world, and only world-renowned experts are allowed

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controversial link in today's audio chain. Hi-Fi Choice CD Players contains full reviews of virtually every

worthwhile CD unit available; over 40 models in all are exhaustively tested. And it compares them to over 45 of the best turntables and

tonearms on the market. Hi-Fi Choice CD Players pulls no punches; it names names, makes

firm recommendations, and awards coveted Hi-Fi Choice "Best Buy" status to those few units that really do stand out as superb. If you're not sure whether to go for CD as opposed to a top-flight disc unit, if you are convinced but want to be sure to buy the right model, or if you just wish to keep in touch with the leading edge of

hi-fi today, you need Hi-Fi Choice CD Players. Hi-Fi Choice CD Players, by concentrating on those units which offer real value for money, represents in itself probably the best CD

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REF'S NEW LINE-UP Officially launched at this sum-mer's CES in Chicago. KEF's new in-car speaker system and six-model domestic speaker range are now available in the UK. The in-car system, which should do well in the growing US market, is a direct response to KEF's suc-cess on the other side of the Atlantic. The package consists of a pair of satellites, called the

GT100, designed for door or back panel mounting, and an inge-nious subwoofer system to be installed in the boot. The GT200

subwoofer plus satellites sells for £359, or £ 149 for the satellites on their own. KEF know that the US market is more highly developed in the high quality in-car sector, but are optimistic about the future for installations in the UK. Their new range of domestic

loudspeakers consists of six models starting at £89 per pair up to £449. Called the 'C' Series, the new nomenclature should erase some of the confusion with the older labels of Coda or Celeste-plus- roman- numeral. Models include the two-way C10 (£89), C20 (£119), and C30 (£149); the C40 (£199) sports three drivers, with one 200mm unit covering only the bass frequencies, another 200mm unit for bass/ mid, and a 25mm soft dome tweeter coming in at 3kHz. The top 'C' models are the C60 (£249) and C80 (£449), both two-way units finished in real wood veneers instead of the lower models' vinyl.

PACTON SUPPORT CD Hot on the heels of the Mission Isoplat, with its new-found role as CD player sub-base, comes the Pacton Type A. This base, made from veneered particle board, comes complete with three Quadropod-type spikes, and is designed for players based on the Phillips 100. Cost is £19.95 including VAT; Kela Designs, who manufacture the Pacton Type A. will soon be making available support systems for

other popular CD players. Kela Designs, 4 Albert Parade, Green Street, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 1SD.

BOB BRADFORD Sadly we record the death at 81, a few months ago, of veteran audiophile Bob Bradford. Research and Development Engineer at Grampian Reproduc-ers Ltd, he was responsible for their disc cutter head and the famous BSRA 'Breaking Glass' record. DA

POSH PLUGS Absolute Sounds is distributing the excellent Inca Tech gold-plated mains plugs and sockets from Colin Wonfor. Standard items include the P13SP 13-amp mains plug (£9.99), the S13SP single, unswitched wall outlet

(£17.58), the P15RP round pin 15-amp plug (£9.20), and a full range of switched or un-switched multi-outlet sockets, as well as items for special order. Chris Breunig will reveal all in an upcoming 'Pot Pourri'. Absolute Sounds, 42 Parkside, Wimbledon, London SW19.

HI-FI EXPERIENCE ... is the name of a new London dealer, run by the well-respected Ray Churchouse, once of Unilet in New Malden. Located in the basement of the Lion House building, Ray has six dem rooms and will be majoring on British gear, including A&R, Bear, B&W,

Celestion, KEF, Linn, Mission and Quad. We wish them luck, but the opening was spoilt by news that the owners of the building had gone into receivership. However, this shouldn't affect the hi-fi store.

Hi-Fi Experience, 227 Totten-ham Court Road, London W1P OHX. Tel: 01-580 7383.

BEWARE SPEAKER MODS KEF's , Raymond Cooke tells a cautionary tale about the experi-ence a customer had with IAS Loudspeakers of Southampton, who offer a modification service for KEF drive units, among others. Raymond points out that

these mods, which include mak-ing a hole in the diaphragm in order to inject ferrofluid into the magnet gap, are NOT APPROVED. Not only does the ferrofluid injection render the drive-unit's performance sub-optimum, but the holes allow dust and debris to enter the voice-coil gap, to the detriment of the unit's life.

GERMAN ROYALTY A copyright bill incorporating a royalty on blank audio/video tapes has been introduced in Ger-many, equivalent to US $ 0.06 for a 90m audio cassette and US $ 0.17 for a three-hour videotape. While Germany is the first major European nation to introduce a

royalty for private copying of sound and video recordings, both the UK and France are expected to follow suit. The British Govern-ment's Green Paper ( Consultative Document) 1981 discusses the problem on pp12-17 and appears to favour a royalty. HMSO, Cmnd. 8302, at £3.90.

DA

THE matit TEST COMPACT DISC HAT CAN I SAY? JUST about all I would choose to write about the HEN!

RR Test Compact Disc has already appeared in our three- devotes a third of this to labora-page feature in the July issue. tory-type test signals which are Subsequent to that we bullied hardly intended for easy listen-Ken Kessler into writing a few ing, and most of the rest on a paragraphs (August p59). Now seemingly odd and certainly it's my turn, and I can't pass it on unrelated collection of short because I'm not the gaffer ... so musical items and, worse, it goes. excerpts? As we've said, HEN 003 was Well, firstly it's obviously

designed partly as an adjunct to important for your system to be the amateur, or indeed semi-pro- properly set-up as regards the fessional, laboratory, offering a basic parameters of channel range of test signals via the identification and phasing before domestic CD player at a level of you can expect it to deliver the technical quality on a par with musical goods encoded into your that obtained conventionally only record collection. Many HFN/RR by using test gear costing several readers may already possess LP thousand pounds. Such is the test discs for this purpose, and be remarkable performance poten- used to listening out for John tial of CD. Borwick's empty(I) wine glasses Which is al: very well for the or that unbelievably somnolent

measurement-oriented, scientifi- voice on the old Shures (" my cally capable, meter-swinging voice is now recorded on the left techno-freak, loJt why should channel and should appear in you, a music- loving, not particu- your left speaker If you've any technical switch- it- on-and- set up the set-up in this way all use- it hi-fi enthusiast, if that's you need to do is make sure your what you are, spend £ 11.95 on a CD leads are the right way CD which, although offering around too and you're off to a close to the maximum in terms of good start.

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speakers using the noise, d•- / 0 S' <2, e...110 le c) \.• spot and swept frequency /.•-.,- 4. ,-,, \>. 1• <<

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listener, providing a guide to the kind of soundstage, detail and presence that various dliking arrangements can convey, and / illustrating what many engineer s, and certainly what we on HEN/RR, feel to be good / ways to go al, -)ut making faithful recc.)i.i - gs of / musical ever ,'

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22 NEWS & RECORD RE\ II,W SEPTEMBER MS

C CAGO 385 IA AT CES g CHICAGO,' WROTE NORMAN

Mailer, is perhaps the last of the great American cities.' Certainly a

thrill goes through me every time I catch the first sight of the skyline, framed at its extremities by the black Sears and Hancock towers, as the 747 banks over Lake Michigan to line up for its final approach. In the same way that the best tomatoes spring from the ripest manure, Chicago's checkered and cor-rupt history gave rise to perhaps the finest setting for modern architecture in the world. Mayor Richard Daley may have been the least democratic of Democrats, but his bricks and mortar legacy makes New York look casual, London untidy, and Paris frumpish. Such a city, therefore, a city described by

its planner Daniel Hudson Burham at the beginning of this century as a city that should 'dream no little dreams', makes an appropriately high-tech backdrop against which the world's consumer electronics companies can present their latest and greatest every June. It has been discourag-ing, then, for a hi-fi enthusiast to witness year by year the lessening impact high quality reproduction of music in the home is having on the electronics industry as reflected by the attitudes at CES. I wasn't given hope by one headline that read: 'Audio: not just video peripheral', as if that were the accepted fact, and another suggest-ing that the entry by hitherto hi-fi-only brands such as Denon, Yamaha, Teac, Pioneer, and Kenwood (Trio) into the VCR market was going to make everything OK again, profit-wise. Even Compact Disc— taking off in a big

way as far as the American public is con-cerned — was not really being given the big push by the companies. Yes, of course every Japanese company had their new CD players on show — even Audio Technical — but apart from Technics, who scored in a big way with their $300 portable, even smaller than the Sony D50, the buzz apparent in the street was less apparent in the aisles. The hearts and minds of the PR people and salesman were fixed elsewhere: on 8mm video/audio, for example. Every year, some aspect of consumer

electronics seems to grab the marketing experts' fancy. It is almost as though the basic desire of the public to listen to good sound or get off on a movie is not sufficient; there must be an added angle. Two years ago, the American CD launch should have been it but fizzled due to bad timing, leaving the field clear for home computers— I was glad to note that this year's computer exhibit seemed gloomy, despite being sandwiched with the video pornographers in the newish McCormick West site. One of last year's hypes, the MSX computer, hasn't taken off as expected, and the other, the audio/video marriage represented by Beta and VHS Hi-Fi has also proved disappointing, to judge by the remarks I heard. Unveiled in 1983, it took a year for the hype to reach critical mass, but a further year on, there was talk of sales failing to reach targets, particularly with the VHS variety.

It actually appears to be the optical video disc that has proved, a considerable time

after its launch, to be capturing the American public's attention. High quality vision; good sound, and more importantly, the facility for surround sound effects from the software base which quite incidentally has that information encoded on it courtesy of Dolby Labs; inexpensive players sourced mainly from Pioneer; and rented software available for $2/night — it seems astonishing that it has taken so long for the idea to catch fire. Presumably the ill-fated and unpleasantly under-specified RCA grooved disc blew a hole in everyone's confidence in video disc per se. A few manufacturers showed cogni-sance of the increased public awareness of LaserVision. Magnepan put on a superb dem with a superbly sharp Kloss projection video showing The Right Stuff disc with surround sound playback on no less than three pairs of MGIlls, NAD were showing off their Pioneer-

The Technits CD ' Walkman don't try jogging with it— was the CD sensation, not the least, we were told, because of long delivery trirres for the slightly larger Sony 050.

sourced combined LaserVision/CD player to good effect with The Empire Strikes Back, while Pioneer themselves, who have made nearly all the running for optical videodiscs in the US, scored with multiple showings of the American USA for Africa video. Pioneer were making much of the new digital audio track on their video discs (see 'Technology' p29) and I have to admit to being impressed, even though the playback system being used was, well, not of the highest quality. The tape people are hoping that the

domestic video world will be put to rights by the appearance of the 8mm format, which has been so far making waves in the portable 'camcorder' arena. The home 8mm recorder was being hailed at CES as the future of both video and audio, despite its less than enthu-siastic reception a year ago, dealers then expressing in no uncertain terms that the public needed yet another format like they needed an extra hole in the head. (The pressure for fewer formats has already trashed V2000, and VHS seems to be increas-ing its dominance over Beta worldwide.

despite Sony's recent introduction of wide band Super- Beta, which boasts 20% improved picture resolution.) I find the 8mm system visually and physi-

cally attractive; a tape cassette no bigger than an audio Compact Cassette offers video with FM or digital sound, or up to 24 hours of stereo digital audio (with an add-on PCM processor), depending on which company you talked to. Kodak, Sony and Pioneer were making the 8mm running at CES, and there was heated talk about prerecorded software being available before the end of the year. Clarion were even talking about an 8mm-based in-car audio system. I must admit to being deeply sceptical about the ultimate quality available from the 8mm format. To get the thing to work at all is right at the edge of current technology (the metal vapour-deposited tape cassettes are not cheap): to get it to work and offer audio quality of CD standard— at present it's heavily companded' 8-bit linear resolution— or video quality com-parable to the best 1/21n. standard is some way off, in my opinion.

Hi-fi at CES did have some 'hot' concepts to tempt the non-specialist scribes: systems with remote control; beautifully crafted furniture (complete with remote control drawers and hideaway TV shelves); CO players from US Companies like Carver, ADC, dbx and Kinergetics, who have noted the success Meridian and Mission have had in buying in a transport and marrying it to their own electronics; in-car CD players; and tales of cheaper and cheaper CD players. $250 was the lowest street price I saw, but the word at the show was that the $199 barrier would be broken in the Autumn season, Magnavox ( Philips), Sharp, TMK (Funai) and the Korean Daiwoo company being quoted as price war leaders. Whether such low-priced machines will offer all the facilities of the current generation or feature full 16- bit resolution are moot points, but a Technics spokesman admitted to being wor-ried that such low prices will undercut the pricier machines even if these do offer more in the way of performance and facilities. What I found more exciting than cheap CD players was news that the true 16-bit Philips chips are soon to make their appearance, in products from Mission, amongst others. Disc prices in the US have fallen consider-

ably in the last year, but are still around UK levels. Personally, I feel it unlikely that they will fall much further; there is still a shortfall of CO production capacity worldwide and the retailers have no problem in selling all the discs they can get hold of at the existing price. As at previous shows, the real hi-fi action

was not in the main mall where the Japarese were, but in the hotels, with the main US manufacturers ( plus Rogers, Wharfedale and Celestion) in the McCormick Inn, the UK contingent in the Blackstone and the US high end in the Americana Congress and the Raphael. The show organisers were claiming a highest ever attendance, but it struck me that traffic was light compared with previous years Some rooms— WAMM, Audio Research, KEF, Monster, Krell, NAD, Mission, The Mod Squad, Apogee, New York Audio Labs. and Surniko (who were showing the I>

H1-11 NIIWS& RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1985 23

1

Most beautiful product at the show was without doubt the new Martin-Logan 5h tall full-range electrostatic, priced a 52450/pair. The gently curving diaphragm, developed with the aid of laser interferometry, controls dispersion fo

optimum stereo, while a proprietary treatment of the fully insulated stator elements allows it to be used without protection, giving the speaker a graceful transparency.

The appearance of the Linn remote control pre/powe amplifiers, described in full last month, was one of the major stories at the show. Did it mean a split in the Linn/Naim Axis that has dominated the UK hi-fi scene for almost a decade?

The OTT Goldrrund Reference turntable was featured in the Wilson WAMM demonstrations, with the equally out-rageoLs WAMM speaker system driven by Rowlands Research amplification This was one of the few dems to feature excellent sot.nd, with area sense of dynamic range, but JA wonders how precise is the stereo information captured on the Wilsor discs, as the imagery in the room was ambiguous a I ttle too often for comfort.

Rogers' new speake,s, the £ 155 LS2 and f207 LS6 show, here made their debut at CES.

The new Krell preamp, the PAM- 5, was helping produce excellent sounds from Mission 70s in the Krell room, with a little help from a KSA-50. Just look at the quality of the construction. Could the PAM-fi be the Volks' Krell,

SME Mk.V arm) stand out in my memory-were attracting the crowds, but many were on the empty side for a lot of the time. Another big difference compared with last year was the generally poor quality of sound: with some exceptions- Anthony Michaelson's new £189 class-A amp driving Mordaunt-Short MS100s, the new Magnepan Tympani IVs in the Mark Levinson room, the Meridian Pro CD player, and the Krell budget system of Oracle, PAM5 preamp, KSA-50 and Mission 70 speakers, for example- and taking notice of the fact that the CES is a trade show and thus not immediately con-cerned with sound quality, it was still dis-appointing that so many rooms featured sound marred by poor setting up or an unhappy choice of components. The health of the high end market also seemed variable, and there were rumours of closure for some of the smaller names by the end of 1985. Reading the paragraphs above, I feel I may

have given a false impression of the atmos-phere at CES, as everyone I met obviously felt that being involved in hi-fi was still a pretty good thing to be. As someone remarked, the reproduction of music is one of the few areas where an electronics engineer can get fulfillment without being involved in making devices to help kill people. On, therefore, to Ken Kessler's report, which more accurately reflects the show's upbeat atmosphere. John Atkinson

KK AT CES Why is it that both of the American Con-sumer Electronics Shows are held in cities famed for their gangster-ridden pasts? Is there something about the hi-fi community that this reveals? To be fair to Chicago.

though, it is also known for the Great Fire (caused by Mrs O'Leary's break-dancing cow), blues music, and- though I didn't get to try one PA did) - what are rumoured to be the world's finest pizzas [they are - JAI. I managed to eat well, doing my best to avoid non-native food, because it's crazy to travel only to seek out the stuff you can eat back home. By the same token, I try to spend most of my time in foreign parts meeting with people who aren't merely a train ride away from the HFN/RR offices in Croydon. I had to ignore this rule, however, as the Summer CES was very much a show with a strong British presence. We shouldn't expect British manufacturers

to apologise for launching their latest in a market not so saddled with doom and despair. KEF has even gone so far as to open a proper US base of operations, and those with a bit of marketing nous will note that many of the new UK products have a distinct American flavour. Or is it a dearth of new US products which lead to the fact that four out of the five most talked-about introductions at the show were British?

Ah, The Source. Yes, that British turntable which has been whispered about for a couple of years has finally appeared in numbers great enough to mean that some-one can actually buy one. Prior to the show, the Source had entered my consciousness via a spate of phone calls from readers impressed enough to replace their Linns with a unit costing twice as much; displayed with an Odyssey tonearm feeding some fresh-from-the-drawing board valve electro-nics, the Americans fell in love with it, partly because they appreciate fine woodwork, and partly because the sound was definitely high

end. The price over there is, too, but I won't rub our American readers' noses in it. Most important of all is that The Source isn't being rammed down enthusiasts' throats as yet another Linn-beater- maybe it will be given the chance to prove itself on sonic rather than political grounds.

Talked-about product 02 was the SME Series V tonearm, on display in the Sumiko room. The latest sample looked even better than the one I had salivated over at Alastair Robertson-Aikman's home, and you could almost hear other tonearm manufacturers sharpening their hara-kiri blades. The third product to dominate conversa-

tions- most of them, in fact- was the Linn pre/power amp combination. Most of the interest was due to surprise rather than to the amps' potential effect on the market-place, whispers of 'What about Julian?' filling the corridors. Well, the head of Nairn seemed less worried than he did slighted, and the market tends to favour the voice of experience, so co-existence will be the final state of play. The fourth British product to grab atten-

tion was the ' R' version of Mission's DAD7000 CD player, reviewed in HFN/RR last month, and heard in the Krell room, among others. Regarding CD, there were less words wasted on the evils of the little silver disc than I had heard at Las Vegas, so it would appear that the digital disc has been accepted, at worst, as something that isn't going to go away. What I did find hilarious was the announcement by Kyocera of what appeared to be a CD player with a built-in Isoplat, confirming the notions of hordes of British tweaks. Financial heavies from the HFN/RR Accessories Club were seen tallying

24 111.11 NI•WS& RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1985

The English lead in high-end CD players, established by Mission and Meridian, was challenged ir. Chicago not only by trie final production version of Stan Curtis two-box Cambridge model, which features switohable reconstruc-tion filtes characteristics to fine-tune the replay for each disc, but also by the indigenous brands. Much play was made of proprietary circuitry: dbx' piayer features 'Digital Audio Impact Recovery', as well as adjustable compression and -ambience', the Carver CD player has a 'Digital Time Lens. complex circuitry which as equalisation and inter-charnel difference information to render CD sound more like LP, as well as using additiona, dither applied to the DAC; and the Kinergetics model which uses a 'Dynamic Processo.' to •emove ' hysteresis distortion' and a 'Magnetic Processor' to restore the sound qua ity on CDs mastered torr i analogue tapes. Meridian's Bob Stuart, with his new double-height MCD Pro player, simply offered better retrieval of the digital information from the disc, and more rampage O/A decoding. Like the Cambridge it sounded su perb. Cartridge maker ADC also showed a CO player.

Musical Fidelity's little class-A amplifier, seen here in prototype form with an artist's impression of the final styling, was making excellent sounos with Mordaunt Short MS100 loudspeakers.

up the potential damage to saies or separate lsoplats. AU that was left for real conversation

grabbers went to Apogee for their new Duetta loudspeaker, a two-way ribbon of narrower proportions than the Scintilla. This $2300/pair model will bring ribbon technol-ogy within reach of less well-heeled con-sumers. Does that mean that only five products

were worth noting, and that the rest of the show was an anticlimax? Not hardly. Just about every room held something of interest, though caution prevents the sea-soned show-goer from taking anything too seriously until it has been seen in a few dealers. A new unit which stunned me was the gorgeous (sonically and aesthetically) Martin-Logan electrostatic speaker of man-ageable dimensions. Besides being less monolithic than its dearer hybrid brother, its styling - for me, anyway - is up there with Braun shavers and Porsche sunglasses Mention of Martin- Logan draws me away

from product to people, because it meant a brief reunion with M-L's Gayle Saunders; CES is a great place to get together with industry figures you otherwise only deal with via Telex or post, so I missed some British antics. I gather, however, that Natural Sound Systems' Andy Giles and New Hi-Fi Sound's Neville Farmer spent an evening wooing American nymphets by masquerad-ing as members of a prominent British rock band, but the ruse fell apart when Andy was asked to recite the lyrics of 'Telephone Line'.

Despite the eventual lack of success with such entrepreneurial ventures, the Brits gave an excellent account of themselves. KEF, B&W, and Celestion, for example, are

actually known to a wide spectrum of US consumers, not just to the anglophiles, and not a few US speaker manufacturers-spoiled for years by a firm grip on the home market -were sitting up and taking notice. KEF showed their intent with one of the slickest press functions I've ever attended, with Laurie Fincham out-Cooke-ing Alistair; gosn Americans sure are suckers for well-modulated tones and a wry wit. The Mission crew, headed by Howard

Pleet and Armi Leonetti, deserve some kind of combat award for managing to set up their room even though all the fittings had been stolen. Deft use made of scraps of wire, coupled with the pioneering Canadian Spirit, meant that it was all right on the night, er, week, and the long-awaited Cyrus FM tuner made an impressive debut. One of Mission's brighter sparks loaned neighbour Dan D'Agostino of Krell a pair of Mission 70s- it's doubtful that even Papa Farad has heard his babies sounding so good. Such electronic non sequiturs abound at

hi-fi shows - even the down-to-earth David Hafler was entertaining listeners by demon-strating the huge Acoustat electrostatic panels with the new Hafler in-car amplifier. This, no bigger than a Meridian CD player, turns out to be basically the same as the new DH120, differing only in the power supply arrangements. Even the purist heavyweights can create

an occasional giggle: Audio Research, though serious about this product, had to admit to the audiophile implications of an Audio Research PA system. Yes Virginia, you can now buy a (solid-state) microphone mixer from the company better known for fulfilling hi-fi fanatics' fantasies.

On the slightly warped side was New York Audio Labs' latest accessory, the NYAL Audio Gruntie Collector. Looking more like some-thing from Pampers, it was claimed to be essential to maintain domestic harmony as once the user had turned on his new Mos-code amplifier, he would lose control of some of his more important muscles. NYAL didn't stop there, of course, and JA's photo shows one of the new applications they have found for Moscode amps. I was particularly taken by their fetching Julius Futterman T-shirts, Harvey Rosenberg feels that these would be unbeatable when A/B-d against Linn T-shirts in a wet T-shirt competition. His game plan has already been worked out, so other hi-fi manufacturers with rag trade interests had better beware.

It wasn't all good humour, however. Now we all know that all's fair in love, war, and commerce, but Hitachi's attack on Monster Cable was wa-a-ay below the belt. Aside from the fact that Monster has done more than anyone else to emphasise the import-ance of cables- turning them into audio components rather than afterthoughts- I think their products are stunning. Hitachi, a little too eager for their linear-crystal tech-nology to rule the market that Monster's Noe; Lee trail-blazed , distributed a brochure at CES- reproducing MC's HFN/RR writings on LC-OFC cables without permission- and launched a promotional campaign that makes most knock.ng copy advertising (Pepsi vs Coke, Qualcast vs Flymo) look relatively innocuous. It has since been disco-vered that ' LC-OFC' stands for 'Linear Crystal Offends Friendly Chinaman'. A more pleasant aspect of shows is the

fecundity of accessory manufacturers. Those

NEWS /St RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER i985 15

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The Nuance preamp n the French Famco room has design input from Dr Malcolm Hawksford. It also features LC DEC internal wiring, massive power supply decoupling, close tolerance passive components, Noble pots and matched transistors.

Apogee's $2300 two-way Duetta bungs ribbon technology within reach of the ordinary US audiophile. The tweeter ribbon is divided into three segments connected in series, to bring the impedance up to a level 13ohms) where it can be used without a trantJorrner, but still be capable of use with real-world amplifiers such as Hafler. JA felt the tonal character to be es:; neutral than the Scintillas, having a somewhat forward Loper-mid. Stereo imagery, however, was stunning.

New York Audio Labs had two rooms, one featuring their Julius F utterman OTL valve amps driving modified State ELS-F81 electrostatics, the other featuring IT, a low-cost ($1691, 54dEl gain, single-value, phono preamp, for injecting high-end quality into tired Japanese receivers, as well as the Moscode amplifiers, with tube drivers and rugged MOSFET output stag. 'Rugged?', JA foolishly asked. NYAUs Randy and George produced a power drill, fed 60Hz into the Moscode 600's input, and proceeded to show how little the amp was fazed by being asked to feed 110V into a load rather more complex than a loudspeaker. Things got serious when they connected a blender to the Moscode's output, blended some oranges and, with the help of a bottle of vodka, offered tne listeners real Orange Julius. As Harvey Rosenberg said, it gives a new meaning to the phrase 'liquid midrange'. After a couple of glasses, JA was left wondering if it would have tasted different if they used a music waveform rather than a 60Hz sinewave.

In a show featurirg in the mair disappointing sound qua ity, HFN/RP's reporters hard to search far and wide tor the worst sound. There was no doubt, however, that th,s HH Scott

lookalike was well in the running. Under-damped bass? The woofer was flapping away 14ce wheat waving in the wind.

Seen here enjoying a LaserVision disc of Dune, a Japanese visitor was obvious y impressed with Pioneer's surround sound Auc6o Chair JA found the bass a little bottom heavy, however.

clever folks at The Mod Squad have pro-duced pre-drilled Tiptoes dedicated to the Oracle, as well as a cartridge decoupler à la Grado's dimpled plate. Odyssey — Scot-land's other tonearm manufacturer- has an inventive US operation supplying a further refinement on the Michell or Monster-style locking banana plugs, gold-plated, well-con-structed, and lavishly packaged. Both The Mod Squad and Randall are producing their versions of products which look like God's gift to a suspended subchassis turntable owner: an ultra-flexible tonearm terminator which provides a short link from the arm base to the outside of the plinth, ending in high quality phono sockets. Besides making it easier to trim the suspension, the user can also experiment w.th different cables. Things were a little quiet on the software

side, Mobile Fidelity only appearing briefly at a press function to announce the release of Sergeant Pepper's, but I bumped into JA clutching a test pressing of the latest Sheffield, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, engineered by James Boyk, and it proved impossible to avoid the Telarc CD tribute to the Beach Boys. I didn't make it to the YSL room, but JA told me that it looked like Harrods' sale, with dealers fighting over Japanese LP pressings as if CD had never happened. Outside the show, matters were much more exciting, as just behind the Americana Congress is Rose Records, who had no less than 160 different Ella Fitzgerald LPs in stock. They even had four Kinks CDs! Aside from forays into that vinyl heaven,

most of my time was spent snooping for scoopettes- like the fact that Musical Fidelity

will be bringing in the highly-rated Vander-steen loudspeakers, or that the Mk11 version of the Eminent Technology tonearm-the hot product I saw on my trip last October but couldn't mention- is finally ready. The ori-ginal Eminent is an air-bearing, parallel-tracking tonearm that sounds just wonderful. The new version supplements rather than replaces it, and is a super-deluxe variant designed with the aid of super-tweak Edison Price. Needless to say I want one. At the other end of the spectrum are future

contenders for the HFN/RR Golden Turkey Awards. Apart from mentioning a tonearm with bias/antiskating force applied at the headshell in the Famco room, I'd rather not blow the whistle on our September 1986 issue, so I'l limit my remarks here to men-tion of an international Golden Turkeys fan club. I'd like to thank certain individuals for nominating the Setton preamp, the Oasis turntable, and one or two other becombed marvels. As I don't want to get these people into trouble for pointing out the foibles of their competitors, I won't mention their names. Besides, I like John Curl... Craziness didn't stop with the Famco bias

system, for one of the doodads to captivate UK audiophiles turned up not once but twice. Though many have poo-poohed the idea of a cartridge demagnetiser, both Sumiko and Namiki had models on display. Address apologies to Sean Quigley do Zeta...

Craziest- or not so crazy- was our own Roy Gandy, he of Rega fame and therefore arguably of a conservative mien. Dear Roy, ever-eager to keep his dealers in line, was showing a lime green Planar, with equally

lurid finishes ( hot pink, for example) lurking randomly in the warehouse. The idea is to catch out dealers selling sealed boxes; let a Rega go out of the shop without a demon-stration, and the customer could be in for a shock. Talk of turntables reminds me that Ariston

managed to get a prototype of the RD60 ready for CES, while at the other extreme, Go dmunds could be seen both in the WAMM room- the OTT Reference — and in Goldmund's own, keeping the right kind of company with the Swiss Physics amplifica-tion and the gorgeous Jadis tube amps (even solid-state owners admit they're beautiful). The finish on these amps from the land of Rolex did justice to the name. It helps if your bank account is in that country, too. The products I saw on a long four-day

ramble between pre-ordained lunches (aah, the lunches). It's a helter-skelter show, despite intentions to attack it in an orderly manner. You can't help but be side-tracked, either by some mouth-watering piece of equipment or by a conversation with a ni-fi personality. I added a number to my tally - me being the ultimate hi-fi groupie - but the pinnacle was bumping into Saul Marantz - in Chicago with ace designer Join Curl to announce their new company - in the street, making my visit worthwhile. As for Chicago itself, I found it to be a lot

nicer than New York, gloomier than LA, ard more sophisticated than Croydon. I'd go back like a shot, if only because one of their bookshops has the best selection of crime fiction I've ever seen. Bt then I did say that the city was associated with gangsters .

111-F1 NE Vt S cc, RE('OFtl) REVtFW SEP11 1013ER 19t4 27

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28 HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1985

Polyprop patent Only one other patent in recent years has raised as much interest as that which tried to cover polypropylene (see below). That is another British patent, BP 1500 711, granted in the late '70s to Ivor Tiefenbrun, covering the principle underlying the Linn Isobarik loudspeakers. The patent explains how a raw bass

speaker with free air resonance of about 20Hz will have a resonance of 30Hz or higher when mounted in a cabinet with trapped air stiffness. The unit must be mounted on a baffle of some sort if the anti-phase sound at the rear of the cone is not to mix with, and cancel out, the sound from the front. The patented invention is a way of mounting the loudspeaker so that it has free air resonance, but with no cancellation due to anti-phase sound from the rear. To achieve this apparent contradiction,

two similar loudspeakers are mounted, one behind the other, both driven with the same audio frequency signals in phase. The rear loudspeaker is mounted in a conventional speaker cabinet of any type (sealed enclosure, transmission line, reflex and so on) and the front unit fires out into the listening room. A volume of air is trapped between the two loudspeakers, ie, between the rear of the front speaker cone and the front of the rear speaker cone. As the two cones are being driven by the same, in-phase signal, they move together and there is no sound pressure developed in the chamber. This is where the word 'Isobarik' comes from.

After I wrote about the Isobarik patent, several people questioned the theory; others questioned its legality. The important point here is that if a patent claims a mechanical construction and scientific theory to explain how it works, the patent will not necessarily become invalid if the theory is proved wrong. While checking on the 'polypropylene' patent, I checked also on the Isobarik patent. The renewal fee for Ivor Tiefenbrun's

patent BP 1500 711 was due in January, but not paid. This might have fooled a casual observer into believing that Linn had let their patent lapse. But no, the company paid an extension fee and renewed it a couple of months late. So the lsobarik patent is still in force.

New format CD/Laservision You have probably heard a lot recently about the Pioneer CLD 900, a combined Compact Disc/LaserVision videodisc player. You may have also heard how the latest videodiscs on sale in America and Japan have a digital audio soundtrack of Compact Disc standard, as well as the conventional FM stereo analogue track. Marantz and NAD are selling the Pioneer player under their own names. The system caused quite a stir at the recent shows. The idea of a single player for Compact

Disc audio, conventional analogue videodisc and a new format videodisc with digital audio option sounds very appealing. But don't get too excited. The technology won't work in Europe. Here's why.

In America and Japan they use the NTSC video format. For LaserVision the FM video signals are recorded in the band above around 4MHz. The same technique is used for PAL format LaserVision videodiscs in Europe. In NTSC countries the stereo analogue audio soundtrack is recorded on a pair of carrier signals at 2.3MHz and 2.8MHz leaving a wide open space in the spectrum below 2MHz. This is where the new digital

TECHNOLOGY Barry Fox

audio goes. CD audio, with error correction, runs at around 4Mbits/s so it is quite a trick to cram it in the 2MHz bandwidth. Perhaps there is compromise on error correction. Technical details from Pioneer are — as always — hard to come by. Anyway, what matters is it seems to work.

In Europe, for PAL video discs, the audio signals are modulated on carriers at 648kHz and 1066kHz. This is slap bang in the middle of the 2MHz band used for digital audio in America and Japan. So, on the face of it, it is not possible to offer digital audio as an option on European videodiscs. There is, however, one chance. It might be feasible to slot the digital audio in above the FM analogue sound and below the FM video, in the band of around 1.5MHz-3.5MHz. No-one has yet talked publicly about this, but you can bet that they are trying it.

Cone controversy When KEF recently announced the launch of the new C series loudspeakers, the company explained that to get high efficiency they were going back to the use of plastic cones. KEF used to use bextrene. Then they switched to paper. But paper has to be coated for consistency, which makes it heavy and the speaker less sensitive. KEF are now switching to polypropylene plastic. The announcement rang bells of recollection. Didn't someone try to patent the use of polypropylene? Are KEF paying a royalty? No, say KEF, we are not paying a royalty.

But yes, someone did try to patent the use of polypropylene for loudspeakers. I dug back through some old files.

In the January 1980 issue of HFN/RR I reported how patent applications had been filed, in 1976, on the use of polypropylene as

KEF's new C10

a loudspeaker cone material. In fact, the patents claimed any material within a specified range of mechanical 0, Young's modulus and density could be used. Polypropylene fitted the bill. The patent was originally filed in the name of Hugh Dudley Harwood, previously with the BBC. Joseph Pao and David Stebbings of Chartwell were also involved. Initially I heard nothing from Chartwell, but did hear from several other manufacturers who were either using, or interested in using, plastics for speaker cones. Three months later, the three gentlemen

wrote a decidedly grumpy letter to HFN/RR, published in June 1980 (p67), along with some further information on the patent situation. Messrs Harwood, Pao and Stebbings wished it known that they were co-inventors, even though the public index at the British Patent Office showed that the original application had been filed in the name of Harwood alone, and the published British patent 1 563 511 mentioned only Harwood's name.

After that there was again silence— until KEF announced the new C range of loudspeakers all of which used polypropylene cones. KEF's view is that there is no need to take a licence under the polypropylene patent, because it is impractical to claim legal monopoly on a known material like polypropylene, by virtue of physical properties, like Young's modulus, which fall within a stated range. Out of interest, I checked on the state of

British patent 1 563 511, using the public register at the British Patent Office. The register shows that annual renewal fees are still being paid on BP 1 563 511, to keep it in force. The register also shows that it was filed by Dudley Harwood alone. In 1981 the patent rights were assigned to Pao and Stebbings, ie, they became proprietors of what Harwood had invented. But they granted Harwood a licence to use his invention. It now remains to be seen whether the owners of the patent will try to enforce it against other speaker manufacturers.

ICE in stereo Leonard Kahn is well known for his work on AM stereo radio in America. There has been all manner of squabbling there over which technology should actually be used. Now Kahn has filed a European patent ( 120 126) on a simple modification to the layout of loudspeakers used in any car stereo system. Frankly it's so simple it is hard to imagine that the idea is new and patentable, but it is worth reporting, because it is always a problem to get a decent stereo image and balance in a car. If the left and right speakers are at each end of the dashboard, then no-one is sitting in the ideal position — halfway in between — and both the driver and passenger get a lopsided balance. If the driver adjusts to taste, the passenger is even worse off. Kahn says the best compromise is to use a

three speaker system with the extreme left and right speakers connected to the left channel of the amplifier, and the middle speaker connected to the right channel. In this way both the passenger and driver are sitting mid way between a pair of speakers. The inventor conveniently ignores the problem that one listener will be getting a stereo spread that is inverted left-to- right. What he also suggests is that the idea can be extended for large vehicles, like buses and trains, by stringing together a whole line of speakers, alternately connected to left and right channels. Hmm

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IT HAS BEEN SLOWLY DAWNING ON ME over the last few months — with a degree of dismay — that the BBC relays very few

concerts now from the Royal Albert Hall, with the exception of the main promenade concerts in the summer. It is odd that they seem to be willing, however, to take many concerts from the Barbican, despite the fact that the sound is very coloured because of the hall's poor acoustics. The Royal Albert Hall can produce some of the finest sounds broadcast from any UK concert hall, so why cannot more classical concerts be held here, instead of being taken over by sports activities and big name pop concerts? My wife recently went to a Scottish fiddlers' concert at the Albert Hall and enjoyed a musical experience which was tremendous fun — an orchestra of nearly 100 fiddles, many cellos and basses and six accordions. Would it not be a good idea for this annual event to be relayed on Radio 2? On June 8th I listened to a programme of

the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Vernon Handley, including Frank Bridge's Dance Rhapsody and Vaughan Williams' Symphony No.9; a BBC Bristol recording. I had not heard the Bridge work before, and after 10 minutes it seemed to fade out at a fairly logical point, followed by one of the most humorous and extraordinary announcements that I can remember hearing in the 16 years of writing this column:

'Well, we think we've been listening to the Dance Rhapsody by Frank Bridge, or at least part of it. There's an element of confusion here because a work which was scheduled to last for eight minutes appears to be going on for a very great deal longer, so we're going to have to leave it for the time being because we're going to hear the Vaughan Williams symphony before we go live to the Aldeburgh Festival.' Whether it was or was not Bridge I do not

know, but it did sound like Frank Bridge! One begins to wonder how a mistake like this could have occurred, and I can only assume that some engineer in Bristol had a faulty tape-timing counter. Surely an experienced operator would have been able to tell that a counter was slipping, and therefore not registering the full elapsed time. At least the BBC Radio 3 announcer had a wonderful sense of humour, and did not try to bluff his way out of the situation, thus earning my respect as well as that of many others who were listening! When Vaughan Williams' 9th Symphony

was first performed in 1958, one critic quite outrageously suggested that the composer was preaching to the converted. I think this is most unfair, since even this symphony, written shortly before his death, shows innovation in the use of saxophones and flugelhorns, admittedly with the composer's familiar style. The work has only rarely been broadcast, perhaps because of the poor early criticisms, but on this occasion the orchestra performed it extremely well. I was struck by the sympathetic balance which had just the clarity and openness that I admire in the best BBC balances, whilst preserving the right amount of ambience. Occasionally I am a little disappointed with some of the regional balances, but this one had a warmth and depth which showed that a prerecorded programme from a good hall can be so much better than a live one from a poor hall like the Barbican. The background hiss level, although just noticeable in the quietest passages at my normal monitoring level, was a lot less objectionable than it was some years back, where the tape hiss had rather a

Angus McKenzie

nasty, high-pitched white component, which was much more noticeable. Part of the improvement may well be due to the use of quieter micropnones and control desks, but the hiss characteristics of professional recording tapes can vary a lot, subjectively, whilst measuring the same on some weighting networks. I very much enjoyed the Radio 3 relay of

Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos from Covent Garden on June 22nd. The orchestra was conducted by Jeffrey Tate, who has now been appointed the first permanent

conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra. The cast included Norman Baitey, Jessye Norman, Ann Murray and James King. The opera is quite an early Strauss, written in 1911, and although it is not one of my favourites, Tate's conducting and the standard of singing were so good that the event was memorable. The sound was quite fascinating, the overall balance particularly good, and the ambience far better contro led than of old. It is not easy to get a good sound at Covent Garden, but improved outside broadcast equipment seems to be making quite a lot of difference these days, and the use of quieter desks and digital reverberation both contribute to a better

sound in the listener's home. It's worthwhile weighing up once again the pros and cons of analogue LPs, prerecorded cassettes, digital recordings of broadcast operas vs Compact Discs. I have always felt that a very good opera broadcast is probably the best option, for one gets the continuity of a live performance that one can keep if one wants to, as opposed to the edited, commercially recorded ones. Analogue LPs are now a long way down the ladder for me, for they not only have the disadvantage, so often, of a poor commercial balance, but the usual LP problems as well, whilst prerecorded cassettes are still not in the same league as a good LP, although they are now improving. I therefore see the choice now as between a chosen excellent broadcast and a good CD opera. At its best, good CDs can be magnificent, and broadcast sound has a long way to go before it can approach the dynamic range of CD. Of course, CDs can only be as good as the balance of the original master tape, whether digital or analogue, so often this balance is not really musical, let alone hi-fi in the true meaning of the word. A digital recording of a broadcast can be superb, musically, and most acceptable, technically, more reliably than a random opera on CD. My final conclusion, however, is that the best CDs now offer superior overall sound, whilst a high proportion of broadcasts can be almost as satisfying, subjectively, if one has a good tuner in a reasonable signal strength area. Although digital PCM adaptors using video recorders have been with us for quite some time, it will be the dedicated digital cassette decks coming out fairly soon that will give home recordings of BBC broadcasts quite a boost over Compact Discs in terms of value for money. I wonder how the copyright situation will evolve as broadcast quality steadily improves? Although we audio critics do have very high, and sometimes almost fanatical, standards, the quality of many of the reproduction media is so good as to bring a lot of satisfaction to the majority of music lovers provided they have decent systems, and not necessarily extremely expensive ones. Will the tables turn one day if we have 16-bit PCM broadcasting? One of Jeffrey Tate's first concerts with the

English Chamber orchestra after his appointment was a relay on June 30th of a concert including Schubert's Death and the Maiden Quartet in the rather strange arrangement by Mahler for chamber orchestra. Unfortunately, the venue was the Barbican, but this time it didn't really matter as I found myself becoming totally wrapped up in Mahler's arrangement which I was hearing for the first time; no doubt this was true for many other listeners. I managed to ignore the rather unpleasant ambience characteristics, as the BBC balancer got as good a sound as I have yet heard from the hall. I am sure some Schubert fanatics, with their purist views, might have turned off, but as much as I love the original, I have to admit that this interpretation, which romanticises the work, gave me rather a different aspect, with the addition of double bass parts, as well as minor changes in the string writing which shocked and infuriated audiences in the 1890s, but which may well make the work more appealing to audiences today. Although I love chamber music, I appreciate that some people are not attracted to the small scale of a string quartet, and when one hears a superb performance such as this, with incredible orchestral discipline, one feels that Tate really must put this on disc with the orchestra.

111-11 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 19s5 31

The He/mate 4t remote cofrero/ 00

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And Giles* discovers the meanin g of hi g h fidelit

IDON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT I THINK the word fidelity is one of those you find yourself looking up in the dictionary

when nobody's around so that you can find out what it really means. It's a bit like nubile. I mean, just how many of you know that nubile means marriageable? Well I didn't, for one. Not, that is, until I looked it up. I think I looked up nubile when I was young and had just got hold of a decent dictionary; you know, one with words like bum in it. I was probably looking up all sorts of ghastly obscenities at the time and had some vague notion that there was something remotely salacious about the word. That reminds me, I must look up the word salacious when I get a minute for I'm sure it's got a lewd ring to it. Anyway, this word fidelity. I looked it up, I

seem to recall, after being unjustly called 'infidelitious' (try and find that word in the dictionary) by my wife at the time. I think she had just finished reading some Harold Rob-bins epic and the poor girl's mind had quite gone. By the way, when I say 'my wife at the time' you of course realise that I mean the person that I was married to at that time. An important detail, that. Anyone reading this who knows my present wife will be aware that she can kill a man at a distance of 10 yards with a sardonic grin alone. To accuse her of reading Harold Robbins would prom-ote instant death. So let's make no errors on that one. Imagine my shock, horror, indignation,

etc, when I discovered the true, unadulter-ated dictionary definition of fidelity and learned that my former spouse was accusing me of some unspeakable indiscretion. ( It is of little profit now for me to point out that she may have been correct in her accusa-tion.) For, and here it is ... Fidelity — lodged, incidentally, between Fiddlesticks and Fidget in my short dictionary — n faithfulness, loyalty; accuracy. Just that. Well, as I now recline and adopt the self-applauding air of one who has just discovered an asp lurking in an Apple Charlotte, I will go further. Let's get to the bottom (must look that up again) of this matter at once before we dare to dream of researching HIGH-fidelity! Or, of course, Hi-Fi as it is gloriously condensed in order that it can be fitted neatly on the front cover of this magazine, together, that is, with such incidentals as 'news' and 'record review'. Digging deeper into fidelity, I am rather

delighted to discover that the endearing name for a faithful dog, Fido, is formed from the Latin word for trust, fides, and the verb meaning to trust is fidere. Hence fidelity. It's a wonder no-one has launched a range of hi-fi called Fido Acoustics. I suppose nobody will now, what with the boom being over. Still, there are woofers; I wonder if anyone knew .... no, impossible, and less of this idle rambling.

So, now we all know what fidelity means. As for High Fidelity, well that's clearly a verbal attempt to go one stage further and become really faithful. Super-humanly accu-rate. Remarkably loyal. Now let's get music involved here. We might as well, I suppose, although I was going to avoid it altogether so as to annoy Ken Kessler ( he of one-million Sam & Dave singles). Musically faithful? What exactly are we trying to be faithful to? I know it's been said before, but just what

would Mozart make of the Compact Disc recordings of some of his music? I appreci-ate it's not a good example, but Delius is reputed to have described recordings of his music as 'disgusting' when played to him. Mind you, his ears may have dropped off by then; everything else seemed to have. Reviewers have told me that the idea is to

recreate studio standard recording in the home with maximum faithfulness. They then go on at great lengths, writing utter bilge about the position of the microphones, stu-dio acoustics and other such matters, just to let you know that it still isn't quite right. Other reviewers, with great authority, tell me with an understanding that betrays immense b t that the real meaning of High Fidelity is that which gives all the atmosphere of the concert performance.

Frankly, this leaves me somewhat cold. I mean, do you really want people unwrap-ping sweets and passing wind, etc, in your living room? I remember, at the proms a couple of years ago on an English music night, I was just about to enjoy the last bars of Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending

recommending the same brandnames

when, to my astonishment, a misfortunate fat woman two rows behind me (note I say 'rows' as I refuse to mix with the knee-bending hoo-ray Henrys gathered in the 'Promenade') suddenly began to make the most awful baying noise, totally drowning the exquisite violin of lona Brown. I first thought that the obese one had swallowed a large bicycle-pump (for indeed it would require such a thing to pump up any form of transport able to propel this bulk home-wards) but later realised that it was a coughing fit of much magnitude that was now being relayed to Radio 3 listeners all over Britain. That night I remember that the first thing I did (well second thing actually, seeing as we are being totally honest here) was to put on a record of The Lark Ascending and enjoy it in the comparative silence of my own home. Of course we all know what we mean

when we say High Fidelity. We also know (for the good magazines tell us so every month) that some fi is higher than other fi. You get these almost runic conversations: 'Oh you've got a Pintel amp; you realise that the Mazdell has far more depth and is in effect a tauter and cleaner amplifier'. Or 'Well of course the Q & A system is fine if you are just looking for furniture'. You know

what I mean. The delivery is as symbolic as it is predictable. All the same brands are better. All the same reviewers say so. And often, quite often in fact, they are absolutely correct! Only a halfwit would purport that there is no audible difference between diffe-rent hi-fi equipment. The fact that the differ-ences are often subtle and more often purely a question of taste lone man's meat, etc) gives rise to the present and indeed peren-nial and invariable controversy over product reviews and magazine theories and policies.

I, for one, am pleased to see that, with the odd boring and intensely sycophantic excep-tions, most of the current crop of real hi-fi reviewers have stopped being intimidated into recommending the same brandnames above all, every time the opportunity arises. It was the attitude of 'knowing more than thou' without being able to explain why, and the arrogance of those who think they are safe belonging to a kind of Party or associa-tion which can sweep away the challenging voice of others and mock and deride alterna-tive views, that has done so much to damage the hi-fi business, and in turn the enjoyment

of music by so many members of the public who failed to understand any of it. Whatever High Fidelity is, one thing it should not be is a complicated, 'serious' subject that encour-ages the fatuous to become snobs, the insecure to become cradled in the security of cultism, and the music-lover to forget his music and start talking about electronics as if it mattered to his soul.

It is for this reason that I am no longer surprised when I visit somebody's home and find a £300 integrated 'stack' system gleam-ing at me quite unashamedly and happily, whilst its owner could probably afford a £3000 system straight from the pages of a hi-fi journal. I would not be foolish enough to end this piece without pointing out that much of the equipment that became enmeshed in the audio-fascism of the last few years held merit that was clearly worthy of comment and praise. It was the didactic and dictatorial attitude of some that spoiled it for many. There are always alternatives and to suggest that no other view can be neither accepted nor tolerated is as naïve as it is unhealthy. Music is a wonderful and joyous thing, however faithful its reproduc-tion may be. Yes, some fi is higher than other fi. But not as hi as they would have you believe!

HOW HI THE FI?

NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1985 33

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1985

OLDEN TURKE

Ken Kessler and John Atkinson announce the winners in the hi-fi world's most • resti • ious awards scheme

NAIVETE MIGHT HAVE LED SOME OF you to believe that we'd run out of turkeys for our annual shoot, thinking

that the industry couldn't make that many mistakes. But, as the butcher finds at Christ-mas ( Thanksgiving if you're based Stateside), there's an endless supply. Indeed, we have a list in front of us that will have to be halved, so many are the candi-dates for this, our third annual act in recogni-*ion of hi-fi's Heath Robinsons. To take

account of this bumper harvest, we've granted some awards to groups of products, joint winners as it were, though who gets the drumstick and who gets the wing is unde-cided. Much though one of our two panellists

fought to include people as well as objects, the idea was vetoed by the other, more powerful panellist. Yet again the industry's libel lawyers will have to earn their crusts elsewhere. Hopefully ...

The Sir-lsaac-Newton-Was-Wron Pineapple Upside-Down Cake t Audio-Technica for their turntable

Can lateral thinking also mean topsy-turvy? This gem — ranking with the Yamaha ear-speaker and the Transcriptor Transcriber for gallinacity — applied tracking force from below, by bringing the platter up o an arm fixed in the vertical plane. A linear-tracker, there's alleged to be a laser/computer mechanism which reads the groove width to tell the arm how far to travel on each rotation. Construction is of the San Francisco Bay Bridge variety, which leads us to believe that there's more to this than meels the eye.

This thread (we mean many threads) driven, vacuum-plattered creation has too much going for it to be a mere 'turntable', and we've not exactly ruled out that it could double as a record cutter. Face it: Audio-Technica may have a CD player of its own on the front-burner, but they're still analogue vinyl lovers deep down inside. Imagine a new trend, then, to put some more life into the old black disc. To hell with home record-ing on tape, or digital recording onto video, or even recordable CDs — why not enable people to copy their friends' LPs on to ... LPs!!! Imagine — you go into your local record shop and buy blank discs. Why not? You put on your source, whack a blank onto this Audio-Technica home cutting system, and copy it onto vinyl! Think about how happy it will make the anti-CD brigade, 20 years from now when the manufacturers have stopped making LPs. They can buy the CD, take it home, and copy it onto vinyl! Anachrophiles, rejoice! You'll never have to give up vinyl whoosh and tracking error with one of these babies, no matter what non-vinyl format replaces the LP. Thanks, A- T: you've saved a whole

industry.

The J Paul Getty You-Thought-We'd-Lower-The-Price-To-Increase-Sale-s-But-Instead-We're-Making-lt-Che-aper Award to the Turkey who con-ceived the replacement for the CD '-ewel case'

Love CD or hate it, nobody argues the fact that — once you've learned how to open it — the lovely plastic case ( past Turkey winner) beats the hell out of a cardboard sleeve. The spines are always legible, the disc is well-protected, and it represents one of the rare occasions when even a turkey is better than the alternatives. Amidst rumours of CD pro-ducers going to mini-cardboard sleeves

because the jewel cases are so dear, we learn of another alternative that actually has gone beyond the mooting point and into the shops. Fortunately, those shops are confined to Japan, but ace turkey stalker John Watson of Mission loaned us one for what is the first ever sneak preview Golden Turkey. The new cases, like the Garrard auto-

changer, reek of conspiracy, for the built-in destruct mechanism could only mean that you have to replace the discs on a regular basis. Yes, these nifty, double-hinged affairs have such a weak grip on the disc — the exact opposite of the jewel cases they're designed to replace — that everyone who tried to open it first time dropped the little silver devil. To top it all off, the thing doesn't snap shut when you've finished, and it looks like junk when inserted into a row of uniform CDs that you've already acquired. To the man in Japan we give a loud Bronx cheer, gobble, gobble, gobble, and we live in fear of what this guy will do if they tell him to redesign the LP sleeve for black vinyl's final years .

Back in the primitive days of the '70s, when CD was just a twinkle at the end of Herbert von Karajan's baton, many engineers felt that if they could find a way to remove surface noise from LPs, the world would beat a path to their doors. In 1978 SAE in the USA and Garrard in the UK almost simul-taneously introduced black boxes which aimed to achieve this supreme goal.

Did the world beat a path to their doors? No.

Did either of the units remove surface noise from LPs? No.

• • .

1111101., 1 11111111118.11.111111.

What did they do? Well, to cut a long story short, the SAE replaced the sound of record scratches with a repeat of the previous slice of music — did they really think that people wouldn't notice? — and the Garrard replaced the scratch with a burst of silence — even Pops' cat can tell music from silence!

Neither device impressed those who dealt with scratched LPs by returning them to the shop; neither had any effect on the rustle and bustle of LP pressing noise; both devices are now in that technological limbo where all beautifully executed bad ideas reside before being resurrected as recipients of hi-fi's most prestigious award, an HFN/RR Golden Turkey.

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If you are relatively new to hi-fi, you will know that Rotel are one of the more sensible Japanese companies, manufacturers of amplifiers that sacrifice cosmetics and aes-thetic frills for sound quality and audio thrills. Good heavens, they even went for maximum brownie points, despite the loss of Japanese face, by using an English desig-ner for some of their best-selling models. Little would you have thought that they had a skeleton in their cupboard; yes, a skeleton truly deserving of public display in the Golden Turkeys of 1985. Yes gentle readers, even Rotel succumbed to the desire endemic amongst Oriental companies to add to perfection, to gild lilies that are already golden, to boldly tread where Quad et al feared to go. The 1978 Playmixer had every-thing a preamplifier needed for audiophile acceptance — m-m input, tone controls, genuine meters, drum machine! Yes, like the Trio receiver featured in the 1983 Turkeys, the Playmixer enabled the user to add strict tempo drum sounds to his records in order to truly become as one with the music's creators. It is a little-known fact that HFN/ RR's esteemed Editor actually owns one of these classic devices — presumably he uses it with records by Led Zeppelin, the Who and the Beach Boys!

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The Hoover-Is-Now-A-Generic-Term-But-That's-Because-lt-Worked Bronzed Suction Pump to Groovac AND The Foisting-Prototypes-On-The-Public-ls-Unfair-But-Then-Again-They-Didn't-Follow-Through-And-Someone-Else-Beat-Them-To-The-Waterpic Terrycloth Sash t Goldring for the Lencoclean We C eaner; AND The We-Don't-Think-That- This-Is- Quite-What-De Bono-Meant-By-Lateral-Thinking Stars 'n Crescents-encrusted Dunce Cap t Goldring for the Lencomatic linear-trackin • dust collector

The richest vein for inventors to tap— even in this age of the CD — is still cleaning devices, especially for LPs, and no-one can even guess as to the amount of mental energy that has been expended on this type of aid. Of the 6,748 of which we're aware, the three winners are but representative of the high end; a mere carbon-fibre brush, so elegant in its simplicity and so worthy because it works, is deemed unworthy in the turkey context.

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The Groovac is a real goody, because its noise levels added a second function, that of masking low level nasties. Designed to grab the grit right out of the groove, this mini-vacuum cleaner added new meaning to the expression 'this sucks'. Second-hand ones enjoy great popularity as toys for rich little girls who want to add a working carpet cleaner — in scale — to their dolls' houses. No, Mattel is not reissuing this as a Barbie accessory.

Goldring did it twice, wet and dry, which indicates some, uh, schizophrenia, but then the Lencoclean's liquid doubles as a lubri-cant for 'wet' playing, so beloved of German audiophiles. The idea is to flood the LP, but

then who cares if the label soaks off? We have horrible visions of overactive pumps drowning all and sundry, but this could be just the proof needed if you have to convince listeners that, say, Richard Clayderman is truly wet. The real killer, though, for our money, is

the Lencomatic, introduced just about the time that audiophiles decided that ( 1) track-ing-type cleaners make audible noise and drag on the platter, and ( 2) that linear-tracking is infra dig. That didn't stop Lenco from creating a cleaner which — oh, ease-of-use in the extreme — was stuck to the inside

of the dustcover, dropping into place when the lid was lowered. It, too, dragged along the disc, but radially instead of circum-ferentially, thus making it as high-tech as could be imagined, and combining not one, but two outre techniques. Again, it's a filthy lie that plans were afoot to fit this to the revised version of the Garrard auto-changer (see elsewhere on these pages), or that because it rested on top of the spindle — call it ' interfered with' — meant that it inspired the candidates for next year's awards, the linear-tracking tonearms.

The Putting-The-Hep-Into-Hepple-white Aristotelian Chair to SI Court Associates' Acoustic Chair

We can only assume that this chair, a recidivist response to the success of that egg-shaped acoustic chair of a decade ear-lier, remains low-key because it cannot be found in Habitat; the pristine, basic white of the egg better suited Mr Conran's concept, but that didn't make it there, either. Rather than repeat the exercise of fitting loudspeak-ers to a high-tech-styled seat, this attempt at removing space-eating boxes from your domestic surroundings opted for the tradi-tional wing. Perhaps it was to suggest that classical music best suited the three-way system housed within, though we recall that Pink Floyd was the chosen material during its 1984 launch. The concept — executed to include bass

drivers and ports not a million miles away from the listener's aft port — was to create the whole stereo, nay surround-sound environ-ment, in a single space, not unlike sitting in your car in preference to facing a wide-open hi-fi. Sound levels of over 100dB were obtainable, loud indeed at only 6in. from the speakers. The implications were varied, evoking images of the year 2025, when today's Walkman users would be immobile residents of Old Folks' Homes, needing 100dB or more to penetrate their aged aural canals. We can see Toyah or Cyndi Lauper as

grannies, knitting for their offspring's offspring, swaying — within the confines of the wings — to the strains of their 40-year-old hits without the need of deaf aids. We can picture torn, punkesque antimacassars to keep in the spirit of decades past, the girls having finally grown into their shawls ...

The Sow's-Ear-from- a- Silk-Purse Philosopher's Stone for Latera Thinking above and beyond the call of duty to Oasis for the Oasis Turnt-able

Two years ago, we discovered the Gram-deck, a beautifully conceived item for turning a record player into a tape recorder. At the time we felt that it was the ultimate man-ifestation of the ability of the truly creative hi-fi engineer's mind. We were wrong, of course. Turntable into tape machine - kid's stuff beside the Oasis design team's dream of turning a goldfish bowl into a turntable. The platter floated in the water; a stirrer swirled the water; the water went round taking the platter with it; the velocity gra-dient from centre to edge of the bowl kept the platter centred; the listener put on Hand-el's Water Music, or even Debussy's Pois-sons d'Or; and surely audio Nirvana must have been the result. Unfortunately we don't know anyone who actually heard the Oasis; we can only assume that something went wrong. Could the turntable only be used on . clear calm days? Was it the hot dry summer of ' 76, the year of the Oasis launch? Or was it a basic incompatibility with records on the Island or Making Waves labels? Perhaps the designers' recommendations of heavy water for Whitesnake records, mercury for Hoist's Planets, and burning oil for albums by the Fires of London helped lead to the Oasis' rejection by the mass market. Whatever, we are pretty sure that Oasis must be working on a CD version.

The U-Biggles-Were-French-They'd-Call-Him-Beegles Iridium Joystick t Setton's Tuner-Pream •

No, this wasn't the first time a tuner/preamp combination reached the market, and yes, the flat cables supplied with the unit did foreshadow a certain trend in wiring, but that has nothing to do with the award-winning aspects of the Setton design. Some of you might think, ' Hey, this won because of the digital read out for the tone controls, or, alternatively, feel that the inclusion 110 years ago) of a built-in phase inverter should preclude its eligibility because of its Nostra-damus-like attitude towards today's tweaks.

All of this pales in importance when you take out your magnifying glass and look

closely at the volume controls. If this were a Spanish product, we could expect the macho-inspired throttles— surely they're not mere ' pots' — but we thought that the French were more sensitive. But wait! Maybe, just maybe, these throttles were part of the forecasting that created the flat cables and the digits and the phase inverter. Could it be that this was a cleverly disguised prototype, testing the marketplace, for... video games?!? That's it!!! Sure! The digital read-outs can double in a flash for score indica-tors. There are enough buttons — 34 of them — and knobs — seven — to cover colour intensity, reloading, ammo count, game reset, level of difficulty and so on. And, hey, those panels look removable. But then we did say that there's a strong sense of prophecy about this piece; could they have foreseen that video games would come and go as quickly as CB?

HI- 1-1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SE!'! EMBER l'/N5 37

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The Yuri-Gagarin-We-Have-Lift-Off-No-We-Don't-Yes-We-Do Vodka-Fil-led Loving Cup to Monitor Audio fo the Stylift; AND The Otis-Makes-Lifts-That- Work-ALL- The-Time Com-memorative Hydraulic Pump t Audio-Technica for the Safet Raiser; AND The Gee-Magnetism-ls-Hard-To-Understand-But-What-The-Flux Gold-Plated Compass to Coito for the Magnalift; AND The Solid-Silver Meccano Set for Creative Use of Cams to Decca for the Deccalift

Why is it that all tweaks argue against the inclusion of tonearm lifting devices, yet companies continue to invent ways of adding one on as an after-thought? Are

Thorens the only ones capable of producing an optically-triggered device that won't upset the arm? Probably not, but that doesn't stop the boffins from breeding mechanical, electrical or hydraulic options. The four joint winners span the decades,

though nobody seems willing to add the computer to said school of invention. The

Decca, a motorised lift, must be the oldest, or it's tied with the Magnalift, or maybe we're so busy trying to forget both that age doesn't matter. The Decca's funkiness comes simply from its over-complicated motor-and-cam-a nd-remote control assembly, guaranteed to work for at least six LPs; the Colton's memory lingers because it's hard to forget the sight of your arm being snatched from

the groove with about as much delicacy as Sylvester Stallone uses in negotiations. (Empire Troubador turntable owners didn't need to buy a Colton, as Empire cooked-up their own magnetic mauler.) The Safety

Raiser — terrific name, huh? — was the gentlest, but it never really liked staying in the ready-to-lift position; most tonearms don't like bumping into the lift mechanism two-thirds of the way through the side. But the Stylift — probably the leader in this bunch — was the most energetic. This beauty worked by counterweight, the lifting occur-

ing when your arm hit the top-heavy swivell-ing portion. Sure, it lifted the arm, but usually with enough force to throw it through your dustcover. Owners soon learned the benefits of playing records with the lid up, but low-flying houseflies and uncaged budgies were advised to stay out of the vicinity. Crude but effective, it was a market success; that ain't a Timex on Mo lqbars wrist...

THE GOLDEN TU

The Audubon-Painted-Turkeys-But-This-ls-More-Of-A-Dodo Memoria Perch to Garrard for their Stack 'e Hi • h auto-chan er

This one is tinged with sadness, because legend has it that the entire production run of this Garrard auto-changer was lost at sea during the Second World War; we doubt the rumour that the U-boat's skipper worked for Dual. This is a photo of tie sole remaining example, so don't expect to see our classi-fieds filled with inflated-price offerings because it's won an award. Our younger readers may not know that

78s were far more delicate than vinyl LPs, but that didn't stop Garrard from creating an auto-changer that — once the side was

finished — picked up the disc and dropped it a good 10in. into what looks like a rubbish bin. Perhaps some record industry mogul was behind this, figuring that if no disc survived more than one play, the customers would have to keep replacing it. Enter Addis, who could supply the OEM waste bins, and you've the kind of product that creates jobs for not one but three companies. Can we expect a CD changer that scratches the otherwise indestructible devils? Were plans afoot — had this survived into the 1970s — to fit it as standard with a Monitor Audio Stylift for single-play mode? Are conspiracy theories really that far-fetched? Why sink a cargo ship laden with hi-fi? We'll never know...

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: The J Kenneth Galbraith-Should- Tell- These-Guys-About-Supply-And-Demand Abacus to Marantz for discontinuing the PM-4 and then letting a reviewer enthuse about it.

The Lou- Grant-'Rossi- Why-Do- You-Do-Things-Like- This?' Sun contract for Con-cerned Journalism to Ken Kessler for raving about a component — the Mararrtz PM-4 — that only 80 readers could buy.

The First Annual Rapunzel-You-Can't-Make-Bricks-Without-Straw-So-Why-Not-Use-La-minated-Steel Award to the staff of HFN/RR for selling the Flux Dumper, a device whose workings they can't explain nor measure, thoLgh they know it works. Also, the Soren Kierkegaard Leap-Of-Faith Nike Track Shoes and the PT Barnum Post-Natal Nappy Pack.

The Don-Vito-Corleone's-Henchmen-Have-Been-Using-Thin-Cables-Since-1929 Gold-plated wire snips to Jimmy Hughes for giving hi-fi its own form of Anorexia Ner-vosa.

THE MOST MEMORABLE QUOTE OF THE YEAR: Outright winner: 'I have repeatedly made clear that I am not against digital techniques in principle.' — Ivor Tiefenbrun, Linn Products

1st Runner-up: 'We don't sell people what they want; we sell them what they need.' — Ross Walker, Quad

2nd Runner-up: 'We have no intention of producing an amplifier.' — Ivor Tiefenbrun, Linn Products ( Feb '85)

111-11 NEWS& RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1985 39

POINTS de PLOUGHSHARES

• art 2 o tan e ell 's examination of the evolution of the st lus

Fig. 3 Coning workshop at DSC

IT HAD BEEN PROMULGATED FOR many years that the ultimate stylus material would be diamond, principally

because of its extreme hardness and coin-cidentally the very high polish which could be applied; but it was this intrinsic hardness of the diamond which for a long time defied attempts of lapidaries to produce a perfect sphere at an economic cost. In the late '40s, attempts were made to produce diamonds by taking a stone of suitable size and 'brut-ing' it roughly in the form of a cylinder with a cone at one end, then radiusing the end of the cone on a standard lapidiary scaife. Neither the form nor the polish were as good as obtained with the best corundum (sap-phire) samples, and in some notable cases, where an attempt to produce cheap diamond styli was made, very little polishing was applied to the bruted spherical surface and diamonds generally got a very bad name for chewing up records.

It was at this stage that Decca approached Messrs Schmidt and the job was entrusted to one of their engineers, Ernest Coathup. He produced samples for evaluation; with these early diamonds there was a large 'blob' of diamond at the end of the bruted portion, which was held in the collet of the bruting lathe, and this added considerable mass to the stylus point; but when we remember that at that time the average dynamic mass of a pickup was between 18mg and 150mg, the addition of 2 or 3mg of diamond was not important. Schmidt decided not to go ahead with the project, but Ernest Coathup thought there was a market for diamond styli and started his own operation, 'The Diamond Stylus Company'. He was, I believe, the first

specialist diamond stylus manufacturer any-where, and DSC later became the premier manufacturers of diamond styli worldwide. With refined bruting methods Coathup

found it possible to produce a cylinder approximately 0.4mm (0.016in.) in diameter and 1mm (0.04in.) long. For ease of produc-tion these cylinders are fitted into steel shanks in which a centre hole is accurately drilled; this assembly is held in a rapidly revolving collet and applied at an angle of 30° to the diamond loaded scaife. The cone can be ground fairly rapidly, and the com-plete assembly is then transferred to anotner grinding machine, where the radius is pro-duced by moving the spindle through an angle of approximately 60° (the diamond assembly still revolving rapidly). Polishing is done in exactly the same manner, except that a much finer grade of diamond boart is used, and finally, a chamois leather lap instead of cast iron baseplate carries the polishing medium. The final operation is to recover the finished diamond points from the steel carrier, which is done by dissolving the steel in a corrosive solution which does not attack the diamond. The major cost of this process is in time

and polishing material; the times can be allocated:

Bruting to diameter 12 m Cone grinding 10 m Radiusing and polishing 17 m

giving a total time without inspection of 39 minutes. Additionally, a weight of grinding power equal to that removed from the diamond will be consumed. A number of snags were found in this process: unless the operator is very skilled, during the bruting

operation the diamond would split along a cleavage plane, and it was very easy during the radiusing to grind the dimensions over-size to the top limit. All that could happen then was either to re-grind the cone, or to continue the radius grinding to the next largest size — ie, grind an LP diamond into a standard (78rpm) one. ( LP tips are 0.001in. radius and 78rpm tips are 0.0025in. radius.)

It took Ernest Coathup about two years of hard work, sweat and tears to produce this commercially coherent product. He came to see me about fitting the GP 20 cartridge with diamond styli; I was enthusiastic — dimen-sionally the styli matched the cartridge and overall performance was unaltered. There was one snag — our sales manager refused to accept it! His reason was succinct and to the point — the retail price of the GP 20 including arm was £2.12s, spare heads were £1.12s (plus purchase tax, of course) and the ex-works cost to us for the diamond was £2.10s! Reluctantly, I said no, but Harold Leak had just finished the design of his moving-coil pickup, so I introduced them, and the Leak pickup was, I believe, the first production cartridge to be fitted exclusively with diamond styli. Over the next few years, DSC improved

their production methods, abandoning tradi-tional lapidary practices; rondel production was semi-automated, new 'coning' machines were designed which are almost automatic in operation. The machines are simple to operate and maintain and consist of two diamond-bonded wheels, the first the 'cutting' or coarse grit cylinder, and the second the 'polishing'. Both are exactly the same diameter and means are provided for automatic dressing of the cylinders in order that the wear shall be constant. The spindle carrying the steel shanked diamond is driven by an air turbine at about 15,00Orpm, and is mounted on a inclined carriage which oscil-lates backwards and forwards parallel to the grinding cylinders so that the diamond point in contact with the grinding cylinder never remains in the same place, thus preventing grooves being worn in the cutting cylinder. A microscope, magnification of about 75, is fitted onto the carriage, and is focused on the end of the diamond. The top slide carrying the rotating spindle is moved hydraulically towards the cutting cylinders and is under the control of the operator. Immediately the cone is formed he releases pressure on a control button and the carriage is automati-cally moved to the polishing cylinder and after a predetermined time is automatically withdrawn. The total time for this operation is 11/2m, and the consistency is very much greater than could possibly be achieved by the old hand method. The secret is precision, vibration-free bearings! Fig.3 shows part of the 'coning' workshop at DSC. The radius is obtained by 'tumbling' the

points (as described for sapphire points). The result of these developments is that the times for coning and radiusing have been reduced from 27 to 11/2m ( it being realised that the tumbling is completely automatic and requires no skilled operator's time). But the production of the rondel remained a

4(1 HUI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 19X5

problem. A skilled lapidarist would have floor to floor time of about 10m per unit. The basic size of the stone is approximately 2mg and about 2mg of diamond boart is expended in reducing this stone to the finished naked diamond, which weighs approximately 0.35mg. To summarise: during the previous five

years the fabrication of the ' business end' of the diamond had progressed at a tremendous pace, but the stumbling block was the economic production of the shank which, after all, is of not much use except for supporting the point.

Steel shanked points In the early ' 50s, being actively engaged in pickup design and manufacture, I had a vested interest in these economics, and the obvious solution was to dispense with the shank altogether. If this could be achieved, the basic weight of the raw diamond could be reduced by a factor of 10, and the amount of grinding material (which after labour is the next most costly item) could likewise be reduced. Experiments were being carried out in America, Germany and the UK to this end, and there was a spate of almost identical patents within months of each other. It is a fact of life that when something is urgently needed it will be simultaneously invented by more than one person — ESP? The obvious thing to do was to cement the diamond tip only on the end of a metal or corundum shaft. The latter was completely unsuccess-ful: it was impossible to find any cement which would join the two stones, but more success was achieved in bonding diamond to metal. Diamond has a density of approx-imately 3, whilst most of the common met-als, with the exception of aluminium, have a density of between 7 and 8; the heavy metals would adversely affect the mass of the point. Efforts to bond diamond to aluminium were unsuccessful, but ( as has been practised for many years in the machine tool industry) no great difficulties were encountered in bond-ing the diamond to steel. Tiny octahedrons weighing approximately 0.2mg to 0.5mg were used, and these were pressed into steel tubes Olin. diameter with a hole 0.015in. down the centre, the tubes being about lin. long. The most important part of this opera-tion is to get the hole axis exactly parallel to and concentric with the axis of the tube. If for any reason this is not achieved, the cone will be ground off-centre and a phenomenon known in the trade as 'dropped shoulder' will result. Fig.4 shows the insertion of the

octahedron into the steel tube. Some manufacturers prefer to grind the

octahedrons into square trapezioid shapes and then cut them into lengths of about 0.015in. With this procedure very much better control is obtained in keeping the crystal axis parallel to, and concentric with, the tube axis. It is more costly than using a naked stone, but it does prevent rejects in final inspection due to 'dropped shoulder' and still shows considerable savings over the ' naked' point. The diamond-cum-steel tube assembly is

then inspected for trueness of fitting and thoroughly degreased, firstly by washing in a caustic solution and then being subjected to a trichloroethylene vapor. A flux, usually one of the hydrides, is forced down the tube followed by the solder, which is a piece of cupra-silver wire of appropriate composi-tion, and dimensions. The assembly is then ready for the next operation, which is weld-ing the diamond to the tube.

It is well known that diamond is pure carbon and burns in air at a temperature of approximately 900cC. The melting point of the cupra-silver is above 900°C, and it has been found best commercial practice to carry out the welding process under vacuum. A standard induction furnace oper-ating in a vacuum of about 10 2rnm Hg is used, and the usual batch quantity of points varies between 500 and 5000, according to production rate, size of furnace, etc. The weld should withstand a 'shear' force of 2kg without fracture.

After the welding has been carried out, the points are coned in exactly the same manner as described earlier; the assembly is then cut to a predetermined length, and the cones are radiused and polished by tumbling. After this operation, the points are inspected for radius and finish and then centreless ground to the final diameter, which is normally 0.015in. and finally cut to length, generally about 0.03in.

It is seen that so far as the 'working part' is concerned there is, or should be, no differ-ence in dimensional tolerances, finish, or other qualities when compared with the naked diamond, and any observations which indicate that this is not so are false, unless the final polishing has been skimped. The only disadvantage of these steel shanked styli is that their total mass is greater than in the case of a naked diamond. The standard naked diamond 0.01in. square section and 0.04in. long weighs 0.2mg, whilst the steel shanked diamond assembly weighs 0.7mg. It is possible to reduce the amount of metal still further by ' undercutting', and the mass can be reduced to below 0.5mg. Once again, finance rears its ugly head. As

will be shown later, elliptical and similar forms of styli require that the length of the rondel should be parallel to the cube axis and the cleavage planes identified; to meet this requirement well-formed flawless octahedrons of about 100 per carat are required. For normal spherical steel shanked tips, 500 per carat stones are selected from

boart and cannot easily be oriented when interfaced with the steel carrier; and for the cheapest styli, tiny 2000 carat stones are used. You pays your money and you takes your choice!

Trapezioids In about 1950, it was proclaimed by the late Paul Grodzinsky and Ernst Weinz of Idar Oberstein, that the economical way to pro-duce shanks for diamond styli was to take basic octahedrons and grind these into square section rods (which in the trade are known as ' trapezioids'). It should be appreci-ated that the diamond has very strong cleavage planes, and it is almost impossible to grind the diamond economically parallel to these cleavage planes, whilst it is relatively easy to grind in other planes. Using section rod instead of nominal round section rondel for the stylus sounded revolu-tionary, but there are no technical reasons agàinst it, and many practical manufacturing advantages in its favour. The controlling parameter in this production is that the long

Fig. 5

faces of the trapezioid shall be parallel to the major axis of the diamond in order that the 60" cone shall be parallel to the cleavage planes. In this way, maximum mechanical strength of the point is secured. The trapezioid, about 0.04in. long by 0.01in. square is mounted in the steel rod as before described, the cone is ground and then radiused and polished in the same manner as the rondel form. Fig.5 shows a finished trapezioid tip as seen by a production inspec-tion.

Fig.6 shows the relation of the trapezioid to the crystal axis. The initial stage is to prepare a rectangular rod trapezioid from the octahedron and it is mandatory that the

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4 orientation of trapezioid to crystal symmetry be exact: the long axis myst be within 3° of the cube axis 'c' and the flat sides must be parallel to the octahedron edge, ie, the 45' plane joining the two cube axes 'A-6'. the orientation of the diamond is important because when the hardest plane of the diamonds is in contact with the groove walls, both record and stylus wear will be minimal.

Fig.7 shows the ' plan' view of the trapezioid in relation to the octahedron and crystal axes of symmetry: the detail of the 'sharp' end is also shown; the 600 included angle of the tip is vitally important, being the angle of the cleavage planes (there are four, each parallel to one octahedron face). In practice, the cone is generally ground to an included angle of 55° so that after radiusing the 'contact' area between the stylus and groove walls is optimum, as shown in fig.8. Deviating from this optimum will increase wear and in the extreme case when the longitudinal axis of the trapezioid is normal to an octahedral plane they will tend to cleave off and the diamond will act as an efficient cutting tool destroying itself and the record walls. The trapezioid is now standard for all naked points.

Elliptical styli The 'elliptical' form of stylus tip was origin-ated to improve the high frequency tracing capabilities of pickups. There are an infinite number of variations, all intended to reduce the lateral area of contact with the groove wall, whilst at the same time keeping the groove wall deformation within acceptable elastic limits. With the simplest form of elliptical point, the modus operandi is to process the point to final radiusing (the 'major' axis of the ellipse) and then grind two flats on opposite faces of the point, taking care that they are exactly on the cleavage plane. The points are then re-polished, usually by tumbling, and a very acceptable ellipse is formed. Obviously very strict con-trol must be exercised during the 'flat' grinding operation because this controls the minor radius, hence the increased price of this type of stylus.

In the past few years, various profiles have been produced, each claiming to obtain optimum groove/stylus interface para-meters. They are all modifications of the basic ellipse, and to meet their individual specifications in the relatively small produc-tion quantities must be ' handmade'. In view of the close tolerances, the reject rate will be high and the final product costly; sometimes more than 20 times the price of an equivalent (dimensionally) elliptical point.

Fig.8 shows the van den Hul and Namiki, 'microridge' styli which, theoretically at least

Fig. 8

playing weight). The diameter of the indenta-tion can be equated to equivalent areas for other shapes of indenter: elliptical, etc. It will be seen that the record groove walls are permanently deformed at pressures greater than 7gm, 'Y' on the graph: it partially recovers at lower playing weights, and when less than 1.5gm, 'X' on the graph, there is no permanent deformation because the record is then working under fully elastic condi-tions, ie, it obeys Hook's Law. These are static measurements; under

operating conditions the friction between the stylus and groove wall results in an instan-taneous rise in temperature at the interface, fortunately only a few degrees, but it appears to vary as the square of the playing weight and if ' hard' contaminants ( dust, etc) are present, temperatures of several hun-dred degrees are generated for periods of a few microseconds. Stylus and record wear are now, with properly maintained and clean

100

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represent the state-of-the-art for analogue replay.

Installation and operating No mattes how perfect the stylus is, unless it is used under correct conditions it will give trouble. Responsible manufacturers, believe it or not; usually know more about their own product than reviewers give them credit for, and the rnanufacturers' explicit instructions should oe followed. The importance of correct pickup align-

ment, stylus and side pressure cannot be over emphasised. Fig.9 shows deformation of a standard vinyl disc using a 25pm radius diamond indenter, and relates indented dia-meter against downward force ( equivalent to

equipment, assuming reasonable propor-tions: from 2 seconds for steel styli and 78rpm shellac records to tens of hours for sapphire and hundreds of hours for diamond. Likewise, records last longer — provided you keep your grandchildren away from them. It cannot be stressed too strongly: Keep your records scrupulously clean, maintain correct playing weight, and have the stylus checked at regular intervals for wear. We've come a long way in our perambula-

tions since 1887 — is this the end of the road for records and pickups and styli as we know them? I wonder what Edison, Bell, Tainter and Berliner would say if they could see the final results of their deliberations? -0-

BOOKS

THE SAVOY OPERAS by WS Gilbert. 698pp. Soft covers. Price £4.95. Published by Papermac, 4 Little Essex Street, London WC2.

This is, apparently, the 15th edition of the collection, originally published in 1926 in this form. It contains thetextsof all the Savoy Operas by Gilbert,

with one change from the original libretto of the Mikado. Gilbert wrote 'The lady who dyes a chemical yellow, or stains her grey hair puce, or pinches her finger is blacked like a nigger with permanent walnut juice'. This has been altered to the inoffensive ' is painted with bifour and permanent walnut juice'. The latter is the version which has been used for many years.

The book, with its 698 pages, is a little unwieldy as a paperback but it is invaluable to all Gibed & Sullivan enthusiasts and members of amateur operatic societies and is tremendous value at £4.95.

John Freestone

HOROWITZ A biography by Glenn Plaskin. 607pp. Index. Repertory listing. Source references. Annotated discography 1928-81. Illustrated. Hard covers. Price £ 14.95.

Published by Macdonald & Co, 74 Worship Street, London

EC2A 2EN.

'The greatest pianist alive or dead': Neville Cardus' immortal line is explained at last. This biography, by an NY journalist and former pupil of Leon Fleisher, traces the life and career of Vladimir Horowitz up to 1982, when he returned to London after 31 years On the end I do everything' he said). Drawn principally from a mass of interview tapes it reads with all the pace of a detective thriller.

There is enough ' revelation', too, to make it unputdownable. Like the story of Horowitz' recital for President Carter: not only did he have the room strewn with oriental carpets, but he collected almost $ 194,000 in foreign distribution rights to the televised recording, much to the chagrin of the White House et al. Horowitz' awkward, often damaging, relationships with his pupils, eccentric diet and hypochondriac gloominess, the historic return to Carnegie Hall in 1965, make fascinating material. We see that the Americans were more than critical of the 'Golden Jubilee' recordings released by RCA, received here with rave reviews — engineer Ed Begley complained that the instrument sounded like a ' rock piano', so souped-up was it for the Rachmaninov Third with Ormandy. Glittering stuff.

Christopher Breunig

II

o o

Fl NEWS & RECORD REVIEW slim N,113ER 43

id `feu can't bul hatter at the price"

Alvin Gold - Hi Fi Answers. April 1985.

the record deck Rare, indeed, is that looks good, is well bu and

ilt

operate and such a finished, easy to sounds good tool Dual make rarity — it' s the CS 505-2. As if this list of attributes is not enough, the final, crucial factor in the Dual equation is£, o2f0 course, price. It costs just 1. Take into account the fact that any dummy can set this deck up in no tim e at all and you see

why it has become so popu 5 lar. 5

Noel Keywood New Hi fi Sound.May 1985

505-2 DELUXE 505-2 -›

What mote can we say?

Send tor details NW I For details ot the 505-2/505-2 DELUXE and DUAL Colour Catalogue, cut out this coupon and send it to.. Hayden Laboratories Ltd. FREEPOST. (No stamp required).

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POT-POURRI LV The Music of Sound*

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, I HAVE listened to a lot of reproduced sound with musicians, audiophiles, record-

ing engineers, and students in ' Projects in Music and Science', my course at California Institute of Technology. I find myself thinking more and more that

there are two modes of responding to repro-duced sound. I'll refer to them as though they were people — which they're not — and call them the Musician and the Technician. The Musician knows and loves the sound of live music, and judges reproduced sound by how well it preserves the beauty and emo-tional impact of the original. The Technician does not know live musical sound, and judges according to some mental checklist of technical categories. The two types were neatly separated for

me recently by a remark made by Caltech professor F Brock Fuller, a knowledgeable audiophile (meaning lover of sound, not lover of audio). In work connected with our digital listening test, we were comparing the sound at a recorder's output with its input, a microphone feed of live music. Dr Fuller said that if you ran down a recording engineer's diagnostic list of technical maladies while listening to the output, you would find nothing amiss, and would conclude that the machine was perfect or nearly so. A Techni-cian, that is, would give it a clean bill of health. However, Brock Fuller continued, the fact that the doctor finds nothing wrong doesn't mean that the patient is necessarily all right; and he felt that this patient was indeed ill. For when we switched from output to input, we could hear that the unit had taken away much of the beauty of the sound, leaving it uninteresting and without musical impact. I am not saying that the Musician listens to

the music, and the Technician to the sound. I'm trying to describe two different ways of listening to the sound. The Technician listens in categories defined by the technology. The trouble is, there are not enough categories and never could be, because what's impor-tant in musical sound changes with the meaning of the music. What does not change — and this is what the Musician

realises— is that the sound itself is an organic part of the meaning.

For example, consider Chopin's Etude in E Major Op 10, No. 3 for piano — you would recognise it in a moment if I could play it for you. One phrase of this piece ends on E just above middle C. The next phrase begins on the E an octave higher. You know that every musical tone is actually a series of harmonics, and that the upper E is the second harmonic of the lower E and is therefore implicit in the end of the first phrase before it explicitly begins the second. Now on a Steinway — the instrument I play — the various harmonics of a single note develop over time. Which ones are promin-ent may change from moment to moment. When I perform this etude, I want a particular emotional relation between the two phrases, one which requires the second to appear in the most gentle possible way out of the first. I listen carefully to the development of the upper E implicit in the end of the first phrase, and I join the actual played note to it at the moment when they will meld most smoothly. Few recordings convey the harmonic

development of piano tone; most would damage this tiny detail of interpretation. Hearing such a recording, the Musician might be frustrated by inability to follow the meaning of the phrase join; but the Techni-cian would not notice this lack, as the problem does not come under standard 'diagnostic' categories.

For another example, consider the clever and beautiful thing Brahms does in one of his trios when he leads a violin melody downward and has the cello take over at just the point where the sounds of the two instruments allow the most seamless join. (We tried crossing the melody at other points in the Interpretive Performance class at Caltech, and verified that Brahms really did get it right!) If the reproducing chain treats the formants of the two instruments dif-ferently — formants are resonances of con-stant frequency characteristic of an instru-ment — the join will not be smooth, and the way Brahms makes you hear pure music instead of two instruments will fail. The Musician may be puzzled here, or may doubt the performers' sensitivity. The Technician

will not notice anything amiss. Such intimate relations between sound

and meaning are the rule, not the exception in music, and they show that listening cate-gories must be flexible and music-oriented. Beyond this, the various aspects of the sound must be organically related, because music is an organic expression of human communication, not a product with 'features' which can be added or subtracted at will.

Consider the performance situation. The tempo chosen by the artist depends not only on mood but also on the acoustics of the room. One plays slower for clarity in a reverberant hall; but in a ' dry' room such as the typical recording studio, a faster tempo helps to keep the music alive. If reverbera-tion is added to a studio recording, the disagreement between tempo and acoustics makes nonsense; and since tempo is crucial to emotion, the feeling may become non-sense too. The error here by the Technician producer is to separate the elements of musical sound. The performance situation is a feedback loop of artist, instrument, room, sound, and audience. The artist is trained to maximise communication within that loop. Changing one element outside the loop — by adding reverberation, or equalisation, or anything else — upsets the organic sense and throws away the artist's training and work. Sometimes we must listen as Technicians,

I suppose; but we should regard what we learn this way as no more necessarily relevant to musical fidelity than what we learn on the test bench. We do it simply to check things out. When testing our work against the goal of high fidelity, however, we must welcome into our perception all aspects of musical meaning including the music of the sound. We will never succeed in reproducing live

music's combination of power, delicacy, and sheer beauty, nor its ability to involve us emotionally with pure sound itself; but in the attempt to do so we will learn much and come to appreciate more, not just about audio but about our perceptions and ourselves.

James Boyk

"Reproduced from The Audio Amateur, issue 5 1982. The Audio Amateur, PO Box 576, Peterborough NH03458 USA.

Objectivifying the Subjective

&NOTE FROM THE EDITOR SMUGG-ed into Martin Colloms' article on ables in June implied that I would

surely be rushing to my typewriter in response to a suggestion that the wire used in a mains power cable can influence an amplifier's subjective sound quality. Well, I must admit that it does seem rather improb-able, despite Chris Breunig's ' Pot Pourri' piece on the subject in the same issue, where he talks of the sound being ' notably more tuneful', 'contrapuntal music easier to fol-low', 'a more focused stereo image', etc, when using van den Hul cables in place of conventional heavy-gauge copper for the mains feed to his amplifier. Since we are not dealing here with tran-

sient-laden music, but with a steady-state

50Hz waveform, the darkest deed that a length of adequately thick power cable could perpetrate (apart from introducing spurious RF signals by acting as an aerial) would be to add some almost inconceivably minute dis-tortion to a domestic supply whose wave-form is already often severely distorted. Also, any decent amplifier power-supply will continue to deliver the same DC voltage for use by the audio circuits regardless of small variations in the mains waveform, so I can think of no feasible rationale for the alleged sonic differences — except perhaps the busi-ness of poor contacts touched upon in my June piece on fuses. As for stereo imagery, or what Martin Colloms has called 'dimen-sionality' ( Actually, Martin's concept involves very much more than pure lateral stereo imagery — Ed], this is so dependent on the loudspeaker/room interface and on one's precise listening position, that unless one

can contrive to make the necessary changes of cable, etc, and then return one's head to exactly the same position, all within a few seconds, any judgments have very little validity. It is all too easy in this business to change more than one parameter without realising it, or for one's judgment to be influenced by what one believes, hopes, expects, or ( if subconscious masochism be at work) doesn't expect.

Related to all this, and in the more feasible world of audible changes brought about by audio components, Martin's May and June articles on amplifiers and cables raised many points which in my view should focus atten-tion on two particular fronts. One of these, as Martin himself argued, would be the pursu t of serious investigations into ' non- repetitive transient phenomena', with a view to pin-ning down precisely what aspects of musical and speech waveforms cause us to detect

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subjective differences not revealed by con-ventional steady-state measurements. Para-doxically, it should be possible, ultimately, to devise some sort of repeatable test-signal which reveals transient-related deficiencies, and on this I have heard a whisper from another area of research involving sense perception that something might already be in hand — of which more in due course. The other area for a focus of activity is

more contentious: the methodology for legi-timising subjective judgments. It has always struck me as self-evident that the smaller a perceived difference between two stimuli, the more essential it becomes to make a direct sensory comparison between them. One would not dream, for instance, of judg-ing which is the heavier of two very similar cakes by taking each away in turn and assessing it separately for 10 minutes while sipping a cup of tea. Clearly, one takes the two cakes in one's hands, one after the other in the left hand, then the right hand, perhaps one in each hand, and records one's impressions there and then. I simply cannot see how judging the performance of alterna-tive amplifiers, cables, etc, by 'learning' to hear each one's particular character over a period can be any more revealing-ihan changing from one to the other by immedi-ate switchover. Indeed, if the differences are subtle, they will surely be more readily revealed by the latter than by the former, and those who claim that an NB comparison cannot reveal things which they say become evident with time are simply being obscur-antist, since if they have really learnt to hear certain differences they should be able to confirm them in a direct comparison. Of course there are problems in organising

proper NB comparisons, but they are not insoluble. John Atkinson's objection that one should be alone and relaxed, for inst-ance, with personal control over the switch-ing, can be met if sufficient time is allocated, while even the most intractable difficulties in changing components while avoiding the introduction of other variables can be over-

Of One Mind

AREADER'S LETTER A COUPLE OF months back asked about consistency between critics when it came to

assigning ratings to records in reviews. Christopher Breunig has since done a con-siderable amount of research into the sub-ject and offers the following collection of quotations culled from soon to be published reviews of recordings by Karajan:

The Gramophone: 'Rarely, if ever, has a record like this produced such a frisson of delight.' ( EG); 'The corybantic burnished harmonies of Berlin brass, ever effulgent at nodal points ... as Henry James remarked.' (R0); 'The pioneering set of 78s by Erik Tawasterna (Hymnodia, 6/29, nla), or Van Walderstein's historic Methuanian Philhar-monic records ( Flugeldisc, 8/47, nla).' ( RL); 'I think listeners will experience a frisson.' (IM); 'This is simply too loud, and when I turn the volume down the pianissimi are ...' (TH); 'Very nice music ... a shelf above 7kHz, and some studio noise.' (JB).

Hi-Fi Answers: 'Did record some Beethoven, but I could only find the Erato Ninth with

Charles Favershome and the I3righton Philharmonic.' (AG); 'Made in the Westpha-lian Academie, on a wet day in September 1979, using six pairs of Fartein cardioid zublidats, and a perspex dinner-plate ... the crew spent 14 hours balancing the xylophone in this remarkable ...' ( DGP); 'At the minimalist subconscious level, and bear-ing in mind his sybaritic infanticist nihilism, I rate this ...' (AO).

HFN/RR: 'Do I hear a digital edit at bar 289?' (AK); 'I cannot trace any previous date for this disc.' ( KD); 'Herbie's big bubbling Berlin boys at their very ... .' (ES); 'Good, but Ashkenazy at bar 17, or Jochum at bar 15, Kempe, Klemperer ( 29m 42s), at the Adagio molto allargando sombre van den Hul...' (CB); 'I wonder if the mic technique is due to the schism ... FBA hi-fi show policy . Blumlein time domain ... sub-Fourier tran-sient ... ( ramble, ramble).' (JA); 'Xylophone well balanced in this 1979 Westphalian pro-duction, employing Fartein cardioids and perspex reflector.' ( DGP); 'Oh mother! The schlub-futter ... how I relish those sugar-larded schnitzel-blown tubas, those oh so violins and that uh-huh, turbo-dynamic ultra-fazed crazy, er, wherewasl?' ( KK).

come with expertise and ingenuity. As in psychical research, where the controversial nature of the phenomena makes it incum-bent upon investigators to be extra careful in the collection of evidence, I would urge that those who feel there is a prima facie case for the influence of cables on sound quality (or for the existence of audible differences between good amplifiers) should be pre-pared to accept the discipline of double-blind NB testing. Martin Colloms has hinted that he would welcome a re-run of earlier such tests using amplifiers of different genera-tions, and cables might well be included in the same investigations.

In the introduction to his June cable survey Martin said that 'few can now deny that cables have an appreciable influence on

a good system's sound quality'. Well. I neither deny nor affirm it, being genuinely agnostic on the point; but, like many others, I will not be convinced by personal reportage alone, however sincere. I greatly admire Martin; his integrity and engineering back-ground make me inclined to believe him against my own technical instincts. However, like Sue Hudson, Ian Leslie, Richard Goldwater and George Wise ( Let-ters, April/May/June), I would prefer to see some genuine attempts at a scientific approach, something more than the 'careful one-man test' syndrome which is simply not good enough when what is claimed seems highly improbable.

John Crabbe

HFN/RR ACCESSORIES CLUB

IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE ACCUSING YOU of faulty memories, but it's been decided that now is as good a time as any to

recap on some of the stand-out goodies we've made available through the Club. (And it's also a nice opportunity to give a break to the loyal readers who've been buying one of everything and must be a bit skint by now.)

While some will question the Flux Dumper on scientific grounds, too many of you agree with JA and me about its efficacy: the Flux Dumper, if used where needed, makes your system sound better. It cleans up back-ground hash, locks instruments firmly in place, plays Domestos with the odd stray hum, and generally tidies up those little loose ends. Somewhere along the line, one of our more astute, scientific contributors (Malcom? Martin?) will cook up a measure-ment technique that will silence some of the hardnuts who refuse to accept it on theore-tical grounds alone, but don't blame me if it's so far down the road that inflation will have doubled its price. Buy now, before the cost of laminated steel skyrockets, and worry about the whys and wherefores of the Dumper at a later date.

The Phase Shunter, thank goodness,

needs no apologies, and the science about absolute polarity is well-covered. Whether or not you're susceptible to its effects is down to your own perceptions; you may not be at all sensitive to the inverted phase condition. Either way, we look at the Phase Shunter as a neat and handy way of inverting phase if you do think it's important. Even if you don't hold with the issue, you can have a wild time using it for party games when your co-religionists drop by for conflabs about LC-OFC and spikes.

Tweek, too, has a sound (sic) explanation, and good old Malcolm Hawksford has the subject well-covered in this month's letters pages. Little did he know that we'd use it as a testimonial to this most stunning of contact preparations. My personal feelings about Tweek are that it's the single most important guaranteed and universal bit of fine-tuning available to hi-fi users, and all who try it become converts. After all, what good are trick leads if their merits are lost at the ends?

politics, but wow does it work wonders in keeping things which hum from interfering with the rest of the system. Its magical properties with cleaning up the sounds of CD players are now so well known that even a Japanese giant like Kyocera is building something similar into its 1985/6 range e of players. Pop your player onto one of / these, add a Dumper over the power / supply, Tweek the terminals, and you've upped the sound quality by a fair few points. /ige q

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:1:401à 1 f! APOGEE

Martin Colloms, Ken Kessler & John Atkinson live with

the A. ee Scintilla ribbon loudspeaker

ONE PRODUCT—THREE REVIEWERS? DOESN'T THIS SEEM like journalistic overkill at best or self-indulgence at worst? The answer, of course, would be 'Yes', if the product in question were conventional, but from the moment I first

heard the Apogee Scintilla, playing a John Diamond PCM-F1 Beethoven recording at the 1984 Chicago CES, I knew that not only was this loudspeaker unconventional in concept, it was also out of the ordinary regarding its sound quality. To put it mildly, I had never heard such a breathtakingly natural reproduction of orchestral sound and image in the adverse circumstances of an hotel room in my life. I vowed then that, when the Scintilla reached the UK, it would get the full review treatment, afforded in the past to a handful of products— Quad ELS, Quad 405, Decca and Koetsu cartridges, Spendor BC1, Linn Sondek, Quad ESL-63, Celestion SL600, Audio Research D-70, Krell KSA-60, Magneplanar MGM, Compact Disc— that have blazed new trails. Stanley Kelly, responsible for the design of the ribbon tweeters

manufactured by Decca Special Products, looked at the history of this

most basic of magnetic drive units in HFN/RR in January'85. It is nothing more than a practical realisation of Fleming's Left Hand Rule: a conductor loosely hangs between the poles of a magnet; when a DC voltage passes down the conductor it moves one way; when the current passes up, .t moves the other. Apply an AC voltage and the ribbon oscillates, moving the air and p-oducing sound.

Unfortunately, unless the magnetic field is very strong, or the ribbon is very large but light, it doesn't produce much sound. The ribbon also has a tiny impedance compared with a conventional loudspeaker and if driven directly by the amplifier will cause large currents to be sucked from it. These restrictions in the past have meant that the ribbon principle has been almost exclusively used as a tweeter: transformer matched, to bring the load impedance up to a level compatible with conventional amplifiers; and with a horn in front of the diaphragm to increase the sensitivity to a level where useful sound pressure levels can be achieved without the use of prohibitively expensive magnets. (One of the least coloured of all microphones, which can be regarded as a tweeter working in >52

NEWS& RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER I9K5 49

For the price,you'd expect it to be And it is.

Trio Elect Tonics (UK) Ltd, 17/19 Bristol Road. The Metropolitan Cent re. Greentorc1. Middx. UB6 8UP. Attn: Dept H

gold plated.

Trio's HD system is probably the most expensive midi-sized hi-fi in the UK.

It's certainly the most accomplished. Its amplifier delivers 130 watts per channel so

effortlessly that you'd suspect Trio's rating to be conservative. And you'd be right.

Its direct drive linear tracking turntable features a moving coil cartridge. The double auto reverse cassette deck gives you a choice ofDolby B or C, and up to three hours uninterrupted playing. While the tuner is proofthat Trio's leadership in FM and AM technology is under no threat.

Even the optional compact disc player has a sixteen bit digital/analogue converter, giving you the clarity and definition ofdigital sound as it should be heard.

Trio's High Density system, in fact, is the ultimate in midi hi-fi technology. It's part ofa range of separates, rack systems, midi systems and "reference standard" hi-fi components that vary in price from the reasonable to the self indulgent but never, ever alters in quality.

But what ofthe gold plating? Surely the HD system featured in the picture is finished in an understated black?

Certainly. The only -Place you'll find gold plating on the HD system is on Lie front of the amplifier, on the input sockets.

And the gold isn't there for show. It's there because, regardless ofexpense, it's the best material for the job.

Which is just what you'd expect of Trio, isn't it?

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THE PRONAISE•FULFILLED.

494 reverse, the BBC 4038, is also a ribbon.) There is nothing in principle, however, that prevents a ribbon being used as a full-range driver, and it offers advantages in having inherently low levels of resonant coloration and, with attention paid to the magnetic circuitry, low distortion. Additionally, as the driver has a very large surface area and is a very good conductor of heat, its power handling capability can be very high indeed. I heard my first wide-range ribbon when visiting Jim Rogers some

8 years ago. Ostensibly, the reason for my visit was to audition his then new subwoofer, but the highlight of the day was when Jim fired up his own system, featuring ribbon drivers going down, I think, to 150Hz. The sound was effortlessly pure, and although I subsequently pursued other speaker paths— Quads, LS3/5as, BC1s, Mission 770s, Celestion SL6s and '600s, Magneplanars— the memory of that ribbon midrange remained at the back of my mind. Then, two years ago, a new company, Apogee Acoustics, launched

a three-way loudspeaker using true direct-radiating ribbons for the mid and treble and an 'almost' ribbon for the bass. Nearly 7ft high, it came in two sections, a trapezioidal woofer and a mid/HF enclosure. The woofer and the 80in. long ribbon tweeter had a high enough impedance to be driven direct; the 0.1ohm 2in. wide midrange ribbon was matched via a transformer. Awesome in its dynamic range capabilities— 120dB maximum spis are possible— it set the stage for the appearance of the more domestically acceptable Scintilla, selling for £4950 in the UK, which uses a smaller version of the woofer coupled with a five-ribbon array— not a transformer in sight — for frequencies above 500Hz. Apogee are a Massachusetts company run by two people: Jason

Bloom, an art dealer, audiophile and music lover; and his father-in-law Leo Spiegel, an engineer recently retired from Northrop, and who has spent his life in the aerospace industry. Leo, a recipient of the Tony Janus Award for significant contribution to the aviation industry, worked with high precision engineering projects such as the inertial navigation system for the B52, an 8ft direct-drive turntable for the motion simulation and calibration of Sidewinder missiles, and a 'pointing' system capable of accurately defining direction to micro-radian accuracy. He also became familiar with high intensity magnetic circuits when working with the use of nuclear magnetic resonance to measure inertial forces. Leo and Jason, with a friend Gary Walker, now no longer with the company, had become involved in loudspeaker design, and although their first thoughts were more conventional, Leo felt that the true ribbon, neglected commercially apart from Stanley Kelly's work, held out the potential for dramatic improvements in definition and clarity

KEN KESSLER AND THE SCINTILLA

IN MARCH 1983 I STUMBLED ACROSS AN EARLY PAIR OF THE Apogee Scintillas' seven-foot-tall brothers. I'd just driven 60 miles through a blizzard during rush hour to reach a shop in Framingham, Massachusetts, where a couple of copies of the

Mobile Fidelity UHQR-pressing of Sgt. Pepper could be found. After sorting out the transaction, I caught sight of these huge panels and wandered through to the sound room. I sat. I listened. I was hooked. It was one of those rare moments — not just in hi-fi — when

something grabs you, impresses you with such force or intensity that you have to sit back and revise your standards. It was like the first time I heard Sam & Dave (at Andy Merdek's house, summer of 1966) or the first taste I ever had of good Beef Wellington (in The Gaslight, September '72)— you remember those moments, unless you lost your soul when you lost your innocence. The Apogees had it, or rather ' It' with a capital ' I'. At the time, I didn't know that there was anything revolutionary

about a full-range ribbon loudspeaker. All I knew about ribbons were that Decca made a mighty fine ribbon tweeter, and that ribbons were difficult and expensive to manufacture. I didn't know that making ribbons capable of spanning more than a couple of octaves was such a big deal. When I got back to the UK, JA filled me in on a bit of the background, and it made me even more of a convert. Not only did these things break new ground sonically, they also gave technology a strong push in the tush. But they were there and I was here and seven or eight thousand pieces of green paper with George Washington's mug on the front stood, along with the Atlantic, between me and a pair. Come June '84 and the Summer CES witnessed the birth of a baby

Apogee, to be called the Scintilla and to sell for half the price. While I still couldn't afford them, I figured that these more manageable offerings would bring the likelihood of UK distribution closer to viability, and maybe, just maybe, I'd get a stab at some. By October, I'd managed to visit the Apogee factory, with sheer luck akin to a struggling automotive journalist blessed with a trip to Modena or Sant' Agata. I don't know if it was the heavy breathing or the salivation which prompted Jason Bloom to ask if I'd like to review a pair for HFN/RR.

compared with conventional box loudspeakers. Back in the '60s, the only magnets available for use with a ribbon

driver were very expensive and very bulky. The advent of the ceramic magnet, however, meant that what had hitherto been rather too exotic for realisation as a commercial product became practicable. Practicable is not the same as easily achievable, though, and a considerable degree of research had to go into the evolution both of the Apogee speakers and, as it doesn't mean easy to build, either, of the most efficient ways of making them. If you want to set up a company making moving-coil speakers, you can more-or-less buy all your production machinery off the shelf. Apogee had to invest heavily in their own unique tools, jigs, and such items as precision foil corrugators and a half-million ampere-turn magnetiser. It also takes experience in handling large, awkward objects. The bass ribbon for a Scintilla takes an hour to fabricate from aluminium foil, and there are plenty of opportunities while the speaker is constructed

The Scintilla bass panel, fabricated from alunumum loll, has the 83-slit conductor pattern cut by hand.

for such a fragile object to be damaged. As other companies making unique products have found—when going around the Apogee plant, I was reminded of Quad's production line for the ELS and ESL-63— you end up doing everything yourself, and Apogee now have their own woodworking shop, paint shop, coil-winding set-up, drive-unit assembly plant and loudspeaker manufacture and testing facility. What you have, therefore, is a company which has made a major

investment in hi-fi, with aluminium foil, wood, steel, magnets and high quality passive components entering their factory at one end, and unique, individually tested, heavy, cumbersome, and expensive ribbon loudspeakers leaving the other. The proof is in the listening, so how did the Scintillas fare? Ken Kessler first... JA

'Sh-sh-sure,' I stuttered, hoping JA wouldn't grab these as he did the D-250, SP- 10, SMGas. They arrived in January, 10 stone each and taller than my wife.

These speakers are big, not the sort of things you install on your own, or if you've got a bad back. Both I and my volunteering best friend have been known to frequent osteopaths, but we couldn't resist. We did it anyway. We had to unpack them in the street, because the instruction

manual says 'Clear a space 8x 8ft' and I didn't think my wife would appreciate me moving the dining room table into the lounge. Besides, we had to shlep these up the stairs, and going straight in the front door was easier than turning any unnecessary corners. For once, it didn't rain in January. You'd think that two flat panels, though they weighed so much,

couldn't be that unmanageable, but then you've got to get a grip on them without ( 1) putting your hands, feet or knees through the ribbons ( unless you can hump them up the stairs in their boxes), and (2) you've got to manoeuvre them so that the Nextel finish doesn't end up pock-marked. A step at a time was the way we did it, huffing and puffing and worrying about screwing up someone else's five grand. Once we'd got them in the salon d'hi-fi, we set them on their sides,

one holding the panel upright while the other fitted the metal baseplate and the struts. Careful shimmying and we figured that they were just about ready for preliminary listening, if not the all-out, impossible-to-fault set-up I knew we had yet to accomplish. Indeed, from the time the van pulled up until the first notes were heard was just over two hours; you should be able to do it in half that time if you order a pair with the impedance correctly set for your system. Because the manufacturers know this product intimately, they are

considerate enough to lay down certain ground rules. Unlike the majority of loudspeakers, the Apogee Scintillas are truly amp-fussy, cable-fussy and position-fussy; they can be driven in three ways (single amp, single amp bi-wired, bi-amped); and the user has a choice of nominal 4ohm or 1ohm (yes, a lone ohm) impedance. I had to use the Apogees in the 4ohm mode (because of my valve fetish); the pair arrived arranged for something of the Krell variety, and the time added to the installation was due to rewiring the speaker terminals for the higher impedance. This is described in full in the

52 HI-FI NEWS ic RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1985

owner's manual, and can be accomplished by any literate individual who doesn't suffer colour-blindness, but it is time-consuming. Your own finances will determine whether or not you use a single

stereo amplifier or bi-amplify, but bi-wiring, if you choose the former, is mandatory. The Apogees can be driven by a single set of cables to a single pair of binding posts; bi-wiring is a desirable option requiring two sets of cables from the amplifier's output terminals to separate pairs of binding posts for the bass ribbons and the mid/treble ribbons (tri-amplifying or tri-wiring is not possible, though the Scintilla is a three-way system). I tried the standard, single-cable method when a crazed DIY mood hit (yes, you have to dig inside to change the terminals for single or bi-wire mode), just to see if the cost of extra cables was justified, and it proved to be so, especially in the area of bass control. Additionally, as the Apogee— even using it as a 4ohm speaker— is such a low impedance load, the extra cables allow for better transmission of current. The internal wires, from the complex crossovers (two sets, one per

impedance) to terminal strip, are special cables made by Monster for manufacturers' use; the stout, gold-plated binding posts are Monster products as well. Because of the occasional need to change the

Part of the custom production machinery required for Scintilla production is this half-million

ampere- turn magnetiser. The tweeter/midrange magnet array is magnetised in one pass

wiring around, the cables are connected to the terminals and the binding post via closed spade terminations rather than soldering. The four binding posts are colour-coded for bass plus-or-minus and mid/treble plus-or-minus. The handbook suggests that you experiment with placement; in your eagerness to hear these beauties you'll set them up, position them as your gut tells you a dipole-cum-line-source-cum-panel should be, switch on, and be treated to sounds of truly high calibre. What you will not hear is what these speakers can do when positioned to the centimetre.

What it needs Long before you hit upon the exact positioning, you're going to hear all the nasties your system can deliver, no matter how high a pedigree it might possess. The revealing nature of the Scintillas is, in my experience, only equalled by the brutal Stax Lambda Professional headphones; expect to readjust your turntable, arm and cartridge, to clean and Tweek all plugs and sockets, to dig out a variety of cables, and to fine-tune your ears. And assuming that you've discussed with your Apogee dealer the amplifiers in your possession, you plug the whole lot into electronics capable of delivering real power into an adverse load. I don't listen at earth-shattering levels, and my room is tiny, but I've driven a 300W/channel amplifier into clipping on normal material. If in doubt, think of the Krell KSA-100 as the minimum safe bet; otherwise, be prepared to watch amp after pedigreed amp fail to meet the challenge. Because I've been living with a pair of Scintillas for five months,

I've managed to try them with no fewer than 16 cartridges, five preamps, five power amps (serious), and two small-ish power amps (just for the hell of it). The only constants have been the Oracle turntable and the Zeta arm; I've genuinely lost count of the number of cables sampled. It wasn't until mid-May that I felt so confident about the system that I could only improve on it by moving to a bigger room; sorting out the positioning only occupied the first month. While Jason Bloom of Apogee deems the Scintillas far easier to

locate than I do, he does concur that movement of a mere centimetre can have quite noticeable effects on the shape of the soundstage. My goal in locating the Scintillas, besides giving them enough breathing space and obtaining a correct amount of bass relative to the room's own behaviour, was to find the best compromise between stage width and stage depth. As the manual suggests, the user should start with a tiny amount of toe- in, using more, or less, as you become familiar with the speakers' characteristics. After a month, I hit the right spot, which — in my room — is 26in. from the sidewalls, 25in. from the back wall, toe- in of 3in. ( meaning that the speakers' outer

edges are 28in. from the back wall), leaving my ears 76in. from the centre of each baffle. The speakers tilt back very slightly; there are no gains to be made — in my situation — by altering this slope. (Oh, and you needn't worry about spikes. Ten stone admirably couples the speaker to the floor, unless you happen to have shag carpeting the depth of a loaf of Hovis.) Knowing when you hit the sweet spot is just like setting VTA:

Jverything snaps into focus. You can over extend stage width, but at the expense of depth and vice versa. When you've got it right, you'll know. And the reason why I'd suggest you tackle the physical location before you carry on with the task of cable selection or amp suitability is that once you've got these sited, any remaining tasks will involve the rest of the chain. There is one other consideration, again felt to be unnecessary by

many, that I learned of via Marantz' Ken lshiwata, a ribbon aficionado and possibly the only true hi-fi nutcase employed by a major Japanese manufacturer. Prior to the arrival of the Scintillas, he advised me to run them in for about 100 hours, suggesting that this frees the speaker in the same way you'd run in a car. I couldn't resist listening to the things the minute they were ready, but I did leave them running ( FM interstation noise) for four days, checking periodically. To my ears, Ken was right. And if you think that this seems like an extraordinary request to make of someone simply dying to hear his new goodies, rest assured that anyone owning a pair of Apogees will pass that 100 hour mark in the first fortnight. Your friends and family will lose sight of you for days on end; I've given them over 500 hours in five months. (Note: this does not mean they need warm-up times à la amplifiers, but then I wouldn't know about that as I never listen to my system 'cold'.)

All this pre-pleasure preparation ends when you've determined whether or not your amp will deliver the goods. I started with a Beard P100, which drove them to acceptable levels but clipped without much provocation, and the 100W Lumley monoblocks, which did the same. The two Moscodes (' Pot Pourri', July), worked admirably in my small room, but they were too new to me to serve as the drive for a speaker needing my undivided attention. Still resisting solid-state equipment, and desperately wanting to stay with components I knew, I begged the indulgence of Bill Beard, who — in rapid order—

The foil, 1.2um thick for all drovers, is corrugated by Apogee for strength and springiness

whipped up a pair of his 200W mono versions of the P100. Here were amplifiers which, while still liable to clip if driven to excess, were able to drive the Scintillas to slightly beyond the levels I prefer, before going edgy.

Before deciding that all was well, and knowing that the Scintilla was too complex and critical a component to judge without assurances that the speakers were working as God and Leo Spiegel intended, I sought the approval of both my editor and the speakers' importer regarding the set-up. Their reactions were such that I can now tell you with confidence . . .

What it does Though I've used the Scintillas as my sole speaker system since they arrived, aside from short forays into reality when reviewing more affordable products, I spent those first months letting them creep gently into my psyche. I soon forgot the hernia-inducing trek up the stairs, the problem of storing the door-sized boxes, the grazed knuckles, the leers from my wife, and quickly learned that the Scintillas were giving me more music than I'd ever heard before. What with the continual surprises — finding low level information I'd never known existed, for example — and the steady flow of components upsetting my preferred chain, it was with relief that I was allowed the last month or so prior to writing the review to leave my system intact. The remarks to follow apply to the Scintillas' use with the Oracle/Zeta/Garrott-Decca Microscanner cartridge, the Beard P505 Mk.II preamp, and the Beard P100 Mk.II monoblocks. Then there was the fine-tuning. I attacked the turntable with new, pre-drilled TipToe feet from the

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Mod Squad, and a tonearm terminator from Randall Research, to guarantee the freedom of the subchassis. HFN/RR Flux Dumpers were installed everywhere felt necessary, and I used Monster's best cables throughout, with one exception. Tonearm to preamp, and preamp to power amp cables were Monster Interlink Reference A, and the bi-wiring was done with Monster PowerLine 2 for the mid/treble panels, but experiments revealed the Absolute Wire to be preferable for the bass ribbon. Tweek was used by the syringe-full, and I stopped just short of checking my biorhythms before each session. How do you select program material when you want to hear your

entire collection from first LP to last? Asl listen to about 30 new LPs per month because of my duties as a reviewer, I had no problem guaranteeing variety of material, but what would mean more to me was how the speakers handled music with which I felt intimately familiar. The earlier crack about new-found low level information is but one of the revelations. Not wanting merely to reaffirm my love for certain performers— I

could list, ad nauseum, the usual Sam and Dave, Ella Fitzgerald, and Howard Tate tracks which occupy so much of my life — I felt it necessary to feed the Scintillas as broad adietas possible. Mono, stereo, analogue, digital, DMM, direct-cut, half-speed — I tried 'em all. As sonic spectaculars like Sheffield's James Newton Howard & Friends seem to make all systems sound that much better, I didn't let the frighteningly fast attack or carpet-curdling bass impress me too much. No, I needed some standard issues for the acid test, LPs of the sort that we really listen to for pleasure, rather than for impressing our friends.

Take, for instance, something as mundane as the Eagles' Hotel California. By mundane, I mean that you don't have to look hard for

Scintillas awaiting the aesthetic finishing touches. 6dB/octave crossover filters use air.cored

inductors and high-quality 10uF plastic film capacitors in parallel. Very tight tolerance

woodwork is required to get predictable spacing of the woofer ribbon and magnet over the large distances involved.

households with copies or shops carrying it in stock or for people familiar with the music (well, pop listeners familiar with the music). As with most mega- hit bands, the Eagles were able to command the best, and their recordings are terrific despite being studio-generated and therefore artificial as hell. Indeed, when the wife of a known classical-only fetishist asked to hear it, I knew I was on safe ground. Enter the title track: To pick out a single instrument from a wash of six or eight or so

seems trivial, but — as I grew up with a drum-playing brother— I find simple, non- Linn Drum ( nothing to do with the Scottish manufacturer), real hit-the-skins bass percussion a telling sign of a speaker's low-end capabilities, bass transient proficiency, power delivery, and — if there's a bass guitar trying to smother it — resolution. As the Eagles placed equal importance on all the members, their drummer got his fair share of the tape width. The kicks in ' Hotel California' more often than not sound like a wet cardboard box, a boxer's punching bag, or the digestive symphony which follows a vindaloo. Surprise, surprise: through the Apogees, the sound was that of a real bass drum. If you've heard the genuine article, you'll know that you can feel it, too, and that it's a lot louder sound than you'd think a man could produce using a foot-operated mallet and a skin stretched over a frame. No sogginess, no overhang, just reality. When the bass guitar comes in, the drum remains. So much for 'following the line' when in truth you probably have two or more. But drums ain't everything; for me it all gets down to the most important instrument in all of music, and how it's presented in scale:

Voice. The good thing about voice is that you don't have to travel very far

or pay money to hear real ones. And while my wife's voice or JA's voice bear no resemblance whatsoever to Kin i Te Kanawa's or Willie Nelson's, they do give indications of realistic levels ( conversation and spoken word LPs are great test discs), and a friend with a lisp will tell you more about sibilance than any bad hi-fi system. So, to show me just how good or bad a component is, I fed it the Persuasions' No Frills, a cappella from alpha to omega. When a system is asked to reproduce five or more voices which by

design are meant to blend as one without losing a single singer, the

system has to have resolving properties beyond reproach. And — as in reality — it doesn't mean just being able to hear each individual sound ( despite the design to make up a whole), it means being able to pinpoint each vocalist in his or her own space. The Apogees not only locate each Persuasion in the left-to- right and front-to- back planes, they also tell the listener which vocalist is a giant and which a runt. And, yes, Jason Bloom is a Persuasion fan. But on to another, this time a guitar. Adrian Legg is regarded by

many as the fastest, slickest, most inventive guitarist in the land, sort of like mixing Alvin Lee's speed, Leo Kottke's sensibilities, and Ry Cooder's eclecticism and coming up with a guitar hero to beat the lot. His LP, Technopicker, is solo guitar, but he makes it sound like three. The recording is superb, and the sheer power he conveys just with a lone guitar will tax most set-ups. As he produces notes faster than MacDonalds makes fries, there's lots of room for confusion. And you can bet that he gets all three ribbons working. What the Apogees did with Adrian Legg was put him right in the

room, no more and no less. And considering that that's all you want a hi-fi to do, I'd have to say that the Scintilla does just what a speaker should. Each note came through loud and clear, whole and firm and fast and resonant. You could hear the fingers on the strings, the guitar's body, and the odd fingernail or 10. Or, as a non-hi-fi oriented guitar-playing friend said, 'Wow ...'

In a way, I wish the Apogee had some severe weaknesses; it's a lot easier to describe what's wrong than to repeat again and again that 'it sounded real'. Indeed, each time something horrible would manifest itself, I'd locate the source elsewhere, like the cartridge loading or the valves being slightly off bias. The above recordings, not overcrowded with players, failed to turn up any easy-to- identify shortcomings, so it was on to the complex stuff.

The mid and treble ribbons are made as one with the magnet assembly. Careful construction is required to place the ribbons in the optimum position in the magnetic field.

Keeping in mind that I'd been living with the Scintillas for many months, surely ample time to become accustomed to their presence, at no point did I feel I'd transcended their capabilities. Give a novice driver a car capable of more than he can handle and — provided he doesn't kill himself — his driving will improve to a level where he reaches the car's full potential. Hi-fi is like that, too, and you grow with a system in much the same way. With the Scintillas, you can expect a long passage of time before boredom sets in. By feeding it multi-layered signals, even something as wholly

artificial as the 12in. version of the Human League's ' Don't You Want Me', I hoped to find conditions where the Apogees would show a weakness. Overkill recordings like the Human League's, though synthesiser generated, cover a wide frequency range, contain lots of fast, conflicting transients, and tend to pour notes with such rapidity and in such quantity that it's too easy for the system or the listener to lose track of what is happening. No matter how cluttered or chaotic a performance 1 selected,1

( () RI) RI \ II %1 `,1 I'll NII31 R I9NS

1 could not get the Scintillas in a muddle. What this means for lovers of complex works like Schoenberg's Variations For Orchestra (0p.31) is the unsullied portrayal of pieces which might otherwise suffer in translation from groove to ear. While the Scintillas excel in this area, I still found my greatest rewards in smaller works, if only because I listen mainly for relaxation rather than challenge. This, not unsurprisingly, leads me back to the Scintillas' capabilities with voice, and with a burning urge I have to stop discussing the parts and get on to the whole.

Scintillations Forgive, please, the use of synecdoche to discuss the total impact of the Apogee experience. As there are more types of music out there than any reviewer, no matter how conscientious, could ever hope to feed through components under review, he has, by necessity, to choose select pieces for his evaluation. I'm opting for larynx and lungs, though the time spent with these speakers has enabled me to hear how they deal with everything from Salsa music via CD to mono Beatles recordings via TEAC open-reel to Baroque on virgin vinyl. I've got a few humdingers in my collection from singers with voices like angels, and their chill factor — spinal rather than epidermal — tells me more about a piece of hardware than any torture track Shure or Ortofon can create. Therefore, I'm using a formula of Voice = Music, though these voices do bear some accompaniment. A certain American country/pop vocalist named Juice Newton

belies her genre by avoiding the usual sub-Dolly Parton clichés. Her taste in music is immaculate, and I reckon that she'd knock Linda Rondstadt out of the running if her mammarial endowments were as oft-exposed. Her voice is clear, with the intensity of a Patsy Cline, and she does one hell of a good job with soulful material despite her peach complexion. Her track, 'Break It To Me Gently', is a gut-wrencher in the best torch fashion, and she rivals the aforementioned Ms Ronstadt in range and power. It is capable of turning even cynics to jelly via transistor radio, telephone, or two tins and a piece of string. Through the Apogees, all is revealed. She is presented in front of

the musicians, singing her little heart out, and you have to be devoid of any sense of the visual to avoid picturing her swaying, keening form. Sounds hyperbolic, huh? Well, you've just never heard that track through the Apogees, that's all. My tendencies towards exaggeration have been tempered by constant exposure to superior hi-fi systems, and JA forces me to use discretion; the Apogees say, 'Too bad, kiddo. Dig out your list of superlatives'. I could go crazy and tell you that I almost hear the blood coursing through her veins, but that's too trite. What I can hear is a real, live vocalist in the middle of my room, and I didn't have to share the experience with 10,000 other concert-goers, either. The sound fills the room from outside to in, the soundstage not

bounded by the physical presence of plaster and wallpaper. The instruments stand behind and around Ms Newton, with accurate height— she seems neither Lilliputian nor Brobdingnagian — and utter solidity. No, I haven't walked between the speakers while it's playing to see if I meet any physical resistance, but my ears tell me I would if I tried. I said she has good taste, and the guitarist who rips out the

mournful middle eight rivals Elvin Bishop's masterful work on 'Fooled Around And Fell In Love'. The notes really do soar, and you wonder, on first listening, if either the system or the guitarist will run out of range. Assuming that what's in front of the Apogees is worthy of those speakers, it will never happen. I don't want you to think that it's a frequency sweep reaching for infinity, but you do get that impression. As the Newton track has full backing, it's a bit too much to show

the utter delicacy of these speakers; you want to hear something sparse and totally acoustic. The Persuasions' Slip Slidin' Away' and Poco's 'Keep On Tryin' both fit the bill nicely, the former because of the vocalists' varying textures — from deep-in-the-belly bass to near falsetto— while the latter is more of the sweet Beach Boys/Hollies variety. I've already said that the Apogees give each vocalist his own space, allowing the voices to blend yet remain distinctive should the ear choose to focus on an individual. Again on the physical, rather

MARTIN COLLOMS AND THE SCINTILLA

ALTHOUGH PLANNED FOR SOME MONTHS, THE ARRIVAL of the Apogee Scintillas could not have come at a worse time. The decorators were in and an acoustically-isolating wall was under construction in my listening room. There

was hardly anywhere to put two large loudspeakers, let alone my own pair of Magneplanar MGIlls. The doorbell rang at Sam one Saturday morning. Two burly van drivers pointed to a palletted shipment which had been loaded into their lorry by a forklift truck at Heathrow. 'We can't lift this,' they said. The Apogees had arrived.

than sonic side of the presentation, the Apogees have an uncanny way with representing (what I assume is) correct height. All this gives the Scintillas their authority in the areas of soundstage and dimensionality, but the bottom line is the sound.

I've never swallowed any of the guff about not being able to recognise a tune or a melody or a rhythmic pattern unless it's played through certain products, because my ears, brain and heart prove that I can identify a song whether it's coming through the aether, the world's finest hi-fi, or over a walkie-talkie. Ghetto blaster or state-of-the-art system, I'll lip-synch to Sam and Dave and I'll even tap along with Al Jackson. No, the difference is in the subtle details; that's what separates the so-so from the brilliant. What the Apogees allow through with these recordings are the sounds of real mouth activity, like breathing and tongues hitting palates, though I draw the line as to whether or not I heard tiny saliva bubbles between gum and cheek. For those who do believe that rhythms can be lost in less than the best, note the metre established by the Persuasions' bass vocalist.

If you think I've devoted too much space to the way the Scintillas deal with voice, it's only because I've never heard any speaker deal with this touchiest of instruments with such total command. Some listeners have found the Apogees a bit soft in the bottom end, and slightly dim or recessed in the upper mid, neither of which upset my listening because of the way the Decca and my room influence these areas; if those are the Scintillas' main weaknesses, then their capabilities with voices are the main strengths.

But how do you pick out virtues when they're all intertwined? The Scintillas are, for me, unrivalled for speed and transient recovery, the attack on fast passages leaving the listener somewhat breathless. They are devoid of any colorations related to their physical structures — you cannot go back to boxes after these— so that they 'disappear', leaving only you and the music. Sounds can be located with pinpoint precision as emanting from areas which you know are solid, non-moving objects, like the outer baffle. It's disconcerting. Which leads me to the typical initial reaction, the response elicited

by most listeners upon first facing the Scintillas. Some register disappointment, so unusual is it hearing such a lack of artificially induced excitement, but most register surprise and say things like, 'I knowl heard a cymbal coming from your record cabinet', meanwhile shaking heads in disbelief. Then there's 'How do you get one instrument up there and another down there?' and 'What happened to your back wall?' There are no arguments about the existence of front-to-back depth after you've heard the Scintillas, no snide cracks about suggestibility and audiophilic wishful thinking. No, you show the layman what transparency means, and why their Amstrads are not hi-fi. You convert people and they end up apologising to you for calling you a hi-fi crazy.

It goes like this: Lloyd G, 34, music fanatic, anti- hi-fi: 'Amazing.' Kevin A, 28, music fanatic, hi-fi cynic: silence and humility. Peter B, 35, audio junkie: 'How much and where?' Anthony M, aged 34, clarinettist: 'I'm having a pair.' Gordon L, 33, acoustic guitarist: 'Wow...' Betty K, 31, reviewer's wife, anti- hi-fi: 'Oh, they're nice.' That last is the highest accolade imaginable, by the way. Not that all was sunshine and glory, of course. Some people object

to the styling, thinking them too Star Wars-y; to them I say 'So what?' Others object to the price or the size; to them I say 'You get what you pay for/it's big for a reason'. But most, like me, say, 'Where can I get £5k?' No apologies are needed for the cost or the size or the styling or

the difficulty in driving these speakers. The results speak for themselves, and if that's what it takes — ribbons are swine to manufacture — then so be it. The Apogee Scintillas have, for me, no rivals below twice the price, they reproduce music with such sheer competence as to make all previous standards redundant, and they deserve to be heard by every music lover — whether he or she can afford them or not— in the same way that every art lover should visit the Jeu de Paume, even though he or she will never own the paintings inside. Apogee named these well, but I think that the company should

change its name to Apogee-nius.10-

An hour later, the two drivers, my assistant and myself had managed to dismantle the packaging (weight around 360Ibs), get the Scintillas up the Victorian staircase to my listening room on the first floor. We had also decoded the instructions and fitted the stabilising aluminium bases. By this time, our 'new' living room was looking a little worse for wear, my wife had left muttering rude words under her breath, and I was thinking of asking John Atkinson for danger money. I had initially wanted to run the Scintillas as part of my reference

system, driven by an Audioi Research D-115 valve power amplifier; it was then that I found that the speakers had been set in the factory to

56 HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1955

a 1ohm impedance, something the D-115 wouldn't even look at. Another hour was to elapse, therefore, before I had successfully rewired the speakers as per the instruction manual to a nominal 4ohm load. What with further shifting of the room contents, little listening was going to be possible that day. The space problem was further aggravated by the arrival of two mono Krell KMA-200s — almost unliftable brutes deemed useful by Ricardo of Absolute Sounds for driving the Scintillas on their 1ohm setting. My problems were not yet over. Even on the 4ohm setting, my

D-115 was clearly not too keen on the Scintilla load factor, while one of the Krell 200s had a buzzing relay which mitigated against comfortable low level listening. No other suitable amplifier was available during the review period, so I requested a Robertson Forty Ten, which was supplemented later on by a new series Krell KSA-100 which JA had brought back from Chicago as hand baggage specifically for this review. Ken Kessler had also had amplifier problems with Scintillas as his

preferred Beard P100 would not achieve decent levels. His solution was to acquire a second P100 and drive each speaker with a separate P100, the two channels strapped together to provide suitable drive. If nothing else, these experiences helped expand the knowledge base of the Scintillas, in particular how they behaved in different rooms.

Aesthetics & Ribbons By my standards, the Scintilla is a large floor-standing loudspeaker, more imposing and dominant in my room despite its more compact dimensions ( 145cm high by 88cm wide at the base, tapering to 74cm at the top, by 9mm deep) than the MGM ( 183 by 61cm). The monolithic appearance is augmented by its dark-grey, stone- like colouring, and the black mesh grilles allow sight of the silver-grey metal diaphragms.

In my old-style furnished room, the Scintillas looked like something from the Star Wars set, their dark and almost menacing bulk and presence suggesting that they came from Darth Vader's own system. In a more modern setting, however, they are a striking piece of design, reflecting the directness of the engineering principles involved. Perhaps they would have suited my room better had they been in a lighter colour, with a more furnished grille appearance. In fact, a lighter fawn colour, called Taupe, is available to order.

Aesthetics aside, what is the Scintilla? The heart of the matter is simply the use of ribbon acoustic elements— the joy of a true ribbon driver being its singular lack of resonances. The Scintilla has one of the largest and widest ribbon transducers ever made, covering the range from full mid to high treble. The mid/treble array used is an open-backed vertical line whose fundamental resonance is well below the audio band at 1-3Hz, and even this is highly damped due to the low ribbon mass. As the name indicates, a true ribbon is a very lightly stretched foil, generally pleated horizontally to add some springiness and a degree of stiffness to inhibit a tendency to fold. Suspended between the poles of a powerful and costly magnet system, the ribbon conductor element moves as a whole: it is an ideal and elongated piston, free from breakup, driven over its entire surface. Many so-called ribbon speakers are not in fact ribbons, but make

use of a stretched diaphragm clamped on all edges like an electrostatic transducer film. The Magneplanar driver is generally of this type, with discrete conductor wires bonded to a thin plastic sheet diaphragm, although the top Maggies use a true ribbon tweeter. All the Apogees join the non-ribbon group in respect of the large bass driver. This, like the Magneplanars, consists of a drum skin type element clamped on all sides, carrying a conductor system with an array of bar magnets adjacent to the diaphragm.

Several differences are apparent between the MGM and the Scintilla woofer. In the case of the former, the magnets are disposed vertically, with the perforated mounting plate at the front and the diaphragm at the rear, perhaps for protection against accidental damage. In the case of the Scintilla, the diaphragm is exposed at the front and the magnets are disposed horizontally, matching the aluminium foil conductor pattern which can be seen behind the grille. ( Great care must be taken when bringing ferromagnetic objects near the speakers, since the magnetic fields involved are very powerful, and extend well beyond the enclosure. While measuring the speaker, I almost wrote off a ribbon when my steel rule was snatched out of my hand to attach itself with a sharp clunk to the frame.) Magneplanar use a rectangular-shaped bass element, clamped at

specific points to distribute the dominant resonances and smooth the response. Apogee achieve a similar result, but with a significantly lower main panel resonance, by dispensing with nodal clamps and by making the diaphragm asymmetric, mildly trapeziodial, in fact. The Scintilla bass radiator does not quite conform to the usual stretched-skin form since it is not self-tensioning and an additional

compliance is introduced at the edge to allow more excursion freedom. Via adjustment of this compliance, the upper section of the woofer is tuned to the 40-50Hz range, while the lower section is set to a little under 30Hz. This differential tuning extends and smooths the bass response. The open-backed bipolar bass radiator is used up to the 500Hz

range. Slightly pleated horizontally, it comprises a single sheet of aluminium foil 12pm thick, with handcut slots providing the conductor pattern. The rear of this diaphragm over the slots is sealed with orange Kapton tape, this of high temperature stability as well as good mechanical properties. This massive element seems happy to move up to ± 6mm down to a limit of 20Hz. While its total excursion and linearity will not be as good as those of a moving-coil driver, it is a sobering thought that each Scintilla packs a similar radiating area to 8 12in. (30cm) woofers— equivalent to a complete Marshall stack as beloved of heavy metal guitarists, in fact— allowing for edge corrections. Two conductor chains are formed in the aluminium foil, each of

2ohm impedance, which can be connected in parallel to give the 1ohm setting at reference sensitivity. If they are connected in series, this gives the 4ohm setting but with a 6dB loss in voltage-rated sensitivity. Yes, the Scintillas have a very low efficiency. For a 4ohm watt — usual reference is 8ohms— I estimate the sensitivty to be poor at 73dB/VV. On this scale, the Celestion SL600 is 81dB/W (8ohms), with the MGM 86dB/VV (8ohms) and the KEF R104/2 nearly 20dB (4ohms) more sensitive than the Scintilla at 92dB/W. More on this topic later. The true ribbon section is a composite mid/treble driver employing

an array of five ribbons, four 0.5in. wide and one 1.9in. The central ribbon rolls off above 3.5kHz, while the flanking 0.5in. ribbons — two at the front and two at the back— operate in the main above this range. An interesting twist occurs here since the central mid element naturally operates as a dipole, with ' in theory' the rear radiation out of phase with the front. However, while the front flanking treble ribbons are run in-phase with the main ribbon, as one might expect, the rear-facing treble ribbons are wired in reverse. In effect, the HF range is unipolar, representing a pulsating cylinder mounted in the 2.25in. wide vertical slot in the baffle. In the overlap region between the mid and upper treble ribbons, the sound is reinforced to the front but decayed to the rear, forcing a cardioid-type response in this range. Slow rolloff, 6dB/octave, single-pole crossover sections are used,

resulting in considerable overlap between the drivers. If these are in the same time plane and are very good, as these are, this will aid blending and offers a linear phase characteristic. It does mean, however, that with a nominal 500Hz crossover frequency, the mid ribbon drive will be only 12dB down at 125Hz, which is almost in the bass range, while the bass panel will still be going strong at 2kHz.

For 4ohm operation, the mid/treble ribbons, being single conducting elements, cannot be rematched; instead, attenuating resistors are used to drop the level by 6dB. In any case, the intrinsic mid ribbon impedance is a little under 0.2ohms, and is padded to a nominal resistance value by power resistors ( unusual in that they are made from aluminium foil and stuck to the rear of the baffle). The unusual ribbon configuration means that all five elements can

share a single, costly magnet system. The location of the treble ribbons is a function of optimum placement, both in terms of the non-linear field distribution over such a wide gap, and also with respect to the acoustics of the main aperture.

Internally, a heavy gauge of Monster cable is used. The connector panel has two pairs of inputs— red/black for the woofer, blue/white for the mid/treble—these decently-sized four-way 4mm binding posts. When the panel is removed, the grille cloth may be pulled down to reveal a terminal strip where the internal connections are made for the 4ohm/1ohm impedance options. Lug terminals are fitted to aid solid and reliable reconnection, and in view of the low impedances involved, the advice given to torque down the connections well is most appropriate. The weighty Scintilla is stabilised by a rectangular aluminium

baseplate 15.5in.x19in., reinforced by angling the speaker back at around 5' by means of two strong metal struts. With such a compressive mass loading, the question of floor-coupling spikes is purely academic. The instructions advise the user to experiment with speaker

position, the optimum depending greatly on room size and acoustics. Given the transparent, dipole operation, the spacing from the rear wall should be 80cm or more, aided by a slight toe-in of around 5°— just a few inches. Likewise, the speakers should not touch the sidewalls, a 30cm spacing being the minimum here. Rear reflections in the upper range can be reduced by absorbent curtaining on the wall behind the speakers. Some enthusiasts have expanded on this by using foam wedges or deeper panel absorbers. With skill and patience, the Scintillas may be 'tuned' in a given room by good placement to achieve the maximum performance.

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTENIFIER II/85 57

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571 Sound Quality While my editor favours the lab report to come first, as the Scintilla was auditioned first and measured second, that is the order I have adopted for this review. What with the various installation problems, my first dose of the

Scintilla was with one used well off-axis to provide background music as I reassembled the room. Horowitz was playing Scarlatti ( the 'live' recording at the Met), and from the first few bars I was struck by the lively dynamics and natural acoustic of the piano reproduction. With such a pre-taste, the serious listening just had to come as

soon as possible. The sessions commenced in earnest with the ARC D-115 power

amplifier, both it and the Scintilla set to 4ohms. Initially exploring the available dynamic range with solo piano, it was clear that only modest sound levels were possible, due to amplifier clipping in the midrange. Since the D-115 will happily boot a 4ohm MGM around, even on its 8ohm tap, the Scintilla is obviously a rather tough load, confirming the comment made by ARC's Bill Johnson- 1 have nothing at present to drive these well'. However, given that restriction on maximum level, it was only with the valve amplifier that the speaker showed its true potential. I shall prevaricate no longer. Yes, the Apogee Scintilla is a truly great performer. It is not without

flaws, as this review will show, but the magnitude of its achievement with respect to levels of coloration is so extraordinary that we shall all have to redefine our expectations as to what is possible from a loudspeaker.

Putting to one side the question of amplifier interaction and matching for a moment, how did the loudspeaker essentially sound? Well set-up, it provided reproduction of near breathtaking clarity,

focus, scale and naturalness. Very good speakers often manage a good measure of these qualities over a restricted area, such as the midrange, or, by fine design, offer a reduced measure more evenly balanced over the whole frequency range. By contrast, the continued pleasure offered by the Scintilla concerns its ability to provide high sonic standards throughout the complete range. And as if this were not enough, it has a remarkably extended bass response, solid right down to organ and bass drum fundamentals, and capable of realistic— if not excessive— levels.

It would take many pages to convey fully the performance over a wide variety of program, so only brief descriptions must suffice. Piano reproduction was outstanding, with a wonderful rendition of the left hand and a sparklingly alive right hand register. The sound was the nearest to a real piano I have yet heard. Human voice was likewise very well reproduced. The full character and complex inner modulations of good singers' voices were strikingly revealed in a manner which enhanced the feeling of communication with the music. A voice could soar through the range without any strain, hardness or unevenness. Sibilants and formants were perfectly natural, articulated with subtlety and control.

In the treble range, instruments rang and sang with full tone colour and precision, without 'jangle', grain, or 'fizz'. In the bass, the articulation of harmonic character defined a natural instrumental tone, the type of instrument and the manner of playing. No limit seemed to be placed on the reproduction of deep bass, while overall the bass was accurate and 'fast' in the transient sense, totally free from enclosure effects. Capable of providing high sound levels with the right matching,

the Scintilla reproduced large-scale works with great authority and power, plus a natural sense of scale and perspective. Stereo imagery was also large-scale, stretching in width beyond

the visible limits set by the enclosures, and also showing good height. With the best amplifier, stereo depth and the reproduction of recorded ambience were exemplary. In addition, it focused very well, which is unusual for such a broad-fronted speaker, its image sharpness rivalling some of the finest examples in this respect. As in other areas of performance, the Scintilla's excellent imaging was maintained throughout the frequency range. Indeed, for the first time in my room, a clear sense of localisation was obtained on sounds with fundamentals extending as low as the mid bass. So far I have covered the positive attributes; what about the

negative? First, there was some moderate inaccuracy in tonal balance, the subjectively perceived frequency response. It is, by almost any standards, clearly bass heavy. The speed and clarity at low frequencies does much to compensate for this imbalance, but it remains an obvious feature, exaggerated by a withdrawn region in the presence area, 1-3kHz. A rich tonal quality and a distant perspective are the result. The presence region is also the frequency range where an excess

can lead to a characteristic ' hardness' or ' ringing'. The Scintilla, however, offers the reverse effect; in fact, it is a mite too soft. In consequence, mid transients and percussive sounds are ' rounded', and the speaker also lacked some 'attack' and dynamic impact. On the plus side, though, this did endow it with a supremely relaxed

nature. On program that was already boomy or rich, the Scintilla sound could go over the top, with a bloated and unduly soft sound as the result. At the risk of a mild sacrifice in low bass, as well as a slight loss of

midrange depth with a mild impairment coloration, the speaker's low end can by muted by fine-tuning its position with respect to the rear wall. The minimum 0.8m spacing worked fairly well in my room, though I also had to choose a seat position which did not exploit the full bass power and evenness of the room. Used further out, the mid clarity and depth were superior, but the bass level then was clearly excessive. It is possible that in either much smaller or larger rooms, the bass excess will pose less of a problem. To return to the amplifier question, I felt the Scintillas attained the

maximum in musical naturalness with the Audio Research D-115. This does not just apply to the mid register but also to the entire range from low low bass to the highest audible frequencies. The D- 115's inability to produce more than adequate (by the standards expected from such a line-up) volume levels, prompted me to try one of my inexpensive audiophile favourites, the Robertson Forty Ten. The maximum volume was now several times greater, quite realistic and more than satisfactory. In terms of available dynamic range, the 4ohm Scintilla/Forty Ten combination compared well with a current combination favoured by enthusiasts, namely the ARC D-70 with the MGM. From this baseline, which was not felt significantly to compromise

the Scintillas in other respects, I progressed to a current series Krell, the KSA-100. With the Scintillas still set on 4ohms, this gave some improvement in headroom and scale, plus a touch more ease, and also showed an improvement in clarity and definition compared with earlier KSA-50s and ' 100s. For ultimate subtlety, however, I would probably still go for the Forty Ten here. However, the picture altered when the Scintillas were rewired in

1ohm mode. The Robertson was now outclassed by the sheer guts shown by the Krell which serenely delivered whatever huge currents the Apogees demanded from it. Now the peak sound level seemed subjectively limitless; clean reproduction was possible with a majestically effortless intensity. In the absolute sense, the Krell's high standard of sound quality seemed unimpaired. Moving on to the KMA-200s seemed unnecessary, but still higher dynamic sound levels were possible, sufficient for very large rooms at accurately realistic intensities. Additional control and stability of the stereo image was also noted. The Apogee's tonal balance will provide some accommodation for

mild 'hardness' in the accompanying amplifier, should this be present. Paradoxically, it is simultaneously revealing yet forgiving of moderate subjective faults in amplifiers.

Lab Report For obvious reasons, the Scintillas could not be shifted to an anechoic chamber; accordingly, a range of tests were conducted in my listening room. Using a combination of multiple mic position, computer averaging, and near-field techniques, I hope that a fair measure of the Scintilla has been obtained.

In my view, the most vital result is the main computer-averaged response taken in-room (fig.1), which deserves some discussion.

FIG. 1 pArinE: 13 rift./

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START. 25 Hz

X, 250 Hz

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From 160Hz to 18kHz, the trend is pretty good— well-balanced, but with some loss of presence energy as well as some restraint in the treble. Below 160Hz, the output rises 5dB on average, giving a rich, bass-heavy character, with some typical dipole/room unevenness. The response then rises further to + 10dB in to 25-30Hz bands— no wonder that the bass sounded powerful.

HI-H NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1955 61

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Moving in to about a 1m mic spacing, and with the speaker placed well into the room, the frequency response (fig.2) was taken on-axis (at 5° in the preferred direction), and then at 30° laterally clockwise (solid line) and 30° anticlockwise (dotted line). The low end remains fairly consistent, again showing the basis for the comments concerning excessive bass. On-axis, the mid shows an energy valley centred on 1.6kHz (the marker 'x's). This position gives the best high end, which measured more directional than it sounded. A 30' anticlockwise axis gave the best mid 'fill' at the expense of a loss in top sparkle. These results confirm the need for careful and critical angling to give the optimum performance. Two nearfield responses were taken for the bass panel alone, one

in the upper third ( fig.3) and the other in the lower third ( fig.4). Excepting a mild 'glitch' around 500Hz, which is not present over all the diaphragm area, and ignoring measurement ripples, the response can be classed as very smooth. The upper section can be seen to be mildly resonant at 50Hz, the lower more dominant at 30Hz. As the curve shows, the output had not fallen below the median line by 20Hz, virtually subwoofer performance. The overall downtilt with increasing frequency can be clearly seen.

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Finally, a near-field curve was taken for the mid/treble ribbon array (fig.5). The gentle response trough centred on 1700Hz is evident, as is the very uniform mid/treble register. The spaced HF ribbons finally go ' phasey' directly on-axis between 16kHz and 17kHz, above audibility for most listeners. The result is a harmless notch rather than a response peak. The character as a whole shows a singular smoothness and lack of resonant behaviour, as well as a freedom from complex discontinuities. The sensitivity in 4ohm mode was appalling, my estimate being

76dB/W (8ohm base) typically at 1m on-axis. Like the Magneplanars and Acoustats, though, the Scintilla's bipolar dispersion will 'throw' more energy at a distance, so by 4m in an average room, and when compared with conventional speakers, the subjective sensitivity rises to perhaps 79dB/VV. In addition, the impedance is pretty cruel. Around 1.6kHz— surprise, surprise— the load ( fig.6) dipped to just under 3ohms. No wonder the valve amplifier took offence while the transistor models hammered on, benefiting from their good peak current capacity. The coincidence of the impedance minimum and the acoustic

response valley confirmed the struggle the designer had with the loading vs. sensitivity equation for the large midrange ribbon. Rematching with a high quality transformer— as with the big Apogee— surely would be the answer here. Rewired to 1ohm, the impedance measurement was re-run ( fig.7)

and for the individual bass and mid/treble drivers on their own (fig.8). The lower crossover point can be seen in theory at 375Hz, where the two curves cross, but this is complicated by the acoustic and individual impedance characteristics. The treble section clearly presents an easier load, with an average of 2.2ohms above the upper 4kHz crossover frequency. The overall 1ohm impedance trend shows a value a little below

1ohm at low frequencies, rising a little in the midrange before dipping to an approximate 0.88ohms at 1200Hz. Indeed, this explains why Apogee favour separate cables from the power amplifier to each of the two pairs of the Scintilla's input terminals. With such a low

111.11 NEWS A: RECORD REVIEW SERVE:MBE R 11/X5

impedance, cable resistance is important; what is good enough for an 8ohm system may be useless here, and long cable runs are best avoided altogether. Consideration also needs to be given to the peak current demand

of the Scintilla at 1ohm. Taking an average impedance of 0.9ohms, a Krell KMA-200 on full song will provide up to 60V peak. Assuming minimal cable losses, the Scintillas will draw peak currents of over 60amps. Now you can see why blockbuster amplifiers of Krell current capacity are required for 1ohm working. Even in 4ohm mode, the Apogee is asking for 15amp peaks,

something the Robertson can provide, but at which the D-115 baulks. The Beard P100 has quite a generous current capability for its size, and in parallelled mode and on the 4ohm tap, this monoblock will be able to provide enough current. The 40-60amp peak current demand in 1ohm mode rules out amplifiers with modestly rated output fuses. The presence of fuses, in any case, would suggest that these would be unusable with the Scintillas.

It is rumoured that the Swiss Jadis valve amp can drive the 4ohm Scintilla but otherwise a valve contender might result from a D-115 chassis reworked with both channels set to 4ohm matching and connected in parallel to double the current capacity. Greater rewards in tonal balance and tonal dynamic range would

be gained by tri-amping the system, which would need extensive modification of the internal wiring. In this mode, the midrange ribbon could be driven to its natural tonal level, while the bass range could be subject to a simple passive equalisation to pull it back a little. With direct coupling to each of the drivers, the overall result could be unsurpassable.

In 1ohm mode, the conventionally rated voltage sensitivity (referred to 2.83V input, an 8ohm 'watt') will increase by 6dB, bringing the apparent in-room sensitivity to 85dB/VV. Given sufficient current, this would explain why the Krells could attain such high sound levels with the Scintillas. In a medium-sized (80m3) room, peak levels of 103-105dBA will be possible from a stereo pair, this a decently high level if not quite of disco intensity. Driven to this level, they could be clearly heard all over the house, even with the intervening doors closed.

Spot checks were made on distortion levels, which proved to be exceedingly low. Allowing for some experimental tolerance, the LF range, even at 96dB, managed under 1% of 2nd and 3rd harmonic. Above 100Hz, 0.1% or less was the norm. At lower sound levels,

superb indications were obtained, with 0.03-0.05% typical over much of the range. Negligible compression was shown on high power burst tests up to 200W (4ohm) peak. While the ribbons could be made to show some torsional flexure on some input signals, subharmonic generation was also considered negligible.

Conclusion This extraordinary loudspeaker gave a basic sound quality akin to some of the finest electrostatic, single-element headphones— a high compliment indeed. It redefines what is possible in terms of high level sound reproduction from high performance loudspeakers. Once properly heard, it can never be forgotten. I cannot excuse its phenomenally high UK price of £4950/pair, but readily have to admit that it really does deliver the goods. The magnitude of its lead over other loudspeakers in terms of

musical performance is such that, even when compromised by the use of a good, but modest, amplifier such as the Robertson Forty Ten, the result remains outstanding. With a budget uplift to a total of £8000 or so, the new Krell KSA-100 is the obvious choice, capable of driving the Scintilla to majestic levels in 1ohm mode. In truth, one would need to go no further. Such is the high quality of the Scintilla that it will benefit for years

to come from future amplifier improvements, their potential existence proven by the limited, low-level performance of the D-115.

Noting the weaknesses of its softened upper-mid transient attack and the excess bass, the subjective performance of the Scintilla was generally characterised by exceptionally low levels of coloration, as well as its very low distortion and excellent stereo imaging. Add to this its high volume capability (with the appropriate amplifier) and wide response extension, and the Scintilla's true worth becomes clear. If you have the taste and deep enough pockets, the Apogee Scintilla will be the loudspeaker of the decade.

NB: I feel that Apogee could and should provide a simple, optional step-taper equaliser to fit between preamp and power amplifier, in order to adjust the bass response for some customers. Further cooperation with some amplifier manufacturers may also result in a more flexible choice in this respect. Personally, I also look forward to a smaller and less aggressive-looking version of this speaker, with better matching characteristics. Perhaps the Duetta, introduced in June at the CES will be that model, .'-

JA and the Scintilla

AS THE ONLY ONE OF HFN/RR'S TEAM INVOLVED IN THIS review to have a listening room on the ground floor, setting up the Scintillas caused no real problems. Did I find that the Scintillas lived up to what they had promised in Chicago?

To put it simply, yes I did, though the actual story is more complicated. I started off driving the speakers in 4ohm mode with the Krell

KSA-50 with just one set of cables; both Ivor Humphreys, who had helped me set them up, and I were initially unimpressed. It was only after listening to several LPs and CDs and hearing major differences between what had hitherto been thought relatively similar recordings, particularly of piano, that we realised that what we were hearing was the lack of a loudspeaker's resonant signature on the sound. The Scintilla is so transparent that it enables the listener to hear the hows, whys and whats of a recording with a clarity only rivalled, in my experience, by the Quad ESL-63. (And the British speaker has drastic limitations on bass extension and dynamic range compared with the Scintilla.) Some time was spent playing around with room positions, and it

became clear very quickly that, even in 4ohm mode, the speakers benefited from bi-wiring, Monster Powerline 3 for mid/HF drive and Absolute Wire for the bass working well. Transparency increased even further in 1ohm mode, but ultimate levels were not as high as I would have liked with the KSA-50, so I ended up driving them with the latest Krell KSA-100. I also tried biamping, using the Krell KSA-50 on the bass panel and the KSA-100 on the mid/treble ribbons. Although this increased the attainable levels, the integration of the sound suffered, the seamlessness of the joins between the driver responses, as well as the solidity of the stereo imagery, being degraded, so I returned to the KSA-100 alone for serious listening. I feel the positive attributes of the Scintilla to be much as described

by KK and MC. It is the finest speaker I have ever heard to reproduce human voice. Even at high levels, the point when finally the voice quality 'cracks', so familiar with conventional loudspeakers, just does not happen with the Apogee. The voice just soars over its whole range of pitch and dynamics. Piano, too, has an effortless quality to reproduction, and percussion of all kinds reproduced with a uniqueness to each sound that I have rarely heard. The speaker allowed me to become an aficionado of recorded drum sound; it imparted so little of its own character on the sound that the formant

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Scintilla near field driver responses (note that the AKG 45/ mir rolls off the LF)

structure of each instrument was allowed to stand alone. It must be this lack of resonant coloration which leads to an aspect

of reproduction that in the long term impressed more than any other: the apparent dynamic range. Loud passages were louder than I remember from other speakers; quiet passages remained quiet. Quiet instruments in the mix remained quiet yet audible, even when all hell was breaking out somewhere else. Last year, with the help of Peter Walker, who was playing second flute in the orchestra, Ivor Humphreys and I recorded Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius in Ely Cathedral. This work is at times very densely scored for two choirs and organ as well as large orchestra. The Scintillas allow the listener to hear every member of the choir, yet without thrusting the detail forward or destroying the sense of the choir's unity. In fact, image sizes remain realistically small; the solo voices in Gerontius as reproduced by the Scintillas, are tiny in size compared with the orchestral image, yet are perfectly audible, not smearing when the orchestra lets rip. And when the organ bass pedals underpin the climaxes... The bass of the Scintillas just goes down and down. The diagram

shows the individual near-field response of the two driver sections in my room. That is real 20Hz extension!

As MC has described, though 'fast' in the bass— bass instrumental transients start and stop unbelievably quickly— the speaker does have an effective LF EQ boost, and this makes it very fussy about

NEWS& RECORD RF- \ WM. SI PTENIBER 19›.5

the science of it all the absolute sound is the sound of unamplified music occurring in real space, usually, a large room, or concert hall, small or large. that music can be blue grass, folk, jazz, big band or classical, it is the real thing and provides a philosophical absolute, thus effectively removing a careful description of attempts to reproduce it from the subjective, it is a point widely misunderstood, even by us at first. the basic descriptions of any given components performance is, if scrupulously attended, objective and observational, the absolute sound no.34 summer '84

38 available now the latest generation of moving, coil cartridges, two destined to become classics — electrical interconnect survey — the mechanics of hearing: are we really capable of hearing up to 50,000Hz? — the digital controversy continued — plus the music, oh the music!

the search ends here! the absolute sound, issued quarterly, is now available throughout the UK at selected hi-fi specialists... ring 0234 741152, talk with Mike Harris... issue 39 available Oct '85, issue 38 available now .... back issues to special order .... gift sets to very special order.

THE ULTIMATE ROOM The Audio Specialist division of Cosmic

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250 STATION ROAD, ADDLESTONE, SURREY TELEPHONE TERRY LEESE, WEYBRIDGE (0932) 57960/54522 * Demonstrations by appointment * Access/Barclaycard Welcome * Home Installations * Open 7 days a week * Free Delivery Nationwide WE NOW HAVE HITACHI LC-OPC LEADS AND INTERCONNECT CABLES

2 CORE £4 PER METRE, 4 CORE £6.95 PER METRE, 1.5 PHONO TO PHONO £30. Agencies include. AR, Audio Technica, B&W, Celestion, Cyrus, Dual, Elite Townsend (The Rock), Gale, Grace, I lafler, Helms, I levbrook, LAS.. KEF, Logic Magnum, Mission, Monitor Audio, Quad, QED, Pink Triangle, Revolver, Rotel, Spendor, Syrinx, Supex, Systemdek, Wharfedale, Zeta

(14 III H NI V,S,\ RI CORI) RI VII V, SI SIIil R 14ss

bass aberrations in the rest of the system. In my room, the bass only intruded when the recording was itself flabby. The boomy bass drum featured throughout ' Surfin' USA' on the Telarc Beach Boys tribute CD, for example, became unlistenable, but this was the exception. Personally, I am quite prepared to accept this as a trade-off to set against the ability of the Scintilla to reproduce the bass 'slam' of live bass guitar and bass drum, the power of the piano's left hand register, and the bass extension of recorded organ. The one aspect of the sound that did bother me was the lack of

brilliance in the presence region. Whilst lending a relaxed feel to the overall character, and contributing to a distant perspective, it also suppressed recorded ambience to some extent. Depth there was, but the reflections from the recording venue's walls were less apparent than I expect on my own recordings. John Crabbe —who also felt that the Scintillas were wonderful on human voice— informs me that this is to be expected if there is a lack of output in the 2-3kHz region. This is where the ear is most sensitive to low level detail and the psychoacoustic effects of a slight depression here manifest themselves out of proportion to the measured effect. There is also an aspect of the speakers which affects the stereo

imagery— their size. In my 100m3 room, the best position for bass tuning across the narrow dimension of the room resulted in a relatively narrow stereo stage, due to the need to keep the speakers away from side walls. The best position across the long wall enabled the speakers to be widely spaced for the best stereo, but the need to keep them away from the rear wall meant that they were then visually unacceptable. I settled for the narrow staging. Although the Scintillas are angled back from vertical, at my 4m listening distance this meant that my chair was a little too low for optimum transparency. Propping the rear of the speaker bases on wooden wedges brought everything into fine focus, so if you are interested in the Scintillas, be prepared to rearrange the room to get the best performance.

Did I have any problems with the speakers apart from the initial room matching? Only that is was very easy to run out of volts and amps, even with the generous delivery of both featured by the KSA-100. The sheer lack of strain to the sound meant that it never sounded loud. As I tend to turn up the volume to the point where something is starting to show signs of working hard, then back the volume control off a tad, this meant with the Scintillas that I kept being caught out as a higher than usual transient peak sent the amp

into clipping. What usually happened was the HF ribbons would give a flick and a twist as the sudden burst of extra HF power (when the signal knocked against the amp's voltage rails) drove them out of the linear region of the magnetic field. I would curse, and settle down to listening at a slightly lower average level. Only once did I get really perturbed, and that was when John

Crabbe wanted to hear the Telarc 1812CD. The cannons went off ( not sounding very loud), the ribbons twisted and waved, one HF ribbon hit the midrange, there was a blue flash, and the two stuck together, looking very droopy. (The Krell, of course, was not upset by anything I cared to ask it to do.) I carefully blew the ribbons apart, and we went out for supper On our return, everything was OK, but I did have sweaty armpits at the thought of nearly doing the audio equivalent of taking a Grand Prix car out for a lap or two and spinning into the Armco at the first bend.

Conclusion Visually imposing, room fussy, amplifier fussy heavy and awkward, the Scintillas are nevertheless the finest, most transparent, most musically pleasing loudspeakers I have ever had the privilege to use. The price is immaterial; high fidelity as a concept is about obtaining as faithful a reproduction as it is possible to get, regardless of cost. If I had the money to buy a pair I would; as (at present) I don't, I'm just glad that Apogee has managed with the Scintilla to redefine the art of what is possible. ( I'm sad, though, that it wasn't a British company that made the full-range ribbon loudspeaker a commercial reality!) The Apogee Scintilla is the Ferrari Testarossa of loudspeake_i: I'm sure that one day I shall own both!

WILLIAM WALTON — HIS LIFE AND MUSIC by Neil Tierney. 303pp. B&W

photographs. Hard Covers. Price £ 15.95. Published by Robert Hale Ltd, Clerkenvvell House, Clerkenwell Green,

London EC1R OHT.

Walton's music has many admirers both BOOKS in Britain and the world at large. A book that deals in some

depth with the details of the composer's life has long been needed and this very readable study from Neil Tierney fits the bill nicely. In one sense, the first 160 pages or so do not present a definitive biography of Walton, as Tierney does not include in his text every last detail that could be found about the composer's life, but he does discuss nearly all that is most important and makes it interesting. I found the 74 pages devoted to discussion of the music less useful, as a major part of the information on the works is contained in the biography and must be sought there, and there is no detailed analysis of the works, no critical assessment, and no quotation from the scores. The implications of Walton's perceptive comment, made on his 80th birthday, 'I'm a disappointed man. I could have done much better. Rather sad, really!', are not fully explored in this book, and no major insights into his complex character are given. I would have also liked to have seen some analysis of why Manchester, with its skirt of smaller towns, has proved such a remarkably fecund spawning-ground for musical talent in this century.

The 'Select Bibliography', reference notes, and Classified List of First Performances are

all extremely useful and well organised, and the book is well indexed, making it an easy reference. Numerous b&w photographs and good quality print on non-reflective paper contribute to the fine production, and although I am old enough to baulk at the price of new books nowadays, I think the near-£ 16 asking price will not deter many Walton enthusiasts, and they'll get value for their money. Doug Hammond

BAKER'S BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF MUSICIANS Seventh Edition, Edited by Nicolas Slonimsky. 2620pp. Hard covers. UK price £95 until December 1985; thereafter £ 125. Oxford University Press, Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6DP.

Baker's, as it is generally known, has really been the standard reference book of musical biography since its inception in 1900. The seventh edition is updated, thoroughly revised and expanded to 2620 pages and contains some 13,000 biographies. This is the first time it has been published in the UK. Much more attention has been given now to rock, jazz, pop and country musicians, so that interested parties will now find details of stars like Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, John Dankworth and even Barry Manilow, in addition to the overwhelming number of entries to do with classical: composers, conductors, singers, instrumentalists, librettists, impressarios, instrument makers, patrons, publishers etc, etc.

In charge of the revision for the third time is the Russian-born lexicographer, pianist, composer and conductor Nicolas Slonimsky (b.1894), who brings a unique unifying hand to bear throughout the tome. His splendid preface to the new edition is revealing, elegant and extremely witty, recounting

many of the trials and traumas involved in compiling so mammoth a work. He tells of the embarrassment in discovering to his horror a date of death against the entry of the very much alive British musicologist Donald Mitchell in the sixth edition, of the apparent confusion surrounding Tchaikovsky's suicide, of the way in which musical works seem to acquire nicknames ('Moonlight' Sonata, for example) with no documented reason, of delicate areas like Liberace's chauffeur's law suit for abandonment, or how to categorise the sex-changed Walter nee Wendy Carlos, and so on. In addition, his equally splendid sixth edition preface is reprinted. Updated once again, and very thoroughly, Baker'swill continue to be an invaluable source of reference for professionals and amateurs alike. Pity it's so pricey. lyor Humphreys

THE KINKS: THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY by Jon Savage. 176pp, profusely illustrated Soft covers, £5.95.

Hard covers, £ 10.95. Published by Faber & Faber, 3 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AU.

As this is the ' official' biography, it tends to be less savage ( in spite of the author's name) than the Rogan biography published last year. This book, because it's almost a pictorial, nicely complements the almost all-prose competitor, and it has the added bonus of the group members' participation. While not as detailed or exhaustive a study as the Rogan work, it does give a remarkably vivid picture of the Kinks, and there are some rare shots within which will have the Kinks Kultists drooling. Slick and enjoyable, nicely avoiding the tackiness of most rock biogs, The Kinksshould join the Rogan book if you want your library to be truly komplete.

Ken Kessler

o o

iii- Fi \ i \V, 3, Rit oRD RI Vii V, `.1 'IFI %MI R 65

OUR SERIES 'THE EVOLVING SYSTEM' HAS BEEN allowed to stabilise to permit further examination of other suitable audio components as well as to reassess earlier systems ira the light of more recent introductions.

Intended as a guide to systems rather than to individual components, the series essentially dealt with analogue (je, vinyl) disc systems commencing at a true budget price of £250, which included a turntable, amplifier and speakers. Via sensibly graded stages, system costs of up to £750 were included, together with consideraton of CD-based players as soon as the system price was sufficient to provide a good overall result. System choice and matching is something of an art, and I would

certainly not claim absolute judgments here. Good dealers can often be most helpful and can supply surprisingly competitive packages made up of many HFN/RR recommended components. All the equipment noted had been tried in sensible combinations and those items firmly recommended did give a good sound in my listening room using a variety of classical and popular program, and offered fine value for money. When a sensible choice of components is made for a system, the

proper matching of their various characteristics can ensure the best overall result. Here, performance is maximised for a given outlay. Conversely, where a choice of components is unfavourable, some components may set off the worst faults in others, and the end result can be disappointing - in some cases, unendurable. Take, for example, the combination of a bright cartridge and tonearm, plus thin, bright amplifier, and a forward thin-sounding speaker. The summed result can be so bright and fierce as to fall right out of the hi-fi category altogether. Such an example could be represented . ( although some might disagree), by a Linn Basik cartridge in a Dual 505, partnered by, say, a JVC budget amplifier and a pair of Heybrook HB1s. Conversely, the Basik cartridge suits a Rega RB250 well, mounted in a Planar 2 and partnered by a Mission Cyrus One. This source would then match the HBls better. Alternatively, an Ortofon 0M10 suits the Dual 505 and would nicely match the Rotel 820BX, and partner several relatively neutral speakers, such as the B&W DM110, or KEF Coda Ill.

The first system The original £250 sysem comprised a Dual 50511, Rotel RA820 and a pair of Marantz LD20 speakers and was tested in August '84 for publication in the October issue. During the intervening months, the prices of various items has risen, and the original price target is now unobtainable except perhaps on a special offer basis. £300 is now a more typical price for the system, and expectations would need to be lowered a little if the original £250 price limit is still the aim. One recently introduced amplifier provides just such an opportunity, and although the overall subjective sound quality is somewhat compromised, it is nonetheless pleasant to listen to. This is the Pioneer SA301, offering good value at around £70. The 505 turntable recommendation still holds, but several speaker possibilities suggest themselves at prices up to £ 100/pair. Starting with the faithful LD20s, we can also include the promising new B&W DM90, the still current KEF Coda Ill and Chorale Ill, the Mission 7011, Mordaunt-Short MS20,

the high value Toshiba 33es, and the Rotel RL850 [ plus Celestion DL4 - Ed]. Given the fine track record of the Wharfedale 90B, its successor, the 304, is likely to be a contender, although it is as yet untested. No allowance has been made for either special cable or

loudspeaker stands, but many shops may offer them in special deals. At this level basic cable is completely satisfactory, but reasonable speaker stands are rather more important. The Target spiked stands are inexpensive and suit many models, offering great benefits over shelf-mounting. Ornamental masonry blocks could also be pressed into service as stands.

A budget tuner? The original system was a disc-only arrangement, but since then some requests have been received for a recommended budget tuner. I have tested the Pioneer TX301L ( review last month) and found it to be very good value. Costing around £90, this digitally synthesised model is one of the few budget models which is free from spurious whistles. All the basic performance characteristics met good standards - sensitivity and noise levels were good, while it covers both FM and AM bands on both medium and long-wave. A total of 16 stations can be preset, making this a useful tuner for general family use, while wealthier enthusiasts may consider using it as a versatile radio source around the house. Depending on the importance of a tuner to you, the TX301L would

happily suit several budget systems and not appear out of place in a system costing as much as £500. However, just as good speaker stands are crucial to loudspeaker performance, so is an aerial to a tuner. Without a clean, strong RF signal, a tuner has nothing to work on, and though the proverbial piece of wet string or the 'ribbon' aerial given away with the tuner will produce some results in good signal strength areas, the quietest and lowest distortion results on FM will only be obtained with a properly oriented loft or roof aerial. This must be included in the final cost - installation will cost in the region of £30-£50, depending on area, aerial quality and the required length of downlead.

1111111111

While preset stations are convenient, especially for non-technical users, many prefer manually tuned models with a 'slide rule' dial. I can suggest three which have done well on recent tests and are realistically priced. The beautifully finished Luxman T210L (£110) offers three-waveband coverage, a dry, 'open' sound, and it performed very competently on lab testing. The harman/kardon TU 610 is another example (£130) but lacks long-wave, while the NAD 4020B is similar but succeeds in offering a clear sound on FM stereo - rather above average for the price and securing a firm recommendation. The new QED tuner is also worth considering. Again, for further information on that consult the group tuner review last month.

The first system revised: £250-£300 Re-examining the first budget system at our current £300 maximum price break, one amplifier happily fills the bill, the British-made QED at £100. The RA820 now costs around £115, while the strongly recommended NAD 3120 costs £ 120, though it is still a favourite in this group. With the latter, the Dual 505 and Marantz LD2Os or Toshiba 33es could be tried, thus still managing the £300 target.

The second system revised: £350 In November '84, the second system was held at £300 but is now revised to a £350 limit. The extra cash allows a useful re-examination of the system, and it was decided that the area that could benefit most from improvement was the turntable. Our favourite is the new Rega Planar 2 fitted with the current Linn Basik cartridge, the latter

66 HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 19115

retailing at a nominal £15, but often thrown in free by many Linn dealers. As such, the better turntable consumes the price increase, together with a more serious consideration of loudspeaker stands. As an alternative, the Thorens TD166 turntable is still available at a competitive price, (£140-160) suiting the Ortofon 0M10 cartridge, and a British company, QED, is also making headway by offering a complete turntable package with a minimum of adjustments and including a matched cartridge and a tonearm of above average quality. At £135 it offers good value. The remaining system components are as for System One.

The third system revised: £400-£450 The December '84 issue saw the system reach the £375 level, with additional expenditure allocated for accessories such as a turntable platform and better quality speaker stands. Based on the previous line-up, the main components — Rega Planar 2/RB 250/ Basik — still holds, and the additional funding was devoted to upgrading the speakers and the amplifier.

In my opinion there are two outstanding choices for the amplifier, both of which offer surprising advances in sound quality. These are the Rotel 820BX and the Mission Cyrus One, both costing £140, while

the upgrade on speakers now brings the next major rank within reach, namely models in the £ 115 to £ 130 range. The consistently favoured speaker was the B&W DM110 (£120),

and it still sets the pace. At a price uplift to £135, the Tannoy Mercury remains a strong contender, one of the few at the price with a polypropylene bass/midrange. The Wharfedale 506, at a lower £120, also performed well in our recent tests and offers a relaxed, controlled performance with excellent treble. The Celestion DL6 at £130 is also a possible choice. Perhaps I should state my preference here for what it is worth:

increasingly my taste is moving towards smoother, more subtle treble sound quality. In these terms, the 506 is a clear winner (grilles off of course). Its bass may not be as extended as the well-engineered B&Ws, but it makes up for this with its dry, articulate LF nature. Hence the current third system runs as follows:

Rega Planar 2/RB250/Basik Rotel 820BX (or Cyrus One if upgrading to a moving-coil cartridge is anticipated)

Wharfedale 506 Cable Isoplat turntable platform Target spiked stands

£140 ( or less)

£140 £120 £10 £25 £35

Total approx: £450

What about CD? The question of a CD-based system was also raised in December'84 (see also KK's 'The Great Black Hope' p49, June '85) and was found to have some validity. End of range, as well as some completely new CD players, are currently targeted for sale in the £250-£280 range. Obvious partners are the QED amplifier (£100) and the Marantz LD20 speakers, which have proved subjectively the most compatible with some of the lower priced CD players. Of the latter, the budget Marantz CD54 is an obvious choice, with good facilities, excellent error correction, and a sound quality beyond reproach at the price. (The Philips CD104 is very similar.)

The fourth level: £550 In February this year, the ceiling was raised to the £500 level, give or take £25, which allowed for still greater flexibility in choosing system components. Once again, the questions of system balance and component compatibility were at the forefront, and the extra money still had to be carefully spent; turntables such as the Linn Sondek were still well out of reach. It made sense to devote attention to the turntable, arm and cartridge. Ideally, a well-balanced source will set the standard for the rest of the system. From the various possibilities there emerged several combinations worthy of consideration, the eventual choice depending on one's particular requirements.

For the new system, improvements were sought in both the cartridge and speaker areas, and in the case of the former, three moving-coil cartridges were considered — the Denon DL103, the Audio Technica AT31E and the Ortofon MC10 Super. The Mission Cyrus was the logical amplifier choice in view of its moving-coil input facility.

For the core system, the Rega Planar 2/RB250 was retained, preferably on an isolating platform, and equipped with the AT31E cartridge. Accompanying the Cyrus amplifier was a pair of Mordaunt-Short MS100 speakers, which was perhaps a somewhat controversial choice. As discussed in the original article, this speaker has an initially off-putting tonal balance (which can be 'tamed' by an optional equaliser, see March p49) but it rewards the listener with a taste of true high-end clarity and transparency. I found its ability to communicate detail, atmosphere and dynamics hard to resist. It is designed for close-to-wall mounting (discard the grilles), and rigid spiked stands are also well worthwhile (MS make these for the '100s).

If our system were to be based on classic principles, then a subchassis turntable would be considered mandatory. By foregoing a lid or cover, the fine Walker CJ61 fits the bill and may be equipped with the excellent Rega RB300 arm together with the musical Denon DL103 cartridge at a total of £200 (either of the other recommended cartridges could be used instead). Accounting for the amplifier we then have about £170 for speakers and stands; if cost is still important then the B&W DM110s or Wharfedale 506s still remain a good option while the MS100s may also be considered.

Alternatively, one can go for what might be called the fully balanced system, which involves a greater allocation to the speaker. By choosing the Ortofon MC10 Super, the turntable may be held to £170 using the Planar 2, arriving at a total of £310 with the Cyrus and leaving £240 for the speakers. With a small stretch in budget and substituting DIY speaker stands, the excellent Spendor Prelude speakers lie within reach at £250/pair. Other fine alternatives include the diminutive, evergreen BBC LS3/5a (for smaller rooms and a low

visual profile), the Sony APM 22es (£200) and a new introduction which scored well in a recent review, the Wharfedale 508, with its desirable aluminium dome tweeter plus high quality polypropylene bass/mid unit. A speaker at the £170 to £180 level will allow the inclusion of high

quality stands such as the Heybrook examples, while Linn also do fine stands which fit the LS3/5a, and which are specifically intended for their own Kan model.

CD At this level the CD system remains with the Marantz CD54, coupled with a Rotel 820BX, and will allow for a modest speaker choice — in my view this should be the Wharfedale 506 with suitable stands.

Level five: up to £750 At this level it was possible to consider one of the more contentious options — one promoted by the Linn circle on the basis that the system must begin with the turntable and progress from there; in

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1985 67

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Ill-FI NEWS & RECORD REVILW SEPTEMIU,R I 510

this case using an LP12 as the starting point. We a'so investigated more conventionally-balanced alternatives. The key to this higher level upgrade did, however, lie with

improving the source. At the lowest price, the new At 101 offers excellent value at £ 180, this package including a reasonable

cartridge, a fine arm, and a most satisfactory belt-drive subchassis motor unit. However, this player should more probably be a part of the level-four system. For this final system the ultimate choice turned out to be a Dunlop Systemdek Ilx fitted with a Rega RB300 arm and, if still available, a Logic Claro Gold moving-coil cartridge. The clear alternative is the Linn Trek, with good examples comparing favourably with the well established Asak. The choice of Cyrus One amplifier remains a confident one, though if higher powers are felt necessary, some of the speaker budget could be allocated to the fine AR amplifier (£180). With the Cyrus, the speaker budget reaches £300, sufficient for a

wide choice, including decent stands and perhaps some better speaker cable. I had suggested several speaker alternatives from the APM 33es to the Prelude, while the JBL L46 offered a highly civilised version of the US 'West Coast' sound. Tannoy have a refined version of the Mercury called the Venus, finished in real wood veneer, the latter a feature also common to the compact Celestion SL6, a relaxed performer, with exceptional treble and fine stereo properties. If

based on a Linn Sondek ( or perhaps a Pink Triangle with RB3001, the system would begin with an LP12/Basik Plus/Basik at around £510. My choice would then be for a Rotel 820BX, leaving £100 for the speaker (and stands) eg, the Marantz 1020 (or alternative). The Linn would represent an investment for future upgrading, since it would not be out of place in a system costing up to £5000.

The £750 CD system Here the Marantz CD54 player rema ns a good choice, and important gains may be obtained in respect of the amplifier and loudspeakers. With a little under £500 available for the latter, all the speaker choices for level five are also possible here, in conjunction with the AR

11111111111111111

amplifier which provides for a generous dynamic range, helpful for the CD source. An advance in amplifier sound quality would be obtained with the Cyrus Two amplifier (£260), though this choice will reduce the speaker budget to £210 including stands. Staying with the AR amplifier, that leaves us £290 for the speakers

and stands together. Alternatively, if we stayed with the Rotel 820BX, still better examples are within reach — the highly refined Wharfedale 708 (£300) for example.

The Future With this review of the evolving system series completed, the next stage will cover systems at the £1000 level. As before, the primary concern is with an analogue disc player, but the increasing credibility of CD systems will dictate serious examination of these as well. It-

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711 111.11 NEWS A: RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER I985

POT POURRI TEAC R-999X cassette deck

IN THE MARCH 1985 CASSETTE DECK ROUND-UP, I LOOKED at a fully- loaded Akai machine and a dearer, less facility-laden offering from Nakamichi. The two decks represented a dichotomy in cassette deck marketing; TEAC's latest is an

attempt at blending the two. At £680, it has to appeal sonically to the purist— who could otherwise go for a no-frills machine like the Nakamichi BX-300 — while the inclusion of non-essential facilities have to be seen as not detracting frcm its serious side. In other words, it has to deliver the goods both as a serious recording tool and as a gadget freak's delight.

In addition to true, three-head operation and full bi-directional capability, the TEAC matches its lower-priced competitors with an

array of computerised track-seeking facilities. As with their domestic open-reel machines, the R-999X is designed to pinpoint spots — blank or recorded — with speed and accuracy. The various options are such that tracks can be programmed by number, the machine can count blanks between tracks, and it will skip over blank spaces of 10 or more seconds' duration. Depending on where the auto- reverse mode select is positioned, it will seek out spots on either side. None of this is too out of the ordinary, but the TE AC does seem to perform these functions with more speed and authority than most.

In addition to the location facilities, the R-999X offers Dolby-B, - C, dbx ( and dbx disc) noise reduction, a multi-mode counter showing four-digit real time or arbitrary numerical counting, and coding for the track-seek and track-skip modes. Most of these controls are hidden away in a slide-out panel, which, in the closed position, reveals only the major transport functions. To counter this bushel of non-essentials, TEAC have to show their

customers that it's also a serious recordist's machine. This they do by eliminating automatic level controls and auto-tape fine-tuning, returning ultimate control to the user. Where others would have you push a button and let the machine do the fine-tuning, the TEAC provides you with test signals and separate pots to adjust each channel for level and bias. The inclusion of a labour-making, rather than labour-saving device

may have nothing more than a psychological effect, but if that's all it is, then it worked on me. And just as effective is the far more robust construction, simplified ergonomics ( yes, simplified, even if it is less-automated) and less spacey styling. What you end up with is a halfway house. Just as the TEAC is priced midway between the £350 wunderdecks and the serious stuff from Revox and Nakamichi, so is it a conceptual compromise. You get 50% of the gadgetry and 50% of the puristry, a sort of compromise between the macho of the hard stuff and the gosh/wow of the robot wonders.

Thankfully, the sound is not compromised too much. While I have serious doubts that this will better the relatively stripped Nakamichi BX300 in pure sonic terms, it remains more than acceptable for a deck of this price, ie, better than you'd get for £350 but still subject to those above-mentioned remarks about minimal quality improvements left to be acquired. I tried the TEAC with five tapes representing the three popular formulae, plus a new type of metal using Type II bias, and the results were illuminating in a number of ways.

For starters, I was disappointed to learn that of the five tapes — four of which should definitely adhere to the agreed international standards— not one worked optimally at the factory setting. I don't know if this is TEAC's fault or the tape manufacturers' fault, but every one of them needed some manual trimming. Most were right on the maximum ±2dB variation from '0', but I'd have expected the standard to be met — or why bother with a standard? This is more a case of ire in principle than ire in practice, as the TEAC's adjust system is so well-designed that it only took 30s to set up each tape. The readings prior to fine trimming were:

Replay Level Tape (ref.OdB) Maxell UD1 (Norm) +2dB That's FX (Norm) +2dB TDK SA (Chro) +1dB That's MR (Metal) +2dB TDK HSX ( Met/Type II) +3dB

Except for the TDK SA (chosen as it's probably the best-selling Type II tape in the specialist sector) all were new tapes, the That's tapes recommended by Harman UK for use with the R-999X. Bless 'em, these new cassettes of stupid nomenclature worked beautifully, but that's jumping the gun. My notes, A/B-ing the tapes with the LP source, read like this: MAXELL UD1 Less rich than the original on Dolby-B, slightly more forward than LP using Dolby-C. Overall, remarkable for such an inexpensive tape. THAT'S FX Slightly grainy, with a bit of sizzle on Dolby- B; leaner, more focused sound on Dolby-C but with slight mid emphasis. TDK SA Dull-sounding on Dolby-B, much cleaner on -C. Overall impression is that this tape is showing its age, as it didn't improve much on the Type I tapes except in low level noise removal. Still hard to beat, though. THAT'S MR This suffered slight veiling on the -B setting, but emerged as a real champion when used with Dolby-C. Mechanism rattled a bit more than the Maxell or TDK, but only noticeable if you're the type who listens with your ear to the cassette bay door. TDK HSX This tape sounded alternately bright and muddy, but only in slight degrees. (I much preferred TDK's premium Type ll tape, SA-X, during other sessions.) From best to worst was so small a spread that I'm embarrassed to

even make the distinctions. The impecunious among you will be pleased to know that the TEAC R-999X worked absurdly well with the less-expensive tapes, but then, who would skimp on tape after dropping £680 on a cassette deck? The machine functioned beautifully while I had it, which pleased

me immensely as I have never previously had a good time with this company's cassette decks — and Harman know how many went through my hands as a dealer. Fast-forward for a C-90 was a smooth

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87s (89s on rewind), which represented good times for spooling a C-60 the last time I looked at cassette decks. Everything felt just right, and at no time did I feel that the sound was 'typically cassette'; this deck really showed how good those Sheffield prerecordeds can sound. It does, however, make decisions that much harder when you shop in this sector, because the automation present in the TEAC has to be weighed against the slight sonic edge of other similar-priced, if less luxury-laden units. I suppose you still have to pay for everything if you want it, and the

only way you get it all is with the Nakamichi Dragon; at twice the price. But as £650 is a more attainable figure than £ 1000-plus, the TEAC is a much more realistic proposition. Whether or not the superior construction, coifidence-inspiring fine-tuning, and slight improvement in sound quality over the half-priced competition will sway you is down to your own priorities. As for me, I'd save up the extra amount.

Ken Kessler

111-11 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SE.PIENIBER 1,,S5 71

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4 Denon and Harman integrated amps

DRAW A LINE AND PUT NAMES LIKE CREEK, NAIM, AND Musical Fidelity on the left. On the right put down the names of any of the myriad manufacturers (usually Japanese) of knob-festooned glitterboxes. This gives you a

reasonable representation of the polarity which exists in the amplifiers available in the affordable sector; the weighting moves to the left when you talk high-end because the mass-market boys can't be bothered with the smaller sales numbers. What's been emerging lately is a generation of amplifiers that

doesn't fall neatly to either side, primarily from large-ish concerns which — for one reason or another — have decided that attention to sound quality and a show of concern for audiophile priorities needn't mean commercial death. Best represented by Rotel, who went from purveyors of undistinguished budget amps to manufacturers of rather tasty beginners' bargains, this category of moderates has been joined by others who won't sacrifice the facilities or styling of the right, but who have managed to combine such marketing considerations with performance of interest to listeners. Denon and harman/kardon both have high-end pedigrees, the

former because of their work with m-c cartridges and the latter because it was originally a true high-end line. Despite their continued activity in the high-end — both manufacture amplifiers that cost as much as cars — the main thrust is in the affordable sector; both companies continue to sell through hi-fi specialist shops rather than via the major discounters. Denon, by virtue of its pedigree (and a sort-of-tweaky PR man named Rob Follis), have of late been offering integrated amplifiers that belie their styling, while harman/kardon have gone so far as to milk their connection with radical designer Matti Otala so that his influence is now evident in their less-outrageous products.

The Denon amplifier, the PMA-737, sells for about £169, which is just what you'd expect to pay for a 55 watts RMS/channel amplifier of Japanese origin with no shortage of facilities. It lacks nothing, right down to the loudness control, subsonic filter, and 100ohm m-c input. The inclusion of luxuries and what are now deemed non-essentials (eg, tone controls) portray this unit as a non-starter in purist hi-fi circles; the same goes for the equally-loaded harman/kardon PM645. Recommended retail price for the PM645 unit is £179, though I've seen it for less, and power output is rated at 40 watts/side. It lacks the Denon's m-c input, but the user does gain a bass contour control instead of a less usable loudness setting. The Denon comes in high-tech black, the PM645 in harman/

kardon's less-fashionable champagne. Indeed, a dealer of my acquaintance who stocks both can't count the number of h/k sales lost to other makes because the British seem to loathe anything that isn't silver or black. I'm ambivalent about the colour of a fascia, but then I don't subject my wife to the aesthetics of audio.

Installation for either unit was a matter of minutes, both sporting clearly marked inputs, but neither offering the type of speaker terminal I prefer. The harman's binding posts, bare wire-only, would take thick cables, while the horrible spring-loaded things on the Denon wouldn't. Maybe reasonable quality cables as a matter of course have yet to filter down to the real world. I tried both pieces in a system consisting of the delicious Thorens

TD318 turntable, Ortofon's MC10 Super moving-coil cartridge, and Mordaunt-Short MS100s on the new Partington sand-filled stands. With the PM645, I used a pair of those neat, affordable (£20) plug-in transformers from Ortofon; the Denon was auditioned via its own m-c stage andwith the Ortofon step-up. (The Ortofons were preferred.) Cables were Absolute Wire and all was Tweeked.

It took some adjustment, moving from a decidedly high-end system to set-ups costing more like £600 in total, but the process was

effected by substituting items, so that I went from Apogees to MS100s, Oracle to Thorens, then Beard to test samples. Having 'learned' the sounds of the source and speakers, I could isolate the drop down from £2000 worth of valves to under £200 worth of trannies, and the main quality that disappeared was, in a word, control. Budget amps, whatever their political stripe, tend to sound raucous when the levels go up (while staying within their operational bounds, of course). Mild confusion sets in and you begin to notice a loss of low level information, image solidity, sweetness, and a host of other performance benefits that, sadly, cost money. But given that these amplifiers sell for realistic sums, and that you can build whole systems around them for the price of a loaded — but undistinguished — rack system, you just have to leave your lunatic-fringe ears behind and listen through the lug-holes of a realist. To be honest, I was not expecting, or even hoping for miracles. As

both amplifiers had been hyped sufficiently before they arrived, all I wanted them to do was offer performance as good for the money as given by both the £200 Thorens and the £160 Mordaunt-Shorts. Without suggesting that either of these go as far to the left of that line as a NAIT or a Mission Cyrus, neither deserves to be grouped with the soulless offerings from the right. The harman impressed me because it delivered in a way that its catalogue blurb — boasting of high current capability— suggested. Though the power rating is but 40 watts/side, the PM645 performed more like a 100-watter into the MS100s, failing to clip at levels I consider uncomfortable. Sound remained clean and unstressed, though a certain thinness reminded me that I was listening to something less than, say, a costlier Musical Fidelity Synthesis or an Audiolab 8000A. The PM645 yielded ample bass, doing reasonable justice to certain

12in. singles, and it gave glimpses of the esoteric with its image height; its main failings were in the areas of soundstage width and depth, this smallness indicative of the price category. However, most

people put soundstage way down on their priority listings, and weaknesses in this area are less likely to offend than gutlessness or too much coloration — neither of which the harman suffered. The Denon PMA-737 (which one dealer tells me is a top seller

despite of the make's low brand-awareness in the mass-market) improved upon the PM645 in terms of delicacy and detail, but never seemed as powerful, or as capable of conveying a sense of weight to the proceedings. It wasn't bass shy or actually lacking power — it drove the MS100s with ease — but it fared less well than the harman with those above-mentioned 12in. singles. Stage width, which seems seems to be a Denon trademark, was very good for a product in this price category, and the Denon had a seamless side-to-side perspective of equal distribution; the PM645 was weighted towards the middle. While neither product disappointed, neither quite made the leap

toward the sector still populated only by products without tone controls and coming from relatively tiny companies, however arbitrary that should be. What they did do, and with panache, was show that a customer can compromise between the sonic beauty/ operational austerity of the specialists on the left, and the mediocre sound/pushbutton madness of the mass-market boys on the right. Both are head-and-shoulders above the products emanating from companies more interested in ghetto-blaster sales than sound quality, but they're still only nipping at the heels of the purist goodies. The consolation is that products like the PM645 and the PMA-737 are likely to reach, and therefore influence, more none-audiophile consumers than Creek, Naim, and Musical Fidelity combined, so it's nice to think that maybe they'll get hooked on good sound and up their standards for future purposes. Maybe then the man in the street will be ready for Naims and

Creeks and Musical Fidelity ... Ken Kessler

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1485 73

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HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER I985

Monster cables

THE BROUHAHA SURROUNDING LINEAR-CRYSTAL AND/OR thin, single-strand cables has meant that other types adhering to neither practice have been lost in the shuffle. Despite the fact that the two new concepts may be superior

to multistrand or non-linear crystal materials, or that a number of consumers may have embraced the new types because of the hysteria that accompanies such discoveries, it doesn't necessarily mean that yesterday's standards should now be discarded, and older cables deemed 'unacceptable'. Indeed, I've recently learned that thin cables in particular aren't the universal panacea some claim, and I don't think the final score is in yet for linear-crystal either.

Regular readers know I'm pred sposed toward valve electronics, thatlfavour Decca cartridges, and that I've spent the past few months with the hard-to-drive Apogee Scintilla loudspeakers. I'd been using a mix of cables including pieces from Vecteur, Audio Research, Absolute Wire and Monster Cable when it was decided I should try the top products from a single company to determine ( 1) whether or not the consistency would alter if all cables came from one source, and (2) if it was possible that non-LC-OFCfmulti-strand types could 'compete' with the new stuff. My system has since been fitted with Monster Cable lnterlink

Reference A for all phono-to-phono connections and Monster Powerline 2 for the speakers. The only exceptions to the Monster formula are a 6in. length of Randall cable from the tonearm pillar to the turntable plinth, as the Monster TAIL is too stiff for the -Zeta/Oracle package, and I've opted for Absolute Wire's Force 4 for the speaker connection to the Apogee's bass ribbon. (The Apogee uses two sets of cables from the amplifier.) This altered the Monster-throughout aspect without upsetting Monster's coherency; the softish bass, in particular, needed the tightening-up provided by the Absolute Wire. (The use of the Randall was mainly for practical reasons, but the remarks in total apply not just to Monster but also to other serious cables not of the LC-OFC/single strand camp.) While I bow to MC when it comes to experiencing a wide array of

cables, I have used over 40 types of what we'd call 'super cables', remaining with the best as experience dictates. More than anything, I've learned that no amount of theoretical argument in favour of one type over another comes near to overruling the importance of systems' dependence, finding out with total consistency that no single cable is the best for any system. And — speaking only about my own particular set-up — 1 have to say that the Monster flagships require no apologies, bettering both the single-strand and the LC-OFC types I've tried so far. In terms of top-end sweetness, inner detail and imaging properties, the only rivals I know of for the Monsters are other cables not of the single-strand/LC-OFC variety, like the Randalls. The top-to-bottom consistency of these cables, for me, outweighs the bass-bias of the linear crystal types and the airiness of the thin cables. Those varieties stand out for single areas of performance; the Monsters succeed for overall performance, and their character is one of authority as opposed to the others 'Curate's Egg' presentation.

In turning to the Monsters from LC-OFC phono cable, I noticed a change akin to moving from a multi-way speaker to a full-range driver. The overall consistency meant that music was coming out as a whole, rather than suffering from discontinuity. Ironically, the best LC-OFC I've used mirrors the Monsters and the Randalls with its complex internal construction, rather than veering toward the single strand. While my findings are wholly subjective, I have enough faith in them to suggest that you listen before you leap, rather than embrace the new movements for the sake of their newness.

Ken Kessler

Loudspeaker updates

As NOTED AT THE END OF MY JULY REVIEW OF THE Linn Index loudspeaker, Linn informed us of a production change prompted by early field reports on the initial production run. These had been sold to the dealers in

batches of six pairs and had met with some resistance. Although samples of the revised design arrived too late to allow

amendment of the original review, the Index has now been reassessed. Fortunately, lab measurements were also possible. Looking at the 'before' and 'after' response traces, it can be seen

that two features have changed. The serious step/breakup criticised

LINN INDEX

ON -AXIS RESPONSE AT 1m

Mt 1

1 al 711 all a

Man P Or

71»

on the first model, located at 450Hz has been successfully tamed. In addition, the overall treble level has been increased by around 3.5dB, a considerable shift. The result is a better transition from the bass into the dominant upper midrange. However, the latter's peaky character still remains, with wide limits of ±5dB still required for a 65Hz — 20kHz nominal frequency response. The sound of the new version is different in detail, though not in

overall character. While the first version exhibited a dominant, coloured midrange, this including a low range resonance and an upper range cone 'cry', the second Index provided a more open, integrated output with a smoother mid-treble transition. The lower midrange coloration was definitely reduced in level.

Some forwardness and hardness remained in the presence range. Wall mounting the Index is the optimum condition but this still leaves it sounding tonally thin, nasal and peaky in the upper registers. The bass driver improvement and crossover revision have resulted in a better sound, though in my view, the index still does not achieve a standard near to possible recommendation.

Also reviewed in July was the fine miniature from Proac, the Tablette ebt. Proac have noted with their products that the treble unit takes a while to ' run-in': the Tablette is no exception and has been slightly revised to a 'Super' form, this taking effect from July 1985.

Higher quality capacitors have been specified for the crossover, including polyester plastic film types. In addition, the previous birch ply construction for the enclosure has been replaced by MDF board with improved damping. The designer suggests that a better midrange balance results with lower levels of cabinet coloration. Specifications remain the same; the price will increase a little. On re-test the ebt Super showed significantly lower coloration,

allowing the stereo image to detach itself further from the speaker locations. As predicted, the mid tonal balance was a little warmer, nearer to an absolute level of neutrality. The speaker remains rather thin and bright by broadcast monitor

standards but sets a good performance for the size. The Proac Tablette ebt Super is well worth investigating but should preferably be auditioned at home on matching stands and with your system.

An unexpected opportunity arose since the review of the JBL TLX-4 (liFN/RR July) to re-audition it in company with a wider field of designs; the test included further unsighted listening. On this occasion I agreed with my panellists in ranking the speaker as slightly above average, a better standard than the original review. On balance, I still feel the TLX-4 to be somewhat coloured in sound

quality, yet the overall tonal balance, and presentation and level of musical detail is quite good. The new listening test results do justify a qualified recommendation. Martin Colloms

Fil-H NEWS & RECORD REVIEW Si I'll Mlil RIg8f, 75

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Marantz SD-64 cassette deck and ST-64L tuner

AS BOTH JA AND I HAD ACQUIRED A PARTIAL TASTE OF the real world by sampling the £600 Marantz 'Black' system via its amp and CD player, we thought it would be interesting to hear how the other main components

performed. To refresh your memories, the premise of the earlier articles (John covered the pieces in their gold-coloured 'Concert' guise in October 1984, my foldow-up appeared in June 1985) was to see how a CD-based Japanese system using the excellent Marantz LD20 and LD50 loudspeakers fared against an LP-based system from the British specialists. Having done this, with difficulty, we now turn to the matching tuner and cassette deck. Because the total price ol the system now comes close to £1000, its

market value being the same as a set-up that could be assembled

from the favoured cottage-industry firms, and it has to be reviewed in that light despite the marketing intentions of the manufacturer. The Black system is obviously aimed at the same people who would buy rack systems, but who either have more money to spend or wish to allay fears of typical rack system quality. For all the sonic worth of these components, ease of use, styling and the complement of facilities are just as important: it's this side of the Marantz land other serious Japanese manufacturers) which distinguishes them from the British separates manufacturers. Though I was only examining the tuner and cassette deck, it was

decided that I should team them with Marantz' matching amp; this time I used the PM-64, the beefier ( 100W/channel) alternative to the PM-54 I tried earlier. As the LD2Os had long gone and because it's likely that someone buying such a powerful — and good-sounding — unit might consider another brand of speakers, I fed the signals into the excellent Mordaunt-Short MS100s. At £165 per pair, they're just about right for the total package — take note that I did my listening and made notes before learning the price of the SD-64 cassette deck and ST-64L tuner. The ST-64L tuner, like the rest of the components in the series, is

superbly finished and (I feel) beautifully styled. It has a stepped fascia bearing, from left to right, a mono/stereo mute button, on-off switch, a programme button to enable absentee recordings of different stations, a monitor button for checking the programme, and an IF band selector for wide or narrow. The centre section houses the tell-tales for indicating wide or narrow, digital read-out of the station, FM stereo indicator, fine-tuning indicator, signal strength and band selection (MW, LW or FM). The remaining third of the front panel contains eight presets (for a total of 16 settings), the memory button for setting the presets, the fine-tuning button which geiables adjustments in 10kHz steps, and the press control tuner. The latter, if held for more than 0.5s, goes into auto-seek mode, stopping at the first strong station. If tapped, it operates in non-continuous manner. The back panel offers bare wire or coaxial aerial connection, phono-out sockets, long-wave band select, and a socket for use with Marantz' remote control set-up (not tested). The unit comes with an

AM aerial. I tried to get some tolerable sounds out of this tuner in AM, but — as

with others I've tried — I gave up. If refuse to apologise for this hatred I harbour for AM, and felt no remorse switching to FM — and it was worth it. Even though I hadn't a clue as to the price, I figured that this was more than a £100 offering, and not just because of the out of the ordinary facilities like multi-station absentee recording capability. The sound was clean and rich, with excellent stage presentation, and those French stations which often intrude didn't get a look-in. I'm located just on the fringes of London transmissions, but I managed to squeeze out listenable signals. Only one thing blighted the tuner's performance— enough to keep it from fighting with £300-plus tuners — was nasality on live speech. When I found out that it sells for a reasonable £209, I smiled. What made it really exceptional — knowing how very few people bother with real aerials — was its stunning performance with a 300ohm 'T' aerial. The SD-64, on the other hand, didn't thrill me quite so much. Its

fascia belies the unit's flexibility; bar three-heads, it's got just about every goodie that the spacier decks offer. A full auto-reverse machine, the SD-64 offers Dolby-B, -C and dbx, the requisite controls for all functions in both directions, and a four-way counter revealing plus/minus digital counting, real-time counting, track selection for its computerised skipping facilities, and something called ' lap' time, which I couldn't understand, even with the manual's help. The deck can be used for synchronised recording and via a remote if installed in the full Marantz system, and the track-seeking, blank-space seeking, and blank-space skipping worked perfectly,; One item which I was pleased to see was a single record level

control used in tandem with a balance control, à la certain Nakamichis. Everything felt just right, but a slight air of malaise entered the proceedings as I mentally compared it with the upmarket TEAC I'd relinquished just prior to the Marantz' arrival. Basically, the SD-64 seemed nasty. It was slower than death in operation, the auto-reverse at the end of the side was far from instantaneous, and it took over two minutes to rewind one side of a C90 ( less than 90s for the TEAC). The mechanism crunched and made horrible grinding noises, acceptable in a ghetto-blaster but not in what looks like so elegant and expensive a domestic deck. And sonically, well, replay of prerecordeds was superb, but the recording side was only just better than the very good £125 machine I'd been using — and this was too slick to be in that price category.

For the replay side, I used prerecordeds in each format— Dolby-B, -C and dbx — and could only find fault with slightly high hiss levels during the between-track silences on Dolby tapes. The deck delivered all the details and power of Telarc's California Experience and Sheffield's James Newton Howard, both tapes possessing enough energy to show up a deck's weaknesses, and this makes the SD-64 a reasonable purchase for the prerecorded tape buyer. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the deck to make recordings — especially off CD, despite the deck's 'Digital Monitoring' label — that didn't differ too much from source. Using TDK SA (recommended by Marantz), That's FX, and Maxell

MX to test the three major types, I was rewarded, continually, with

188 1188

FREOUENCV IN NZ MIMI SO-64 18 7 85

Ilk

TDK HXS (Type II) Dolby off, MPX filter off, OdB-20dB ref 200nWb/m

recordings pushing the vocalist forward or veiling the top end. Bass was consistently excellent — even doing justice to the awesome wallops on the Return of the Living Dead soundtrack — but the rest of the balance was off enough to preclude any mistaking that it wasn't a copy. However . . . the SD-64 costs £279, or about £100 less than the three-head machines similarly mechanised. This means that you get all the gadgetry, if performed with less finesse, and replay capability in the dearer league, though slightly less in absolute recording capabilities. It seems to me a perfect compromise for less-audiophile consumers ... which brings us back to the Black system concept. As the amplifiers, CD player and tuner in this series can virtually

match the tweakier alternatives, and the tape deck just about justifies its price, it's hard not to admire the way Marantz have blended hi-fi acceptability with real-world considerations.

Ken Kessler

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 19115 77

109-113 London Road

SEVENOAKS Kent te (0732) 459555 162 Powis Street Woolwich

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TUNBRIDGE WELLS e(0892) 31543 Kent

If you can buy cheaper elsewhere,

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ALL BRANCHES CLOSED WEDNESDAY

4 RailwayStreet

CHATHAM Kent tie (0634) 46859

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BECKENHAM Kent e MO 658 3450

SUGGESTED SYSTEMS Dua CS505/2 + Pioneer SA301 + Kef Coda £229.95 Dua CS505/2 + Yamaha A320 + AR18BX or Coda II or DL4 or f100 or Mission 701 or ( R252v or 506 or DM110 or Mercury extra £20) £264.95 Dua CS505/2 + QED A230 + AR18BX or Coda II or DL4 or R100 or Mission 701 or (R252v or 506 or DM110 or Mercury extra £20) £274.95 Dua CS505/2 + Rotel RA820 + AR18BX or Coda II or DL4 or R100 or Mission 701 or ( R252v or 506 or DM110 or Mercury extra £20) £274.95 Dua CS505/2 + Nad 3120 + AR18BX or Coda II or DL4 or f100 or Mission 701 or ( R252v or 506 or DM110 or Mercury extra £20) £ 289.95 Dua CS505/2 + Rotel RA820BX + AR18BX or Coda II or DL4 or f100 or Mission 701 or ( R252v or 506 or DM110 or Mercury extra £20) £299.95 Dua CS505/2 + Proton 520 + AR18BX or Coda II or DL4 or R100 or Mission 701 or ( R252v or 506 or DM110 or Mercury extra £20) £299.95 Dua CS505/2 + A 8 R Alpha + AR18BX or Coda II or DL4 or R100 or Mission 701 or ( R252v or 506 or DM110 or Mercury extra £20) £309.95 Dua CS505/2 + Nad 30208 + AR18BX or Coda II or DL4 or f100 or Mission 701 or (R252v or 506 or DM110 or Mercury extra £20) £309.95 Dua CS505/2 + Yamaha A420 + AR18BX or Coda II or DL4 or f100 or Mission 701 or ( R252v or 506 or DM110 or Mercury extra £20) £309.95 Dua CS505/2 + Cyrus One + AR18BX or Coda II or DL4 or R100 or Mission 701 or ( R252v or 506 or DM110 or Mercury extra £20) £319.95 Dua CS505/2 + Rotel RA840 + AR18BX or Coda II or DL4 or R100 or Mission 701 or ( R252v or 506 or DM110 or Mercury extra £20) £329.95 Dua CS505/2 + Rotel RA840BX + AR18BX or Coda II or DL4 or R100 or Mission 701 or (R252v or 506 or DM110 or Mercury extra £20) £339.95

The following turntables are available as EXTRA COST OPTIONS to the Dual CS505 2 th the, abc,th cvstems Dual CS505/2 deluxe £20.00 Rotel RP830 £25.00 Thorens TD166 £35.00 FREE • Cartridge supplied with above systems • Leads provided with above systems. FREE • Carriage for mail order customers on above systems.

Amplifiers A 8 R Alpha £129.95 A 8 Fi A60 £189.95 AR THE AMP £179.95 Cyrus One £139.95 Cyrus Two £259.95 Nad 1020 preamp . £99.95 Ned 2155 £209.95 Nad 3120 £119.95 Ned 302013 £139.95 Nad 2150 power amp £159.95 Ned 3150 £219.95 Nad 3155 £249.95 Ned 1155 preamp £179.95 Ned 2200 power amp £339.95 Pioneer SA301 £59.95 Proton P520 £129.95 Quad 34/44/405.2/520 P.O.A. OED £99.95 Rotel RA920 £109.95 Rotel RA8209% £139.95 Rotel RA840 £169.95 Rotel RA8400% £179.95 Rotel RA870 £285.95 Sansui AUG55% £249.95 Sansui AUG11% £109.95 Sansui AUG33% £ 169.95 Technics P.O.A. Yamaha A320 £89.95 Yamaha A420 £139.95

Cassette Decks Akai GXR55 £199.95 AkaillX044 £149.95 Aka, HXA3 £99.95 Aiwa Cassette Decks at " hard to beat prices this month P.O.A. Denon 09171 Denon ORM11 Hitachi DE3 JVC KDV200 Nod 6125

P.O.A. P.O.A. £119.95 £99.95

£149.95 Nad 6050C £159.95 Nakarnichi RX202 £299.95 Nakarnichi very affordable when you buy born us , P.O.A. Proton P720 £169.95 Rotel 00830 £114.95 Trio KX54 £99.95 Yamaha K220 £119.95 Yamaha 0320 (149.95

Tuners ASH 721 Cyrus Tuner Hitachi FT5500 II

£199.99 £179.95 £179.95

Ned 4155 £229.95 Ned 40208 £139.95 Pioneer F90 £199.95 Pioneer TX301L £84.95 Pioneer 1%540)._ £59.95 Proton P420 £119.95 Proton P440 £189.95 Clued FM4 P.O.A. Rotel RT820 £109.95 Sansui TUD33XL £109.95 Sansui TUD99XL £229.95 Yamaha 1320 £89.95 Yamaha T520 £139.95

Tuner Amps Nad 7125 £239.95 Nad 7140 £339.95 Nad 7155 £389.95 Yamaha R3 £179.95

Turntables Acoustic Research/AR £ 219.95 Acoustic Research/LVX £234.95 Acoustic Research EB101 £ 189.95 Anston 0080 £189.95 Dual CS505/2 £94.95 Dual CS505/2 deluxe £ 109.95 Dual CS514 £59.95 Mission 775LCT £ 179.95 Ned 5120 £109.95 Oak £99.95 Pink Triangle £399.95 OED 7231 £139.95 Rotel RP830 £129.95 Rotel RP850 £199.95 Sansui SR222V £ 109.95 Systemdek IIX £125.95 Systemdek IIX electronic £ 169.95 The Elite Rock £279.95 Thorens TD166 P.O.A. Thorens TD318 £199.95 Thorens TD321 £234.95 Thorens TD321/LVX £314.95 Thorens 70320 £277.95

Video HiFi Ferguson 3V43 £629.95 JVC 00725 £749.95 Panasonic 90830 £449.95 Panasonic 90870 £649.95 Sony SLHF 100 £539.95

Compact Disc

Players Buy your player

this month and claim

£30 worth

of FREE DISCS

(except *

Altai CDA71* £399.95 Altai COM88* £399.95 Maranta CD54 * £279.95 Moroni, CD74 * £329.95 Marantx CD94* £369.95 Mission DAD700OR £449.95 Nad 5255 £399.95 Nakarnichi P.O.A. Philips CD104 £299.95 Philips CD204 * £309.95 Philips CD304* £349.95 Pioneer PDX500 £299.95 Pioneer P130700 £299.95 Pioneer PD7010 £349.95 Pioneer PD6010 £279.95 Pioneer P05010 £249.95 Sansui PCV100 £339.95 Sony CDP30 £299.95 Sony CDP102 £399.95 Sony CDP302 £499.95 Sony CDP502 £699.95 Technics SLP3K £449.95 Technics SLP2K £399.95 Technies SLPIK £349.95 Trio CD £259.95 Yamaha CDX2 £299.95 Yamaha CD2 £369.95 Yamaha CD3 £399.95

Each component has been acclaimed "Best Buy" in the UK Hi-Fi Press, and as a system offers unbeatable value for money. Dual CS505-2

This is an unrepeatable chance to,purchase an TURNTABLE excellent quality hi-fi at a bargain price. (deluxe extra £20).

-?"

Speakers Present this eclvt in claim free stands and 6 metres 0E0 Cable with all Loudspeakers usted below except* I Suggested Systems excluded) AR8BX £79.95

£94.95 £89.95

£139.95 £169.95 £119.95 £149.95 £199.95 £9.95 £99.95

£119.95 £199.95 £59.95 £99.95

£129.95 £179.95 £279.95 P.O.A. £99.95

£119.95 £59.95

AR18BX AR28LS* AR38LS* AR48LS* AR 198 5132013 AR300 Boston A40 B 0 W DM90 * 85W DM110 B & W DM220 Celestion 100N* Celeshon DL4 Celeshon DL6 Celestion 018 Celestion SL6 Heybrook JPW P1 JPW AP2 K ef Chorale III ri Oct Coda Ill e £ 79.95 Oct Cantor Ill * £99.95 Oct Carina * £114.95 Oct Caprice * £ 129.95 Oct Canton III * £ 159.95 Oct 'C New Series . P.O.A Kef R101 £229.95 Kef R103.2 £299.95 Net R104.2 £699.95 Oct 0105.2 £999.95 Mission 7011 £99.95 Mission 700-2 £119.95 Mission 707 £149.95 Mission 737 R Mission 770 F £379.95 Mission 780 A £599.95 Monitor Audio R100 Monitor Audio R252v Monitor Audio 0352 Monitor Audio 0152 Monitor Audio 0552 Mordaunt Short MS10 Mordaunt Short MS20 Mordaunt Short MS30 Mordaunt Short MS40 £ 169.95 Mordaunt Short MS100 .. £ 149.95 Mordaunt Short MS300 .. £299.95 Quad EL 563 P.O.A. Rogers LS2 . .. P.O.A. BBC Micro 8 Rogers LS3/5A . . £239.95 Thorons TD160 Super ( 139.95

Rogers LS6 P.O.A. Rogers LS7 . £314.95 Rogers Studio 1 £439.95 Rotel RL850 £99.95 Spendor Prelude £245.95 Spendor SP1 £540.95 Spendor SP2 £345.95 Tannoy Titan* £69.95 Tannoy Mercury £145.95 Tannoy Venus £249.95 Wharfedale Diamond II* £64.95 Wharfedale 506 £119.95 Wharfedale 508 £159.95 Wharfedale 708 £299.95

Midi Systems A

Aiwa V250 ex spks £449.95 Aiwa V200 ex spks £ 79.95 Aiwa V890 ex spks £579.95 Aiwa V900LW ex spks £ 579.95 Aiwa V350 es spks £479.95 Aiwa V900L ex spks £499.95 Aiwa 0900 ex spks £629.95 Aiwa V1100 ex spks £79995 JVC 83 P.O.A. JVC E5 P.O.A. JVC E22 £419.95 Pioneer S110 £249.95 Pioneer S330 £349.95 Pioneer S550 £499.95 Pioneer S770 £759.95 Sony Compact 35 £299.95 Sony Compact 40 £399.95 Sony Compact 55 £589.95 Sony Compact 77 £785.95 Sony New Models P.O.A. Technics - New Models P.O.A. Technics 315/15 £269.95 Technics 3I5/25A £319.95 Technics 315/25W £364.95 Technics 315/35A £429.95 Technics 315/45A £499.95 Technics 315/55A £649 95

SPeakers included unless stateo

Specials Aka, Compact 66 inc spks . £ 399.95 AR8LS* £59.95 JVC GR100 inc spits £ 199.95 JVC G X120 plc spks £299.95 Mission DAD7000 £349.95 Ned 5120(Flq £79.95 Pioneer XA3 Inc spks £199.95 Pioneer XA4 Inc spks £249.95 Pioneer 007 Inc spks £399.95 Sinclair Spectrum + £ 119.95

£299

Kef Chorale III or JPW PI SPEAKERS

£229.95 inc. Cartridge & leads

_ _ •

Per system UK mainiar, N fi Order Seypitualis branch only

Rotel RA820

AMPLIFIER

109.95 £129.95 £199.95 £299.95

£344.95 £79.95 £99.95

£129.95

r1,1 order to Sevenoaks Hi-Fi,109/113 London R71, Sevenoaks, Kent. 0732 459555

I Please Send me I enclose cheque/cash/card no including p. & p

Name

Address

MIM

HFN 9/85

Al, doods iiiâix . r.o.ond .4.,donsl loss to domaqn in Oansil Please rtliow t. to 10 dor, lot dnlownry allhough .1 should normaley be mttt h and onstoon. 00 der aeon lin maonland

N ei Marl Owstr rwtyrthowy roan, h voy

BUTTERWORTH

o

o

Peter Herrin notes the centenar of a tra • icall short-lived

En • lish talent

IN DECEMBER 1913, VAUGHAN-Williams wrote of his friend and com-panion, George Butterworth: 'I do think

he is one of our rising lights. I don't think that he has quite 'found' himself yet - but "s rapidly doing so'.

Sadly, Butterworth was never allowed to complete his self-discovery. On August W I, 1916, at Pozieres, he became another casualty of the Battle of the Somme, which had begun in bloody style early that June with a gruesome toll of 60,000 British dead and wounded on a single day. Compared with most who fell, Butterworth almost qualified as an old campaigner when killed at the age of 31.

It's vain to speculate whether V-W's estimation of his young friend would have proved correct (although many agreed with it) and whether this country lost a potentially very great composer in that horrific and now almost incomprehensible waste that was the First World War. George Sainton Kaye Butterworth was

born in London, the son of Sir Alexander Butterworth, sometime solicitor but then General Manager of the North-Eastern Rail-way. He was brought up in Yorkshire, and gained a scholarship to Eton in 1899. At Trinity College, Oxford, he studied Greats with a notion to following his father into a legal career, but after gaining a less-than-brilliant degree left uncertain which direction to take. He had apparent musical gifts, and was a fair writer, a combination which led to a short spell as Assistant Music Critic on The Times. He also contributed to the Grove Dictionary. A post as Music Master at Radley School followed in 1909, after which he finally decided to devote himself to music and enrolled at the Royal College in 1910. He studied composition ( his first attempts

had been at Eton, and a Barcarolle had been performed there in 1903) but lasted only one year at the RCM: his enthusiasm had been fired by less academic musical pursuits - the burgeoning revival in English folksong and dance, led by its greatest champion, Cecil Sharp. Henceforth, this was to have the biggest influence in shaping Butterworth's

musical style. He became very close friends with Vaughan-Williams and they enjoyed many a pleasant and rewarding expedition around Eastern England collecting tradi-tional song and dance tunes. Butterworth even undertook to give folk dance classes at the popular Stratford-upon-Avon Festivals, and served on the committee of the English Folk Dance Society from 1911. Butterworth became one of several

English composers - V-W was another - inspired to produce settings of poems from AE Housman's quintessentially English cycle, A Shropshire Lad. Unlike V-W's declamatory, almost operatic approach in On Wenlock Edge, Butterworth's songs are intimate and introspective and, to me, more in sympathy with the sensibilities of the poet. The accompaniments are far from ornate and usually remain the servants of the vocal line, yet they make telling com-ments on the verses, and on the stories unfolding and scenes pictured. His inter-pretative gift is nowhere better heard - ever the perfect mirror of the words.

Butterworth composed two groups of Housman songs and prefaced them with what has become his best-known orchestral piece: the haunting, and at times urgently impassioned rhapsody, A Shropshire Lad. It was first performed under Nikisch at the Leeds Festival in 1913, and while it quotes phrases from and hints at several of the songs, traditional folk melodies exert only an influence, not a tangible contribution. This work, too, comes very close to the under-lying spirit of Housman's poems (although, ironically, the poet himself despaired that his words had proved such fertile ground for composers).

In his other well-known orchestral pieces, however, Butterworth makes explicit use of authentic folk tunes: the Two English Idylls and The Banks of Green Willow are firmly based upon them. In the latter, it is the ballad of the same name which supplies the main theme, but later one of the loveliest of traditional tunes, Green Bushes, makes an appearance (also a source of inspiration, this, for Percy Grainger and VW).

These orchestral pieces are finely-crafted and evidence an instinctive feel for texture, form, balance and dynamics, not to mention orchestral colour. All contain strikingly ori-ginal passages, especially in the writing for strings; that for four solo 'cellos in Banks of Green Willow is a prime example. As well as these works, the Housman

settings, and numerous individual songs, Butterworth also scored an imaginative and engaging set of eleven folksongs from Sus-sex, and another group for baritone and string quartet to words by WE Henley: Love Blows as the Wind Blows. That was in 1914, and it marked the premature end of his creative life. The last of his own music that he heard played was Banks of Green Willow, on March 20th, 1914. He enlisted as a private in the Duke of

Cornwall's Light Infantry and later, with the 13th Durham Light Infantry, rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant. In September 1915, he went to France and the following July was mentioned in despatches. As a result, he was recommended for the Military Cross. It had to be awarded posthumously.

Butterworth on record Boult, Marriner and Neville Dilkes currently offer splendid versions of the Shropshire Lad orchestral rhapsody, variously coupled. Mar-riner's appears on a single disc with Banks of Green Willow and the Two English Idylls (Argo ZRG 860) or is included in his well-chosen boxed selection of English music (Decca D26D4). Dilkes omits the Idylls, but augments his Butterworth pieces with works by Bax (Dance in the Sunlight), Hamilton Harty (John Field Suite), and Frank Bridge (the mysteriously atmospheric There is a willow grows aslant a brook). This well-judged selection, in a vibrant Brian Culver-house recording, comes on EMI Greensleeve ESD 7100. Ahead of the competition, though, is Boult

conducting the LPO and New Philharmonia on Lyrita SACS 69, a splendid recording recently refurbished by Nimbus' cutting engineers and now available in immaculate pressings. The four major Butterworth items are coupled with some delightful Herbert Howells compositions: Merry Eye, Elegy, and Music for a Prince.

For the songs, Meridian's two-disc set (E77031/2) of Housman settings by a wide variety of composers - the famous and the now-forgotten - is essential for any lover of this poetry in musical guise.

Gurney, Somervell, Orr, Moeran, Gibbs, Bax, Ireland and Peel are represented, along with Butterworth. Baritone Graham Trew offers thoughtful and persuasive interpreta-tions throughout, with a characterful vocal line. There are admirably idiomatic accom-paniments from Roger Vignoles, and the Coull String Quartet, and John Shuttleworth contributes an elegantly simple, unobtru-sive, but naturally immediate recording from Eltham College (via Nagra IV-S and an AKG C24). On Hyperion A66037, the TrewNignoles

combination explores Vaughan-Williams' settings of Robert Louis Stevenson's Songs of Travel, five of Butterworth's Shropshire Lad settings, including the poignantly beautiful Bredon Hill and With rue my heart is laden, and rounds off with some of the latter's individual songs: three traditional, and one apiece to words by Shelley, Oscar Wilde (Requiescat) and, again, Stevenson.

First assessment might suggest Ben-jamin's Luxon's voice is too weighty for such delicate miniatures, but in fact his Shrop-shire Lad selection (Nos.1 to 6) coupled with

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0 N THE EVIDENCE OF MY EARS IT strikes me that the sound of massed voices is very difficult to record with

any degree of verity. It seems to be a real problem to convey accurately the size of a choral sound and at the same time the quality of the individual and collected voices; to convey also the sense of the ambience surrounding the chorus while pre-serving individual clarity and imaging. What I'm saying is that I think that record-

ing a chorus is a tricky thing, but I can recommend two recordings for your consid-eration and suggest another two that are worth seeking out. The first of these record-ings is on Radio Canada International 339 and contains, on side one, a performance of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir singing music by Vaughan Williams, Charles Ives and a French Canadian folksong; and on side two the Festival Singers of Canada singing the magnificent Five Songs of the New-foundland Outports by Harry Somers. Both sides are conducted by that supreme

Canadian chorus master, Elmer Iseler. I have heard Iseler in concert conduct his singers in the Somers work and have no hesitation whatsoever in saying that his singers are the best trained that I have ever heard. If you doubt me, give a listen to the Five Songs. This marvellous work and recording

deserves to be heard not only for that vivid singing but also for the equally vivid sound. The soundstage is wide and spacious; tran-sients are notably clean-edged and fast. The sonic cohesion is excellent and the ambience with its spatial resonance is beautifully cap-tured. The imaging, both of the voices and the accompanying piano on the left, but clearly in front of the singers, is pinpoint sharp. The combination of clarity of the voices

and recreation of the massed choir is excel-lent and the accuracy of the singing is uncanny. It must be pointed out, of course, that lacking an orchestra to contend with in addition to the singers must have made matters a little easier where recording was concerned. Even so, this is an exceptional disc. The fine Proprius label has issued two or

three highly regarded choral discs and of them my favourite (PROP 7840) contains Carrisimi's Jephtha on one side and four psalm settings on side two. What particularly attracts me, however, in addition to the superb sound quality on this disc, is the performance of Mendelssohn's Hear My Prayer. Whereas that other excellent Swedish

label, BIS, is the child of one man, Robert von Bahr (a one-man audio industry unto

0 himself), Proprius is the creation of two: ac engineer Bertil Alving and producer Jacob ? Boethius. Between them they consistently

Ran Pa ne* tackles the thorn roblem of

recommendin • a • ood choral recordin

create a sound that is smooth and clean with an unforced naturalness that is most attrac-tive. There is total sonic cohesion with a lovely ambient resonance and the voices, both collectively and individually, are dimen-sional within a spacious soundstage. The soprano soloist in the Mendelssohn is

an unnamed member of the chorus ( prob-ably either Pia Carlson or Pia Lundstrom) and her voice is pearl-like and clearly ( but not overly closely) microphoned. She sings

selection of Gershwin songs and odds 'n' ends on a direct-to-disc issue. The Previn-led Belshazzar's Feast on EMI

SAN 324, is quite a stunner and has indeed been included in The Absolute Sounds 'HP's Golden Baker's Dozen' list. The sound on this record is indeed spa-

cious and atmospheric, with the relationship between the orchestra and chorus behind it particularly well represented. The dimen-sionality of the sound is good and the dynamic range seems boundless. (All right, I know, it's probably little more than the 50dB that is actually put onto CDs, but on this black disc LP it seems more.) Perhaps it is a characteristic of the genera-

tion of pressings that I own but I do find the imaging to be blurry edged at times and the sound tends to become homogenised when all forces are at full cry. More annoyingly, there is a slight veil to the sound, so that it lacks crispness and the sort of crystalline clarity that makes the choral and brass opening of Vaughan Williams' Sea Sym-phony on another EMI disc, ESD 7104, so stunning and which, combined with an extraordinary soundstage makes the work of producer John Fraser and engineer Stuart Eltham so outstanding on another EMI disc: SLS 5177 (Shostakovich Symphonies 6 & 11). Nonetheless, the recording of Belshaz-zar's Feast definitely has impact, and captur-ing such large forces so realistically is quite an achievement.

Finally, it is worth noting a recording that has remained a reference for many since its issue in 1978: Encore with the Roger Wagner Chorale IM & K Real Time RT110). Engineers Ken Kreisel and Steve McCormack played an active role in the mid 1970s direct-to-disc boom. M & K (Jonas Miller, owner of the well known Los Angeles audio shop, links his initial to that of Kreisel to form the name) produced a string of highly regarded direct-to-disc issues, of which Encore is one. The recording displays the clarity, crisp

transients, superb imaging and impact that is a characteristic of the M & K series. It also has a dryness of acoustic that is (despite varied recording venues) a less favourable characteristic. However, the Dry Bones track, with its infectious combination of singing and percussion, has long been used as a reference for accuracy of imaging and tim-bral reproduction. A correctly set-up system, especially with regard to cartridge geometry, will reproduce each instrument separated from each other (and from the piano) and ranged across the soundstage as they are tapped, rattled and banged by the singers.

But for a recording of a magnificently trained chorus in truly exceptional sound, it's the Iseler singers every time. I'm sure that Harold Moores, 2 Great Marlborough Street, London W1 can get you a copy.+

Payne's parade at audio hits Choral Toronto & Festival Singers, conducted by Elmer Iseler. Radio Canada International 339

Opera Wagner: Siegfried. Soloists, Vienna Philhar-monic Orchestra conducted by Georg Solti.

Decca 414 110

Williams: Missouri Breaks. United Artists LA

623-G Piano Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.6. James Boyk (piano). PR-3. (Distributed in the USA by Harmonia Mundi, PO Box 64603, Los Angeles, CA 90064. Outside the USA, write to Performance Recordings, 2135 Holmby Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Basic price per disc is $22.80 in US funds inc p&p.) Percussion Airto, Flora Purim et al: (Was. Reference Recordings RR-12 Electronic Vangelis: Invisible Connections. DG 415196-

Tb. Clessic Early Hi-Fi, Vols I & 2, Philadelphia Orches-tra conducted by Stokowsky. (Available from Infant Hearing Assessment Foundation, 2625 Park Avenue, Concord, CA 94520, USA.)

with a captivating and moving simplicity and the Angby Kammerkor sing with discipline, flexibility, clarity and in perfect English (well, almost ... I forgive them the 'far away'. I doubt if many an English chorus could sing Swedish half as well) in which every word is clear.

Lovely engineering and a lovely, lovely performance. The two other discs that do not deserve to

be neglected are of Belshazzar's Feast and a

BUTTER WORTH a fine Gerald Finzi recital Earth and Air and Rain, on Argo ZRG 838, is most successful. It's a dramatic presentation, powerfully but sensitively voiced, and the songs prove to have the range of emotion and depth of feeling to justify the approach.

It's easy now to perceive the fateful omens both in Housman's poetry and the music it inspired, especially in the tragic example of George Butterworth. Perhaps in the painful

melancholy of A Shropshire Lad he was subconsciously composing an elegy for him-self, his friends, and a generation of young men lost in so many corners of so many foreign fields. Yet he was a gruff, blunt character with a disarmingly direct manner, of whom it was said: 'Few men can have been worse at making an acquaintance or better at keeping a friend'. He admired the work of Vaughan-Williams (he encouraged him to compose the London Symphony and it was later dedicated to Butterworth) but

was not afraid to comment that V-W suffered from: 'Not infrequent failure to express his beautiful and original ideas because of an inherent incapacity for perfecting a tech-nique'. We will never know whether George But-

terworth would have gone on to outshine even his great friend as a composer. We know the promise was there and must be grateful that fate allowed him to express a little of his gifts in music that still sounds so vital, fresh — and timeless — 70 years on.4,-

IITTI NEWS.: RECoRD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1985 81

Reviewed in this issue of HFN&RR are the Apogee Scintilla loudspeakers. We have not yet had time to photograph the Scin-tilla, so this months picture shows "only" the Magneplanar MG3.

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111-1-INMSK: RE( ORD RI- VILW SI 1'1 ltRER 1985

CD MONITOR INDEX

CLASSICAL ASK,.

BEETHOVEN

93 1 93 e ., etc W ho,sos

BERG 93 Oohs Comenu ett• OceromOw.s: MUM

93 almost, Somme", : BeceMemm BRUCKNER

93 547'pI'OV.REI 91Wanne CHASMS

94 L :Garen,' DEBUSSY

94 E Manc et no., etc 'Meets Termet DEIJUS

94 Nurnemos works 113exhanne: DUPARC

94 Songs Wanam/Potchenn DYSON

W Mom tem. moan Wennen1 FRANCK

94 P am: 03 nret VI rMU.' OLCooard, GERSHWIN

95 'Nog, & Bess h ghconts:1DeMa:h: GLASS

% E ,te:h Beach : Glees: GUNK'S

93 T o Pethet•we It o OW, HALFTTER

97 Yoh , Concerto Siervng HANDEL

99 Woe Moan S C,,,'

HONEGGER % symghLhes 35 5 Don,

LISZT 95 a ems Sohate etc • 03sset

MESSIAEN 95 9773oes

MOZART 95 Symohumes10H4 7 : Boehhom , 97 Seceeme K185 ere diughrood , 97 Sn'ng (Traders A387 51$ Fletg Ot: 9/ Sonatas Ice Eoneo8no 113aMea $144371 1 R 97 8 tom Sonatas K310,457 Sceoneg

91 ,E4 sssss K7511,767 :Keg0, PONCE

97 V mo Comer. ,SenengreeTer POULENC

97 Veber Mate etc Kunio,

PURCELL 97 I heel, Move Vol 1Hogwoonl

RAVEL KI seer aaaaaa TarravreePorcharrn 97 La Valse HIC Eden & Tar,.

96 GaSparn de le RR., etc IFIer67 RISISKY.KORSMOV

98 S role, hy 3. et Won: ROSSINI

98 Maorneno Sect,. : Sc 'none' 98 ra Donna 0H L ago . Po n

SCHUTZ 9. Norms .{ ' eel.

SHOSTAKOVICH 98 Symphony 10 Owe: Et 98 C. n Conceno• r SC SnoSlarrOvchr

SIBELIUS 913 Symphoh es lit 6 Ashatmazy

STRAUSS Newt. II It Josell • Wettes Ea, • BossursEy

STRAUSS IRKM141 W Rosehieca het Sale etc : Owe

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS • Syrephomes 5 et • Bo,• R • Strrnonorr es 4 8 6 Fleot o

OVALO

WAGNER • 8,,L,A, • OAF

WEBER

ZAMA Nrencescol 101 Veto, wont, m: E J.or•a

CLASSICAL COLLECTIONS

• ALL FORST ALBAN sr 5 • • L BAROQUE GUITAR MUSIC •• •

tut DECCA GRANDI yod SERIES e • • 33•• h 101 DECCA LONDON ENTERPRISE SERIES S • s

102 EDUARDO FERNANDEZ Tt• • 102 FRENCH MUSIC FOR VIOLINCELL 0 L ,

103 JANET BAKER RECITAL . 103 LIWIT• BRIDSH MUSK 1 h 102 PHILIPS REISSUES tr '1 • • • •

TOI ZOKERIRAN S BAROQUE c

BACH

BARTOK 86 Ne•ec 3: o3s Nannette etc 11).44.4 87 M••arr. on, Mande U mc FM

BEETHOVEN 90 Eur,a Var avons et< rP5.1.p,

86 Str ng Orramet Op r 30 ' Derr a 87 Svenpnony 5 EMI,

BERLIOZ 89 Ea messc SvP10110RI V

BERNSTEIN 90 Comthele 0170 5001 4140

DE BERTRAND Arnores de RoRia4d • Worm,. Mon.'

BOITO 89 Sense@ ',near von'

(MUCH 91 vr o n Concerto ' RCA'

CHOPIN 87 ', codes . 516,

87 5Yrdres ' DIO , COPLAND

90 Appa4.044IR rPro DEBUSSY

89 Ire ages err IMPIG,

DELIUS 86 Orchestra Av. 'Chancres,

DVORAK 91 New Worn, Symphony'RCM 91 Knell. Num.... GUNMAN

Tf 'MOW at Bess Whop. GRIEG

B6 Kano Concerto : Omar GALBA

90 V./ hwoes lot Pao' err. rErn'''ps'

HANDEL SI Messtah : RCA , B6 Ow Ice ST Ce ''' a ! ASV• 89 Parer Morro p14 ' RCA.

IVES Ser^p^oRy . 114, 44 AC,

MAHLER 87 Se,01,41, 50G

MENDELSSOHN 91 Jo c Cohte, IOU

MOZART 91 Mag.c F :31e . 9C41 , 89 0 aso Comecon 0149 5 456 ' Mend err

89 Sernphon.e• 1016 41 rEM , 87 Vo'rn Co, Huts 15,Devonr

RAMEAU 89 AR•Creon 1110090n. Mundt,

RAVEL 91 Bolero ercIRCAI

REICH 137 Noes Ito 18 Mumtans IDG!

ROSSINI • Mlaomeno Semen° t Ph: hen

AMMON Em Symphony 10 etc 4Chandes,

SCHUSERT 91 F nre ear ahem erc ' RCA' 86 St , ng Ovrnler (ASV' 87 5ronpnonv 8 ' EPA,'

SMOSTAKOVICH 87 Sernphon es 66 11 10.“1,

SIBELIUS 87 Sernpnonres 3 er Dec.'

SCHUMANN 86 ,41M0 Concerto Deno./

SPORE 91 Strrnerron, A C ern 5c herann

STRAUSS 91 Elplara 11410001gele , 89 L Wec floater, 87 Der RoseVavarrer ' Denorrr

STRAVINSKY ES Le Be, se/ ele le Fee ' Chancres, 87 Symphon'es n 3&CIDGr

TCHAIKOVSILY 86 Stoehr. Pas de den'. rChandose 86 Sympnony 4 4C1,11100,1

TELEMANN 1,18 Gore anIasras ' Accent,

WAGNER YO S'egrned ' Ph I,' P2 0/nun 00nk 1...1 'Ph 4 g;4,4

WEBER 87 Der Frerscnote De , n

COLLECIIONS

HE 1,

B7 Kenn

BEST OF THE MONTH Rodin Pop:: lame dim

Ronald Smith's miniature Alkan 93 Kremer & Davis in some starry Berg 93 Dyson's choral music in outstanding sound 94 Philip Glass and his minimalist Einstein 95 Mozart 40/41 on reissue from Barenboim 95 Mozart on fortepiano from Badura-Skoda 97 Brendel's double-starred Mozart sonatas 97 Ponce & Halffter violin concertos from Szeryng _ 97 Rossini's 'Maometto Secondo' — a rarity to pick 98 Shostakovich's cello concertos together at last 98 Frank Zappa's arrangements of Francesco Zappa 101 Brilliant Varese on Decca ' London Enterprise' _ 101 Eduardo Fernandez, guitarist supreme 102 French violin/cello pieces from Turovskys 102 Starred items in Lyrita's British Music package 103 Shostakovich & Ives on Philips reissues 102 Bix Beiderbecke, jewels from 1927 105 Miles Davis breaks the rules 105 Dexter Gordon, our man in Paris 105 Stanley Jordan — only one guitar( 107 Demons from Edsel 107 Max Roach's M'Boom — starred percussion 109 Cliffs & the Shads — an 8 album blockbuster 109 The Righteous Brothers on CD 111 Andreas Vollenweider, a melange of sound 112

NON-CLASSICAL (Rock,' Pop, jazz:: AO

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY 105 Someth'ng se

RAND Of TIE IRISH GUARDS 105 Marches from rhe C ' ass s

THE BEAU BRUMMELS 107 Bride,' y Barn

BIDBEIDERSECKE 105 Tne 51, o Gronos ' 927

ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS 105 Tr-ea o Beat

BRITISH SUMMERTIME ENDS

LORD BUCKLEY

EDDIE BURNS 112 Or R`e VIII

CIRCA COREA I. STEVE AUJALA 105 Voyage

COL COXHILL 105 CORSC044%

MILES DAVIS 105 You re 4444440

NICK DRAKE 112 Heaven rn a Veda e orwer

GRACIE FIELDS 106 the GoOen Age°, Good. F wtils

FOUR BIG GUITARS FROM TEXAS 112 Trash. Twang and Thonder BMW GOODMAN

105 Bev, Goodman rnm, 1,

DEXTER GORDON 105 Our man rn Pare

NORMAN GRANTZ 107 Jam at 10p Ph ' harrnonre 11,044.41 / MI

AL GREEN

107 Co" rnre 107 P.,4044,4.0.41

DAN HICKS AND HIS HOT LICKS

ANDRE MUSE QUARTET ETC 109 ncont,..

STANLEY JORDAN '07 Mag c Tn. • CO

KATRINA AND THE WAVES

KURSAAL FLYERS 107 ^ 1.04a 544 •

LER01 BROTHERS 102 rorget our, rne Deng,

JOE LOSS 109 Tne Goven Age or

LONNIE MACK I(17 Tne Irene, or mar Men on • Ve

MAD RIVER 10/ Man R yec

MARELION toe ArepAtent, onoort

WIMPS 109 Co.,

HAM MOSLEY III far Away lands

LEE MORGAN III The Rerah

ELAINE PAGE 109 Srtnng

SAKIS PAPADIMITRIOU 109 P:eho T'a,'

PENTANGLE 112 Open me Door

GENE PITNEY 117 Tne re, Bev of

POISON GIRLS 109 Soh gs of Pc a, se

CUM RICHARD It THE SHADOWS

THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS r•CD

DUNE ROBILLARD11 THE PLEASURE KINGS 112 Too not h, nano rr

MEE RODGERS Ill 8 Vot e Val tree

DOUG SAHM AND BAND 107 Dung Sann e'

SHADOWS OF FRIGHT 101 Gee E O 1,444 A.

HORACE SILVER OUINTET

SISTER SLEDGE III When tne Bov• Men, r• •

GUNTER SOMMER BY SAONE VIEUX AMIS Ill Ascensev, Po, e 28

AL STEWART Ill Year of Pre Cat CO

TALKING HEADS III 1,11e C11,11440,

RICHARD I LYNDA THOMPSON

TINA TURNER Ill Poyete Dam et Mew

IKE AND TINA TURNER SHOW Ill Loe

VARIOUS Ill The Best ot Soe 1 11 Theft, aaaaa C .1, 112 The Countdown" I. ,

SUZANNE VEGA Ill Somhna Vega

ONOREAS VOLLENVIENFR Beh ,se tne Gene-, CD

112 ern re ery na• CO ALEX VON SCHLIPPENBACH & MARTIN THEURER

WOMACK II WOMACK

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RECORD RATINGS Record ratings are designed to summarise our critics' findings, but should be noted in conjunction with the full reports—and taken es a guide only.

Recording Performance A Very Good 1

B Good 2 C Moderate 3 D Poor 4 H Historical H ( or 1, 2,3, 4

(pre-LP) as appropriatel

Occasionally a record may be worthy of

special mention, taking it beyond the 'very good' bracket. In such superlative cases a star is added to the letter or figure as appropriate:

eg, BA*, A *:2 or ( exceptionally) Asr:1*. Hi-Fi News & Record Review.

Any record reviewed in this magazine may be assumed to be stereophonic unless its 'number is accompanied by e)Imonophonic) orCilstereo transcriptionlaagainst an item in the index above indicates a UK reissue. dmm = direct metal mastering.

RECORD FAULTS 'Recording' ratings should be taken to refer to recorded quality, but do not take account of

individual pressing faults encountered with our test samples. Readers may assume that a certain proportion of such variable faults will occur among commercial pressings.

CASSETTE NUMBERS For cassette users, we incorporate equiva-lent cassette numbers, where we can locate them, in the heading blurbs of our LP reviews. These numbers are shown in brac-kets In ordinary Inon bold* type otter the LP number. (NC) indicates that no cassette is

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111-1-1 NLA'S.5: RECORD REVILW R I u›.5 85

ACCENT

Telemann: 12 Fantasias for Transverse Flute, BarthoId Kuijken (ACC 57803D) (48m 15s) Telemann's 12 Fantasias are rare trea-sures amongst the relatively small amount of 18th century unaccompanied music for the transverse flute. This CD is a reissue of tapes made in 1978, and they have transfer-red very well. Barthold Kuijken is a really fine interpreter of these by no means easy to unravel pieces, revelling in a quite superb technique on his tonally apt Baroque flute; for my money these are by far the most musically appropriate performances on record. Indeed, the only lapse I detected is a slight miscalculation at the end of the second largo of the compound first movement of No.3. The church acoustic is so miked as to complement the instrument's tonal qualities without impairing the fast passagework. It is altogether splendid. A[:11

Ivor Humphreys

ASV Handel. Ode for St Cecilia's Day, Gomez/ Tear/King's College Cambridge Choir/ECO/ Ledger (CD DCA 512) (49m 15s) Ever since its appearance on LP early in 1982 this perform-ance of the Ode for St Cecilia's Day has been the obvious recommendation. On CD it is even more desirable, the tendency towards stridency in the closing chorus being totally tamed in what is now an issue of demonstra-tion quality. The famous reverberation-period of King's College Chapel poses no problem here: there is sparkling freshness about the singing and playing, with notable contributions from both soloists, and Ledger securing adequate weight and abundant spirit. A*

Peter Branscombe

Schubert: String Quintet, Lindsay Quartet/ Douglas Cummings (CD DCA 537) (57m 43s) The CD has even greater impact than the LP format which I reviewed in July. Indeed, some listeners may find that they are close enough to smell the resin, as it were. Cer-tainly the dynamic range is unusually wide, yet impressively natural in effect, and the venue ( not identified) has a pleasing reso-nance without being cavernous. The playing is strong, assured, also delicate, and it is a performance on the grandest scale, with the heavenly Adagio taken very slowly (though well sustained). Warmly recommended. A

Peter Branscombe

CHANDOS

Delius: On hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Summer night on the River etc, Bournemouth Sinfonietta/Del Mar (CHAN 8372) (57m 53s) The timing of one track, the Beecham arrangement of the Intermezzo from Fennimore and Gerda, is omitted from the inlay card, but there is very little else to complain about with this digitally remas-tered analogue original from 1977. Norman Del Mar, that most under-estimated of conductors, turns on the musical magic with this collection of Delius favourites, and the sound quality is up to that featured by others in Chandos' English music series. There is a slight murkiness to the imagery, but ulti-mately this doesn't detract from the collec-tion's appeal. A/B

John Atkinson

Duos for violin & cello by Honegger, Mar-tinu, Ravel, Rivier, E&Y Turovsky, (CHAN 8358) (63m 23s) Silver disc reveals a touch of fierceness absent from the LP, which seemed to me worthy of a star for its ideal combination of warmth and vividness. The sound is still, however, startlingly lifelike in so many ways that to withold a star from the CD would be churlish; perhaps I should split the rating thus: A*/A.

Andrew Keener

MONITOR John • tkinson revor • ttewe

Peter Branscombe Christo. her Breuni

on rae te . hen Daw

e ou ! 3 ammon • eter errm

vor um . hre s • rthur Jacobs Andrew Keener David Prâkel

:1=1=:1] . war . eckerson

Rubbra: Symphony 10, Improvisations, A Tribute, BS/Schiinzeler (CHAN 8378) (39m 33s) The black disc version of this record was reissued last year with the original 1976 recordings digitally remastered, and very agreeable it sounded too, with just some edge and clogging of textures at fortissimo reducing the rating. This CD issue has the usual qualities and limitations of the medium, so it also provides a pleasing account of this concert of very accessible works by Rubbra. CD enthusiasts should not hold back. B

Doug Hammond

Scottish Overtures: works by Mendelssohn, Berlioz, Arnold, Verdi, MacCunn, SNO/Gib-son (CHAN 8379) (48m 18s) The LP version of this collection was entitled Land of the Mountain and the Flood after Hamish Mac-Cunn's Overture with which it concludes, and was granted an overall An. As I noted at the time ( 11/81), Glasgow's Henry Wood Hall seems a trifle on the small side as captured here, although the orchestra is presented with a freshly clean and well balanced image. The latter occupies rather less than the full sound-stage width, which tends to emphasize the confining effect of the acous-tic; but this is one of those clear and natural sounding recordings that will take a large dose of Hafler-style quasi-ambience without complaint. Played that way, it might be thought by some to be of star quality, especially during Malcolm Arnold's rumbus-tious and enjoyably played Tam O'Shanter.' A very worthy and unusual grouping of pieces — even if the Verdi hardly qualifies as an 'Overture'. A

John Crabbe

Stravinsky: Le Baiser de la Fée/Tchaikovsky: Bluebird Pas de Deux SNO/Jârvi (CHAN 8360) (50m 51s) Nothing to add to my black disc review (June) save that CD lends its customary ballast to an already amply spa-cious and full-bodied sound. Not my favourite Stravinsky, but Jervi's robustly Russian-cast reading strikes me as just right. A

Edward Seckerson

Tchaikovsky: Symphony 4, Oslo PO/Jan-sons (CHAN 8361) (41m 29s) One of the freshest and most exciting Fourths in recent memory (see LP review p93 August). Jan-sons takes nothing for granted and nor does his orchestra. Well-worn phrases breathe again, the sense of rediscovery, revitalisa-tion, is intoxicating from first to last. Deep, imposing perspectives and vivid tonal pre-sence are, of course, typical of Chandos, but there's definitely greater impact to be

derived from CD where you've got so much more 'power to play with. A

Edward Seckerson

LE CHANT DU MONDE Divine Liturgie Orthodoxe, Choirs of the Monastery Church of the Trinity-St Serge at Zagorsk and the Ecclesiastical Academy of Moscow/Nicholai Vassilievitch Matfei (278 691) (58m 23s) Given the glorious music in this recording it is not surprising that the LP of this release has become a runaway best seller in my local record shop. As the sleevenotes admit, little is known about Russian Church chant; further confusion arises because of the break in tradition caused by the 1917 Revolution. Theoretical and practical studies, we are told, were not taken up again until 1946. The Monastery choir sing without instruments, simple powerful a capella singing. The Easter chant (Paques) includes the resonant sound of bells, large and small. Recorded in 1978 there is a grainy tape hiss overlay and one or two noticeable edits, but the overall impress-ion is one of great power and beauty. The large acoustic space and natural dynamics of a large body of men's voices has been dramatically captured. In the chants for the Pentecost and Assumption the 'celebrant' or 'cantor' comes a little close to the mic-rophone, but generally the sound is well balanced — distant but clear and powerful. Don't let a simple B rating put you off.

David Prekel

DECCA Bartok: The Miraculous Mandarin, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, Detroit SO/ Dorati (411 894-2) (60m 31s) I cannot really go all the way with KD over Dorati's Man-darin. 'Almost a miracle of clarity', yes, the underlying melancholy of the score poig-nantly conveyed. But restraint a virtue? No, I really don't see that you can play down the violence and lurid sexuality of this music without seriously throwing the balance of the piece as a whole. For me Dorati's reading (and much the same might be said of his 'safe', tentatively executed, Music for S,P & C) simply betrays advancing years in a lowering of temperature and tensions. Demonstration-type sound, though, if you go for this kind of ultra-immediate image. The eerie wordless chorus is absurdly close, as is the organ (though its entry in the introduction admittedly sets the hair on end!), but my goodness the brass carry some ballast and the sound of rosin-on-string in the fugal 'chase' all but tears through the speaker cabinets. Hear this, then, for sonic thrills. Me, I'll stick with Abbado. A/A*

Edward Seckerson

Beethoven: String Quartet Op.130, Fitzwil-liam (411 943-2) (63m 47s) Performance starred in July. CD (allowing pre-selection of Grosse fuge or shorter finale) is transferred at high level; set the volume, perhaps, by the hall sound just preceding the Cavatina. Absorption — is the playing almost too cultivated in tone? — is, of course, undis-turbed by vinyl imperfections. Strongly recommended. A

Christopher Breunig

Schumann: Piano Concerto/Grieg: Piano Concerto, Lupu/LSO/Previn (414 432-2) (61m 19s) Two excellent, solid performances from Lupu demand no-nonsense recording: the piano gets that but the LSO, admittedly not at its peak, encounters harshness and edge on the upper strings and brass. Perfect background stillness during those sections for piano alone is very effective, but rumbles offstage in the slow movement of the Schu-mann are annoying in this Kingsway Hall recording. There is not a comparable cou-pling in the CD catalogue to surpass this issue yet, though the Zimerman/Karajan is

Xfi NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1955

its equal in many ways. On either disc, the performances should not disappoint. A/B

Doug Hammond

Shostakovich: Symphonies 6 & 11, Overture on Russian & Kirghiz Folk Themes, Concert-gebouw/Haitink (411 939-2) (2 CDs) ( 102m 42s) I said in June (p97) that I could hardly wait to hear the CD version. This music, with its horizon-less icy wastes, its sustained pianissimi, its murderous percussive cli-maxes, is virtually transformed by the medium. Add to this superb Haitink perform-ances and the perfect Concertgebouw environment, beautifully, atmospherically, harnessed, and you've something as near as dammit to the ideal. Symphony 11, at 61m 27s, is of course accommodated complete on one CD, so for good measure Decca have prefaced No.6 with the above overture. On black disc it's a fill-up to the 12th Symphony. At

Edward Seckerson

Sibelius: Symphonies 3 & 6, Philharmonia/ Ashkenazy (414 267-2) (58m 05s) An ideal 3rd and an interesting 6th ( see review p99), the former blessed with one of those open, beautifully-proportioned Decca/Kingsway Hall sounds that at one time were the talk of the industry. Silver disc once again adds ballast to the image at all points of the tonal spectrum, and again there's a comforting sensation of energy effortlessly contained, of rarified open spaces and miraculous stillness in the spare, hypnotic centre of Symphony 3(i). A

Edward Seckerson

Weber: Invitation to the Dance/Berlioz: Tro-jans ballet music/Lecocq: Mam'zelle Angot (cpte), Nat PO/Bonynge (411 898-2) (60m 23s) The tuneful and vivacious ballet arranged by Gordon Jacob from Charles Lecocq's Mam'zelle Angot occupies nearly two-thirds of this CD, and receives just the sort of jaunty and enjoyable performance one might expect from Richard Bonynge. Recorded in the spacious, clean, but slightly over-brilliant manner established as Decca's house-style for such music, this should pro-vide good listening for those who like clear tunes, perky rhythms and lively instrumenta-tion - with an occasional diversion into more sedate and beautiful waters, as in the Valse and Adagio. The Weber ( Berlioz orchestra-tion) is perhaps a little too metronomic in its waltz rhythm, but effective nevertheless, while Berlioz' own ballet music from Act 4 of The Trojans seems to catch Bonynge a little off-guard, since he is inclined to dash it off rather too briskly for its own good. Regarding timings, the printed figures

total over 80 minutes for this 60-minute CD, due to a confusion whereby the times given against the first items in each of Tracks 5 to 9 are actually the totals for two or more items. Also, Track 4's three minutes are offered as '2.60'! A( .1*/2)

John Crabbe

DENON Mozart: Violin Concertos 3 & 5, Jean-Jac-ques Kantorow/Netherlands CO/Hager (33C37-7504) (49m 47s) This is Volume One of the complete Mozart works for violin and orchestra. I think Denon's forte is in record-ing music of chamber scale, from solo piano up to the kind of forces needed here; their essentially simple miking approach works extremely well when they can find the right 'sweet spots'. This is a very good, evenly balanced sound with first-rate perspectives on the orchestral canvas and a nice warm bloom to the surrounding acoustic. Kan-torow gives very well integrated perform-ances, sensitive, tonally grateful and impecc-ably in tune, with the NCO and Hager providing clean, unfussy support. I look forward to the rest of the series. A`/A[1]

Ivor Humphreys

Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier, Pusar-Joric/ Adam/Walther/Haunstein/Stejskal etc/ Dresden Staatsoper/Vonk (100C37-7482-84) (3 CDs) ( 182m 53s) Recorded live at the Semper Opera House in Dresden, this pro-duction is full of atmosphere without having the nth degree of presence that one could expect from such a set-up. The slight veil over the sound encompasses the orchestra as well as the stage performers, although the general sound from both is good. The miking to the right of the stage does not seem quite matched to the rest, as there is extra emph-asis of sibilants in that area and a more discrete ambience. Driving the set a notch or two above the norm helps to focus the sound well, but the veiled effect persists. A lively performance makes this set well worthwhile, though. A/B

Doug Hammond

Weber: Der Freischütz, Ketelsen/Emmer-lich/Smitkova/lhle/Wlaschiha/Goldberg/ Adam/Kemter/Bir/Dresden Staatskapelle/ Hauschild (90C37-7433-35) ( 137m 44s) Here's another Denon set that needs the gain tweeking a little to get the best out of it. Freischütz, replete with dialogue, can be a drag for non-German speakers, so if you fall into that catagory a player with remote control would be a help for this issue (or an instruction course in German), even though the set is supplied with a translation. The recording of this live performance bears many of the features noted in the review of Rosenkavalier above, but the atmosphere is a little more enclosed, brought about, I presume, by different staging requirements. The more important use of the chorus in this work emphasises its overfilled sound and the edge that the recording adds. B/C

Doug Hammond

DG

Chopin: Etudes Opp.10 & 25, Pollini (413 794-2) (55n, 30s) Little over three years separate these sessions from the Decca Brahms/Franck coupling reviewed last month (p79), yet the ringing sound of this 1971 DG production is considerably more 'modern'. Indeed, the upper-register 'clatter' may fatigue some listeners who play all 24 studies at a sitting. The chromatic A-minor from Op.10 sounds especially relentless to my ears, though I suspect that this is as much Pollini's doing as DG's: I still find these fabulously equipped accounts of the music depressingly hard-driven and lacking in tenderness. The faint tape hiss is a bother only when it abruptly disappears between studies. Better, though, to have Ashkenazy's silver disc ( Decca). 13

Andrew Keener

Chopin: Preludes 1-24, Pollini (413 796-2) (34m 05s) These sound marginally warmer and richer in the bass than Pollini's CD account of the studies (see above; this recording is four years newer). It is, in fact, very good quality, clean and forward with minimal tape hiss. A/B

Andrew Keener

Mahler: Symphony 5/Kindertotenlieder, Ludwig/BPO/Karajan (415 096-2) (2 CDs) (99m 51s) In living so indulgently for the moment, Karajan loses all sense of direction here, but I had quite forgotten to what extent. Absurdly protracted tempi make for a loss of impetus, vague rhythmic definition, overblown gesture. Lush and horribly self-conscious, that ubiquitous adagietto can rarely have sounded so falsely Viscontian - almost a parody of itself. Of course, there are moments of luminous beauty. Karajan's repose, his almost narcissistic care for the atmosphere and nostalgia of (iii) pays its dividends; the BP0 are glorious here. But in the end it's all such a distortion of the truth and DG's digitally remastered production, with its huge depth of field, ungainly tuttis, its inclination to swim, its fiercely strident upper strings and wind, present something

of an ordeal for this listener. Christa Lud-wig's Kindertotenlieder is the work of a great artist in the autumn of her career and I love it dearly, but go for that separately on LP. C

Edward Seckerson

Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Move-ments/Symphony in C, IPO/Bernstein (415 128-2) (51m 19s) Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements is, according to Bernstein, the century's greatest symphony. A mite sweeping, perhaps, but a statement of some truth all the same. Certainly he plays the piece as though he believes it to be true. Rarely have I heard the physical drama of this music so zealously projected, the jagged cross-currents so trenchantly struck home. This is brave, determined stuff, disting-uished as ever by Bernstein's instinctive rhythmic energy and flair. The more genial Symphony in C benefits, too, from his natu-ral ebullience, presenting a very open face indeed, playing down the neo-classicism and ripening up the characterisation (witness the bassoons at the opening of the finale). I like the earthy, direct cast of the orchestral sound as captured in DG's characteristically immediate recording. Given the clean-limbed angularity of this music, I'll willingly put up with a little dryness, a little edge on top, for the sake of the blade-like incisive-ness. Definitely not as slick or stylish for as in tune, Dep Ed) as Dutoit's splendid perform-ances on Decca, but flesh and blood music-making such as I find irresistible. B/A

Edward Seckerson

ECM Reich: Music for 18 Musicians, Steve Reich (1129-2) (56m 31s) Closely miked, but no matter, for this 1978 recording is one of the finest recorded examples of 'minimalist' music. The fact that there is no development, in the classical sense, does not prevent the work from being deeply involving, the shift-ing patterns of sound resulting from the coincidental and perhaps not so coincidental juxtapositions of melodic fragments sus-pending the sense of time flow. Scoring is for pianos and marimbas, percussion, violin, cello, clarinet and bass clarinet, and word-less voices, with a metallophone used to cue the musicians for major changes of texture. A late 20th century classic, with CD allowing the work to develop free of side change breaks. B[:1*)

John Atkinson

EMI Bartok: The Miraculous Mandarin, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, Phi-ladelphia/Ormandy (CDC7 47117 2) ( 50m 09s) The 'new Philadelphia sound' was, on this occasion, a little too enclosed for my liking. Both these performances would have gained immeasurably in atmosphere from a more distanced concert hall image. How do you reconcile mystery with such immediacy at the opening of Music for S, P & C? And would not the sinister lure of the clarinet in Mandarin more effectively weave its spell coming at us from the middle-distance? No complaints, though, about the recording's tonal properties: a deep and luxuriant foun-dation of string tone and ripest Philadelphia brass. Marvellous playing, here, passage after passage of both scores fair scorching off the page. Only the finale of Music for S, P & C disappoints. Curiously staid, I thought, the authentic Bartokian fire suddenly desert-ing Ormandy. A/B

Edward Seckerson

Beethoven: Symphony 5/Schubert: 'Unfinished' Symphony, VPO/Furtwiinglerr (CDC7 47120 2) (4 ( 58m 40s). If Beecham was Pagliaccio - Toscanini's word - certainly Furtwängler was a tragedian. As many recordings of these works exist as of his Brahms-Haydn Variations, and I find this 1954 Musikvereinssaal Fifth less good than the 1937 or 1945 (concert) BP0 versions.

511

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lllH NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEMMBER 1985

Always ( iii) was a slow movement, but here (i) is ponderously heavy, relative to the quicksilver '37, and the start of the finale regrettably pompous. As ever, the transition was unforgettable. The 1950 Legge-pro-duced Schubert inevitably sounds dim and historic, but at least these CD transfers eclipse, sonically, the 'stereo rechannelled' Electrolas. HE:?]

Christopher Breunig

Berlioz: Fantastic Symphony, Philadelphia/ Muti (CDC7 47278 2) (54m 13s) There's not much to add here to my August comments on the LP [A:1], where Muti's Fantastic (the ninth to appear on CD) was set against Dutoit's more impressive Montreal sonics and Abbado's more fastidious Chicago inter-pretation. But in falling between two such very good stools this Nimbus-pressed CD should not be dismissed, since in my view it offers a more lively performance than does Dutoit on Decca, and slightly better sound than Abbado receives on DG. Although not quite matching the combination of HF bril-liance and full-bodied reverberance of Decca's Montreal recording, John Willan and Michael Sheady have done a splendid job in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park Memorial Hall. The bass-drum's underpinning role does a lot to make up for any LF shortcom-ings, the ambient framework is convincing, and the dynamic range (which demands a volume setting that brings up intolerable surface noise during pianissimos on the LP) tempts me towards adding a star to the CD's sonic rating. At the very least, this is a recording in the best EMI orchestral tradi-tion A

John Crabbe

Handel: Water Music, BPO/Riccardo Muti (CDC7 47145 2) (59m 04s) This big-orchestral arrangement is probably the best of its kind on record, and it is also a strong recom-mendation in the silver disc market, where performances of the Water Music are already plentiful. The Berlin Phil plays extremely well, and has been caught to near-perfection, presumably in its own hall; the results are delightful sonically, with CD and LP both of a truly excellent standard. A very good buy for the general collector. A

Stephen Daw

Mozart Symphonies 40 & 41, English Cham-ber Orchestra/Tate (CDC7 47147 2) (63m 45s) Tate's refreshing Mozart cycle continues apace on LP, and the CD counterparts are starting to follow through. Listening first to the slow movement of K550 I was struck from the outset by the sense of space, the airiness of the sound; quite a large, well controlled acoustic, with the orchestral image nicely proportioned and with good depth, all of which nicely complements the scale and character of the music. I was less happy in the louder passages, though; for whatever aspect of miking (or digital level?) the string edge becomes less open and more strident; CD exposes such effects where in many instances the LP has moderating prop-erties. That caveat accepted, this is a very good sound ... and with such marvellous music-making, which in the end is what really matters. A/B[1*i

Ivor Humphreys

ETCETERA

Strauss: Lieder, Roberta Alexander/Tan Crone (KTC 1028) (57m 26s) CD only exacer-bates the black disc's shortcomings. I don't much like the plummy piano sound — lifeless, dull, a further blight on perfunctory accom-paniments from Tan Crone — while Miss Alexander's somewhat edgy upper register is here unkindly exposed by the unduly close miking. All of which might be tolerable if the performances were exceptional. They are, Lalas, not. I admire Alexander, but this is a hotly competitive field and perhaps — for the purposes of the gramophone anyway — she

should have set aside later date. C

FORLANE

this repertoire for a

Edward Seckerson

Albinoni: Adagio/Pachelbel: Canon, etc, Ensemble Instrumental de France (UCD 16527) ( 50m 23s) There are already over half a dozen other recordings of the Albinoni/ Giazotto Adagio and Pachelbel Canon in the CD catalogue, but this issue must be rated one of the best of its type. It is one of the few examples of digital sound in which the instruments are not too far for-ward to my ears, and this, combined with a clear but not over-differentiated spread across the sound-stage, a warm reverberant acoustic, and an excellent balance between soloists and orchestra makes for an altogether pleasing sound. Dead ambience between items is the only major demerit. A

Doug Hammond

HARMONIA MUNDI Anthoine de Bertrand: Amours de Ronsard, Ensemble Clement Janequin (HMC 901147) (53m 24s) This disc produces an airy, relaxed sound entirely appropriate to the subject matter of Pierre de Ronsard's Amours. Bertrand's masterful encapsulations of Ron-sard's poems are at a crossroads between the French chanson and the Italian madrigal. The recital is nicely punctuated with Pavanes and Galliards by Morlaye on lute. This Radio France co-production is a little too smooth and rounded and though there is plenty of reverberation there is little real character to the acoustic. Translations are sadly not pro-vided. A/B[: 1]

David Prákel

Carmina Burana ( original version), Clemencic Consort (HMC 90335) (61m 05s) Volume 5 of Rene Clemencic's reconstruc-tion of the Carmina Burana settings has long been a demonstration favourite on LP. Volume 1, now available on CD, having been recorded a couple of years earlier, in 1975, suffers from a slightly coarser sound quality, in comparison, but the set has much to offer, with voices backed with Renaissance instru-ments in a pleasingly resonant acoustic on often more than one interpretation of each song. Usefully, a full English translation of the texts is included in the booklet, but sadly no details of instrumentation are given. A

John Atkinson

La Divine Liturgie de Saint-Jean Chrysos-tome, Chorale Sofia, (HMC 90641) (54m 35s) At first I thought that this 1976 analogue original recording was the one that was an all-time favourite of the late Geoff Jeanes. That, actually, was the 1963 German Harmo-nia Mundi (EMI Electrola 1C065-99 676), with a Cologne choir. This French H-M set of Byzantine Slav liturgical chants, made in Sofia, is tidier than the earlier set, with an all-male choir, and conjures up a richly resonant feeling of presence. The sense of acoustic space is vast, with the die-away at the end of chords taking seconds to circle the upper galleries of the cathedral! If you don't know this music, it has a similar feeling to the choral version of the introduction to the 1812 — but much more so. A/B

John Atkinson

Rameau . Anacreon, Les Arts Florissants/ Christie (HMC 901090) (45m 02s) Yet another in the Harmonia Mundi series of catalogue reissues on to CD format, and beautifully done it is too. Harmonia Mundi's house recordings ( like Hyperion's) are of such intrinsically fine quality that the analytical focus of digital playback in the home reveals no significant anomalies which vinyl might to some extent have masked. Tonally accu-rate and spatially plausible, this is a delight. Rameau's one-act opera-galant is beautifully

realised by LAF and William Christie, with quite impeccable, stylish singing from the five soloists and vocal ensemble, and incred-ibly unified, rhythmically taut playing from the instrumental group; indeed it is the rhythmic element of Rameau's music which is, perhaps, crucially important above all else, and it could find no better exponent than Christie. A*A[:1*1

Ivor Humphreys

HUNGAROTON Boito: Nerone, Nagy/Dene/Miller/Tokody/ Takács/Gregor/Korcsmaros/Hungarian Radio and Television Chorus/Hungarian State Opera Orch/Queler ( HCD 12487-89-2) (3 CDs) ( 146m 22s) A remarkably far-sighted and courageous issue. Boito's second opera was 50 years in the making. Its creation was overshadowed by the composer's work as librettist for Verdi's last two great works. The result is patchy and impressive: strongest in its many crowd scenes; weaker in its solos; imaginative in its scoring, harmony and form and extremely taxing vocally. The latter proves to be a weakness in this recording. Too many of the singers are cruelly stretched to the top of their ranges, leaving a distorting sense of strain. This is vividly exposed by a very good CD recording which also reveals a rather routine orchestral performance and a less than idiomatic sense of Italian style. Thus, although very welcome for its pre-sence, I must, sadly, be reserved about the performance. A[:2]

Benedict Sarnaker

MERIDIAN Mozart: Piano Concertos K449 & 456, Diana Ambache/Ambache Chamber Ensemble (ECD 84086) (52m 42s) Diana Ambache stu-died at the Royal Academy of Music, Shef-field University and subsequently with Jeremy Siepmann (who will be familiar to Radio 3 listeners for his informed broadcasts on and about the music scene). The conduc-tor-less supporting ensemble is an ad hoc group of London-based freelancers whose individual names are, expectedly, familiar from other orchestral contexts. These are generally clean, unfussy, unhurried perform-ances, a few ragged downbeats and momen-tary insecurities of intonation notwithstand-ing. They are nicely scaled (strings 6:6:4:3:1) and structured, with good ensemble. I parti-cularly enjoyed the lesser-heard K449, and of that, especially, the sensitive, unaffected presentation of its slow movement. I'm not over-keen on the slightly wiry Bósendorfer sound in this music, but like other such judgements that is down to taste. John Shuttleworth's recording is good and

true (analogue original, but so what?), with excellent perspectives and a good feel for the acoustic. Some listeners used to more forward-projected winds may find these a little remote, but we get, I'm sure, what there was and no more, which is how it should be. A[:1]

Ivor Humphreys

111111G Debussy: Images (complete), Estampes etc, Ivan Moravec (MCD 10003) (47m 32s) One of only two all-digital CDs that I received for review this month, this recital was recom-mended to me by KEF's David Inman as one of the finest piano recordings he'd heard. I must agree: the piano image has weight in the left hand, and a natural tonal balance, and the image, while not Blumlein sharp, is unexaggerated in size and perspective. Recording engineer was the veteran Max Wilcox, responsible in the past for Rubin-stein's RCA recordings, and a man, accord-ing to the last issue of The Audio Critic I ever saw, devoted to 'super-simple' purist record-ing techniques ie, two-track mastering with no post-production mixing and two mics, probably omnis. To judge by the evidence of this disc, he has really got his act together.

III- 1-1 NI-MS & RH ORD REVILW SiVtFMitIR 1955 89

Czech-born Moravec, 55 year-old, is only familiar to me on record as a soloist on the recent Amadeus soundtrack album, but he should be heard further, to judge from his performance here. A*1:11

John Atkinson

PHILIPS Bach: St Matthew Passion, Popp/Lipovsek/ Schreier/Adam/Büchner/Holl/Leipzig Radio Choir/Dresden Staatskapelle/Schreier (412 527-2) (3 CDs) ( 175m 40s) The four-disc LP set which I reviewed in July makes a wel-come reappearance here on three CDs. The recording in this format almost entirely overcomes any reservations based on one's knowledge of studio (here Lukaskirche, Dres-den) conditions — not only does the ambient silence preclude the distraction of different takes, a proper sense of the unfolding of an actual performance is conveyed. There is a strong directional feel, with a slightly more mellow aura in the big choral and orchestral movements. Balance tends to favour the solo voices, and wind obbligati, rather than the accompanying forces, though here, too, detail is clear. The dynamic range is wide, though not unnaturally so. The reservations I felt about the performance remain: the solo singing is variable in quality, and Schreier does tend to lean rather heavily on the sentiment in the Evangelist's part, and on accents in the choral music. But he secures lively and indeed brilliant drama from the crowd scenes, and is very much the architect of a performance that makes an impact both powerful and precisely detailed. A

Peter Branscombe

Beethoven . Eroica Variations, Bagatelles Op.126 etc, Alfred Brendel (412 227-2) (49m 36s) I must say Brendel's sensibilities in Beethoven raise some antipathies here — better to move on to the technical options: CD vs LP. In neither transfer is there much (any) 'air' around the instrument, and with my system the fortes on silver suggest a kind of 'saturation'. That is, the dynamic range is more capably presented with LP. Of course, synchronised comparisons make one aware of ticks and vinyl rumble. Then there is the question of access: 28 start-points here, but although in theory this allows singling out any one of the variations, on machines like the Marantz 638, Fur Elise, Op.126, and the six Ecossaises all lie outside pre-program range. A

Christopher Breunig

French Orchestral Pieces: works by Berlioz, Ravel, Dukas, Saint-Saens, Debussy, Chab-rier, ASM/Marriner (412 131-2) (42m 00s) A basically excellent sound is occasionally marred here by the familiar 'fizzy top' so annoyingly prevalent in modern recordings. All seems to be well, treble included, until the first violin crescendo, and then (ugh!) there's that mushy overlay again. I don't think it's a digital artefact; mostly it sounds more like an exaggeration of natural string tizz due to unflattering mic placement. On the other hand, something does seem to go haywire on some discs when strings are present, producing the decidedly un-natural modulated fizz noticeable in this case. I assume that poor quality mics are to blame, especially when a low-level hiss is evident in the background as here, but ears are not that analytical without experimental help. Perhaps the cable was sex inverted! A fine sound otherwise, with warm full bass, well shaped stereo and unobtrusive yet spacious ambience. There is no information about the recording venue, which is a shame as I enjoy savouring the characteristics of different halls. Marriner directs some rather sleepy performances, generally bland, especially the dull rendition of The Sorcerer's Appren-tice; but the Debussy is pleasantly dreamy. A/C[:21

Sue Hudson

Gershwin. Porgy & Bess highlights, Estes/ Alexander/Berlin R Orch & Ch/Slatkin (412 720-2) (44m 00s) This is a classic example of an unsuitable recording approach ruining a basically good performance. Slatkin gives us a well paced, lyrically conducted score, and Simon Estes is a robust and characterful Porgy; but the orchestra is set in a vast acoustic with a static, distant choir rather than a theatre chorus, and the opera's human scale is thus lost. The soloists are reasonably close, but whenever that choir appears the impact is defused, as in 'Can't Sit Down' which should be a rollicking, fun number. Similarly, in 'Ain't Necessarily So' Simon Estes' fair stab at the show-stopping cynical anti-gospel song is hampered by a chorus that has all the involvement and excitement of a congregation from Songs of Praise. I wish Roberta Alexander's voice was more appropriately sweet and relaxed as Bess, and I do miss the delicious 'Straw-berrywoman' so enchantingly sung by Martha Flowers on my ancient LP. The CD sound quality is generally good, except for a slightly exaggerated sibilance and a rather tame dynamic. The Freudian accompanying notes irritate. Despite KD's A for the LP, a C rating due to the unsympathetic acoustic setting.

Sue Hudson

Guide: Variations, For Paul, Prelude and Fugue, Sonatina, For Rico/Corea: Children's Songs 19 & 20, Friedrich Guide (412 115-2) (48m 10s) I prefer the CD sound to that of the vinyl disc in these performances. Of all instruments, the piano seems to benefit the most (and most consistently) from CD tech-nology, with steadiness of bass tone and a clarity and dynamic span which the black disc rarely achieves. Reservations remain about the contents of this record (cf. the review of the LP in August), but the power and majesty of the Beisendorfer Imperial grand is superbly captured. A

Benedict Sarnaker

Rossini: Maometto Secondo/Anderson/ Zimmermann/Palacio/Ramey/Dale/Ambro-sian Opera Chorus/Philharmonia/Scimone (412 148-2) (3 CDs) ( 184m 18s) The operatic repertory on CD, still narrowly limited, is enriched by a rarity (see LP review on p98). Excellent performance, excellent recording combine to recommend this issue. A cast not of starry names nevertheless brings vocal thrills to the conventional plot ( love versus duty in an historic war of Venetians against Turks), and the tonal subtleties of voices and orchestral instruments are well caught and well balanced in an ample spacing. With two acts of approximately equal length, the break necessarily comes in the middle of the second CD, but this and other natural divi-sions are conveniently tracked A*

Arthur Jacobs

Wagner: Siegfried, Koth/Soukupova/ Nilsson/Adam/Bohme/Neidlinger/Wind-gassen/Wohlfahrt/Bayreuth Fest Orch/ Bohm (412 483-2) (4 CDs) (223m 29s) This release completes the Bohm Ring on CD. When reviewing Walkure back in March I was surprised at Philips issuing this cycle, but now that all four productions have been released its great strengths shine out: tidy conducting that never lingers; a strong cast especially in the low male voice supporting roles; a great sense of theatricality and a recording from Wagner's own theatre acous-tic. A rediscovery in this opera is Wohlfahrt's splendidly acted, breathless dwarf, more than a match for a rather tired-sounding Siegfried (Windgassen) in Act 1, Scene 1. Voices are sometimes too close; Mime even seems at times to overload 'his' mic. But the forging scene is most effective, with the 1967 tapes capturing the tremendously energetic smashes of the stage hammers and anvil. The principals are not always in finest voice but the drama unfolds magically and com-pellingly under Bohm's baton and before a fairly quiet audience. I still object to the end

of Act 'punch-in' reverb to hide applause, though a sensible break ( if in digital silence) is made between Acts on the same disc. A[1/11

David Prakel

Wagner: Wesendonk Lieder, Tristan und lsolde Prelude and Liebestod, Jessye Nor-man/LSO/Davis (412 655-2) (41m 28s) This is a successful digital remastering of a 1975 analogue recording. The orchestral sound is opulent, though the voice is both too closely balanced and somewhat diffuse. The per-formances are of intense tonal beauty and technical perfection, but one is left wanting more than such excellence. Though slower on stopwatch timings than other conductors, Davis' opening tempi in Stehe still sounds more hurried than 'rushing' as the sung text has it. AL1/21

David Priikel

PRO ARTE Bernstein: Complete works for solo piano/ Copland: El Salon Mexico (trans Bernstein), Tocco (CDD 109) ( 51m 06s) This is the first recording of most of these works. James Tocco (a personal friend of Bernstein) insti-gated the project, one which offers an interesting sidelight on the composer of West Side Story. Most of the record consists of four groups of works entitled Anniversar-ies— short, delicate pieces each dedicated to individual friends, colleagues and family. Not very demanding technically, yet they convey maximum character in minimum space. By contrast Touches is a test piece for a piano competition, with all its attendant demands on stamina, dynamics and finger-work. Bernstein's arrangement of Copland's El Salon Mexico brings the record to a jaunty end. The recording is excellent and the playing is done with skill and great affection: a worthy tribute and a revealing addition to the repertory. Highly commendable. A

Benedict Sarnaker

Copland: Appalachian Spring, Short Sym-phony/Ives: Symphony 3, St Paul CO/Russel Davies (CDD 140) (62m 37s) A 1981 Grammy Award winning recording — 'Best engineered classical recording, — this chamber version of Appalachian Spring was recorded on a 3M multitrack digital recorder and was originally released on the Minneapolis Sound 80 label in 1979, coupled with Ives' Three places in New England. Despite the Award, however, I find it all too close, the use of quite a large number of mics taking away the sense of coherent space in which the musicians play. This is not to say that this disc is unenjoy-able; the Appalachian Spring has a fine delicate feel about it and has always been a favourite of mine, almost ranking with the composer's own CBS recording. The Ives symphony is also excellent, so a recom-mended CD despite the disappointing sound quality. B

John Atkinson

IPRT Stokowski Spectacular . works by Sousa/ Mussorgsky/J Strauss/Ippolitov-Iyanoy/ Chabrier/Haydn/Saint-Saens/Brahms/Tcha-ikoysky/Berlioz, Nat PO/Stokowski (CDPCN-4) (54m 56s) Was there ever a record of lollipops like this? — asked Edward Green-field of this 1975 collection (now on a Nimbus-pressed CD). Stokowski at his most irrepressible. Tales from the Vienna Woods, with zither, gets every conceivable repeat; Espana and Danse Macabre (Sidney Sax) are given outsize characterisation; Stars and Stripes Forever makes a tonic for first-thing listening. Ranging from his own elephantine arrangement of a Brahms Hungarian Dance, to the oddly effective orchestration of Tchaikovsky's Solitude, the 10 items are sumptuously played by the National Philhar-monic. The sound is vastly reverberant and I suspect digital remastering jumbles it further.

HI-FINLWS.1 RFUORD REVILW 19m5

Astonishing and inimitable! B[:1*/M] Christopher Breunig

RCA Dvorak . New World' Symphony, Chicago SO/Levine ( RCD 14552) (41m 06s) Available as a 1983 German LP import, not one of Levine's happier ventures: natural express-ion is smothered by a self-conscious and sophisticated manner, veering from the extremes of driving orchestral virtuosity to a disproportionately slow and sentimentalised Largo. Wearying, especially when Thomas Shepard's Medinah Temple Soundstream recording, with its manipulated balances, has a general murkiness, with spitting brass, and tight, constricted strings (eg, scherzo tuttis). C

Christopher Breunig

Handel: Messiah, excerpts, Blegen/ Ciesinski/Aler/Cheek/Choir and Ensemble Musica Sacra NY/Westenburg (RCD 14622) (51m 48s) These are good, clean perform-ances in which a well-trained choir of 29 voices combines with a stylistically aware chamber ensemble under a lively director. The recording is very well proportioned if just a little hard-edged by European stan-dards. The performance deserves a 1 rating despite a slight tendency to out-of-tuneness by the trumpeter; the recording's slight tonal harshness takes it below an A rating, but it is very good in all other respects. B(:1]

Stephen Daw

Handel: Water Music, Suite 1 in F/Fireworks Music/The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, CO of Europe/Galway (RD 85364) (55m 45s) The keyword for James Galway's Handel is rejoicing; the ceremonial music is presented with an appealing ( if thoroughly indoor) enthusiasm, which is helped by the record-ing, with its broad orchestral image, its considerable dynamic and directional con-trasts between the orchestral sections, clearly heard, brisk tempi and extremely attractive playing, tonally. Although the more famous Water Music Hornpipe and other favourite movements (such as the wonderful contredanse-gigue in G) are left out, the disc is still good value through its generous time allocation. My only worry is whether this kind of treatment does Handel complete justice; the power of his music is not all as genial as we might be led to suspect, and the sound quality is somehow just a little unreal because it is so tidily differentiated. B[:1/2]

Stephen Daw

Mendelssohn/Bruch Violin Concertos, Ughi/LSO/Prêtre (RD 70111) (49m 37s) The LSO set in a washy acoustic a fair way back is not the least endearing feature of this issue; that is the failure to retake the opening of the Mendelssohn in order to rectify the poor tuning of the soloist. The tuning warms up, as does the performance as a whole, but the lack of orchestral detail and finesse in balance remains fairly constant, and con-tinues into the Bruch. Lack of banding within the two works might be considered an inconvenience by some potential buyers. C

Doug Hammond

Mozart: The Magic Flute highlights, Tavela/ Tappy/Donat/Cotrubas/Boesch/VPO/ Levine (RCD 14621) (60m 46s) I wouldn't rate Levine's the best Zauberfkite on record but it has many felicitous moments and this well-ordered series of highlights captures the flavour of the production, though missing out on the particularly well handled dia-logue. The recording is adequate but a little obvious — miking areas and mic proximity are especially noticeable on CD, and reverb at the end of items sounds induced. When the chorus eventually surfaces it seems lacking in transparency and is not ideally balanced with the soloists. Nothing is done especially badly, but the recording is not unobtrusive. B/C

Doug Hammond

Ravel . Bolero, Alborada, Rapsodie Espag-nole, Dallas SO/Mata (RGD 14438) (36m 56s) The CD of these performances has taken some three years to appear and comes three months late for the DSO's tour; two years ago RCA deleted the LP. Time for somebody to get his/her act together at RCA. Never mind; this is a stunning piece of silver plastic with a distinctly unsociable dynamic range. At full tilt the sound is perhaps just a little thick, but it is never shrill and always thrillingly weighty. My reservations about balance in March '81 now seem over-fussy, though not my suspicion of artificial rever-beration: sample the end of each work, which takes far longer to die away than the acoustic has elsewhere led you to expect. The performances, though, seem as good as ever — less texturally subtle than Dlutoit's (violins in particular sound less refined) but nevertheless intelligent, well-judged and exciting. A/A*[:1/2]

Andrew Keener

Schubert: Sonata for Flute and Piano ('Arpeggione'), Introduction and Variations on a Theme from Die schiine Müllerin, Standchen, Galway/Moll (RD 70421) (41m 45s) I was less than enthusiastic about the LP in March, and re-acquaintance with these, on their own terms impressive, performances still leaves me lukewarm. Only the 'Trockne Blumen' Variations is not a transcription; this is a good piece, and both the artists handle it finely. The disappointment remains the recorded quality: especially in the slow movement of the 'Arpeggione' the flute takes on a more-than-usually metallic tim-bre. Elsewhere balance is fussy, favouring in the Variations the instrument that has the tune. B

Peter Branscombe

Together: works by Lawes, Granados, Falla, Ravel etc, Julian Bream & John Williams (RD83257) (47m 13s) Is it really 13 years since this classic collection of duets by the UK's leading guitarists first saw the light of day on black disc? My favourite track is an outstanding arrangement of Ravel's Pavane for a Dead Princess, but the whole album is of a high standard. The transfer to silver disc is good, levels of tape hiss are not high, and there is a nice sense of 'space', with the two guitarists unambiguously placed and well balanced against the surrounding ambience. JB squeaks a little, but then he always does, and not to the detriment of the music either. A1:11

John Atkinson

RODOLPHE Maria Callas sings Medea, Picchi/Modesti/ Pizzarini/La Scala 0/Serafin (RPC 32376) (57m 06s) The sound here is decidedly aged — all the voices, and especially that of Callas, are substantially coloured, the orchestra is over-bright, and its balance strangely lop-sided. Nevertheless, behind the coloration the open throated tone that Callas could obtain is still discernible, and the hard-edged orchestral sound has a vitality that is an ideal foil to the depth of her remarkable character-isation. Despite Callas' typical harshness and uncertain pitch in louder passages in the upper register, I still find this an engrossing performance, and with nothing like a com-plete version of the opera in either its original French or 20th-century Italian (as here) yet available in either CD or black disc, this selection is a must for opera fans with a CD system. H

Doug Hammond

Operatic arias, Teresa Zylis-Gara (sop) (RPC 32402) (44m 45s) Analogue masters, I'd say, if the faint veil of tape hiss is any guide; Dolby too, to judge from the just-discernible 'pumping' at the opening of Dvorak's 0 Silver Moon and Halka's Air by Moniuszko. But the sound is spacious, pleasing and well balanced. My ear soon grew accustomed to the rather emphasised sibilants, though not

to the suspicion of edginess when voice (a lovely instrument) and orchestra are going at full tilt. Only a C, then, but there are so many musical reasons for enjoying this disc that I have already played it several times. I hope JF agrees with me when he reviews the vinyl version.

Andrew Keener

Strauss: Elektra, Vincing/Rosanek/Forres-ter/Orchestre National de France/Perick (RPC 32420/21) (2 CDs) ( 103m 37s) No cueing bands whatsoever, and still no lib-retto — serious omissions, both. What we do have, though, is a classic case of CD's focus-pulling power, with voices and orches-tra far better profiled here than they were on the black disc.,The washy reaches of Théâtre des Champs-Elysées still make it difficult, though, to discern just how much of the sporadic rhythmic malaise can be attributed to the orchestra and how much to the acoustic. In any event, Perick might, I think, have injected a deal more impetus into the proceedings. Not, then, a first-choice Elektra but well worth investigating as a supplement for its intense sense of a ' live' occasion and, still more, the excitement of three deter-mined and very charismatic ladies going for just about everything in those rewarding central roles. B

Edward Seckerson

SCHWANN Henze: Telemanniana/Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No.9/Casella: Scarlet-tiana, Tanzini/BRSO/Albrecht (CD 11611) (47m 35s) Thickness of inner lines and close miking of individual instruments lets down this otherwise interesting issue. Clogging is particularly bad, and least appropriate, in the Henze, but it is also present in the other works, though the addition of a piano in the Casella does thankfully force the rest of the ensemble further away, and only in this last work does the recording not sound artifi-cially contrived. The Casella is the longest work on this disc, at over 25 minutes, yet like the others is not internally banded even, though it is divided into discrete sections. C

Doug Hammond

Spohr: Symphony in c. Overture of Jes-sonda, BRSO/Albrecht (CD 11620) (37m 51s) Two attractive, though little-known, works in such excellent performances deserve a first-rate recording. The sound they receive here is acceptable but has its limitations — above mf the strings become edgy and the total sound becomes 'overfilled'. Generally, the basses are a little plump without being well defined, and the top is not as extended as it could be. Nevertheless, the recording does have its fine moments, and Louis Spohr's Symphonies are such under-valued works that it would be a pity if prospective buyers were needlessly put off by these criticisms — this CD has a lot going for it B/C

Doug Hammond

SIIPRAPHON Dvorak: Rusalka, Benackova/Soukupova/ Ochman/Novak/Czech PO/Neumann (90C37-7201-3) (3 CDs) ( 157m 19s) A worthy and long-overdue successor to Supraphon's pioneering old, and now decidedly murky-sounding, Chalabala recording. In almost every respect it could hardly be better. A spacious, warmly atmospheric production — the balance and movement of voices skilfully managed, the dynamic range wide, the tuttis sound big and vibrant — playing of the deepest affection from the Czech Phil, con-ducting of wholly idiomatic vigour and com-passion from Neumann, and a cast of real quality, imagination, and only momentary shortcomings. Hear it, then, relish it, and tell me if Rusalka does not rank with Eugene Onegin as 19th Century opera's most perfect lyric utterance. A

Edward Seckerson

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CLASSICAL ALKAN: Piano Miniatures Ronald Smith (pno) EMI EG 27 01871 digital dmm (ED 27 01874)

Ronald Smith, arch- proponent of the music of Alkan, here avoids the monumental and delights us with 25 miniatures spanning Alkan's early years as a virtuoso ( living next door to Chopin) to the late years of the recluse. The range of style and expression is enormous, not just the obvious differences between early works such as the Gigue from Op.24 - which launches into a harsh, driving, schizophrenic Bach- like two-part invention - and the sophisticated simplicity of the melody of ' Promenade sur l'eau' from Les Mois Op.74 floating above the lilting Men-delsshonian ripple of accompaniment, but within even the brief pieces and between works in the same collection. Ronald Smith captures the seduction or the alarm fault-lessly and won my admiration. The middle-to-forward positioning of tie

piano in quite a responsive acoustic added to my pleasure of the more reflective and subdued pieces, where textures and bell- like melodies were nicely clear. Where the sound lost a little was in the wide dynamic surges of the more aggressive miniatures. [A:1]

Roger Bowen

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No.6 ' Pastoral' etheus Overture Northern Sinf/Hickox ASV ALH 961 (ZC ALH 961)

Prom-

Hickox' is a warmly attractive coupling, faithful in detail, and to repeats. It yields little to the best - though the Sinfonia strings clearly do not match Berlin refinement. Yet the sleeve design does nothing to attract browsers away from the classic VPO/Beihm, now ' Signature', or at full price the Ashke-nazy/Decca. There the interpretation is more personal and imaginative, the sound has more presence and a greater range of colour. Oddly 'boxed in', this Trinity Newcastle production is adequately clear; but I would have liked more prominence to flutes in ( i) and WO tempo d'allegro, while the timpani are foggily distant. [A/B:11

Christopher Breunig

BEETHOVEN: 'The Creatures of Prometheus' — ballet music (excerpts) Leonore Overtures Nos.1, 2 & 3 King Stephen Overture Philharmonia/New Phil/Klemperer EMI ED 29 04011 dmm digitally remastered ( ED 29 04014) Reissues from 1960, 64, 77

Not available for August's survey of EMI's Klemperer centenary edition, this compila-tion includes three of Beethoven's attempts at overtures for Fidelio. But the most ambi-tious, lengthy and famous - Leonore Ill - is sadly underpowered and plods at key points. It only takes fire in the final bars, and Klemperer's grandeur surely needed a quicker pulse even here. However, Beeth-oven's first two attempts are conveyed most successfully, taut and vigorous, splendidly played, after which Klemperer takes King Stephen very genially indeed. The arrange-ment of the three items from the Prometheus ballet was Klemperer's own: overture and finale bridged by Orpheus' sublime adagio, with its solos for harp and cello. It is lovingly and magically played. Despite a mixture of producers and

engineers, recorded sound throughout is consistent: typical of its vintage - well laid-out, detailed but not over- lit, and of agreeably unobtrusive 'concert- hall' quality. Essential Klemperer (Leonore Ill apart) and essential Beethoven. [A:1/2]

Peter Herring

BEETHOVEN: Trio, Op.11/GLINKA: Trio Pathé-tique Trio Vidas (pno/c1t/vIc) Pavane ADW 7167 dmm ( NC)

In the best sense 'amateurish' - these Bel-gian musicians sound as though they enjoyed recording together. The pianist dominates in the early Beethoven; the clar-inettist rather underplays his part, especially in the Weigl comic-opera Variations. Buch-binder/Meyer/Schiff provide a far more pointed, rhythmically unified alternative: on EMI, a first choice.

Trio Pathétique is also the work of a young composer. It comprises three tuneful linked movements, with a D-minor finale themati-cally related to ( i) and ( iii). Liszt is suggested - the piece is engaging but unmemorable. There is a period-instrument alternative, with Alan Hacker ( L'Oiseau-Lyre). The record-ing here is beautifully balanced, domestic in scale. [A* : 2]

Christopher Breunig

BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonatas in f & A, Op.2 Bagatelles Op.33:4 & 7 Linda Nicholson (f-pno) Hyperion A 66174 (NC)

Linda Nicholson writes at painstaking length, in a technical way, and argues in favour of her fortepiano. On a 1797 Schantz, her performances are similarly painstaking, and lengthy - these are the only two sonatas where Beethoven noted second-half repeats. That the playing need not sound so prosaic is demonstrated by Binns, on a less sweet-toned Heilmann ( L'Oiseau-Lyre). In the F-minor sonata's finale-development Nichol-son adds unwarranted expression; the style is jerky, yet she makes nothing of the magical pp at 109. For all his mannerisms, Gould has one hanging onto every note: so, of course, does Schnabel. The Schantz is set far back in the too-

resonant Art Workers' Guild, London. There is so much reflected sound that I believe you would not make head or tail of the Bagatelle No.7 ( Presto) unless you knew it well. [B:31

Christopher Breunig

BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonatas — in C, Op.53 'Wald-stein' in B1', Op.22 in e, Op.90 Rudolf Buchbinder (pno) Teldec 6.43111 digital dmm (4.43111)

Buchbinder plays the Allegro con brio from Op.22 with the deft control of a Gieseking. Put down the stylus, and his alert, coolly intelligent manner is strikingly attractive, anywhere. Yet as rapidly it palls: it is not what he does that matters, but what he leaves unsaid. Set by Perahia's, better still Kempff's, his B-flat Rondo is exposed as utterly shallow. There's a nice Schubertian ripple in the Waldstein finale; but in the Adagio molto he involves himself with intri-cacies of construction - the overall form is unclear, the 'spirituality' of the music dis-counted. Contrast Edwin Fischer, or the awesome stillness of Barenboim's new DG recording. Teldec's sound is dry, rather clinical. [B:2/31

Christopher Breunig

BEETHOVEN: Eroica Variations Fur Elise : 1 Bagatelles, Op.126 6 Ecossaises Alfred Brendel (pno) Philips 412 227-1 digital (412 227-4)

It is easy for the critic to say that Gould, or Bishop-Kovacevich, can play the thrusting postlude to the last Bagatelle without Bren-del's ragged-edged sense of strain, that Brendel no longer conveys any joy in the music - as he demonstrably did in his old Turnabout recordings of these pieces. It is easy to reject air Elise as a ' lecture' on the music (yes, Brendel proves it is a minor- key masterpiece, a complete tone-poem), to

point out that in his seventies Kempff pre-served that delight in Beethoven, communi-cated it so fully on records.

But perhaps Brendel, given the weight of responsibility as a great Beethoven pianist by a vast inter-continental audience, as well as by specialist reviewers, feels he should not allow himself the kind of freedom appropriate to his thirties. He would, no doubt, tell you of the subtle balance neces-sary between the dissonant Eroica Variation XIII and its subsequent minore; and such details give the newer recording its studied character. I could not say: replace your Ax, Kempff, or even the prickly Curzon Op.35 discs, notwithstanding Brendel's profound grasp. That manner of elegance, of cultured distancing, just seems incontrovertibly at odds with Beethoven's directness. [A:11

Christopher Breunig

BERG: Violin Concerto Three Orchestral Pieces Op.6 Gidon Kremer (vIn)/BavRSO/Davis Philips 412 523-1 digital (412 523-4)

My only previous encounter with Davis' conducting of Berg's music was his Covent Garden Lulu, which couldn't fail to make a lasting impression on account of its unex-pected beauty and accessibility. This present disc 'glows' with these same qualities. The Three Orchestral Pieces are fearsomely com-plex and difficult works to perform, but Davis and the Bavarian RSO offer a true interpreta-tion - no mere note-perfect score-reading but a compelling and fascinating account. The poignancy in the contrast between the innocent Round Dances and the nightmarish Prelude & March is almost sickening. Davis and his players achieve an exceptionally clear internal balance and remarkable preci-sion - a clear first choice. Kremer's performance of the Violin Con-

certo is equally assured, a stunning technical achievement where so much 'interpretation' relies on correct technical execution. The sustained violin note at the very end of the concerto, for example - a spiritual tendril here as one is not aware of the ' mechanism' of the music. Penman's may be a more heart-felt performance, but Kremer offers the utter cleanliness and purity of playing I think this work demands. Both works sound slightly soft and distanced, which doesn't give the final exuberance of dynamic growth expected in the Three Pieces. [A:1 *1

David Priikel

BERLIOZ: Fantastic Symphony BPO/Barenboim CBS IM 39859 digital (IMT 39859)

Barenboim's short-lived Paris Fantastic (DG, 1979) was one of my favourites, so I wel-come his return to the catalogue via this new Berlin recording. The opening movement here is outstanding, showing how a sym-pathetic grasp of the Berlioz idiom can impose unity of feeling on a superficially disparate structure. The central pastoral movement is also very well managed, with less inclination than before to linger exces-sively, while Mallinson and Faulkner ( pro-ducer/recordist) provide a lovely evocative distance for the oboe when it answers the cor-anglais. They also allow the hushed violin/viola pizzicati running beneath the clarinet just after the movement's big climax to descend as near to pppp as may be dared, an effect which joins some other pianissimos in demanding CD silence! One slight rhyth-mic change from the earlier version brings Barenboim more into line with convention for the waltz in the Ball, and correctly pitched bells are now used in the Witches Sabbath - seemingly sustained by a wind instrument. The drums throughout are splendid, one point of note being the clearly articulated close-spaced timpani quavers which set the opening beat of the March to the Scaffold. I said of Barenboim's 1979 recording that it

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was 'convincing without becoming staid, beautiful and detailed yet imbued with fire and rhythmic flexibility'. That's also a fair summary of this new version, which benefits from a spaciously set- back, yet clear, full-bodied and frequently exciting recorded sound, marred only by a need to raise Side Two's replay level by a few decibels. [A:1/1*i

John Crabbe

BRUCKNER: Symphonies 1-9 Cologne RSO/Wand Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 1C 127 1544633 (11 recs) ( NC) Reissues ( 1-8) from 1978-83, No.9 new

This series of Bruckner recordings by a hitherto little-regarded conductor and an orchestra rather below the top flight of German ensembles has helped make both famous. Hardly surprisingly in an undertak-ing that has been spread over seven years of sessions, the standard has varied. Generally, German praise has been higher than British, though Wand has been belatedly saluted in our concert-halls over the last few years. His virtues are rather old-fashioned - and no bad thing. He has his own views, which have grown over a long and active life, and he and his orchestra have reached an understand-ing, and had time to absorb the repertoire. The one performance in this boxed set not

hitherto released for review is of the Ninth. II was actually recorded in June 1978, in the middle of the series. The first movement is nobly stark, strongly characterised (though with greater variation in tempo than Bruck-ner asked for), the Scherzo controlled, impressive in its understatement (the Trio not quite as sinister as usual, at a marginally slower speed), the concluding Adagio grand in impact at a slightly less deliberate tempo than we have grown accustomed to. Here as elsewhere in the set the orchestra is impress-ive though not outstanding. That goes for the recording too - spaciousnest and clarity are pleasing, though detail is by no means always fresh in impact, and surface noise or hiss can obtrude. I rated the First (Vienna version) B:1, the Third 8:3, and feel that for the set as a whole, as also for the Ninth, the rating should be [13:21.

Peter Branscombe

L'Etoile Alliot-Lugaz (sop)/Raphanel (sop)/Damonte (m-sop)/Gautier (ten)/Le Roux (bar)/Bacquier (bass)/Ch & Orch of Lyon Opera/Gardiner EMI EX 27 700863 digitam dmm (2 recs) ( EX 27 700869)

This appears to be the first recording of Chabrier's delightful operetta L'Etoile, and it has certainly been worth waiting for. The music is brimful of infectious melody, and this album, which was made following a highly successful revival at the Opera House in Lyon, does it full justice. The cast are all excellent, singing with

admirable enunciation and conveying a tremendous sense of fun throughout the entire work. The star is undoubtedly Colette Alliot-Lugaz, who is quite superb in the breeches part of Lazuli, the pedlar, and she uses her voice with great skill throughout. Her 'Romance de l'étoile' is entrancing. As King Ouf the First, Georges Gautier makes the most of his role, bringing out all the humour of the part, while the veteran bass Gabriel Bacquier is equally impressive as the court astrologer Sirocco. The two artists are irresistible in the 'Duo de la Chartreuse verte', a hilarious parody of early 19th cen-tury Italian opera. John Eliot Gardiner directs the whole work

brilliantly, and the chorus and orchestra of the Lyon Opera are well in the picture. The recording is very bright, with excellent definition, a very clean overall acoustic, and the voices well blended with the orchestra. This is in all respects a most welcome release. [A:1/1 *1

John Freestone

DEBUSSY: En blanc et noir ] Petite Suite j Fêtes (Nocturnes, arr. 2 pnos by Ravel) Eden & Tamir (pnos) CAD 1125 dmm (CRDC 4125)

My own favourite among recordings of En blanc et noir has long been the exuberant and scintillating - but deleted - Bishop-Kovacevich/Argerich on Philips, but now that its coupling has been reissued with a diffe-rent partner the prospect of its reappearance seems uncertain. I wish I could report that Eden and Tamir match it - that their opening has the same fire and sweep as the Philips duo, the same quicksilver reflexes, compara-ble rhythmic alacrity in the outer move-ments, as subtle a sense of irony in the central movement or a similarly wide range of colour and dynamic throughout. But I cannot: rhythm seems stolid here, tempi generally deliberate. The simplicity of the Petite Suite is nicely unfolded - I especially liked their delicate way with the concluding Ballet- but the delicate nostalgia of much of the music has been better realised else-where. The recording is rather too middle-oriented for my taste; nor does the sound expand as it should dynamically. At mezzo-forte to forte the treble is sometimes thin ( try the end of Cortège in the Suite) - una corda pedal or microphone placement? [C:3]

Andrew Keener

DELIUS: Over the Hills and Far Away [ 1Sleigh Ride { I Prelude to 'Irmelin' Dance Rhapsody No.2 1 Summer Evening Brigg Fair ' On hearing the first Cuckoo in Spring 1 Summer Night on the River : A Song before Sunrise I Marche Caprice 1 'Florida' suite I Songs of Sunset H Intermezzo from 'Fennimore and Gerda' John Cameron (bar)/Maureen Forrester (con)/ Beecham Ch Soc/RPO/Beecham EMI EM 29 03233 (2 recs) dmm (EM 29 03235) Reissues from 1958, 60, 63

Hardly surprising that EMI give due promin-ence to the timings of this Delius compila-tion: the four sides contain nigh-on 21/2 hours of music. Not only are two of Beecham's finest HMV stereo LPs combined, but the rarely- heard settings of poems by Ernest Dawson, Songs of Sunset, and the Prelude to the opera Irmelin are included for good measure. The two discs now reissued complete are

the erstwhile SXLP 30415 and the unsurpas-sed ASD 357 of 1958, where Beecham's loving, magical touch and artless phrasing were enhanced by an exceptionally refined and luminous recording. In its new incarna-tion, that pleasing openness and airy, effort-less quality is retained. It does display some roughness - the climaxes in Brigg Fair, for one, are not as clean as we are accustomed to now - and the inevitable tape hiss is there if you make a point of seeking it out; but otherwise this is sound of rare vintage. Beecham's performances still sound

enchanting, seductive, and well-shaped. Delius' nature mysticism' has never been conveyed more convincingly or evocatively: the hazy dawn of Brigg Fair; the sultry, nocturnal mystery of Summer Night on the River; the delicate ruminations of First Cuckoo and A Song before Sunrise; and not forgetting the gorgeously pictorial Florida Suite. The recording of Songs of Sunset is the

most recent here 11963). This melancholy, haunting work calls for soloists, mixed choir and a large orchestra and, as in many of his other scores for a similar corpus, the inten-tion is more to blend the elements together than pit them against each other. The result-ing seamless fusion of the forces and free-flowing chromaticism are typical Delius - as is the overall theme of the Dowson settings, the eternally transient nature of personal affections, and of life itself. These elderly recordings have benefited

largely from the dmm process: certainly, nothing else ( except perhaps the Nimbus cutting technique) could have offered such

side lengths with a transfer level that didn't irredeemably bring up the tape hiss to an unacceptable degree. However, my finished copies were far from unblemished and the spell cast by both Delius and Beecham is not something to be rudely broken. [B:1*1

Peter Herring

DUPARC: Songs/RAVEL: Shéhérazade Te Kanavva (sop)/S0 of Brussels Nat Op/Pritchard EMI EL 27 01351 digital dmm (EL 27 01354)

This has had a rough ride elsewhere, and I wish I could be more than marginally hap-pier with it. The sound, of both Dame Kin's voice and of the recording (the CD, as I reported in July, is superb) prompts no reservations whatever. And there is a response to words: such colouring as she applies to, say, ' narrer mon aventure aux curieux de rêves' in Asie confirms as much. But the response is a generalised one: languorous non-vibrato for reflection, half-voiced breathlessness for awe, sighing por-tamento for remembrance of a kiss or desire for the beautiful traveller in L'Indifferent In the latter song, the smokey voluptuousness of Marilyn Horne ( deleted - reissue?) or the yearning of von Stade are entirely absent, and the last line sounds simply bored; so do the concluding bars from the orchestra. An invitation to accompany such a wonderful voice to Baudelaire's land of ' luxe, calme et volupté' is not one to be lightly dismissed. But would one want to stay long? [A•:3]

Andrew Keener

DYSON: Hierusalam — Choral Music St Michael's Singers/RPO/Jonathan Rennert/Tho-mas Trotter (asst org) Hyperion A 66150 digital dmm ( NC)

Sir George Dyson died in 1964, spanning the musical life of two centuries. Much of his sacred music, subject of the present recital, was new to me, and I have been very glad to get to know it. The title work is of great interest and charm, occasionally of magni-ficence; and the soprano soloist, Valery Hill, rises resplendently to the considerable chal-lenge of her part. This is a work of a mystical nature, and requires - and here receives - a recording which brings out that character without destroying intelligibility. This issue gives one very much to wonder why such fine music as this receives such small recog-nition; an example, no doubt, of the prophet in his own country, but one can hope that this issue will call attention to a British composer of stature. Besides choral works, there are a symphony and concertos, amongst other things, which we should hear.

St Mary Magdalene, Paddington, provided a very suitable venue for the project, and Tony Faulkner, as ever, exploits it to give a recording which never calls attention to itself but to which the music owes everything. Given a replay system adequate to the task, it is very easy to forget the reproduction side of things and listen into the music. In this case, to do so is a very rewarding experi-ence. I should imagine that making the record was, too. The organ, by the way, comes over with a solidity and range by no means always achieved. [A*:1]

Peter Turner

FRANCK: Piano Quintet in f II Prelude, Chorale & Fugue Collard (pno)/Muir Ot EMI EL 27 01591 digital dm (EL 27 01594)

The quartet's opening attack, very intense but beautifully blended, straightaway estab-lishes the mood of this performance. Once underway, the Introduction moves at a stoic tread; I have not previously heard the tragedy in this music so powerfully realised. Likewise the feverishness of the following Allegro. Hearing such treatment, it is easy to credit the inspiration of Franck's beloved

94 111-f-1 NEWS à: RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER I9S5

young pupil Augusta Holmes behind this work. Tempi range widely, and though other accounts have made more structural sense of the first movement, none captures so well the sense of a composer at the end of his emotional tether. I was also impressed by the Muir Quartet's imagination and range of expression (Collard's are well-known), vital in a work in which so much of the argument lies with the strings. Sample the eerie, fluting quality of the violist's non-vibrato achieved after the climax of the Lento. A small studio seems to have been used

for the recording, and I had reservations about the shallowness of the piano and brightness of the upper strings. But this is not bad sound by any means, and non-purists with good old-fashioned tone con-trols will be able to warm up the bass, as I was. After the Quintet, Collard's account of the Prelude, Chorale & Fugue sounds very restrained indeed. Some will find it dull, but after several hearings of its unusual austerity I'm not so sure. What is certain, though, is that the four-second gap after the febrile conclusion of the Quintet is nowhere near sufficient. [13: 1*/1]

Andrew Keener

GERSHWIN: Porgy & Bess — highlights Donnie Ray Albert/Clamma Dale/Wilma Shakesnider/Larry Marshall/Huston Grand Opera/ John DeMain RCA RL 84680 IRK 84680)

Now this is more like it! What a contrast with the high-toned Porgy excerpts I reviewed for CD Monitor (Philips/Slatkin). This is the real Gershwin, gaucheries and vulgarisms intact, not smoothed over by artful production. Also intact is the vitality, originality and power of this idiomatically American masterpiece. Instead of a politely distant concert orchestra taking the rough jazz edges off the score, we have an up-front theatre sound, full of brass and energy. The cast are marvellously dramatic and convincing and can still pro-duce beautiful singing when lyricism is cal-led for, sounding all the sweeter for their relaxed style. The overly-sensitive may find the 'coon' characterisations embarrassing, but they are true to the composer's concep-tion; anything less leaves the opera floundering for impetus. And 'thank de Lord' for a real spiv of a Sportin' Life in Larry Marshall, after recent attempts just to sing the part. The recording produces a fittingly live,

theatre sound, although thankfully there is more reverberation than in the average auditorium. Sadly, though, the sound quality is less good in other respects, perhaps due to the analogue master ( issued complete on three discs in 1977). The highest frequencies are weak and the remaining treble is a touch overbright and harsh in climaxes, while the bass is soft and the dynamics limited. Yet I'd rather have this version than a sonically more perfect but musically less triumphant one. I wonder if such a bold, true perform-ance will ever be recorded in these 'refained' times. (8/C:1•1

Sue Hudson

GLASS: Einstein on the Beach The Philip Glass Ens/Glass CBS M4 38875 (4 recs) (M4T 38875)

The world of contemporary music is shifting away from the extremely esoteric towards a meeting of 'classical' and 'pop' — in mate-rials, methods and syntax. Philip Glass has been creating this kind of music for many years; now audiences and record companies have discovered him and he has achieved cult status. In Einstein on the Beach he has collaborated with Robert Wilson in a long stage work. In it we have little instant gestural change, but a form which is evolv-ing and not predictable. This reverses our traditional mode in which form (the plot in opera) is clearly signalled and 'surprise' is used at the surface as a means of articulating

the larger plan. The work was an instant success and this recording encapsulates that experience (as far as a recording can). What we get is eight sides of minimalist

music: slowly changing patterns to which various readings are added. Much of the music has great beauty, and does not lack charm or wit. The performances (based on the original production) are excellent and the recording is also of very high calibre. However, there is a difficult problem: is it fair to impose nearly four hours of listening when so little happens dramatically? Many would doubt it, but I think it well worth the effort. [A:1•1

Benedict Sarnaker

HANDEL: Water Music (complete) Scottish CO/ Gibson Chandos ABRD 1136 digital (ABTD 1136)

Gibson draws from the SCO a performance that is full of swaggering style and life, in which the brass and oboes struck me as particularly outstanding. If this kind of per-formance has a fault, it is that the music was possibly originally intended to be not so much compelling as diverting; but there are certainly a number of excellent counter-arguments, and good style, such as we find here, is never inappropriate. The performance has been very well

matched by the recording, which is also immediate and well-judged to attract our attention without upsetting our sense of good taste. The special excellence of the wind players is in part simply because their instruments have been unusually well recorded. Maybe a slight hardness in the strings results from the recording, but I think not: this is probably (and to my mind slightly regrettably) the actual sound of the ensem-ble. [B:11

Stephen Dew

HONEGGER: Symphony No.3 Liturgique' Sym-phony No.5 Di Tre Re' Bavarian RSO/Dutoit Erato NUM 75117 digital (MCE 75517)

Whichever versions of these symphonies you choose, I urge you not to overlook this music, for its strength and individuality are astounding. No.3 dates from the end of the Second World War, and each movement is headed by a phrase from the Requiem Mass. It is searing, often terrifying music, haunted by the ghosts of recent events until the quiet final pages. Here, flute, piccolo and violin remind us that whatever man may do, birds still sing in the trees. The stiffest challenge to this newcomer is

Karajan's mid-price reissue on DG. At first I preferred Karajan's greater inwardness, the sweet, remote quality of his woodwind and strings in the lamenting De Profundis cla-mayi, but soon began to wonder whether Dutoit's slightly faster tempo and brighter textures were not more appropriate. The climax of the movement under Karajan is, however, both weightier and more agonized, and the brutality of the great finale outburst just before the music collapses into tranquil-ity, though well realised on both versions, is terrible indeed on DG. Karajan's strings are silky and withdrawn in the Epilogue, the 'birdsong' magically distant; but it is Dutoit who moves me more. Swings and roundab-outs! There is no hope in No.5, written only five years later. It is a grim, volatile work, occasionally given to bitonality. Competition here is less severe: Plasson in an EMI box is committed, but his orchestra serves him less well. Erato provide an unobtrusively good recording in both symphonies, apparently the first of a cycle. (A:1)

Andrew Keener

LISZT: Sonata in b CI Grandes Etudes de Paganini Cecile Ousset (pno) EMI EL 27 02611 digital dmm (EL 27 02614)

The Liszt Sonata sparks off an unusually wide range of interpretative responses from pianists, from the inward looking to the downright showy. Cecile Ousset here man-ages to eschew the former in a most positive way without falling foul of the latter, produc-ing in the process a reading of the work that is like no other that I have heard and is completely convincing in its approach. ' Full-blooded' seems an understatement when applied to her performance, for the fortissi-mos are thunderous, the speed of double-octave passages almost breakneck, and the contrast of extremes of all kinds fully exploited. The engineers have helped with a recording of power and clarity that retains the wide dynamic range and sheer force of sound produced. The overall effect, then, is not one of subtlety but of white-hot excite-ment, in what could be termed an old-fashioned approach to the work, given that in art-music 'fashion' has no qualitative significance. The six Grandes Études de Paganini on

Side 2 are well played but not, for me, as interestingly done as the Sonata. Here, more subtlety and finesse is needed, in employ-ment of the virtuoso technique that Ousset displays elsewhere on disc. The deficiencies of the piano used, especially in the extreme treble, are more significant in these works: La Campanella, for example, does not quite develop the ringing quality at the top end that it demands. The recording has the immediacy of Side 1, however, and the whole disc is highly recommendable. [A:1*/ 1]

Doug Hammond

MESSIAEN: Préludes Ll Pièce pour le Tombeau de Paul Dukas Peter Hill (pno) Unicorn-Kanchana DKP 9037 (NC)

Messiaen is one of this century's few really great composers of piano music, with a characteristic style that is totally at one with the nature of the instrument. The Préludes are early works that are not only a fascinat-ing half-way house between Debussy and Messiaen's later piano writing (as exem-plified in Vingt Regards and Harawi) but are also beautiful and intriguing pieces in their own right. Peter Hill plays them here with great understanding and fine control of the technical element. He is especially good at the half-lights and the subtle grading of tonal qualities, whereas moments of power, strength, and religious ecstasy find him a little too precise and cautious. But the Pré-ludes have rather less of such moments than many of Messiaen's later works. I particu-larly enjoyed the feeling of utter calm that he can summon, making the listener breath shallowly for fear of disturbing the mood. Hill also makes a fine job of the later Pièce pour le Tombeau de Paul Dukas, though it is less suited to his particular strengths. The Bbsendorfer used is an extremely

responsive instrument that can maintain full tonal body in even the quietest passages, but the recording is not as excellent as I would have expected from Unicorn-Kanchana. The fine nuances of the performance are well captured, but the total sound is less than fully translucent. Nevertheless, the produc-tion is absorbing and the attention is not distracted by tricks of sound engineering Definitely a record I shall return to on many occasions. [A/B:1*/1]

Doug Hammond

MOZART: Symphonies Nos.40 & 41 ECO/Barenboim EMI EMX 41 20741 dmm (EMX 41 20744) Reissues from 1968

As good as anything Beecham did in Mozart, these are recouplings from an Abbey Road series in Barenboim's honeymoon period as conductor with the ECO. The young neo-Furtwängler properly follows his mentor's

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example in the Molto allegro of 40 ( i), and repeats both halves of the Jupiter finale. Musically spacious and perceptive readings, refined in recording quality — bass now pared slightly, but 41 complete on one side. [A:19

Christopher Breunig

MOZART: March K189 Serenade K185 AAM/Schroder (vIn)/Hogwood L'Oiseau-Lyre 411 936-1 digital (411 936-4)

Mozart wrote the Andretter Serenade in 1773. It was the first of his great series of orchestral serenades or 'Finalmusik' and features a two-movement violin concerto. By now, familiarity with AAM's style should alert prospective buyers to what to expect: crisp tempi, dryish string-tone typified by Schráder's solo performance, modest forces, and the observance of all repeats. The contrast is to be found in the elderly Boskovsky recording, still available from Decca, where tempi are more indulgent, vibrato is considered less offensive, and affection more important than authenticity, but you do not get the introductory March. It is a matter of taste, and both performances have much to offer, though it has to be said that if recording quality is to be the deciding factor, this latest version would have to be the choice. (A:1]

Kenneth Dommett

MOZART: Quartets K387 & 575 Alban Berg Got Teldec 6.43122 digital dmm (4.43122) Reissues from 1977, 76

Large-scale, concert size recording, which, remastered digitally with dmm for added clarity, has added a touch more 'aggressive-ness' to the leader's tone. The performances themselves could scarcely be bettered, though. The Alban Berg's style generally leans more towards the forthright than the persuasive, and slow movements could be warmer; but the playing is always sprightly and alert, and the fugal finale of K387 is splendidly done. Why, I wonder, did Teldec choose to revive the quite inappropriate nicknames — 'Spring' in the case of K387 and 'Violets' ( because of a presumed likeness between the Andante and Das Veilchen) in the D-major — that 19th century German romantics saddled them with? (A:1]

Kenneth Dommett

MOZART: The Last Sonatas for Fortepiano Paul Badura-Skoda (f-pno) Astrée AS 919 (2 recs) INC)

Badura-Skoda is something of a rarity, a true scholar who is also a master of the keyboard. Unfortunately he records very little nowa-days, and not for the major labels, but his Mozart recordings are always worth hearing. He recently acquired a 1790 Schantz piano in mint condition, which he uses here in this rather selective collection of late sonatas (the C-minor K457, together with its accompany-ing Fantasia K475; the F-major K533/494; the C-major K545; and the last two, in B-flat and D). Anyone who thinks the fortepiano is an

anaemic version of the modern grand will quickly be put right by these performances. This instrument — and Badura-Skoda also recorded Mozart's own Walter piano a few years ago — is quite capable of delivering a powerful and dramatic range of sonorities, the results being exciting and rewarding. It is unlikely that such performances will displace the Brendels or Uchidas, but they do give us access to a new dimension that the modern piano, however skilfully played, denies us. And who knows, the fortepiano may still win back its place in society just as the harp-sichord has done. (A.1.1

Kenneth Dommett

MOZART: Piano Sonatas K310 & K457 Alfred Brendel (pno) Philips 412 525-1 digital (412 525-4)

Having just reviewed the Astrée release of Badura-Skoda's Mozart played on a forte-piano (see above), these new recordings by — in my opinion — quite the most distinguished of modern Mozart pianists strain one's com-mand of superlatives. The performances of the C-minor, which is the only one dupli-cated by the two pianists, are quite different in character yet each is completely valid. Badura-Skoda's piano requires him to address the music more vigorously than Brendel, who favours a more legato style. The choice of the only two sonatas in minor keys cannot have been fortuitous, for in themselves they present an interesting con-trast. The A-minor, now known to have been composed some years later than previously supposed, is dramatic rather than tragic, and Brendel points up the contrast unerringly. These are superlative performances, rich in nuance and beautifully recorded. [A*11

Kenneth Dommett

MOZART: Masses K258 & K262 Mitsuko Shirai (sop)/Marga Schiml (con)/Armin Ude (ten)/Hermann-Christian Polster (bass)/Leipzig R.Ch/Dresden PO/Kegel Philips 412 232-1 digital (412 232-4)

These two C-major Masses provide a good example of Mozart's ability to meet Collore-do's demands for short settings, and what he could do when these constraints were removed. K258 lasts a mere 171/2 minutes (rather short measure for one side of a record), whereas K262 takes over half an hour. The length of this Mass is a good argument for supposing it to be the 'Spaur' Mass, written for the inauguration of Ignaz Joseph Count Spaur as Bishop of Chrysopel in November 1776. This took place in Salz-burg Cathedral. The same coupling appeared last year in a

Schwann recording (not sent for review), but this new one is better in a number of respects. Kegel is a more sympathetic con-ductor, and though his four soloists have comparatively little to do they do it well, the contralto being particularly rich in tone. The drawback as in so many recordings of this kind of music is that the balance favours the orchestra, and there is a general lack of detail. K262 also happens to have been recorded at a low level. The recording was made in Dresden in 1983; we are, not told where, but it does not sound like a studio production. (13/C:1/2]

Kenneth Dommett

PONCE: Violin Concerto/HALFFTER: Violin Con-certo, Op.11 Henryk Szeryng (vIr)/RPO/Bátiz EMI EL 27 01511 digital dmm (EL 27 01514)

This is a recording sponsored by Aeroméx-ico to commemorate their 50th anniversary, and features works by two composers associated with Mexico, Manuel Maria Ponce ( 1882-1948) who was Mexican by birth but who absorbed much European influence into his music along with Mexican folk music, and Rodolfo Flalffter ( b.1900) who was born and brought up in Spain but moved to Mexico in 1939. The Violin Con-certo by Ponce, his last major composition (1943), is a relatively conservative work, though it has pleasing elements of Mexican popular song. It was first performed by the soloist on this disc. Halffter's Concerto ( 1941) is more individual (almost eccentric) in its idiom and ideas, and provides a very agree-able contrast to the Ponce; it was written for Samuel Dushkin and later revised with Szeryng's help to give the version here. Both works are in fairly standard fast-slow-fast, three-movement form. Szeryng proves a splendidly astute judge

of the potential of each work, neither over-

playing the folk elements of the Ponce Concerto, nor producing too urbane a read-ing. He brings out the playfulness of the Halffter, and the composer's delight in strange though not extreme sonorities. With Bátiz, he makes of this potentially disparate work a piece that is well-balanced and thought-provoking. The recording is spa-cious and well-distanced for the orchestra, but has the soloist too closely miked for my taste. There is a strong spatial image pre-sented by the engineers, though, and plenty of detail despite the full resonance. [A:1)

Doug Hammond

POULENC: Stabat Mater Salve Regina Litanies à la vierge Lagrange (sop)/Ch & Orch de Lyon/Baudo Harmonie Mundi HMC 5149 (HMC 405149)

Can it be that EMI's old Prêtre recording of Poulenc's exuberant memorial to his painter friend Christian Bérard is now available only as part of a 'Portrait of the Artist' cassette compilation? Such idiosyncracy! This new-comer therefore has the field to itself, and it is very good. Apart from some flat singing from the sopranos in the opening setting, the chorus is excellent, well able to caress as well as address. Its singing of the two shorter works, fervent expressions of Poulenc's new-found faith in the mid-thirties, is well-nigh flawless, with particularly beautiful shaping in the Salve Regina. The Stabat Mater is a difficult work to pace

convincingly. It is full of characteristic charm with a touch of Stravinsky thrown in (the opening is strongly reminiscent of the con-cluding laudate of the Symphony of Psalms), but its tiny settings can leave a bitty impress-ion. Serge Baudo's touch is sure, and the orchestra plays well for him. I find the analogue recording (a co-production with Radio France) a little recessed. Timpani sound firm and weighty enough, but the choir is sometimes in danger of being swal-lowed by the reverberant acoustic. It is good sound, even so. If she is no Crespin ( Prêtre's soprano), Michele Lagrange is far more than adequate. [6:1]

Andrew Keener

PURCELL: Theatre Music Vol .8 Emma Kirkby, Judith Nelson (sops)/Rogers Covey-Crump, Julian Pike (tens)/David Thomas (bass)/ AAM/Hogwood L'Oiseau Lyre 414 174-1 (414 174-4)

So we reach volume eight of the survey of Purcell's theatre music. How much, if any, of this music is ever heard today in its original context, I cannot say, but it must be small. All the more reason, then, to be grateful for its archiving here. It must be said that as drama most of it is frankly insubstantial; but then a lot of opera hardly bears intellectual scrutiny — and, one supposes, is not intended to. In this context, the amazing thing is that the music should be as good as it is. Perhaps genius is like that? Performance then becomes primary — and look whom we have to ensure its excellence! The divine Emma Kirkby renews her collaboration with Judith Nelson and David Thomas, and all the singers enter into the spirit of an age when, in a different style, the same old elements of comedy were deployed to pass time agree-ably. The word 'agreeable' can be applied to the

recording as well: boldly labelled 'analogue' on my test-pressing, it is typical of the Florilegium series: that is straightforward presentation of clear and very adequate sound. In this instance, the music is not of the complexity of much that has occupied the series as a whole, but the same care has been exercised. (A:1111

Peter Turner

RAVEL: La Valse CI Rapsodie Espagnole Cl Ma Mire l'Oye Eden & Tamir (pnos)

Ill- F1 NI.WS A: RI ORD RI S II•W SI Pi 1955 97

CRD 1124 dmm (CRDC 4124)

Nothing very decadent, I fear, about the Hapsburg Empire as Eden and Tamir see it. Playing the Argerich/Freire reading of La Valse (Philips) after this one is not kind to the latter. Rhythm is leaden on CRD, the tempo mind-bendingly slow, the effect soporific. No listener coming to this piece for the first time would guess for a moment at its sinister quality, the spectres and shadows that inhabit it. As in the Debussy record from the same source (see earlier), the lightest music comes off best: Mother Goose is tidily played. But my patience wore thin long before the protracted account of ' Feria' from Rapsodie Espagnole (split between sides) had drawn to an end. This is about as Assez vif as a siesta. For recording quality com-ments see the Debussy review. [C:3/4]

Andrew Keener

RAVEL: Gaspard de la nuit • . Sonatine : Valses nobles et sentimentales : Menuet dur le nom d'Haydn I Prelude Derso Rank, (pno) Hungaroton SLPD 12317 digital ( MK 12317)

For some, Dersdi Ránki's Valses nobles will be too soft-grained. Certainly there is little of Argerich's tigerishness and none of Ashke-nazy's vehemence or astonishingly chame-leon-like shifts of mood and colour. Irony is also in short supply. Instead, there is the most beguiling pianism, unshowy and beautifully voiced. Whereas in his fabulous Decca account ( reviewed in June) Ashkenazy is bleak in the closing waltz, Ránki keeps the tone warm to the end; that quality remains constant even as the dynamic level falls. Gaspard may also seem lightweight beside the Russian artist's volatile reading. Ondine is elegant; there are few broad strokes of colour, and the 'éclat de rire' near the end is a surprisingly gentle affair. But detail is exquisitely and cleanly revealed: rarely in Gaspard have I been so aware of Ravel the lover of miniature craftsmanship and objets d'art. Only Le Gibet strikes me as question-able: there seems a serious lack of concen-tration. Not the only way of playing Ravel, then;

but a valid and sensitive one nevertheless. Hungaroton's recording blends clarity, warmth and sensible distancing in ideal proportions. [A:11

Andrew Keener

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Symphony No.3 Fairy Tale Op.29 LSO/Butt ASV DCA 538 digital (ZC DCA 538)

According to John Warrack, Rimsky-Korsa-kov wrote not three but four symphonies. I cannot recall ever having encountered a Fourth, but perhaps the term 'symphony' was at some point removed as in the case of Antar (No.2). In any event, Rimsky was unquestionably at his best when unham-pered by the encumbrances of form and structure, and this, his third crack at the idiom, though graceful of melody and exhuberant of spirit, is conspicuously stilted in terms of ideas and development when you compare it with the richer and more imaginative Fairy Tale on the reverse. Now there he really is in his element, amidst the iridescent colours, the fantastical imagery of Russian folklore. Given free rein, his orches-tral mastery immediately comes into its own. Longer lines flow more effortlessly, the charm is more spontaneous. Both works, though, are warmly, vigor-

ously played here under the direction of someone who plainly believes in them wholeheartedly (Yondani Butt - an Oriental Canadian new to me), and ASV have obliged with a warm, fat, tightly-packed but well-ventilated sound. Moreover, now that EMI's Melodiya box (three symphonies and various orchestral oddments) has vanished from the catalogue, ASV are without com-

petition. One amusing textural point: listen to Rimsky's scherzo and then to the scherzo from Stravinsky's early Symphony in E-flat - the one written under Rimsky's supervision. That's as close to a steal as it's possible to get. The key? E I,. [A/B:11

Edward Seckerson

ROSSINI: Maometto Secondo Anderson/Zimmermann/Palacio/Ramey/Dale/Amb-rosian Opera Ch/Philharmonia/Scimone Philips 412 148-1 (3 recs) ( 412-148-4)

Mohammed who? A conflict in 1476 between the Turks under Mohammed II and the Venetians yields a conventional operatic plot of love versus duty. Anna, daughter of the Venetian governor, has previously fallen in love with the Turkish leader but now rejects him on patriotic grounds. Like La Donna del Lago reviewed below, this is Rossini in unfamiliar opera seria vein, with a mezzo-soprano in the young male lead. Of the two operas this is the better work, and the better performed - definitely the one to have if a choice has to be made. June Anderson as Anna, Margarita Zim-

mermann as her betrothed (a superlative performance), the ever-sympathetic Samuel Ramey as Mohammed, and that fine new tenor Ernesto Palacio as the heroine's father, lead the cast in noble style, with Claudio Scimone's musical direction refining the orchestral as well as the vocal strands. Technically excellent recording, with voices and orchestra balanced in a suitably spa-cious environment, is complemented by splendid, virtually click-free pressings, leav-ing me with no preference between this and the CD issue. Over three hours' sound here, so this rarity really justifies the adventurous operatic purchase. [A*1*]

Arthur Jacobs

ROSSINI: La Donna del Lago Ricciarelli/Valentini Terrani/Gonzales/Raffanti/ Ramey/CO of Europe/Prague Phil Ch/Pollini CBS I3M 39311 digital (3 recs) ( 13T 39311)

The new wave of interest in Rossini rarities has brought La Donna del Lago (founded on Sir Walter Scott's narrative poem The Lady of the Lake) back to Covent Garden for the first time this century. Two years ago it was produced at a festival in Rossini's birthplace, Pesaro, and this recording was made there immediately afterwards. It is not the easiest of sounds to listen to: if volume is set comfortably for 'average' passages the loud moments tend to blast the ear. The effect is compounded because the singers are given undue prominence against the orchestra, while a soprano and tenor tendency to belt the high notes is not always held in check.

But it is a stylish and lively performance, with Lucia Valentini Terrani particularly affecting in Malcolm's final-act aria, and Dano Raffanti as an Italianised Roderick Dhu attacking the runs and the high-Cs with the dash of a Pavarotti. Katia Ricciarelli as Ellen, the Lady of the Lake herself, faces the challenge of a coloratura part not quite in her usual line, but makes a creditable job of it. Other roles are strongly conveyed, and the conducting of Maurizio Pollini ( to most of us known only as pianist) elicits considerable delicacy from the orchestral playing. Rossi-ni's rather perky, extraverted style seems to me often at odds with the lofty romanticism of Scott, but as an operatic curiosity this issue is decidedly welcome. (B:1)

Arthur Jacobs

SCHÜTZ: Motets Pro Cantione Antique/Fleet ASV ALH 960 (ZC ALH 960) Reissue from 1979

1985 is also Schütz's year - the 400th anniversary of his birth - but so far the record companies have seemed little aware of the fact. This selection of ten pieces

originally appeared on WEA/Enigma-TI71 sics, and it is good to have them available again. The performances are mostly compe-tent, not exciting - comparison with older versions points up some lack of spirit and sureness of direction in Edgar Fleet's approach. ' Fili mi, Absalon', memorable in an old DG recording by Greindl, is here almost turgid, lacking a feeling for structure; but other numbers are more successful in achieving a true ebb and flow. Certainly the works make a fine introduction to Schutz's Latin and German motets, though the prove-nance of several is not indicated in the sleevenote, and the solo singers are not identified. Translations, and carelessly printed original texts, are included. The recording is pleasantly balanced and atmos-pheric, though there is some surface noise. [13:21

Peter Branscombe

SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No.10 LPO/Davis CFP 41 44721 (41 44724) Reissue from 1975

This always was a decent, powerfully wrought account of No.10 - not perhaps as black or penetrating in its intensity as the very greatest we have experienced, but cogently argued and determined. The LPO are even more impressive here than they were for Haitink; I love their vindictive clarinets in the scherzo, the magnificent horn playing throughout. Some solo woodwind spotlighting proves unnecessarily intrusive, and the sound in tutti is nothing like as ample-bodied or resonant as the imposing cellos and string basses of the opening bars might suggest. Things are a little dry and airless under pressure. But it's a reliable bargain all the same, a wholly acceptable way of making this great work's acquaint-ance for very little outlay. [B/C:2/11

Edward Seckerson

SHOSTAKOVICH: Cello Concertos Nos.1 & 2 Schiff (vIc)/Bavarian RSO/Maxim Shostakovich Philips 412 526-1 digital (412 526-4)

Together on record at last, especially excit-ing for the underrated Second which no-one but its dedicatee Rostropovich has yet gone near. Why? Never mind dear old Paul Torte-lier and other such distinguished commenta-tors, this is an extraordinary creation - grave, pensive, beautiful, awash with strange elevations and perspectives, totally without precedent in its spare and bizarre deployment of instrumentation. No rules govern save the well-tried disciplines of tonality: our soloist enters into arresting exchanges with angry bass-drum one moment, isolated tambourine-shake the next; bassoons and contra-bassoon get to be stars, anxious high horn fanfares cleave the air, and the rattle of percussion in the closing bars recalls once more the renegade Fourth Symphony. It's like no other Shostakovich, still less any other composer, and Heinrich Schiff could hardly be better, playing here with rapture, with eerie delicacy, with deepest penetration in the darker recesses. You may perhaps find his account of the

First fractionally less impassioned, less determined in the outer movements, less 'glacial' in the sparest reaches of the slow movement, than Yo-Yo Ma or Rostropovich; but this is still wonderfully warm-spirited, intensly concentrated playing, and the sup-port from Bavaria's Radio Symphony Orchestra is exemplary - solo horn not of the muscular 'western', cast but handsome of tone through a gently spreading vibrato. Schiff receives preferential up-front treat-ment from the engineers, but not a quaver of instrumental detail is obscured behind, and the warm reverberation of Munich's Her-cules Hall has been beautifully preserved to ensure a natural depth of field. [A/A*1/1'1

Edward Seckerson

98 111-1-1NIWS R1 ,CORD RI SITTFNIBER 1985

SIBELIUS: Symphonies Nos.3 & 6 Philharmonia/Ashkenazy Decca 414 267-1 digital (414 267-4)

Ashkenazy's No.3 is more-or-less ideal. The pacing is spot-on, the rhythms resilient and sharply profiled, the colour, cast and charac-terisation speaking always of real empathy with the very life-blood of this music. Behind the explosive physical release of the first movement recapitulation, for instance, there is honest exhilaration; in the confident adv-ance, the swaggering horns of the finale's resplendent closing pages ( impressively broad) there is a distinctly elemental majesty. It helps, of course, that the Philhar-monia were on such enviable form here, that Kingsway Hall ( my, how one misses it) provided one of those brilliant, wonderfully open, naturally terraced sounds for which Decca at their best have become celebrated. Listen carefully, in fact, and you'll pick up on the differences, not least in perspective, between this and the less naturally accom-modating Walthamstow acoustic on the reverse - good though that is. As for performance, Ashkenazy's 6th is of

a more positive, dynamic air, riper and brighter in tonal complexion than is gener-ally the case. I personally see the piece in a more mysterious light - a study in greyer, darker hues. Suffice it to say, though, that the pacing is again convincing, that vitality and rhythmic muscularity are again watch-words, that the results are, at very least, compelling. [A:1 * 1 /21

Edward Seckerson

that particular offering was of a 'suite' fashioned by Leinsdorf himself - differently orchestrated, for one thing, and a good seven minutes shorter for another. The pre-sent confection - an exotic composite of cherishable moments from the opera, cli-maxing in the ecstatic closing scene quartet right through to the end - serves adequately enough as an occasional concert- hall novelty. It's an appetiser, or even perhaps a substitute for those as yet unready, or unwilling, to take on the whole thing (shame on them). But that's as far as it goes.

In much the same vein, Dorati's own voiceless Rosenkavalier pot-pourri tenders no apologies for its selection of big moments, though having so carefully extracted and fashioned them, one wonders why he should seem so reluctant to savour them to the full. Sophie's stratospheric trans-ports of delight go for naught in the ' pre-sentation', the great final trio moves on apace, and even the waltz music fails to tease and beguile. It's the stylistic opulence that I miss: the Vienna Philharmonic in the hands of an uninhibited Viennese. No com-plaints, though, about the sound of this black disc: bright and wholesome, rosy com-plexioned, and well-fed like Baron Ochs himself. Superb low frequency response. Witness the forbidding dotted motif in the lower brass that launches Die Frau. [A:21

Edward Seckerson

STRAUSS (Johann II & Josef): Journalist Waltzes & Polkas VJSO/Boskovsky EMI EL 27 01111 digital dmm (EL 27 01114)

The factor which links this selection of waltzes and polkas, played here by the Johann Strauss Orchestra of Vienna, is that they all have journalistic titles. Yet despite their inspiration stemming from a mass medium, I doubt that many of them will be familiar to today's record buying public. With the exception of I-Tipferl, which was Johann's own dance arrangement of a comic song from his 1877 operetta Prinz Methu-salem, they were all composed by Johann Strauss or his brother Josef between 1858 and 1868. 1863 saw the start of a series of balls given by Concordia, the Viennese jour-nalists' and publishers' federation: Leitar-tikel (Leading Article), Morgenblátter (Morn-ing Papers), Feuilleton Waltz, and Flugschrif-ten (Pamphlets) were composed and con-ducted by Johann for the first four annual balls. Josef's contribution recorded here consists of the lively Sport-Polka and the Buchastaben-Polka (Typographical Charac-ters), which has the distinction of using voices with the orchestra.

In these performances the orchestra tends to be a little untidy as the speed gathers at the start-proper of each dance. Willi Bos-kovsky can often be heard singing here, but it would be unfair to say he is doing it to keep the orchestra together - it is a common occurrence in his performances with the VP0 too! Unfortunately, the exuberance and Viennese flavour that the latter orchestra exudes is sadly lacking in the JSO. Yet this disc must find a niche in the market, for it presents a large number of dances otherwise presently unavailable. [A:2/31

Barbara Jahn

STRAUSS: Der Rosenkavalier — suite arr. Dorati 1 Die Frau Ohne Schatten — Symphonic Fantasy Detroit SO/Dorah Decca 411 893-1 digital (411 893-4)

A double curio for Dorati's ongoing Strauss series, and I do believe the first commercial LP recording of the Die Frau Fantasy. Diligent collectors will doubtless recall a certain Leinsdorf/Philharmonia disc, and even now pens may be poised to challenge me. But

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphony No.5 1 'Wasps' Overture LPO/Boult EMI ED 29 04181 (ED 29 04184) Reissues from 1970, 68

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 6 RPO/Bournemouth/Berglund EMI EMX 41 20721 dmm (EMX 41 20724) Reissues from 1980, 75

carping), but thereafter everything goes splendidly. It always seems to me that new versions of any familiar work require the justification of some fresh light brought to bear on the material, and by that criterion I should say that the Amsterdam Trio did well to add The Four Seasons to their repertory. And as a study in guitar-ensemble playing, this issue is required listening. Nor is the excellence of the playing let

down by poor recording. No details of the recording set-up are given on the sleeve, which seems a little ungrateful to me. The listener can follow every detail of this com-plex score through a sound which is lively and brilliant yet very natural: nice work by somebody. [A:11

Peter Turner

The Wasps Suite was a superb Bishop/ Gooch collaboration. At the cost of some depth, the extracted overture is brighter still here, but the opening seems somehow less delicate. Purchasers beware the inept plac-ing after the serene conclusion of VW's Symphony 5, which on the whole is less interesting than Boult's old Decca; but cool objectivity in the slow movement will find favour with some. Again, Barbirolli's 1963 Philharmonia version is incomparably grea-ter in this most personal and truthful score. [A:2/1"1 A shame to have lost the Oboe Concerto

coupling to Berglund's impressive Sixth. His RPO Fourth is not in the composer/Mitro-poulos/Bernstein class - strings are thin-toned, and resonances blur the textures of the scherzo (cf. Boult's steadier- paced, clearer NPO version). But Berglund finds he right tempo for the Sixth's scherzo, like Stokowski's, quicker than Handley's or Boult's NPO. There's menance too in the Moderato's insistent motto. Hardly any loss of quality in single-sided transfer. [8:2/31[A:11

Christopher Breunig

WAGNER: Excerpts from Die Meistersinger, Tann-hiiuser, Lohengrin, Geterdammerung, Rheingold & Grosser Festmarsch

rià

Philip Jones Ens/Howarth Decca 414 149-1 digital (414 149-4)

The arrangements or this disc (called Brass at Walhalla) are all of extracts from Wagner's operas except the Grosser Festmarsch, which was written the year after the comple-tion of the Ring cycle in answer to a commis-sion from the city of Philadelphia to mark the centenary celebrations of the American Dec-laration of Independence. All are performed here by wind band, the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble et al, and a very refreshing sound they make too. By use of the most sensitive dynamic

grading, their performances become shot through with light and shade and their sympathetic approach creates atmosphere superbly, from the quietly pensive mood of the Prelude to Act Ill of Die Meistersinger to the heavy threat of the funeral music to Gátterdámmerung. If criticism must be made, then the woodwind could be accused of untidiness in the introduction to Act Ill of Lohengrin; but the arrangement by Frank Winterbottom demands of them the most fiendish triple-tongued accompanying figure which would be asking a lot of the most virtuosic of players. In the same extract, trills given to these instruments sound out-of-tune, showing the difficulties of blending wind and brass under such circumstances. But all this only serves to emphasise how good the rest of the material is in its technical adroitness and expert orchestra-tion.

At full steam the ensemble meshes a little too well and there is little sense of space. This is not so pronounced in the less thickly textured extracts, where individual strands can be pinpointed from left to right and front to back. In other respects the recording serves these performances well. [A/B:1*/2I

Barbara Jahn

VIVALDI: The Four Seasons Amsterdam Guitar Trio: Johan Dorrestein/Olga Franssen/Helenus de Rijke RCA GL 70220 digital dm (GK 70220)

Yet another Four Seasons? Well, I don't know of one transcribed for guitar trio, and I doubt if Vivaldi would mind. Indeed, he might approve strongly, and would certainly be intrigued, as what one can only call the orchestration is both effective and imagina-tive. It had me cocking a new ear to what I had supposed to be painfully familiar mate-rial, and vastly enjoying what I heard. The reasons for joy are partly that out-

standing arrangement, but it could sound awful were it not played with the skill, fire and penetration of the Amsterdam Trio. Towards the beginning one might carp once or twice at ensemble (and it would indeed be

WEBER: Clarinet Quintet, Op.34 I Grand Duo Concertant, Op.48 I 7 Variations on a theme from Silvana, Op.33 Janet Hilton (c10/Keith Swallow (pno)/Lindsay Ot Chandos ABRO 1131 digital dmm (ABTD 1131)

This record illustrates well the problems of working in less than ideal recording venues. One possible approach, used for the Quintet on this disc, is to mic the ensemble imtimi-datingly closely, but here the pianissimos are still hushed while the fortissimos become cataclysms. Also, clarinets are not really intended to be listened to at such close quarters and the mechanics of Janet Hilton's splendid technique become all too obvious. It is a great credit to her that the performance still stands up remarkably well under such close scrutiny, but this is not an ideal way to hear music.

For the Duo and Silvana Variations there is a greater spaciousness about the sound, but now the acoustic of the venue, the Church of St Barnabas, Finchley, makes its effect felt by colouring the piano timbres and creating an

iliFl NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1485 99

THE MUSIC ROOM NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER 1985

This month there is much of interest from the louds-peaker manufacturers who design and manufacture monitor and professional products.

From Scotland Tannoys successful Planets series has been joined by the M-20 Gold, a sort of Mercury Super for £ 199. Mercury and the Titan are now available in black. From England, Rogers, long awaited LS2 and LS6 at £ 155 and £209 respectively live up to and beyond our very high expectations. From JBL in California, the new Ti series is not cheap, but could be said to advance the state of the art, albeit at a price. We have received our first pair of floor standing 240 Ti's and feel confident that they'll persuade one or two fortunate music lovers to invest £ 1,980 in this outstanding product, currently our gold level award for 1985.

At this price point, you should also listen to Magneplanar and the Audiostatics from Holland which will shortly be reviewed by Hi-Fi News. These speakers have received unbounded enthusiasm in the past, and anyone interested in something very special at price points of about £995 (the Hybies), £ 1,990 (Monolith One's), and £2,950 (the Monolith Two's) should arrange for a home dem — a must for any hi-polar loudspeakers.

The best amplifiers are hard to afford, but an opportunity has been created by a customer who has upgraded to SP- 10/D-115. We can offer in mint condition an Audio Research SP-8/D-70 at a price you may never see again, £2,500. If you hesitate you'll lose them, so phone now for details.

Dates for your diary 20th-22nd September at the Scottish Exhibition Centre, Glasgow. The Scottish Hi-fi and Video Exhibition. Tickets £1.

lst-2nd November Revox Clinic at the Music Room, Manchester. Have your equipment checked and aligned by Revox engineers. See and hear the Revox CD player and new cassette deck.

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With CD now firmly in the saddle, we are haying a

MONSTER LP SALE throughout the summer months. Although 1985, as we predicted, is proving to be the year of the Compact Disc, those who have not yet embraced the new technology wilt surely be glad of the opportunity of widening their LP libraries by choosing from the huge number of discs we are offering at half price or even less, all of them taken from new stock.

Meanwhile, the progress made by CD — not only in terms of sheer sales of players and discs, but also in the remarkable expansion of the available repertoire — continues to astonish even those of us whose commitment to the cause from the moment of its launch is, to coin a phrase, 'a matter of record'. Yet hardly a day passes without someone coming to our studio full of nonsensical. Hi-Fi media-derived notions that the process of going over to CD means (a) the acquisition of completely new equipment and lb) that it compels one to get rid of all one's LPs and begin once more from square one.

Others, seemingly unaware that CD was only launched after all the world's major record companies had committed themselves to its future, look to the fiasco of quadraphony in the early '70s an excuse for postponing action. Such people, when finally they do succumb, as they will in due course, may well wish they had done so earlier for, as I see it, life is too short for prevarication or, as the Bard put it, " In delay there lies no plenty."

Come to our sale, therefore, and use this opportunity of finding out what CD is really all about. In our studio you can listen to Philips and Yamaha CD players via the finest amplifiers and speakers or by means of comparatively modest ancillary components, and you will surely realise that, even if your own equipment is not very sophisti-cated. CD will make it sound better than ever before!

Thomas Heinitz

Heinitz & Kirk Ltd MUSIC IN THE HOME 35 Moscow Road Queensway London W2

Telephone: 01-229 2077 Opening hours: 9.30 to 5.30 ! I hors. 9.30 to I; I. ri. 9.30 to 7)

It}o HI-El NEWS & RECORD REVI LW SEPTEMBER 1985

ambience very unlike that of a good recital hall. Perhaps the engineers have made the best of their situation, but the success of this recording must chiefly lie with the perform-ances.

Fortunately, these are excellent. Janet Hil-ton uses the full range of expressive devices at her disposal to bring the most out of the music, and fully exploits those qualities that digital methods can bring to recording. The Lindsay Quartet are ideal partners in the Quintet, getting the balance of classical restraint and romantic ardour just right. Keith Swallow also gives of his best, but, as already indicated, the resultant piano sound is less than ideal because of the soupy acoustic. [B:1•]

Doug Hammond

ZAPPA: The Music of Francesco Zappa Barking Pumpkin Digital Gratification Consort/ Zappa EMI EJ 27 02561 digital dmm (EJ 27 02564)

Zappaleone is a fine ( if pseudo) Italianate musical dish which will delight the palates of all those gourmets whose greatest musical delight of the last 20 years was Switched on Bach. It consists of two delicious, lightly filled slivers of black musical plastic contain-ing ( most) of the music of the eponymous Francesco Zappa ( fl. 1763-88) whose first digital ( or any other) recording in over 200 years this is. Arranged with great good humour (and a £35,000+ Synclavier) as Opera I and IV, it will delight the mock-Baroque buff. It will also upset him since some of the individual two-movement works are represented solely by their second (or first) movements! The Barking (from which Francesco came) Pumpkin (which was his favourite dish) Digital (which it indubitably is from source until the analogue output) Gra-tification (which depends on taste) Consort (which depends on imagination and a lot of help from digital, and other, multitracking) performs with splendid taste and an unerring sense of idiom. The latter is in no small part to be credited

to Francesco's descendant Frank(o) who 'directs' all the operations — especially the difficult task of restoring the original music which only survives in some obscure and paleographically problematic manuscripts. No praise can be too high (or low) for this stupendous achievement. How could one offer less than [A*1•]?

Benedict Sarnaker

CLASSICAL COLLECTIONS ALL FOR ST ALBAN

SAINT-SAËNS/VIERNE: Stephen Darlington plays the Organ of St Alban's Abbey Stephen Darlington (org) Priory PR 164 digital ( PRC 164)

IN HONOUR OF ST ALBAN Ch of St Alban's Abbey/Stephen Darlington/ Andrew Parnell (org) Priory PR 165 digital ( PRC 165)

The first organ at St Alban's was erected in the 14th century; the present one dates from a William Hill of 1861 — one by Father Smith having been removed elsewhere. Since then there have been various remodellings, until 1972, and it is now a large and complex instrument — of which a full technical spe-cification is given in the notes. Music, however, must have formed an essential part of worship since the Benedictine Abbey was founded by King Offa in the eighth century. The music recorded here, apart from the splendid Agnus Dei from Fayrfax's Missa Albanus, is not directly concerned

with the martyr: it is music which has been traditionally performed On or about the feast-day. Together, these two issues give a compre-

hensive account of music in the Abbey in our own century; and very fine it is. Needless to say that Stephen Darlington's deployment of the vast resources of his noble instrument is technically brilliant and musically satisfying: never degenerating to mere display, but bringing out the ability it has to exult, triumph, meditate, mourn and even caress; and one does not need to know about organs to appreciate these qualities. The singing is robust and confident, even

in complex passages. For my taste the boys' tone is a little ' loud', tending to stridency; but I must emphasise that this is my taste and no more. These well-recorded discs will give pleasure to far more than local worship-pers. [A:1]

Peter Turner

BAROQUE GUITAR MUSIC: Bach/Scarlatti/Weiss Julian Byzantine (gtr) CfP 41 44861 digital (41 44864)

This issue is connected with the tercentenary of the births of Bach and Scarlatti — and Handel, for whom Leopold Weiss is substi-tuted, perhaps because his music was writ-ten for the lute, unlike that by Bach and Scarlatti. However, in this period there is no need to be disdainful about transcriptions, and everything played here sounds well enough as presented. A more important question is whether the

music can be made expressive in its new clothes, and it is here that I find Julian Byzantine somewhat lacking: his playing can sound rather uniform and inflexible— charac-teristics which are, so to speak, endemic to the guitar, and can be banished only by an exceptional depth of imagination and analy-sis. It is here that Julian Bream seems to me still pre-eminent among contemporary per-formers. Not surprisingly, he was a pupil of Segovia. Nevertheless, Byzantine has a superb command of his instrument, and always gives great pleasure even where he does not add greatly to understanding and enlargement of the music. This is a very pleasant recording, sounding

natural and unforced. It was made in a London church, which gives it a pleasingly airy acoustic, through which the music can unfold engagingly. [A:21

Peter Turner

DECCA 'GRANDI VOCI' SERIES

Horne: Arias by Rossini Marilyn Horne (m-sop)/Ambrosian Op Ch/RPO/ Lewis Decca GRV 411 828-1 (411 828-4) Reissues from 1972

Patzak: Arias by Offenbach, Richard Strauss, Wag-ner, & Viennese 'Heurigen songs Julius Patzak (ten)NPO/Schrammel Qt/Various con-ductors Decca GRV 414 178-1 (4 (414 178-4) Reissues from 1950-54

Prey: Lieder by Schubert & Schumann Hermann Prey (bar)/Karl Engel (pno) Decca GRV 414 182-1 (414 182-4) Reissues from 1964

Rysanek: Excerpts from operas by Richard Strauss & Wagner Leonie Rysanek Isopl/ROH Orch & ChNPO & Ch/Various supporting artists & conductors Decca GRV 414 177-1 (414 177-4) Reissues from 1955-61

Sass: Arias by Puccini & Verdi Sylvia Sass (sop)/LSO/Gardelli Decca GRV 414 175-1 (414 175-4) Reissues from 1977

Marilyn Home's Rossini recital is an absolute tour de force. Her technique in these

extremely difficult arias is quite staggering and sets a standard for others to follow. The recording too is very good for its period and the disc should on no account be missed [A/B:1•]. Julius Patzak was a veteran when he made these mono recordings and the bloom has worn off the voice, leaving a rather dry nasal sound, although the authority and musicianship are still there [H:2]. Hermann Prey was in splendid voice when he recorded this recital early in his career. He sings with great intelligence and warm, unforced tone. Karl Engel is the excellent accompanist and this reissue can be strongly recommended on all counts [8:1*]. Leonie Rysanek had a reputation as an interpreter of the Richard Strauss operas and the lighter Wagnerian roles. Unfortunately the orchestral sound is very dated and this is a serious drawback, especially in the Richard Strauss items, but there is some lovely singing here [C:1]. Sylvia Sass had a great success at Covent Garden some years ago, but seems to have failed to maintain her early promise. She sings well here, although Turandot's big aria ' In questa reggia' tests her severely. She is more successful in the other Puccini arias and the Verdi ones, including a fine 'Sleep-walking Scene' from Macbeth [13:1/21.

John Freestone

DECCA 'LONDON ENTERPRISE' SERIES

BLOCH: Schelomo j Voice in the Wilderness Janos Starker (WO/Israel PO/Mehta Decca 414 166-1 (414 166-4) Reissue from 1970

BARTOK: Bluebeard's Castle Christa Ludwig/Walter Berry/LSO/Kertesz Decca 414 167-1 (414 167-4) Reissue from 1966

VARESE: Arcana I Integrales lonisation• LA Perc Ens*/LAPO/Mehta Decca 414 170-1 (414 170-4) Reissue from 1972

SCHOENBERG: Serenade Op.24* I Ode to Napo-leon Op. 41** H Die Eiserne Brigade Weihnach-tsmusik John Shirley Quirk (bar)•/Gerald English (reciter)* */London Sinfonietta/Atherton Decca 414 171-1 (414 171-4) Reissue from 1974

Decca's new mid-price London Enterprise label is dedicated to recordings of classic stature of important, yet often overlooked, corners of the 20th-century repertoire — a 'softer' version of the DG Collectors Series and a parallel with the Philips Sequenza Special releases. Most are newly cut. Of Bloch's two Hebraic pieces for cello and

orchestra, the earlier Schelomo is the more heart-felt — to today's listener Voice in the Wilderness is more Hollywood than Hag-gada. Both pieces are full of quarter-tone laments and evocations of the cantor. Star-ker and the IPO are first-class advocates, whilst Decca's engineering team provide a spacious sound with a gently spotlit soloist. The clarity and impact is at times dramatic indeed. [A/A• : 1]

Bluebeard's Castle was the first of Bartok's works to be heavily influenced by his resear-ches into Hungarian folk music. Bartok con-veys the Bluebeard legend in a static set-piece — one could almost say the listener is inside Bluebeard's thoughts — and this suits the work to the recording medium. To under-stand the work the full Prologue should be read (a shame it was not recorded here) before hearing the opera, for it is in the Prologue that the symbolism of the piece is explicitly mapped out. Kertesz' soloists remain without doubt the best on disc, despite more recent recordings with Fischer-Dieskau, Saas and Troyanos. Kertesz too gives us the full authentic Hungarian flavour and balances drama and gentle lyricism. The recording has aged well and sounds particu-larly fine now that modern disc cutting can offer a full dynamic range LP side of the necessary length — for this work lasts well

I II -FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW sEvrEmBi it 1985

nigh one hour. [A:1*/1] The great strengths of Mehta's classic

1972 Varese collection are the wonderfully rich and detailed sound coupled with a confident, easy approach which makes this music readily approachable. The relatively short LP sides encourage dramatic transfers full of transient attack and deep, powerful bass. Explorations of a world of timbre, rhythm and percussion, it is hard to reconcile oneself to the fact that even the most recent of these works was written over 50 years ago. Such strong advocacy and recording clarity makes this issue an essential basic library purchase. [A•/A:1•1 Decca have coupled four pieces from the

Atherton 1974 Schoenberg Chamber Music box to produce a well balanced collection lasting just short of the hour. The Serenade is easily the most accessible of Schoenberg's 12-tone works - a positive and witty piece where the instrumentation for clarinet, bass clarinet, mandolin, guitar and string trio cannot fail to delight. Only the setting of the Petrach Sonnet in ( iv) is self-conscious, though John Shirley-Quirk pulls the listener through. Side 2 couples two ' militaristic' pieces, the debunking Ode and the mess room Iron Brigade (performed without the whoops and cock crows), and the utterly delightful arrangement of music we know as Silent Night. A well thought-out collection guaranteed to win listeners. [A:1]

David Prakel

nandez is the equal of any artist in the field today: his technique is astounding, no less. You would have to use a very fine comb to extract blemishes, and who's bothering to do that in the face of such power? And when it comes to more interpretatively demanding works, Fernandez, unlike some of his con- temporaries, worms his way into the music and presents it with a variety of phrasing and tone-colour which betokens detailed study of the structure and intent of each piece. In this, Fernandez belongs to a select few, and this issue offers both superb playing and satis- tying musical interpretation,

This is a fine recording, too: very brilliant and ' present'. However, I did not feel that the inner nature of the sound came across as it occasionally does in the greatest of record- ings: one does not hear those inner con- versations which go on within the instru- ment itself - or at least not to perfection. This, however, I mention only against the background of a very fine rendition: the few really great recordings do tend to spoil one. [A:1*1

Peter Turner

Ravel, which is absolutely right: here is the composer grappling with modernism. Tonal half-light for the sake of it weakens the argument, and Ravel's characteristic harmo-nic language is there for all to hear - if they are willing to lend an ear to the implied harmony apparent from just two instru-ments. The slow movement is unfolded with great intensity and beauty of sound, and both artists relish the burlesque elements in the finale. None of the other works is other-wise currently available. The Rivier, dedi-cated 'très amicalement' to a married couple of friends, is indeed amicable, expressive rather in the manner of some Martinu. The two- movement Duo recorded here, however, is more austere, with some satis-fyingly productive tensions of tonality and a wild cadenza. In this work, as in the tren-chant and lyrical Honegger, with its jaunty finale ( perhaps this is the most texturally and harmonically opulent of all four works), the Turovskys are unfailingly sympathetic. [A • : 1 ]

Andrew Keener

PHILIPS REISSUES

During the late 1960s and early '70s Philips released several highly acclaimed chamber music recordings, and these five reissues are among the most distinguished. The Berlin Philharmonic Octet's account of the Beeth-oven Septet (412 394-1), first released in 1973, may not have captured all the youthful gaiety of the music, but has poise and is well balanced and clean-sounding. [A/B:1/2] The Beaux Arts Trio, on the other hand, are

wholly admirable in their performances of Dvorak's Dumky Trio (6503 063) and the Shostakovitch/lves Piano Trios (412 402-1). The first has already been reissued once before, when it was given a fill- up. This has now been removed so in terms of playing time it may seem short measure, but the quality of the performance is beyond reproach. Originally released in 1969, the

FRENCH MUSIC FOR VIOLIN AND CELLO HONEGGER: Sonatine/MARTINU: Duo/RAVEL: Sonata/RIVIER: Sonatine Eleonora & Yuli Turovsky (yin & vc1) Chandos ABRD 1121 digital lABTD 11211

The only thing wrong with this record is its title. Roussel may have taught Martinu a thing or two in Paris during the early twen- ties, but it takes more than that to alter somebody's nationality. That silliness aside, this is an outstanding disc, recorded in a way which harnesses the reverberant spaces of St George the Martyr with no loss in pre- sence. There is no boo' . to the lower cello register ( as can happen in this building) and separation is unexaggerated. (indisputably starworthy. The Turovskys offer a tough account of the

EDUARDO FERNANDEZ: Guitar Recital - Legnani/ Giuliani/Sor/Diabelli/Paganini Eduardo Fernandez (gtr) Decca 414 160-1 digital 1414 160-41

Aside from Sor's Magic Flute variations, the music here is not of the most frequently played, and ranges from the showpiece to more musically strenuous stuff. For the virtuoso aspects of the recital, Eduardo Fer-

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sound is a bit congested but the playing more than compensates [B:11. The other record is also a gem. The Ives Trio is a rarity. It has two highly rhapsodical outer move-ments enshrining a typically raucous Ivesian rag-bag scherzo, not at all what one would expect the Beaux Arts to tackle. They bring it off in style, and the finale is uncommonly expressive. The Shostakovich Trio, his second (0p.67), is a wartime work, highly personal, written in memory of a great friend. The playing is totally committed and the balance and sound quality of both trios first-class. The recording dates from 1975. [A:1•]

Like the Beaux Arts Trio, the Quartetto Italiano can be relied on to give perform-ances that seldom fall below the excellent. Their Mozart series has been in process of reissue for a long time and has remained a bench-mark since its original release in 1971. Mozart Quartets Nos.1-4 (412 398-1) offers thoughtful and seriously considered accounts of some attractive but scarcely revelatory music in a recording that has lost a little of its first bloom but which remains perfectly acceptable (B:1]. Their Schubert Quartet in G (412 401-1), released in 1978, is a model of sustained intensity. Few quartets have bettered the Italians' grasp of the long first movement, or excelled their rhythmic control of the livelier ones [A:1/1*].

Kenneth Dommett

JANET BAKER RECITAL Songs and arias by Bach, Berlioz, Campian, Chab-rier, Elgar, Fauré, Gounod, Mahler, Massenet, Mendelssohn, Monro & R Strauss Janet Baker (m-sop)Nanous accompanists CfP 41 44871 (41 44874) Reissues from 1965-73

This is a splendid sampler of the art of Dame Janet, and shows many facets of her amaz-ing versatility. All of the selections have been issued before and many are included in the album The Art of Dame Janet Baker (EMI SLS 5275). Surprisingly, there is one compa-rative failure: she sings 'I know where I'm going' most beautifully, but the essential simplicity of the folk-song is missing — it sounds much too sophisticated. However, this apart, the record is a series of gems and the recording is always good to very good. I would suggest an overall (A/B:1*].

John Freestone

ZUKERMAN'S BAROQUE HANDEL: Concerto Grosso Op.6/1 "' Arrival of the Queen of Sheba/PACHELBEL: Canon & Gigue in D/PURCELL: Chaconne in g ( arr. Britten)/ RAMEAU: Tambourin en Rondeau/TELEMANN: Concerto in G•/VIVALDI: Concerto RV.253 'La Tempesta di mare' St Paul CO/Zukerman (On, *via) Philips 412 215-1 digital (412 215-4)

One can understand those who want a palliative to the AAM/Hogwood sound, and in his Sept '83 interview Pinchas Zukerman did not disguise his scepticism of the 'authentic' approach. Yet I am unhappy about aspects of this popular programme, made in 1983. The Pachelbel has a romanti-cally diffuse sound, builds up with fervour but lacks the lovely quiet detailing of Richard Hickox' version. There is a bony, thrusting quality that makes the Purcell sound more like Samuel Barber ( again, contrast the sing-ing lines of Hickox': Agro ZRG866). In Handel's Concerto Grosso, ( ii) is excellent, lithe; but in the Adagio, one queries what true feeling lies behind the apparent expressivity. In Queen of Sheba I hear a breathless restlessness in the high speeds, also pervading the Vivaldi concerto. In Zukerman's 1973 CBS recording ( ECO) there was more to enjoy in the solo playing: now, in a bland finale, Zukerman sounds over-loud. He has shifted fully into a 19th century style, missing all the drama and expectancy that Harnoncourt stirs in the music. The St Paul recording gives the orchestra a

heavy spreading bass; the sound is very blended, except that the solo group in the Handel is quite overblown in scale; orches-tral violins are not very incisive. The rating reflects technical efficiency versus artistic content (as I perceive it). (A/C:1/31

Christopher Breunig

e

u

LYRITA: BRITISH MUSIC

BANTOCK: Overture to a Greek Tragedy— Oedipus at Colonus/STANFORD: Irish Rhapsody No.4, Op.141 Philharmonia/LPO/Braithwaite Lyrita SRCS 123 (NC)

HOIST: Suite de Ballet in E L, Op.10/WARLOCK: An Old Song for small Orchestra H Serenade for Strings H Capriol Suite LPO/LSO/Boult/Brasthvvaite Lyrita SRCS 120 INC(

LEIGH: Concertino for Harpsichord & String Orchestra :1Music for String Orchestra II Overture & Dance (The Frogs) : 1 A Midsummer Night's Dream Suite Trevor Pinnock (hpd)/LPO/Braithvvaite Lyrita SRCS 126 (NC)

STANFORD: Piano Concerto No.2 in c, Op.126 Malcolm Binns (pno)/LSO/Braithwaite Lyrita SRCS 102 (NC)

MORE LYRITA LILLIPOPS Works by Alwyn, Balfe, Bax Berners, Elgar, Grain-ger, Harty, Leigh Philharmonia/LPO/NPO/RPO/Alwyn/Braithwaite/ Davis/Handley Lyrita SRCS 99 INC)

It's a joy to receive for review such an excellent batch of records from a company so committed to a worthwhile musical goal. Virtually none of the works recorded here is otherwise available in the present catalogue, and the standard of performance and record-ing that Lyrita have sustained for the series ensures that this (for the most part) rarely heard music is given more than a fair chance of making its mark. The works by Bantock and Stanford on the

first record date from 1911 and 1913 respec-tively, and belong to the tone-poem genre. Bantock's Overture is a powerful, extravert piece, and its histrionics are most capably taken up by Nicholas Braithwaite and forged into a shapely and effective work. The Philharmonia display a few moments of raggedness, but for the most part their playing is full of vigour and technical dexter-ity. The recording retains their good, open sound and the only instances of textures meshing derive from the scoring. I particu-

larly enjoyed the orchestral balance, with the woodwinds coming through the texture clearly without artificial spotlighting. The dynamic range and frequency response are both wide and there is an impressive bite to the brass. Despite the immediacy of the sound, the setting is spacious and placing is defined with razor-edged sharpness. Stan-ford's fourth Irish Rhapsody is a very diffe-rent, less brash piece, but Braithwaite's reading of this score is equally impressive, managing the balance between delicacy and bombast just right, and receiving a gratifying commitment from the players of the LPO. The fine cor-anglais playing must be men-tioned, but there are numerous delightful passages from other soloists within the orchestra. The recorded sound is not quite as unpolluted as on Side 1, but it is still lucid and vivid, with the orchestral colours graphi-cally conveyed. [A•/A:1*)

Holst's Suite de Ballet (1900 rev. 1912) is an early work which doesn't bear the typical hallmarks of his mature style, though a number of his later structural features, quirks of orchestration, and characteristic textures are preshadowed in this entertaining com-position. It receives here a performance full of joy and bounce, splendidly capturing its terpsichorean origins. I presume it is the LPO's leader, David Nolan, who provides the sweet-toned violin solo so capably in the 'Scene de Nuit'. Side 2 contains what amounts to all of Peter Warlock's original music for orchestra, including the full-orchestra version of the Capriol Suite (1928). Interestingly, the performance chosen of An old song is by Boult with the LPO, and the recording stands comparison with its more recent companions very well. In general the sound is bright, with good presence; there are moments of added stridency and bass boom, but these are not particularly impor-tant. [A:1•] Walter Leigh ( 1905-42) is often cited as a

craftsman-composer, turning his hand and style to whatever commission came along. In a way that is correct, but it does suggest that his music lacked a clear and individual personality. The Concertino recorded here gives the lie to that suggestion, for its idiom is very much Leigh's own; only occasionally, as at the end of the first movement, does the music overtly allude to the gebrauchsmusik style of Hindemith, and even there it acquires a meaningful significance to which Hindemith himself only rarely ascended in his own works in the genre. The Music for String Orchestra, despite being written to the level of amateur players, is similarly indi-

vidual in its writing. Only the MND Suite and Frogs give a clearer indication of the jobbing composer, though they contain much that is attractive. Trevor Pinnock's playing in the outer movements of the Concertino is crisp and infectiously rhythmic: he keeps the pace and impetus going well in sections that tend to sag in lesser hands, and is able to sustain lines beautifully in the slow movement. The LPO support him with suitably brisk efficiency and the strings treat the Music with similar thought and perceptiveness. Shaping of phrases in the Midsummer Night's Dream Suite is less interesting, though never less than fine, and these two works sound less spaciously recorded, with-out the depth and presence of Side 1; but this could all be the result of pressing inequalities. Overall, this is a very enjoyable and useful is§ue, to be warmly welcomed. (A/B:1*/11 The second of Stanford's three Piano

Concertos was completed in 1911 and is an interesting and entertaining work, though not of the quality of some other pieces in the genre that were being composed at about the same time. Its main deficiencies lie in the melodic material, which fails to arrest the attention, and the undynamic use of harmo-nic structure in an idiom which demands powerful harmonic change. However, Mal-colm Binns gives a vigorous and dedicated account of the work, almost, though not quite, matched by the LSO, who become a little matter-of-fact at times. The recording is generally open and agreeable, not quite of the quality of the first disc of this batch, but certainly without serious blemish. [A:11 The final issue in this group, another disc

of British Lollipops from Lyrita, finds Nicho-las Braithwaite again carrying the main conducting burden, with a variety of orches-tras, but ably aided by William Alwyn in his own Festival March of 1950, Vernon Handley in a not-quite idiomatic reading of Bax's Irish Landscape and a capriciously lively view of 'The Fair-Day' from Hamilton Harty's An Irish Symphony, and Andrew Davis putting plenty of zest into Elgar's P & C March No.5. The programme is well balanced, showing the variety that British music can encompass, and the sound is typically vivid and char-acterful. All very enjoyable. [A:1*/11

All these discs highlight again the talent of Nicholas Braithwaite and the fine work he does with Lyrita, and elsewhere, to prom-ulgate the cause of much relatively unknown British music. I look forward eagerly to the next releases from this source.

Doug Hammond

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Rock Pop Jazz &e

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY: SOMETHIN' ELSE Blue Note BST 81598

ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS: THE BIG BEAT Blue Note BST 84029

Cannonball had joined Miles Davis but hadn't yet recorded with him when he assembled a studio group for this session in March 1958. Miles appears as an honoured guest who in the end dominates the music. Hank Jones, Sam Jones and a restrained but powerful Art Blakey provide near-perfect support, going to the characteristic two-beat bass pattern behind Miles on the ballads. Adderley's alto occasionally sounds so jaunty as to be trite, as if he knows it is not worth trying to match the studied intensity of Miles. Only a year or so later, he would reunite with his brother Nat and emerge as a leader again, this time with his own group sound and a happy, saleable kind of azz that owed much less to Davis or depth, and provide the Riverside label with a string of successful albums. Somethin' Else catches Cannonball in an attractive though clearly transitional phase. By the mid 1960s, Art Blakey's Jazz Mes-

sengers were as much of an institution as the M.10, though a much hipper one, of course. The Messengers' turnover of personnel was less rapid than in recent years though, and Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons and Jymie Merritt, who along with Wayne. Shorter appear on The Big Beat, were all fa rly long servers. All play with consistent excellence here. Less frenetic than some of the live Blakey albums, this one has more lasting appeal than some recent efforts. Despite the label on the sleeve, this is a stereo record. Sound quality is good if not quite as crystal clear as many of the Blue Note classics. [A/B:2/11

Steve Harris

BAND OF THE IRISH GUARDS: MARCHES FROM THE CLASSICS Bandleader BND 1018

Marches, in this case, are not necessarily those that can be marched to by the military. So as well as the two best-known wedding marches, there is a long track from the last movement of Tchaikovsky's Fifth, and there is a militarised version of In The Hall Of The Mountain King' from the Peer Gynt suite arranged as a patrol, the music which is played during an inspection parade. It is all resounding stuff, crisply played and recorded, but it seems rather outline prog-ramming when compared with that exciting recent issue by the Band of RAF Germany featuring much original material by its direc-tor of music. The man in charge of the Irish Guards' music is Major MG Lane — and equally important on parade is the regi-ment's Irish wolfhound mascot, seen on the sleeve. [A:21 Bandleader Records, specialists in m:litary

music, also sent a double alburn of the Military Musical Pageant at Wembley Sta-dium (BMC 3001), but as this dates from 1983 it was intended more as proof of what their recording resources can do on big occasions rather than for review as a new issue. It has some magnificent noises (including 25-pdr field guns) and it all took miles of cable and dozens of microphones, but I have had better musical experiences from a single mic in a studio. No rating.

Denis Argent

BIX BEIDERBECKE: THE STUDIO GROUPS, 1927 EMI EG 26 05271 (EG 26 05274)

That was the year of 'Singin' the Blues', a classic if there ever was one. Even in the 1930s we knew it. Even before I bought it, I had heard it so often in those rare early BBC 'hot music' record recitals that I could whis-tle the Bix chorus. It was a record one used as proof to jazz- haters that the music was not all fast and noisy. In fact my own favourite Bix record, bought later, was the hard-driving and vivid ' Riverboat Shuffle', also on this record in the Retrospect series. The lilting ' I'm Coming, Virginia' is here too — but I must admit that some of the tracks seem makeweights, and Bix' piano piece ' In A Mist' is mere salon music. OK, Bix was a genius — but the doubt comes: could that marvellous tone and inventiveness have stood up in today's LP world where a trumpet player is expected to be a genius for 10 minutes on end? Bix' solos are like those 'jewels five words long' that Tennyson wrote about, with the Odes of Horace in mind Brian Rust's sleevenote should help today's listeners to understand why whole books have been written about a man whose recording career lasted little more than five years. [H]

Denis Argent

CHICK COREA AND STEVE KUJALA: VOYAGE ECM 1282

I've been wary of Chick Corea's music for some time. His flirtations with classical music have made me feel uneasy because the music sounds uneasy to my ears. But this album is different, or maybe I'm just hearing it differently. Although the piano and flute duets are either freely improvised, or impro-vised on themes, this doesn't sound like a jazz album. There's an absolute cleanness and precision more often associated with classical music, the music played in a deliberate, considered manner, and the impression it gives is of cold calmness. Any more cold calmness and it might slip com-pletely over to the uneventful and uninspir-ing, but there's enough intellectual spark in the music to hold the attention. The album is splendidly recorded, perfectly matching the distanced poise of the performers. [A* : 21

Ken Hyder

LOL COXHILL Nato 157

COUSCOUS

Lol Coxhill is one of those characters people call eccentric. I wouldn't call him that because he's all too aware of exactly what he's doing, but there's no denying his zany, tangential approach to life and music. For Coxhill there're 101 ways of making music. You're almost as likely to hear him in a jazz club as on stage with a rock band, and he used to be known as one of the best buskers in London's West End. This album sees Coxhill being serious about being funny as well as being serious about being serious. The first side is a magnificent send-up of an imaginary discovery of a long- lost record of a legendary New Orleans jazz musician. Accompanied by some other laugh-a-minute performers, Coxhill plays his New Orleans dirge over phoney surface noise. It's magni-ficent because Coxhill has nothing against New Orleans jazz and the humour is delicately ambivalent throughout. The serious stuff on Side 2 is harder to penetrate. [A/B:1]

Ken Hyder

MILES DAVIS: YOU'RE UNDER ARREST CBS 26447

Miles Davis breaks the rules — and gets away with it. So many of the ingredients of this music would destroy other players but this is perhaps the most overtly commercial of Davis' albums. There's the rap-nonsense number about someone getting arrested where the flip-hip verbals are contrasted with playing of most original trumpet, ever.

Then there's the Davis-runs-the-pop-song-down routine with 'Time After Time' and 'Human Nature' which will have the jazz purists running for their sick bags. But when you think of it, jazzers have always taken the pop songs of the day and turned them into jazz vehicles. Musically, Davis has moved closer to the kind of music you'd hear on a Michael Jackson album: slick, electric and glossy. But there's an ambivalence because °OP Davis' own playing is always present on his , own terms. He's using the genre for his own ' e ends. Maybe this is the logical conclusion of Davis' career since he began electrifying his N music. On this album even some of the drum tracks are electric. Of course it doesn't matter a damn what it is — jazz, funk, soul, electro-pop or something new and undefined. If your ears like it, then enjoy. If your pre-judices offend, then cut them out. [A* : 11

Ken Hyder

BENNY GOODMAN: BENNY GOODMAN IN HI-FI EMI/Capitol ED 26 04261 (ED 26 04264)

The point of the title is that hi-fi was something to shout about in 1954, and the record comes in its original Capitol sleeve illustrating musicians with short hair. It's a landmark record because I feel it represents a last attempt to reunite men of the old BG band at a time when the big band era was fading — and BG post-war lacked the wartime nostalgia factor which kept the Glenn Miller sound alive. I know BG toured for many years worldwide after 1954, but not with the eight former sidemen who came together to play in the old style with several newcomers such as Ruby Braff. There are quintet and sextet tracks too, with Charlie Shavers added. Outstanding soloist is Mel Powell, who by 1954 had left the jazz world for the academic life of a piano professor. How modern 'Airmail Special' seemed in 1941! Here it's revived with a superb Mel Powell chorus which is as sensational for 1954 as the old Charlie Christian solo had been. And 'Somebody Stole My Gal' has the exact sound of the original Fletcher Henderson arrangements of 1936. The big bands that survived the 1950s had to change — but what grace and good taste there was in the old Goodman era. [13:1/2]

Denis Argent

GRACIE FIELDS: THE GOLDEN AGE OF GRACIE FIELDS MW GX 41 25301 (GX 41 25304)

Listeners and viewers of today need to be assured that Gracie Fields was, for about 10 years, Britain's biggest star of films and the variety stage — a national figure. Unlike pop stars, she was admired by all age groups; a striking soprano who was also a rip-roaring comedienne. When I watched the star at a recording session in the old Crystalate stu-dios at West Hampstead in 1937, it was a young journalist's day to remember. She recorded 'Small Hotel' (then a brand-new hit from the first West End production of On Your Toes), one of her comic songs, Rom-berg's Desert Song and Victor Herbert's Ah, Sweet Mystery Of Life. Versatile! For reasons which had nothing to do with her talent as a performer, her fame faded — she was still only 47 when the war ended. But this album, including items from a live variety perform-ance, and several songs from her films, 1934-39, presents her at the height of her powers and her popularity. Only Cilla Black today comes anywhere near the phe-nomenon that was Gracie Fields; this record shows how much today's 'stars' need to learn. [H]

Denis Argent

DEXTER GORDON: OUR MAN IN PARIS Blue Note BST 84146

With so much jazz offered by small com-panies with bizarre names and purist poli-

hiFi NEWS RE(ORI) REVIEW SEP!EMBER 1985

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106 HI- El NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1985

cies, let's give full credit to EMI, the big bad giant, for their huge reissue project for most of the classic Blue Note catalogue. This record is just a sample choice from their first batch of post- 1955 recordings, and it pre-sents Dexter Gordon as perfectly typical of the period. As the title implies, the tenor star was recorded in Paris in 1963 with other star expatriates, Bud Powell and Kenny Clarke. At 40, he had developed beyond his bop-era origins; Leonard Feather called him 'the first man to synthesise the Young, Hawkins and Parker Styles'. That doesn't truly describe his originality. He has a surprising way with ballads that I find fascinating. As the ballads here include special favourites like 'Willow Weep For Me' and 'Stairway To The Stars' (memories of the wartime Skyrockets!), this has been on my turntable a lot in recent months. My belated review is a plea for great talents at their peak, in a period before (to quote Philip Larkin) modern jazz started to be ugly on purpose — with Coltrane setting the style around 1965. [A:19

Denis Argent

NORMAN GRANTZ: JAZZ AT THE PHILHARMO-NIC, HARTFORD 1953 Pablo 2308-240

Hitherto unissued, this concert from Connec-ticut is worth the money for the 11-minute set in which the Oscar Peterson Quartet was joined by Lester Young at his best. That set is preceded by a longer quartet run of four tunes, including a fast 'Good Enough To Keep' featuring Herb Ellis, and six minutes of 'The Man I Love' at a gentle, ambling tempo. The same tempo reappears when Pres plays a long blues, then he burbles creatively on 'I Cover The Waterfront'. Less to my taste is the tearaway finale called 'Up 'N Adam'. Most of the first side is a jam session on 'Cottontail'. There is too much screaming trumpet from Roy Eldridge, but Ben Webster and Flip Philips are a pleasantly contrasting pair of tenor men at fast tempo. But the surprise star is Bill Harris on trombone, whom I had usually thought of as a big band soloist. The double sleeve, with brief note by Grantz, has 14 action pictures of the musi-cians to capture the spirit of the occasion. The recording, complete with announce-ments and noises off, was made in the Bushnell Memorial Auditorium in Hartford, and is good enough. Good enough, in fact, to keep. [A/B:1/21

Denis Argent

STANLEY JORDAN: MAGIC TOUCH Blue Note COP 46092 2 (53m 22s)

One track, ' New Dance', is omitted from the liner notes, but there is otherwise nothing to complain about with this collection of instrumental reworkings of such favourites as 'Eleanor Rigby', Jim, Hendrix' Angel' and Thad Jones' A Child Is Born', as well as classics of 'cool' jazz such as Miles Davis' 'Freddie Freeloader' and Thelonious Monk's 'Round Midnight'. Jordan, a young graduate of the post-George Benson school of electric guitar picking who also pays single-handed hommage to Les Paul, astonishes with his ability to soar melodically at the same time as providing rhythmic backing oozing funk from every pore. And all this without any overdubs, Jordan using his right hand to hammer on high melodic lines at the same time as his left hand is forming chord shapes. Sound quality is Earl Klugh-ish squeaky clean. File under 'Crossover guitar — red hot and spicey'. [A:1*1

John Atkinson

KATRINA AND THE WAVES: KATRINA AND THE WAVES Capitol/EMI EJ 24 0315 1

Nothing beats the repeat of a sensation you once enjoyed, one you thought would never re-occur. It's been ages since I've heard a

whole pop LP full of tickles in league with 'Eight Days A Week', 'Look Through Any Window', or 'Sweets For My Sweet'. Yes, good people, pure pop is back, and Cyndi Lauper, the Go-Gos, and the Bangles weren't merely isolated cases. No, this stuff isn't to be written off as lightweight, just because it has the audacity to sound unfashionably fresh, or because it's fun to hear. Katrina and her sidekicks are pop wizards who know that a catchy tune, snappy lyrics and a show of enthusiasm are much welcomed in these days of brooding celibate gays and homoge-nised hair stylist's dummies. If you've been near a radio this year you'll have heard the stunning 'Walking On Sunshine', or maybe even the shades-of-Nick-Lowe-these-are-our-influences 'Going Down To Liverpool'; they're just the tip of a delicious iceberg. This band is too good to be true — Katrina even looks as nice as she sounds. Buy or die. Wig Ken Kessler

LER01 BROTHERS: FORGET ABOUT THE DANGER . . . THINK OF THE FUN Demon VEX4 (Mini LP) LER01 BROTHERS: PROTECTION FROM ENEMIES Demon FIEND41

As the drummer is ex-Fabulous Thunder-birds, you can guess that the LeRoi Brothers (none of whom bear that name) represent the leading edge of Texas-style rock. A ( chili bean) feast for guitar lovers, both slabs of vinyl combine elements of rockabilly, Tex-Mex, Cajun, and Zydeco, and the result is like Los Lobos without the over-the-top meaningless testimonials. Forget About The Danger . . . is a six-track mini-LP of last year's vintage; there was a change of guitarist from Don Leady to Evans Johns in the transition toward Protection from Enemies — a full-scale LP. The latter gives greater identity to the LeRois, especially the judicious use of accordion (thankfully not in Polka fashion), and the songs are better, too. Note in particular a track called 'Elvis In The Army' if you want to know how these boys think. This is pure party material, less frenetic than Jason and the Scorchers, and there's plenty in the way of subtle fretwork for those of you still in need of guitar heroes. The six-track is [A/B:1/2], the LP a proper [A:1].

Ken Kessler

LONNIE MACK: THE WHAM OF THAT MEMPHIS MAN

Demon/Edsel Reissues THE BEAU BRUMMELS: BRADLEY'S BARN Edsel ED151

LORD BUCKLEY: BLOWING HIS MIND (AND YOURS TOO) Demon Verbals VERB2

AL GREEN: I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU Hi/Demon HI UKLP 407

AL GREEN: CALL ME Hi/Demon HI UKLP 409

AL GREEN: PRECIOUS LORD Hi/Demon HI UKLP 429

DAN HICKS & HIS HOT LICKS: ORIGINAL RECORD-INGS Edsel ED144

KURSAAL FLYERS: IN FOR A SPIN Edsel ED142

MAD RIVER: MAD RIVER Edsel ED140

DOUG SAHM AND BAND: DOUG SAHM AND BAND Edsel E0154

SHADOWS OF KNIGHT: GEE-EL-O-ARE-I-AY Edsel ED157

IKE & TINA TURNER SHOW: LIVE Edsel ED152

LINK WRAY & THE RAYMEN: LINK WRAY & THE RAYMEN Edsel E0149

Demon Records, and its subsidiary Edsel, have undertaken a reissue programme so varied and ambitious that music lovers — as opposed to bread-head record collectors — should pay homage and push for the MD's OBE. Instead of pulling a one-genre stance by reissuing only soul, blues or psychedelia, the company has looked at what we most need, but can only obtain if we're prepared to pay some goniff £10 or £15. All the above records were long-unavailable, or only on import; you can now get them for the price of a standard release. A thumbnail descrip-tion of each is in order: The Beau Brummels were the first post-

Beatles band to show that Americans still had what it took. Pre-dating the San Fran-cisco boom by a couple of years, they made it to the charts a couple of times. Bradley's Barn shows them as the innovators they were, beating Dylan to Nashville by a year. The vocals will floor you. [A:1/1') Lord Buck-ley, on the other hand, will probably offend,

he of gravelly voice and Lenny Bruce vision. A monologue from Buckley — no music here — is the essence of bizarre, and 25 years after he died, he still comes off as wilder than anything. He inspired the Albertos' CP Lee; maybe he'll inspire you. [H) for both categor-ies, obviously standing for 'Hip'. Al Green, though, should appeal to everybody, and it amazes me that this most wonderful of soul men has to have his LPs reissued when they shouldn't have been deleted in the first place. The last named is from his less entertaining gospel period — still current — but the whole catalogue is due for reappear-ance, so don't let the religion put you off. (A/B:1/1 .1 for all. Dan Hicks, ex-Charlatans, put the cool back into country swing, while Doug Sahm put it back into country, period. Both the LPs chosen for release by Edsel are their best, while Mad River's effort shows what was happening to psychedelia at its peak. These three titles represent late '60s/ early '70s American music of a less commer-cial nature, and are no less interesting or worthy because of that. Hicks and Sahm are [A:1/21; Mad River is beyond classification. Demon went deeper into the vaults for the

Turners' LP, heard here at their peak; you can only wonder why the hell Ike ever let her go. Rousing soul at its best, even though Tina gets better. [BA] Link Wray, he of 'Rumble' fame, was — along with Lonnie Mack — a leading edge guitarist who hadn't been cleaned up by a marketing man. This LP will show you why America is now into its fourth generation of players untouchable for sheer raunchworthiness. [B:1/21

But what are the Kursaals doing amidst these Yanks? One of England's finest '70s pop machines, along with Squeeze, the Kursaals are alleged to be back together, so this compilation of their best work ( incuding five previously unreleased tracks) is timely. Actually a reissue of a German compilation on the Line label, all that's changed is the front cover. If you were a fan of the Records, buy this to learn how Will Birch paid his dues. [A:1]

But out of this massive collection of pre-mium reissues, the one that hits me most is the Shadows of Knight collection, a slightly altered version of the compilation released by Radar a few years back. The Shadows of Knight were the mid-'60s American garage band; the LP's title is the refrain from their only real hit. They weren't kitsch, they were real, proof-positive that any bunch of teena-gers could have a good time with guitars and cheap mics — a decade before the Sex Pistols. If you want to know what Americans were really hearing over the AM waves late at night way back when, try this. [B:4), so bad it's brilliant. If you grok 'Louie, Louie', that becomes [A*: 1*1 Demon, I love you. Ken Kessler

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108 III-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1985

1 Edsel ED158 LONNIE MACK: STRIKE LIKE LIGHTNING Sonet SNTF935

Or Lonnie Mack, from alpha to omega. The Edsel title is a reissue of his circa '63 debut LP, and the Sonet release his first offering in eight years, and you'll be amazed at how the former foreshadowed the latter. Mack is best known for his instrumental hit ' Memphis', and there's been a tendency for most listen-ers to write him off as little more than a surrogate Ventures or a Yank Hank Marvin. If, however, he was approached via LP rather than single, the listener would know that Mack was and is a white bluesman/Southern rocker; the debut LP alternates between the two genres. Turn to Mack 22 years on and you find that the source of inspiration for this reappearance is Stevie Ray Vaughan, who was in turn inspired by Mack all those years ago. The two work together with even grea-ter facility than Gary 'US' Bonds and The Boss, or Messrs Mellencamp and Ryder, and the set serves as a showcase for Mack as Grandaddy of Southern Rock/Primal White Blues Belter. This return is timely, as the US is seeing something of a revival in interest in guitar-based, gritty-sounding bar bands; Mack's 1985 sessions join that fold, and with distinction — an old dog teaching the tricks, perhaps? [A/B:1] for both.

Ken Kessler

JOE LOSS: THE GOLDEN AGE OF JOE LOSS MfP GX 41 2529 1 (GX 41 2529 41)

Seven tracks were previously on the Loss album titled Begin The Beguine which in 1982 was about the last issue in the great World Record SH series. On the whole, the selection on SH430 was superior because all tracks featured the much-missed Chick Hen-derson. He had a fuller and better voice than Al Bowlly; he died on Navy service in 1944 but unfairly has not enjoyed Al's post-humous glamour. The new record covering 1934-54 gains by including the two swing era numbers which Loss features to this day, ' In The Mood' and 'Woodchoppers' Ball'. Against that, it has 'Boomps-A-Daisy', an excruciating novelty dance number of 1939 which Brian Rust's erudite sleevenote strains to justify. Still, with The Lambeth Walk (1937) still wowing the young of 1985 at the Adel-phi, perhaps the nonsense action songs are the actual true pops. The record truly repre-sents Joe Loss, anyway. It's a thought that having an OBE qualified Joe to be a sort of second-division Master of the Queen's Music; certainly it recognises the sort of all-round professionalism that this record displays. [HI Denis Argent

MARILLION: MISPLACED CHILDHOOD EMI MRL 2 I had high hopes of this one. Marillion have always suggested that they could achieve so much more, musically. And the advent of 'Kayleigh', a single of some quality, indi-cated that Fish was about to throw off his shawl of mystery and return his Peter Gab-riel biography to Aylesbury Central Library. For once he seemed to be plain Derek Dick, a mite reminiscent of bedsit Al Stewart in places ('Do you remember loving on the floor in Belsize Park') but, nevertheless, attractively vulnerable, warm, human, a guy you could get to know. Understandably though, Misplaced Childhood doesn't sway too much from the path of earlier Marillion offerings. After all, why change a format that provides an opportunity to chart-top? So the story is much the same as before: early '70s pomp rock, not undeserving of praise, well performed and filled with the sort of guitar breaks you once expected of your favourite Yes tracks. Yet Marillion still remind me more of that other band, which I will not mention because everybody else does. Let's just say that I wouldn't be at all surprised if Fish one day upped and left Marillion, to be replaced as the band's vocalist by the resi-

dent drummer, who, in turn, would then go on to have a spectacular solo career and maybe even fit in a hit duet with Philip Bailey. Know what I mean? [A:1/2)

Fred Del lar

M'BOOM: COLLAGE Soul Note SN 1059

This must be one of the most unusual releases for some time. Max Roach's percus-sion ensemble M'Boom is the opposite of what many might have expected, the overall mood on the reflective side, creating an interlocking set of patterns which add up to a subtle, shifting-sands sensation. There's a modesty running through the music — on some tracks Roach just plays bass drum — the idea being that all the small, individual parts add up to an overall sound and strength. Tuned and untuned percussion instruments are played with delicacy and finesse; some pieces evoke a carnival atmos-phere, and throughout there are references to many variants of the Afro-American tradi-tion. The music is wide enough to attract many listeners — and you don't have to be a percussion freak. [A*:11

Ken Hyder

ELAINE PAGE: SITTING PRETTY MfP 41 57041

Sitting pretty she now is indeed, as a top star of modern musicals, and sitting pretty she is in pictures on both sides of the sleeve. Notes are thought to be unnecessary now that she needs, as they say, no introduction. But this budget-price record in fact dates from 1978 — and in the pop world seven years are several cycles of fashion. In short, there is nothing in this reissue to suggest that Miss Paige was going to be the quasi-operatic Evita. It pre-sents her as just another girl singer, with the usual type of routine accompaniment and backing vocal group. One of the songs is called ' Memories', but it's by Cooke and Mackenzie, not Andrew L-W. But he, or somebody, must have sensed Miss Paige's potential and persuaded her towards better things than this pop selection. [13:21

Denis Argent

BRITISH SUMMERTIME ENDS; JAC BERROCAL, ANNICK NOZATI, DENIS LE VAILLANT. ALAN TOMLINSON, JOELLE LEANDRE: SIX SEQUENCES POUR ALFRED HITCHCOCK Nato 304

SAKIS PAPADIMITRIOU: PIANO PLAYS Leo LR111

ANDRE JAUME QUARTET/GROUPE TAVAGNA: INCONTRU Nato 194

The Hitchcock album is a specialty piece for eccentrics. The film director, the inspiration and theme of the whole, lavishly-produced album. Throughout, many coincidences are played upon; one of the members of British Summertime Ends went to the same school as Hitchcock, for example. The music — mainly from the performance art end of the improvised music scene — is often overlayed with sound effects, like a train disappearing into the mist. Readers with no sense of humour may well find it hard going. [A:21

Pianists on the new wave have learned that rattling chains over the innards of pianos can get you only so far — funny noises are not enough. When Sakis Papadimitriou opens his album playing inside the piano, it sounds purposeful, and in no way gimmicky. His playing is new to me, but even without the hint from his name, I would have gues-sei that there was some eastern Mediterra-nean influcnce at work here. He uses a lot of space and injects a large measure of warmth into these solo proceedings. [A:2] The Mediterranean flavour is present

again on Incontru a strange mixture of jazz and folk which works well. The quartet plays a warm and engaging brand of contempor-ary jazz sometimes on its own and some-times in a blend with the Group Tavagna, an

Italian male voice choir. Italian folk music is not something I'm particularly familiar with, but the group's singing reminds me of Sardinian singing which in itself shows a Moorish influence. The music is inviting and joyful, but there's an imbalance in that the musicians are free to play what they want, while the singers are tied to the songs and their structures. Still, it adds up to an album you won't find dissatisfyingly derivative. [A:21

Ken Hyder

POISON GIRLS: SONGS OF PRAISE Xntrix XN 2008

Though hardly as impressive a release as Poison Girls' Where's The Pleasure?, one of the best records of '82, Songs Of Praise is, nevertheless, a happy sort of birthday pre-sent in reverse from the band's only real live girl, Vi Subversa, who recently celebrated 50 years on this earth. Vi, once Punk's Big Mama, has developed into a combination of Sophie Tucker, Piaf and a female Ian Dury, a streetwise chanteuse who knows how to get the most out of a lyric and one who also writes material worth the effort. 'I don't wear lace panties, at waste-away prices, or bon-dage and scanties at masochist dances' she proclaims amid 'Real Woman'. No matter, she sounds more interesting than many a teenage tease. And when she and her fellow Girls opt to go hip-swaying, as they do on the hypnotic 'Voodoo Pappadollar' and the equally danceable but slightly less engros-sing ' Hot For Love', then she's worth her weight in knicker elastic. Lady of the year. [A:11 Fred Dellar

CLIFF RICHARD & THE SHADOWS: THE BEST OF CLIFF RICHARD & THE SHADOWS Reader's Digest GRIC-A-140

I grew up with the Shads and their vocalist — was it really 25 years ago that I rushed out to buy 'Apache'? — so do not expect a dispas-sionate review of this collection. There are no obvious Cliff omissions, but even Read-er's Digest can't compress the recording careers of two of the UK's finest acts — Cliff alone has spent 861 weeks in the singles charts — into eight albums (four double cassettes) without leaving out a few of someone's favourites: there's no ' Nivram' or 'Quartermasster's Stores' from the Shadows, for example. But the Cliff tracks, ranging from the ersatz Elvis rockers from the days whén the Shadows were called the Drifters up to 'We Don't Talk Anymore', are in the main truly righteous. ( OK, the wet hits such as 'Congratulations' and 'Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha' are included, but I can't knock the compilers for being comprehen-sive.) Recommended to those under 30 as essential deep background to Cliff's knock-out Silver album. [A-H:1 *I

John Atkinson

THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS: GREATEST HITS Verve 823 119-2 (66m 40s10

Two points about this compilation make me more than willing to overlook some curious sonic anomalies. First, the Righteous Brothers remain one of the most impressive duos ever to grace the pop charts, and second, this CD is actually better value than the vinyl equivalent. Yes, it does say 66m 40s in the details above, which means that the 22 tracks average three minutes each. And what a selection! Aside from the heartbreaking omissions of 'Soul & Inspiration' and ' Little Latin Lupe Lu', it's all here. And how can you not love a package which opens with 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin"? Sadly, these early 1960s recordings don't make the transition to digital with equal ease, some tracks sounding particularly dismal while one or two — especially ' Unchained Melody' — are good enough to send chills up the spine. I still can't figure out how the tape hiss manages to stay only on the left channel,

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I 10 HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 19115

below the instruments, but better that than have it obscure Medley and Hatfield's mar-vellous voices. This CD won't disarm too many critics of the format's sonics, but it goes a long way toward making up for the dearth of truly classic popular music avail-able so far. [H:1/1•1

Ken Kessler

NILE RODGERS: B-MOVIE MATINEE Warner Bros 925 290-1

The album cover design is supposedly in 3-D but the glasses supplied are so miniscule that you'd have trouble fitting them on the pet hamster, therefore the sleeve shot remains one-dimensional. The music con-tained therein is equally lacking in depth. While Rodgers, who still has a fair guitar lick or two to offer, was once able to transform the simplest of riffs into memorable dance records, these days he tends to disappoint whenever he applies his undoubted talents to his own récords. And though B-Movie Matinee seeks a return to the very format — pithy vocal lines that hang on rhythm figures that drive both your head and your feet to distraction — that made Chic irresistible, Rodgers here produces everything in such a clinical, spacey manner that the nett effect is like depressing a button to turn on a heater only to find that it's been wrongly wired to a slowly-revolving fan. Mildly disappointing. [A• : 2]

Fred Dellar

HORACE SILVER QUINTET: SONG FOR MY FATHER Blue Note BST 84185

HANK MOBLEY: FAR AWAY LANDS Blue Note BST 84425

LEE MORGAN: THE RAJAH Blue Note BST 84426

Audiophile is the link between these three releases from EMI, all DMM, digitally remas-tered and pressed in France on premium quality vinyl, plus specially banded sleeves and a free poster of Blue Note artists in each. Quite a promotion for recordings from the 1960s and never before released. But would you really notice the sound quality as excep-tional? I tried them on 'phones as well as LS3/5As and report that the instrumental tones and shallowness of these ensembles of the late-bop era do not really make the most of the technology. Still, they are as neat a cross-section as any historian could wish of the big names who filled the fruitful '60s with new sounds inspired by Monk and (more particularly here) Gillespie. The Col-trane explosion was yet to come, and Hank Mobley's tenor was still recognisably struc-tured — sometimes rusty-toned, as in ' Funny Farm' on the Lee Morgan record, sometimes smooth and Getz-like in ' Bossa For Baby' on his own album. On those two records the trumpets are Donald Byrd and Lee Morgan (dead at 34 just a few years on), both Gillespie alumni and both reminding me occasionally of that venerable innovator, Red Allen — but a Red tamed and tied down by bop conventions. Most satisfying of the records is Silver's from 1963. Supporting soloists, trumpet and tenor are nothing special, but Silver is versatile and inventive. Sometimes fast and notey, as on 'The Kicker', sometimes slow and reflective like the best of Monk. It's the most rewarding of the three records acoustically, too. Fair rat-ing for all is [A/B:1/2].

Denis Argent

SISTER SLEDGE: WHEN THE BOYS MEET THE GIRLS Atlantic 781-255-1

Enigmatically named after the Australian term for cricketing abuse, the Sisters return after a lean spell in the deep, punctuated only by re-release/re-mix action. The soppy,

off-beat whinging of the hit single ' Frankie' is present and incorrect and the good news is that it's not representative of the record as a whole. The bad news is that the rest is not a whole lot better. Sledge mastermind Nile Rogers produces, plays trademark guitar, contributes one tune and provides conclu-sive proof that his once unique talent has been stretched pitifully thin. The girls trill ineffectively over a set of suspiciously 'as new' riffs. Tracks like ' Dancing On The Jagged Edge' ( huh) and 'You're Fine' never rise above the pleasant while the others are no more than a short whisker away from dullness. The LP is dedicated to ' God, Mom and Grandma' and radiates exactly that kind of excitement. (13:31

Peter Clark

GUNTER SOMMER ET TROIS VIEUX AMIS: ASCENSEUR POUR LE 28 Nato 329

Gunter Sommer and his three old friends — Ernst Ludwig Petrowsky ( reeds), Conrad Bauer (trombone) and Ulrich Gumpert (piano) — are four of the most creative East German improvisers. Familiar with each other's playing, they are able to invent complex music on the spot, and make it all sound carefully planned. This kind of facility leads to music which can sound tight and loose simultaneously. Although they are serious players, they allow humour to slip into the proceedings on a par with the other ingredients. The good humour and dovetail-ing interaction of this quartet should allow those unfamiliar with the free music genre a painless entry to its joys. (A•:11

Ken Hyder

AL STEWART: YEAR OF THE CAT RCA RCD 11749 138m 34s)

Mobile Fidelity MFCD 803 138m 34s) 0

Two CDs from the same master tape, surely they should sound identical? The answer is, of course, 'no way', as even with silver disc mastering, someone, somewhere, has felt the need to ' improve'. Without recourse to the original, however, it is impossible to say which CD gets nearer; all I can give is a brief rundown on the differences. The PolyGram-produced RCA is cut at a higher level and is mid forward compared with the Sanyo sourced Mobile Fidelity, the latter having a cleaner, more extended top and higher levels of bass. The latter, though, may be excessive for systems having good LF exten-sion, and certainly the RCA sounds more like the LP. Ultimately, my vote goes to the MF, but price counts against it in the UK. I'd say try before you buy if you can. Oh, you wanted to know about the recording. Well, it's one of Alan Parsons' best, in my opinion, and speaking as a man who's been on sessions produced by the man in question, that means it is pretty damn fine! [A:1]

John Atkinson

TALKING HEADS: LITTLE CREATURES Capitol TAH2

What happened to all those quirky works then? And when did David Byrne ditch his African visa? Probably we'll never know. Not that it matters. It's simply that, at this point in their development, the Heads have decided to adopt a straightforward pop approach, so good luck to 'em. And while cries of 'sell out!' can be heard coming from the wings, centre-stage, Byrne, Weymouth, Frantz and Harrison head westward on 'Creatures Of Love' in best Poco a go-go style — all pedal steel and teardrops — hiccup their way through 'The Lady Don't Mind' in a manner not far removed from that of Bowie in more flippant mood; shape 'And She Was' into the sort of song you know you've heard before but just can't place and do much the same for 'Stay Up All Night' (could that riff really be swiped from 'Sunshine Of My Love' and

could that also be a Farfisa swinging in the rear?). American Pie time, really. With mixed fruit rather than straight apple. And despite the complaints you'll hear from certain quar-ters, it's pretty tasty, inviting you to gobble rather than nibble. My compliments to the chef. (A:1)

Fred Dellar

TINA TURNER: PRIVATE DANCER EMI/PMI MXS 99 0035 4 Beta Hi-Fi 117m) Video

In spite of the criticisms of Hi-Fi video formats vs audio cassettes, the new format remains vastly superior to run-of-the-mill video's audio reproduction. The Tina Turner video, tested here in Beta form, excels in both sound and picture quality, and offers the fan 17 glorious minutes of the woman at her best. Four tracks are included, with the content varying in ingenuity, but that won't stop the fans. When all prerecorded videos reach this standard, we'll probably see an increase in the number of videophiles in the UK. Tracks are ' Private Dancer', ' Let's Stay Together', 'What's Love Got To Do With It', and ' Better Be Good To Me'. [A:11

Ken Kessler

VARIOUS: THE BEST OF BLUE NOTE Blue Note BST 84429

Since the label's independent existence ceased in 1967, there have been several Blue Note reissue programmes, but none quite as concentrated as the current bombardment. Side one of this two-LP sampler shows the variety of modern stylists the label captured, sometimes very briefly, in the immediate post-bop era. The earliest track is 'Tin Tin Deo' played and sung here in defiance of the 1948 union recording ban by its originator, Chano Pozo. From 1951 come Bud Powell and the then very far-out Thelonious Monk's quintet with Milt Jackson, followed by Jack-son's own 'Bags' Groove'. After Clifford Brown's virtuoso 'Cherokee' comes the amazing 1953 Miles Davis sextet, including JJ Johnson and Art Blakey, with 'Tempus Fugit'.

Coltrane's 'Blue Train' is the title track of his only Blue Note album, as like so many innovators he stayed with the label only briefly. The third and fourth sides here are dominated by the 'soul jazz' groove, which sold a lot of records for Lou Donaldson, Lee Morgan and Jimmy Smith. But these blues-based numbers now seem dated, gimmicky and over- long.

Naturally, this new sampler covers far less ground than the old trio of chronologically-arranged double albums, each covering A Decade of Jazz since 1939, which rather disconcertingly presented Bunk Johnson and Sidney Bechet on the same LP side as Tadd Dameron and Monk, and Omette Cole-man on the same album as an Ike Quebec ballad. The Best of Blue Note includes some of the same tracks, but seems to be a collection carefully honed to suit the times. And by the same token, it doesn't show every facet of Blue Note. [A/H:1/2]

Steve Harris

VARIOUS: THE BREAKFAST CLUB (A&M AMA 5045)

The Breakfast Club is one of the better high school movies of recent years, well con-ceived and kitted with an intelligent script, only an ultimate all-the-pieces-fit sell-out spoiling all that has gone before. But, because it's basically a one-room job (vir-tually all the action takes place in a school library) it seems rather cheapo and more suited to the stage. The soundtrack album reflects some of this cheapo quality. It lacks much in the way of stars and the only real 'name' act on display is Simple Minds, who proffer the undoubtedly haunting ' Don't You (Forget About Me)'. I suppose A&M will claim that Wang Chung (' Fire In The Twi- >112

I11-1,1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMB1 R 1985 III

light') are a successful band — well, they've had at least one hit — and that Jesse Johnson ('Heart Too Hot To Hold') will be some sort of star by the end of '85. Which could well be true. But, to quote a filmic phrase, that's all folks. All that then lies between you and the end of the record are tracks by Elizabeth Daley, Karla DeVito, Joyce Kennedy and Keith Forsey's gaggle of instrumentalists. Not that this would matter if the music wasn't so faceless. But it is. I can only suppose that the album was made by the kids' parents. After all, they're the ones who traditionally get the blame in these sort of affairs! (A:31 Fred Dellar

SUZANNE VEGA SUZANNE VEGA A&M AMA5072

I didn't think it would take long for the female singer/songwriter to reappear, nostalgia rearing its head as this one recalls both Joni Mitchell and Rickie Lee Jones. That's not to say that New Yorker Vega (any relation to Alan?) sounds like either Mitchell or Jones, only that she commands the listender with the same authority. This is a thinking woman, not a Bonnie Langford ball of fluff, and full of appeal for those who appreciate intelligent lyrics and a modicum of sincerity. The sound is sparse — not quite what I expected from Patti Smith's erstwhile side-kick and Nuggets compiler Lenny Kaye — but it shows that Vega was willing to forego 1985-style reliance on overdubbed micro chipology in favour of good old-fashioned human input. Sound is exemplary, the recording having travelled through the aptly named Sterling Sound, and only the insensi-tive/disco freaks will feel cheated. I'd rather not offend Ms Vega by declaring her this year's whatever; instead I'll credit her with [A/A•:1]. Ken Kessler

ANDREAS VOLLENWEIDER: BEHIND THE GAR-DENS . . . CBS MK37793 (30m 32s)

ANDREAS VOLLENWEIDER: WHITE WINDS CBS MK39963 (36m 43s)

Simultaneously with receiving the latest offering, White Winds, from the electric harpist — son of the organist father— I bought the CD of his first release lone of my all-time favourite LPs) and was struck by the relative lack of development since 1981. This is not to say that I don't like the new album; in fact, as with all of Vollenweider's music, it provides half an hour or so of escape from stress, the gentle, riff-laden, Latin-tinged music washing over the listener in a most satis-fying manner. A beautifully created sound-stage, a rich mélange of vocal and instrumental sounds, sound effects and per-cussion patterns, who would want anything more, you might ask? I would have to answer probably no-one, not even I. The first album is still my favourite (despite the CD's inaccurate track listing), Vollenweider get-ting nearer to finding the lost riff, but hi-fi enthusiasts should buy the new one for some of the meanest recorded, electrically-reinforced harp around — the quality of the bass is positively soul-stirring. The impact of the instrument's lower range in the first track must be heard to be believed. But oh dear, the playing times — us Vollenweider addicts need rather more. [A:11

John Atkinson

ALEX VON SCHLIPPENBACH AND MARTIN THEURER: RONDO BRILLANTE FMP 1040

This album of piano duets is very Germanic free-jazz from the start. They play with tremendous power and authority. It's as if

everything must be just so, everything must be serious, everything must be strong. Although the music is improvised, it's impro-vised within the context of this particular brand of free music. The energy is well focused and the music is contintually flashing sparks. It's not for the faint-hearted, rather it's for serious people who take their music seriously. [A:2] Ken Hyder

WOMACK & WOMACK RADIO MUSC. MAN

Elektra 960-406-1

With 'Love Wars', the Womacks scored a thoroughly modern soul triumph which was subtly enriched by the impeccable soul credentials of the Womack/Cooke families involved. While the new LP has nothing in the same supernatural class as the title track of its predecessor, it retains the gloriously deep groove into which the listener falls without delay unless he/she is deaf beyond the worst nightmares of a post. Radio M.U.S.C. Man is a family affair of the first order. Apart from the two protagonists we get to meet Friendly Womack 11, Curtis Womacks 1 and 11, Cecil Womack and Cecil Womack 1, Stacy, Tami, Harry, Nicole and Mrs Naomi Womack. Oh yes, and Bobby. The musical results are admirably tight with-out being in the least cosily clannish. It would be churlish to pick out favourites, but I will anyway. The title track celebrates that impossibility — a good music radio station — and even makes you believe in the idea for three minutes; 'Strange And Funny' (co-written with Bobby) is exactly that; 'Night Rider' is impossibly raunchy without being in the least tacky. The only track which has so far failed to please is a cover version of 'Here Comes The Sun', but then I never cared much for the original. [A:1]

Peter Clark

.1 CAPSULES .1 EDDY BURNS: BY THE WAY Tartan Hippo EB23 An LP of fairly straight stadium-type rock tends not to stand out in a batch of 50, until you read the press release and realise that it's homemade, using one human being and a lot of affordable pro and semi-pro equip-ment. Because of this, it serves nicely as an example of what the motivated musician can accomplish if forced to do it alone. The professionalism is impressive, the sound much better than homemade. If you're a budding pop star in need of encouragement, get your copy for £3.99 ( inc p&p) from Tartan Hippo, 9 Bedford Place, Alba, Clacks. FK10 1LJ, Scotland. [B:2]

NICK DRAKE: HEAVEN IN A WILD FLOWER Island ILPS 9826 The late Nick Drake, dead at the age of 26, has been kept alive these past 11 years by a cult following that cannot resist the moody, often disturbing music from this erstwhile Fairport Convention protege. Though careful vinyl hounds can still find the three-LP box set containing his complete works, this 14 track sampler covering his career serves beautifully as a taster. What's nice to know is that this off-the-wall British folkie's reputa-tion lingers because of the music rather than morbid fascination. An acquired taste, bitter perhaps, but worth it. [8:1]

FOUR BIG GUITARS FROM TEXAS: TRASH, TWANG AND THUNDER Demon FIEND 40 Will the real Duane Eddy please stand up? Have you any idea what you and the Ven-tures and Link Wray have wrought? Take a third of a dozen killer pluckers, put them in front of what was the Fabulous Thunder-birds' rhythm section, and let 'em rip.

Though packaged for the cognoscenti, the Teddy Boys will love this stuff if only they'll overlook the fact that it comes from a hip, rather than anachrophilic, record company. This is a guitar overdose of the highest rock 'n' roll order, so out with the Brylcreem. [8:1]

PENTANGLE: OPEN THE DOOR Spindrift SPIN 111

Yes, those prime folkies are back, minus John Renbourn but otherwise intact, with their first LP in over a decade. No great surprises here, and their fans will agree that they had it right first time around, so you can buy with confidence. Relatively untainted British folk music ( less absurdly purist than, say, the Oyster Band), at times it looks like some of the members would like to inject a little fire. Since Clannad grabbed Robin of Sherwood, could somebody please do a remake of Ivanhoe to take care of this folk surplus? [A:1/2]

GENE PITNEY: THE VERY BEST OF GENE PITNEY Impact/Ace ACT 004 Oh, joy! Sixteen hits from one of the best things to come out of the early 1960s doldrums! Pitney's pipes are simply wonder-ful, his taste in material superb — don't let his cabaret image cloud the .fact that he was one of the first singers to cover a Jagger/ Richards composition — and his production values transcend the age of the tapes. The songs, presented in chronological order, remain as thrilling as they were 20 years ago, and you will not believe the atmosphere on 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'. Essen-tial. (A/H:1/11

DUKE ROBILLARD AND THE PLEASURE KINGS: TOO HOT TO HANDLE Demon FIEND 48

The Long Ryders-led revival of West Coast country rock isn't the only recent trend in the USA. A fair number of musicians across the water are doing their best to bring back the blues, and Robillard — ex-Roomful of Blues — does it in a less-sweaty manner than, say, George Thorogood. Tasteful, that's what it is, so don't worry about being blown out of your chair. T-Bone Walker and Mercy Dee fans will utter prayers of thanks, and don't let the title mislead you into thinking that Alvin Lee has changed his name. [A/B:1/2]

RICHARD AND LINDA THOMPSON: POUR DOWN LIKE SILVER Hannibal HNBL 4404

In case you thought the ambitious reissue programmes currently under way were hap-pening solely to please soul or psychedelia fans, think again. Hannibal is inaugurating a similar program for British folk classics, most of which were deleted when kaftans stopped selling; this gem is but the tip of an iceberg. These ex-Fairports have gone on to other, separate things, so the harmonies here are off in hindsight, but RT remains the guitarist critics adore (maybe the public knows otherwise) and this LP is as good a showcase as any. [B:1]

VARIOUS: THE COUNTDOWN COMPILATION Stiff DREW 1 Great — 12 acts that answer the question 'Whither goest Power Pop?' And, boy, do they answer it, cleverly enough to have Will Birch do most of the production. This genius, late of those popmeisters The Records, knows just how to squeeze (pun intended) the most out of these virgin bands, and your £3.99 or less, as the sleeve states, will make you feel like those Ready, Steady, Go repeats are actually first showings. [A/B:1]

1 12 111-1-1 NEWS Az RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBI R I985

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Amplifiers

MARANTZ PM 151 STEREO AMPLIFIER

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MARANTZ PM 151 AMPLIFIER

AKAI AMA2

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Superbly engineered and designed to give maximum ease of operation, the 40 watts RMS per channel PM 151 is an impressive addition to the Marantz range of Hi-Fi components. Incorporating discrete output transistors, and with a low impedanc:e drive capability, its many facilities include: phono, tuner and CD input, tape monitoring switch, loudness control and two spea,cer selection. Graphic bass and treble controls are other useful features.

Comet Price £69.90 inc. VAT

AKAI AMA2 STEREO AMPLIFIER With its 40 watts RMS per channel output, and incorporating Akai's original dual pole DC servo circuit to ensure dynamic sound reproduction, the AMA2 is packed with features. These include: flat-key function buttons, LED function indicators, flat bass, treble and volume controls, loudness switch, tape 1-to-2 dubbing, CD (AUX) connection and headphone jack. Special terminals enable the connection of an optional graphic equaliser, and there is also an A/8 speaker system capability.

Comet Price £85.90 inc. VAT

PIONEER SA960 AMPLIFIER

PIONEER SA960 AMPLIFIER Delivering an extremely powerful 87 watts per channel this 'non switching' amplifier eliminates switching distortion and reduces all other types of distortion while retaining high efficiency. This outstandingly engineered amplifier incorporates a wide variety of features and facilities, including a tape dubbing facility, loudness control, speaker A/B selector, as well as bass and treble controls.

Comet Price £139.90 inc. VAT

AMPLIFIERS AKAI AMA1 2 x 30

AKAI AMA2 2 x 40

AKAI AMA3 2 x 50

MARANTZ PM 151 2 x 40

Comet Price inc. VAT

£66.95

£85.90

£114.95

£69.90

Comet Price inc. VAT

PIONEER SA560 2 x 40 £84.90

PIONEER SA760 2 x 62 £109.90

PIONEER SA960 2 x 87 £139.90

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9 85 001

Tuners

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AKAI ATA2L TUNER

MAFANTZ ST151L TUNER

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MARANTZ ST151L QUARTZ SYNTHESISED TUNER The slim, elegant lines of this three-waveband digital quartz synthesised tuner houses Marantz Hi-Fi ergineering at its superb best. Equipped with an FET front end and a wider IF for better sound, it offers 16 memory pre-sets (8 FM and 8 AM) for instant station recall — together with last station memory and memory back-up. The clear digital display gives at-a-glance frequency details, and a stereo beacon and signal strength meter are also incorporated.

Comet Price £79.90 inc. VAT

AKAI ATA2L TUNER This model represents a fine example of the proven Akai tradition for style and quality. Synthesiser driven it tunes in precise steps, clocked by a Quartz crystal to provide a reference frequency. It has a numerical readout of tuned frequency and is fully equipped with 16 pre-sets. The tuner is sensitive, selective and inherently immune from interference on weak signals. Sound output is crisp and clear.

Comet Price £94.90 inc. VAT

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PIONEER TX960L TUNER

PIONEER TX960L TUNER This competitively priced digitally synthesised tuner offers a selection of 8 FM and 8 AM (MW/LW) station pre-sets with stereo tuned indicators. Once stored into the system, any one of 16 stations can be instantly recalled at the touch of a button. Affordably priced, the TX960L is an outstanding tuner by any standards. . and an outstanding buy at this Comet price!

Comet Price £84.90 inc. VAT

TUNERS AKAI AT < 1L LW 1MW/FM

AKAI ATAlL LWWW/FM

AKAI ATA2L LW/MW/FM

Comet Price inc. VAT

Comet Price inc. VAT

MARANTZ ST151L LW/MW/FM £79.90

£49.90 PIONEER TX560L LW/MW/FM £69.90

£61.95 PIONEER TX960L LW/MW/FM £84.9C £94.90 Extend your guarantee to 5 years for £ 15.95

Lowest Prias - That' a Promise! DISCOUNT HI-FI AND VIDEO

9 85 002

Tuner/Amplifiers ffifilenfifinillIMIMM "

PIONEER SX212L

PIONEER SX212L TUNER/AMPLIFIER

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PIONEER SXV200 BK

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This superbly engineered and elegantly styled Pioneer stereo receiver boasts a resounding 25 watts per channel, receives FM/MW/LW, has bass and treble controls to allow fine tuning of the tonal mix, a loudness control, stereo and tuned indicators allowing you to optimise performance and features an LED tuning pointer

Comet Price £119.90 inc. VAT

AKAI AAA1L TUNER/AMPLIFIER This excitirg 2 x 30 watts RMS tuner/amplifier will do justice to even the most vigorous tracks. LW/MW/FM channels are receivable and LED tuning and stereo indicators facilitate optimal reception. Bass and treble tone controls, tape monitor, loudness control and a compact disc input facility complete this refined Akai model.

Comet Price £114.95 inc. VAT

PIONEER SXV200 BK TUNER/AMPLIFIER Producing 30 watts RMS of power per channel this audio/video digital synthesiser receiver represents superb quality but at the level of price you've come to expect from Comet. Features include 2 video inputs to allow video dubbing, simulated stereo for mono programs and a selection of 8 FM and 8 AM (MW/LW) station presets which once stored in the system allows you to instantly recall any one of 16 stations at the touch of a button.

Cornet Price £179.90 inc. VAT

Comet Price inc. VAT

TUNER/AMPLIFIERS AKAI AAAlL 2 x 30 LVV/MW/FM TV/video sound selector PIONEER SX212L 2 x 25

£114.95

£119.90

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PIONEER SXV200 BK 8FM/8IVIW (or LW) station presets £179.90

Extend your guarantee to 5 years for £22.95

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Turntables AKAI APX1 TURNTABLE

PIONEER PL760 TURNTABLE

PIONEER PL760 TURNTABLE Engineered by Pioneer to give peak Hi-Fi performance, the impressive PL760 is direct driven by a Quartz-PLL (phase locked loop) coreless DC servo stable motor with stable hanging rotor for smooth rotation and perfect stability. Features include a static balanced straight Polymer grapnite tonearm, Dynamic Resonance Absorber and plug-in cartridge

Comet Price £99.90 inc. VAT

AKAI APX1 TURNTABLE • Semi-automatic belt drive front operation turntable. • Low resonance cab4-iet. • Same arm return. • Highly sensitive, low mass, straight tonearm. • VM cartridge with Tefal P plug-ir connector. • Oil damped arm lifter. • Slim profile design • Electronically controlled DC motor ensures stable disc playback.

Comet Price £64.90 inc. VAT

MARANTZ TT151 TURNTABLE

MARANTZ TT151 BELT-DRIVEN TURNTABLE With its front panel controls and modern simplistic styling, this belt-driven semi-automatic turntable combines high quality record reproduction with push-button ease of operation. A matching magnetic cartridge is fitted to the straight, low mass tonearm which is equipped with an adjustable tracking weight and bias control. High compliance feet and a specially-designed turntable mat are other important features which contribute to the TT151's excellent performance.

Comet Price £54.90 inc. VAT

TURNTABLES AKAI APX1 AKAI APA2C di-ect-drive

AKAI APD3L MARANTZ TT1'51 belt-drive, semi auto MARANTZ TT251

Comet Price inc. VAT

Comet Pr ce inc. \.4AT

£64.90 PIONEER PL460 £64.90 £79.95 PIONEER PL560 £79.90 £94.90 PIONEER PL760 £99.90 £54.90 TENSAI TD885L belt-drive £59.95 £69.95 Extend your guarantee to 5 years for £ 19.95

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Cassette Decks

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AIWA ADF250

AKAI HXA3 CASSETTE DECK WITH DOLBY B & C Take Akai's HD (High Density) head, a development that brings out the full potential of metal and other high grade tapes. Add Dolby B and C noise reduction ... and you have 2 cassette deck with a performance far belying its affordable price. The beautifully designed HXA3 offers the maximum of operational convenience too, with feather-touch microcomputer controls which allow error-free mode changing without going through the stop function. There's a centralised FL display with bright, 2-colour peak level meters, automatic 3-position tape selector, an auto mute function for easier location of individual recordings — and even a timer capability for use with an optional audio timer. Slide-type recording level controls, a 4-digit electronic tape counter, an electronically-controlled DC motor with single capstan drive — and even a facility for an optional remote control unit — are other features of this superb cassette deck.

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Comet Price £99.95 inc. VAT

PIONEER CT660 CASSETTE DECK Pioneer quality and attention to detail ensure outstanding performance from this stylish and comprehensively equipped stereo cassette deck. Incorporating Dolby B noise reduction to ensure clearer sound reproduction, this deck also features cue and review, one-touch recording, timer standby recording/playback and light-touch operation.

• Comet Price £84.90 Inc. VAT

AIWA ADF250 CASSETTE DECK This sophisticated high component deck incorporates the innovative Dolby C noise reduction system facilitating an almost total absence of audible tape hiss, soft-touch controls with cue/review capability, normal/Cr02/metal tape modes and a high performance DX head ensuring years of durable performance. Plus: stable tape mechanism, peak-step LED display, auto replay, auto tape selector, oil damped cassette soft eject, mechanical pause control, timer standby (REC/P8) mechanism, Rec-mute facility, front-panel headphone jack, independent L/R channel recording controls, digital tape counter, recording/tape/Dolby B & C LED indicators.

Comet Price £94.90 inc. VAT

MARANTZ SD151 CASSETTE DECK A stylish and sophisticated cassette deck with Dolby B noise reduction circuitry to bring out the finest possible performance from your tapes. Accuracy and convenience of operation is assured with features such as soft-touch mechanism, timer standby and full metal precision mechanism.

Comet Price £74.90 inc. VAT

9/85 004

Cassette Decks

AKAI HXR44/40

PIONEER CT1060W

AKAI HXR44/40 QUICK-REVERSE CASSETTE DECK WITH DOLBY B & C Thanks to Akai's quick reverse mechanism, you can record or playback both sides of a tape without pausing to turn over the cassette. In fact, the tape detection system and the BSP (Bi-directional Symmetrical Precision) mechanism operate so quickly you'll barely notice the tape has been reversed! This mechanism, combined with an Accurate Reverse ••otary head design. ensures optimum performance in either direction. The HXR44/40 incorporates computer-controlled functions too ... including IPLS (Instant Programme Location Search) which automatically restarts the track in play, or cues and plays the next track on the tape, and Intro Scan which offers quick tape review by play;ng the first 10 seconds of every track. Yet another major features is Dolby B and C noise reduction to bring the best out of normal, Cr02 and metal tapes. Tape type selection is automatic, while other features

include: FL peak level meters, electronic volume control, manual record level controls, timer start facility, and a remote control socket for use with an optionally-available unit. Listed as a "Best Buy" in 'Hi-Fi Choice — Cassette Decks' the magnificent HXR44/40 is an even better buy at this Comet Price!

Comet Price £142.90 inc. VAT

PIONEER CT1060VV CASSETTE DECK A double cassette deck featuling synchro recording (normal/double speed), relay play, Dolby B and C noise reduction system, cue and review, auto tape selector, one-touch recording and timer standby recordirelayback.

Comet Price £149.90 inc. VAT

Comet Price inc. VAT

CASSETTE DECKS AIWA ADF250 Dolby B & C £94.90

AIWA ADF350 Dolby B & C auto tape select £ 123.95

AIWA ADR550 'Dolby HX Prof' £199.95

AKAI HXA1 Dolby B £76.90

AKAI HXA3 Dolby B & C £99.95 AKAI HXR44/40 Dolby B & C auto reverse £142.90

MARANTZ SD151 Dolby B £74.90

PIONEER CT660 £84.90

PIONEER CT760 £99.90 PIONEER CT1060W £149.90

SHARP RT100/113 with Dolby B £54.90

SHARP RT160 Dolby B & C £74.90

SHARP RT320 aLto reverse Dolby B & C £99.95

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MICROPHONES ROSS RE336

ROSS RE342 Stereo

BLANK CASSETTE TAPES BASF New LH EXTRA I

C60 3 pack

C90 3 pack

MAXELL UL

C90 3 pack

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TDK DYNAMIC

DC90 3 pack

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Comet Price inc. VAT

£7.90

£12.93

£2.20

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Loudspeakers

1 GOODMANS PQ130

SOLAVOX TB80 3-WAY LOUDSPEAKERS High in sensitivity and providing excellent imaging, this 3-way loudspeaker has a power handling capacity of 80 watts A high quality 200mm bass driver, a 100mm mid-range unit, and a tweeter giving a smooth extended response to beyond 20,000 Hz are enclosed in the walnut-effect cabinet.

Comet Price £57.90 inc. VAT

GOODMANS P0130 3-WAY LOUDSPEAKERS With a power handling of 100 wets DIN and a sensitivity of 93dB, this 3-way bass reflex system provides a dynamic sound performance. The handsome cabinet houses a 200mrn bass driver, a 123mrn mid-range horn and a 57mm acoustic lens treble unit

Comet Price £89.90 inc. VAT

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SOLAVOX TB80

MARANTZ 4G

MARANTZ 4G 2-WAY LOUDSPEAKERS Ma,antz speakers lead the field due to :he fact that Marantz control production of both the internal components and the housing — this control results in instruments which produce crisp, firm sound ensuring optimum performance from your Hi-Fi system. This 2-way speaker system has a powerful 5-40 watts handling capability and the overall combination ensures constant energy and that all-essential fast acting transient response when the music demands it.

Comet Price £49.90 inc. VAT

Comet Price inc. VAT

LOUDSPEAKERS ( Pairs) (Watts) GOODMANS Quartet Q4C 2 way (7-40 GOODMANS Quartet Q7C 3 way (10-70) GOOCMANS Mini 2X 2 way (30-60) GOODMANS PQ130 3 way bass reflex (10-100)

GOODMANS PQ-50 3 way bass reflex

GOODMANS Mezzo 3 way GOODMANS Magnum 3 way GOODMANS LS3/5A 2 way BBC monitor

MARANTZ 4G 2 way

SOLAVOX TB40 2 way

£35 90 £63 90 £45 90

£89.90

(15-120) £119.90 (10-75) £129.90 (10-90) £149.90

(15-50) £189.90 (5-40) £49.90

(15-40) £37.90

SOLAVOX TB70 2 way SOLAVOX TB80 3 way SONY SSX180 2 way TAMON EX40 2 way TAMON DX50 2 way VIDEOTON DB1312 2 way WHARFEDALE 302 2 way WHARFEDALE Diamond Mk11 2 way .

WHARFEDALE 304 2 way WHARFEDALE 306 3 way WHARFEDALE Mach 3 2 way WHARFEDALE Shelton Mk11

Comet Price inc. VAT

(15-7J) £47.90 (15-80) £57.90 (10-40) £49.90 (10-40) £54.96 (10-50) £69.96 (10-40) £34.90 (15-75) £64.90

(15-75) £72.90 (15-75) £84.90 (15-85) £94.90 (15-.00) £139.90

£49.90

Extend your guarantee to 5 years for £19.95 per pair

Lowest PriCee • C r , „re

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Loudspeakers

1 GOODMANS PQ130

SOLAVOX TB80 3-WAY LOUDSPEAKERS High in sensitivity and providing excellent imaging, this 3-way loudspeaker has a power handling capacity of 80 watts. A high quality 200mm bass driver, a 10Ornm mid-range unit, and a tweeter giving a smooth extended response to beyond 20,000 Hz are enclosed in the walnut-effect cabinet.

Comet Price £57.90 inc. VAT

GOODMANS PQ130 3-WAY LOUDSPEAKERS With a power handling of 100 watts DIN and a sensitivity of 93dB, this 3-way bass reflex system provides a dynamic sound performance. The handsome cabinet houses a 200mm bass driver, a 123mm mid-range horn and a 57mm acoustic lens treble unit

Comet Price £89.90 inc. VAT

SOLAVOX TB80

MARANTZ 4G

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MARANTZ 4G 2-WAY LOUDSPEAKERS IVIarantz speakers lead the field due to the fact that Marantz control production of both the internal components and the housing — this control results in instruments which produce crisp, firm sound ensuring optimum performance from your Hi-Fi system. This 2-way speaker system has a powerful 5-40 watts handling capability and the overall combination ensures constant energy and that all-essential fast acting transient response when the music demands it.

Comet Price £49.90 inc. VAT

9 85

LOUDSPEAKERS ( Pairs) GOODMANS Quartet Q40 2 way GOODMANS Quartet Q70 3 way GOODMANS Mini 2X 2 way GOODMANS PÇ130 3 way bass reflex

GOODMANS PÇ150 3 way bass reflex

GOODMANS Mezzo 3 vt..ay GOODMANS Magnum 3 way GOODMANS LS3/5A 2 way BBC monitor

MARANTZ 4G 2 way PIONEER PROLOGUE 4 SOLAVOX TB40 2 way

Comet Price inc. VAT

(Watts) (7-40) (10-7C) (30-6C)

£35.90 £63.90 £45.90

(10-100) £89.90

05-120 £ 119.90 (10-75) £129.90 (10-90) £149.90

(15-50) £189.90 (5-4C) £49.90

£99.90 (15-401 £37.90

Lowest Prices - That a Promise!

SOLAVOX TB70 2 way SOLAVOX TB80 3 way SONY SSX180 2 way TAMON EX40 2 way TAMON DX50 2 way VIDEOTON DB1312 2 way WHARFEDALE 302 2 way

WHARFEDALE Diamond M'kll 2 way

WHARFEDALE 304 2 way

WHARFEDALE 306 3 way WHARFEDALE Mach 3 2 way WHARFEDALE Shelton Mk11

Co-net Price inc. VAT

(15-70) £47.90 (15-80) £57.90 (10-40) £49.90 (10-40) £54.96 (10-50) £69.96 (10-40) £34.90 (15-75) £64.50

(15-75) £72.90 (15-75) £84.90 (15-85) £94.90 (15-100) £1139.90

£49.90 Exte id your guarantee to 5 years for £19.95 per pair

DISCOUNT HI-FI AND VIDEO

00,

Compact Disc Players

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MARANTZ CD54B

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MARANTZ CD54B COMPACT DISC PLAYER Offering random programming for up to 24 tracks with immediate cancelling function, this elegantly-styled front-loader also features large and accessible controls and easily-readable programme and time indications Operational status can be seen at a glance, including elapsed time for playing each section and the time remaining to complete the programme. An impressive specification also includes: fast search forward or backward, forward track skip and repeat, pause and a digital filtering system that helps the CD54B to produce an incredible level of pure Hi-Fi sound.

Comet Price £269.95 inc. VAT

PHILIPS CD104

PHILIPS CD104 COMPACT DISC PLAYER Integrating neatly into the modern midi Hi-Fi system, and incorporating Philips digital filtering, the CD104 offers random order selection of up to 20 tracks, digital indication of tracks, indexes and running times, a pause key — and instant track location too. Other features include: skip facility, programme repeat and disc repeat, 3-speed forward or backward music search, and an 'error' LED which warns of absent or upside down disc or incorrect operation.

Comet Price £279.90 inc. VAT

9/85 009

Compact Disc Players

e

PIONEER P-DX500 BK

,

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PIONEER PD- 5010

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PIONEER PD-5010 COMPACT DISC PLAYER Offering random programming for up to 99 tracks, this elegantly styled compact disc player also features a linear servo system, Pioneer disc stabilizer, track search, manual search and track number display.

Comet Price £249.90 inc. VAT

PIONEER P-DX500 BK COMPACT DISC PLAYER Fully compatible and designed to integrate neatly with other components, the Pioneer P-DX500 compact disc player offers all the advantages of pure, digita sound at a very competitive price. Among the features of this easy-to-operate front loader are 2-speed slow scan and random programming of up to 10 tracks with repeat facility. Add it to either the 5-110 or the S-330 ... and you have a Hi-Fi system that approaches the peak of musical perfection.

Comet Price £289.90 inc. VAT

COMPACT DISC PLAYERS FERGUSON CD01 MARANTZ CD54E

Comet Price inc. VAT

£249.99 £269.95

Lowest Prias - Matt a Promise!

PHILJPS CD104 PIONEER PD-5010 PIONEER P-DX500 BK

Comet Price inc. VAT

£279.90 £249.90 £289.90

Extend your guarantee to 5 years for £35.95

DISCOUNT HI-FI AND VIDEO

9/85 010

AKAI M8W

Midi HI-FI Systems

AKAI M8W MIDI SYSTEM Combines outstanding performance with advanr !cl refinements such as a double-cassette deck and tull CD compatibility. The system is comprised of the top-rated AAM8i_ analogue tuner-amplifier with 30 watts output and in-bui t five band graphic equiliser, a separate semi-autom&ic belt-drive player featuring preciseness and reliabiiity, a stereo double-cassette deck offering double-speed as well as normal tape-to-tape dubbing, 50W maximum input power speakers with an isodynamic tweeter which combines smooth treble response with good impedance characteristics and durability.

Comet Price £344.95 inc. VAT

AKAI MlOW MIDI SYSTEM A high performance system which is sophisticated but simple to operate and comprising a high specification stereo double-cassette deck, quartz synthesised tuner, semi-aummatic belt-drive Dlayer and stereo integrated amplifier. 50W maximum input power speakers complete this stylish system.

Comet Price £384.90 inc. VAT

AKAI MlOVV

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AKAI M2OVV MIDI SYSTEM This system offers the precision, attention tc detail, styling, finish and value that have become synonymous with Akai. Consisting of a ful,y aummatic programmab,e player with a linear-tracking static balance tone arm, a quartz synthesised tuner, a versatile amplifier, a double cassette deck and a set of 50W maximum input speakers, this system represents exceptional quality at an affordable Comet price.

Comet Price £529.95 inc. VAT

9/85 011

Midi Hi-Fi Systems

PIONEER 5110

PIONEER S110 MIDI SYSTEM This elegantly-designed Pioneer midi-system produces enough power to fill the average listening room with pure Hi-Fi sound. With a power output of 32 watts (at 1k DIN), the amplifier section of the combined amplifier/cassette deck has its own built-in 5-band graphic equaliser to enable you to shape the sound to suit the acoustics of your room — while the cassette section offers all the facilities you need to ensure ease of playback. These include soft-touch controls, Dolby 'B' noise reduction, auto tape selector, auto recording level, and timer standby for use with an optionally-available unit. The FM/MW/LW tuner combines simplicity of operation with outstanding reception . . . and the PL-X112 quick-start, auto-return turntable — belt-driven by a DC servo motor — comes complete with its own Pioneer magnetic

7,e7:-exeyee, , /

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AKAI M666

cartridge. Completing the system is a pair of Pioneer S-X21 air suspension bookshelf loudspeakers, each fitted with a 200 mm bass driver and a 66 mm cone-type tweeter, and delivering a maximum music power of 70 watts (DIN). The result is musical performance of the highest quality — at a Comet price that represents tremendous value for money.

Comet Price £241.90 inc. VAT

AKAI M666 MIDI SYSTEM Giving a powerful output of 30 watts RMS per channel this system comprises a Dolby B cassette deck, a semi-automatic belt drive turntable with plug-in cartridge, an anêlogue type tuner, amplifier and of course a 2 way speaker system.

Comet Price £299.95 inc. VAT

MIDI HI-FI SYSTEMS AKAI M666 2 x 30 AKAI M8W 2 x 25 AKAI M1OW 2 x 30 AKAI M2OW 2 x 40 AMSTRAD 5M102 2 x 2.5 PIONEER 5110 2 x 32 PIONEER 5330 2 x 50

Comet Price inc. VAT

£299.95 £344.95 £384.90 £529.95 £129.90 £241.90 £341.90

Lowest Prices Matt a Promise!

Comet Price inc. VAT

SHARP System 116E 2 x 30 £269.90

HI-FI RACK SYSTEMS PHILIPS 1551 2 x 5 PIONEER XG11 2 x 32 PIONEER XZ1010 2 x 32 PIONEER X23030 2 x 52

£189.90 £239.90 £299.90 £399.90

Extend your gJarantee to 5 years for £35.95

DISCOUNT HI-FI AND VIDEO 9/85

012

Wherever you live there's a Comet branch near you

SCOTLAND WAREHOUSES ABERDEEN Tel: 0224 590529 DUNDEE Tel: 0382 28101 EDINBURGH Tel: 031-554 4454 GLASGOW Tel: 041 204 2355 GLASGOW Tel: 041 886 5731 GLASGOW Tel: 0698 815134 INVERNESS Tel: 0463 241922 IRVINE Tel: 0294 78917 KIRKCALDY Tel: 0592 268405

DISCOUNT SHOPS AYR Tel: 0292 262284 DUMFRIES Tel: 0387 63958 DUNFERMLINE Tel: 0383 735136 EDINBURGH Tel: 031-346 0191/2 FALKIRK Tel: 0324 34247 GALASHIELS Tel: 0896 57722 GLASGOW Tel: 041-334 4667 GREENOCK Tel: 0475 20261 KILMARNOCK Tel: 0563 20126 PERTH Tel: 0738 29117/8 SHAWFIELD Tel: 041 647 5832 STIRLING Tel: 0786 72370

NORTHERN ENGLAND WAREHOUSES BARNSLEY Tel: 0226 204069 BIRKENHEAD Tel: 051-647 6481/2/3/4 BLACKBURN Tel: 0254 54298 BRADFORD Tel: 0274 45384 BURNLEY Tel: 0282 412546 DONCASTER Tel: 0302 786670 GRIMSBY Tel: 0472 59623 HALIFAX Tel: 0422 59434 HUDDERSFIELD Tel: 0484 40261 HULL Tel: 0482 46441 JARROW Tel: 091 489 2211 LANCASTER Tel: 0524 62904 LEEDS Tel: 0532 440551 LIVERPOOL Tel: 051-928 6688 MANCHESTER Tel: 061-833 0200 MANCHESTER Tel: 061-682 6016 NEWCASTLE Tel: 0632 868811 PONTEFRACT Tel: 0977 704249 ROCHDALE Tel: 0706 50606 ROTHERHAM Tel: 0709 361901 SCUNTHORPE Tel: 0724 869615 SHEFFIELD Tel: 0742 580501 SHEFFIELD Tel: 0742 341721 SOUTHPORT Tel: 0704 31813 SPEKE Tel: 051-494 9933

STOCKPORT Tel: 061-477 2000 STOCKTON Tel: 0642 612311 SUNDERLAND Tel: 0783 659993 WAKEFIELD Tel: 0924 371499 WARRINGTON Tel: 0925 54439 WIGAN Tel: 0942 34741

DISCOUNT SHOPS ASHTON UNDER LYNE Tel: 061-308 4225 BARROW-IN-FURNESS ..Tel: 0229 31520

or 31595 BOLTON Tel: 0204 387153/5 BRIDLINGTON Tel: 0262 672050 CARLISLE Tel: 0228 38441/2 CHESTER Tel: 0244 313724 CHESTERFIELD Tel: 0246 71390 CREWE Tel: 0270 214328 DARLINGTON Tel: 0325 57361 DEVVSBURY Tel: 0924 461203 GOOLE Tel: 0405 3449 HARROGATE Tel: 0423 67312 HORSFORTH Tel: 0532 588679 HULL Tel: 0482 20681 KEIGHLEY Tel: 0535 67021 LEIGH Tel: 0942 670711 MACCLESFIEL D Tel: 0625 610030 MANCHESTER Tel: 061-834 1861 MANCHESTER Tel: 061-998 1183 or 1657 PRESTON Tel: 0772 21900 or 21909 SCARBOROUGH Tel: 0723 375537 WORKINGTON Tel: 0900 63476/7 YORK Tel: 0904 21654

MIDLANDS WAREHOUSES BIRMINGHAM Tel: 021-472 6181 BIRMINGHAM Tel: 021-706 0684 COVENTRY Tel 0203 440151/440176 HALESOWEN Tel: 021 503 0880 HANLEY Tel: 0782 264495 LEICESTER Tel: 0533 530236 LINCOLN Tel: 0522 37437/8 NORTHAMPTON Tel: 0604 54572 NOTTINGHAM Tel: 0602 396116 NOTTINGHAM Tel: 0602 204972 WEST BROMWICH Tel: 021 553 2001 WILLENHALL Tel: 0902 60411 WOLVERHAMPTON Tel: 0902 29672 WYLDE GREEN Tel: 021-382 8866

DISCOUNT SHOPS DUDLEY Tel: 0384 214511

PHONE ORDER SERVICE

KETTERING Tel: 0536 515191 LEAMINGTON SPA Tel: 0926 39417 MANSFIELD Tel: 0623 35112 NEWCASTLE UNDER LYME Tel: 0782 626435 NUNEATON Tel: 0203 387023 SHREWSBURY Tel: 0743 67629 TELFORD Tel: 0952 47261/2 WORCESTER Tel: 0905 356805

EAST ANGLIA WAREHOUSES CAMBRIDGE Tel: 0223 312248 IPSWICH Tel: 0473 53124 NORWICH Tel: 0603 411831 PETERBOROUGH Tel: 0733 46633/46683

DISCOUNT SHOPS GREAT YARMOUTH Tel: 0493 858828/9 KINGS LYNN Tel: 0553 762043

LONDON WAREHOUSES BROMLEY Tel: 01-460 4272 CATFORD Tel: 01-690 8611/2 CHINGFORD Tel: 01-531 3817/8 DAGENHAM Tel: 01-595 5111 HACKBRIDGE Tel: 01-669 4321 HAYES Tel: 01-573 1841 ILFORD Tel: 01-554 1322 NEASDEN Tel: 01-459 8877 POTTERS BAR Tel: 0707 43491 ROMFORD Tel: 04023 74841 SWISS COTTAGE Tel: 01-722 6486 TWICKENHAM Tel: 01-891 6461 WIMBLEDON Tel: 01-542 2201/2

DISCOUNT SHOPS BEXLEYHEATH Tel: 01-301 1881 FINCHLEY Tel: 01-444 5150 or 5159 HOUNSLOW Tel: 01-572 5013 or 5023 KINGSTON Tel: 01-549 8799

SOUTH WAREHOUSES BLETCHLEY Tel: 0908 79262 BRIGHTON Tel: 0273 692421/4 CHELMSFORD Tel: 0245 266212 CRAWLEY Tel: 0293 543551 EASTLEIGH Tel: 0703 614722 MAIDSTONE Tel: 0622 672218 NEWHAVEN Tel: 0273 515081

If buying on Access, Barclaycard or Comet Credit Card 'phone your order to COMET 0532 440551

OPEN DAILY TO THE PUBLIC

Lowest Prices - Mati'a Promise!

Monday to Friday

9 am until 8 pm

Saturday 9 am until 5.30 pm

OXFORD Tel: 0865 248232 POOLE Tel: 0202 760060 PORTSMOUTH .... Tel: 0705 824666/7/8 READING Tel: 0734 599911 ROCHESTER Tel: 0634 49171 SOUTHAMPTON Tel: 0703 36944

DISCOUNT SHOPS ALDERSHOT Tel: 0252 331142/3 AYLESBURY Tel: 0296 28771/2 BASILDON Tel: 0268 556299 or 556349 BEDFORD Tel: 0234 46625/6 BOURNEMOUTH... Tel: 0202 293334/5 CANTERBURY Tel: 0227 456744 COLCHESTER Tel: 0206 41382/3 EASTBOURNE Tel: 0323 766010 FOLKESTONE Tel: 0303 59166/7 GUILDFORD Tel: 0483 38003/4 HIGH WYCOMBE .... Tel: 0494 444771/2 LUTON Tel: 0582 414965 or 419888 SALISBURY Tel: 0722 24562/3 SLOUGH Tel: 0753 70535/6 SOUTHEND Tel: 0702 715151 STEVENAGE Tel: 0438 316545 SWINDON Tel: 0793 641606/7 TUNBRIDGE WELLS Tel: 0892 41477 WATFORD Tel: 0923 21311/2 WEYMOUTH Tel: 030 57 74711 WOKING Tel: 048 62 20026 WORTHING Tel: 0903 211161

WALES AND SOUTH WEST WAREHOUSES BATH Tel 0225 64302/3/4 or 64201 BRISTOL Tel: 0272 559841 CARDIFF Tel: 0222 394016 CARDIFF Tel: 0222 566138 CHELTENHAM Tel: 0242 573440 CLEVEDON Tel: 0272 876041 EXETER Tel: 0392 76435 NEWPORT Tel: 0633 50431 PLYMOUTH Tel: 0752 29501 SWANSEA Tel: 0792 463332 TORQUAY Tel: 0803 28323

DISCOUNT SHOPS BRISTOL Tel: 0272 293395 GLOUCESTER Tel: 0452 411233 HEREFORD Tel: 0432 59259 TAUNTON Tel: 0823 86116 TRURO Tel: 0872 71039 WREXHAM Tel: 0978 357115

Scottish branches are also open

Sunday 10 am until 5 pm (except

Ayr, Dumfries & Greenock).

DISCOUNT HI-FI AND VIDEO Branches throughout the U K For further details ring Teledata 24- hour service 01-200 0200

9/85

I 11551 •

LECTROFIICS

0.011111111148111100111111111111111MMIIIIIMI

LECTRIIMICS

good dealer

good equipment

the foundation of a good music

system

from

Hampshire Audio Ltd

We stock selected items fiar: Aloi, Audio- lab, A & Ariston, Audio Note, Audio Technica, B&W, Cambridge, Celestion, Creek, Cyrus, Denon, Dual, Gale, Glanz, Grado, Gyrodek, Heybroox, Hunt, Jordan, Koetsu, Lentek, Linn lsobarik, Linn Sonde, Maxell, Meridian, MFSL, Michell, Mirage, Mission, Monitor Audio, Musical Fidelity, Nagaoka, Nakamichi, Nytech, Oak, Ortofon, Perreaux, Philips CD only, QED, Quad, RCL, Revox, Rogers, Rotel, Sennheiser, Stanton, Sugden, Supex, Swallow, Technics, Yamaha, and others. Active systems by Meridian, Swallow, Linn and A & R on demonstration.

VISA

Kingfisher House 2-12 Hursley Road

Chandlers Ford, Hants S05 2FU Tel: (04215) 2827 & 65232

with

The new C PUS amps —

OPENING HOURS TUES-SAT 10-6 THURS 10-8

CLOSED MONDAYS (EXCEPT IN DECEMBER)

111-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1985 127

686-2599 CLASSIFIED 686-2599 Advertisements for this section must be pre-paid. The rate is 35p per word ( private), minimum £9.00 incl. of VAT. Box Nos. £2.50 extra. Trade rates 42p per word, minimum £11.50 incl. VAT. Copy and remittance for advertisements in November issue must reach these offices by 12th September addressed to: The Advertisement Manager, Hi-Fi News & Record Review, Link House, Dingwall Avenue, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 2TA. Please include name and address. Cheques made payable to Link House

Magazines ( Croydon) PLC. NOTE: Advertisement copy must be clearly printed in block capitals or typewritten, illegible copy will be returned.

Replies to Box numbers should be addressed to the Advertisement Manager, Hi-Fi News & Record Review, Link House, Dingwall Avenue, Croydon CR9 2TA, and the Box No. quoted on the outside of the envelope. The district after Box No.

indicates its locality.

Sex Discrimination Act 1975. No job advertisement which indicates or can reasonably be understood as indicating an intention to discriminate on grounds of sex (eg. by inviting applications only from males or only from females) may be

accepted unless; (1) The job is for the purpose of a private householder or (2) It is in a business employing less than six persons or (3) It is otherwise excepted from the requirements of the Sex Discrimination Act. A statement must be made at the time the advertisement is placed saying which of the exceptions in the Act is considered to

apply.

FOR SALE - Private 1 LOWTHER AUDIOVECTOR SPEAKERS four years old. Excellent condition. £595 o.n.o. Tel: Wilmslow (06251 520043. (J) HARBETH "HL MONITOR" Mk.II Speakers, Armstrong "626" AM-FM Receiver, Michell "Focus One" Turntable S.M.E. Series II "Improved" Arm, Shure "V.15" MkIV Car-tridge, Spare Stylus, £800 o.n.o. Tel: Ruislip 73816 evenings. (J) HAFLER OH-101 PRE-AMP £115. Dynavector DV-6X ( Karat) Transformer £50. AIWA 8700 Amplifier 2 x 85w MC input, very good sound £130. Syrinx PV2 silver and spares £75. Tel: 01-578 7714 evenings/weekends. (J)

QUAD 405 Mk1 power amp, £ 150; Meridian 101 preamp, separate power supply, m-c and m-m modules, £ 150; Marantz ST600 FM/AM tuner, with oscilloscope tuning, £ 130; Linn Asak m-c cartridge, £ 100; Technics 205C Ill m-m cartridge £40; Dynavector Karat Ruby DV23R m-c cartridge, £40; Mission high o/p m-c cartridge, £30; Linsley Hood dedicated headphone amplifier (HFN/RR Jan '79), tone controls, 2 outputs, £40; Rotel stereo octave graphic equaliser, £50; Rotel Disco preamp with drum machine; £50. All boxed. Tel: 07918 4069 evenings/weekends. IX/SI ZETA tonearm silver wired with 1.5m vdH monocrystal leads. Meticulous user £275. Technics ST3200 AM/FM tuner, mint £48 o.n.o. (somewhat large but excellent sound). Items boxed etc. Tel: 01-586 2898. ( XIS) LOWTHER ACOUSTA PM6's rosewood; Sony ( B&W) SS1005's; Revox A 77 + 15 10.5" tapes; Leak Stereofetic tuner. Offers Tel: ( Horsham) 0403 722327. (J) LINN/ITTOK/BASIK, £400. Exposure pre-amp 7 and power amp 4, £400. Linn lsobariks (refurbished recently Linn £300 cost), £750. Linn Saras and stands, £350. Tel: 0902 737826 evenings. (J) PAIR QUAD ELS SPEAKERS. Black. Perfect working order. Immaculate condition. Can demonstrate and deliver reasonable dis-tance, Manchester area. £300. Tel: 061 483 8753. (J) FOR SALE, QUAD ESL-63's, DNM preamp, various U.S. underground Hi-Fi Journals would consider pair of Quad ESL's in part exchange. For details Tel: 01-821 0984. (J) AUDIO RESEARCH D160 VALVE POWER AMPLIFIER. 160w per channel. Powerful, open, and transparent. Very little use and condition virtually new. £3,500 3yrs ago but will accept £2,000. Tel: ESHER 65903 any-time. (J)

FOURIER ANALYSIS PROGRAM for BBC B micro. Displays waveform and performs spectral analysis. User can define own waveshapès; supplier with sample sine/ square/pulse. £9 cassette, 40-track disc £ 15 inc. P&P. Cheque to P Edwards Box: 0707. (XIS) QUAD ESL-63 loudspeakers £750 the pair o.n.o. Tel: 061 928 1139 after 6pm. (J/S) RANDALL RESEARCH 2 x 1 metre intercon-nect £50 o.n.o. Tel: Fred Rodrigues 01-382 7648 Office Hours. (J) TRANSMISSION LINE LOUDSPEAKERS, Dr. Bailey Design, KEF Units, teak finish. Also Leak Stereo 70 Amplifier and Sterofetic Tuner, all excellent, offers. Tel: 045 387 2315. (J)

FOR SALE - Trade NAKAMICHI TRI-TRACER 1000 cassette deck, mint. £250 + carriage. Tapes on 101/2" NAB reels. Good condition, not splice free. Some have extra footage. 20 TDK LX 35 180M - £8. 11 TDK LB 3600 & 1 L 3600M - £6. 1 Maxell 35 108B - £6. 3 Scotch Classic - £5. Prices each, plus 50p P&P, subject unsold. SME Limited, Steyning, Sussex, BN4 3GY. Tel: (0903) 814321. (J) KRELL KSA 50 AMPLIFIER. £1200.00 ( List £2200). We also have a number of our CJ55 Turntables to offer direct at £99.50 ( List £149.50). Brand new and fully guaranteed. Details and reviews sent on request. Tel: Colin Walker. (CW & J Walker Ltd.), 0928 33326. (J/S)

,,1-' Falcon MY SPEAKERS i._ /Send for our FREE price list

PL15 all we ask is a large S.A.E. (22p stamp) (Overseas U.S. $2 bill)

SYSTEM DESIGNS (Total Kits): Focal, KEF Constructor Series, etc. DRIVE UNITS: Focal, KEF. Audax,

Celestion, Coles, Peerless, Seas, Slate, Scanspeak, etc.

Also Group/Disco Units CROSSOVER NETWORKS - Active & Passive Components, Accessories etc. Expert advice via our enquiry service.

Full details from FALCON ELECTRONICS Tabor House, Mulbarton,

Norfolk NR14 8JT (Proprietors: Falcon Acoustics Ltd.)

COMPACT DISCS £7.95. Special Introductory Offer. Free Lists. Popular - Classical - Opera - Choral. Overseas Specialists. First Class no Problems Service. Eruopadisc, 91 North Street, Sudbury, Suffolk. England. ( M)

QUALITY MODERN and old Hi-Fi equipment bought and sold, Midland Radio Supplies, Maypole Lane, Birmingham B14 4PE. Tel: 021-430-7817. ( M)

AMP-01 analogue modular pkaarnpnt lee

AMP4/1-M, the muumabst donvauve • • 1, July and November 84) e now available in kit format SAE bungs the 4 page broadk.heet with pm pees diagrams att., osarructanal text The uno nt 'w .,.-• ,.i ... , • angle toe source m addition to analogue disc All parts available separately or the unit may le assembled in 1 diem 1 stages horn our PCB kits Revewee ity Martin Collorns (Nov 84 HEN) and Chris Breung (August 85 HEN) Amp 01 . the complete kit includes engraved panels tower supply and gold plated phono sockets on.* Mumbled pnce £ 55.00.

Other AMP-01 parts & kits 0.5% Holm precinct% modal tilln reeraton offer Imploved resolution in all low level signal paths Our Holco stock led (available an receipt of SAL) detallo 44 Vdill,. moluchng 10R. 241119 4705 90139, 1000. 221R. 47/14 la/ 2S9 2k21. 3648. 4632 4k42 862. 10k. 15k. 16k. 2064 28k 9 47kb all (a 39p each ()the ERE senes values are

¡variable Or £3.70 Pet 10Pcs tn...., 090GnO Enrols:ad class I polypropylene capaators type PP72)( Made in France to unrivalled Daopean quality assurance leveLs Solid copper leads • Hermetic seahor

'tti% dissipation factor Or 3kHz (Polaseer is typ 6%) • Nd dielecttic ateorpnon • 160ppm temperature coefficient • Radial lottis68nF. 160v. 1s - f.2.75'DI £25 for 10p, ! • ' I 60v 1% - £2.85 or £2550 for 10pcs 2 2uF 160v 1% - 64.85 or £40.00 for ( 0pcs 220,/E 630v 1% £7.65

Bourns 9IA mono conductive plaste 10k 1 in ( R-- 1 k Wal ot 100k I in ( a 10k log) - state which £2.25 Bourns 8IA Mono Cermet 10k Linear £3.25 Stereo Bourns 9IA CP 1COk let (= 10k log) !. o ' g• C9 75 Stereo Mullard PP/7 100k 1in ( a 10k log) cermet control pot £8 30 Holco law faeng reams. converts I in lo high accuracy log. lk or 10k for 10k and lelk Imair pots £0 78/pr PhonoOex , tle - to low capacitance (65pF/m). low rractophony, coaxal fits all phono plugs Green or Blue LO Klmorre etudes t • ,,, ,• t . re) cable 165pFm. low microphony. 8mm OD. conducove-plastrcseeld and drain wire Brown or Blue £OB8 metre AMP-01 analogue power warm M. . 28 volts (il 793mA. fully filleted £88 75 Mans beancan filmy typically 4(,3113 RE/hash anenuotion single screw hang. 30 v 30.M. 1 5AmP rateo clove up mats, E9 50 VDRs . 4 -. 1 .20v (State which) pule raling cleans up mains. new 40 joule ratmg LO 75 AMPO1 mantrarne: Control card for letenng. COLA lot, issue 4 with Holm resistors £89 50 AMP.Olmuntraner Audephile line - processor lot. MKT/Record version EBB 50 AMP-01 due card kit audiophile direct-coupled MM/MC. RIAA accurate up to 4061-12 £149 95 Gold plated phono sockets. 6 35nun mounting f 1 39 1,M3 17/337T are. and -ve high performance adestable regulators, lot t2 b to 3.5 volt supplies £2.49 ea. 1037 ACN8 Replaces and upgrade OP37 in all cards £-9.95 1007 ACN8 Replac. and upgrades OP27 in all cards £9 95 Due to advanced oseerung in manufacture. these Linear Technology devices cost only a fraction of the price of the compenno A grade Cl' senes oevi(es nog

replace All prices include 15% VAT (Overseas 10 8695 extracts ( 0%). but add CI postage Blank PCBs and kits are supplied woh a stuffing glade and a componer' check. Is.. and tat p, ,ces INCLUDE postage Detailed price lists on AMP 01 kits cards parts and rnelèlwork acnve crossovers and high qualoy passive otemonents are- avalar.h• on receipt of a LARGE ( A4 sae) SAE web 24p stamp to UK readers, or sent FOC with your order II °verse.. send 4 IFK:t: ( Edeile, u 11,- .• / All otter ...TrOgue , .., L250 if 1RCs aren't available Reprints of AMP 01 test £6 30 (42 pages). HEN Acnve Crossover f2 50 ( 12 page, ot-) o Rt., r, •

Ilid Sound, Kirkby Lane, 7anershall, Lincoln I.N4 4PD Telephone Conine, 105 24! + taus

128 111-11 NEWS ez Ri C .ORD REVIEW SI l'IrMI31 19s5

686-2599 CLASSIFIED 686-2599 FOR SALE - Trade

QUAD 33 UPDATE si•rsatilc control unit was introduced in Ihr• 1%11s. Inri rorrern

sourcr matenal has confirmed that the 33 adds a rai !muss or 'bloom to all Inputs. Our plug-In S81018 C) circuit boards ir place two internal Quad boards. bypassing tone and balance CulltrolS. and give an immediate improvement in disc. tape and CO,radic treble clarltv and bass lightness'.

SB1018 ® ir — £24.30 SOU NDBOX STEREO REMOTE CONTROL

Comprises iif 58320 C) Intra-rrut hand,'" , inri INIt,t00 (e) recencr controller which is connected in- line belween pre and power amps ior between Cl) player and ampi allowing lull remote control of name, bass and treble from your armchair. The 58300 C) Is matched to Quad :43/34/44 arid 303/405 but is suitable for mans other imams. The SB300 gbes 1.53) indication of status awl is i•aslly installed lith or 240s available.

SK300/S8320 (110 pair — £129.90 CD INPUT ATTENUATOR

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HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1985

1b

129

o o

0

I'VE JUST BEEN WATCHING MAYTIME on BBC-2. Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy strolled, joyfully reunited

wraiths, through a blossom-bowered avenue of falling petals, singing 'Sweetheart'. Lovetime, Springtime, May! Ah me, they don't make films like that anymore— or singers, it seems. As a latecomer to the CD review team I've

had several 'who on earth will do this one' issues to scrutinise, including three different selections of ballads from opera stars, Negro Spirituals from Barbara Hendricks, and a Porgy and Bess of worthy seriousness. Then I heard Bernstein's West Side Story with Dame Kin i Te Kanawa and José Carreras in the leading roles, which JA described in his ace review (June p85) as 'woefully miscast'. Did these recordings, like Maytime, make me stifle tears of corn-induced nostalgia or set me singing and dancing round the room? I fear not. Instead of soul-fattening, critical

José Carreras

tooth-rotting enjoyment, they induced a growing annoyance. I just cannot bear to hear one more plummy-mouthed, tight-arsed 'opera star' sing the life and soul out of yet another of my favourites without protest.

Before I'm categorised as an irate, middle-aged Jimmy Young fan, let me say that my music taste runs more in the direction of Radio Laser, leavened with limited doses of Radio 3. But you couldn't grow up in my family without being exposed to a superabundance of musicals and operetta, and I do know Stork from butter. Butter is the saucy, super- French sound of Chevalier, Rex Harrison's ultra-dry non-singing, the Haarlem Opera ' Uncle Toming' it up through Porgy. It's Jeanette MacDonald ostentatiously holding a sweet, high note whilst flashing her huge eyes at Nelson Eddy. It's Howard Keel at his high, wide and handsome best, Robert Preston promising 'trouble in River City' with a dazzling display of rhythm and timing. Stork is Jessye Norman singing Gershwin, Joan Sutherland's version of Noel Coward, José Carreras' painfully memorable 'Something's Coming'; in fact, any large-voiced opera superstar letting down his/her hair and having 'evenings with' or 'singing' anyone. Try as they may, they make everything

sound like an aria by Verdi. They can sing the notes, of course, notes indeed that you didn't even know were there, but a song is much more than a simple melody — it's a question of style. The soul of a Gershwin, Cole Porter or Hammerstein song lies in a very modern combination of jazz, blues and European popular music. The often superlative lyrics have irony and wit. Operetta's charm is its unalloyed sentimentality and frivolous plots, with a guaranteed happy ending.

Opera, however, is conspicuous by the absence of these elements. There are flashes of them, perhaps, the blossoming of saplings destined to bear fruit in another orchard; but where the plot is more prosaic, I think it's fair to say that the music is still in an elevated style. Witness Beethoven's

complaint that Mozart debased his sublime music by using such trivial themes. Opera as I know and love it is ' grand'. It is tragic, pathetic, exquisite, overwhelming, joyous, triumphant: music for the gods. Popular music is, well, for the populace: worldly, metropolitan, wisecracking, vulgar and boisterous. Operetta and Musicals are not Greek tragedy, but fairytales set to music. Opera singers cannot expect to step out of their world and sing in such a different vernacular, like Gielgud playing a Cockney. There is a story of how Lord Olivier

donned cotton-wool beard and red suit to play Santa one Christmas at a children's party, and was so overwhelming that his own children fled in terror. Similarly, a large voice and classic technique sound florid in a light context. For opereta, give me the sweet charm of an Yvonne Printemps and an Evelyn Laye, and wonderfully wooden heroes like John Hanson. Can you bear to hear anyone merely sing 'cheek to cheek'

BACK 5100a

Sue Hudson on how record corn . anies are murderin

modern classics

after Astaire? [No— Ed] Remember Ethel Merman pile-driving into 'There's No Business Like Showbusiness'? I can't even imagine anyone declaiming 'Why Can't A Woman Be More Like A Man?' but Rex Harrison. And yes, it does depend on his voice as well as his persona. These people have a real talent, just as special as a Wagnerian voice. The originality and skill of such stars is

belittled by replacing them on record with 'proper' singers in the blithe assumption that it's an improvement. Today's popular singers should be given the chance to do in the recording studios what they spend their professional lives perfecting. And if we must have an opera singer, let it be one of the lesser names who might be more fitted for the task. For it does seem to be true that the better a singer is in the operatic sphere, the less likely it is that his or her voice will be suitable for any other use. Even their speaking voices tend to sound unnaturally 'produced'. That is why it is doubly fatal for record producers to reach automatically for the ' big' names. No doubt this approach is commercially advantageous, but it is artistically disastrous.

After all, the trend in classical performance

is towards authenticity, exemplified by The Academy of Ancient Music, etc. Why shouldn't the same thinking hold for more recent classics? Porgy and Bess was written as an opera, but a folk opera — Gershwin's own definition. The great success of the first performances was John W Bubbles, a vaudeville star whom Gershwin championed through many rehearsal problems. Similarly, West Side Story is at heart a musical, more ambitious in scale than usual, so more tempting for opera stars, but still with the important element of 'folk'. The vernacular is indivisible from the whole, the songs needing to be delivered in character as part of the acting — so good casting is essential. As Bernstein himself said about the first production: 'I guess we were right not to cast 'singers', anything that sounded more professional would inevitably sound more experienced, and then the ' kid' quality would be gone'. Now I don't suggest that there is no vocal

acting in opera, but in contrast with musicals it is limited, with beauty of voice and accuracy paramount. A prima donna may be Madam Buttterfly one night, Brunnhilde the next. Popular singers are far more typecast, but like the Hollywood stars, what they do, they do uniquely well. No amount of training can make you sound like Crosby or Cagney, Astaire or Bessie Smith. Dame Kin's performance in West Side Story demonstrates this. Her control and expressiveness speak of a feel for the idiom, but the basic quality of the voice is wrong. In contrast, the singer who comes from New York, Tatiana Troyanos, and the Broadway Chorus are delightfully authentic.

It must be frustrating being a 'great singer' today, for this incompatibility of idioms is growing stronger all the time. In the days of John McCormack, Richard Tauber and Chaliapin, the popular style was open to the few classically trained artists with the wit and skill to embrace it. But can your brain wrap itself around the concept of 'Carreras Sings The Sex Pistols'?

9,„

ç;

Reprinted from: The Hoffnung Music Festival (1983 edition by Sovenir Press Ltd, 43 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3P.4)

Bibliography The Great Singers: Henry Pleasants The Hollywood Musical: Jane Feuer The Joy of Music: Leonard Bernstein The Gershwin Years: Edward Jablonski & LD Stewart John Atkinson's CD review of West Side Story ( HFN/RR, June 1985)

Discography (all CDs) Barbara Henricks Sings Spirituals EMI CDC 7 47026 2 Porgy and Bess Highlights Philips 412 720-2 West Side Story DG 415 253-2 You Belong To My Heart (José Carreras) Philips 411 422-2 Be My Love (Placido Domingo) DG 413 451-2

130 HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1955

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