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Presenting the culmination of American engineer-ing...the TSW loudspeaker series from AcousticResearch. TSW loudspeakers utilize the best in ARsound innovations. "Acoustic Suspension" woofersand liquid -cooled tweeters with Tetra Helix" mount-ing plates are specially combined in every TSWloudspeaker to give you unrivalled sound quality ina size and style that is right for your musical taste.Choose your loudspeaker from the TSW Series:

Floor Standing Acoustic SuspensionFloor/Shelf Acoustic SuspensionBookshelf Acoustic SuspensionSelf -Powered A/V Speakers

The TSW 810 & 910. Our top of the line floorstanding columnars.Choose from the best. Our TSW 810 and 910loudspeakers offer you dual woofers on two differentplanes. One is placed at the front of the speakerand the other at the rear to provide bass power tothe limits of audibility. Differing placement of thewoofers eliminates loss of output in the mid -bassregion caused by room reflections.

In addition, a 1" titanium tweeter with a Tetra Helix"mounting plate and an acoustic lens providedynamic treble without beaming or unnatural boxi-ness. The shape of the Tetra Helix" works to distri-bute any reradiation so that edge diffraction of thetweeter plate does not affect any single frequency.The TSW 810 and 910 have bi-wire capabilities forthose who wish to maximize the performance oftheir loudspeakers.

The TSW Floor Standing and BookshelfLoudspeakers. TSW 100, 110, 210, 310, 315,410, 510, 610, 710.AR offers you nine additional TSW loudspeakerswith a variety of features to meet your exact stereosystem need. All nine loudspeakers are equippedwith AR's Acoustic Blanket", an exclusive designfeature that eliminates the cabinet and grille reflec-tions that blur stereo image. Plus, all speakersfeature carbon -loaded polypropylene cones,"Acoustic Suspension" woofers, and liquid -cooledTetra Helix- tweeters.

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The TSW 115P Self -Powered Audio/VideoSpeaker.The smallest of the TSW loudspeaker series, theTSW 115P contains its own power amplifier to giveyou astonishing volume levels and unlimited versa-tility! Use the 115P with a VCR, guitar pre -amp,electronic keyboard, computer music program orany other line level device. The TSW 115P is ideallysuited for "surround sound" video applications aswell. Drivers on the TSW 115P are shielded so thatno harmful magnetic fields escape the speakercabinet. This makes the TSW 115P perfect for usenear a video screen or computer equipment.

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Enter No. 2 on Reader Service Card

DECEMBER 1988 VOL. 72, NO. 12

Speaker Design, page 72

FEATURESSPEAKERS BY DESIGN, PART II Ken KantorREPRISE: THE COMMODORE

AND KEYNOTE COLLECTIONS Frank Driggs .AUDIO INTERVIEW: RICK ROWE,

"HAIR" RESTORATION Susan ElliottOBERLIN SMITH: CENTENARY

OF MAGNETIC RECORDING Jon R. SankCREST FACTORS OF CDs1988 ANNUAL INDEX

Leonard Feldman

72

78

82

9096

199

EQUIPMENT PROFILESMB QUART 280 SPEAKER David L. ClarkMARANTZ PM -94

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIERAKAI AT -93 TUNER Leonard Feldman ..ARISTON FORTE TURNTABLE

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MUSIC REVIEWSROCK POP RECORDINGSCLASSICAL RECORDINGSJAZZ & BLUES

160168176

DEPARTMENTSSIGNALS & NOISEAUDIOCLINICTAPE GUIDEWHAT'S NEW

Joseph GiovanelliHerman Burstein

AUDIO ETC Edward Tatnall CanbySPECTRUM Ivan BergerBEHIND THE SCENES Bert WhyteTHE BOOKSHELFROADSIGNS Ivan Berger

The Cover Equipment: MB Quart 280 speaker.The Cover Photographer: ©1988, Bill Kouirinis.

Audio Publishing, Editorial, and Advertising Offices,1515 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10036.

Subscription Inquiries, (800) 525-0643;in Colorado, (303) 447-9330.

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Rick Rowe Restoring Hair. page 82

MB Quart Speaker, page 102

Magnetic Recording, page 90

THE SHAPEOF THINGS TO COME

Products recognized for their ability toreproduce music and to advance ourperception of high fidelity emerge fromunique companies. The community ofindividuals dedicated to the productionof Mark Levinson components has es-tablished an unequalled tradition of ex-cellence and accomplishment, whileaccepting the responsibility for refiningthe state of the art in music reproductionwithin the boundaries technology andimagination allow.

The No. 26 Dual Monaural Preamplifierintroduces a new level of performance inaudio system control. Until now, themost musically accurate preamplifiershave had limited control flexibility due tothe sonic advantages of direct signalpaths. The new generation of circuitrydeveloped for the No. 26 provides fullcontrol flexibility, for six audio sourceswith two tape loops, and such refine-ments as absolute phase selection, allwith greater sonic purity than even theminimalist preamps of the past.

The No. 26 offers two optional phono in-put sections for precise matching withany phonograph cartridge. Either ofthese circuits can be factory installed atthe time of purchase, or added later byyour dealer.

The No. 26 also offers the option of truedifferential balanced connection to as-sociated equipment. While this superiorinterconnection technique has beentaken advantage of in professionalequipment for many years, only recentlyhave domestic products offered it as anoption. The No. 26 will allow you toachieve the maximum performancefrom Mark Levinson amplifiers and otherproducts offering balanced connectioncapability.

All Mark Levinson products are hand-crafted in limited quantities to ensuretheir high standards. Visit your MarkLevinson dealer to hear how good musiccan sound in your home.

Mark Levinson'" products gyre designed and manufactured by MADRIGAL AUDIO LABORATORIESPO. Box 781, Middletown, CT 06457 ITT TLX 4942 1 58

Headphones that work with your ears,not against them.

DT 990 head-phones use "diffusesound field equalization;' based onnew studies of how the human ear af-fects sound. This design produces a flatfrequency response, accurately recreatingthe experience of the listening environment..

Hostaphan" diaphragms and Neodyne" magnets are two tn3re reasonsDT 990s have won technical and critical ac-..:laim in Europe an Airrrica.They ". . delivered a superb sound" and were ". . .remarkablycomprtableto wear" according to Stereo Review.

So if you enjoy losing yourself in the music, start by finding the Geyerdealer in your area. Call the reader response number below, or w-ifie--beyerdynamic US, 5-05 Burns Avenue, Hicksville, 1VY

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AudioEditor: Eugene Pitts III

Art Director: Cathy Cacchione

Technical Editor: Ivan BergerManaging Editor: Kay Blumenthal

Copy Chief: Marita BegleyAssociate Art Director: Linda Zerella

Assistant Editor: Karen ClarkEditorial Assistant: Michael Bieber

Associate Editors:Edward Tatnall Canby, Bert Whyte, B. V. Pisha

Senior Editors:Leonard Feldman, Howard A. RobersonSenior Editor/Music Features: Ted Fox

Editor -At -Large: David Lander

Contributing Editors/Artist:Michael Aldred, Susan Borey, Herman Burstein.David L. Clark, Anthony H. Cordesman, Ted Costa,John Diliberto, Frank Driggs, John M. Eargle,

Joseph Giovanelli, Bascom H. King, Gary Krakow,Hector G. La Torre, Edward M. Long, Jon R. Sank

George Shellenberger, Donald Spoto,Michael Tearson. Jon & Sally Tiven, Paulette Weiss,

Michael Wright

Business Services Director: Greg RopertiCirculation Director: Leon Rosenfield

Production Director: David RoseProduction Manager: Michele Lee

Research Director: Neil KarlinSpecial Projects Coordinator: Phyllis K. Brady

Ad Coordinator: Sylvia CorreaAdministrative Assistant: Joan R. Mitchell

V.P./Publisher: Stephen Goldberg

ADVERTISINGAssociate Publisher: Stephen W. Witthoft

(212) 719-6335

Account Managers: R. Scott Constantine(212) 719-6346Barry Singer(212) 719-6291

Western Manager: Bob MethRegional Manager: Paula Borgida

(213) 739-5130

Classified Manager: Carol A. Berman(212) 719-6338

Automotive Manager: James Main(313) 643-8800

DCI EXECUTIVE STAFFPresident and CEO: Peter G. Diamandis

Executive V.P.: Robert F. SpillaneSr. V.P., Finance, and CFO: Arthur Sukel

Sr. V.P., Mfg. & Distribution: Murray M. RomerSr. V.P., Operations: Robert J. Granata

V.P., Controller: David PeckerV.P., General Counsel: Catherine Flickinger

AUDIO, December 1988, Volume 72, Number 12.AUDIO (ISSN 0004-752X, Dewey Decimal Number621.381 or 778.5) is published monthly by DCI, awholly owned subsidiary of Hachette Publications. Inc.,at 1515 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10036. Printed inU.S.A. at Dyersburg, Tenn. Distributed by WarnerPublisher Services Inc. Second class postage paid atNew York, N.Y. 10001 and additional mailing offices.Subscriptions in the U.S.. $19.94 for one year, $35.94for two years, $49.94 for three years: other countries,add $6.00 per year. AUDIO" is a registered trademaikof DCI. ©1988, Diamandis Communications Inc. Allrights reserved. Editorial contributions shouldinclude return postage. Submissions will be handledwith reasonable care, but the Editor assumes noresponsibility for safety or return of manuscripts,photographs, or artwork. The Publisher, in his solediscretion, reserves the right to reject any ad copy hedeems inappropriate. Subscription Service: Forms3579 and all subscription correspondence must beaddressed to AUDIO, P.O. Box 52548. Boulder. Colo.80321-2548. Please allow at least eight weeks for thechange of address to become effective. Include botiyour old and your new address and enclose, ifpossible, an address label from a recent issue. If youhave a subscription problem, please write to the aboveaddress or call (800) 525-0643: in Colorado, (303)447-9330.

4 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1938

Unfortunately,most audio

equipment todaymisses the most

important elementofmusic.

The performance.

The first equipmentthat doesn'tjust play music.

It recreates it.

To the most discriminating listeners,music isn't a passive hobby. It's an all-out passion.

At Counterpoint, we've never for-gotten that.

In our quest for the purest, most naturalqualities of sound, Counterpoint hasembarked on a decidedly different tack,dictated not by blind obsession with

specifications, but rather by absolutedevotion to flawless musical recreation.

Steadfastly embracing that philosophy,Counterpoint has focused exclusively on theelement that makes a piece of music

especially endearing:The artistry of the live performance.For once, you won't just hear the music.

You'll experience it as if you were there. The

steamy breaths of a tenor saxophonist. Thesearing intensity of a vocal. The sense -

tingling pluck of a harp string.We invite you to conduct your own aural

examination of Counterpoint equipment.In doing so, we believe you'll discover how

much of the music you've been missing.And why Counterpoint is widely regarded

as the consummate choice for critical listening.

Music so real,so natural, youcan practically see itbefore your eyes.

Perhaps nowhere is Counterpoint's purityof purpose more compellingly demonstratedthan in the SA-9/SA-11 system.

The unequivocable choice of the criticalelite.

Rarely, if ever, has the raw emotion andfeeling of individual performers andinstruments been captured with suchrichness, brilliance and clarity.

The SA -9 Phono Equalizer represents theultimate in musical accuracy, providing

SA-9/SA-1. Preamplification System

exceptional width and depth to the audiosoundstage.

Offering "reference quality" performancein every conceivable aspect of its hybrid tubedesign, this dedicated phono cartridgepreamplification and equalization systemfeatures independent moving -coil andmoving -magnet circuits for unrivaled phonostage quality.

If the SA -9 can be considered thequintessential pre -amp, the SA -11 Control

Amplifier is its perfectly matched counterpart.The SA -11 extends the isolinear concept to

its fullest potential. Its exacting circuit designand high voltage operation ensure extremelylow distortion sound. But the imaging anddynamic headroom delivered by the SA -11make it the clear favorite with purists whorefuse to settle for second best.

The SA -9 and SA -11. Withoutcompromise, and without peer.

For afficionados whoinstead of lookingfor features,listen for sound.

In discerning circles, the term "musicality" is frequentlymentioned in the same breath with Counterpointpreamplifiers.

The SA -5000 preamplifier, with an impressive vacuum-

tube power supply, provides highly refined, very dynamicsound. It's especially notable for its revelation of inner detail

and outstanding soundstaging abilities.

The SA -3000 preamplifier exemplifies sonic realism.

The product of sophisticated hybrid tube technology, this

high-performance preamp delivers a clean, quick signal, arich bottom end and a nicely focused soundstage.

Along the same hybrid lines, the SA -1000 features many

SA -3000 Preamplifier

SA -000 l'rcamplifier

SA -I000 Preamplifier

SA -2 Pre-Preamplitier

SA -4 Mono Power Amplifier

SA -20 Power Amplifier

SA -12 Power Amplifier

of the design characteristics and advanced engineering of itshigher -performance siblings, yet is affordably priced.

For those to whom musical accuracy must approach thatof the live performance, Counterpoint presents the SA -2

pre -preamplifier with its fully vacuum -tube regulated

power supply. The result is excellent frequency extension,stage presentation and unblurred open detail, for hours ofsmooth, unfatigued listening.

Over the years, Counterpoint Amplifiers havecontinually set new standards of listening excellence.

The SA -4 has taken sonic purity to unprecedented

heights. Its all -tube design produces truly astounding

three -dimensionality, along with extraordinary focus and

soundstaging. If you're looking for amazingly natural,transparent sound, it just doesn't get any better.

Vivid reproduction is also the forte of the SA -20, the

power amplifier we consider our "gutsiest." It provides

great bass, midbass and incredible verity in reproducing thecharacteristics of the original recording hall, as well as

positioning instruments.For big performance and a smaller price tag, the SA -12

delivers sonic virtuosity other power amps can't touch at

twice the price. It's exceptionally dynamic with a liquidmidrange, detailed trebles and an excellent bottom end.

All the solid statedevices in the world

still can't matchthis tube forpureperformance.

Through the years, in a field where there are no trueabsolutes, one simple fact has not changed.

The vacuum tube remains the s:andard for musicamplification.

Classic in form and function, man's oldest amplifyingdevice is still the best for deliveringunsurpassedperformance.

Which is precisely why Counterpoint continues toemploy only selected premium tubes for its audiocomponents.

From the beginning, Counterpoint has resolutelyrefused to engage in a superficial game of "specsmanship."

Rather, every Counterpoint pre -amplifier and poweramplifier is meticulously designed and precisely crafted for

one express purpose:

To deliver unbelievably real, remarkably pure sound.

COUNTERPOINTSUPER NATURAL SOUND

2610 Commerce Drive Vista, CA 92083 (619) 598-9090 Telex: 284 902CPT UR FAX: (619) 598-9418

Enter No. 26 on Reader Service Card

SIGNALS & NOISE

For the RecordDear Editor:

As we come to the end of the '80s, itseems that CDs are "in" and recordsare "out." With people having morerecords than anything else on the mar-ket, I feel that the record industryshould stay alive! Records still soundbetter than prerecorded tapes, andmost people like to look at the biggerLP covers. To keep LPs strong, I feel itis essential to improve them. Usinghalf -speed mastering, super vinyl(which gives a more quiet playing sur-face), and static -free rice paper as in-ner sleeves are just some suggestionsto improve LPs.

I will admit that CDs are nice, sincethey are quiet and small, and soon I

too will be obtaining a CD player. Thefact remains that not all catalog will beavailable on Compact Disc. Further, I

found that records sound better thananalog CDs on a high -quality stereosystem.

Glenn BucciGarden City, N.Y.

Forgotten HistoryDear Editor:

I would like to commend DanielSweeney and Steve Mantz on theirfinely written article on solid-state am-plifiers in the June issue ("An InformalHistory of Solid -State Amps"). It wasvery well presented, with a wealth ofinformation for many interested audio-philes. I would, however, like to clarifysome points and correct some minorfactual errors and errors of omission.

First, some time frames need to becorrected. Indeed, the first publiclyknown adaptation of a full -complemen-tary amplifier was produced as a con-struction project for Popular Electron-ics in 1972-1 believe by Dan Meyer ofSouthwest Technical Products. It wasmy original suggestion to Dan (while I

was at Dynaco) for this concept whichled him to do the project: The Tiger .01amplifier.

Another point to make is that whilethe authors are absolutely correct inthat C. F. Wheatley and a Mr. Kleinmanat RCA were the very first to use theseries output topology, they did this forentirely different reasons than I did.They were dealing with the new (at thattime, circa 1962-63) drift -field germani-um power transistors which, due to the

lattice structure of germanium, had tre-mendous leakage problems (IcE0) as-sociated with collector -to -emitter volt-age (VcE0) and exacerbated with ele-vated temperatures. They needed theseries connection to make the deviceseven reasonably safe. Safe -operating -area problems (SOAR) were a thing ofthe future and were not even knownuntil silicon power transistors were inuniversal use, circa 1965-66.

I believe that I was the first to use theseries topology in output stages. How-ever, I used it first in the Dynaco 400 in1972. I then used the first output tripleseries in the SAE Mark 3C. Ampzillawas my third -generation use of the out-put series topology.

Regressing a bit, I was the first tomake a commercially available dual -differential, full -complementary amplifi-er, but it was with the SAE Mark 31B in1973. This continued through theMarks IIIC, IVD, 2200, 2300, 2400,2500, 2600, etc., up to this day. Amp-zilla was a much later refinement ofthese original concepts.

The authors state that "No trueClass -A amp has ever been producedfor the mass market." This is incorrect.In 1980, I received the only conceptualpatent ever issued for a solid-state,pure Class -A power amp from the U.S.Patent Office. Subsequently, I pro-duced (at Sumo) the Model Nine, a 70-watt/channel, pure Class -A amplifierwhich then retailed for $599. This hasto be considered on the low end of theprice scale and as close to mass mar-ket as you can get with this kind ofproduct.

Finally, I am disappointed that two ofour industry's great pioneering engi-neers were not mentioned. Bart Lo-canthi must be given credit for his fa-mous T -circuit produced at JBL in1965. He was the very first person I

know of to use the full -complementaryoutput stage. Also, in 1966, Sidney S.Smith of Marantz designed the Model15, which certainly must be consid-ered a milestone in solid-state design.(I feel privileged to have been the finaldesign engineer on that product.) Hisdrive circuit remains a virtual de factostandard in the world of solid-stateamps, as does his use of the compoundRAEF pair. Aside from all his previoustube designs, Sid must be consideredone of the giants in our industry.

I would like to thank Sweeney andMantz for mentioning me in their articlewith more than deserved praise. Mywork is merely based on the effortsand experiences of all those clever en-gineers whose brilliance fortunatelypreceded me.

James BongiornoSanta Barbara, Cal.

Burning "Bridges"Dear Editor:

When I sent in the forms for thisyears Annual Equipment Directory, I

indicated that our two stereo amplifi-ers, the Krell KSA-80 and the KSA-200,can be converted to mono operation.For publication, this was changed toread "bridges to 160 watts" for theKSA-80 and "bridges to 400 watts" forthe KSA-200.

This change is inaccurate, as it mis-represents the design concept of theamplifiers and will undoubtedly causeconfusion in the marketplace. First, it iswell known that bridged operationyields four times the unbridged power.As printed. it appears that our unitscannot do this. Second, it is also wellknown that bridging does not delivergood sonic quality. This is certainly inopposition to Krell's reputation and in-tentions. Further, in the KSA-80 own-er's manual, we make the point veryclear that the mono unit is not abridged version of the stereo unit.

In technical terms, the KSA-80 andKSA-200 amplifiers contain two inde-pendent supplies. When programmedfor mono operation, for the KMA-160 orthe KMA-400, the supplies are joinedand higher voltage taps are used. Theunit then has double the number ofoutput transistors, further increasingthe safe operating area. The audio in-put is also changed, from single -end-ed to balanced.

Dan D'AgostinoDesigner and Engineer

Krell IndustriesMilford, Conn.

Consumer CloutDear Editor:

I would like to comment on the letterto "Tape Guide" from Steve Medel thatappeared in the June issue ("Com-plaint Department"). Both the writerand Herman Burstein, in his reply, criti-cized high-feature/low-quality prod-

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 13

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The buying:public has thepower to direct the audioindustry. When consumersvote with their dollars,manufacturers listen.

ucts, implying that marketing concernsare leading to a deterioration of overallproduct quality. I believe this view putsthe cart before the horse.

From my experience as an audio re-tailer, in marketing management atboth American and Japanese compa-nies, and now as manager of a marketresearch program in consumer elec-tronics, I will agree that sales are ofutmost importance. But manufacturersrarely lead the consumer into makingfoolish choices. Instead, the marketingdepartments try their best to discoverwhat their customers (retailers andconsumers) are looking for, and thenattempt to have their factories produceit competitively. Certainly many trade-offs in product design are possible,leading to the richness of choices weall enjoy. But if a product doesn't sell,you can bet the company will discon-tinue it. All efforts will turn to the combi-nation of features and price that, hope-fully, will better meet the customers'demands. The history of our industry islittered with "fantastic" products thatfew, if any, consumers wanted to buy.

It is my basic observation that thequality level of components today ishigh and edging upward. Even if thiswere not the case, an educated con-sumer, having read Audio and othermagazines, could presumably find thecombination of features, precision, etc.that best meets his or her needs. We,the buying public, have the power todirect the industry. When consumersvote with dollars, manufacturers listen!

Clark JohnsonPort Washington, N.Y.

A Star Is RebornDear Editor:

As a very critical listener/performerof early music, I spent a year decidingon my "last" turntable, a SOTA Star.Because this company is committed toongoing updates, they eventuallycaused me a problem. First, it wouldcost money. Second, I would lose mysecond favorite musical instrument (af-ter my viola da gamba) for who knewhow long.

To my surprise, two days after SOTAreceived my table, I got a phone callfrom Robert Becker. He told me thatSOTA couldn't really upgrade my veryearly Star to their satisfaction. To myamazement, he then told me that SOTA

had decided to replace my table with acurrent Series III, at no additional cost.None! Nada! And from the head of thecompany!

Five days later, my new Star wasperforming in my system. Let me tellyou, no CD player could come closeto SOTA's latest vacuum model-andperhaps no other turntable-for lessthan megabucks. But I am not writingto rave about the sound. I simply thinkthis kind of support, motivated solelyby SOTA's standards (and withoutpressure from me), deserves publicnotice. My other upgrade experi-ences have been far less rewarding.With this kind of customer support,the LP will live forever. I hope goodnews travels fast.

Peter Brewster BrownEl Cerrito, Cal.

Editor's Note: Yeah, but Becker is theonly one with a key to the phonelock.-E.P.

WhytewashedDear Editor:

It is very discouraging to read inyour October issue that one mustspend $6,500 just to extract a decentsignal from a CD player ("Behind theScenes") and that even the opticalconnections provided in high -endequipment are rotten.

I have several Compact Disc play-ers, a very fine digital preamp, andnumerous CDs, and can make my sys-tem sound as good with CDs as with a$1,500 cartridge/arm/turntable combo.Let's face it: Some Compact Discssound lousy, even if played through aWadia, just as some LPs sound lousyeven when played using the latestKoetsu phono cartridge.

What does Bert Whyte propose us-ing as a CD transport suitable for con-nection to the Wadia? Surely not aMagnavox 460. Perhaps a CD-ROMdrive at about $1,500?

In short, I think Bert Whyte's columnis going to turn off, rather than turnon, those readers who have been sit-ting on the fence with regard to theCompact Disc. I mean, wouldn't youquestion the feasibility of a playbacktechnique requiring 72,000,000 calcu-lations per second?

Bernard A. EngholmCarlsbad, Cal.

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988I Crutchfield Park. Dept. AU, Charlottesville, VA 22906 14

DAT

HeadphonesFor TheDigital Era.

Records aren't the onlythings made obsolete byCD's. Many headphones thatsounded fine with analogaudio just aren't up to repro-ducing the remarkable clarityand full dynamic range of digitalsound. In the tradition of theprofessionally used AKG K240series, AKG continues to meet thbtechnological challenge with the newK280- the first parabolic headphonesdesigned specifically for digital recordings. Within each earcup aretwo perfectly matched transducers computer -positioned to focusinterference -free sound at the center of the user's ear. This "acousticlens" offers exceptionally transparent sound and dimensional imaging,while the use of doubled transducers improves channel balance and in-creases dynamic range to match the most demanding performance.Comfortable and accurate, AKG K280 headphones are designed to bedriven by the low impedance outputs of modern CO players and audiogear. Also available is the K270, a non -open air [sealed) version ofthe K280.AKG headphones. The standard of performing artists and recording

engineers around the world. When you're listening in the digital era,you'll want to hear it all.

AKGc AKG 1998 a Akustische and Kino-Gerace Gmbh. Austrta

Focusing on new technology.77 SeHeck St. Stamford, CT 06902

[203) 348-2121

AUDIOCLINICJOSEPH GIOVANELLI

Nighttime AM ReceptionQ. Why is it that some AM stations

are not very strong after sunset, andothers, not even present during theday, are strong after sunset?-RichardHarding, Peabody, Mass.

A. The effect of sunlight in the por-tion of the radio -frequency spectrumused to transmit AM broadcast signalsis such that, during daylight hours,these signals are absorbed by the ion-osphere. After sunset, the nature of theatmosphere changes, and these sig-nals are not absorbed to the same ex-tent. If the signals are not absorbed,they will travel farther and be heard atnight.

This can result in problems after sun-set. Just tune around the dial, andyou'll discover that many frequencieswhich had no stations on them duringthe day are so overpopulated thatthere is nothing but a jumble of sound.Even when you are near a desired AMstation, reception may be blurred bydistant stations occupying the samefrequency.

The scenario just described wouldbe worse if steps were not taken toalleviate the situation. Let's assumethat stations A and B share the samefrequency. Station A interferes with sta-tion B at night. Station B may be inter-fering with station A, as well. To avoidthe problem, they "protect" one anoth-er. This is done by changing the pat-tern in which their waves are radiated.In daylight hours, these stations mayradiate their signals equally in all direc-tions. At sundown, each station adjustsits radiation pattern so that it becomesdirectional.

If you happen to live south of stationA, and if that station causes interfer-ence to listeners of station B (locatedsouth of you), you will notice that thesignal strength of station A drops sud-denly at sunset. Because station B pro-tects against interfering with points toits north, you may never even know it issharing the frequency with station A.

Noisy AlternatorQ. I have a problem with my car

stereo. Despite what I believe is theright installation and grounding of theequipment, and even the isolation ofthe equipment from the rest of theelectrical system, I hear a whining,variable pitch on acceleration. This

happens despite the installation of anoise suppressor, and I can hear thenoise with the gain turned down. It ismost apparent when other parts of my1980 Honda Accord LXi's electricalsystem are in use (particularly head-lights, brake lights, or the air condition-er).-Richard Borts, St. Louis, Mo.

A. You say that you installed a noisesuppressor, but some suppressors areused to cover noise from ignition sys-tems while others are designed for usewith alternators. Because of the de-scription you gave, I believe that thenoise you hear is produced by the al-ternator. If you do not have a suppres-sor on the alternator, have one in-stalled as a first step.

If you have wired your stereo equip-ment to the battery, did you wire boththe ground and "hot" wires directlyto the battery? You should do so. It

is never a good idea to rely on thebody of the car to carry ground to thebattery. It may also be that you reliedon the body to carry speaker grounds.Wire the speakers directly to theequipment.

(Editor's Note: My installer, Tony 'gelof Stratford Service in New York, sug-gested some additional possibilities.He says Hondas often have wiring har-nesses running just above the dash-board's radio slot. One or more wiresare probably radiating interference intoyour stereo system. These should bechecked, one by one, for interference;many installers have "sniffer" devicesthat detect nearby signals. The guiltywires should be cut, lengthened, andrerouted. If your system has a separateamplifier, try low-level noise filters,which are designed to be wired orplugged into the signal cables be-tween the system's head unit and theamplifier. -1.8.)

Possible OverloadQ. When I am listening to FM stereo

with headphones, I can hear whatsounds like another station in the back-ground during quiet passages. I canonly hear this with headphones. Is itthe result of some shortcoming in mystereo system's tuner?-Joseph S.Barbera, Buffalo, N.Y.

A. Do you hear the background"station" only when listening to FM? If itturns out that you hear it when listeningto other sources, chances are the

problem is caused by radio frequen-cies getting into the equipment via aninterconnect cord or other means.

We'll assume, however, that youhear this background station onlywhen listening to FM stereo, as yousaid. There can be a couple of poten-tial sources of the sound.

The first possibility is that your tuneris being overloaded by a strong signal.If you can hear a signal when tuningthe dial-and this signal is heard atseveral points on the dial, in addition tothe proper one-you probably haveFM overload. To cure this, you'll needto place an attenuator between the an-tenna lead-in and the antenna inputterminals.

The other possibility is not at allrelated to overload. The sound youhear may not be that of a backgroundstation, but the audio of an SCA sub -carrier. These subcarriers are broad-cast along with the programs you ex-pect to find on your FM stations, andare designed for special applications,such as background music for storesand restaurants. If the subcarrier ismodulated more heavily than is appro-priate, listeners to the main FM pro-gram will hear a faint trace of the SCAsubcarrier signal.

It also is possible that your tuner ismisaligned somewhat, especially in itsi.f. stages. If this is so, nonlinearitieswill be introduced and will result in theSCA signal being heard as described.

Relative Power of Phonesand Speakers

Q. When I listen to my system vialoudspeakers, the power level metershows a reading of "1." To listen viaheadphones at what I believe to be thesame loudness, I have to turn up thevolume such that the meter shows al-most "3." Can you explain this? It is myunderstanding that headphones re-quire much less power than loud-speakers.-Michael Gompper, Man-chester, Conn.

A. You are quite right! Headphonesrequire much less power than loud-speakers do. If the phones were con -

If you have a problem or question about audio.write to Mr. Joseph Giovanelli at AUDIO Maga-zine, 1515 Broadway, New York. N.Y. 10036. Allletters are answered. Please enclose astamped, self-addressed envelope.

16 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

COMPACTWear0111.1.04110

C LUNN

174328. George Har-rison -Cloud Nine. GotMy Mind Set On You,more. (Dark Horse)

115457. Itzhak Perlman:French Violin Show-pieces. Havanaise,Carmen -Fantasy, more.(DG DIGITAL)

134408. David Sanborn-Close Up. Slam, YouAre Everything, etc.(Warner Bros.)

163629. Whitesnake.Still Of The Night, GiveMe All Your Love, more.(Geffen)

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152854. WhitneyHouston -Whitney.Didn't We Almost Have ItAll, etc. (Arista)

182522. Dirty Dancing(Original Soundtrack).(I've Had) The Time OfMy Life, more. (RCA)

154633

180187. Bruce Hornsby& The Range -ScenesFrom The Southside.The Valley Road, more.(RCA)

124546. The MoodyBlues -Sur La Mer. IKnow You're Out ThereSomewhere, No Lies,etc. (Threshold)

125179. Tchaikovsky.1812 Overture; Nut-cracker Suite; more.Solti. (London DIGITAL)

144578. The Judds-Greatest Hits. Give ALittle Love, Mama He'sCrazy, more. (RCA)

143465. Bon Jovi-Slippery When Wet.Lim' On A Prayer, etc.(Mercury)

115530. Eine kleineNachtmuslk, PachelbelCanon, Toy Symphony.Marriner, Acad. of St.Martin. (Philips DIGITAL)

153582. Tracy Chapman.Fast Car, Talkin' Bout ARevolution, Baby Can IHold You, etc. (Elektra)

123385. Eric Clapton-lime Pieces (The BestOf). Layla, I Shot TheSheriff, After Midnight,etc. (Polydor)

115436. Horowitz PlaysMozart. Concerto No.23, more. (DG DIGITAL)

123721. Jimmy Page -Outrider. Wasting MyTime, The Only One,Wanna Make Love,Hummingbird. (Geffen)

JAMES GALWAYGreatest HitsyeeolloeYI8MAW, Seetnvere

Co

173233

163600. Segovia PlaysBach. 3 Lute Pieces,Chaconne, more. (MCA)

153810. Talking Heads-Naked. (Nothing But)Flowers, Mr Jones, TotallyNude, Blind, etc. (Sire,Fly)

115306. Handel, WaterMusic. Trevor Pinnock,cond. (Archiv DIGITAL)

172190. Elvis Presley -The Number One Htts.18 #1s. (RCA)

223559. Beach BoysEndless Summer. FunFun Fun, I Get Around,Surfer Girl, Don't WorryBaby, more. (Capitol)

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HOW THE CLUB OPERATESYou select from hundreds of exciting compact discs described in theClub's magazine and mailed to you approximately every 3 weeks (19times a year). Each issue highlights a Featured Selection in yourpreferred music category, plus alternate selections. If you'd like theFeatured Selection, do nothing. It will be sent to you automatically. Ifyou'd prefer an alternate selection, or none at all, just return the cardenclosed with each issue of your magazine by the date specified onthe card. You will have at least 10 days to decide, or you may returnyour Featured Selection at our expense. Cancel your membership atany time after completing your membership agreement, simply bywriting to us.

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153501. U2 -TheJoshua Tree. With OrWithout You, Still Haven'tFound What I'm LookingFor, etc. (Island)

105392. Pops In Space.Boston Pops/Williams:Star Wars, Superman,more. (Philips DIGITAL)

173406. Jazz CD Sam-pler. 15 performancesfrom Louis Armstrong,others! (PolyGram)

100008. Randy Travis -Old 8x10. Honky TonkMoon, Deeper Than TheHoller, Is It Still Over?,more. (Warner Bros.)

115356. Vivaldi, The 4Seasons. Trevor Pin -rock. (Archiv DIGITAL)

164160. The Who -Greatest Hits. PinballWizard, Who Are You,Magic Bus. more. (MCA)

100035. Robert Palmer-Heavy Nova. Simplyirresistible, It CouldHappen To You, SheMakes My Day, etc.(EMI -Manhattan)

134647. Rhapsody InElectric Blue. Gershwinon synthesizer by JeffreyReid Baker. (NewportClassic DIGITAL)

244006. Simon &Garfunkel -TheConcert In CentralPark. [1 disc)(Warner Bros.)

134321. Led Zeppelin-Houses Of The Holy.The Song Remains TheSame, more. (Atlantic)

184810. Mozart, Syms.Nos. 40 & 41 (Jupiter).Levine, Chicago Sym-phony. (RCA DIGITAL)

114734. Dire Straits -Brothers In Arms. MoreyFor Nothing, Walk ClLife, etc. (Warner Bros.)

154404. Chicago 19. IDon't Wanna Live With-out Your Love, Hear InPieces, etc. (Reprise)

125157. Rachman inov,Piano Concerto No. 3.Vladimir Ashkenazy,piano. (London DIGITAL)

150913. Van Helen -011812. When It's Love,Black And Blue, etc.(Warner Bros.)

160027. Alabama -"Live". Love In The FirstDegree. There's No Way,Dixieland Delight, etc.(RCA)

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144313. Classic Rock,Vol. 1. Elton John:Bennie & The Jets;Steppenwolf: Born To BeWild; Steely Dan: Do ItAgain; etc. (MCA)

143612. Beethoven,Symphony No. 6(Pastorale); more.Previn. (RCA DIGITAL)

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144300. Phil Collins -12 Inchers. Extendedversions of big hits OneMore Night, etc. (Atlantic)

154358. SlatkinConducts Pictures AtAn Exhibition, more.(RCA DIGITAL)

154375. Pat Senator -Wide Awoke In Dream-land. All Fired Up, Let'sStay Together, Cool Zero,more. (Chrysalis)

273965. Sting -Nothing Like The Sun.We'll Be Together. TheyDance Alone. etc. (A&M)

115541. Bach, Bran-denburg Concer-tos Nos. 1-3. Pinnock.(Archiv DIGITAL)

163322. Elton John-Gt. Hits, Vol. 1. (MCA)

153697. Elton John-Gt. Hits, Vol. 2. (MCA)

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YES, please accept my membership in the Compact Disc Club and send me the fourCompact Discs I've indicated here, biting me for just shipping and handling under theterms of this ad. I need buy just 1 CD at regular Club prices during the next year -afterwhich I can choose a FREE bonus CD! That's 6 for the price of 1...with nothing more to buyever! (Shipping & handling is added to each shipment.)

RUSH ME THESE 4 CDs (Indicate by number):

D i DI am most interested in the musical category A E' EASY LISTENING (Instrumentali vocal Moods)checked here -but I may aMs1ys feel free to B P COUNTRY C HARD ROCK

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In large measure, it is bythe fundamental frequenciesand their relative strengthsthat we can determine thenature of a sound.

netted directly to the speaker termi-nals, very little volume would be need-ed. In fact, it would be almost impossi-ble to adjust the volume. When thevolume was properly set, you wouldfind that the power level meter wouldprobably show nothing, so slight is thepower being used.

What accounts for your observa-tions? There is a power -reducing cir-cuit in the amp. The phones are con-nected to it, rather than to the speakerterminals. This permits better control ofthe volume and prevents the phonesfrom being damaged by excessivepower.

BEAUTIFUL MUSICIS ONLY

SKIN DEEP

eg

tD

acoucioquest

"Skin effect"is a phenomenon

which causes dis-continuities in the

behavior of electricalcurrent as it flows thru

the core and outer s<inof an audio conductor

This effect causes muchof the distortion, poor imagingand poor dynamic contrastin most conventional spe.3kercables.

LiveWire Black preventsthese problems by usingsurface -only conductors.These technically sophist -cated conductors have asingle layer of .254mm OFHCcopper stranded aroundpolypropylene core.

Audition LiveWire Blac.<at your nearest Audioquestdealer and he'll show youlow to keep your music skindeep and beautiful.

Your level indicator doesn't reallyread power (which involves both volt-age and current) but voltage alone.Depending on where it is in the amplifi-er circuit, the reading will be about thesame for any given volume control set-ting and input signal level. This is truewhether the amplifier is feeding rea-sonably high power to the speakers or)ow power to the headphones.

Harmonics and OctavesQ. I am confused as to what a har-

monic is. What are first, second, third,etc. harmonics? What are they usedfor? Also, what is an octave and howdoes it fit in with the subject of harmon-ics?-Sid Drexler, Wantagh, N.Y.

A. Mankind can, and does, dealwith harmonics. They are inherent inmost devices which produce soundwaves.

Consider a frequency-any frequen-cy. For illustration, we will consider afrequency of 200 Hz. When this fre-quency is transmitted in air, the deviceproducing that frequency will vibrate200 times each second. This is alsotrue of our eardrums, which receive thesound. Because of the nature of a vi-brating system, there will be other vi-brations set up in the device which isproducing our 200 Hz. The most com-mon occurrence is for the device tovibrate both as a whole and as thoughit were really two separate halves.Thus, in addition to the main, 200 -Hztone, this same device will also pro-duce a 400 -Hz tone.

The original 200 -Hz tone is often re-ferred to as the fundamental, or thefirst harmonic. The second frequency(400 Hz) is twice that of the fundamen-tal and is known as the second har-monic. Other vibrations can be gener-ated which will always be exact multi-ples of the original, or fundamental,frequency. Thus, the third harmonic is600 Hz (three times the fundamental).

Harmonics and octaves are related.If the fundamental frequency is dou-bled, we say that the resulting frequen-cy (the 400 -Hz second harmonic) isone octave higher than the fundamen-tal (the 200 -Hz frequency we startedwith), What is the relation to the funda-mental if we wish to produce the nexthigher octave? Well, it is 800 Hz be-cause, in order to obtain it, we againmust double the frequency. Hence, the

P 0. Box 3060, San Clemente, CA 92672 USA Tel: 714/498-2770 Fax: 714/498-5112 Tlx: 20583418 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

Now that the picture on ourbig screen televisions is

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flOur 35" direct -view

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It's not the easiest thingbeing perfectionists.

Just when yotive developeda 35 -inch television that's everybit as clear and sharp as conven-tional size sets, you see some-thing else that could standsome improvement.

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Thanks largely to our newM-AV1 audio/video receiver.Not only does it produce a wall-shaking 125 watts of power,*but it comes equipped with the

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On -screen displaysgive you simple instruc-tions for switching fromthe VCR to the CD

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For a demonstration,minus the recliner, visit anauthorized Mitsubishi HomeTheater Systems dealer.

Mitsubishi Electric Sales America For an overview of Mitsubishi audio/video products, Enter No. 42 on Reader Service Gard

Our new M-AV1audio/video receiver delivers

125 W/Ch." with 25 W/Ch. rearDolby Surround!"

The connectors are gold plated,and all functions are displayed onscreen in an easy -to -read menu.

Our M-05100 CD playerfeatures 8 -times oversampling

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With horizontal resolutiongreater than 400lines, our

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And see with your ownears how great it sounds.For the name of your authorized Mitsubishi Home TheaterSystems dealer, call (800)556-1234 ext. 145.1n California,(800) 441-2345 ext. 145. Cabinet colors and finishes may vary.Dolby and Dolby Surround are trademarks of Dolby Labora-tories Licensing Corp. Diamond Vision 11 is a registered trade-mark of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. *125 watts/channel,mm. RMS, both channels driven into 8 OHMS from 20Hz -20kHz with no more than 0.05% THD. © 1988 MitsubiAiElectric Sales America, Inc.

AtMITSUBISHI'

Using a motor generator forconverting European power toAmerican standards would bebulky and expensive butmight have its benefits.

second octave above the fundamentalis 800 Hz, which is the fourth harmonicof 200 Hz, and not the third as youmight have supposed.

Different vibrating systems producedifferent degrees of harmonic energyin relation to the fundamental. In largemeasure, it is by these frequencies

and their relative strength that we de-termine the nature of a sound. The dif-ference in sound between a clarinetand a flute is determined in this way.The flute's output contains very littleharmonic energy. The clarinet, on theother hand, is an instrument that is richin harmonics.

Mastery. Reliability. Convenience.A new hybrid from Audio Research

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Audio Research has been aleader in developing inno-vative hybrid audio circuits

combining the linearityand harmonic accuracy ofvacuum tubes with the lownoise and long service life

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to the soundstage a three -dimensionalityand precision unique in this price range.

Unparalleled Convenience and ReliabilityThe D125 was also designed to provideday-to-day reliability and convenience.

Sophisticated protection circuitry assuresthat potentially damaging input signals won't

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HIGH DEFINITION° MUSIC REPRODUCTION

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By occasionally checkingthe Low Current MonitorLEDs on the main circuitboard, the owner candetermine whether indivi-dual tubes need replacing,and do it himself. Quickly,economically.And installation conven-ience? Music lovers whoare looking to reduce the

visual impact of their amplification can tuckthe D125 out of sight in a cabinet or closet,thanks to its moderate dimensions andquietly efficient fans.20 Years of QualityOf course, the quality of components andconstruction is as you would expect in acomponent from Audio Research. And D125owners can rest assured their amplifier willhave parts and service support for as longas they own it. That's a commitment tocustomers Audio Research has upheld for20 years.

Audition the D125 at your Audio Researchdealer soon.

audio researchcorporation

When it comes to the reproduction ofsound, our goal is to reproduce a toneas accurately as possible. We do notwant added harmonics to be generat-ed in a high-fidelity system. If there areharmonics already present in the origi-nal program source, so be it. We donot wish to add more of them via thesound system.

When we refer to measuring har-monic distortion, we are measuring theamount of harmonics which are intro-duced by the device being tested. Thelower the percentage of such addedharmonics, the better the device will bein this regard.

A Different ApproachTo European Power

Q. I believe that I have another an-swer to the matter of operating nominal110-V, 60 -Hz sound equipment whenyou are in an area which has 220-V,50 -Hz power. Why not simply produceyour own 110-V, 60 -Hz power? Justbuy a portable a.c. generator, avail-able at most hardware stores. Ratherthan using the noisy gasoline engine toturn the shaft, remove it and replace itwith a suitable 220-V a.c. motor capa-ble of running at 50 Hz.

I am assuming that this can be situ-ated in a basement far enough fromthe listener that the noise would beinaudible. The 110-V current could bebrought to the audio equipment via anextension cord, if necessary. Do youthink this solution is reasonable?-RickHeil, Glendale, Wisc.

A. Well, yes, it is possible to do whatyou suggest. You must be sure that themotor turns at the speed which willpermit the generator to produce 60 -Hzcurrent. This could entail using beltsand pulleys properly chosen to pro-duce the needed generator speed.

The contraption will be bulky andexpensive. I can't prove it, but I think itwill cost more than the step-downtransformer usually employed. Ofcourse, your scheme will provide 60Hz; that is important for some deviceswhich include synchronous or induc-tion motors whose speed is directlydependent on power -line frequency.

Not only will you need a line from thebasement to feed power into your au-dio equipment, but you will also need away of turning the generator off when itis not needed. Al

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22 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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16 -PAGE, FULL -LINE, FULL -COLOR BROCHURE, AND $19.95 SYSTEM -EVALUATION KIT: 1-12" LP Spectrum Analysis Test Record, 2 -sets of Comm/tone Charts, 1 -Connector Cable forcomparison test, 1 -instruction folder for use with your present stereo system. JUST WRITE TOUS OR CIRCLE READER SERVICE CARD for FREE SPECIAL OFFER DETAILS.

Soundcraftsmen, 2200 So. Ritchey, Santa Ana, CA USA. Prices and specifications subject to change without notice.Enter No. 30 on Reader Service Card

TAPE GUIDEHERMAN BURSTEIN

Test -Tone GeneratorQ. I have a Numark TC4100 tape

deck with a built-in tone calibrator/mix-er which generates 400 -Hz and 8 -kHztest tones and has adjustable bias. Theinstruction manual is not very good,however, and I have a couple of ques-tions. Can the test tones be used toadjust bias for a particular brand andtype of tape, and, if so, what is theprocedure? Can the test tones be usedto check the azimuth alignment of thetape heads?-Mike Morena, Camarillo,Cal.

A. The usual procedure for adjust-ing bias in a tape deck by means of atwo-tone calibration system is to re-cord both tones and adjust bias so thatthe levels of the two tones are equal inplayback. If you find the resultant veryhigh treble response unsatisfactory,you can touch up the bias by reducingit slightly. Contrariwise, if treble provesexcessive, you can increase biassomewhat (which has the advantage ofalso reducing distortion).

The test tones cannot be used foradjusting playback azimuth. For thatyou need a test tape (quite expensive)containing a high -frequency tone, typi-cally about 12 or 15 kHz. The proce-dure is to play the test tape and adjustplayback -head azimuth for maximumoutput. If the deck has a separate re-cord head, an audio generator is re-quired to produce the same tone, andrecord -head azimuth is adjusted toproduce maximum output in playback.

Picking a Reliable DeckQ. Have there been any studies con-

cerning the reliability of various brandsand models of tape decks? Or can youpoint out any guidelines for buying areliable deck? My family and I havehad a lot of problems with every type ofcassette deck we've had-home, car,or portable.-Joseph A. Arlt II, Phila-delphia, Pa.

A. I do not know of any studies thathave sought to rate tape decks, or oth-er audio components, in terms of reli-ability. This would be a very time-con-suming study, and by the time it wascompleted, there would be a wholenew assortment of cassette decks onthe market.

A reasonable guide to reliability isthe deck's price and the repOtation ofthe manufacturer. Two decks may out-

wardly look very much alike and mayoffer pretty much the same features,yet they may differ substantially inprice. A key reason for this differenceis usually the quality of parts and con-struction, which substantially deter-mines reliability.

Another factor in reliability is com-plexity. The more features a deckboasts, the more things there are thatcan go wrong; so the simpler the bet-ter, all else being equal.

Equipment reviewers sometimeslook inside a deck to evaluate the qual-ity of components and assembly. Theirremarks in this respect can be an in-dex to reliability. Finally, a model thathas been on the market for a substan-tial period and has sold successfullymay have an edge in reliability be-cause the manufacturer will have hadtime to refine the product and eliminatethe bugs. Similarly, a firm which hasmade cassette decks for many yearswill usually have an edge.

"Hot" TapeQ. I have just changed to a different

brand of tape; its output is 3 dB greaterat the high end. My deck automaticallyoptimizes itself for any tape, and testshave shown that its frequency re-sponse is ± 1 dB from 20 Hz to 18 kHz.Will my deck compensate for the 3 -dBgain at the high end and still give flatresponse, or will there be a 3 -dB rise atthe high end? If the deck compensatesfor the high -end gain and gives flatresponse, what would be the purposeof having a tape with such a character-istic?-Michael P. Conner, St. Louis,Mo.

A. If your deck does a proper job ofautomatically adjusting bias, EQ, andrecord sensitivity for the tape in use,response should remain flat with thenew tape.

The purpose of a tape with an extrafew dB of response at the high end isto reduce the chances of distortion ow-ing to insufficient bias. Reduced biasmay be needed to maintain treble re-sponse of a poor tape, but if a tape hasgood high -end response, more biasmay be used with less chance of distortion.

If your deck automatically adjustsrecord EQ, the tape with superior tre-ble response requires less treble boostin recording, which reduces the

chance of tape saturation. (Tape satu-ration causes distortion and loss of re-sponse at the very high end.)

All in all, if everything else remainsequal, the extra gain at the high endcan prove useful.

Tape Type ChoiceQ. After reading Howard A. Rober-

son's article in the November 1987 is-sue, in which he reviewed 35 cassettetapes, I am more confused than everabout the pros and cons of low- andhigh -bias tapes. In the article, it seemsthat Type I (low -bias) tapes are ratedbetter than Type II (high -bias) tapes. Ifthat's the case, why do tape compa-nies push high -bias tapes, and why dothey cost more?-Greg Stefano, Seat-tle, Wash.

A. Originally, Type II tapes were in-troduced because they provided bet-ter performance than Type I, particu-larly with respect to high -frequency re-sponse. However, continued techno-logical advances have enabled Type Itapes to stay not much behind (and insome cases to equal or surpass) TypeII, as was brought out in Mr. Rober-son's article and in other articles. Ingeneral, the chief advantage of Type IIlies in its somewhat higher S/N ratio,which is due to the fact that this tapetype's playback EQ entails greaterbass boost (or, depending on how youlook at it, greater treble cut). Still, somecompanies that employ Type II for pre-recorded cassettes eschew this ad-vantage in order to achieve moreheadroom, and designate their cas-settes for Type I playback EQ. They doso because less treble cut in playbackentails less treble boost in recordingand, therefore, less risk of tape satura-tion at high frequencies.

The generally higher price of Type IItape owes principally to the higher costof making its magnetic coating, whichis either chromium dioxide or cobalt -

doped ferric oxide.Type IV tapes (which require by far

the highest bias of all) are particularlyadvantageous in providing headroom.That is, they permit more extended tre-

If you have a problem or question on taperecording, write to Mr. Herman Burstein at AU-DIO, 1515 Broadway. New York. N.Y. 10036. Allletters are answered. Please enclose a

stamped. self-addressed envelope.

26 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

COMPROMISING WITH YOUR TAPE IS LIKE COMPROMISINGWITH ANY OTHER COMPONENT IN YOUR SYSTEM.

you put into it. That's why Maxell has created XLII-S.Even the most advanced system is only as good as the tape

-LP 9XPILIts unique Epitaxial formula combines gammaferric oxide ...'

and cobalt ferrite for superior response at all frequency levels.-.4. jra ,

The resulting superfine particles offer unprecedented clarity -?1/41- ifSand brilliance. And make XLII-S the perfect tape for record- 0..,ing your most demanding sources.

So match your tape to the other components in your sys- maxelltem and use only XLII-S from Maxell. Anything less is just TheTapeRat Deliverskid stuff. Higher Performance.

198$ Maxell Corpiwation nl America. 22-08 Ronne 208, Fair Lawn, NJ. 07410

Enter No. 40 on Reader Service Card

Sixth GenerationTechnology from theInventors of Surround

r

"DolbySurround"

depends on thesame basic patents

as SO and all it'srelatives, licensed then.

as now, by Peter Scheiber."Edward T. Canby, 1987,

AUDIO Magazine

Peter Scheiber, the 'father' of sur-round, and Jim Fosgate, theinventor of variable speed logicsteering, present PROIPPLUS®.

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YOUR TICKET TO SPACE!Stereo processing is no mere after-thought. Fosgate surround processorsaccurately re -stage conventional stereoor surround encoded sources into a360° soundfield with the acousticalspace of the original performance.

'Dolby Surround' is a Trademark of DOLBY Labs. LicensingCorp.'PROPLUS is a Registered Trademark of Fosgate. Inc.

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The recommended bias settingmay produce a slight drop intreble response, but furtherreducing bias would probablycause increased distortion.

ble response at high recording levels.Still, by providing a safety margin of afew dB when setting record level, youcan achieve very good treble responsewith Types I and II cassettes and agooc tape deck. As for price, Type IVtape is the most difficult and costly tomake.

New Tape for an Old DeckQ. I have an open -reel deck and am

shifting to a new tape. However, withthe present bias and record EQ, thenew tape has excessive highs fromabout 4 kHz upward, reaching 6 dB at16 kHz. This indicates underbiasingand/or excessive treble boost in therecord circuitry of the deck. How can Ioptimize bias for the new tape? Theinstruction manual says that I shouldadjust bias so a 1 -kHz tone drops 0.2dB past maximum response. Should Ido this with the old tape and then ad-just the record EQ on the basis of thenew tape?-R. Wendell Butz, Colum-bus, Ohio

A. Bias shouldon the tape you plan to use: Your newtape. Therefore, following the proce-dure recommended in your manual,you would record a 1 -kHz tone on thenew tape, gradually increase bias untilyou get maximum output of this tone inplayback, and further increase biasuntil output drops about 0.2 dB.

If this results in nearly flat response,you can stop there. You might consideradjusting bias slightly to get even flat-ter response; if you don't change thebias, you'll have to adjust the recordEQ. As you already recognize, increas-ing bias causes high -end response todrop, and vice versa. If the manual'sbias adjustment procedure produces aslight drop in treble response, I wouldbe inclined to accept this; otherwise, ifyou reduce bias, you will probably beincreasing distortion.

Bias for Metal TapeQ. In a recent review of cassette

tapes, it was noted that a particularmetal tape will not perform at its bestunless one's deck is adjusted to matchthe tape's high bias requirement. Mydeck has a system for adjusting bias inorder to match various tapes, but, justas the owner's manual predicts, it doesnot work with metal tapes. How do Iadjust bias so I can use metal tape to

its best advantage? Should the adjust-ment vary from side to side, tape totape, or batch to batch?-Ruhl Heffner,Hunt Valley, Md.

A. From what you say, it may well bethat your deck cannot produce suffi-cient bias for metal tape. However, ifyou simply mean that your deck's auto-matic bias -adjustment system doesnot work well with metal tapes, you can(if your deck permits) try adjusting biasby ear. Record FM interstation noise ata low level, play it back, and compareit with the original. Experiment to findthe bias setting which provides theplayback response most similar to theFM noise.

Metal tape's bias requirements (andsensitivity) tend to vary a fair amountfrom one brand to another. However,they do tend to be fairly stable fromone cassette to another of the samebrand and grade, and from one direc-tion of tape travel to the other. Still, youmight find that optimum bias variesfrom one batch to another of the sametape, making it advisable to buy yourmetal tapes in volume rather than a fewat a time.

Dulled SoundQ. I presently own a cassette deck

which is connected to a dbx noise -reduction unit. I wish to purchase ahigher -quality deck, but when I playedone of my tapes on this new deckthrough another dbx unit, I found thatthe playback readings were about 5dB below those obtained in playbackon my current deck. The music qualityon the proposed new deck was good,except that it seemed as if the speak-ers were underneath a blanket. If I

have a service technician recalibratethe meters on the new deck to matchthe meter readings on my presentdeck, would the music then sound asgood on the proposed deck? Wouldthis change in calibration affect thenew deck's frequency response?-Andy Ross, Beloit, Wisc.

A. Recalibrating the meters of thenew deck in playback would not affectthe quality of the sound in any way.

The veiled sound that you describeseems to stem from an azimuth mis-match between your present deck andthe contemplated new one. One or theother, maybe even both, seems to beout of correct azimuth alignment.

28 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

Another possibility is some discrep-ancy between the dbx unit employedin recording and the one employed inplayback. This can be checked by re-cording a tape on your present deckwithout dbx, and playing it on the newone without dbx. If the sound is stillveiled, this indicates an azimuth mis-match.

Adjusting AzimuthQ. I own a Nakamichi ZX-9 that pro-

vides for easy azimuth alignment in therecord mode. Unfortunately, as far as Iknow, the azimuth alignment controlcan only be operated when recording.I would like to find out how to adjust thedeck's playback head.-Alex Ortiz, ElMonte, Cal.

A. Playback -head azimuth is adjust-ed at the Nakamichi factory to conformto a standard test tape-that is, to pro-vide maximum output at a high fre-quency on this tape (typically 15 kHzor so). Record -head azimuth is madevariable in order to achieve maximumresponse when simultaneously record-ing and playing a high -frequency testtone (such as 15 kHz) or, if this tone isunavailable, to achieve best high -fre-quency response when reproducingFM interstation noise.

Adjusting the azimuth of the play-back head is not advised, unless youhave reason to believe that it is out ofcorrect alignment. Even then, this ad-justment is best left to a competentaudio technician. He will make the ad-justment on the basis of a standardtest tape which is quite expensive. Ifyou are determined to adjust play-back -head azimuth yourself, you willhave to refer to the service manual; ittypically costs about $10.

MPX FilterO. My cassette deck has something

called an MPX filter. I am not sure whatit does. Can you please explain it tome?-Mitchell Dodo, Hilo, Hawaii

A. The multiplex (MPX) filter is pres-ent in order to exclude any of the 19 -kHz pilot tone that may remain in thesignal which the tuner presents to thecassette deck in recording. Some tun-ers have adequate filtering; others donot. This 19 -kHz tone can interfere withcorrect operation of Dolby circuitry, soit is probably best to leave the MPXfilter on when recording from FM. A

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How the Club works: Every four weeks (13times a year), you'll receive the Club's musicmagazine. In addition, up to six times a year,you may receive special offers for a total of

368357LYNYRD SKYNYRD BANDSouthern By rite Graceof God Lynyrd SkynyrdTribute Tour -1987MCA

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367037KIRK WHALUMAnd You Know ThattColumbia

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3640111FOREIGNERInside InformationAtlantic

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Mail this r,a iificate, a copy of your sales rec.iipt and a check for $12,98 made payable to CBS CDClub in SONYiCIS CD OFFER, PO Boo 1129, 1400 N Frunridge Ave.. Terre Haute, IN 47811

CODE NO CODE NOONE CD FREE CDATS1298 NO I

I have enclosed a copy of my datedsales receipt as proof of Sony CD playerpurchase plus a check for one CD at$12.98. Rush my S CDs and enroll me inthe Club under the terms outlinedabove. I understand I have absolutely noobligation to buy anything ever aid maycancel at any time.Nens tbsos Important offer taws:Offer limited to one per household oraddress. A copy of your sales receiptmust be dated between September I,1988 and January 31, 1989 All certificatesmust be postmarked by February 28.1989 Void where prohibited by lawOffer valid only in continental U S A(excluding Alaska and Hawaii) CBSCompact Disc Club reserves the right torelent ,any membership. Please allow4-6 weeks for delivery

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SONYTHE LEADER IN DIGITAL AUDIO

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 29 0 1988 Sony Corporation of America Sony and The Leader in Digital Audio are trademarks of Sony G.

WHAT'S NEW

NMI

Martin -LoganLoudspeaker

The newest addition toMartin-Logan's line ofelectrostatic loudspeakersis the Sequel, whichcombines a 10 -inch, high -excursion woofer with a12 in. W x 48 in. Helectrostatic transducerwith 30° horizontaldispersion. This model usesoxygen -free copper coilsand polypropylene bypasscapacitors. Crossoverfrequency is 125 Hz at6 dB per octave for thefirst octave and 12 dB peroctave thereafter.Frequency response israted at 28 Hz to 24 kHz,±-2 dB. The Sequel is 14 in.W x 711/2 in. H x 13 in.D. Price: $2,250 per pair.For literature, circle No. 100

30

TEAC CD Player andD/A Converter

The Esoteric CD playerconsists of a separate CDdrive unit (Model P-1) andD/A converter (D-1). TheD -1's D/A converter is an18 -bit type, with four -timesoversampling. A "ZeroDistortion" circuit addsdither to the signal inplayback, to changeconversion errors intoinaudible white noise. TheD -1's double-PLL clockcircuit adjusts to anysampling frequencybetween 30 and 50 kHz,including all three standard

Koss HeadphonesUsing a hybrid design,

the Pro/450 incorporates apiezoelectric tweeter and adynamic moving -coil bassdriver for increased bassperformance and extendeddynamic range. The Pro/450's neodymium magnetis designed for a strongerand lighter motor structure,and a copper -clad

DAT, CD, and satellitesampling frequencies. Dualmono D/A converters areused to eliminate the 11-µSdelay inherent in single-D/Aconverters. Both balancedXLR and unbalancedoutput jacks are provided.The companion P-1 driveunit has an exclusive disc -

aluminum voice -coilreduces moving mass andincreases diaphragmvelocity. Price: $174.95.For literature, circle No. 101

clamping system toeliminate disc warps, and amotor that is separate fromthe laser pickup for a morerigid drive system. Bothoptical and coaxial digitaloutputs are provided, and aremote control is included.Price: $5,995 for both units.For literature, circle No. 102

Citizen AmplifierUltra -simple and

compact, the PAF 303 hasinputs for two high-levelstereo sources, switchablebass boost, and no othercontrols except for volumeand power. It delivers

25 watts per channel into8 ohms, at 1% distortion,from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.Input sensitivity is150 mV, and S/Nis 90 dBA. Price: $165.For literature, circle No. 103

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

tio 9118 T bAC CORPORATION OF Efi CA 77B TELEGRAPH RSA), 'HON TEE Elia CA 90640

Weve built such a reputation for making precision open reel tare recorders, some people

think that's all we do.The fact is, we make a full line of audio cclocioxnts. From compact disc

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Ore thing, however, will never change. our unconcromIstig ccrnmitment t building components

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The First ThingWe Do :s Build Mon -th Last.Enter No. 5t on Reader St rvice Car

WHAT'S NEW

Polk In -Wall LoudspeakerDesigned for home and

commercial installations inwalls and other flat panels,the AB -7 is a two-waysystem using one 61/2 -inchtrilaminate polymer bass -midrange driver and a1 -inch SL2000 silver -coildome tweeter. Frequencyresponse is 30 Hz to26 kHz. Price: Approxi-mately $400 per pair.For literature, circle No. 104

[ECLIPSE..888.18

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Eclipse Car StereoThe tuner section of the

ECE-101 is rated at10.2 dBf sensitivity for50 -dB quieting. Featuresinclude two-way seektuning and 18 stationpresets with preset scan.The tape section uses adual azimuth adjustmentsystem, even though itdoes not reverse, and has

a narrow, 1 -micron headgap. Using a frequency -generator servo motor, theunit's rated wow and flutteris only 0.06%. Both Dolby Band C noise reduction areon tap. The four -channelamplifier section is rated at20 watts per channel, andthe unit has an input for aCD player. Price: $629.95.For literature, circ'e No. 105

Ortofon CartridgesThe cartridges in Ortofon's

500 Series are identicalexcept for ther styli. Thetop -of -the -line 540 featuresthe new Fritz Gyger IIstylus, which is designedfor low drag and maximumgroove contact. The 540'sfrequency response israted to 27 kHz. The 530uses a nude -mounted FineLine stylus with response to25 kHz. The 520 uses anelliptical stylus withresponse to 23 kHz. The500 Series cartridges are

KenwoodPersonal CD Player

Designed for portableuse, with a home system orwith a car system, the DPC-77 uses a 16 -bit, four -timesoversampling filter. Withrechargeable batteries, theDPC-77 provides 51/2 hoursof continuous playing time.

moving -magnet designs,and their coils andmagnetic systems wereengineered to reduceeddy -current lossesthrough a split -pole pin.The cartridge body ismade from Noryl fiberplastic and melted glass. Athree -position stylus guardallows for easy removal ofthe stylus as well asprotection against damageduring installation andshipping. Prices: 540, $300;530, $225; 520, $150.For literature, circle No. 106

A 16 -track random programmemory and audiblesearch are featured. TheDPC-77 comes with an a.c.adaptor, battery charger,and carrying strap. Price:$299.For literature, circle No. 107

32 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

TAKE AIMAT NEW

AUDIOTECHNOLOGYAudio Magazine, in cooperation with Sony ES presents

. . Audio Information Magazine (AIM).AIM is a series of bi-monthly technology updates now

available at a select group of high fidelity dealersnationwide.

Each program, presented in a full color in-store display,explains the latest technology in concise, easy -to -

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SONY®THE LEADER IN DIGITAL AUDIO

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KANSASRED BARON, WICHITALOUISIANAALTERMAN AUDIO, METAIRIE, NEW ORLEANSMAINENEW ENGLAND MUSIC, SCARBOROUGHMARYLANDAUDIO BUYS, GAITHERSBURG-THE GRAMOPHONE LTD.,ELLICOTT CITY. LUTHERVILLE

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The ILIA Series

RTA lit

"They provide smooth, fast and incredibly well detailed sound"

"Polk's RTA Tower Loudspeakers CombineLegendary Polk Performance with Contemporary Style."Big speaker performance with an efficient use of space.

RTA $449.95 ea.The ETA lit is the finest conventional (non-SDA) speakerthat Polk Audio manufacturers. Its extremely high powerhandling (250 watts) and high efficiency (90dB) provideremarkable dynamic range from loth large and smallamplifiers. The RTA llt utilizes the same technologicallyadvanced fluid -coupled subwoofer design found in Polk

flagship model. Dual 8" sub -bass radiators are coupled totwo 61/2" mid/bass drivers, resultirg in a fast, powerful,

deep, and ultra -accurate bass response, without the boomy,

undetailed sound of large woofer systems.

RTA 8t - $289.95 ea.In a slightly smaller package, the RTA St offers the same

driver complement as the larger, wore expensive RTA lit,and thus shares its benefits of superior imaging, musi-cality, and detail.

THE PRINCIPLES OF COINCIDENT RADIATION

The perceived source of soundof two identical drivers is centeredin the area between them.

Both Polk RTA series loudspeakers achieve the extremely rare combination of good looks and state-

of-the-art performance. The tall, elegantly slender, and deep "tower" design cabinets allow for

substantial internal volume for high efficiency and powerful bass, while requiring less than one

square foot of floor space. The small baffle surface area around each driver minimizes diffraction

(sonic reflections), thereby insuring outstanding imaging and low coloration.

Positioning the 1" silver -coil dome tweeter between the two 61/2" trilaminate polymer bass/midrange

drivers achieves what is called "coincident radiation." This means that both the mid- and high -

frequencies appear to radiate from the same place on the baffle resulting in perfect blending at the

critical crossover point. (See illustration, below).

Polk RTA speakers have an uncanny ability to perfectly reproduce the human voice, pianos, guitars,

and every other instrument whose faithful reproduction demands superlative midrange and high -

frequency performance. Bass and percussion instruments are accurately reproduced with full

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lesser designs.

The discriminating listener who seeks state-

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the quintessential combination of both in

Polk's RTA series loudspeakers.

In the Polk RIX loudspeaker,the tweeter is positioned atthe acoustic center of thedrivers.

The benefit of coincident waveformpropagation resulting in preciseimaging, uniform vertical dispersionand startling midrange accuracy

polk audioThe Speaker '.p'

Polk Audio's R70i St and RTh llt High PerformanceTower Speakers

Enter No. 49 on Reader Service Card

Where to buy Polk Speakers? For your nearest dealer, see page 194.

AUDIO ETCEDWARD TATNALL CANBY

BARNSTORMING

Late last summer, when it was stillwarm enough so that an uninsu-lated old barn was a comfortable

place to be in, I gave another audioshow, my umpteenth one-man event insome 60 years. No-not an equipmentdisplay. Rather, an ad-lib lecture withabundant taped sonics. I hate to callthese things lectures-they rate in mymind as instructive entertainments, aminor branch of show biz. Hence ashow, an audio show.

Well, this time I had to get help tomove a pair of extremely heavy loud-speakers back and forth from my livingroom. (A right decision, it turned out,choosing these over a much smallerand more convenient pair.) I hefted myold professional TEAC, a Tascamequivalent, and also mountains of ca-bles, stacks of prepared tapes (reel toreel and full of white leader cues), andmy most pessimistic standby equip-ment, a box of extra cables, stickytape, connectors, pliers, screwdriver,and of course soldering iron. I am toowell acquainted with Mr. Murphy toskip these essentials. Also, forewarnedby long experience, I demanded atleast two hours by myself in that barn(converted to a guest house in 1921)for detailed setup. I used all but fiveminutes, and was I lucky! Only one

inoperative a.c. wall outlet and onesputtering speaker.

Now this was a very tiny show bybig-time pop music standards, but al-ready, I think, our audio big shots willsee that we live in the same world. Asthe Boy Scouts have it: Be prepared.Be prepared for all sorts of improba-bles you would never have thought of,if you did not know how probable theywere. Be prepared even in the materialyou present, the show itself. Leavenothing to happenstance.

Paradoxically, the very basis of mythorough preparation has always beenthe opposite of what you may think.Never a fixed procedure, safely re-corded and timed out to the last sec-ond. Instead, every successful "lec-ture" I have ever given has been with-out script, done entirely ad-lib. My sortof ad-lib involves hours, days, of priorstudy and experiment, long rehearsalsof possible procedures, the rejection ofvast amounts of material, and theamassing of at least twice as muchusable stuff as I will have time to han-dle. This, both in the ideas and in theactual audio on tape. Alternatives!Quick ones, ready -cued, that can beslipped in dexterously anywhere, justas though they were part of the plan.Indeed, any plan I have is always a

batch of alternatives-of clumps ofmaterial, spoken comment and playedillustrations, even a flexible sequenceof events, depending on audience re-action as well as the effectiveness ofthe sound in a soundspace totally dif-ferent from that at my home. All this isvery specific, with leader tape at eachpossible example-so I can get therequickly-and a well -tried group of spo-ken phrases that I go over in my mind,and sometimes out loud, just to seehow they will work. Oddly, this is whatmakes for a feeling of spontaneity, asthough I really were making it all up onthe spot.

After you get through the equipmenthazards and sonic surprises in the set-ting up of a show and everything isworking, you still have that unpredict-able unknown: All those bodies andminds that are your audience. Thistime I had maybe 75 or so in atten-dance, ranging in age from kids ofseven or eight to doddering ancientswith impaired hearing. How was I toknow which of my alternatives wouldplease? And how long would they lis-ten to each? You understand that therecorded spoken word, which is all I'vehad in this show (over a span of 40years) is notoriously difficult to listen toas projected to a lot of people at once.No TV picture, no live presence, justthe sound. At best the attention spanfor this kind of audio is short beforerestlessness sets in.

Oddly, music reproduction is lesscritical. Problems, yes, but recordedmusic is more easily adaptable to avariety of situations, your audience'sattention span is longer, and your re-corded examples can be longer too.Yet even music commentary with re-corded sound is a tough proposition toput to a live audience. You must exertevery ingenuity you can devise tomake it work.

So on my small scale, and on manyintermediate scales, you must be pre-pared to be flexible. The more rigidyour plan, whether in the spoken com-ment or the recorded sonics, the morelikely is disaster. No, you don't justimprovise. You juggle your material-and with ease, since you have it wellprepared. You shape your show as yougo along, with an eagle eye on thataudience. You nip boredom in the budjust as soon as you sense it, shifting

36 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

WitaLIMet. C.S.Lita I %opt 1...f3ik.

n auspicious neweginning for Audic

Dynamics

AudioDynamics

When a new company comes along andchanges the rules, people like StereoReview's Julian Hirsch take notice.

The new rules.: Develop technologiesthat simplify-rather than over-engineer-the achievement of sonicpurity. Create systems that aren't merelyhigh performance but performance art.Design remote -controllable amps, tunersand CD players that are as effortless tooperate as they are to listen to.

Because we believe an audio systemshould be in absolute harmony with yourlifestyle, not get in the way of it.

For the name of an Audio Dynamicsdealer near you, call 1-415-266-8550.

1988 Audio Dynamics Corporation

Enter No. 10 on Reader Service Card

Carver's new CT -Seven Remote ControlPreamplifier/ liner with Asymmetrical

Charge Coupled FM Detection andSonic Holography.'

Your choke of four high power advancedMagnetic Field amplifier designs.

Powerful

evolutionDistributed ..11 Canada by: technolow

Power and finesse. They've always been important factors in a serious listening system. Now there's

a new way to achieve both without overpowering your budget.Our new CT -Seven preamplifier/tuner combines a Sonic Holography® preamplifier and

Asymmetrical Charge -Coupled FM Detection tuner into one convenient component.It makes beautiful music with our whole line of Magnetic Field Power amplifiers. Including the

new M -4.0t with the same transfer function and power output as Bob Carver's $17,500 -pr. ultra -esoteric

Silver Seven monoblock amplifiers.The CT -Seven as an audiopbik preamphyler: Like Carver's fine separate preamplifiers,

the CT -Seven is designed as a "straight wire with gain.; capable of perfectly passing input signalswithout adding or subtracting any musical nuances.

It includes a meticulously engineered, ultra -low noise phono stage that flawlessly duplicates the

theoretical RIM equalization curve.The CT -Seven as a complete sound control center: From the comfort of your listening

chair you can choose from six sound sources including dualtape monitors, CD input and video/auxiliary inputs (suita-ble for video sound or DAT). Unlike most remote volume

adjustments which use distortion -inducing electronics, theCT -Seven employs a motorized volume control for smooth control andsmoother sound quality. Also included are useful 3 -band tone controls, monoswitch, loudness equalization and a studio -quality headphone amplifier.

The CT -Seven asyourpassport to musical reality: The CT's Sonic Holography® Generatoris capable of redefining your perception of music by recreating the sound stage and 3 -dimensionalspatial characteristics of a live performance. According to some of America's top reviewers, Sonic Holog-

raphy* '!.. seems to open a curtain and reveal a deployment of musical forces extending behind,between and beyond the speakers. The effect strains credibility"

And you can create it from any stereo record, tape CD or even FM broadcast. With your existing

speakers. At the touch of a remote button.The CT -Seven as a high performance quartz synthesized FM tuner: You've simply

never heard FM until you've heard it through the Carver Asymmetrical Charge -Coupled FM Detector

circuit. Multipath distortion, interference and distant station noise are dramatically reduced.Weakstations emerge into dramatic clarity. Yet stereo separation, space, depth, and ambience were not onlyretained, but seemingly enhanced by the lack of background noise.

Choose 8 FM and 8 AM presets by remote control. Scan the broadcast band automatically ormanually. With the CT -Seven's ACCD circuit on, you'll discover "new" stations which were previously

unlistenable!The CT -Seven's power partners: Only Carver gives you four high power amplifier choices

from 140 watts to 375 watts per channel. Each is perfectly matched to the CT -Seven . And each usesCarver's cool -running Magnetic Field Technology which dispenses with bulky power supplies and power -

wasting external heat sinks... yet which is so rugged it's used in the world's largest touring professionalsound systems.

Choose from the new "modestly -powered" M -0.5t (140 watts per channel RMS20-20kHz both channels driven into 8 ohms with less than 0.1% THD), theM -1.0t (200 watts/ch. per channel RMS 20-20kHz both channels driven into 8ohms with less than 0.15% THD), M -500t (250 watts per channel RMS 20-20kHzboth channels driven into 8 ohms with less than 0.15% THD), or the new M -4.0t(375 watts per channel RMS 20-20kHz both channels driven into 8 ohms withless than 0.5% THD).

Hear brains and brawn together a:your Carver dealer. Switch the CT -Sevenand the most expensive tuner in the room to hear Asymmetrical Charge -Coupled FM Detectionwork its magic. Put on your favorite CD, press the CT -Seven's Sonic Holography° remote buttonand feel the sound room "disappear." 'Bun up the volume to live performance levels anddiscover the impact of true dynamic headroom.

Aid then get ready for another pleasant experience when you discover what a super value the

CT -Seven and Carver power amplifiers are.

C UZVERMusical Accurate

Enter No. 22 on Reader Service Card P O. Box 1237. Lynnwood, WA 98046

Wouldn'tit be

great ifsomeone

hadthe brainsto make a

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In Touch with Tomorrow

TOSHIBA

When preparing lectures,I am too well acquaintedwith Mr. Murphy to skippessimistic essentialslike standby equipment.

neatly to something else as though youhad meant to all along. You can reallyfool 'em this way. Keep one stepahead, and you have them right in yourhand. That's my kind of audio show.

The average high -end consumer, I

am aware, is much more familiar withdifferences in the sound of equipmentthan with differences in playback loca-tion. You come to know your listeningroom so well, or the sound in your car,that when you acquire new audio youcan judge the differences accuratelyand quickly, quite aside from roomacoustics. Most audio people I knowhave developed remarkably sensitiveears for those tiny but fascinating vari-ations in quality-to the point whereeven in a noisy audio show (of theequipment type) or in a dealer's demoroom, they can judge, or profess tojudge, all sorts of subtle performancefactors, quite easily ignoring the hid-eous sonic interference all around. I

am in awe of such people-I have nev-er been able to hear sonic quality insuch an environment! It all depends onwhat you train yourself to listen for. Myears go for music as reproduced-wherever it may be. I hear the totaleffect. A different perspective, neitherbetter nor worse.

As a "lecturer," then, a sonic showproducer, the listening space variablesare vital to me, and are they huge! Thevariety of effects displayed by thesame equipment in different places-notably the large assortment of publicrooms, halls, churches, and librarieswhere sound may be reproduced-isabsolutely macro, endlessly astonish-ing. Until you have heard, you willscarcely believe. I would put the com-parison between equipment differ-ences and listening hall differences asperhaps 100 to 1. The most glorioushigh -end speakers you can buy cansound like mud in the most unexpect-ed places. It's bewildering. But onceyou gauge the enormous size andscope of these differences in playbackeffect, you can do things to help.

Sometimes, for instance, you findyourself in what seems to be a quitebright hall, and yet when you set upyour equipment, you discover that, in-explicably, your speakers are dismallymuffled. No highs. Worse, the bass isgrotesquely too loud and boomy. This,you understand, with entirely "normal"

settings, as of your home living room.Disconcerting, to say the least. Yourfirst reaction is that something dreadfulis wrong; your equipment is ruined.How could it possibly sound so awful?Unless there's a pair of burnt -outtweeter units and some hideous elec-trical malfunction to produce all thatmuffled and boomy bass. What to do?Your audience is going to think youhave very poor equipment, for all thatcash you spent. Or that the recordingsyou play are inexcusably deficient. Inplain fact, the equipment is in perfectorder and working normally. It is thestrange room space that spoils yoursound.

Fortunately, experience has taughtme a lot of things to do in this sort ofsituation. I am only momentarily sur-prised when that dismal bass -heavysound emits from perfectly good loud-speakers. It happened this time onceagain, in the old barn. For maybe 10seconds I had the usual shocked reac-tion-something must be horriblywrong. Then I realized what it was.

The barn is all wood in its main room,where the cows once lived, with apeaked and shingled roof, ancient ir-regular sidings (some of the boards 2feet across), and a wide -spaced andsturdy barn frame of huge oak andchestnut supports that were handhewn a century or so ago. Though allwood, the room is actually quite brightin sound, with only thin curtains andvery little furniture padding. So I hadset up my speakers, one on each sideof a huge central fireplace and chim-ney, and hooked up the rest of thegear quickly-only stopping for theone dead speaker, a loose connectionin a professional connector, and thewall receptacle that was inoperative. I

admit I do not really understand whatproduces that boomy, bass -heavysound with the total lack of highs. But itwas there, and I had heard it before.

Even so, might I have real troublethis .time? It's always a possibility. I

could never give my show with thissound! And I had not brought sparespeakers. A bit of brief panic!

So first, pessimist that I am, I walkedup to the speakers from out in the roomand listened, close up, to the tweetsthat should have been producingsweet highs, half expecting them to bedead. From 8 inches away, they were

Toshiba America, c 82 Totowa Road. Wayne, NI 0 7470

Enter No. 58 on Reader Service Card

40 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

xorrrr veLateit *WV

David Sanborn-Close Up (Warner Robert Palmer-HeavyBros )370304 Nova (EMI) 370395

Join theCBS Compact Disc Cluband take

Europe-Out Of ThisWorld (Epic) 370403

Elton John-Reg StrikesBack (MCA) 370536

Steve Winwood-RollWith It (Virgin) 37211

ANY6 CD's FOR 1 PLUS SHIPPING AND HANDLINGWITH MEMBERSHIP

New Edition-Heart Break(MCA) 370882Kenny LoggIns-Back toAvalon (Columba) 372961

Grover Washington, Jr.-Then and Now(Columbia) 371476

Schubert -Quintet in CMajor.-Juilliard StringQuartet BernardGreenhouse(CBS Masterworks) 371104

Dave Grusin/Don Grusin-Sticks And Stones(GRP) 370965Jimmy Buffett-Hot Water(MCA) 370890

Spyro Gym-Rites ofSummer (MCA) 370767

Pat Benatar-Wide AwakeIn Dreamland(Chrysalis) 370528

Patti Smith Group-Dream Of Life(Arista) 370478

Randy Davis -01d 8 x 10(Warner Bros 1 370643

Van Halen-OU812(Warner Bros) 369371

Jimmy Pege-Outrider(Geffen) 370387Crowded House-TempleOf Low Men(Capitol) 370346

Talking Heeds-Naked(Fly/Sire) 369397Dvorak-Piano Trios Fminor Op 65; Eminor Op.90 "Dumky" Yo -Yo Ma,Emmanuel Ax, Young UckKim (CBS Master) 370189

Wynton Marseille Quartet-Live At Blues Alley(Columbia) 370080-390088Schumann -CelloConcerto.-Yo-yo Ma;Davis, Bavarian Radio Sym.Orch.(CBS Masterworks) 369843Bob James-The ScarlattiDialogues(CBS Masterworks) 369835John Williams-TheBaroque Album(CBS Masterworks) 369769

Stryper-In God We Trust(5 ngrna) 370361

Wynton Marsalis -Baroque Music ForTrumpets (CBSMaster) 364695

We've built-in a wide range of choices.You con select from a wide variety of currenthits and classical favorites. Our great introduc-tory offer lets you choose any 6 CDs listed inthis ad for Fill in and mail the application-we'll send your CDs and bill you for the penny,plus shipping and handling. In exchange, yousimply agree to buy as few as 4 more CDs (atregular Club prices) within the next two years-and you may then cancel your membershipanytime after doing so.

How the Club works. About every fourweeks (13 times a year) you'll receive the Clubsmusic magazine, which describes the Selectionof the Month...plus many exciting alternates;new hits and old favorites from every field ofmusic. In addition, up to six times a year, youmay receive offers of Special Selections,usually at a discount off regular Club prices, fora total of up to 19 buying opportunities.

If you wish to receive the Selection of theMonth, you need do nothing-it will be shippedautomatically. If you prefer an alternate selec-tion, or none at all, fill in the response cardalways provided and mail it by the date speci-fied. You will always hove at least 10 days inwhich to make your decision. If you ever receive

Richard Marx(EMI-Mannara,1 369611

Claude Boiling-PianoBolling's Greatest Hits(CBS) 369751

George Howard-Reflections (MCA) 369314

Bobby McFerrin-SimplePleasures(EMI-Manhanan) 369306

Murray Perahle, Piano-Schubert Sonata, OpPosth., D. 959 Schumann'Sonata, Op. 22(CBS Masterworks) 369207Prince-Love Sexy(Paisley Park) 369124

Simon & Garfunkel-Greatest Hits(Columba) 219477

Placido Domingo-ALove Until the End of Time(CBS) 365262Michael Jackson-Bad(Epic) 362079Hank Williams, Jr.-WildStreak(Warner Bros Curb) 370320

Chicago 19'(Roor.se) 368829

REO Speedwagon-Greatest Hits (Epic) 367672Michael Tilson Thomas-Beethoven, Symphony No.

(CBS Master) 367441

Brahms-DoubleConcerto. Isaac Stern. Yo -Yo Ma; Abbado, ChicagoSyrn. (CBS Master) 367250Sting-... Nothing Like TheSun (PAM) 361675

Philip Glass-Powaqqatsi(Nonesuch) 366757

Canadian Brass-Bach:Art Of The FugueCBS Master) 366740

Esgisa-Greatest Hits1971.1975 (Asylum) 287003

Beethoven-SymphonyNo 9 Norrington, TheLondon Classical Players

365619

Poison-Open Up AndSay. Ahh!(Capitol/Enigma) 368688

Nedja Salerno Tracy ChapmanSonnenberg-Menders- (Elektra) 369892sohn: Concerto In E Minor(Angel) 366872

any Selection without hrving 10 days to decide,you moy return it at our expense.

The CDs you order during your membershipwill be billed at regular Club prices, whichcurrently are $12.98 to $15.98 --plus shippingand handling, and sales tax where applicable.(Multiple -unit sets may be higher.) There will bespecial sales throughout your membership.After completing your enrollment you may can-cel membership at any time.

Special Bonus Plan: After you buy 4 CDs atregular Club prices. you car build your collec-tion quickly with our mo.ney -saving bonus plan.It lets you buy one CD at half price for each CDyou buy at regular Club prices.

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Sade-Stronger ThanPride (E pc) 368027

Basic-Time And Tides(Epc) 368043

Mozart-Violin ConcertiNos. 18 4; Rondo, K. 269.Cho-Liang Lin; LeppardEnglish Chamber Orch(CBS Masterworks) 368274Vladimir Feltsman-American "Live" Debut(CBS Master )

365254.395251

James Taylor-Never DieYoung (Columbia) 365189

Foreigner-InsideInformation (Atlantic) 364018

Pretenders-The Singles(Sire) 362541

Andres SegoviaCollection, Vol. 1 MusicBy Bach(MMCA Classics) 362293

Nell Diamond-HotAugust Night II(Columbia) 362277

Cheap Trick-Lap OfLuxury (Epc) 368050

George Michael-Faith (Columbia) 362228

Selections with two numbers contain 2 CDs and count as 2-so write in both n. -tubers C 1988 CBS Records Inc

Huey Lewis And The News-Small world (Chrysalis) 371419

Daryl Hall & John Oates-ooh yeah! (Arista) 365775Neville Marriner-TheAcademy Plays Opera.Academy 01 St. Martin -inthe -Fields (Angel) 365601

Guns N' Roses-AppetiteFor Destruction(Geffen) 359984

Kid Te Kanawa-SingsGershwin (Angel) 359745Aerosmith-PermanentVacation (Geffen) 359075Grateful Dead-Workingman's Dead(Warner Bros) 358887Kronor Quartet-WhiteMan Sleeps.(Nbnesuch) 358127Best Of The Doors(Eektra) 357616-397612

Gloria Estefan & MiamiSound Machine-Let ItLoose (Epic) 356279Bruce Springsteen-Tunnel Of Love(Columbia) 360115

INXS-Kick (Atlantic)361519

Various Artists-Gold 8 PlatinumVolume IV (Realm)369413-399410

Introducing The HardlineAccording To Terence'Went D'Arby(Columbia) 361618

Whitney Houston-Whitney (Ar sta) 356154Vladimir Horowitz, Piano-Favorite Encores(CBS Masterworks) 355164U2-The Joshua Tree(Island) 354449Rolling Stones-Exile OnMain Street (Rolling StonesRecords) 350652

The Police-Every BreathYou Take... The Singles(A&M) 348318Buddy Holly-From TheOrig. Master Tapes(MCA) 348110

The Beach Boys-Made InU.S.A.(Capitol) 346445Chuck Berry-The GreatTwenty -Eight(Chess) 343657

A Decade OfSteely Dan (MCA) 341073Billy Joel-Greatest HitsVols. 1 at 2(Columbia) 336396-396390Barbra Streisand-Greatest Hits, Vol. 2(Columbia) 321380

Stevie Wonder-Orig.Musiquarium I -GreatestHits (Tamla) 314997-394999

Lad Zeppelin IV(Atlantic) 291435

Robert Plant-Now andZen (Es Paranza) 366716

CBS COMPACT DISC CLUB, 1400 N. FruitridgeP.O. Box 1129, Terre Haute, Indiana 47811-1129

044/F88

Please accept my membership application under the terms outlined in thisadvertisement. Send me the 6 Compact Discs listed here and bill me (h plus shippingand handling for all six. I agree to buy four more selections at regular Club prices inthe coming two years-and moy cancel my membership at any time alter doing so.

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D Hard Rock Soft RockRobert Plant, Huey Lewis & The News,Pat Benotor Steve Winwood

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The most glorious high -endspeakers money can buymay sound like mud in themost unexpected of places.The room is usually at fault.

alive and well and working normally,both midrange and supertweeter units.Rut at 4 feet, they were already inaudi-ble. And the bass was still booming,even close up Very strange! But it hadto be the room, not the equipment.

Now what would you do next? Withone of those fashionable equalizers

that have sliders, I suppose most homeaudio owners would try a modest moveas a first adjustment: Pushing up thehigh -end sliders for more highs. Noth-ing radical-let's not go to extremes.This is fine audio equipment. Every-thing in moderation. Then, for the inex-plicable bass boom, you would edge

//... one of the most musicalpower amps on the market."

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Every so often, a product comes along that is so well suited for itsniche in the marketplace that it seems odd no one thought of itbefore. In my mind, the B&K PRO -5 is such a product."

THE SENSIBLE SOUND, Summer '87 #1A

"The B & K equipment offered a fine combination of tonalsmoothness and clarity."

HI-FI HERETIC, Summer 1988

"All told, I see the B&K gear as fine value (particularly forthose who need an extremely powerful amplifier), andstrongly advise you take the time to hear it."

HI-FI HERETIC, Summer 1988

"B&K products are among the finest values on the markettoday.

STEREOPHILE - VOL. 8, NO. 8, JAN '86

"A runaway bargain and a stellar performer."HI Fl HERETIC, FALL '86

PRE -AMPLIFIER RI AA accuracy within dB,

through the use of polypropylenefilm capacitors. This produces atransparent sound with a highlyaccurate musical timbre.

EFT loading to maximize linearityand minimize noise.

Wide band width to assure extraor-dinarily clear reproduction of allstyles of music.

POWER AMPLIFIER Class A pre -driver circuitry driving

class AR Mosfet output stage. Toroidal transformers for highly

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the corresponding bass sliders gentlydownward so that the whole equalizerindicated a sloping line, up in the tre-ble, down in the bass.

At that point, I would have produceda loud horse laugh. You're much toodelicate. You don't understand. Youhave to do something really drastichere. This room is overwhelming thosespeakers with its sheer acousticweight.

I didn't happen to have slider adjust-ments, but my sturdy old standby sys-tem-the Crown 150 control unit andamp-did have a reliable and well -de-signed standard boost -and -attenuatedouble knob, for both channels or ei-ther one. Moreover, on the big loud-speakers (brand name and modelwithheld-no longer produced), therewas a screwdriver adjustment for bothmidrange and tweeter units. So I knewwhat I needed to do, and I did it.

First, I turned the control -unit basson both channels alt the way down andthe treble controls all the way up tomaximum highs. Then I took screwdriv-er in hand and jacked up the alreadysomewhat harsh loudspeaker highs(as of my living room) far beyond the"normal" point and to "flat," the maxi-mum volume. At home, I knew, thiswould emit an unendurable screech.But here, it was strong medicine. I

needed nothing less than violent com-pensation.

I had it! The sound became almosthuman, with a normal -seeming bal-ance. The room was defeated. Onething still wrong: Too much beaming.Straight out in front, especially near thespeakers, those highs hurt. So with twoenormous heaves, I tipped the bigspeakers back against the wall andremoved their fronts (more highs) sothat the beam went largely overheadfor a good dispersal, not into any-body's face. That killed the head-onconfrontations.

You know, after that show I receivedall sorts of compliments on how splen-didly natural the sound was, how realthe personalities of the recordedvoices-just as if the talkers werethere. Some of those voices, I shouldadd, were those of the dead. With liv-ing relatives in the audience. They stillloved it. In spite of all that crazy audiotweaking? Just goes to show. I guess Irate as a good Boy Scout. A

Enter No 19 on Reader Service Card42 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

Mk -U REVIEW REPRINT SHEER ARAGONSMondial's contract -built Aragon amplifiers have shattered the high -end price

Rik OAF '1Ebarrier. Ken Kessler wonders: are they the bargains of the decade?

THE ARAGON 4004 amplifier is the result of what Mondial's management call the Aragon

Audio Project Team. By delegating aspects of the products' design to outside specialists,

the company has produced two amplifiers and a preamp which meet a set of verytight

standards.First, Mondial pegged the goods to sell at above mid-fi levels but way below the lunacy

point. Then, the stuff had to have the kind of finish and appearance which wouldn't drive

away non -tweaks (see the Primare review in March for further thoughts on this approach).

It had to be reliable. It had to sound amazing. And it had to be made in the USA.Despite such seemingly opposed goals-good sound and good looks? Street cred and

reliability? - Mondial accomplished all of the above by using hired guns. The key player is

Krell's Dan D'Agostino, who designed the circuits, specified the parts and established the

quality -control programme. When word leaked out about his involvement, the Aragons

were dubbed instantly as 'poor man's Krells! This causes problems for neither, for Mondial

admits that the Aragon amplifiers are not surrogate Krells, selling as they do for a much

lower tariff. As for Dan D, he is quite happy making his cost -no -object beauties; this

consultancy simply proved that he can cook up a storm even with price constraints.Having decided that all Aragon units must fit into a space no deeper than 14in and no

wider than 19in to ensure that domestic acceptability would not be an issue, Mondialenlisted Robbii Wessen to provide the aesthetics. Wessen, cover artist for The Absolute

Sound, is one of those rare individuals who can marry visual style with hi-fi purpose, a far

better choice than, say, a pure industrial designer or a mere hi-fi nut. Wessen added class

to what is basically a box by keeping it absolutely simple, yet incorporating touches likethe chamfering around the onloff switch, subtle badging and the 'signature V -groove in the

top of the case. Jokes aside ('a built-in notch filter', a holder for your Watts Preener), this is

not merely a styling conceit, it's a ventilation port. Although this is a Class AB design -

one of the primary differences between an Aragon and a Krell - the 4004 runs warm. The

groove means that customers who insist on placing something on top of it won't be

cutting off all avenues of ventilation.Yes, the vent, coupled with 'flow -through' openings below, does work. I ran the 4004 for

eight hours a day into a 3 ohm load in a big room, the unit suffering only 1.5in of clearance

between its top and the shelf above, and it never misbehaved, shut down, or blew up.

To complete the project, Mondial subcontracted the construction to a companyspecialising in military and medical equipment. Rather than buying and setting up a plant,

training staff and suffering a learning curve, Mondial was able to initiate production

through an up -and -running concern. This automatically guaranteed price control throughthe economies of scale, and quality control because of an existing regimen. This in itself is

not a new idea; what's unusual is that Mondial stayed in the USA rather than seek help

from the Far East.D'Agostino has designed what is effectively a Krell without the Class A operation or the

overkill power supplies. The power supply in the 200W/channel 4004 consists of two

massive toroidals, one per channel, specified to fit when stacked into the 6.5in high case

and to work from a US 15 amp AC line without tripping every circuit breaker in the house.There's no drama when switching on, no lights dimming. (The 100WIch 2004 uses a single

dual -wound toroidal and fewer active devices, but is otherwise identical.) While Mondial

doesn't suggest running the 4004 into the Apogee Scintilla's sub -1 ohm load, the amp is

judged as able to play with nastier systems; neither the WATTs nor the Divas caused

problems.There are no capacitors in the Aragon's signal path; but the Aragon does incorporate a

digital protection circuit to prevent DC from the output and other unpleasantnesses.Whether an Aragon is as bomb -proof as a Krell I don't know, but I'd rather trust my home

and speakers to this than to a couple of UK -made powerhouses I could name.Nosey types who take the lids off amplifiers to see what makes them tick are going to

find what look suspiciously like ICs in the driver stage, but they aren't - or so I gather.They're transistors installed in IC cases and are supposed to be more compact, easier to

trim and much easier to match than conventional semi -conductors. Manufactured bySprague, they're described as Quad Transistor Arrays, and Mondial points out that the

tolerances are far tighter than bulk -purchase, garden variety transistors which have to be

tailored for a circuit with heavy negative feedback or feed -forward tweaking.

As long as you've got the lid off, you may as well note the superb construction andcomponentry, including military -grade, glass -epoxy boards, 1% film resistors, gold-plated

Teflon -insulated input connectors (sounds like a phrase from a rap record), fastidious

cable routing and even the modular construction.Externally, the piece is gorgeous, belying its price tag. The fascia, finished in a

handsome charcoal colour, is machined from a 3I8in thick metal slab. The front sports

only the onloff switch and a green indicator lamp. The back is fitted with Monster Cable's

superb five -way binding posts (which accept industry -standard spaced bananas) and gold-plated Tiffany phono sockets. Another nice touch is that the legends on the back are

printed both right -side -up and upside-down for people like me who lean over amplifiers

when were connecting the leads. Mains reaches the unit through an IEC three -pin

connection. The fuse holder resides just above the mains input.Using the Aragon exclusively for a couple of months, I've had it share signals with

Primare, Sumo, Vacuum State and Rose preamplifiers, the Alphason Sonata-Ortofoncombo and the AR LegendlGrado, Nakamichi CR-3E and CR-4E cassette decks, Yamaha To order your Aragon, write or call Mondial Designs LTD, 2 Elm Street, Ardsley, New Yo'k

and Sony CD players, and a load of speakers. Most of my heavy sessions involved the 10502, USA. Tel. (914) 693-8008.

Enter No. 44 on Reader Service Card

HI+FINFWS

Apogee Divas, but adaptability was measured through periods with the WATTs, the new

Monitor Audio R300s, AR's exotic cousins, the Rowens, Celestion SL600s and Myriad

JBLs. Wires consisted of Lieder leads throughout, as well as some Sony ES cable,

stretches of Monitor PC and some of that cheapo cable I refuse to identify. As for warm-upI found the unit to reach optimum performance after a few hours, but cold listening isn't as

bad as I've found in other designs.Look, gang, this amp is a revelation. Mondial's Aragon 4004 is simply the biggest

bargain in high -end audio, even if - when it's finally imported - the price suffers throughtariffs. Though I wanted to get melodramatic and save the price for the very closing, I have

to tell you that this retails for a truly approachable $1495 in the USA. I want you to knowthis so that whoever grabs the agency doesn't kill it by trying to get £2000 for it over here.

Even with the usual formula of $1 = £1 (which at today's exchange rate of around $1.80

= £1 definitely covers shipping, handling, duty, VAT, distributor's margin and retailer's

margin), it's still a bargain relative to what else is on offer at £1500 in the UK.

With the possible exception of the Scintilla, this amplifier seems capable of driving anyspeakers to which it's attached. Hammering the hell out of it into the Divas and in a

7.1x7.4m room, I heard little that even remotely sounded like clipping, squashing orcompression of dynamics, or lack of 'steam: While this is not a match for the Krells I've

used - even those rated at 100W rather than 200W - you're unlikely to need moreoomph, and I value my ears too much for that. On a most basic level, that of sheer drive

capability, the 4004 should deal with all but the most spacious of installations, filled with

the hungriest of speakers and operated by masochists.Sonically, whew, this is a real sweetheart. Run side by side with the lovely Nestorovic

valve amps, I was knocked out by the 4004's tube -like grace and freedom from minornasties. It's a characteristic D'Agostino trait, and one of the reasons why tube fanatics find

little difficulty in moving to Krell designs. The warmth in itself is not the whole story -there are plenty of solid-state designs these days which can mimic the lushness and

bloom of valve gear; rather, it's the civility which is evident regardless of the complexity,speed or dynamic demands of the material. At no point did the Aragon sound confused or

reach its limitations, either in terms of dynamics or its ability to deal with subtle details

amidst a near -chaotic performance.The most impressive aspect of its performance, again keeping price in mind, is its lower

registers. Both the Divas and the Rowens plumb the depths, and I've some recordings like

the recent Willy DeVille 12in mix of 'Assassin Of Love' which will stretch any system in a

downward direction. Extension? About the only thing lower is a TV evangelist. There's

absolute control, superb transients without too much aggression, and a richness that's

going to have you reaching for a copy of the Kodo drummers' CD. I know, some prefer

things even tighter, but for that I prescribe alum root. Or a shrink.

The 4004's midrange skill is something to behold, with transparency that I've heardbettered only by designs costing two or three times the price, e.g. the Krells. Crystal-clearportrayal, virtually grain -free textures (and silences) - you will not believe how real a voice

can sound, especially at this price point. The Juice Newton track on theTechnics/EMIIHFN/RR CD compilation is a favourite test (for transients as well as vocals)

because it hovers on a fine edge between acceptability and teeth -jarring sibilance. The

Aragon resolved all that the cut can offer, and its freedom from additives kept Newton's T's

and 'S's from spraying imaginary saliva against the grilles.The smoothness extends all the way to the top, and I don't recall any time during my

sessions where the upper frequencies manifested signs of traditional solid-statenastiness. Despite this seemingly forgiving nature, it was ruthlessly revealing of failings in

recording technique and pressing quality, a trait some reviewers believe to be a fatal

demerit. As I'm not of the school that says certain products can make bad recordings

sound good (which sounds like a Tomorrow's World justification for graphic equalisers) I

judge this as part of the cost of living with high -end gear.If this sounds like I'm presenting a case for the demise of all amplifiers costing above,

say £1500 or £2000, let me point outthat there are areas in which the 4004 is bettered.Having optimised my judgements around recordings of my own making, I know what

some products are capable of doing when it comes to resolving the sense of space, of the

actual venue in which live recordings are produced. I'd be the last to say that spatial

considerations are as important as the tonallsonic aspects of sound reproduction, but

they are an integral by-product of accuracy. While the Aragon could reassemble aconvincing soundstage in all three planes, its scale was level -dependent and less precise

than most of its once -removed cousins, the Audio Research amplifiers I've used, and a

host of other much dearer units. At its price point, though, I can name nothing which evencomes close. Within that soundstage are rock -solid, three-dimensional images, which

more than makes up for any vagueness at the stage extremities.I know the maths for US imports, and I know what this should sell for over here.

Unfortunately, I also know that the Aragon performs so well that - had I not splattered its

US price over these pages - you'd be excused for thinking that it's a steal at £2500.Assuming that the distributor selected by Mondial is a mensch, you've just read about the

best -value, smartest -looking, best -constructed, finest -sounding amplifier to the south of a

Krell. And that, my friends, is a gift from hi-fi heaven.

SPECTRUMIVAN BERGER

ARS LONGA, AND LONGA STILL1 CD album, but longer single discs

have been announced withmonotonous regularity. First, BISbroke its own record with a 75:01compilation of Sibelius pianotranscriptions. Next, Telarcannounced a Mozart symphony discthat clocked in at just over 77minutes. Then Bridge Recordsdelivered Valis, an opera by Todd

4 Machover, at 77:30-only to havei ...:11,.\ tBhiellbroeacrodr dr ef poor rt t

classicalhat

"A n&)e I es tni Igl thhoolholdsns

()JAdding Minutes, Losing Track

The world record for the mostmusic on a stereo CD has just beenbroken-so many times, this year,that I've lost track.

The first breakthrough was Telarc80135, back in 1987, which contained74 minutes and 23 seconds of choralmusic by Faure and Durufle. "Thefactories that make our CompactDiscs tell us this is the absolutemaximum amount of playing timepossible with current technology,"said Telarc President Robert Woodsat the time. "They say you can'tsqueeze in another second."

Well, turned out you could. A fewmonths later, along came a BISalbum (CD 145/6) containing twodiscs of flute works by Franz andKarl Doppler, each disc playing for74 minutes and 50 seconds. Thisprobably remains the longest double-

a commercial label: Slightly more than79 minutes on the second disc of . . .

Haydn's Seasons, recorded by theBerlin Philharmonic under Herbert vonKarajan."

And the winner? None of the above.Rykodisc's Mission of Burma (RCD40072) runs just over 80 minutes.(The pop music field delights in goingto excess.)

To achieve these lengths, therecord companies are skating on thethin edge of technology. When theCD Standard was first announced,Philips and Sony said a disc couldhold about 60 minutes of music. I'veheard predictions that some playerswill have trouble tracking all thesesuper -long discs, though I have notheard any specific instances of suchmistracking. It's still possible thatsomeone will bring out a longer CDthan Rykodisc's, but it won't be muchlonger. And if they do so by the timethis issue goes to press, I'll just addthe news as a postscript. I'm tired ofrewriting this item.

The War to End All Bit WarsFirst, we had 16 -bit CD players

(and 14 -bit models that usedoversampling to reach 16 -bit S/Nratios). Then we had quasi 18 -bitplayers, which used bit shifting and16 -bit D/A converters to get 18 -bitS/N. Hard on those players' heelscame models with true 18 -bitconverters. Now Denon hasintroduced two 20 -bit models, theDCD-3520 and DCD-1520-not witha fanfare, but with something likeapologies for the state of the art.

According to Denon's Senior VicePresident, Robert Heiblim, "ForDenon, it's uncomfortable to have abig number, because we don't like tohang our hat on specifications. Wedon't want to start a bit war. We knowthat an endless procession of higherbit and higher oversampling CDplayers is no guarantee of bettersound. The important thing is todeliver the best 16 -bit systempossible. The 20 -bit system is oursolution for today. But if we ever getperfect 16 -bit converters, there will beno need for anything more, and thisnumbers race will end."

Will CDs Get the Blues?The amount of information that can

fit on a CD depends on the size ofthe pits encoding that information,and the size of the pits depends onthe wavelength of the laser readingthem. The smaller the wavelength, thesmaller the pits can be.

The CD Standard is based on awavelength of 780 nanometers, in thenear infrared portion of the lightspectrum. One reason for this choicewas the availability of fairlyinexpensive, solid-state lasers whichproduced 780-nm light.

A recent development opens up thepossibility of solid-state laser systemswhich would operate at half that

wavelength, where large, argon -gaslasers are used currently. To generatecoherent light at half the wavelengthproduced by the diode alone,scientists at Matsushita have teamedconventional laser diodes with anoptical waveguide of hydrogen -dopedlithium niobate. This would shift a780-nm infrared laser's output to390 nm, in the blue region.

At about $10,000, Matsushita'sprototype blue laser is impracticallyexpensive. It's also inefficient, and itsoutput is limited to 1 mW. Eventualrefinements of the device couldconceivably find their way into flatcolor TV screens and optical discsystems.

This does not mean an instantrevolution in CD technology, evenwhen solid-state blue lasers becomepractical. Discs made to be read by390-nm beams would have pits toosmall to be read by existing CDplayers, and players with only 390-nmlasers would have difficulties playingconventional CDs. A new 390-nmStandard would, however, allow3 -inch CDs to carry more music thanstandard -sized CDs do now, andwould usually eliminate the need formulti -disc CD sets. Playerscompatible with both the old and newdiscs could be made. The catchwould be convincing people to buythem.

44 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

Born out of a tradition of fine craftsmanship in Scotland, AristonAcoustics is proudly introducing the Ariston System, a sophisticatedyet elegantly simple expression of technology at the service of music.The Ariston System was designed to produce superb sound quality andoffer maximum convenience by means of E. full function remote controlthat comes standard with our amplifier.

Founded in 1969, Ariston Acoustics has enjoyed a steadilyincreasing reputation over the years for their innovative, qualityproducts. Ariston components have been critically acclaimed for theirsheer musicality by reviewers on both sides of the Atlantic. Ariston'scommitment for the future is to develop new components which bothcomplement and expand upon the existing system while maintainingthe concept of true music reproduction at eminently affordable prices.

Visit your nearest authorized Ariston dealer and hear our completeline of turntables, speakers and elecaonics.

ARISTON ACOUSTICS LTD.12 Rte 17 N., Ste. 309 Paramus, N.J. 07652

(201) 845-9265 Telex: 4970296 SAP Fax: 2018450719Enter No. 9 on Reader Service Card

C 1988 Philips Consumer Electronics Company A Division of North American Philips Corporation

Motorized main analog volume control. Digitally synthesizedAM/FM stereo tuner with 19 presets. 7 -band graphic equalizerwith Acoustic Memory feature. Record out selector allowsseparate recording and listening. Video and audio dubbingcapability. Cable FM/TV ready. Pre -out and main -in connections.

Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories, Inc.*125 watts RMS per channel, at 8 Ohms, 20-20,000 Hz,01% THD.

PHILIPS FR9ADVANCED FEAT

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Arguably the most sophisticated A/V receiveravailable today.

Not only does the FR980 provide the world's mostadvanced technology, it also offers an extraordinaryarray of options to mix and match audio and videosignals. The possibilities are virtually limitless.

Philips has designed and crafted an advancedreceiver that keeps you abreast of emerging technol-ogies like CD -V. Further, the FR980 incorporates threeaudiophile -quality listening modes to pamper youwith impeccable sonic authenticity.

Beyond the experience of true Dolby® SurroundSound, the FR980 features two custom equalization

PHILIPS

modes: Movie mode to make special audio effects comealive. And Music mode with a more gentle equalizationto bring out the best in the newest music videos alreadyencoded with Dolby Surround Sound.

With 125 watts' per channel to drive the mainspeakers, and 30 watts for both rear surround soundspeakers, the FR980 recreates the true theatricalexperience.

The world's most sophisticated A/V receiverdemands the most sophisticated remote control: a full

"learning" type user -programmable remote. It featuresan alphanumeric LCD screen, and system memory tohandle more than 740 different functions from virtuallyany infrared controlled component, audio or video.

Audition the new FR980 at your Philips audio/videospecialist. Call 1-800-223-7772 for the one nearest you.

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BEHIND THE SCENESBERT WHYTE

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. 000et I. mu I "al ma..

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. 0 0 ornItudjohnson

Even the most casual observer ofthe audio scene will have notedthat, while many people can be

classified as audiophiles, sub -groupswithin this fraternity have widely diver-gent views concerning reproduction ofrecorded music. Thus we have the"objectivists," who assess the qualityof audio components by how well theymeasure in rigorous, standardizedtests, and the "subjectivists," whojudge sound quality on a more emo-tional and intuitive level, making no at-tempt to technically account for theoften elusive, ephemeral sonic quali-ties of audio components. Needless tosay, the more hidebound adherents ofboth camps have endlessly argued themerits of their viewpoints. My feeling isthat the well-rounded audiophile em-braces the best qualities of both phi-losophies.

I raise this point because this monthI'm going to report on a new, high -endtube preamplifier-the conrad-johnsonPremier Seven. Nothing quite fans theflames of audio debate, even in thesubjective camp, like the relative mer-its of solid-state versus tube equip-ment!

Certain analogies can be made be-tween the solid-state/tube controversyand the digital/analog imbroglio. Forexample, when transistorized preampsand power amps first appeared in the

early '60s, they were widely con-demned by audiophiles, mainly be-cause of a "thin, shrill" high -frequencysound and a "cold, sterile, clinical"sound that was "lacking in musicality."Does this sound familiar? While solid-state audio components are near -uni-versal these days and have attained avery high degree of refinement, thereare still those who prefer vacuum tubeequipment. It is hardly a coincidencethat tube gear is the "darling" of theunderground audio press, the verysame group which so adamantly op-poses and condemns digital audiotechnology.

Please don't misunderstand-I don'tmean to infer that those who prefertube equipment and analog sound arepart of some mysterious, dark cabalagainst progress in audio. Rather, it isthe qualities the underground pressascribe to tube electronics and analogsound that make them philosophicaland technological bedfellows. I myselfhave no bias in favor of tube equip-ment or, for that matter, analog sound,and I should also point out that tubeequipment still has a loyal following inEngland and, of all places, Japan,where vintage McIntosh and Marantztube amps command prices with fivefigures and no decimal point!

If you reckon the introduction of theCD in 1983 as the de facto beginning

of the digital era, such a dawninghasn't inhibited the development andmarketing of new tube electronics.Back in 1984, I reported on the con-rad-johnson Premier Three tube pre-amplifier. Since then other "pure" tubepreamps have been introduced, andwe have seen the development of hy-brid solid-state/tube preamplifiers, cul-minating in the very popular Audio Re-search SP -11. Currently, Audio's Annu-al Equipment Directory lists about 20high -end tube preamps, and now con-rad-johnson has introduced the Pre-mier Seven, which may well be theultimate embodiment of the no -holds -barred, no -compromise, "pure" tubepreamp.

The Premier Seven operates in aClass -A circuit topology utilizing one6CW4 low -noise nuvistor input tube(which can accommodate fairly low -output MC phono cartridges) perchannel and five 6GK5 single -triodetubes per channel. Each channel'sgain blocks consist of a triode amplifierand a cathode follower. The phonostage of each channel has two gainblocks, and in between them is thepassive RIAA EQ, which is accurate to± 0.25 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The linestage consists of a single gain block.Phono gain is 40 dB, line stage gain is29 dB, and, unusually for a tubepreamp, no negative loop feedback isused. At 1 V output, THD and IMD arerated at less than 0.25%. Each chan-nel's gain blocks are powered by dis-crete supplies, with a preregulator andtwo stages of regulation for very lownoise. Proprietary polystyrene capaci-tors are used in all audio circuitry; eventhe power supplies use only polysty-rene and polypropylene capacitors,and that includes the input condenser.

The first time you see the PremierSeven, you see striking evidence thatBill Conrad and Lew Johnson were de-termined to make a definitive designstatement. The massive unit has a sim-ple, uncluttered front panel that is sin-gularly free of "bells and whistles" andis beautiful to behold in its gold anod-ized finish.

The Premier Seven is actually a dual -mono tube preamp. Each unit is in aseparate chassis and has its own dis-crete solid-state power supply in an-other separate chassis. The preamplifi-ers are mounted left channel on top of

48 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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Enter No 7 on Reader Service Card

byMitek

"Because I wanted to have the world's finestamplifier and the world's greatest transfer function,

I built the astonishing Silver Seven:"

Before you meet the new 411-4.0t, B

Carver want s ,),ou to meet its laspirat

the money -is -no -object Silver Set

The Silver Seven,jinest power1i -uplifter in the world $8,750 each.

Two required fir gereo. Tube4nters note: The l5tE K788/6550A

is a voltage regulator

that power amplifiers should be easily afford-

able but last year, when I began designing a

powerful new amplifier, I temporarily set aside

that precept of affordability. The result is the

Carver Silver Seven Mono Power Amplifier.'

Destined to redefine ultra -high -end

values forever, the Silver Seven is truly a

"money -is -no -object" design. In fact, just

a single pair of its fourteen KT88/6550A

Beam Power output tubes cost more

than some budget amplifiers.

The Silver Seven employs classic,

fully balanced circuit topology and thefinest components in existence.

A-450 Ultra Linear output transformers

with oxygen -free primary leads and pure silver

secondaries.

on er Cap capacitors s *out. Interconnects are Van den Hul Silver. Internal wiring is pure silver Wonder Solder throughout.

Gold input connectors and high currentgold output connectors

The Silver Seven's polished granite anti-

vibration base floats on four Simm's vibration

dampers. The separate power supply's power

transformer end -bells are machined from a

solid block of high -density aluminum.

Capable of an astonishing 390 joulesenergy storage, the Silver Seven delivers

a conservatively rated 375 watts into8 ohms from 20Hz to 20kHz with no morethan 0.5% distortion. On the 1 -ohm tap,peak current is in excess of 35 amps!

Sonically, a pair (forstereo) of the flaw-less Silver Sevens almost defies description.

I'( )1i ola

evolutionDistributed in Canada by technology

"Because I wanted to shareicent sound with you we built

the new Carver M -4.0f:

The .11-4.0t, identical tran&fanctionand 375 watts ruts/ ch. at 8 ohms

20 -20kHz with no mare Ikon 0.5 tbd.lbtal maxhnum wobut current is

60 amperes.

What does this hare to do with the

neir II -4 .0i%

Everything. Because the M -4.0t precisely

duplicates the transfer function of the

Silver Seven,

Ever wondered why two amplifiers of iden-

tical wattage can sound different? Or why two

designs with different output ratings can sound

much the same? In many cases, it's because

each power amplifier exhibits a unique rela-tionship between its input and output signals:

Like human fingerprints, this tralisferfioxtionis subtly distinct, defining much of sonic

character of the design. Bob has not only

perfected the art of measuring an amplifier'stransfer function, but is able to duplicate it in a

completely dissimilar amplifier design! That's

how he invested his solid state M -1.0t with the

notion t a set of $5amps several years ago.

This time he gone one better. Or two.

lie's used this powerful scientific method

to duplicate the transfer function of the Silver'

Seven in the new M -4.0t ( now you know what

the"t" signifies). Mind you, we are'not saying

the M -4.0t is identical to a pair of Silver Sevens.

An M -4.0t. weighs 23 pounds versus the Silver

Seven at 300 pounds a pair. The Silver Seven

stores 390 joules of energy while the M -4.0t

stores none. As a Magnetic Field Power Ampli-

fier the M -4.0t instantly draws the power it

needs directly from the AC line.

Though in choosing the M-4.Ot you may

miss the warm glow of the Silver Seven's silver

tipped vacuum tubes reflecting in polished black

lacquer, he assured both amplifiers are the most

musical, effortless, and open sounding you have

t, midrange is

detailed, treble is pure and transparent.

Each can float a kill symphony orchestra

across the hemisphere of your living room with

striking realism.

Bob Carver developed this incredible design

for one reason: to bring you the best the world

has to offer and the best amp!ifier value ever,

and he has succeeded handsomely.

Listen to the new, incredibly affordable

M -4.0t at your nearest Carver dealer. Or write

us for more information. We'll even send you

data on the Silver Seven. After all, if you ever

want to move up from the M -4.0t, there's only

one possible alternative.

CARVERMustral

Enter No. 23 on Reader Service Card

Atiurale

P.O.Box I.nnwood, WA 9804;

The 56 -pound Premier Sevenis a physically imposingpreamp, and I'm happy tosay that its performanceis equally impressive.

right and are connected by a massive,%-inch solid metal face- and endplate.Although the power supplies are onseparate chassis, they share a com-mon enclosure. The units are com-pletely separate electrically, to the ex-tent of a separate a.c. line cord foreach power supply and separate 5 -foot umbilical cords which connectpower sources to the units. In thepreamps, all active circuitry is on thesubchassis and shock -mounted tominimize microphonics. With filamentand plate transformers for eachpreamp, the entire Premier Sevenweighs 56 pounds and is surely one ofthe heaviest preamplifiers extant.

Throughout, the conrad-johnsonuses "cost no object" parts and com-ponents. Precision metal -foil resistorsare laser trimmed for accuracy. All in-ternal wiring is 300 -micron, linear -crys-tal solid silver. There are no potentiom-eters in the Premier Seven; level con-trols are stepped attenuators whichswitch discrete pairs of precision resis-tors. The controls provide attenuationin 23 steps from 0 to -54 dB. Individ-ual LEDs on the front panel of eachchannel illuminate for the 23 steps.

Each preamp has solid metal con-trols for source selection (phono, tuner,CD, and tape 1 and 2) and a recordselector for the same sources. To theright of this control is the level attenua-tor. On the extreme right is a small on/off mute pushbutton. Each power sup-ply has a separate switch, and the Pre-mier Seven incorporates delay relaysto suppress turn-on/off transients.

The rear panel has gold-plated RCAinputs for all sources, including thetape loops. Two pairs of main outputjacks facilitate bi-wiring and biamping.Each channel has a phono impedancecontrol, ranging from 70 ohms to 47kilohms, to accommodate both mov-ing -coil and moving -magnet phonocartridges.

The Premier Seven claims a pass -band from 2 Hz to more than 100 kHz.It has a maximum output of 20 V rmsand is an exceptionally quiet tubepreamp, with phono noise 80 dB below10 mV input and the line level noise 88dB below 2.5 V input. Output imped-ance is less than 200 ohms. The Pre-mier Seven is also rack mountable. Noquestion about it, this is a physicallyimposing preamp, and I'm happy to

say its performance was on the sameelevated plane.

I set up this unit two ways. First, I

decided to assemble a quintessential,tube-freak/analog-lover's system con-sisting of the superb Versa Dynamics2.0 turntable with the new OrtofonMC3000 moving -coil cartridge alter-nating with a Cello cartridge feedinginto the Premier Seven. The output ofthe Seven was fed into the conrad-johnson Premier Five 200 -watt mono-

block tube amps and then to B & W801 Matrix and new Duntech Sover-eign Mark Two loudspeakers. Sincethe Premier Seven inverts polarity, I

wired the speakers accordingly. I triedthe Ortofon straight in, without its spe-cial stepup transformer. While the Sev-en has a lot of gain, the extremely lowoutput of the Ortofon cartridge createdsome problems. I could get enoughoutput for a fairly loud playback, butthe Seven's tubes would go micro -phonic on some bass transients. Usingthe Ortofon transformer into a 47-kil-ohm load gave plenty of level.

As most vinyl addicts are aware, cur-rent classical LPs are almost invariablycut from digital masters, but in my testswith this system, I used many oldervinyl records mastered from analogtapes. These included some from EMIand London Decca, and a few of myown recordings for Everest. I soughtout the great Neville Marriner perfor-mances of Mozart and Haydn with theorchestra of the St. Martins -in -the FieldAcademy. Finally, for the ultimate inanalog sound, I played some of Shef-field's direct -to -disc recordings of Lin-coln Mayorga as well as my CrystalClear direct -to -disc recordings of Ar-thur Fiedler and the Boston Pops andof the organist Virgil Fox.

Apart from the inevitable record sur-face noise, which fortunately wasn't ex-cessive, reproduction was revelatory!The combination of the three-dimen-sional imaging of the 801 Matrix, plusthe Premier Five and the Premier Sev-en, provided a wonderfully natural,very musical listening experience. ThePremier Seven simply extracts everyiota of hall ambience from decentlymiked recordings. The stage presenta-tion is startling. The same can be saidof depth perspective, which extendeddeep into the recording stage and wasuncanny in capturing the off-stage

brass in Mahler's Third Symphony. Allthis was heightened by the airy trans-parency of the sound and the envelop-ing space around instruments. In thepercussion on the Sheffield discs,cleanness and transient attack wereoutstanding, quite crisp with no over-hang. Bass response was excellent al-though without the solidity, weight, andcontrol of a top solid-state amplifier.This was very beguiling, musically se-ductive sound. If some choose to callthis reproduction "euphonic color-ation," so be it. It is very easy on theears, essentially non -fatiguing, and atleast in my listening room, not amor-phous. The results with the DuntechSovereign were fairly similar, althoughthe Seven didn't fully exploit thisspeaker's bass capabilities.

There are many people who like cer-tain combinations of tube and solid-state equipment. Some like to use asolid-state preamp to drive a tubeamp. Others prefer to drive a solid-state amp with a tube preamp becauseof the better -controlled, cleaner bass.(Even most avid tube devotees usuallyadmit this is a good idea.)

My second setup consisted of SonyCDP-707ESD and Denon DCD-3300CD players and a Sony DTC-1000ESR-DAT recorder all feeding into thePremier Seven, along with the samephono input. I then fed the Seven intoCello Performance solid-state, mono -

block amps and then to the DuntechSovereigns. Here again was an im-pressively natural, highly musical lis-tening experience, with a definite im-provement in bass response. If youforce me to choose, I'd have to pickthe Premier Seven/Cello combination.It had just the extra definition, betterarticulation, and tighter bass that add atouch more realism-although I haveto admit the freedom from noise in thedigital source material probably influ-enced some of my perceptions.

Obviously, either setup would havegladdened the heart of any audiophileof any persuasion. There is no questionthat a unit like the Premier Sevenneeds to be teamed with the very bestequipment in order to fully savor itsunique qualities. For those who are"into" tubes and can afford its $7,850price, the Premier Seven is currentlythe ultimate expression of vacuumtube technology. A

52 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

"It is a far greater engineering challenge for speakerdesigners to build a great -sounding speaker for $200than $2000. When cost is no object, they can includewhatever they need to get the quality they're looking for.

"However, that kind of quality doesn't always filterdown through their product line. At Boston Acoustics,we take pride in designing every system to measure upto the highest standards. To show you what I mean, let'slook at the T830, our most popular tower system.

"We designed the T830 to deliver exceptionalperformance at a very reasonable price, and did it bymaking knowledgeable and intelligent choices. Wecustom -designed all three of its drivers: an 8" high -compliance woofer, 3'/2" midrange and 1" dome tweeter.No compromises here.

"The midrange and tweeter are ferrofluid cooled forgreater power handling capacity. The diaphragms of allthree drivers are made of copolymer. Although it is morecostly than conventional materials, we used copolymerbecause of its structural uniformity and immunity toatmospheric changes.

"We make all these drivers under our own roof, usingspecialized machinery and jigs that we've designed oradapted ourselves. This helps us maintain consistent highquality, and save through efficiency.

"For the enclosure, we used the same dense, non -resonant structural material as in our highest -pricedsystem. To keep the cost down we used wood -grain vinylinstead of costly wood veneer. It looks rich, and makesabsolutely no difference in sound quality.

"More important than what we put into our systemsis the quality of sound that comes out-and how thatmatches your expectations.

"From our very first product to our latest, audio criticshave appreciated what we've accomplished-deliveringdemonstrably high performance at truly affordableprices. Here's what Julian Hirsch said about the T830in Stereo Review:

In all measurable respects, the Boston Acoustics T830delivered outstanding performance. Few speakers wehave tested have had such a flat frequency response orsuch low distortion, for example, and most of thosewere considerably more expensive ...we wereenormously impressed.'

"When you compare the T830 against similarly -pricedsystems, you'll also find it sounds better in.a number ofways. More musical, smoother, its imaging more precise.And it can play louder without distortion.

"What we've accomplished is no trick. It's knowingwhat to do, then doing it.

"If you'd like to know more about the T830 and otherBoston Acoustics speakers, please write or call. Wepromise to reply promptly:'

BostonAcoustics

"It's no trickto make a great speakerwhen price is no object:'

Andy Petite, chief designer, Boston Acoustics

The 3 -way T830 Tower System.It needs only 10 x 91/4" offloor space, only 32" in height.Suggested retail: $500 a pair.

247 Lynnfield St., Dept. A, Peabody, MA 01960(508) 532-2111

THE ELITE M-91 AND C-91REFERENCE COMPONENTS.

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amp are no -compromise components clbsignedto give you more of the pure signal and lessannoying noise. By keeping critical signal pathsas short as possible. By providing honeycombconstruction throughout to reduce excessvibration. By using separate twin cast-iron trans-formers to eliminate stray magnetic flux anddissipate heat quickly.

The C-91 not only controls up to six videocomponents, its video -enhancing circuits actu-ally improve your video image. You'll find uniqueprocessing controls like video noise reduction,sharpness and detail. lb maintain audio andvideo signal purity the C-91 includes a shielded,motorized volume control and threeseparate audio and video powertransformers. There are also twoY/C inputs and three outputs *0 to help you get the most outof the latest video technology, v 0including &VHS- and ED Beta® 0 0,

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Enter No. 47 on Reader Service Card

THE ELITE REGISTERALABAMAFlorenceIngram Audio

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ARIZONAPhoenixIntegrated SystemsJerry's AudioPrescottAudioEntertainmentSystemsTucsonJerry's Audio

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THE BOOKSHELF

PERFECTING SILENCEGrounding and Shielding Techniquesin Instrumentation, Third Edition byRalph Morrison. Wiley-Interscience,172 pp., hardback, $29.95.Noise Reduction Techniques in Elec-tronic Systems, Second Edition byHenry W. Ott. Wiley-Interscience. 426pp., hardback, $39.95.

For many years, I used an earlieredition of Grounding and ShieldingTechniques in Instrumentation to solveproblems, and I have advised manystudents to refer to this book for helpwhen their electronic systems show re-sidual noise, hum, and interference.Recently, I was most pleased to beintroduced to Noise Reduction Tech-niques in Electronic Systems since fewbooks are available on the importantsubject of shielding, grounding, andnoise and interference reduction.

The problems addressed by thesebooks are rarely discussed in formalclasses at universities or technicalschools. Reducing residual noise in asystem which is supposed to have avery large S/N ratio has often been leftto the engineer or technician on thedesign team who seems to understandthis "black art." There is always somenoise remaining in any electronic sys-tem, and it is too often left for the finaltweaking stage of the design. Theproblems are usually "solved" by mov-ing ground connections internally,changing a connector or a cable, add-ing a wire or shield, moving a part orsubcircuit, or some similarly mysteri-ous and chancy technique.

It should not be necessary to pro-ceed in such haphazard ways. Thereis, and always has been, a sciencebehind these black arts. I must say thatboth of the books under review hereare very good introductions to themethodology of removing noise andgetting the signal from the source to itsdestination without contamination.

The topic of lowering the residualnoise of electronic systems is impor-tant in the design of all types of equip-ment and is of especially great impor-tance to the audio engineer. The ear isvery sensitive to residual noise be-cause of its great dynamic range, pos-sibly 120 dB or so. This range is almostas great as that of well -designed elec-tronic equipment. The issue of residualnoise and interference is more impor-

NOISE REDUCTIONTECHNIQUESIN ELECTRONICSYSTEMS

tant than ever these days because ofthe quality of the Compact Disc. Itsextended dynamic range, inhas made the audio listener ever moresensitive to the quality of the silencebetween musical passages. This levelof silence is attained sonically only bythe most careful design of the electron-ic circuits, their precise mounting andshielding within the chassis or box, thequality of the box design and the con-nectors, the use of correct wiring tech-niques, the exact placement of trans-formers, and a seemingly endless listof other construction details.

Many designers are apparently ig-norant of, or not careful about, somehardware design details. Defects in

these areas can make or break a prod-uct. I recommend both of these booksfor those involved in the design of elec-tronic equipment of any type. Even themost successful designers will learnsomething from them.

While t am more familiar with theMorrison book, I am more impressedwith the one by Ott. Interestingly, withso few books available on noise reduc-tion, both texts come from Wiley -Inter -science. And although they competefor a position in the marketplace, theyalso complement one another.

Grounding and Shielding Tech-niques is a good book for those with amore casual interest in the design ofelectronics and a main concern with

interconnecting systems using goodgrounding and shielding methods. It is

pages. but it is crammed with informa-tion. Its only problem is that it lacksreferences for further study. To me, thisis an ;mportant defect since I usuallydig deeper when I have a problem andonly a partial solution; references makea good starting point. The book is with-out doubt based on extensive experi-ence on the part of the author. He hasa clear and friendly writing style andexplains the figures and his interpreta-tions of systems clearly and accurate-ly. Morrision covers both electrostaticand electromagnetic shieldng prob-lems, and he has a nice section on theuse of differential inputs for instrumen-tation purposes.

After three short chapters on electro-static principles, the author gets downto the shielding of instruments anddoes so with considerable specificity.These chapters include details about.shielding power lines, transformers,and the like. A rather long chapter onthe differential amplifier used as an in-strumentation amplifier follows. It con-tains a detailed discussion of amplifierconfigurations mainly of interest for in-strumentation use rather than audioapplications. Topics include every-thing from thermocouple to electrocar-diogram uses. A short chapter onshielding bridge -type systems follows.

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 57

These Wiley-Intersciencebooks, so very good ontheir own, complementeach other quite well asreference works.

Magnetic processes are covered,with special emphasis on transformer

The material in Ott's book rangesfrom shielding and cabling to active-

augment what is presented here. Ashort chapter on passive components

shielding. The problem of radio fre- device noise and digital -circuit shield- contains some interesting informationquency interference is discussed rath- ing. Everything is discussed from a sol- on capacitors and inductors. (The Mor-er briefly, with some information on id theoretical base, and many practical rison book has better detail on the top-transmission lines, and the book con- examples are given. Almost all of the is of transformers.) There is an excel-cludes with five pages of rather inter- topics covered are of great interest to lent chapter on shielding, which will beesting information about making con- anyone concerned about designing of interest to all box and chassis de-nection to the earth with buried rods electronic equipment capable of re- signers. I find the chapter on contactand wires. Although it is not particularly producing wide dynamic range. This protection somewhat out of place, ex -relevant for audio applications, I found applies especially to modern audio cept for the fact that contacts are athis discussion enlightening. equipment, which is often a combina- serious noise source in some systems.

The Ott book is much longer, some tion of analog and digital circuitry. Chapters 8 and 9 are on intrinsic364 pages of text and 50 additional A brief introductory chapter is fol- and active noise sources. These sec -pages of problems and solutions. The lowed by two very thorough chapters tions will be of interest principally toproblem -and -solution section makes on cabling and grounding. The analy- circuit designers and are important be -Noise Reduction Techniques attractive ses and discussions presented should cause they set the ultimate lower noiseas a textbook or for the more serious satisfy any needs for information about limit for most equipment. There is anreaders who wish to test their knowl- interconnecting electronic boxes for excellent chapter on digital circuitedge. There is also a good bibliogra noise -free operation and about routing noise and layout, and one on digitalphy at the end of each chapter, al- the signal between components with- radiation. These topics are of great in-though I found some lack of references out degradation. The material is as terest for those involved in the designfrom the last half -dozen years. Never- complete and clear as any I have of equipment that is partially digitaltheless, this is a much more scholarly seen. The chapter on balanced circuits and partially analog.work and covers a greater variety of is a bit short, but this is where Ground- I found the final chapter, on electro-topics than does Morrison's. ing and Shielding Techniques can static discharge, very interesting. It ex-

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The search for the ultimate sound systeminevitably leads to speaker systems employingelectronic crossovers ahead of the amplifiers,

since this places the individual drivers under muchmore direct control than is otherwise possible.

The only difficulty, in the past, has been the taskof obtaining a crossover unit with sufficient flexibil-ity to control these speakers correctly.

Bryston's Model 10B Electronic Crossover corn -

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bines ideal signal -handling with an enormouslyflexible control function. Simple, direct front -panelswitches allow any crossover curve to be setinstantly, and listening quality is vastly improvedover passive, in -speaker networks.

The Model 10B features independently selectablecrossover points for high-pass and low-pass. Youcan also independently select crossover slope, from6, 12, or 18 dB/Oct., where one driver requires adifferent cutoff from another in the same system.

plains why walking around and thentouching equipment causes sparksand thus pops and clicks-or worse-in electronic equipment.

Noise Reduction Techniques is thor-ough, accurate, and full of practicaldiscussions. It is one book whichshould be required reading for everyperson who wants to be knowledge-able about cabling, noise, and interfer-ence. I recommend it highly.

Both volumes are so good in theirown ways that neither really upstagesthe other. Ott's book is essential tothose who would understand the over-all design and interconnection of mod-ern analog/digital electronics. Morri-son's is full of practical informationabout interconnecting equipment, andit offers a clear and very practical dis-cussion of instrumentation techniques.

R. A. GreinerR. A. Greiner is Professor in the De-partment of Electrical and ComputerEngineering at the University of Wis-consin in Madison, Wisc.

Total Harmonic Distortion by CharlesRodrigues. Perfectbound Press, 128pp., paperback, $7.95. (Available onlyby mail from Perfectbound Press, 1120Ave. of the Americas, Suite 4118C,New York, N.Y. 10036. Add $1.50 post-age and handling per U.S. order; forforeign orders, add $1.75 for the firstbook and 500 for each additional copy;New York State residents, add 650sales tax per book.)

Audio and video are Serious Mat-ters; there's nothing funny about them.

Rodrigues' 118 rollickingcartoons demonstrate thatalthough audio is serious,the people involved in itare something else again.

But the people involved in those fields,both professionally and as customers,are something else again. Charles Rod-rigues has been poking fun at them(but not at you and me, of course) inhis cartoons in Stereo Review since1958. Now, 118 of those cartoons havebeen collected by David Stein, StereoReview's managing editor, in a paper-back all too appropriately entitled TotalHarmonic Distortion. Total pandemoni-um is more like it: Leafing through,you'll get a fresh look at audiophilesympathy cards, viscious-dampedturntables, the influence of supertank-ers on FM reception, how a child prodi-gy's career ends, what to do if youdon't trust your test record, the non -acoustic advantages of pyramidalspeakers, and most important of all,how to buy expensive speakers whenyour spouse is watching.

Why sit there, deluged with usefulinformation, when Charles Rodriguesis so willing to purvey the other kind?

Ivan Berger

Introducing: Bryston's Model 10B Electronic Crossover

All crossover selections are extremely accurateand repeatable, being implemented with 1% select-ed metal -film resistors and polystyrene capacitors.All switches are heavily gold-plated, for lifetimeprotection from corrosion. The level -controls are inprecise 1dB increments, also derived from gold-plated switches and 1% metal -film resistors. Allinternal buffer and amplification stages areBryston's exceedingly linear and superbly quietdiscrete op -amp circuitry. This means the signal isalways maintained with stability and freedom from

Altnoise and distortion unapproached in normalequipment.

From the point of view of adaptability, flexibilityand signal integrity, the Bryston 10B ElectronicCrossover system is the ideal choice for the widestpossible range of multi -amplified speakers.

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END OF THE SAAB STORYNof many people put fancy audiosystems into eight -year -oldcars, but that's what I did to my

Saab 99 Wagonback a few years ago.Actually, I'd started stuffing the Saabwith stereo gear as soon as I got it,back in 1975, but only on a do -it -my-self basis. When I started working atAudio, I felt it time I had a professionaltake a crack at it, so I took the car toNew England Radio and Moon Roof, inNew Haven, Conn.

The system they installed (whichwas covered in this column in Augustand September 1983 and in March1984) sounded good, but it seemedawfully elaborate and expensive. I feltsimilar results could be achieved byless extravagant means. In the years oftinkering that followed, I learned thatthey could-but not in that Saab.

As a car, my 99 Wagonback was adelight, combining sporty handling,capacious accommodations, andgood gas mileage. As the vehicle for astereo installation, however, its threemajor vices offset its two useful virtues.

The first virtue was the Wagonback'srear deck, a simple, removable slab ofcarpet -covered, 3/4 -inch layered Ma-sonite that could be reworked and re-built for any speaker configuration. Thesecond virtue was that the car was fullof places to hide the electrical equip-ment, including a large compartmentunder the trunk floor and a smaller onebeneath the fold -down back seat.

On the negative side, Saab hadmade no provision for any kind of au-dio system. There was no radio slot inthe dashboard, so we had to build aconsole. Worse, there were not only nofactory -cut speaker holes, but no goodplaces for front speakers at all. Install-ing speakers in the dashtop mighthave given good results (Saab putthem there in the Model 900, whichsucceeded the 99), but this wouldhave involved taking the dashboardapart. Since the dash was already fullof squeaks and tremors from severalearlier audio -related disassemblies,we wanted to avoid doing that.

The doors' interior skins were madeof plastic foam that could not supportspeaker screws, and the steel frame-work behind the skins offered supportin all the wrong places. The door skinswere also swoopily sculptured (whichis why Saab made them out of foam),

with no flat planes near the upper frontcorners except the knuckle -clearancespaces for the window cranks. Door -mounted speakers would thereforehave to fire into the front passengers'armpits or their socks.

Last but not least of the Saab's viceswas its electrical capacity. I'd installedmore powerful headlights when I firstbought the car; adding all that elec-tronic gear posed problems which itsbattery and smallish alternator couldn'thandle. This was exacerbated by thefact that my car often sat idle for threeweeks or more-long enough for thetiny, cumulative drain of the radio'smemory, the amplifiers' turn -on cir-cuits, and the car's clock to slowlymake the battery go flat. As a result,my future wife and I spent so much ofour courtship behind tow trucks thatshe now finds them romantic. Long-time "Roadsigns" readersmay recollect my chroni-cling such problems asdead batteries, an ampblown by a reverse -chargejump start, and the totalfailure of my audio elec-tronics due to the death ofthe car's voltage regulator.

Nevertheless, with theaid of a sympathetic in-staller, Tony Igel of Strat-ford Service here in NewYork, I set out to explorethe possibilities. Instead ofrushing to produce theperfect finished Phase II

system, we labored slowlyto see what would andwould not work in the oldSaab. With this attitude, wenever reached a stoppingplace, so we just kept tin-kering, without pausing towrite up interim reports.

Of course, I could havetraded in the Saab forsomething easier to workon, but by this time, I had afierce affection for a fineold car and a gritted -teethdetermination that, bygum, I'd make it soundgood. And with a car soold, it helped to be workingwith an installer whoseshop was also a full -ser-vice garage.

The first thing we tried was the Au-dioMobile K40 system, which consist-ed of four two-way speaker systems inoval pod enclosures, two 6 x 9 -inchsubwoofers, and a 4 x 40 -watt ampwith a built-in crossover. Thanks to thepods' tapering shape and single-screwhole mounting, we could mountthe front speakers high up on the frontcorners of the doors. (The rear pods,as I recall, went onto the rear deck.)The high -mounted front pods provedwe could get good imaging without acenter channel, but the structural foamof the Saab's door panels wouldn'thold the pods' weight. We had to abortthe test because the speakers woundup dangling by their wires.

The second thing we tackled wasthe antenna. The only antenna builtspecifically for the Saab 99 was a man-ual, telescoping antenna which had

60 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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In a city where signs thatsay "No Radio-AlreadyStolen" are common, Bensiboxes and mild paranoiaare quite justifiable.

been installed on the right rear fender.From a human -engineering standpoint,this was terrible. If I pushed the anten-na down when I parked, I'd usuallyforget to raise it again when I startedout, and not remember until I was onthe road and turned the radio on. Atthat point, I'd have to pull over, walkaround the back of the car to the farside, pull the antenna up, and go backto the driver's seat. (If it rained, I justplayed tapes.) But if I parked on a NewYork street without pushing the anten-na down, there'd be nothing left to pullup when I returned.

After the manual antenna had beenbroken for the ninth time, I put in acombination AM/FM/CB antenna onthe left rear fender. It didn't work verywell on the broadcast bands, so I

eventually had a power antenna put inon the right rear fender, a few inchesfrom the manual antenna's stub. I keptthe stub because I had nothing elsewith which to plug its hole, and I alsokept the combination model as a "dis-guise" antenna for my CB.

Later, when I began to get dual -an-tenna diversity -tuning radios to test, I

added a short, amplified Hirschmann"rubber ducky" in the front of the car.Tony cleverly positioned this antennaso that the windshield pillar would al-most hide it from my sight while I wasdriving. Incidentally, the little Hirsch-mann proved it could pick up just asmany stations as the longer, unampli-fied model; this surprised me, as I'dexpected lower noise from the latterwhen used with a good head unit.

Right Speakers, Wrong PlaceIn the original system, the front

speakers had been built into custom-made enclosures hung beneath eachend of the dash. In those locations,frequency response was good, butstereo imaging was terrible; each frontlistener was so much closer to onespeaker than the other that he or sheheard unbalanced mono with occa-sional squawks from the speakers onthe other side. That system's installerhad therefore built a console which in-corporated center -channel speakers.This pretty well solved the imagingproblem, but the extra amps andcrossovers it entailed made the systemoverly complex and added to the drainon my overburdened electrical system.

Because these speakers had to be atthe top of the console, they also forcedme to place my head unit too low foreasy use.

In the rear, the Phase I system hadwound up with Genesis speakers and10 -inch Alpine 6110 woofers in the par-cel shelf. Unfortunately, the big woof-ers protruded so far into the trunk that Icould no longer get large boxes in-and being able to pack large boxeswas one of the reasons I'd bought a

hatchback in the first place! The woof-ers' black -painted magnet assemblieswere a hard -to -see obstruction in thedark trunk; if I hadn't replaced thespeakers, I'd have painted their frameswhite.

For Phase II, I tried new speakers.The then -new KEF GT100 two-wayplates, and KEF's GT200 plates withexternal subwoofers, sounded slightlybetter to me than any other speakers Iheard, so I insisted on them. For theSaab, however, these proved a poorchoice. As I soon learned, a goodspeaker in a bad place no longersounds like a good speaker.

Normally, the GT200 midrange/tweeter plates and the subwoofergrilles go on a car's rear parcel shelf,and the subwoofers go in the trunk withtheir sound vented to the grilles viahoses. The GT100s would go in thefront doors. That's what I tried first.

The GT200 plates fit my rear shelfjust fine. However, in order to use ex-isting openings in that shelf, ratherthan weaken it by cutting new ones (itwas already close enough to Swiss

cheese), I had to mount the subwooferaway from the sidewalls of the trunk.This narrowed the trunk too much.Mounting the woofers to the undersideof the shelf restored the trunk to fullwidth but reduced its height even morethan the old 10 -inch woofers had. Bynow, I had so many other problemsthat rebuilding the rear deck to opti-mize woofer placement didn't seemworth the candle.

The rear speakers' response, mea-sured from several driver's -seat earpositions, was pretty flat from about 25to 100 Hz, with a slight rise between100 Hz and 4 kHz, followed by a roll -offthat had almost eliminated the trebleabove 16 kHz. The roll -off didn't botherme much, as I use my rear speakersmainly for fill. But the flat bass re-sponse allowed road noise to drownout the bass whenever I got going. I

solved that with an active crossoverand a separate amp for the sub -

woofers, so I could boost the bass forthe road. The crossover we used waspart of Audio Control's EQX crossover/equalizer; we used its equalizer sec-

tion to tweak the response still further.While plates plus subwoofers

worked fine in the rear, putting platespeakers in the front of the Saab was areally bad idea. Plates require large,flat mounting surfaces. The doors, usu-ally desirable locations, had no suchsurfaces available where the soundwould have a clear shot at the listen-ers. Separates wouldn't have helpedmuch, given those doors, but theymight have worked a little better in thelocations we finally picked.

Those locations were the kick panelsin the side of the car below the dash.There's no useful cavity behind thepanels, so Tony had to build small en-closures to mount on the panel's sur-faces. Because I needed someplaceto park my size -12 feet and I wanted toget into and out of the car without prat-falls, the enclosures had to be veryshallow-hardly more than pictureframes. The frames were made a littleshallower at the tweeter end, to tiltthem toward the driver and passen-gers, but there was no room to anglethe enclosures directly at us. Even so,this setup gave better imaging than I'dexpected.

The treble was actually quite good-surprising, since the steering column

64 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

Tommy LiPumaproduces music for

Al Jarreauand David Sanborn.

But whoproduces music forTommy LiPuma?

I_j

4 4`.1.

What kind of car audio system could meet the standards of a manwith 4 Grammys?

It should have cassette, CD and DAT players that produce studio -quality response, immune from vibration.

Its tuner should be so phenomenally sensitive that it can double thereach of other high -end systems.

And it should be a joy to use. With a touch -sensitive control screenthat allows any adjustment-from volume to EQ-to be made with thebrush of a fingertip.

Which is why, when he leaves the studio,Tommy LiPuma goes on MOBILE SOUND SYSTEMSthe road with Eclipse:©Eclipse Mobile Sound Systems, 19281 Pacific Gateway Drive, Torrance, CA 90502, (213) 532-3062. In Canada: (416) 294-4833. Enter No. 29 on Reader Service Card

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AURORA. Sumo proudly introduces Aurora,a low profile, slimline tuner that in every respect isthe heir to an audiophile legacy, Aurora'spredecessor, Charlie, was regarded by many asone of the finest tuners ever introduced, and wasplaced in a select group that included theMarantz Model 10B, the McIntosh MR 71, and theSequerra tuner.

Aurora meets or exceeds its predecessor inevery important sonic respect, while performingexceedingly better under adverse conditions.Aurora strikes what may be a perfect balancebetween musicality and specsmanship. Presentedwith a strong, high quality signal, it rivals thesignal source. Yet it performs admirably withweak, over -modulated, and compressed signals -qualities which characterize typical FM.

Sumo brings both convenience and humanengineering to Aurora. There is automatic seek upAND down the dial. Fine tuning is accomplishedin 50 kHz increments by a rotary knob, providingthe look and feel of analog and the stability ofdigitally synthesized tuning. And there are eightpresets for both AM and FM.

Aurora has linear phase I F filters thatrepresent the latest advances in the field, anadvanced multiplex decoder, and gold platedoutput jacks to ensure a long lasting, high qualitysignal transfer.

Designed by Richard May, Aurora is a tunerthat is in every respect a complement to thelatest generation of Sumo products. It is a faithfulreproducer of music. And it is one of the fewtuners designed and manufactured in theUnited States.

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As a car, the Saab 99was a delight, but asa vehicle for stereoinstallations, it hadseveral problems.

and the driver's and front passenger'sknees came between the speakersand my ears. At the odd angle fromwhich I heard the speakers (well off -axis and well above the tweeter), therewas a strong suckout at 2.5 kHz, themidrange/tweeter crossover point, butit was not as audible as it looked on myanalyzer plots. (The rear speakers,which were heard from a different an-gle, had only a slight dip at the cross-over point.)

The bass, as one might easily ex-pect, was terrible. The cramped enclo-sure volume caused a noticeable peakat about 100 Hz (perhaps augmentedby the resonance of the space belowthe dash into which the speakersfired), with a rapid dropoff below that.Also, when I faded down the rearspeakers to move the image up front,the subwoofers faded with them.

Then I had an idea. The GT100plates are designed to go down to 50Hz, but my enclosures did not let themdo this. The GT200 plates are de-signed to fade out below 150 Hz,where the subwoofer crosses in. I

therefore swapped plates. Now, theGT100s could take advantage of thetrunk as an enclosure. The GT200plates, with less bass to start with,would have less to lose from the pic-ture -frame enclosures.

This definitely helped. The reso-nance problems in the front dimin-ished, though they did not disappear.Since the subwoofers were still linkedto the GT200s, which were now infront, I got good bass when I faded outthe rear channels. Yet I still got goodbass from the rear channels, now thatthe GT100s could benefit from theSaab's cavernous trunk.

Eventually, however, I replaced theGT100s in the back with Infinity CS -1.separates. They sounded a bit fullerand, perhaps partly because I hadmore flexibility in mounting their tweet-ers. seemed to have more treble.

The ConsoleThe rest of the system worked out

better than the speakers did. Tony gelrebuilt the console, eliminating thecenter -channel speakers and replac-ing all the built-in electronics with threeBensi boxes; he also angled the con-sole slightly toward the driver's seat,which made the setup easier to use.

The Bensi boxes, and Tony's carefulconcealment of the amps, CB, andsuch, eased my mind a lot. In a citywhere "No Radio-Already Stolen"signs are almost as common as pizze-rias and Chinese restaurants, mildparanoia is justifiable.

The main reason for the Bensis, how-ever, was to let me shuffle and changeequipment for my "Behind the Wheel"road tests. It's far easier to wire a headunit into a Bensi box than to wire it into

a car; that is important when you testup to a half -dozen head units eachyear. While testing, my reference headunit went into the second Bensi slot, forquick comparison; all three Bensiswere wired to a selector switch in-stalled in the dash.

If the unit under test did not fit into aBensi, it went into the shelf beneath thedash, which had been retained fromthe Phase I installation. Antenna con-nections were then run directly to theunit from behind the console, and thepower and audio connections dangleddown and wrapped around the con-sole front to hook into a specially pre-pared Bensi box. As a bachelor's testsetup, this worked fine; when I wed,there was suddenly a front -seat pas-senger (sometimes me) to kick thedangling wires out or trip on them andsprawl into the gutter when getting out.

Between tests, my reference headunit went in the top slot, for conven-ience. On long trips, I'd stick a CDplayer in the slot below it. The thirdslot, and the space below that, couldthen be used to hold tapes or CDs.

In the old console, an AudioMobileSP300 three -band equalizer preampsat just below the head unit. Sincethere was no room for it in the newconsole, Tony moved the SP300 upinto the dashboard (where the headunit would have gone, had there beenroom for it). However, as the additionof CD improved the system's sound, I

found myself using the equalizer lessand less.

Finishing TouchesFor wiring, we used a mix of Phoenix

Gold and Monster cables. These dou-ble -shielded interconnects definitelyproved their worth in keeping downnoise pickup. Aside from that, not hav-ing heard the system with any othercables, I can't say how much, if at all,they may have helped the sound quali-ty. Cable comparisons are hard tomake in car systems, because oncecables are installed, they stay there.(Things are easier at home, where youdon't have to unbolt the couch andraise the floor to change your stereosystem's cabling.)

My resident head unit, Sound -stream's TC 308, was chosen becauseit had exactly the right balance of vir-tues to serve as a long-term reference.It had good performance, good looks,and good ergonomics. It also had allthe features I really desired (such asstation scan and Dolby C NR) so that Iwould not quickly tire of using it. At thesame time, its performance was not sodramatically outstanding that otherunits I tested wouldn't have a shot atmatching or surpassing it. In fact, inthe last few years' car stereo tests,quite a few other units did outdo theSoundstream in one respect or anoth-er, although I don't believe any unitthat wasn't way above the Sound -stream's price range outdid it in every-thing.

For most of the Saab's last few yearswith me, the amp I used in front wasSoundstream's Class A 40, a good -sounding unit of relatively modest pow-er (16 watts per channel). In the back,we started with a Soundstream D 200(100 watts per channel), which eventu-ally got cooked when a good samari-tan accidentally gave me a reverse -polarity jump start.

About this time, we replaced theSaab's original 55 -watt alternator with

68 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

-

Most CD marketing has turnedinto a numbers and gimmicks race,with many manufacturers suggestingthat one single feature leads to superiorsound. Instead of looking for shortcuts, theAkai engineers have focused on everythingconnected with reading and processing thedigital signal accurately.

The result? The CD -93-B Reference MasterCD Player. The momenta CD is inserted, discrotation is stabilized byan oversized, die-castdisc damper. Its die-castanti -resonant disc trayfurther reduces un-wanted vibrations, asdo the player's entire

aluminum honeycomb monocoque chassis andhigh -frequency absorbing ceramic pedestals.

The CD -93 -B's die-cast 3 -beam laser pick-upwith "A' servo system further ensures that the disc isread with unsurpassed accuracy. By effectivelyminimizing playback errors, Akai engineers havereduced the distortion generated by errorconcealment.

Akers disc damper: because morestable rotation means fewe playback errors.

vj

The CD -93 -B's excellence indesign naturally extends to its circui-

try, which features completely sepa-rate and shielded digital and analog

sections. Independent and isolated powertransformers prevent digital noise from

This laser transport reflects Akai'sinterfering with the analog signal. Six

35 years of building tape transports. stages of internal fiber optic coupling aswell as optical outputs ensure that no signal degra-dation occurs. For optimum decoding of the digitalsignal, the CD -93-B uses an 18 -bit digitalfilter, dual glitchless DiA converters anda highly linear 3rd orderButterworth GICanalog filter.

Akai's extraattention to engineer-ing, design and construc-tion quality is proven out by

MenV/ith the Honeycomb

Stereo Review's recent lab digital audio on the firmest fulechassis, oundAkai atioputsn.

tests? The CD -93-B had one of the flattest frequencyresponses and the best low-level linearity they evermeasured.

Let the other manufacturers search for the onething that will make their players sound better. At Akai,that one thing is everything.'Stereo &One August, 19K9

CD -93-BReference MasterCD Player AKAI

The Akai Division of Mitsubishi Electric Sales America, Inc., 225 Old New Brunswick Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854

Enter No. 5 on Reader Service Card

Where audio and video are one.

In my new Scorpio, I'lllikely use 50 to 80 wattsper channel. I don't mindoverkill, as long as it'smoderate.

an aftermarket 85 -watt model, in hopesthat my battery would not go dead asoften. Then we felt safe in biamping,adding a Carver M-240 (120 watts perchannel) to the Soundstream amp inthe rear. Eventually, we replaced therear D 200 with another Carver, on theassumption that its Magnetic Field

technology would be efficient enoughto make it less current -hungry at equiv-alent power levels. Actually, as I

learned during our eight -amplifierroundup test (May 1987), both ampsare about equally efficient-as are sev-eral other mode's in this particularpower class.

-110111 -1, --

Copyright 1987 Esoteric Audio USA

HEARI \G ADYour ears are acute enough to

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most important components, theinterconnects.

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ESOTERICAUDIOUSk

Overkill?How much power was the right

amount? With the rear speakers (driv-en by the big Soundstream amp, forfill), 16 good, clean watts per channelin front was certainly adequate. Even inthis noisy old car and with its windowsopen in the summer, using speakerswhose sensitivity is on the low side ofaverage, there was power enough tolet me hear the music clearly and with-out distortion.

Could I have gotten by with evenless? As it happened, I was forced tofind out. When my high-powered alter-nator's voltage regulator blew, takingout the alternator, battery, and all myelectronics, I realized that we shouldreplace the Saab as soon as possible.(My wife had come to that conclusionearlier; she's not that dewy-eyed abouttow trucks.) So instead of replacing thebig amplifiers for the few remainingmonths we'd have the car, I cut back tojust the front speakers and tried drivingthem with a Soundstream D-10 andlater with Linear Power's Runt. The D-10, which was designed to powertweeters in biamp and triamp setups,delivers only 5 watts per channel,about as much as the amplifiers builtinto most head units; this was clearlynot enough to do the job. ("Oh," saidmy wife, cutting off my long technicalspiel on why we heard so much distor-tion, "you mean it's clipping.") The Lin-ear Power Runt, which was designedfor roughly the same uses as theSoundstream D-10, delivers 16 wattsper channel; this was adequate-butwithout help from the rear channels,just barely so. I'd estimate that theleast power I could actually have beenhappy with in the old Saab was 20 to25 watts per channel, although 50watts per channel would have beeneven better.

In a quieter car, however, one canlive with less. The Merkur Scorpio mywife and I just bought has a factory -installed amp which delivers 12 wattsfrom each of its four channels anddoes fine-at least with the factoryspeakers, which are probably prettyefficient. The sound system that Tonyand I eventually will install in the Scor-pio likely will have between 50 and 80watts per channel.

I'm not against overkill, if it's donewith moderation. A

RR 3 Box 262Winder, Georgia 30680

Enter No. 31 on Reader Service Card

70 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

AA -V435-13Remote ControlledA/V Receiver

If you would only buy audio from a real hi -ticompany and video from a real video manufacturer,from whom do you buy audio/video? The companythat builds both high -end audio and video. Akai.

Akai's AA -V435 -B AN Receiver is proof ofwhat happens when audio and video are fullyintegrated. Its audiophile features include a

"clean" 125 watts per channell' variableloudness, external processor loop, motor -driven volumecontrol, source direct and much more.

The AA -V435 -B's extensive video capabilities includethe widest assortment of audio/video inputs and outputsincluding S -VHS, front panel video, and video RF'.

The true beauty of the sleek AA -V435 -B is the way it

ties everything together. Featuring the most logical rear paneland internal switching designs, it takes full control of youraudio/video system, even remotely with its universal remote(capable of "learning" up to 70 functions from almost anyremote audio or video components).

Sight and sound are brought together to create agenuine theatrical experience via the AA -V435 -B's Dolby®Surround Decoder, which even includes extra stereoamplifiers for two rear speakers.

The Akai AA -V435 -B. Built for people who know thatthe very best in audio/video only happens when audio andvideo are treated as one.:=X:r47.,,r'n7Arlbr.°,=7=7:THDW11,,,satmiernarkoaklhabommmLiceCtrpol.m

The Akai Division of Mitsubishi Electric Sales America, Inc., 225 Old New Brunswick Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854

Enter No. 6 on Reader Service Card

Where audio and video are one.

ROPER q FOR y

DSTyi.

over

SP

PART II

/ ICI=ICJ

In Part I of this article, with the help of

a personal computer. we walked through the design of a two-way, 61/2 -

inch loudspeaker system. We selected appropriate drivers, determined cabinet

volume, and developed and refined a crossover network. Ncw we are ready

to discuss the construction of our loud- speaker system. This won't be a step- by-step instruction manual, as you

would find in a kit. Rather, it is assumed that the reader has the skill to work

from sketches, so we will therefore con- centrate on the genera issues involved

in loudspeaker construction (capinet shape, driver placement. etc.) along

with some specific construction guide- lines.

Just as our previous selection of driv- ers and crossover topology avoided es-

oteric approaches in favor of quality elements and proven design tech-

niques, so too our cabinet design will follow the same logic Taking this

course will result in a loudspeaker with very good performance. The inspired

reader is encouraged to experiment with alternative materials, shapes. and

Ken Kantor is presider?' of Product Design and Evaluation Services, in

San Francisco, and is co-founder of speaker manufacturer Now Hear This.

Ken Kantor

construction techniques for the cabinet enclosure.

Box Dimensions As shown in Table VII, the first step

of our construction will be to translate our calculated enclosure volume into

working cabinet dimensions. Since we are leaving the realm of eng neenng to

enter that of carpentry, we probably should make a transition from meters to inches. Doing this, our target enclosure volume of 10 liters translates into 610

cubic inches. which is equivalent to a cube of about 81., inches per side. In

loudspeaker terms. a cubic enclosure is not really a very good idea. for two

reasons. First, the more similar the three internal cabinet dimensions are.

the more standing waves will tend to build up and reinforce one another. This leads to irregular freqJency re-

sponse in the upper bass and mid-

range. with resulting coloration, particu- larly of vocals. The second problem is

finding room for the tweeter on the

same surface as the woofer. Figure 8 shows an assembly that will

allow the entire cabinet to be construct- ed from stock boards that are 3/4 inch

thick and 8 inches wide. The stock ma- terial can be cut into six lengths to form

the six sides of our enclosure. This

AUDIO DECEMBER 1%8 73

To avoid diffractionproblems at higherfrequencies, it isimportant to mountthe tweeters flushwith the front panel.

425

4-C. c'--5-

FRONT,

REAR,

LEFT, ANDRIGHT

(FOUR REQUIRED )

8INCHES

12

INCHES

TOP

AND

BOTTOM

(TWO REQUIRED)

INCHES

9-1/2INCHES

Fig. 8How the finishedenclosure fitstogether.

Fig. 9Dimensions of theenclosure's individualparts. Note that four8 x 12 -inch and twc8 x 91/2 -inch piecesare required for eachloudspeaker

technique will maximize the use of pre-cut edges, thus making it easier toachieve tight, clean joints. The 8 -inchboards result in an internal cross-sec-tional area of 52 square inches. Somequick calculating indicates that aheight of 113/4 inches will provide avolume within 1% of our target of 610cubic inches. Increasing this to 12inches gives us 624 cubic inches,which is just about right to account forthe space taken up by the rear sectionof the woofer. The dimensions of thesix boards required for each speakerare given in Fig. 9.

Medium -density fiberboard (MDF)makes an excellent material for theconstruction of smaller loudspeakers."Mectium density" refers to the ratio offibers to adhesive in the composite; theactual stuff is much denser and morevibration -resistant than wood. A thick-ness of 3/4 of an inch is recommended,as this will provide adequate structuralrigidity without the use of any bracing.Particleboard will also provide enoughstrength, but it is harder to obtain aclean surface appearance, especiallyat the edges of the boards. If care istaken to assure good corner joints, aspeaker this size should be very solid.

Parts and ParcelsA quick and convenient way to ob-

tain material for our speaker box is tobuy prefabricated shelves from a hard-ware store. These are readily availablein the 3/4 x 8 -inch size, in severallengths, and can be purchased with avariety of relatively attractive finishes.Two speaker cabinets require a total of134 linear inches of material, but allowextra for cutting losses and be sure toconsider how the required cuts fit intothe particular lengths you buy. For ex-ample, if 36 -inch prefab shelves arepurchased, four should suffice foreach pair of speakers built.

Table VIII lists the major parts re-quired to build a single speaker. In

many cases, substitutions or modifica-tions are acceptable; these changesare noted in the text where appropri-ate. For this reason, it is a good idea toread carefully through the sections de-scribing various assembly tasks. Planout how you intend to approach theconstruction, and alter the parts list asyou wish. Almost any hardware storeshould have the materials required forthe box assembly. Finding crossoverparts, however, will be more difficult.Typical electronics supply stores donot carry the type of capacitors or in-ductors necessary to build speakercrossovers. A list of companies thatspecialize in the sale of speaker partscan be found in Table IX. All of these

74 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

firms should be able to provide thecrossover parts discussed here, andmost will be happy to send a catalog oftheir offerings. Often, local audioshops, particulary those doing servicework, sell inductors, capacitors, resis-tors, and even terminal cups. Thesemay not be on display, so it pays toask. Radio Shack sells a variety ofspeaker terminals and capacitors. Besure that the terminal cup you get isspecifically designed for speaker use,for terminals used on amplifiers arerarely airtight. Old Colony Sound Labhas arranged to provide Audio readerswith the Tonegen 16K65 woofer and94C70 tweeter. This company is, infact, the only source of these driverunits in the U.S. (see Table IX for termsof sale).

Cutting and DrillingFirst off, cut and drill with care, espe-

cially when using power tools. Cut thelengths of board according to the di-mensions given in Fig. 9. Try to getclean edges on the pieces. Not onlywill your speakers look better, it will beeasier to get a good airtight seal fromthe finished enclosure. A table saw isrecommended because of the straightedges and accurate right angles it pro-vides. If you do not have access toone, a local lumberyard can cut yourstock or even sell you cut pieces. Justimpress upon them the need for accu-racy. If you are good with a circularsaw, or really good with a handsaw,best of luck. If you don't mind lots ofcaulking, you can even use a jigsaw ora sabre saw.

Before the boards are assembled,holes must be cut in two of the 8 x 12 -inch sheets for the drivers and termi-nals. These holes are shown in Fig. 10.The terminal cutout dimensions givenare typical for molded plastic cupswhich contain spring clips or bindingposts. Of course, you should adjust thesize and shape of these holes for theparticular terminals you choose. It isbest to leave the driver positions asindicated. The relative spacing be-tween woofer and tweeter has a greatinfluence on crossover design, since itaffects how the sound waves add up inthe transition -frequency region. In gen-eral, closer spacing is better, as longas enough material remains for solidsupport. The driver and terminal open-ings can be cut successfully with ahand-held jigsaw; many of these sawsaccept an inexpensive attachment formaking clean circles. If yours does not,just draw a line in pencil and follow itby eye. Be sure to use the inner diame-ters shown in Fig. 10 when cuttingholes for the two drivers. The outer

Fig. 10-Cutout details forfront and rear boards.If facilities for makingthe recesses shownare not available,false fronts incorpo-rating the recessescan be glued on;see text.

Table VII-Steps in the construction process.

1) Determine enclosure's internal dimensions2) Purchase construction parts and materials3) Cut six panels4) Machine driver and terminal cutouts5) Assemble enclosure6) Assemble crossover and terminals into enclosure7) Add polyester fiber material8) Assemble drivers into enclosure9) Test for air leaks and driver polarity

10) Hook up to stereo11) Impress friends12) Browbeat enemies

Table VIII-Major parts required (per speaker).

DriversWoofer-Tonegen 16K65.Tweeter-Tonegen 94C70.

CrossoverTerminal cup-Two-connector.Capacitor -2.2 p..F, 100 V, 10% nonpolar electrolytic.Inductor -0.6 mH, air core, 18 gauge (two needed).Resistor -10 ohms, 15 watts, 5%.Perfboard-3 x 5 inches.Wire -18 gauge; approximately 40 inches red,

40 inches black.

Enclosure ConstructionFiberboard -3/4 x 8 x 67 inches.Mounting screws -3/4 -inch pan head #6 (11 needed).Foam weatherstrip tape-'Vs inch thick x 1/4 inch wide;

48 inches needed.Glue, screws, caulking-As required.Polyester fiber -2 ounces.

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 75

The chances are verygood that your systemwill work perfectlyas soon as you finishbuilding it.

Table IX-Parts sources.

Just Speakers, 3170 23rd St., San Francisco, Cal. 94110;(415) 641-9228.

Madisound Speaker Components, 8608 UniversityGreen, Box 4283, Madison, Wisc. 53711; (608) 831-3433.

Old Colony Sound Lab, P.O. Box 243, Peterborough,N.H. 03458; (603) 924-6371. DriVers only: $127 for pairof woofers and pair of tweeters; price includes ship-ping in U.S. Defective units will be replaced at nocharge if they are returned with freight prepaid. Unitsdamaged accidentally or because of abuse will not bereplaced or repaired.

Option Audio, 32 Terrapin Lane, Mercerville, N.J. 08619;(609) 890-0520. Unfinished medium -density fiber-board (MDF) front panels, $40 per pair, including ship-ping. Entire completed enclosure also available; pricesvary with materials and finishes specified.

C trt4

- -C1 R,

rt 2 ttttF. to OHMS

TwEETEP

0 6 rni,

circles, shown by a dotted line, are forrecessing the drivers into the front pan-el. These cutouts don't need to be su-per accurate or neat, just reasonablyclose. The little notch for the tweeterterminals should be filed away after thecircle is cut.

The next step is probably the hard-est one in this entire construction proj-ect. The job is to provide a routedband around the driver holes so thatthe drivers may be recessed back.Flush -mounting the drivers, particularlythe tweeter, provides a noticeablysmoother response. Diffraction effectscan cause up to 3 dB of boost at the

Fig. 11-Diagram of sand crossover wiring.See the Parts List(Table VIII) for detailson components.

lower part of the tweeter's range if thetweeter protrudes from the front panel.Recessing the woofer is less important,but it will have some effect due to thereflection and diffraction of tweeter out-put. There isn't an easy way to ma-chine these recesses with hand tools; itmight be possible, but it probablywould not be fun. The task would besimple for a wood shop worker with arouter, however, and can be accom-plished on a home drill press if care istaken.

Because routing is difficult, an alter-native approach may be attractive. Us-ing dense (not corrugated) 3A6 -inch -

thick cardboard or poster board, cut atemplate and glue it onto the speakerfront. The template should be 131/2 x 8inches and should have cutout holediameters of 33/4 and 65/8 inches. At-tachment of this piece should be de-layed until after the box is assembled.If the cardboard is cut accurately andthen painted, it should be undetect-able-in fact, it will help hide the jointline formed by the top and bottompieces, resulting in a nicer front view. Ifglued firmly, dense cardboard, posterboard, or any other solid, smooth -sur-faced material will serve our acousticneeds just fine.

Because of the wide variety of con-struction approaches possible, manyof the final box assembly decisions areleft to the reader. The important thing isto get a strong, airtight seal at everyjoint. (We will test the integrity of theseal after the drivers are installed.) Thesimplest technique would be to gluetogether the four sides with wood glue,securing them immediately with smallnails. After the glue dries, the top andbottom can be glued and nailed on inthe same way. Later, through the woof-er hole, all the internal joints can becaulked with silicone sealer or hot -meltglue. Glue- and caulk -only methodsare certainly possible. The result willbe a nice outer appearance, but thisapproach does require clamping ofsome sort.

SolderingThe final crossover values are shown

in Fig. 11. Even those not familiar withreading circuit diagrams should beable to handle this one. Connectionpolarity is not important on the resistor,capacitor, or inductors; it is importanton the terminals and drivers, however,so observe the plus and minus signshere. The positive driver terminals aremarked in red. All connections shouldbe soldered using electronics -graderosin -core solder. Do not use theplumbing or acid -core variety.

Most electronics supply storesshould have the 2.2-p F capacitor val-ue. Incidentally, the crossover re-sponse has been specifically de-signed for the characteristics of a bipo-lar electrolytic capacitor. You cannotsimply replace this part with mylar orpolypropylene types. Their lower inter-nal resistance will result in several dBof excessive high -frequency energy. Ifyou are inclined to make this substitu-tion, add a 3.3 -ohm, 10 -watt resistor inseries with the 10 -ohm resistor, to re-store proper tonal balance.

The circuit can be built free -form andthen glued, piece by piece, to the in-side bottom of the speaker box. Hot -melt glue works great for this, which is

76 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

why so many manufacturers use it. Thenetwork may also be assembled onto apiece of perfboard, which in turn isglued or screwed down. There arethree things to remember when layingout the crossover parts. Keep the twocoils at least 2 inches apart; otherwise,they can affect one another electrical-ly. Further, the resistor gets moderatelyhot under high -power conditions; don'tlet it touch other components. And fi-nally, place the crossover circuit farenough back in the box so that it won'tinterfere with the woofer mounting.

It is a good idea to cut and attachleads for the drivers and terminals be-fore the crossover goes into the box.Strip and solder coat the loose ends ofthe wires. Use red wire for positiveleads, black for negative ones, and besure to label each wire as to its desti-nation. This will make things much eas-ier when it's time to insert the drivers. Alength of 12 inches is recommendedfor the woofer leads, 16 inches for thetweeter leads, and 10 inches for theterminal leads.

Final AssemblyOnce all the glue is completely dry,

we can start final assembly. To get atruly airtight seal, it is necessary tohave a soft gasket between the fiber-board and the drivers and terminalcup. Adhesive -foam weatherstrip tapecan be used for this. Buy the softest Vsx 1/4 -inch material you can find. Laythe drivers face down on a table andwipe off their mounting flanges with apaper towel or clean cloth to removedirt and oil. Now apply the foam tapecompletely around the driver flange,just to the point of overlap. On thewoofer, the tape should lie toward theinner edge of the flange; on the tweet-er, put the tape toward the outer edge.You should also apply tape to themounting flange of the crossover cup.If any screw holes get covered, justpierce the tape with a pin. There is noneed to clear the hole.

Now it's time to close things up.Place the terminal cup in the backhole, and mark the screw locations.Remove the cup and drill or punchsmall pilot holes to facilitate screw in-sertion. Find the leads for the terminalsand pull them through the hole. Withthe cabinet resting on its front side, theterminal leads can be soldered to theterminals (observing polarity), and thecup can be screwed down to the cabi-net. If there are no clear polarity mark-ings on the terminals, use the red con-nector for positive.

Turning the cabinet over, pull thewoofer and tweeter leads through theirrespective front -panel cutouts. It's agood idea to tape the leads to the

cabinet with masking tape to avoid los-ing them when inserting the polyesterfiber. Polyester can be obtained at astore that sells sewing materials or fab-ric; discount departments stores gen-erally carry it too, for making or repair-ing pillows and blankets. If you have achoice, select the material which hasthe softest feel.

There are no formulas for calculatingthe exact amount of fiber to use in aspeaker. With the mixed dimensionalunits that indicate a good, scientificrule -of -thumb, most designers try be-tween 1 and 1.5 ounces per 5 liters ofenclosure volume. We'll use 2 ounces.The fiber can be weighed in a lightplastic bag on a postage scale. Startwith too much, and remove a little at atime. Throw away the torn bits, sincesmall, unattached pieces could con-ceivably foul up a woofer. The fibershould be spread evenly throughoutthe box and should flow around andbehind the wires.

Mark the driver screw holes as youdid for the terminal cup. It will be easierto remove the drivers if you apply smalltags of tape before dropping them intotheir openings. Resting the drivers onthe cabinet, carefully solder on theirleads (again observing polarity). Don'toverheat the driver terminals as thismay damage them. Lastly, screw thedrivers securely into the box, tuckingthe leads back into the fiber. If youopted for a cardboard facia. glue it

onto the enslosure now.

Basic TestsThere are two very basic tests to

perform before connecting our com-pleted speakers to an amplifier: Airseal and woofer polarity. Air seal ispretty easy. Gently push the woofercone back into the cabinet until in-creased resistance is felt. Take care topush at several points at once, anddon't press on the dust cap. Hold thecone down for about 5 seconds andthen release it, watching closely. Thecone should return slowly and evenlyto its normal position, taking a good 1or 2 seconds to do so. A more rapidreturn indicates one or more air leaks,in which case all joints and seals aresuspect. Often, if a hissing sound isheard when pushing on the woofer,this is a clue to a leak. The flickering ofa match flame can also help you locatea leak; to create the necessary wind,either push on the woofer or play mu-sic at a moderate level with your basscontrol all the way up. If you suspect aproblem, be sure to check out the ar-eas around the drivers and the terminalcup, as well as all the joined edges.Caulk will usually fix a leaky edge. Abad driver seal can often be cured by

simply removing and reseating theunit. Stubborn cases might require asecond layer of foam tape.

The second test confirms properwoofer polarity. Use two lengths of wireto connect a 9-V transistor -radio bat-tery directly to the speaker terminalsfor a few seconds. The positive batteryterminal (the smaller one) must be con-nected to the positive speaker input(red). Proper polarity is indicated by anoutward motion of the woofer. Whenthe battery is disconnected.the woofershould slowly return to rest. whichserves as a last check for air leaks.

Chances are very good that yoursystem will work perfectly as soon as itis finished. All the component parts areextremely reliable, and there aren'tmany glitches that won't surface dur-ing our two simple tests. Almost all ofyour listening should be for pure enjoy-ment, not for analysis. However, it is agood idea to listen for a few potentialproblems that can arise, just as a pre-caution. I won't say too much aboutlistening tests; Audio readers probablydo them a lot. Besides, speaker build-ers are like new parents: They thinktheir creation is far and away thebest-at least for the very first part ofits new life. I've never been anythingbut overjoyed when listening to one -ofmy own designs . . . until the morningafter.

This design has been balanced formid -shelf placement. Corner or floorplacement will increase deep bassoutput. Likewise, a more open place-ment-say, on stands moved out fromthe rear wall-will result in a lighteroverall balance. Overly bad imagingand/or a suck -out in the midrange indi-cate that one or both tweeters are outof phase. No highs mean a tweeterproblem, no lows a woofer problem.

Naming the BabyAt first, I wasn't going to name this

loudspeaker, which has served to illus-trate, among other things, the role ofpersonal computers in speaker de-sign. However, in the course of readingup on other published designs, I real-ized that naming the new baby is prac-tically obligatory. Since I dislike futuris-tic, technical names for audio prod-ucts, I hoped to find something warmand human.

After considerable reflection, I de-cided to dedicate my new design tothe acclaimed editor of Audio maga-zine who, in truth, gave me my first bigbreak in the writing business severalyears ago. I refer, of course, to EugenePitts III. Upon reflection, however, I re-alozed that this name was too long for a6V2 -inch loudspeaker. So for the sakeof simplicity, I'll call it "The Pitts." Al

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 77

a.a.

Lester Young in 1938 (below) andJack Teagarden in 1940 (opposite).

78

REPRISE

TheKeynote and

CommodoreCollections

Frank Driggs

osaic, the Stamford, Connecti-cut based jazz -reissue label,has once again set a standard

by rereleasing material that is simplyimpossible to beat. Its first volume ofThe Complete Commodore Jazz Re-cordings (Mosaic MR23-123) contains23 LPs packaged in a handsome dou-ble -boxed set with a black slipcase. Its64 -page, generously illustrated bookletincludes a completely documenteddiscography, extensive and thoroughliner notes, and an interview with Com-modore's founder, Milt Gabler, that re-counts the label's history. Dan Morgen-stern, Director of the Institute of JazzStudies in Newark, N.J., wrote thenotes and did a commendable job onsuch a massive undertaking. This reis-sue has my nomination for record setof the year.

Commodore was the first indepen-dent jazz record company in this coun-try. It all started when Gabler, soonafter his high school graduation, be-gan selling phonograph records in hisfather's radio parts store on Manhat-tan's 42nd Street. Gabler's sidelinewas so successful that he was able toconvince his father to turn the businessinto a record store. Through the Com-modore Music Shop (so -named be-

cause it was across from the old Com-modore Hotel), Gabler began reissu-ing rare and long -out -of -print jazz rec-ords. This venture led to the formation,in 1938, of the Commodore MusicShop label, and in fact, some of theseearly titles appear on The CompleteCommodore.

The late 1930s were the height of theSwing Era, and interest in small combo

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 79

Wild Bill Davison

jazz had begun in earnest. This wasthe music that, by and large, the "BigThree" (RCA Victor, Columbia, andDecca) tended to ignore. ThroughGabler's efforts, and those of the manyindependents that followed him, smallcombo jazz was bought to a largeaudience. This proved to be a boon forthe musicians as well as for jazz lovers,and it even spurred the three majorlabels to begin fulfilling at least part of

New Yod City,1944 ; Coleman

Hawkins (atpiano) withproducer HartyLim behind him.

11

their obligation to this uniquely Ameri-can music.

The only other collection currently onthe market that can rival the sundryriches of The Complete Commodore isThe Complete Keynote Collection(PolyGram 830-121-1). Although this21 -LP package was released in 1987,its importance. along with Mosaic'sCommodore and their other boxedsets, constitutes the greatest body of

he 44 albums inthese two collec-

tions constitute thegreatest body of reis-sued jazz we are likelyto have for the foresee-able future.

reissued jazz we are likely to have forthe foreseeable future.

The beige -boxed Keynote containsa large booklet, also written by Mor-genstern, in both English and Japa-nese. Although the booklet is not asextensive as the Commodore's, it doesinclude a history of the company andquite a few vintage photos.

The Complete Keynote Collection,assembled in Japan by KiyoshiKoyama, features hundreds of alter-nate takes and unissued tracks fromdates produced mainly by Harry Limfor Eric Bernay's folk -oriented Keynote.When the label went out of business in1947, absorbed by a larger company,its material fared rather poorly, reissue -wise, until this set. Jazz lovers oweKoyama and PolyGram's Richard Sei-del a deep debt of gratitude for takingthe large risk of bringing such an im-mense collection to this country intact.

On both collections, many of thesame artists appear at the peaks oftheir careers. Remember, these re-cordings were made during a periodwhen musicians were working in themost thriving and competitive atmo-sphere in the history of jazz. This was52nd Street's heyday, the period of thebig band, and it offered many musi-cians not only frequent jobs but valu-able experience. In those years, theafter-hours jam sessions in every majorcity enabled musicians to learn andgrow in the hothouse of mutual ex-change.

Because these recordings weremade during what I refer to as the"Golden Era" of jazz (1938-47), theyrepresent much of what we have cometo treasure from those years. The Com-modore covers roughly 1939-43, andthe Keynote features work from 1943-

80 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

The Bobby Hackett Orchestra, in 1939, featuring guitarist Eddie Condon,clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, and cornetist/leader Bobby Hackett (foreground).

47. Although these collections containtoo many riches to detail thoroughlyhere, their wonderfully complete linernotes do the job nicely. But perhaps afew words on the highlights of thesesets will partly satisfy the jazz lover'scuriosity.

On both collections, there are indi-vidual sessions produced by LeonardFeather. The Bunk Johnson and JellyRoll Morton dates (done by Gene Wil-liams and Alan Lomax, respectively),as well as others, were acquired byGabler for Commodore after the labelsthat had originally released them fold-ed. Steve Smith of HRS label fame,John Hammond, and ,Eric Bernay alsoproduced dates of varying quality dur-ing Keynote's history.

Each set has multiple takes, alter-nate and unissued masters galore, andsurprises. There are only a few failures,sessions that somehow, in the midst ofall this wealth of talent, simply don'tcome off. But these are very much inthe minority. Further, even the less in-teresting cuts occasionally offer finesolo moments, so there is little waste.

The Commodore has the marvelousLester Young and The Kansas City Sixon clarinet and tenor sax from 1938,and Billie Holiday doing "Strange Fruit"with soulful accompaniment by trum-peter Frankie Newton. (This was asong her own label, Columbia Rec-ords, would not allow her to recordbecause of, its controversial lyricsabout lynching in the Deep South.)There also are songs by Jack Teagar-den, Stuff Smith, Jess Stacy, Joe Sulli-van, Lee Wiley, Muggsy Spanier, JoeBushkin, and Chu Berry. You'll hearWillie "The Lion" Smith doing his finestpiano solo work, Mel Powell with ac-companiment by "Shoeless Joe Jack-son" (Benny Goodman, using hispseudonym) in 1942, Edmond Hall,and cuts by Teddy Wilson that wereoriginally released as part of his"School for Pianists" series. (Thesesongs were slightly simplified versionsof Wilson's material and arrangements,intended to teach the general publichow to play piano in his style.) Art Ta-tum also is captured on a 1943 Cole-man Hawkins date with Cootie Wil-liams, among others. There's no fat tobe found.

Milt Gabler mainly concentrated on aselect group of artists (namely EddieCondon, Pee Wee Russell, Bud Free-man, Bobby Hackett, and Wild BillDavison). The very high -caliber, small

jazz -band sound of Condon and theseother musicians accounts for nearlyhalf the Commodore label's outputthrough the years. This somewhat con-servative approach certainly doesn'thandicap this rerelease.

Keynote, meanwhile, reflects HarryLim's more adventurous perspectiveon recording jazz Lim, a Japanese -born, Dutch -educated jazz lover, re-corded in a manner completely differ-ent than Gabler. There is more musicalvariety in Lim's work, as he used differ-ent and unusual combinations of in-struments and artists. On The KeynoteCollection, some of his best cuts in-clude Roy Eldridge's trumpet ensem-ble with Emmett Berry and Joe Thom-as; a Coleman Hawkins sax ensemblewith Harry Carney, Don Byas, and TabSmith; Benny Morton's trombone choirwith Vic Dickenson, Bill Harris, andClaude Jones, and a host of legendary

jazzmen such as Jonah Jones, PeteBrown, Kenny Kersey, Herman Chitti-son, Budd Johnson, Red Norvo, John-ny Hodges, Charlie Shavers, BarneyBigard, the great alto star Willie Smith,Red Rodney, Allen Eager, Serge Cha-loff, and finally Lennie Tristano.

The prices of these sets are high, asshouFd be expected from boxes of 21and 23 LPs. Both top out at more than$200 (plus shipping and handling, inMosaic's case). But they offer weeksand months of listening pleasure frommature artists in the prime of their play-ing power.

It would be a devilishly difficultchoice to make, deciding which box toacquire. I say save up and get both!Each represents the best that jazz hadto offer in the years prior to the adventof Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, andbe -bop, a style which is reflected onsome of the last Keynote dates. Manythings changed in the late '40s, andbop became the prevalent style-onethat would be followed through manyconvolutions, almost to the presentday. In due course, this meant thatmany of the artists captured to perfec-tion in these sets would rarely find thesame sympathetic recording situationsagain. These two collections are trulythe best ever released. A

The Complete Commodore Jazz Re-cordings, Vol. I is available only fromMosaic Records, 197 Strawberry HillAve., Stamford, Conn. 06902; (203)327-7111.The Complete Keynote Collection isavailable in better record stores.

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 81

THEAUDIO

INTERVIEW

PHOTOGRAPH: KEVIN KN.GHT

RICK ROWEHAIRRESTORATION

Susan Elliott

Flash back to April 1968. Hair, the seminal rock

musical, had just opened at Broadway's Biltmore

Theater. Although the cast was young and inexpe-

rienced, the show went on to become

one of the most influential of its era.

And now, 20 years later, RCA has cho-

sen to commemorate Hair's anniversa-

ry by issuing a Compact Disc of the

album, digitally remastered from the

original master tapes.

The original cast album of Hair,

made just three days before the show's

Broadway opening, was produced in

an environment that eyewitnesses re-

call as "general havoc." The relatively

novice engineering staff endeavored to record rock 'n' roll

rendered by what some close to the session referred to

as a cast of "pot -smoking hippies." The restoration's

executive producer, Peter Elliott, describes the scene this

way: "You had this cast of wild kids, most of whom had

never been in a recording studio before." Some of

those unknown, inexperienced "kids," however, went

on to become famous in their own right-Melba Moore,

Diane Keaton, Paul Jabara, Ronnie Dyson, Lynn Kellogg,

and the late Lamont Washington, to name only a few.

Original producer Andy Wiswell,

though highly respected for his work

on Broadway cast albums such as Hel-

lo Dolly and My Fair Lady, was unfamil-

iar with recording rock. "It wasn't his

kind of show," says Elliott. At the time,

most Broadway records were made in

3 -track, while the rock world was well

into 8- and 12 -track recording. Produ-

cer Wiswell was undoubtedly uncomfort-

able with the medium, to say nothing of

the message.

These problems were compounded by the fact that Hair

was the last album made in RCA's East 24th Street facility;

most of the best equipment already had been moved

uptown to the studio's current location on West 44th

Street. As the cast chewed up the microphones-rock

'n' roll style-the equipment chewed up and/or folded

much of the tape.

AUDIO/DECEMBER 19884,1968, Natoma Productions

ROspoli-Rodriguez RCA Records 83

THE TAPES OF THE ORIGINAL HAIR

SESSION WERE IN TERRIBLE

SHAPE. YOU COULD HOLD THEM UP TO

THE LIGHT AND SEE RIGHT THROUGH.

00

Lamont Washington

in the original cast

production of Hair

at the Biltmore.

Gerome Ragni

(behind the music

stand) in RCA's old

24th Street studio,

during recording

of the original

cast album.

Now fast -forward to the present. Asthe 20th anniversary of the first rockmusical approached, RCA engineerRick Rowe, known for his painstakingresuscitations of Elvis Presley, SamCooke, and The Sound of Music, wascalled in to perform a complete digitalrestoration. Distortion, flaking oxide,missing pieces, and wavering pitchfrom uneven voltage were among theproblems he encountered when he be-gan work two years ago. Rowe esti-mates that he spent several hundredhours in the control room of Studio A,literally piecing Hair back together. Heconsulted regularly with composerGalt MacDermot, book/lyric writers Ge-rome Ragni and James Rado, originalengineer Mike Moran, and cast mem-ber Paul Jabara, whose performanceof "Electric Blues" (one of four hereto-fore unreleased tracks) makes its de-but on the new CD.

A particular boon for the remasteringeffort was the fact that Rick Rowe, itaddition to being an exceptionally gift-ed recording engineer, is a former Hairgroupie. "I saw the show maybe a doz-en times," he says. "I knew the pitband and I knew a lot of the cast mem-bers. It was the puppyhood of my ca-reer. I was working at Electric LadyStudios, and I'd go up to the Biltmorewhenever I could, just to hang out. I

entered through the stage door, like allthe rest of the hippies. So it was a realthrill to get to do this CD." S.E.

Michael Ochs Archives/RCA Victor

84 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

How did you start work on this project?By listening to as many commercialdiscs of Hair as I could find, just to seeif they were all cut from the same pro-duction master. Sometimes they're not.Sometimes you might say, "Wow, whocut this one? How can I get my handson that production master?" As it

turned out, they were all the same. So Idetermined that I didn't want to useany of the 2 -track production mastersthat were available.Why?For one thing, I didn't like the mix. Foranother, making a direct transfer wouldhave been horrendous. There was nonoise reduction, no elevated level.When you take a premixed tape andjust make it louder, all you do is bringup all the hidden bugaboos. Like tapehiss and room hiss.

That's what happened on the firstSound of Music CD. It was AAD, like alot of early CDs. [RCA rereleased thedisc ADD, as restored by Rowe.] I

don't believe in that, because I don'tthink our sophistication remembers asmuch as our memory does. We don'tremember The Chords' "Sh-Boom (LifeCould Be a Dream)" as sounding awfuland puny and weak, we remember itas sounding strong and hot. People'sears forget how limited the mediumwas in the '50s and '60s.So you went to the original 2 -trackmasters?I couldn't get hold of all of them. I

probably could've pursued it further,but I didn't like the mix anyway. It wasvery reflective of the style at that time:A lot of it was binaural, meaning thatyou had left, right, or center and notmuch in between. The idea of puttingthe bass on the left and the drums onthe right weakens the record, becausebass tends to drift toward the middle,especially on an LP, and that causesthe stereo image to collapse.

Also, we weren't using [Ampex] 456Grandmaster tape in 1968. The tapetype they were mixing to couldn't takepeak levels without distorting, and I

wanted to get as much dynamic rangeas there was-and then some. So I de-cided to go back to the original 8 -track. I

knew I could clean things up better if I

treated the tracks individually.

At that point, what kind of shape werethe 8 -tracks in?Awful. Hideous. Terrible. For a numberof reasons. I figured out, in playingInspector Clouseau, that it got awayfrom them at one point. They wereprobably using one of the old Ampexor 3M decks, which have one start andone stop button and a gear shift thatyou grab onto to fast -forward or re-wind. If you hit the wrong button, Godforbid, the tape goes flying into littletiny bits and gets stretched andcrazed. That's what happened on "Ini-tials," about 4 or 5 seconds of whichhad been taped back together andsimply wouldn't play. And of course,the tape was losing oxide. You couldhold it up to the light and see rightthrough it in certain places.That must have made it pretty dicey towork with.How true. This is 20 -year -old, 1 -inchtape. It was losing oxide every time I

drew it across the heads because ithas an acetate, as opposed to Mylar,backing. We're talking slippery. Somemachines won't even track it without itslowing down a little bit. But that wasn'tthe worst of it. Since the machine didn'thave as sophisticated a guide systemas we have today, it allowed the tapeto fold as it went onto the take-up reel.They were using thin tape becausethey wanted to get the whole hour, plustest tones, on two reels. Thinner tape issusceptible to folding. Since track 1 isat the top edge and track 8 at thebottom, on many of the songs thosetwo tracks didn't touch the playbackhead, and if they did, there'd be nohigh end because the tape was de-stroyed-literally creased.When do you think the folding tookplace initially?It had to have been when the multi -tracks were being used, so my guessis that it sat that way for 20 years.What happened when you unfolded it?It would fold right back up again.But you still had the safeties.Right. I figured, okay, so it's a secondgeneration, but if I only remix 5 or 10seconds here and there, I can coverup the hiss-no one will know I'm go-ing from first generation to second tofirst. But apparently the safety masters

SINCE THE MACHINE USED IN '68

LACKED THE NEW SOPHISTICATED

GUIDE SYSTEM. THE TAPE FOLDED AS IT

WENT ONTO THE TAKE-UP REEL.

were never played back-no one everlistened to hear if they were any goodbefore they packed them up, put themaway, and tore the studio apart tomove uptown. The decks that were leftdowntown may or may not have beenchecked. The voltage regulators al-ready may have been moved. The volt-age from [New York City utility] ConEdison was fluctuating that day, and sowas the speed of the machine makingthe safety master, which of course al-tered the pitch. The safeties wouldhave been useful paperweights, butthat's about all.How about the outtakes?They were in better shape. But thereweren't a lot of outtakes-sometimesthere were only two. In going throughthe recording pages, I discovered thatthe whole show was done in one day.Everything. You have to figure the en-gineering staff worked from 7 a.m.,with the pre -setup, till about 1 or 2 thenext morning, with maybe an hour offfor dinner. They went right from tracksto overdubs-while the band took abreak-then back to tracks.Why so fast? Didn't RCA know it had ahit on its hands?They knew that what they were record-ing was something a lot of people weretalking about and that it was really con-troversial and that it had a nude sceneand that there were hippies who didn'tabide by the Moral Majority or care toomuch about the war in Vietnam. Think

Michael Ochs Archives/RCA Victor

Melba Moore (top,

center) and Diane

Keaton (bottom,

center) in "Black

Boys/White Boys."

Galt MacDermot

(left) with the

original cast

at the 1968

recording session.

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 85

0 SAVE RESET TIME AT THE 1968

SESSION, TRACKING WAS SET FOR

THE SONG WITH THE MOST ELEMENTS,

RULING OUT A REAL STEREO MIX.

Hair stars andauthors James Rado

(left) and Gerome

Ragni taping the

show's title song.

ti

The 1970 Broadway

cast in the infamous

"Hair" number.

Michael Ochs Archives/RCA Victor

of it. You've got a bunch of hippies anda bunch of straight people recordingthem. Chances are there's not going tobe too much love-the artistic kind oflove that says, "Oh, let's do one moretake. You've got it in you."I understand there were some pretty,shall we say, interesting things goingon at the sessions.They tell me it was a zoo. There was nocontrol in the control room-there were15 or 20 people in there. Galt [MacDer-mot, the composer] was the go-be-tween. He was very straight. He actedas the liaison between the establish-ment and the hippies, and he tried tokeep the peace.

[Producer Andy] Wiswell's idea wasto record everything live and to keepthings moving. I asked Mike Moran[the original engineer]. why, when therewere only drums, bass, piano, and avocal on a song, he used only fourtracks? Why not split up the drums,maybe stereo the piano-stuff like that,so you have a little more control? Ap-parently, Andy didn't want to stop forresets. It would have taken too muchtime. So they set up the tracking forwhatever song had the maximum num-ber of elements, which limited every-thing to a mono track and made realstereo mixing impossible.Which song dictated the track layout?"Aquarius" was pretty full. There wasone track for drums, including all per-cussion; another track for piano, horns,

and solo horns; electric piano on one,and both guitars on one. On a typicalstereo mix, you want to have one trackapiece; one for principal vocals; twofor company, one left and one right,and one that is either a second lead ora third company track.Wasn't a track assigned to overdubs?No. Whenever they overdubbed, theyerased the third company track. Radoand Ragney [who wrote the book andthe lyrics and also played two of thelead roles in the Broadway show] didsome overdubs the next day.So there you are with a bunch of fold-ed tape, useless safeties, and a coupleof outtakes. Then what?I wanted to get a better handle on justwhat happened, so I interviewed all theguys who worked on it-Mike, JoeLopes, and anybody else who was stillaround. And I talked to the cast: PaulJabara, who got me in touch with Nat-alie Mosco and with Sally Eaton, who'snow a computer analyst for PrudentialBache. (She sang "Air.") I asked ques-tions like, "How long did you work onit? What was done first? Second? Why?What time of day? What was the gener-al atmosphere?" When I'm doing a res-toration, any bit of information-evenwhat they were wearing-anything canbe helpful. Listening to the outtakesalso helped. I could hear where theywould start on something and give itup because it wasn't working. Thathappened a lot, particularly with thedialog-which, by the way, we rere-corded with the original cast in someinstances.So in some ways this is a re-creationas well as a restoration.This is not historical restoration. It's notsupposed to be. This is my idea ofwhat the show should have soundedlike, had I been the producer 20 yearsago. The one rule was that there wereno rules. Whatever I had to do, I did-even if I had to bring someone backfrom the dead. I'm not really interestedin the historical value of this piece ofacetate. I can't be concerned with thatand with rendering a new product.Is the new version complete?No. There are eight or nine songs thatwere never recorded. But I did findfour songs and some reprises, like the

86 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

one for "Ain't Got No." Galt tells me itwas dropped at the last minute be-cause the lyric was too objectionable,but it's on there now. I also got a copyof the script and put the show back inorder. It was out of order because theyneeded the sides to be compatible,time -wise.What was your procedure for the actu-al restoration?First, I went through all the 8 -tracktapes, making note of the track layoutsand evaluating each track on eachsong. Second, I went over my evalua-tions and made a recommendation tomyself of what to do. I kept all this on aseparate computer system. I have awonderful program called "ThinkingCap." Then I wrote a flow chart foreach tune. Where did I want thingsmatrixed [panned] in the stereo? Howdid they relate to my memory of what Isaw onstage? Did I feel like doublingthe horns, making them a little fluffierand fatter? Could I use both tracks ofthe company, or is one so distortedthat I'd be better off using only one anddoubling it? I did virtually the samething for the guitars as for the chorus.How did you deal with the piano andhorns being on the same track?If they were both playing at the sametime and there was an important hornlick, I'd EQ as much of the piano out asI could and get the horns blattier byEQ-ing them and working with thecompression ratio. By now, I was alsoexpanding the dynamics of each of theeight tracks through EQ, compression,overall limiting, or combinations there-of. I used noise gates to take away thetape hiss, and other devices like theAphex II and various Lexicon cham-bers. But things were changing con-stantly. It was not a question of settingit up and mixing to one song. It wasmixing from one musical landmark toanother. From bar 5 to 9 is differentthan from 1 to 5. And there were exten-sive pieces missing. In some cases, I

even went to the 2 -track productionmaster. There is a clarinet solo at theend of "Frank Mills" that had no as-signed track; it came through as leak-age on the piano track. But it was alittle more present in the 2 -track ver-sion of the song.

IKEPT THE FOLDED MASTER TAPE

AGAINST THE HEAD WITH A MATCH-

BOOK, COTTON BALLS, AND A RUBBER

BAND HOLDING IT ALL TOGETHER.

Stanley Green Collectron

How many faders did you use on the32 -track machine?I sometimes used as many as 28. I hadeight original signals, and all the restwere special effects-chamber delays,doubled tracks, an echo chamber forthe drum kit, and so forth. One of thelead vocals had two or three faderssupporting him-one is just the sibi-lance of his sound, the other is thebody.What were some of the ways you dealtwith distortion?One of the things I discovered was thatin rewind, the tape deposited a thinfilm of the flaking oxide at the leadingedge of the head, so for the next fewminutes, while going forward, therewas a little less distortion. Maybe 30,40 seconds. So I got some of the tape Iwasn't using and scraped off all of theoxide and coated the head occasional-ly. It cut down some of the distortion-not all, but some. I also used variouskinds of analog signal processing,which is a stow, painstaking process,done in bits and pieces.How about the folded tape?

I got the tape to stay up against thehead with an empty matchbook cover,a couple of cotton balls behind it, anda rubber band holding the whole thingto the head assembly. That can ruinthe head block-the playback headson the 8 -track machine were garbagewhen I finished the project. But I hadbilled more than the price of a new

A scene from "The

American Tribal

Love -Rock Musical,"

with the 1970 cast.

Lamont Washington

and Lynn Kellogg

(center) in a scene

from Hair.

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 87

HIS IS NOT HISTORICAL RESTORA-

TION. IT'S MY IDEA OF WHAT THIS

SHOW SHOULD HAVE SOUNDED LIKE IF

I'D BEEN THE PRODUCER.

On stage with

Hair's original cast

at the old

Biltmore Theater.

The 1970 Broadway

cast performing

"White Boys."

88

"Curly, fuzzy, snaggy,

shaggy, ratty, matty,

shining, gleaming";

the 1970 Hair cast.

C1986, Martha Swope

Photofest

machine, so I don't think the studiominded too much.

The matchbook apparatus wouldlast maybe a minute and a half, andthen the whole thing would breakdown. But hey, I got a minute and ahalf down onto the digital and I likedthe mix. If I didn't, I'd go back tosquare one. Reset it, coat the head,put the rubber bands together, geteverything ready, hope the mix wouldbalance, and go. As soon as it col-lapsed or didn't sound right anymore,I'd stop and go back.

A day later, I'd start putting piecestogether. I put "Where Do I Go?" to-gether two or three times. First, I'd getit to where it sounded pretty good.Then I'd wait a day and play it again.The sound was good, the placementokay, but the lead vocal wasn't quitethere. So back to the beginning. I

couldn't bring out the lead vocal any-more, so I'd go back and remix thesong in six or seven pieces, maybemore.

Once a song was on the 2 -track ste-reo, I'd use that as the source, and re-EQ the whole thing to keep the distor-tion down further or to brighten every-thing up a little bit. At any given time, I

had as many as eight or nine digitalcassettes with pieces. There were twoor three submasters with longer piecesand one final master where I would

take stuff and insert it into the finalworking master.Where and when did you do most ofthe work?In Studio A, from 6 p.m. till 2 or 3 in themorning-that's when I could get mostof the equipment. I'd bring in stacks ofstuff, including three or four differentspeaker systems. The whole projecttook hundreds of hours, including timespent with headphones at home.I have a Hair cassette that I boughtabout five years ago. Other than theusual differences between CD andcassette, what am I going to hear as aresult of the restoration?You're going to notice right away thatthe sound of the CD is wider; you'resitting in row E on the center aisle. Theoriginal doesn't have that Broadwayhouse feel. It sounds like a studib. Withthe Lexicon 224X, I can program justabout any room I want.

The sound is also going to be a lotbrighter. One reason is, of course, thatcassettes don't carry the high end well.The other is that, on the productionmaster, they took down a lot of the highend to mask tape hiss. You wouldn'thave heard the hiss on the record be-cause it was cut so lightly onto the vinyl[in order to squeeze 58 minutes ontoone album] that it had mostly high end.Also, all the low elements were splitout-bass to one side, drums to theother.

Part of one of the algorithms I use onrestorations is very much like whatSonic Solutions' NoNoise [distortion -and noise -reduction technique] does,but without the big computer. Onceyou eliminate the tape hiss, you canselectively put back parts of the highend and get the crispness back in. If I

can hear people's lips smacking, that'sgreat. Once again, that's why I believein ADD as opposed to AAD.What's your next digital restoration?I'm working on a live recording of anElvis concert in Madison Square Gar-den. I'm starting from 16 -track thistime, so there's lots more control. ButI've learned from Hair that re-creating amoment perfectly, even if it wasn't cap-tured perfectly, is not impossible. All ittakes is a little bit of theatrics andimagination, and a lot of patience. A

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JON R. SANKAudio history was revised by apaper in the March /988 Jour-nal of the Audio Engineering

Society. Until then, Valdemar Poulsenof Denmark was thought to have in-vented magnetic recording in 1898,with his Telegraphone machine. In theJournal article, "1888-1988: A Hun-dred Years of Magnetic Sound Re-cording," author Friedrich Karl Engel,of the German firm BASF, revealed an

:1888 paper by Oberlin Smith ofBridgeton, N.J., proving that Smith had

Elwc spawned the idea before Paulsen. It isremarkable that Smith's article re-mained unknown all these years, de-spite the fact that it is readily availableon microfilm-even at the PhiladelphiaFree Library near my home. Fortunate-ly, Engel found Oberlin Smith's writingsin time for magnetic recording's cen-tennial year.

When I told this story to one of thejunior audiophiles in my family, hefound it hard to believe that the art wasso ancient. This is understandable be-cause magnetic recording was not in-troduced in the U.S. until after WorldWar II. My AES colleague and audio -museum curator, Jack Mul:in, discov-ered the Magnetophon tape recorderin Germany after the war and brought itto the U.S. He recorded Bing Crosby's

radio shows on that machine, using theGerman tapes. Via a complex chain ofevents, Ampex and 3M became in-volved in magnetic recording and de-veloped the recorders and tapes thatled to the products of today.

The first magnetic recorder I can re-call was a Webcor wire recorder; it

reproduced speech reasonably well,but music sounded bad. My presentantique collection includes an RCAwire recorder which, instead of havingopen spools like those on the Webcor,has a cartridge resembling an over-grown 8 -track. In about 1950, I pur-chased a TapeMaster tape recorderwhich had only one motor. This record-er never ran at the correct speed, butearly on the morning of June 2, 1953, I

managed to record the coronation ofQueen Elizabeth II via shortwave. I stillhave the recording, now dubbed tomodern tape. (One reel of the masterhad been on paper -backed tape.) La-ter, in my acoustic lab at RCA, I had amonstrous RCA RT-11 full -track, 1/4 -

inch tape recorder which I hardly usedbecause the capstan motor soundedlike a railroad car. Finally, some 20years ago, I obtained the solid-statesuccessor to the RT-11. the RT-21. It isa 2 -track, 1/4 -inch machine with threebig motors and has performed reliably

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Oberlin Smith (above)and Valdemar Poulsencan each be saidto have discoveredmagnetic recording:Smith has priority,but Poulsen madethe first workingmodels.

to the present. It is very useful for edit-ing and dubbing to cassettes.

Poulsen's wire recorder was demon-strated at the Paris Exposition of 1900.The lack of amplification prevented itfrom being a commercial success.Since it was a purely electrical system,amplification was needed. The verypopular mechanical cylinder and discrecorders of the early part of the centurycould drive a reproducing horn directly,and so they did not need amplification.Nevertheless, Poulsen is reported tohave received the Exposition's GrandPrize. His machine seems to have beenthe first working magnetic recorder. La-ter versions included magnetic disc andcylinder units. There is no evidence thatSmith ever completed a working record-er, and his models perished in a factoryfire in 1903.

Oberlin Smith visited Thomas Edisonand heard a demonstration of his cylin-der phonograph, apparently in 1878.Afterwards, Smith developed ideas onalternate forms of the mechanical pho-nograph and invented the magnetic re -

Fig. 1-Oberlin Smith's letter toThomas Edison. Photo of Smithand this letter are reprinted fromThe Antique Phonograph Monthly,February 1975.

cording and playback systems. Hedocumented these ideas by filing pa-pers with the Clerk of CumberlandCounty, N.J. on September 24, 1878.Then, on October 4 of that year, hefiled a "caveat" paper with the U.S.Patent Office. His experiments at thetime were witnessed, but no descrip-tion of the hardware is available. Short-ly after filing the caveat, he wrote aletter to Edison (Fig. 1), requestingsome electrical parts. This letter, dis-covered in the Edison Museum, indi-cates Smith's developmental activitiesin the fall of 1878. He was, however,also busy managing a growing toolcompany, and didn't find time to doany more experiments in the followingyears. Ten years later, in 1888, he de-cided to make public his invention bymeans of a short article, "Some Possi-ble Forms of Phonograph." The articlewas published in The Electrical World,and in it, Smith encouraged others tocontinue his work.

I compared the documents of 1878with the 1888 article and concluded

92 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

he recording medium favored by Smith was a stringimpregnated with magnetic particles, similar in principle

to modern plastic tape coated with magnetic powder.that the systems described are identi-cal. In 10 years, Smith had not madeany discoveries which would causeany changes in his invention. His 1911letter to the Journal of the Franklin Insti-tute (which we'll discuss later) indicat-ed that he did no more work on mag-netic recording after 1878, and themodels destroyed in the fire werethose from his early work. (Both sets ofpapers also show some proposed vari-ations in Edison's cylinder phono-graph.) Two of Smith's sketches fromthe September 8, 1888 issue of TheElectrical World are reproduced here(Figs. 2 and 3). This newspaper -styleperiodical, though printed in New Yorkand regionally oriented, was widelyread by those interested in electricity.Shortly before the turn of the century,there were many individual inventorsworking in all areas of electricity. Ex-amining the 1888 issue of The Electri-cal World showed that one person hadbuilt an electric generating plant in hishome, while others were inventing tele-phone gadgets. More search may re-veal some long -forgotten device thatneeds re -inventing.

Figure 2 shows Smith's recorder. Amagnetic wire or string travels fromone spool to the other. The direct cur-rent flowing through the telephonetransmitter (carbon microphone) ismodulated by the audio signal, andboth act to magnetize the moving me-dium by means of the induction coil.The d.c. bias in a carbon microphoneis relatively stronger than the signalcurrent. This could have functionedsimilarly to the a.c. bias of modern an-alog recording, which moves the mag-netic operating point to the linear re-gion of the medium.

Figure 3 shows the magnetic record-er in playback mode. A voltage is in-duced in the pickup coil as the lines offlux from the magnetized media cut theturns of the coil. This audio signalwould be heard in the telephone re-ceiver if an amplifier were inserted atpoint X. Smith recognized that the volt-age would be too low to drive the ear-phone directly, and therefore he per-ceived that an "intensifier" was need-ed. His only thought was a battery; thevacuum tube amplifier was not invent-ed until the next century.

In the September 29, 1888 issue ofThe Electrical World, a one -paragraph

note quotes a letter from Smith de-scribing improvements to recordingand playback systems. With referenceto our Fig. 2, he wrote that the record-ing transducer should be a coilwrapped around an electromagnet,with the core against the magnetic me-dium. This is clearly a forerunner of themagnetic head. The playback pickuphelix in Fig. 3 would be shortened toone turn to "localize the magnetism,"which fits in with Smith's correct notionof tiny magnets along the string. Thismodification leads to the modern ideaof a very small gap in the playbackhead core. The playing or reading de-vice in any system which scans a mov-ing medium must be small comparedto the details in that particular medium,be it magnetic tape, phonograph re-cord, digital Compact Disc, or opticalfilm soundtrack.

Smith also had some accurate andprophetic thoughts about the record-ing medium. He thought that it was

IJ

Fig. 2-Smith's magnetic recorderin record mode. Reproduced fromthe September 8, 1888 issue ofThe Electrical World.

Fig. 3-Smith's magnetic recorderin playback mode. Reproduced fromthe September 8, 1888 issue ofThe Electrical World.

incorrect to use a magnetic wire, be-cause the little recorded magnetswould demagnetize each other, result-ing in low output. Therefore, his fa-vored medium was a string or, morespecifically, a cotton sewing threadfilled with magnetic particles. This was,in principle, the same as our modernplastic tape, which is coated with mag-netic powder and held together withsome "glue," the binder. Now we knowthat a magnetic wire will give ampleoutput compared to tape, but the high -frequency response of magnetic wireis poorer if both are runr-0-ig at thesame speed. Oliver Read has statedthat recording wire must be run at 24ips to equal the quality of tape at 71/2ips. (See "Suggested Reading" at theend of this article.)

The solid wire proved to be goodenough for the telephone quality stan-dards of the day. Poulsen was suc-cessful, and Smith was surprised. InSmith's 1911 letter to the Journal of theFranklin Institute, he stated that Poul-sen's machines were designed exactlythe same as in his own earlier descrip-tions, but he gave Poulsen credit fordiscovering that the little recordedmagnets in a solid medium do not de-magnetize each other. Smith men-tioned solid wire as a medium in his1878 papers filed with the CumberlandCounty Clerk and in the 1888 article,but he "accidentally" omitted mentionof wire in his filing with the U.S. PatentOffice. If only Smith could have knownthat some 40 years in the future, mag-netic wire would give way to particle -coated tape.

Who was Oberlin Smith? This inter-ested me, because I have spent muchtime in Bridgeton, N.J. in recent years,helping the hospital with its pagingsystems and with noise control of me-chanical equipment. I have enjoyedthe town's abundance of Victorian ar-chitecture and its many historic places.

I contacted William Chestnut of theBridgeton Antiquarian League, whoput me in touch with Arthur Cox, a highschool art teacher who is an expert onOberlin Smith, one of Bridgeton's mostfamous citizens. Cox had just complet-ed a book titled Ferracute: The Historyof an American Enterprise, whichchronicles Smith's company as well ashis spare -time inventions. These in-cluded not only magnetic recording

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 93

Um-

mith recognized that an "intensifier" was neededto drive his recorder's earphone, but the vacuum tube amp

wasn't invented until the next century.

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The first recorders to usea ribbon-like tape mediumwere produced as a jointventure by AEG and BASFin Germany in the early1930s. Recorders such asthe Magnecord PT -6(right) appeared in theU.S. in the late 1940s.

but also his Autofono, the first jukebox.I am indebted to Cox for his book aswell as for copies of many old docu-ments which he has collected.

Smith was born in Ohio in 1840 anddied in Bridgeton in 1926. He was aprolific inventor and held 70 patents. In1890, he was president of the Ameri-can Society of Mechanical Engineers.Smith never seemed to be short ofcash and, at age 23, opened a ma-chine shop in Bridgeton which laterbecame the Ferracute Machine Com-pany. Ferracute (which means "sharpiron") made presses for cutting andforming metals, and it grew rapidly be-cause of the need for tools to make tincans quickly for the food industry. In

the early part of the 20th century, theFord Motor Company became Ferra-cute's largest customer, and duringboth World Wars, the plant producedpresses for making small -arms ammu-nition. After World War II, businessslowed, and in 1968, the company wassold to the Fulton Iron Works of St.Louis. The Bridgeton plant was closedand remains empty to this day.

One of my hobbies is taking aerialphotographs while piloting, and Ferra-cute's location on a lake made a nicepicture (see first page of article). Theplant, as shown, was built in 1905, af-ter the 1903 fire destroyed the original,along with Smith's recorders. TheSmith mansion, Lochwold, was located

on the lake a few hundred yards fromthe plant. It was destroyed by fire in1934, and I could see no traces. Theplant offices were in the little buildingwith the conical roof, adjacent to thefactory building. Smith's office was inthe room below the cone.

His most valuable contributions werein the mechanical realm, and his 1896book, Pressworking of Metals, remainsa classic in its field. Oberlin Smithloved to play phonograph records,and, incidentally, he was a very gooddancer. A

Author's Acknowledgments

Arthur Cox, in addition to furnishingdocuments, supplied the formal por-trait of Smith at the beginning of thisarticle, for which I am grateful. I wouldalso like to acknowledge the assis-tance of Allen Koenigsberg, publisherof The Antique Phonograph Monthly,who provided a copy of Smith's letterto Edison, which originally came fromthe archives of the Edison National His-toric Site in West Orange, N.J.

Suggested Reading

Benson, K. B., ed., Audio EngineeringHandbook, McGraw-Hill, New York,1988. Benson's Handbook has agood history of magnetic recordingby Busby of Ampex; you may alsowish to read my chapter on micro-phones.

Cox and Malim, Ferracute: The Historyof an American Enterprise, Bridge-ton, N.J., 1985. (Available for $32postpaid from Arthur Cox, P.O. Box411, Bridgeton, N.J. 08302.)

Read, Oliver, The Recording and Re-production of Sound, Howard W.Sams, Indianapolis, 1952. Read'sold book contains an excellent de-scription of wire recorders and howthey magnetize the wire, as well as acomparison to tape recording.

The Antique Phonograph Monthly, 502East 17th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11226.Allen Koenigsberg's digest -sizedpublication is for those avidly inter-ested in the older means of record-ing, not necessarily collectors. Arti-cles on unusual subjects and theclassified advertising section areboth interesting.

94 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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is almost become axiomatic that the music peaks in a re-cording are much greater in amplitude than the averagepower level of a program source. This notion has enabledaudio salespeople to sell amplifiers whose power output

approaches the kilowatt level. It is also the reason that somespeaker manufacturers have been able to boast about their sys-tems' ability to handle short-term peaks that are 10 (20, 50, 100?)times greater than their rated maximum power handling capacity.

The difference between averageand peak power levels (called crestfactor) gave rise to the lab test fordynamic headroom which is part of theEIA Standard for Amplifier Measure-ments. In this test, a 1 -kHz, full -ampli-tude, sinusoidal signal lasting for 20mS is followed by 480 mS worth of thesame signal, attenuated by 20 dB. A'scope photo of this special tone -burstsignal is shown in Fig. 1. By repeatingthe sequence over and over again, youcan ascertain how much more short-term power can be delivered by anamplifier or receiver than the same unitwould be able to deliver on a continu-ous basis. The amplitude of the 20brief alternations at high level, whenclipping begins, is compared with theamplitude of a 1 -kHz signal that repre-sents the amplifier's rated continuouspower output; the ratio of the two am-plitudes is expressed in dB. Thus, witha dynamic headroom rating of 3 dB,the given amplifier can deliver short-term power levels exactly twice asgreat as its continuous rated power.

The 20 mS worth of "burst" in Fig. 1is supposed to approximate short-term

music peaks, while the low-level con-tinuous signal is supposed to repre-sent average music signal levels. Butis this contrived signal realistic? Domusic peaks occur only 4% of the time(20/500 = 0.04, or 4%)? And are thedifferences between average andpeak levels typically 20 dB?

Of course, much depends upon thetype of music you listen to. Studies ofrock music stations reveal that the totaldynamic range some of them transmitis no greater than 6 dB! On the otherhand, listen to a symphony recordedby a full orchestra, and you are likely toencounter peaks more than 20 dBgreater than the average level of themusic and certainly much greater inlevel than the work's softest musicalpassages.

During a recent Consumer Electron-ics Show, I chanced upon an experi-ment being conducted by Denon intheir exhibit space. I was attracted tothe exhibit because I recognized thattie test was being performed using theAudio Precision System One, the sameequipment I recently put into use in mylab. This instrument is able to measure

LEONARD FELDMAN96 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

peak and average voltages simulta-neou&y, using its two available meter-ing systems. In setting up a graph forthis type of measurement, the X axiscan be made to represent time. InDenon's experiment, the same pro-gram material was sent to both meter-ing systems (for simultaneous "peak"and "average" readings), and the testgear was programmed to take 1,000samples over a time period of 10 min-utes. This works out to about 1.67 sam-ples per second for 600 seconds ofmusic. One curve of the graph slowlyspelled out the peak levels measured;the other curve, clearly much lower inamplitude, painted a picture of aver-age levels.

I couldn't wait to repeat the experi-ment in my lab. I simply connected theoutput of one channel of my referenceCD payer directly to the test gear, de-termined the parameters of the graphto be plotted, and chose a music se-lection as a test case. Frankly, I wasn'ttoo particular about the music, so longas it was orchestral. "Dance of theSeven Veils" from Richard Strauss' op-era Salome, recorded by Delos on theirSymphonic Sound Stage CD sampler(D/CD 3502), has a playing time of justover 10 minutes, so it seemed as gooda choice as any.

The results are shown in Fig. 2. Thecurve in Fig. 2A represents peak am-plitude samples during playback,while the Fig. 2B curve represents av-erage amplitudes. Obviously, there aresubstantial differences in amplitude atany point along the time base, but it isnot as easy to quantify the specificdecibel differences at any given in-stance. Happily, the test gear doesmore than simply plot graphs; it alsostores every data point as a numericvalue. These values can be 'etrieved atthe touch of a couple of computerkeys, so I printed out all 1,000 read-ings for both peak and average ampli-tudes.

One of the more significant readingsoccurred at 1.38 minutes into the se-lection. The peak amplitude read bythe metering system was + 5.58 dB,and the average amplitude at the sameinstant was -11.70 dB-a differencebetween peak and average levels of17.28 dB! A fraction of a second later,at 1.5 minutes into the selection, thepeak was only + 0.84 dB. The average

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 97

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amplitude reading was -3.91 dB, adifference of only 4.75 dB. Anothersubstantial difference between peakand average levels occurred at 5.5minutes into the selection, when thepeak reading was + 7.28 dB while theaverage reading was -10.0 dB. Onceagain, the difference between the twolevels was 17.28 dB.

Scanning the hundreds of readingsin the printout, I concluded that thedifference between average and peaklevels for this particular musical selec-tion usually hovered between about 8and 10 dB. Another musical selectionmight have yielded vastly different re-sults; however, so long as we are talk-ing about full orchestral works, I verymuch doubt it. So now we come to the

aAr-Peak 1udes (A) and

average amplitudes(B) from "Dance ofthe Seven Veils".on SymphonicSound Stage CD.Test period was10 minutes.

Manufacturers apparently wereright when they said that thedemands of digital might meanwe'd need more powerful ampsand more efficient speakers.

urst test Winc ec ing ynamic headroom. Signalconsists of 20 cycles of 1 kHz at fullamplitude followed by 480 cycles of.1 kHz at -20 dB.

APeak Amplitudes of Musical Program Material40.060

30.002

0.0

10.00,

20'090.0 1.999 2.009 3.009 4.090 5.999 6.080 7.099 8.000 9.899 18.80

B Average Amplitudes cf Musical Program Material90.000

18.000

/IW

30.000,

30.099

bottom line of this entire experiment.The claim that music peaks on CDs arefar greater than average levels is fullysubstantiated. If we accept the 10 -dBdifference as being reasonably typical,then generally we need 10 times asmuch power to reproduce musicpeaks as we do to reproduce averagelevels. Of course, we haven't even tak-

98

00 6.900 7.909 8.000 9.990 19.09

en into account the degree to whichaverage and peak levels in a givenmusical selection can vary. When thespeaker and amplifier makers told usthat the demands of digital wouldmean we might have to use more pow-erful amplifiers and/or more efficientloudspeakers, it appears they wereright after all.

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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meter.Nominal Impedance: 4 ohms.DIN Power Handling: 80 watts.Music Power Handling: 100 watts.Dimensions: 101/2 in. W x 173/4 in. H

x 111/4 in. D (26.8 cm x 44.1 cm x28.6 cm).

Weight: 21.2 lbs. (9.6 kg).Price: $579 per pair.Company Address: MB Quart Elec-

tronics, 25 Walpole Park South, Wal-pole, Mass. 02081.

For literature, circle No. 90

102 AUD 3/7ECEMBER 1983

The MB Quart 280 has to be a special two-way bookshelfspeaker just to survive the competition. Loudspeakers utiliz-ing an 8 -inch woofer and a 1 -inch dome tweeter, and slightvariations, are the most common types available to theaudio enthusiast. Prices range from under $200 to $4,600per pair. At $579 per pair, the MB Quart 280 is right in thethick of this saturated market. However, the 280 is importedfrom Germany and has a multitude of features that sets itapart.

The West German parent company, MB Quart, is experi-enced. They began in 1963 as a supplier of drivers to otherspeaker manufacturers. For the past six years, they havesuccessfully marketed systems under their own namethroughout Europe. Now they are expanding to North Ameri-ca with the introduction of a line of five speaker systemswhich are said to have had their sound adjusted to suitAmerican tastes.

Personally, I have always felt that "correct is correct" andthat "taste" was best handled by tone controls. -low can theEuropean and the American 280s both be correct? AlexGoetzenberger, a company spokesman, explained that Eu-ropeans tend to listen in an analytic manner and for shorterperiods of time. He said that differences in preference arebecoming less pronounced, but Americans tend to have themusic playing all the time while they are involved in otheractivities. Thus, a slightly more prominent midrange andtreble spectrum is offered in the European speakers andmore bass capability in the U.S.

Quality materials and cabinet construction help differenti-ate the 280 from many other speaker systems. The particle-board panels, an unusual 7/8 inch thick, are manufacturedspecifically for MB Quart speaker cabinets. They are com-posed of five layers of differing density and particle size, toachieve strength and damping. The boards are assembledwith tongue -and -groove joints and thick wood edge trim.Extra -thick veneer on the sides ensures that minorscratches can be repaired without sanding, and the frontpanel has a velvet-like, black "flocked" treatment that iselectrostatically applied and is claimed to control unwanteddiffraction. The rear, top, and bottom panels are brownplastic laminate with an attractive contrasting texture. Knitfabric in a color matching the speaker's finish, is stretchedover a simple particleboard frame to form the removablefront panel. Heavy-duty five -way binding posts are partiallyrecessed in the rear panel; their spacing does not allow theuse of double -banana plugs.

The titanium dome tweeter, operating above 1.5 kHz, isthe most intriguing technical component. Titanium requiresexpensive processing to form it into a thin dome shape, butits combination of strength and lightness makes it worth thetrouble: The first breakup modes can be pushed to wellabove 20 kHz. (It is interesting to note that the seeminglyopposite approach, used in "soft dome" tweeters, can alsoresult in good sound. Highly damped fabric dome tweetershave "benign" breakup modes beginning very low in theirfrequency range.)

The MB Quart 280's crossover frequency of 1.5 kHz is anoctave lower than that typically found in two-way systems.This crossover brirgs in the tweeter's wide directivity just asthe woofer pattern is narrowing down. The problem is to

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U.S. DEALERSCALIFORNIA

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COLORADOListen Up

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CONNECTICUTTTake Five Audio

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ILLINOISAudio Consultants

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Paul Heath Audio2036 N. Clark StreetChicago, IL 60614

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MAINEHi Fi Exchange

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MASSACHUSETTSGoodwin's

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Waltham Stereo361-369 Moody StreetWaltham, MA 82154

MICHIGANClassic Stereo

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MINNESOTAAudio Perfection

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NEBRASKASound Environment

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NEW JERSEYSounding Board

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Woodbridge Stereo751 Amboy AvenueWoodbridge, Ni 07095

Woodbridge StereoPaddock Plaza, Rt. 36W. Long Branch, NJ 07764

NEW YORKAudio Visions

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Lyric Hi Fi1221 Lexington AvenueNew York, NY 10028

Lyric Hi Fi, West2005 BroadwayNew York, NY 10023

Lyric Hi Fi146 East Post RoadWhite Plains, NY 10601

The Speaker Shop3604 Main StreetAmherst, NY 14226

NORTH CAROLINAAudio Advice

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OHIOHoffman's Stereo

Emery Green Plaza28081 Emery Rd.Warrensville Hts. OH44128

Audible Elegance9464 Montgomery Rd.Cincinnati, OH 45242

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VERMONTSound Directions

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WASHINGTONDefinitive Audio

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WISCONSINSpecialized Sound

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CANADIAN DEALERSALBERTA

Penny Lane Colour & Sounci513 8th Ave., S.W.Calgary, AB T2P 1G3(403) 262-0092

Stereo City Limited8055 Argyll Rd.,Edmonton, AB T2C 4R2

Audio Ark10746 -124th St.Edmonton, AB T5M 3H1(403) 453-6624

QUEBECC.O.R.A. Incorporated

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Le Domaine Du Son1100 Boul. Des RecolletsTrois Rivieres, PO G8Z 3X2(819) 373-1218

Le Palais de la Musique484 Boul Du SeminaireSt. Jean, PQ .13B 51_3(514) 348-3000

Opus Audio Limited5181 DeCarie BoulevardMontreal, PQ H3W 3C2(514) 481-0363

Projecson Incorporated31 rue Terminus West,Rouyn, PQ .19X 3B5(819) 762-1404

St. Gelais Electronique1526 Boul. TalbotChicoutimi, PQ G7H 4C2(418) 545-2828

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B.C.Commercial Electronics Ltd.

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NEW BRUNSWICKMagic Forest Music Store

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SASKATCHEWANHarry's Hi-Fi Ltd.

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ONTARIOAudio Appointment Ltd.

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Bay Bloor Radio55 Bloor St. WestToronto, ON M5J 2H8(416) 967-1122

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J.L. Sound Systems250 King St. E.,Hamilton, ONL8K 1T1(416) 527-6863

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Stereo Land Ltd.1251 Ottawa St.Windsor, ON N8X 2E5(519) 253-7836

Whitby Audio Ltd.,400 Dundas St. W.,Whitby, ON LI N 2M7(416) 668-0787

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Linear Sound10176 Young St.,Richmond Hill, ON L4C 1T6

MANITOBAAdvance Audio Center

1300 Portage Ave.Winnipeg, MN R3G OV1

Enter No. 18 on Reader Service Card

The 280's directivity isbroad in both planes andavoids the narrowing thatmany two-way loudspeakersexhibit.

100 1k

FREQUENCY - Hz

Fig. 1-Magnitude ofimpedance.

102

96

90

84

78

72

66

60

54

i

of

10 100 lk

FREQUENCY-

Fig. 3-One-meter on -axisanechoic frequencyresponse, with an input of1.0 watt into 4 ohms(2.0 V).

Hz

10k 30k

0

-j5

20 kHz

300Hz

200Hz206 Hz

10 Hz 1650Hz

IIIII I II I I

WAhillI I I I I 1 I I I I I I I I

0 5 10 15

RESISTANCE - OHMS

Fig. 2-Compleximpedance. Note theslight glitch at about200 Hz; see text.

20

design a tweeter to go that low with good efficiency, lowdistortion, and reliability.

The 280's tweeter starts with a large magnetic system forefficiency and linearity. An additional ferrite doughnut isglued to the rear of the tweeter, in opposing magneticpolarity, to force flux to stay in the circuit, further increasingefficiency. Voice -coil heat is conducted across the gap tothe magnetic circuit by Ferrofluid, which also helps dampthe primary mass/suspension resonance. Passages cou-pling the air volume under the dome with the volume underthe surround help to achieve the low resonance frequencyneeded to respond down to 1.5 kHz. Essentially, the domegets a larger enclosure.

High -quality components are used in the unit's crossover,and heavy wire runs to the speakers. Crossover slopes arenominally 12 dB per octave.

The woofer has about 13% more surface area than aconventional 8 -inch device. This is accomplished within an8 -inch frame width by using a narrow flange with four pro-truding mounting ears. Other than that, the 280's stamped -frame, paper -cone woofer is not unusual, except for itslonger -than -average linear travel.

Unusually good imaging is claimed for this loudspeaker,and it is attributed to wide directivity and diffraction control.Wide directivity is achieved by using the low 1.5 -kHz cross-over frequency and a "dispersion ring" in front of the tweet-er dome. Diffraction, the re -radiation of sound as it passesover a sharp discontinuity, is claimed to be reduced by flushtweeter -mounting screws and the flocked panel treatment.The fact that the substantial wood frame and woofer protru-sions would likely produce strong diffraction is claimed tobe handled by the asymmetrical tweeter mounting. Diffrac-tion is controlled-not necessarily eliminated.

MeasurementsInput impedance is shown as a plot of magnitude versus

frequency in Fig. 1 and as reactance versus resistance inFig. 2. Both plots show fairly typical performance for a 4 -ohm -rated speaker except for the curious little glitch at justover 200 Hz. To investigate this, I applied a 206 -Hz sinewave at about 10 watts. I discovered that one edge of thewoofer frame was vibrating heavily. Pressing on it with theblade of a screwdriver stopped the vibration and increasedthe sound output. I removed the woofer and discovered thatthe foam gasket between the driver and the box had slippedout of place. With the gasket back in its proper position, theglitch disappeared, but some vibration remained in thespeaker frame.

Figure 3 is the on -axis frequency response measured at 1meter without the influence of room reflections. Sensitivity isabout 85 dB below 1.5 kHz with 2 V input. MB Quart's claimof 88 -dB sensitivity appears to be made using 2.83 V input,

106 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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The 280's time response isabout as close to idealas you are likely to getfrom a loudspeaker.

Fig. 4-One-meter on -axisanechoic phase response.

fe,

I I6dB

a.to

i\ .......:',"\ t-,,,T

-:Y,?7.,..'11' - 0,

,x \. \ f',1,.):Ce.1 I f %, i\ 6, 0 0 .. {, ,

, '(.1 ' - 30

60OFF

90 AXIS-DEGREES

200 2k 4k 6k 8k 10k 12k 14k 16k 18k 20k

FREQUENCY - Hz

Fig. 6-Horizontal off -axisresponses taken from thefront, around the side, tothe rear of the speaker.

120

150

180 REAR

FRONT

a.

U)

86

80

74

68

80

74

68

62

5610

FREQUENCY- Hz

Fig. 5-Three-meter roomresponse measuredon -axis and 30° oft -axis;for clarity, off -axis curvehas been lowered.

6dB

0-1-

(/)

7D3

I

/ / / / / / 7 / /200 2k 4k 6k 8k 10k 12k 14k 16k 18k 20k

FREQUENCY - Hz

Fig. 7-Vertical off -axisresponses taken frombelow, up the front, tothe top of the speaker.

-90 BELOW

H -6°-30

- 0 FRONT OFF

- '30 DEGREES- .60.90 ABOVE

which is equivalent to 1 watt into an 8 -ohm speaker. The280, however, is a 4 -ohm unit, but using the same drivelevels, the measurements agree. Look at the power youramplifier will provide into a 4 -ohm load and consider the 85 -dB figure. This sensitivity is a bit on the low side, butreasonable. An amplifier capable of 100 watts per channelshould produce peaks around 108 dB SPL in a typical room.

Low -frequency response shows the roll -off of 12 dB peroctave expected from a sealed -box system below its reso-nance frequency, which is 79 Hz for the MB Quart 280.Apparently, this system is intentionally a little underdamped,which gives a slight boost at 100 Hz and extends the -3 dBfrequency to about 60 Hz. For the same cabinet size, de-signing for higher sensitivity would have the indirect effect of

increasing damping and raising the cutoff frequency. Theupper range is reasonably smooth but is suppressed about3 dB above 1.5 kHz. (Could this be the tweak to American-ize the 280? I think the subject is a little more complicated,and I will go into it further when we look at the directivityplots.) The titanium tweeter shows no sign of giving up bythe end of the plot at 20 kHz.

Phase response (Fig. 4) is just what one would expect of aclassically designed two-way loudspeaker with a second-

order crossover. Phase lead is expected at very low fre-quencies, where the response is rising. Phase passesthrough - 180° in the midrange, due to the crossover, andlags a further 180° due to the eventual tweeter roll -off. Eachspeaker in this pair matches the other quite closely.

108 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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100

Though placement and aimingwere noncritical, bass andspaciousness where best withthe 280s out from the wallsand off the floor.

10

10

0.10

100

MAXIMUM POWER: 40 WATTS

3rd, 208%

10

POWER-WATTS

2nd,9.5%

f+//%T

Ytlli i1

0.

50

Fig. 8-Harmonicdistortion products forthe tone E1 (41.2 Hz).

lo

1.0

o.j

5th, 1.63%

4th, 0.66%

7/17A

150

FREQUENCY -Hz

MAXIMUM POWER: 100 WATTS

I0POWER-WATTS

2nd, 1.5%

Ihtilli

Ili '

--j'ill'14V ;III 1

1110' '

Tiqili:

iiiiiili litiN

IIff

5th, 0.24%

li1

ii;k:i)! -,, ,q,,,v

rr'

0

-12U1

-24

- 36 -JL.0

-48 17

tA.- 1

-60 IX

\-72200 250

0.1

3 rd,I.45% -0

- -12 CD

-24 -I

-36w>

-48 1--Jw

-60 Cr

\-722.5k500

Fig. 10-Harmonicdistortion products forthe tone A4 (440 Hz).

lk 1.5k

FREQUENCY - Hz

2k

MAXIMUM POWER. 100 wArTS

10

0

0.1

100

10

POWER-WATTS

2nd, 6.6%

I",

1.0

01

3rd, 0.80%

4 th,0.22 % 51h,0.20%

150 250 350 450

FREQUENCY - Hz

Fig. 9-Harmonicdistortion products forthe tone A2 (1 1 0 Hz).

550

0

2 0

- 24

w-36 -J

-48 V-4-J

60 zr

72650

The on -axis and 30° off -axis 3 -meter room response (Fig.5) includes the important early reflections that might befound in any listening room if the speakers are positioned asI used them. The locations which worked best for me in thelistening test were 19 inches off the floor, 48 inches awayfrom the side wall, and 36 inches in from the wall behind thespeakers. The plots in Fig. 5 show reduced output at 300Hz, which is traceable to sound bouncing off the floor on itsway to the microphone. The longer path delays the signalsuch that 300 Hz suffers a partial cancellation. Above 300Hz, the average response is uniform and extended, even at30° off -axis.

Horizontal directivity versus frequency is shown in Fig. 6,a "3-D" plot. It is wide at low frequencies, as expected froma physically small loudspeaker. Directivity gradually nar-rows at high frequencies but never becomes overly direc-tional. Something unusual to note is that there is no evi-dence of the narrowing directivity from 1 to 3 kHz found inmost two-way speaker systems. I would consider this atechnical plus for the MB Quart 280, but I have heard manyfine systems that do exhibit midrange narrowing. Perhaps the280's on -axis response in this range must be suppressed-as we observed it to be in Fig. 3-in order to reduce totalinput to the room. I do not want to criticize this unit for being"too good"; rather, I am wondering how other speakers thatdo not measure as well on this can sound so good.

Vertical off -axis plots-taken from below, up the front, toabove the speaker-are shown in Fig. 7. The same widedirectivity is evident, and there is the expected interferencebetween the two drivers in the crossover range for angleswell off -axis.

Linearity of the MB Quart 280 was measured in threedifferent ways. First, the plots of Figs. 8, 9, and 10 show theharmonics generated for the musical tones El or 41.2 Hz, A2or 110 Hz, and A4 or 440 Hz in steps from 0.1 to 100 watts.Since the lowest fundamental is below the system's operat-ing range and thus down in level, the harmonics, which arein the speaker's range, appear to be very high. In the earlierlistening test, the 280 handled this input in a dignified, ifquiet, manner. The plots at higher test frequencies are morereasonable, with 440 Hz showing quite low distortion.

The second linearity test is to observe the effect of a lowtone (E1 or 41.2 Hz) On a high tone (A4 or 440 Hz). This is theintermodulation test plotted in Fig. 11. Distortion remainsbelow 3% until about 20 watts input. Above this power level,the lower test frequency begins to move the voice -coil out ofthe magnetic gap twice during each cycle. This produces acyclic modulation of the 440 -Hz tone being measured. A

110 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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At $579 per pair, you won'tget everything, but the 280will deliver low coloration,good range and dynamics,and a forward presence.

100 WATTS, 12.4% +30

co+24

1024

256 ,F-I t-

1-80 WATTS, 10.3% D < +18

o. 3 64

Z 0 1

9 +12id 'di

16 LT,

8 0 +600-4

70

0 100 lk 10k 301,1

6FREQUENCY- Hz

5

Fig. 12-Power linearity.2 4

3

2

001 10 10

POWER - WATTS

Fig. 11-IM distortion on440 Hz (A4) produced by41.2 Hz (E1) when mixedin 1 -to -1 proportion.Readings below 3 wattsare due to noise.

6d8

iLit A I I1.10 1 2 6 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

,"17 -

Fig. 13-One-meteron -axis energy vs.time response.

mS

00

distortion level of 10%, an objectionable amount, is reachedat 80 watts.

The third linearity test checks midrange and treble as wellas lower frequencies. Increasing power is applied until theacoustic output fails to track the input by 1 dB. Figure 12plots the power input for this mistracking. It can be seen thatit doesn't pay to use ultra -high powered amplifiers with thissmall loudspeaker.

Figure 13 shows the energy versus time response of the280. Ideally, the test pulse's energy should be reproducedat one instant in time. The tested unit's response is about asclose to this as you are likely to get from a speaker. Obvi-ously, diffraction, which would show up as a widening of thepulse, is not a problem.

Use and Listening TestsAs usual, listening tests were performed before the tech-

nical measurements were made. More listening after thetesting convinced me that the loose gasket found in one ofthe speakers had not had a noticeable effect on the sound. Ifound placement and aiming of the MB Quart 280s to berelatively noncritical. Spaciousness and smoothness of bassresponse were best, however, with the speakers well outfrom the walls and 19 inches off the floor. They could beplaced next to other small speakers without ill effects, whichled me to make lots of comparison tests in different rooms.

In these comparisons, the performance of the 280s wasconsistently good in all respects, while that of other speak-ers varied. Few could match the balanced, uncolored char-acter of the 280s. Of those that did, fewer still had asextended a frequency range. The MB Quarts rendered thesound of recordings with a close-up perspective more ac-curately than their competitors did, and made solo instru-ments and voices sound like they were forward and presentin the room. Some other models, comparable in size andprice, sacrificed this presence for an improved sense ofdepth and spaciousness.

Speakers are the weakest link in the sound -reproductionchain. Frequently, they are also the most visible and themost costly. In the price range of under $600 per pair, youcan't get everything from any speaker. You should concen-trate on those qualities that mean the most to you. For lowcoloration, good range and dynamics, and a forward pres-ence, the MB Quart 280 is a top contender. Visual appealand convenient size complete the package. This loud-speaker is likely to be the best choice for many audiophiles.

David L. Clark

112 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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Arrange your audition today by calling the phone number below:

Olevidnll For More Information Om%warrivi

Call 1-800-553-4355

In a class by itself 13410 SAYRE STREET SYLMAR, CA 91342Enter No. 14 on Reader Service Card

What To Look For InA High -Performance Car.

INTRODUCING A COMPLETE LINE

OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE AUDIO

COMPONENTS FROM PIONEER.

This isn't a story about horsepower,torque, or coefficient of drag.

It's an inside look at a new line of caraudio components from Pioneer so tech-nically advanced it gives new meaning tothe term "high-performance sound."

a 4 w .4= - Fm i06.7() _ tom rar-, zkr-1i i3 aiDcE,

Tuner/6-disc CD Changers

Superior audio performance startswith the cleanest possible source. LikePioneer's versatile new multi -play CDchanger system with detachable control-ler. It features 6 -disc magazine program-mability, compact 3 -beam laser pickup,2X oversampling digital filter, and theincomparable sound of a Quartz-PLLSupertuner TIP

Graphic Equalizers

We've designed our 9 -band graphicequalizers with efficient low -noise circuitryso they don't add extraneous colorationsto the signal. Controls are ergonomicallydesigned for fast precise operation.

Active Crossovers

Our new 2- and 3 -way crossovers withadjustable crossover points pro-vide optimum designflexibility. Selec-table phase

controls permit precise adjustment of sys-tem phase characteristics. These cross-overs are so remarkably clean, you canuse them in series without altering thesource signal.

Power Amplifiers

These high-powered bridgeable ampli-fiers are specially engineered with high-speed MOS-FET transistors for a truer,more musical sound. They feature PWMpower supplies to provide a steady sig-nal and internal fan cooling for reliableoperation.

Pioneer offers a complete range of com-ponent speakers, including super -tweeters,tweeters, midranges, woofers, andsubwoofers.

These high-fidelity speakersfeature patented laminatecone construction and doubledamper design to neutralizeresonances that interferewith accurate tonal quality.And efficient barium ferritemagnets take advan-tage of digital music'sfull dynamic range.

And to ensure thehighest standards ofquality and product reli-ability, we manufactureevery element that goesinto our speakersourselves.

Now the first name in caraudio is the last wordin high-performance.Pioneer.

C., I 9Uhll I 1

PioneerComponentSpeakers

PIONEERModels shown: DEX-M300/CDX-M100 Tuner/6-disc CD Changer, EQ-5000 Graphic Equalizer, CD -630 Active Crossover, TS -T87 31/2 Component Tweeter,TS -M120 5" Component Midrange, and TS -W30012" Component Subwooter, 01988 Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc., Long Beach CA

Enter No. 48 on Reader Service Card

EQUIPIV ENT PROFILE

MARANTZPM -94INTEGRATE!AMPLIFIER

Manufacturer's SpecificationsPower Output: 140 watts per chan-

nel, 8 ohms, 20 Hz to 20 kHz; 200watts per channel, 4 ohms, 20 Hz to20 kHz.

Rated TIM: 0.02% into 8 ohms,0.03% into 4 ohms.

Rated SMPTE IM: 0.006% into 8ohms, 0.005% into 4 ohms.

INF Dynamic Power: 180 watts into8 ohms, 300 watts into 4 ohms.

Damping Factor: 200.Slew Rate: Main input, 70 V/p.S.Frequency Response: Main input,

10 Hz to 200 kHz, ± 1 dB; MM pho-no input, RIAA ±0.2 dB; high-levelinputs, 10 Hz to 70 kHz.

Input Sensitivity: MM phono, 2.5mV; high MC, 350 iiV; low MC, 125p.V; high level, 150 mV.

Phono Overload: MM, 200 mV; highMC, 28 mV; low MC, 10 mV.

A -Weighted S/N: Main, 97 dB (re: 1watt); MM phono, 83 dB; MC phono,83 dB; high level, 98 dB.

Voltage Output Levels: Tape out(re: 7.75 mV, 1 kHz in at MM phono),465 mV; preamplifier out (re: 150mV, 1 kHz in at AUX). 1.5 V.

Power Requirements: 120 V a.c.,60 Hz, 490 watts.

Dimensions: 181/4 in. W x 53/4 in. Hx 161/8 in. D (46.5 cm x 14.6 cm x41 cm).

Weight: 51 lbs. (23 kg).Price: $2,900.Company Address: 20525 Nordhoff

St., Chatsworth, Cal. 91311.For literature, circle No. 91

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

One quick look at the Marantz PM -94 integrated amplifierand I am reminded of the kinds of components that firstpropelled Saul Marantz and his company to the pinnacle ofthe high -end audio realm in the 1950s and 1960s. The sheerelegance of the gold front panel (it's available in black, if

you insist), the solid look and feel, and, yes, the high price ofthis integrated amp all bring back memories of such Mar-antz classics as the Model 10 B tuner. Of course, SaulMarantz hasn't been involved with the company in manyyears, but with products such as this superb -sounding am-plifier, it's clear that present management is attempting torecapture the company's original image.

The PM -94 incorporates four separate power supplies.Each channel has a separate supply for the low-level volt-age -amplifying circuitry and another for the MOS-FET out-put stage. Separate windings on a toroidal power transform-er ensure adequate current capacity when driving low -impedance loads and also help to reduce hum and inter -channel crosstalk.

The PM -94 features circuitry which Marantz calls "QuarterA" operation. This term denotes that the amplifier operatesin pure Class A until power output reaches approximately aquarter of its rated value. The output stage changes toClass -AB operation only at high signal levels. This wouldexplain the heavy weight of the PM -94 (51 pounds) as wellas the extensive open grille work on its top surface. Class -Aoperation means high idling current, even in the absence ofsignal, which, in turn, means an amplifier that will run warmand therefore require adequate ventilation. Since averagepower levels in music are at least 10 dB (and often more)below short-term peaks, the PM -94 operates in Class Anearly all of the time.

Examination of the inside of this amplifier revealed the useof extremely high-grade components. The chassis is copperplated, and, according to Marantz, oxygen -free copper wir-ing is used for all critical signal -handling connections. Allconnectors are gold plated for positive, corrosion -free con-tact. Another reminder of earlier Marantz preamps andamps is the use of separate bass and treble controls foreach channel. And, as if to satisfy all factions, Marantzdesigned this amp so that CD and phono inputs can berouted directly to amplifying circuits, bypassing the tape -dubbing and tone -control circuitry. This feature should

please those who eschew tone controls altogether. For otherprogram sources, the tone -control circuitry can also beselectively defeated.

The phono sectior offers three separate input levels (MMand low- and high-'evel MC), and a high -quality transformeris employed for the moving -coil cartridge inputs. A separatepair of preamp output jacks permits you to connect a sec-ond amp for a biamplified system. The sample that I testedhad a rose -gold colored front panel and hand -rubbed rose-wood side panels. Should you prefer the satin -black front -panel 'inish, that version comes with oak side panels.

Control LayoutThe symmetrical layout of the PM -94's front panel in-

cludes four gold -colored rotary knobs at the left, for inde-pendent left- and right -channel bass and treble control, andfour matching knobs at the right. These four knobs handlemaster volume, selection of the phono input (MM and twoMC gain settings), selection of major signal inputs (CD,phono, tuner, AUX 1, or AUX 2), and tape -copying modes.

Below the four rotary knobs at the left end of the panel area "Power" on/off button, a stereo headphone jack, and twospeaker -selector pushbuttons. Below the four rotary con-trols at the right are subsonic filter on/off and stereo/monopushbuttons, a small rotary balance control, and a "CD/Phono Direct" button which, when pressed, minimizes thesignal path from input to main amplifier stages.

The center section of the panel is elegantly bare, exceptfor a vertical bank of tiny indicator lights that show whichprogram source has been selected, whether the "CD/PhonoDirect" button has been pressed, and whether the amp is inone of its several tape -monitor modes. Six additional non -protruding square pushbuttons, along the bottom of thepanel's center section, include four tape -monitor switches

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 117

Die reine Musik, Pure Music, La musica pura, La pure musique.If you are looking for loudspeakers with the sound, the fit, the fin-ish of German precision technology Canton is your clear choice.

For fifteen years Canton has been dedicated to the notion that thebest sound color is no sound color. So whether it's Brahms or BerryMiles or Mozart, you can count on Canton to provide the music, thewhole music and nothing but the music.

To achieve this our German craftspeople build every componentthat goes into a Canton loudspeaker. Our engineers investigateevery possible technological improvement, but don't innovatemerely for innovation's sake. Our designers and cabinet-makersassure that Canton loudspeakers have a look of unparalleledsophistication and timelessness.

Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Canada Denmark Dominican RepubVc Finland France Great Britain Greece Hong Kong Italy Japan

Time and again critics have agreed: "The absolute hit of theentire test... is the small Canton GL 260. Everyone who hearsit... shakes his head with astonishment.. "(The CA 30) wasthe sure winner in the newly introduced premium class... (It)stands in the reference class as no super -speaker before"With its Pullman Set 400... Canton has scored a smash hit:'

For a brochure on Canton home and automotive loudspeakers, pleasecontact: Canton North America, Inc., 915 Washington Avenue South,Minneapolis MN 55415-1245, telephone (612) 333-1150.

See our dealer list on page 172

Netherlands Norway Saudi Arabia Singapore Spain Sweden Switzerland Tahiti Thailand Turkey U.S.A. West GermanyEnter No. 21 on Reader Service Card

GINTON

The look, feel, and highprice of the PM -94 remindme of the componentsthat first built Marantz'shigh -end reputation.

100

Fig. 1-Frequencyresponse, without andwith subsonic filteractivated.Spectrum Analysis of Residual Noise (dB-68.09

-79.00

-09.09

-90.00

-100.8

-119.0.

-129.9

-130.0

-140.029100

Fig. 2-Spectrum analysisof residual noise,re: 1 watt output.

versus Frequency (Hz): Marant. PM -94

lk

60.0

-70.0

-99.0

-199

-119

-129

139

104 20k "a

rob +5Noxse (v.) versus Frequency (Hs/ at rated power output; Marantx PM -94...... ; ... ...

. ,

... .... , ,,., . : .....

: . , , :

...........

9.001

.0005'2.

Fig. 3-THD + N vs.frequency for 8 -ohm load(solid curve) and 4 -ohmload (dashed curve), atrated outputs (140 wattsper channel for 8 ohms,200 watts per channel for4 ohms).

(for one of two tape decks or DAT recorders, the audio loopof a Hi-Fi VCR, and to select "Source"). The remaining twoswitches are "Tone Defeat" and "Muting."

The rear panel has four pairs of color -coded speakerterminals of the type that securely lock the stripped ends ofspeaker cables in place. There are three a.c. receptaclesfor the power cords of associated components (twoswitched, one unswitched), the usual array of gold-platedphono and high-level inputs, the preamp out and main ampin jacks, three sets of tape -monitor in and out jacks, and achassis ground terminal for use with turntables. A fuse -holder completes the rear panel.

As mentioned earlier, large open grille areas atop thecabinet allow for dissipation of the increased heat associat-ed with Class -A operation, and the owner's manual warnsnot to obstruct these openings or those beneath the cabinet.You can expect the grilles to get quite warm when the ampis operating, regardless of volume -control setting or whethera signal is even being applied to one of the inputs.

MeasurementsFigure 1 is a plot of the response of the PM -94, with

signals applied to the CD (high-level) inputs, over the rangefrom 10 Hz to 50 kHz. The upper curve, which was madewithout the subsonic filter activated, shows response down0.5 dB at 10 Hz and 20 kHz and down 2 dB at 50 kHz. Thesecond curve, exhibiting low -frequency roll -off, was madewith the subsonic filter activated. The -3 dB point for thisfilter occurred at 16 Hz, and the slope of this filter is a gentle6 dB/octave.

Marantz uses a bit of "specsmanship" in specifying thePM -94's signal-to-noise ratios. For example, they quote theA -weighted S/N via the "main" input with reference to 1 watt(as called for in the EIA Amplifier Measurement Standard)and come up with an impressive result of 97 dB. I confirmedthis figure on the sample I tested. However, for the S/N specof the high-level inputs, Marantz references rated output;they don't say so, but it's fairly obvious from the claim of 98dB. It should also be obvious to anyone acquainted withamplifiers that the S/N ratio via the high-level inputs (with allthe extra stages and loops the signal will go through) cannotpossibly be better than the S/N of the main amplifier section,which comes several stages after the high-level inputs! I

preferred to stick with the EIA Standard method, applying0.5 V to the high-level inputs and adjusting the mastervolume control for 1 watt output. Under such circumstances,S/N measured 86.5 dB for the left channel and 85 dB for theright. These are certainly very good results by anyone'sstandards.

The S/N ratio for the MM phono input was 84 dB referredto 1 watt output and with a 5 -mV input applied-also asuperb result. For the MC phono input, the reference is still 1

watt output but the input is reduced to 500 µV (0.5 mV).Under these circumstances, S/N was 69 dB for high MC and61 dB for low MC. Figure 2 is a spectrum -analysis sweep ofresidual noise produced by this amplifier with the selectorswitch set to one of the high-level inputs. The reference levelis 1 watt, and it is clear that major noise contributions, as lowas they are, derive from the power -supply frequency and itsharmonics (60, 120, 240 Hz, etc.).

120 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

WHEN YOU .NEEDGE.11 IT OLT .°40

OF YOUR SYSTEM.

Every now and then you've gotto put some distance between youand the rest of the world. Andnothing helps you do that like yourmusic and components fromSherwood.

Sherwood audio componentscombine the right balance of leg-endary engineering with advancedelectronics for superior musicreproduction.

And if the Sherwood name isn'tenough of a guarantee, there's ourCERTIFIED PERFORMANCE.

You'll see it right on the carton. Not

a recap of the specs, but the actualmeasurements of the unit inside.

No one else takes that extrastep. So look for Sherwood compo-nents and create a system that'sgood for your system.

0 SlierNNoodBECAUSE YOUR MUSIC COMES FIRST

13845 Artesia Blvd. Cerritos, CA 90701©1988 Inkel Corporation

Enter No. 51 on Reader Service Card

The "direct" input modedidn't sound much differenton phono, but it firmed upthe imaging on CDs.

Distortion t Noise (2) versus Power Output/Channel (14); Marantz PM -94

0.1

0.910.-

0.9416.2

AB

Distortion t Noise (2.)

5

0.1

0.010

0.0010.2

versus Power Output/Channel (14); Marantz PM -94

Fig. 4-THD + N vs.power output at 1 kHz, for8 -ohm load (A) and 4 -ohmload (B).

10

lee

/

00 500

,

.... : 4

i I

.......

.. ... ...........

it* 209

, .

.... . . : .. ......... ...... ........

1

I . I............ .

AB

SMPTE-IM Distortion (2) vs. Power Output (M); Marantz PM -94

---- i - -

. .............

10

SMPTE-1M Distortion (2) vs. Power Output (4); Marantz PM -94

44.010:

Fig. 5-SMPTE-IMdistortion vs. poweroutput, for 8 -ohm load(A) and 4 -ohm load (B).

1

The input designations assigned by Marantz are "MC(High)" for MC cartridges with relatively high output and"MC (Low)" for those that deliver lower output voltages.Since the higher level input has the lower gain, and viceversa, perhaps Marantz should have used labels such as"MC (High Level)" to prevent confusion with high -gain in-puts. It took about 30 µV to produce 1 watt of output via thehigh MC input and about 11 µV to produce 1 watt via thelow MC input. MM phono sensitivity was 0.22 mV for 1 wattoutput. Phono overload was much better than claimed byMarantz, measuring 230 mV for the MM input, 173 mV forthe high MC input, and 83 mV for the low MC input. High-level input sensitivity was 13 mV for 1 watt output.

At rated output (140 watts per channel into 8 ohms), mid -frequency THD + N was only 0.0026%. Even at 20 kHz,distortion measured only 0.012%. Figure 3 shows how THD+ N varied with frequency, for a constant 140 watts output

per channel into 8 ohms, both channels driven, and for the4 -ohm load condition, with output maintained at a constant200 watts per channel. At 1 kHz, THD + N for 4 -ohm loadswas 0.0032%; at 20 kHz, it rose slightly to 0.016%.

Figure 4A shows how THD + N varies for a 1 -kHz testsignal as power output is increased from about 0.2 watt tobeyond rated power, using an 8 -ohm load. Rated THD of0.02% was reached when the amplifier delivered 149 wattsper channel, with both channels driven. For Fig. 4B, I alteredthe load to 4 ohms, and the amplifier delivered 240 wattsper channel before reaching its rated THD of 0.03%. (Thehigh THD + N readings at low power levels are principallydue to noise rather than distortion.)

Plots of SMPTE-IM distortion and CCIF-IM (twin -tone) dis-tortion are shown for 8- and 4 -ohm loads in Figs. 5A and 5Band Figs. 6A and 6B, respectively. In all cases, poweroutput exceeded published ratings by fairly wide margins

122 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

i1116....-..___

This could be the most impor-tant hour of your day. So don'tleave anything to chance. Makesure you have the right company,the right music and componentsfrom Sherwood.

Because Sherwoock audio com-

ponents combine the right balanceof state-of-the-art electronics andlegendary design for superior music

reproduction.

They even feature theater -like

Dolby Surround Sound for atrue-to-life musical experience. And

our components are compatible with

our exclusive DIGI-LINK" wirelessremote, which allows you to com-mand your entire Sherwood systemfrom a single remote control.

But all you need to know isSherwood lets you hear your music

the way you want to near it. Sowhen it's time to unwind, treatyourself to a Sherwood.

13845 Artesia Blvd. Cerritos, CA 90701©1988 Inkel Corporation

Dolby is trademark of Dolby LaboratoriesLicensing Corporation.

Enter No. 51 on Reader Service Card

Marantz's PM -94 handledthe sound effects on Telarc'snew CD sampler with as muchaplomb as it did the variedmusical selections.

COIF IM Distortion (.4) versus Power 4144: Marantz F11-9420.000

15.000

10.000

5.0000

0.0

5 000

-10.00

-15.00

20.002.

Tone Central Barge (dB)

100

vs. Frequency (Mc)) Meant. 144-94

1k 100 20k

AB

CCIF IN Distortion (.4.) versus Power (W); Marantz PM -94

Fig. 7-Bass and trebletone -control range.

RIAA Evvalliation Deviatton (AB) vs. Frequency 411z/: Marantz PM -945 5.0000

4.0000,

3.0000

2.0000,

8.1

1.0000

0.0

0.010,-1.000

-2.000

0.001-3.000

-4.000

0001,10 100 500 tee 10 10k 20k

Fig. 6-CCIF-IM distortionvs. power output. for8 -ohm load (A) and4 -ohm load (B).

Fig. 8-Deviation fromRIAA equalization.

before a steep rise in distortion, caused by clipping, wasnoted.

Marantz elected to publish a now-obsolete-and, accord-ing to FTC rules, proscribed-power rating called IHF dy-namic power. Marantz claims 300 watts per channel at 4ohms and 180 watts per channel at 8 ohms. What theyshould have published-and what is a proper specification,even by FTC standards-is IHF (or EIA) dynamic headroom,in dB. The idea here is that the FTC doesn't want potentialbuyers to be confused by multiple power ratings. ("Is this a200-watt/channel amp or a 300-watt/channel amp?") I mea-sured dynamic headroom of the PM -94 using a specialtone -burst signal consisting of 20 alternations of a high -amplitude 1 -kHz signal, followed by 480 alternations of thesame signal reduced in amplitude by 20 dB. I came up witha figure of 1.1 dB for the 8 -ohm load and 1.7 dB for the 4 -ohm load. If I were to translate these dB values to equivalent

power levels, I would obtain almost exactly the 180- and300 -watt figures published by Marantz.

Using the multiple sweep modes of my Audio PrecisionSystem One test equipment, I superimposed a series of fivefrequency response sweeps in Fig. 7, to show the maximumcut and boost range of the PM -94's bass and treble con-trols. In the boost positions, note that both the bass andtreble circuits have a shelving characteristic to prevent thecircuits from continuing to deliver ever higher levels withdecreasing (or increasing) frequencies.

Figure 8 is a plot of the deviation from precise RIAAequalization exhibited by the phono preamplifier/equalizercircuitry of the amplifier. This response curve was obtainedby inserting the inverse RIAA curve in the signal path fromthe Audio Precision's generator section and then performinga frequency sweep from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. I then measuredthe amplitude at the output of the PM -94, with tone controls

124 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

"Is the tide coming in or going out?",'

"1 don't know. The last thing I remember is you turning up the stem). -

That's the way it happens. The clean, clear sound of Pyle Driver"car stereo speakers surround you and transform an everyday drive

into a captivating experience.

The new Pyle Driver Pounder' systems make superior sound areality in virtually any type vehicle. Innovative features like heavy

duty woofers, volume -weighted passive radiators, high fidelitydome tweeters, and low -leakage 12 dB crossovers are computer

matched and hand built into custom tuned enclosures.

That same dedication to quality is built into Pyle's new DigitalDemand amplifiers. Powerful yet distortion free, Pyle Digital

Demand amplifiers provide the purest sound possible.

Surround yourself with Pyle Driver* car stereo speakersand electronic components.

For the name of the Pyle dealer nearest you writePyle lndustnes, Inc. Huntington, IN 46750

A Harman International Company

The clarity of the PM -94'ssound, especially on quietpassages, seemed to confirmsome of the advantagesof Class -A operation.

bypassed. Deviation from perfect RIAA equalization wasless than 0.2 dB at 20 kHz and only -0.1 dB at 30 Hz (thelower limit of the "official" RIAA curve).

Use and Listening Testslye had the Marantz PM -94 mounted in my system for the

better part of a week now, and during all that time, whileplaying everything from some of my older LPs to my latestCD and DAT acquisitions, the amplifier has been able todrive my reference Infinity RS 9 Kappa speakers with nodifficulty. I can report that the "CD/Phono Direct" switch isno mere gimmick. Although I detected little or no differencebetween the direct mode and the regular mode (with tonecontrols defeated) when playing LPs and cassettes via theCD input, there seemed to be a definite firming up of theimage when I listened to some of my more recently acquiredCDs. Vocals were more solidly positioned between myspeakers, and it seemed somewhat easier to pinpoint andconcentrate on individual musical instruments of orchestralselections.

If you want to put an amplifier such as this through itspaces, I recommend playing straight through Telarc's newCD sampler, Sampler Five Plus (CD -80005). It's got every-thing on it from Vivaldi to Liza Minnelli. In addition to 65 or sominutes of music of every genre and of widely differingdynamic ranges, the "Plus" in the title refers to a few

minutes of sound effects such as pistol and rifle shots,cannons, and aerial explosions-all taken from sound -ef-fects tracks of earlier Telarc LPs and CDs. The Marantz PM -94 handled the sound effects with as much aplomb as it didthe musical selections, though I was careful to start myeffects listening at low level settings-as cautioned by Tel -

arc in the notes accompanying the sampler.The clarity of sound reproduced by the PM -94, particular-

ly during quieter passages, seemed to confirm at leastsome of the advantages of Class -A operation. I must con-fess, too, that when sudden loud passages were repro-duced, I was not conscious of any sort of artifacts causedby the amplifier's switching between Class A and Class AB.Whether this is because such switching transients would bemasked by the levels involved or because Marantz hasfigured out a way to have the switching occur in a totallyseamless manner is academic, so long as the systemdoesn't intrude on musical integrity and enjoyment.

I am told that vintage Marantz products built in the earlyyears of the company's history, if in working condition, canbring a high price here and a very high one abroad. If that'sthe case, then the rather high price of this Marantz "limited -

production" amplifier may well be thought of as an invest-ment for the future. Meanwhile, as you wait for its value toappreciate, you can enjoy the PM -94 as a central compo-nent in your present-day audio system. Leonard Feldman

Al ffSTAR

AUDIOSOUND

SYSTEMSSA -1

Floor Standing LoudspeakerSystem

(Dim: 37-3/4"H x 10"W x 10"D)

for further informationcall or write

47-07 30th PlaceL.I. City, NY 11101

(718) 482 -STAREnter No. 53 on Reader Service Card

For those whorefuse to speculate

about specs.COMPONENTGUARD`

1-212-420-9820 1-800-421-9820

GUARD CARD'Membership N ember Service Term

G -1088KJEANETTE CLAIR

12/9/8809/9/92

For the dedicated enthusiast, there's only one criteria inchoosing equipment: PERFORMANCE. Price, brand name, convenience features are

al secondary considerations.

To this select group, we proudly offer theComponentGuard Gold GuardCard.

It represents the most innovative and comprehensive service plan in the industry.A ComponentGuard Gold Program not only extends the original warranty,

but guarantees the key performance specifications as well.If your ear, eye or even intuition suggests something's not right, you can have it

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The ComponentGuard Gold Program is not available on everyaudio and video product, just those of superior quality and reliability. Which can

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COMPONENTGUARCIComponentGuard coverage is sold at fine audio, video and electronics stores

everywhere. Or, call 1-800-421-9820:Enter No, 25 on Reader Service Card

EQUIPMENT PROFILE

AKAI AT -93TUNERManufacturer's Specifications

Usable Sensitivity: Mono, 11.2dBf.

50 -dB Quieting Sensitivity: Mono,17.2 dBf; stereo, 38.2 dBf.

S/N: Mono, 90 dB; stereo, 80 dB.THD (at 1 kHz): Mono, 0.02% in

wide mode and 0.08% in narrowmode; stereo, 0.07% in wide modeand 0.3% in narrow mode.

Alternate -Channel Selectivity:Wide, 60 dB: narrow, 90 dB.

Capture Ratio: Wide, 1.3 dB.Frequency Response: 30 Hz to 15

kHz. 0.5 dB,AM Suppression: 65 dB.M. Rejection: 100 dB.Image Rejection: 90 dB.Spurious -Response Rejection:

100 dB,Subcarrier Rejection: 70 dB.Output Level: 770 mV at 100% mod-

ulation.Separation (at 1 kHz): Wide, 62

dB; narrow, 55 dB; blend 1, 20 dB:blend 2, 10 dB.

AM SectieSensitivity (Loop Antenna): 300

Selectivity: 50 dB.Image Rejection: 40 dB.1.f. Rejection: 60 dB.S/N: 45 dB.THD: 0.6%.Output Level: 250 mV, at 30% mod-

ulation.High -Cut Filter: -6 dB at 10 kHz.

;

Power Requirements: 120 V, 60Hz.

Dimensions: 181/2 in. W x 37/16 in. Hx 131/2 in. D (46.1 cm x 8.7 cm x34.4 cm).

Weight: 13.9 lbs. (6.3 kg).Price: $599.Company Address: Akai Div. of Mit-

subishi, 225 Old New BrunswickRd., Suite 101, Piscataway, N.J.08854.

For literature, circle No. 92

128 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

As I began to examine the features of the attractivelystyled AT -93 AM/FM tuner from Akai, my first reaction wasone of moderate resentment. I resent equipment that tries tothink for me instead of letting me do things myself. The AkaiAT -93 is one of those tuners that decides which of its twoantenna inputs provides the best signal, whether it should bein wide or narrow i.f. mode, whether to employ one of its twolevels of stereo blend circuitry to reduce noise for weak -signal stereo, and whether to activate its high -cut filter tofurther reduce noise or other interference. Upon closer ex-amination, and a brief reading of the owner's manual, myresentment quickly turned to admiration. Akai had the goodsense to allow a user to defeat those decisions by simplytouching any one of several manual -override buttons. Here,at last, was a tuner that offered the best of both worlds:Optimum automatic operating modes for those who simplywant to sit back and listen to the best FM reception avail-able, even during rapid DX-ing, and manual selection of allmodes for inveterate experimenters and button -pushers.

The Akai tuner has a pair of antenna inputs, each of whichcan be connected to a separate antenna. For example, youcould have two outdoor antennas facing in different direc-tions. The AT -93 employs a comparator circuit that samplesthe incoming signals and routes the stronger signal to thetuner circuitry when the station is first tuned in.

As mentioned, the microprocessor -equipped AT -93judges signal quality to determine the best setting for i.f.bandwidth, stereo blend (two levels plus mono), and high -frequency cut. These settings (or your own overriding ones)can be stored in any one of the tuner's 20 memory presets.There's an unusual feature associated with these, presets:The Akai has a sequential station -call function for automaticselection of up to three different stations. The desired sta-tions are memorized and then recalled when the tuner isturned on via a timer. This function is extremely useful forabsentee recording. If you set the external timer to switch onand off as many as three times, the unit will be tuned topreset 20 the first time, preset 19 the second, and preset 18the third. In addition to the sequential station -call tuning justdescribed, there are several other ways to tune the AT -93:You can manually select presets, auto -scan through thepresets, auto -scan to the next station up or down, or tune upor down in 0.1 -MHz increments.

As for the AT -93's circuitry, it employs a dual -gate MOS-FET in the r.f. stage and a phase -locked -loop, quartz -syn-thesized tuning system. Separate power -supply circuits areused for the digital and audio sections.

Control LayoutAt the left end of the slim, black front panel is the power

on/off button. Operating -mode buttons for antenna selec-tion, i.f. bandwidth, blend selection, and high -cut filteringcome next. An "FM Auto" button selects automatic or man-ual FM -reception mode, while touching any of the other fouroperating buttons restores manual control of the previouslyautomated function. The display area at the upper right ofthe panel shows tuning information as well as the variousmodes currently in effect. Pressing a "Preset Scan" buttonat the far right initiates scanning; pressing the same buttona second time locks in the chosen station. Additional but-

Am,litude (AB) versus Frequency Akai 8T-93 AM/FM Tuner10.000 10.08

8.0008 8.000

6.8080 6.000

4.0000 4.000

2.8000 2.000

8.00.0

-2.000 -2.00

-4.80

-6.000

-10.0020 180 lk 18* 20k 10'9

Fig. 1-FM frequencyresponse. Response ofthe two channels issubstantially the same.

Signal-to-Nols Tio0.0

S14na1 Level (dBf); Akai AT -938.0

90'0.0 10.00 20.00 30.00 48.08 38.08 68.88 70.80 80.00.90.0

Fig. 2-Mono and stereoquieting characteristicsfor wide i.f. mode. Resultsfor the narrow mode werevirtually identical.

tons along the lower left edge of the panel select muting,band, and the scanning mode. Next come the up and downmanual tuning switches and 10 preset buttons. No "shift"key is needed to make these handle the 20 preset stationfrequencies; pushing any button twice switches it from thefirst decade (1 to 10) to the second (11 to 20). Above thepreset buttons, appropriate green or red LEDs illuminate toshow which decade has been chosen. A "Memory" buttonat the lower right corner completes the front -panel layout.

The rear panel is equipped with two 75 -ohm coaxialantenna connectors, spring -loaded terminals for hooking up

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 129

After four years atHewlett Packard,we w

In 1983, Dr. Godehard Guenther,President of a/d/s/, issued aninjunction to our engineers anddesigners. "Guys': he said,"somebody's got to come upwith a new loudspeaker standard.Let's make sure it's us!'

Understand: he wasn't suggest-ing our existing loudspeakersweren't good. Rather, he waschallenging us to address theshortcomings present even in thevery best speakers, ours included.Shortcomings made all the moreapparent by the sonic demandsof the compact disc.

What we sought to build werespeakers that didn't sound likea set of drivers stuffed in a box.Our goal was to create speakerscharacterized by a stable soundstage, pinpoint imaging andsound that seemed to emanatefrom free space.

It was a tall order. But the technol-ogy that has resulted-UnisonTM

. of one voice-is the kind otherspeaker makers will be emulatingfor years to come.

At a/d/s/, we make ourown drivers. Our highdefinition woofers featurenew cones, magnets,baskets and voice coil assem-blies-painstakingly crafted toeliminate coloration.

We finally had the toolsto be as critical as we wereinclined to be.

Our first task was to take a long,hard look at the limitations inher-ent in loudspeaker drivers. Thatrequired a powerful "microscope!'And, fortunately, we had one-a high -resolution, super -fastcomputer from Hewlett-Packard,supported by a sophisticatedmathematical program of ourown devise.

Housed in a specially designeda/d/s/ acoustics laboratory, thecomputer gave us the ability togenerate and analyze driver per-formance data with an accuracy,thoroughness and detail neverattainable before.

High technologyenclosure materialsenable us to make thenew CM7 (left) and CM5extremely compactwithout sacrificinginterior volume. Howcompact? Consider thatthe CM5 measures amere 93/4" x 53/4" x 67/8".

Unison Is a trademark of Analogand Digital Systems, Inc

In this veritable mountain of in-formation, acoustic truths resided.

The CM7's 4th -order, 24dB/octave crossovernetwork. Complex, sophisticated and expen-sive to manufacture, it's a major reasonwhy the speaker produces such a stable image.

If the drivers aren't flawless,no amount of camouflagingwill hide the flaws.One fact was obvious: the tradi-tional materials used to constructwoofers, tweeters and midranges-polypropylene, metal, cellulosecompounds-were simplyinadequate. So we set about todiscover new ones ideally suitedat the molecular level to the jobsthey're required to do.

For the domes of our tweeters,we selected a proprietary co-polymer that's exceedingly rigid,yet has superb internal dampingand freedom from ringing. Forthe voice coil formers in ourmidranges, we adopted stainless

the keyboard of aere ready for a Steinway.

steel. Strong and non-magnetic,it enabled us to produce a motorquick enough to resolve the finestdetail, even at the highest volumelevel. And so our research went,until our drivers were as perfectas the laws of physics allow.

The crossover network.You don't see it. You shouldn'thear it, either.

When most speaker makersdesign crossover networks, theirprimary concern is the interactionof the drivers. We were moreambitious. We sought crossoversthat optimize the relationshipbetween the drivers and their

enclosure, even with the room inwhich the system is played.

And we had an advantage: theexcellence of our drivers allowedus to use ideal crossover points.Using these points, all the funda-mental tones of the human voicecan be reproduced by a singledriver. With the computer, weevaluated countless prototypes ofcrossovers. A 4th -order networkof the Linkwitz-Riley type provedthe most appropriate. This typealone yields the response that sat-isfied our requirements for neu-trality and realistic imaging. On afrequency response plot, the cross-over points aren't even detectable.

The M12 is the instrument on the rig nt.

How good it ultimatelysounds depends on the boxyou put it in.

That's why we employed apolymer material filled with an

With its stainless steel coil former andcopolymer cone, the Unison midrangedoes something a cone midrange has neverdone before: span the fundamental rangeof the human voice-from 200 to 2,000 Hz.

Our tweeters' domes are made of yetanother proprietary copolymer, givingthem the unique ability to provide smooth,detailed, high frequency response at eventhe highest levels.

extremely high mass compound toproduce the rigid, aurally "invisible"enclosures of our Compact MonitorSeries. You'll be amazed by theweight of these little beauties-they're heavy. You'll be floored bythe sound.

To our ears, our new speakers-the M Series and compact CMSeries-offer convincing proof thatUnison technology does indeeddefine a new era in speaker per-formance.

a/d/s/

The AT -93's automaticallyoptimized operation allowsyou to just sit back andlisten or to do all thebutton -pushing you want.

Distortion Noise (2) versus Frequency ((Iz);5

B.BIB

A

B

100

Altai AT -93

-,. '-, .......... ,....,..." * ,..,,..

..00

. . . . .

Distortion Noise (V) versus Frequency (11.);5

Fig. 3-THD + N vs.frequency for wide (A)and narrow (B) i.f. modes.

All, AT -93

/

0.1

0.01010k 206

Distortion Noise (A) versus Slynal Level (AU) Altai AT -91 AN/FM Tuner

0.1

0.0100.0

A

B

10:00 20.00 30.00

0.1

40.00 50.00 60.00 70.00 011:01"10

Distortion t Noise (A) versus Signal Level (4111); Alai AT -93 AM/FMTuner

N. 9" 0 10. 20.00 30.00 90.00 50.00 60.00 70.00 80.0P"

Fig. 4-THD + N vs.signal strength for wide(A) and narrow (B) i.f.modes.

the separately supplied AM loop antenna, and a pair ofaudio output jacks. The 75 -ohm coaxial receptacles are notquite the standard F -type used in the U.S. for video andother r.f. applications, but fortunately Akai provides thenecessary adaptor so you can connect a standard coaxialtransmission line.

MeasurementsFigure 1 shows the overall FM frequency response of both

channels; the two channels were so closely matched that nodifference is visible between them. Response was close toruler -flat from 20 Hz to 13 kHz and was down a mere 0.2 dBat 15 kHz. Usable sensitivity in mono measured just over 12dBf. The stereo indicator light goes off at about 20 dBf, butstereo reception continues down to about 6 dBf, as shownin Fig. 2, though with diminished separation. Of greatersignificance was the tuner's excellent quieting characteris-tics: 50 -dB quieting in mono was reached with a signal levelof only 16.5 dBf, while for stereo, the signal level required for

50 dB of S/N was 35 dBf. Both figures are better than thoseclaimed by Akai. A full plot of mono and stereo noisecharacteristics, as a function of signal strength, is shown inFig. 2. Because results were substantially the same whetherI used the narrow or wide i.f. mode, only one set of curves isshown. With strong signals, mono S/N reached 83 dB. At 65dBf, stereo S/N was 77 dB, but with an even stronger signalof 80 dBf, stereo S/N surpassed the 80 -dB mark.

Figures 3A and 3B show how THD + N varied withfrequency for the wide and narrow i.f. modes. The IHF/EIAStandard for tuner measurement requires that THD bequoted for three frequencies: 100 Hz, 1 kHz, and 6 kHz.Whenever I make these tests, I use a recommended band-pass filter with -3 dB cutoff points at 200 Hz and 15 kHz.This filter explains the apparent "dip" in THD at the extremelow end of the audio spectrum and the seeming reversal ofthe curve direction between about 7 and 10 kHz. In anyevent, at 1 kHz, actual mono THD + N in wide i.f. mode wasabout the lowest I have ever recorded for any FM tuner:

132 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

When your horizonsexpand, so shouldyour speaker

m.

SIGNATURE SERIES

NEW PROTECTIVEGRILL GUARD

HIGHER EFFICIENCY

APOGEE DIVAVOTED BEST SOUND"

at the New YorkStereophile High EndHi-Fi Show.

APOGEE DUETTA SIGNATUREVOTED "BEST SOUND"

at the 1988 Santa MonicaStereophile High EndHi-Fi Show.

OGEE COUSTIC,S, INC.35 York Industrial Pork Randolph, Massachusetts 02368 USA

(617) 963-0124 Fax 617-963-8567Enter No 8 on Reader Service Card

In its narrow i.f. mode, theAT -93 has lower distortionthan several highly regardedtuners do in wide mode.

Separation (dB) vs. Frequency (Hz);( =Modulated Ch.,--clinnod.Ch.) 07-9310.060,

0.0

-10.00

-20.00'

-30.00

-40.00

-59.90

-60.0029 100

Fig. 5A -Frequencyresponse (top curves) andseparation (bottomcurves), with and withoutblend, for wide i.f. mode

10.00

-10.9

-50.9

1k 106 (06-69'2

at 65-dBf signal level.Response curves are (topto bottom) without blend,with blend 1, and withblend 2.

Separation (dB) us. Frequency (H.);( -Modulated Ch.,--,Unmod.Ch.); AT -9310.000

0.0 i

10.00,

-20.00!

-30.00'

-40.00,

-59.00!

i BLEW, ,1

W,THU T BLEW:, NARROW ;

-68.0028 100

Fig. 5B -Same as Fig. 5Abut using narrowi.f. mode.

lk...

Separation (dB) us. Frequency (Wz);( ,Modulated Ch.,--,Unmod.Ch.

0.0

10.0O!

-20.00!

-40.00

-59.9e'

-60.0020 100

Fig. 5C -Frequencyresponse (top curves) andseparation (bottomcurves), without blend, forfour low signal levels inwide i.f. mode.

I i

1! ....3beElf

5.161;

46 CIBf

19.00

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

-50.0

lOk 20k 69!g

AT -9310.00

0

20.0

-30.0

-40.0

-50.0

10k 20k-""

0.025%! In stereo, at 1 kHz, distortion plus noise measured0.095% in wide mode. The results were almost as impres-sive at 100 Hz, and at 6 kHz, mono THD + N was only0.052%; in stereo, it increased to 0.12%. Of course, when Iswitched to the narrow i.f. mode (Fig. 3B), distortion figuresincreased, but even then, mono THD + N measured only0.088% at 1 kHz; in stereo, the reading was 0.13%. I know ofseveral highly regarded tuners which don't do this well evenin their widest i.f. bandwidth setting.

Figures 4A and 4B show how THD + N varied as afunction of signal strength in mono and stereo. Note that inthe wide i.f. mode (Fig. 4A), it took only 26 dBf of signalinput to bring distortion down below the 0.1% mark. Evenwhen switching to the narrow mode (Fig. 4B), mono THD +N remained below 0.1% for all signal levels above 28 dBf. Inchoosing selectivity levels for the i.f. modes, it is clear thatAkai did not go overboard in their choice of parameters forthe narrow bandwidth. All too many tuner designers, giventhis multi -bandwidth option, choose to make the narrowsetting so narrow that, although its use reduces alternate -and even adjacent -channel interference, distortion oftenrises to unacceptable levels, negating the advantage of thissetting.

In experimenting with the stereo circuitry, I discoveredthat in addition to the two available blend settings selectableby the user, weak stereo signals will also result in reducedseparation, very much as car FM tuners operate in a semi -stereo mode under weak -signal conditions. The purpose, ofcourse, is to retain some stereo effect while partially reduc-ing the unacceptable background noise levels that other-wise would exist. Consequently, I decided to plot three setsof curves to show the AT -93's separation characteristics.The first set, Fig. 5A, was plotted with the tuner in wide i.f.mode. The bottom curve is the normal separation achievedwhen no blend setting is used. Separation over most of theaudio range was around 47 dB, decreasing to 41 dB at 10kHz. When blend 1 was selected, separation decreased toabout 22 dB; in blend 2 mode, separation decreased stillfurther, to about 13 dB over the entire audio range.

There was a slight difference in output level from themodulated channel as I switched from normal to the twoblend positions, which explains the three closely spacedresponse curves at the top of Fig. 5A. The top solid curve isthe referenced output for the normal stereo setting, while thetwo lower solid curves were obtained for blend 1 and blend2, respectively.

Figure 5B is the same as Fig. 5A, except the plots weremade with the tuner set to the narrow i.f. position. Note thatin this mode, separation for normal stereo reception (bottomcurve) was very nearly as good as that obtained in the widesetting: About 44 dB at 1 kHz, as opposed to 47 dB in Fig.5A. Again, this attests to the intelligent choice of bandwidthsmade by Akai's engineers in designing their i.f. modes. Asmight be expected, the blend 1 and 2 settings providedalmost identical results to those obtained in the wide mode.

Finally, with neither blend setting activated, I reducedsignal strength in steps -to 40, 35, 30, and 20 dBf (justabove the point where the stereo light goes out) -to obtainthe separation curves of Fig. 5C. This time, no level shift ofthe modulated output (top curves) was observed, but with

134 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

LANINN'S NEXUS LINKS EXPERIENCE

D ENGINEERING.". . . by far and away the best

loudspeaker I have ever heard." -Popular Hi-Fi on the Linn DMS

. . for seekers of the truth, the new design fromLinn is one of the best speakers available under $2,000."- Andrew Marshall's Audio Ideas Guide on the LinnNexus

"I felt I was getting much closer to the music than Ihad before. . The Nexus is punchy, lively, dynamic andinformative." - Hi-Fi Review on the Linn Nexus

"In short, there is more a sense of listening tomusic. . . than there was of listening tohi-fi." -- Hi-Fi Review on the LinnIndex

These quotes about Linnloudspeakers come from highly respectedreviewers. We could literally fill thisentire page with similar quotes(but then, so could any othermanufacturer). Fortunatelyfor us, it takes a lot morethan a rave review to makea good speaker. It takessolid engineering.

Take the LinnNexus, which wasselected as "one of themost innovativeconsumerelectronics productsof 1988" by theDesign andEngineering Exhibition

in Chicago.In the

Nexus wedidn't bendthe laws of physics to

fit some pet theory. Wesimply applied fifteenyears of engineering

experience in mechanics,acoustics, material

science, electronics, andcomputer programmingto produce a speaker

that really works.The front baffle is molded

from expanded structurfoam which is

acoustically superior to wood. It isthen bonded to the critically braced MDF cabinet usingultra -strong adhesives developed for aircraft and FormulaOne racing cars.

The cone of the bass driver is manufactured from anexceptionally light and rigid carbon -loadedpolypropylene material.

The crossover is a fourth -order (24dB per octave)Linkwitz-Reilly phase coherent system based on researchwe did during the development of our standard -setting"Aktiv" electronic crossover. It is even housed in aseparate, sealed enclosure to avoid microphonicdistortions.

See dealer list on page 186.

The very same engineering expertisehas been applied to the full range ofLinn Loudspeakers starting with theunder -$600 -a -pair Linn Index andprogressing through to the "Aktiv"Isobarik Monitor System.

If you're tired of listening to "hi-fi",visit your Linn dealer and find out howgood "music" can sound.

Linn Hi-Fi is distributed in NorthAmerica by:Audiophile Systems, Ltd., 8709 CastlePark Drive, Indianapolis, Indiana 46256(317) 849-7103.Aldburn Electronics, 127 PortlandStreet, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5R2N4 (416) 863-0915.

Enter No. 36 on Reader Service Card

Some designers go overboardin deciding on narrow -bandparameters, but engineersmade just the right choiceson the Akai AT -93.

Spectrum Analysis of 510.000,

kHz signal,

output,.

(1, and R outputs) Akai;

AT -93.00

0.0 0.0

-19.90i -19.9

20.* -20.2

-30.2

-40.00, -40.0

-50.00;

-60.09, -60.0-70.00,../'' 70.0

.IROSS'ALN A veN,. -00.0--90.00 ve -90.0

1006 -1"

A

B

fratzun Analysis of 5 kHz signal output, (I, and R outputs) Akai A! 93r . , . J0.09

1,1p1

;;9.9

-19.99 ; -10.9

-22.60 22.2

-39.99 30.0

-40.00 -40.0

-50.00 50.0

-69.(4 60.0

-70.00 5

--155TALK,NAHROW // \

-80.00 -80.0

\ ;.-90.00 -90.0

-100.0,,10), 102k -199

Fig. 6 -Separation for a5 -kHz modulating signal(top curve) and crosstalkcomponents plussubcarrier and sidebandcomponents (bottomcurve) for wide (A) andnarrow (B) modes.

Amplitude (AB) versus Frequency (Hz); AM Ione section Akai Al -9310.000

5.9009.

0.0

-10.00

-15.00'

-20.00

-25.99

-35.00

-40.002. 100 10k 206

Fig. 7 -AM frequencyresponse for signal withNRSC pre -emphasis.

decreasing signal strength, separation decreased almostlinearly, as the tuner gradually shifted from full stereo towardmonophonic operation. Even at 20 dBf, however, there wasstill enough separation -around 16 dB at all frequencies -to render a reasonably good stereo effect.

Figures 6A and 6B are my standard tests showing theoutput when a 5 -kHz signal modulates my FM test generatorin stereo. Figure 6A was plotted with the tuner set to thewide i.f. mode, and Fig. 6B was plotted with the tuner set tothe narrow mode. Each solid curve (with a peak at 5 kHz)represents the desired output from the left channel, whilethe dashed curves show separation as well as other distor-tion and crosstalk products. In both figures, note that the 19 -kHz subcarrier product is only about 60 dB below maximummodulation level. In separate spot tests, a 61 -dB attenuationof the 19 -kHz subcarrier output was observed. I have, ofcourse, measured tuners which exhibit greater suppressionof this signal, but the lower amount of attenuation, in thiscase, is directly related to the excellent response shownearlier in Fig. 1. By not using too sharp a 19 -kHz rejectionfilter and by making sure that the filter did not start attenuat-ing frequencies below 15 kHz, Akai's engineers managed toretain virtually flat response over the entire FM audio fre-quency range. As for the 60 -dB pilot -carrier attenuation, it isreally quite enough. Any residual 19 -kHz subcarrier productpresent at the outputs is not likely to affect Dolby trackingwhen you use the AT -93 to record FM programs. It is alsounlikely that you will hear any 19 -kHz artifacts when listeningto the tuner, even if your ears are as keen as a teenager's.About the only difference I detected between the results ofFigs. 6A and 6B was the slightly reduced separation at 5kHz in the narrow mode (Fig. 6B).

If you are a careful observer of my graphs, you may bewondering why the apparent separation at 5 kHz in Fig. 6A (68dB) and Fig. 6B (58 dB) is so much greater than it appears tobe in Fig. 5A (48 dB) and Fig. 5B (45 dB). The reason issimple: When I measure separation across the band, theamplitude emanating from the unmodulated channel includesnot only the discrete frequency modulating the opposite chan-nel, but the other related signal components (harmonic distor-tion) and unrelated signal components (subcarrier products,noise, etc.) which are present at that output. In Figs. 6A and6B, however, the test equipment is behaving much like aspectrum analyzer. Thus, when sweeping through the 5 -kHzpoint, it reads only the 5 -kHz component.

Capture ratio, measured only for the wide setting, was 1.2dB, and i.f. and spurious -response rejection both were inexcess of 100 dB. Alternate -channel selectivity was 58 dB inthe wide mode and exactly 90 dB in the narrow mode. AMsuppression was 63 dB on my sample, and image rejectionwas 95 dB. SCA rejection measured 59 dB; muting thresh-old was set to 39 dBf, a bit higher than I would have liked.

For this and all future tuner reports, I am going to assumethat AM stations in most areas have adopted the newlyproposed NRSC Pre -Emphasis Standard. (Hundreds of ra-dio stations have reported that they are already using thisfixed pre -emphasis.) Accordingly, when I measure AM fre-quency response from now on, I will be incorporating 75-11Spre -emphasis in the audio sweep signal that is used tomodulate my AM test generator. Thus, a tuner designed by

136 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

How to patch things uparound the house.

A MOTE COMM L

cNo

PICTURE

GOV GOVAN SCA OCT 2TONER TAPE APE 2 CO/COV COV/LV- TV SCA VCR 2

Cyl ow IA OUTa994440499000.0140.00.0 (foe®

NARNING PENH

YAMAHA >ITET-,-,r!20 VOLTS 350 WATTS410/A 601-12

YAMAHA CORPORATIONMADE AV JAPAN

CAUTION

AKERS A

AAA O1 VOSIPE ATTEkTON. RAF Of OAK 010001E ReaviAv

SPEAKERS ---

©WAN,Thazus

AC ounErtmsWITCNEO

Now's a good time to startthinking about home improvements.

We're referring, ofcourse, to that hodge-podge of switch boxes,enhancers, tuner, amps,VCRs, cassette decks.monitors and speakersyou affectionately callyour home entertain-ment center.

Which leads us tothe new AVX-100U. Anincredibly sophisticated4 -channel A/V controlamplifier designed tomake you the master ofall you see and hear.

AVX-100U features10 audio and 6 videoinputs. So you'll probablyrun out of shelf space longbefore you run out of inputjacks.

You'll also find either2 or 4 -channel operation.With an additional centerchannel to keep moviedialogue up front whereit belongs.

The AVX-100U also has8 different surround soundmodes to enhance therealism of everything youplay. Including DolbySurround that puts you

CD video player

AM/FM tuner

Video monitorreceiver

Speakers

Icadphones

AT /

Reel to reel

CD player

Cassette deck

Another cassette deck

Video recorder

Super VHSvideo recorder

Even morespeakers

Satellite receiver

Another videomonitor receiver

More speakers

elVideo camcorder

Mk -77.v

Thrntable

The new Yamaha AVX-100U.The amazing A/V control amplifier.

right in the middle of the actionwhen watching movies at home.

A video enhancerthat lets you improvethe clarity of anyimage, regardless of

the source you'rewatching.

RS integratedsystem remote control,so you can control theAV)c100U and all yourRS -compatible compo-

nents, from across the room.And an on -screen

display for monitoringthe operation of theAV)c100U and everythingelse patched into it, fromyour video screen.

There's even a titlegenerator that lets youadd titles to your favoritevideos at the push of abutton or two.

Ask your local Yamahadealer for a demonstrationof the new AVX-100U.

No matter how bad amess you've made of things,he'll have you patched up inno time.

YAMAHA®C 1988, Yamaha Electronics Corporation, USA. P.O. Box 6660, Buena Park, CA 90622. For the dealer nearest you. call 1-800-662-6800. Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories, Inc.

La

00so

10001. 01010 1

000 w-000 00

It wounds my ego to admitthis, but for all but two ofthe 53 stations received, Icould not outsmart orsecond-guess this tuner!

engineers who care about AM response will yield a reason-ably flat response curve with this test setup. Such was thecase with the Akai AT -93's AM section-at least at the high -frequency end of the spectrum. As shown in Fig. 7, re-sponse extended out to just above 5 kHz for the -6 dBcutoff point. I'm not quite sure why response rolled off sorapidly at the low end (down 6 dB at around 70 Hz), butthat's the curve that it plotted.

As for other AM characteristics, selectivity measured 48dB (very good for AM), i.f. rejection was 62 dB, and imagerejection was 41 dB. Distortion, using a 1 -kHz signal at 30%modulation, was 0.5%, while S/N for a 1 -mV input signal was47 dB. Aside from the absence of ultra -low bass response,listening tests conducted for the AM section revealed that itsounded better than most of the AM tuner sections in manyname -brand "high-fidelity" tuners and receivers.

Use and Listening TestsI started auditioning the Akai AT -93 with the unit set to its

automatic tuning mode-the one in which the tuner's ownmicrocomputer decides which antenna, i.f. setting, blendmode, and high -frequency cut to use for each receivedsignal. The two antennas employed were my outdoor multi -element antenna and an amplified indoor antenna. For eachof the 53 usable signals I was able to pick up, I deliberatelyreset all of the parameters that the tuner had decided to

use, one by one, to see if I could improve on the AT -93'schoices. Of the 53 signals received, the tuner switched tomono on five of them because of weak signal strength. I

decided that I could tolerate two of those five signals instereo after all. In every other respect and for every othersignal received, I could not outsmart or second-guess thistuner! It always chose the optimum operating parameters.Although this may have wounded my ego a bit, it surespeaks well for the way the built-in microcomputer decidesto program this amazing unit.

Setting up my 20 presets was easy-a lot easier than onsome tuners and receivers I've tested. I also tried out theabsentee recording capability. While the AT -93 was in mylistening room, I had to be away for two days. On both days,two different stations were broadcasting programs I wantedto record. I only had a one -event timer, so I got someone inthe lab to manually turn on the tuner for the second event.Sure enough, the second preset frequency appeared, justas promised. As an FM tuner fan from way back, I was trulyastonished by the performance this Akai component deliv-ered-especially since its price is about half that of severaltuners I recently tested and listened to that didn't perform aswell. If you are looking for the right FM tuner for your systemand care about good FM reception, I can recommend theAkai AT -93 without any qualifications or reservations.

Leonard Feldman

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For Those Who Care

LI0AIL'1"Bto Listen

Enter No 46 on Reader Service Card

EQUIPMENT PROFILE

ARISTONFORTETURNTABLEAND ENIGMATONEARM

40

Manufacturer's SpecificationsTurntableDrive System: Belt.Speeds: 33y. and 45 rpm.Start -Up Time: 3.5 S to audible sta-

bilization.Wow & Flutter: 0.06% DIN weight-

ed peak.Rumble: - 75 dB.Platter Weight: 4 lbs. (1.75 kg).Overall Weight: 101/2 lbs. (4.8 kg),

less arm.Price: Without arm, $500; with Enig-

ma arm, $625.

TonearmType: Static -balance, straight -pipe.

pivoted.Horizontal Mechanism: One -point

gimbal support system.Effective Length: 9 in. (228 mm).Overhang:'/., in. (18 mm).Offset Angle: 23°45'.

Tracking Error: 2- to - 1-30'.Sensitivity: Vertical or horizontal, 50

mg (first action) except for lead fric-tion.

Range of Stylus -Force Adjust-ment: 0 to 3 grams, direct -readingwith 0.5 -gram calibrations.

Cartridge Weight Range: 4 to 10.5grams

Anti -Skating Adjustment: 0.5 to 3grams.

Company Address: 12 Rte. 17North, Suite 309. Paramus, N.J.07652.

For literature, circle No. 93

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

Ariston Acoustics is not a familiar name to most Ameri-cans, although the company has been building high -qualityturntables for many years. It is located in Scotland at thePrestwick International Airport, which isn't very far fromGlasgow. I love to find the origins of words, so I looked inthe dictionary and found that aristos is the Greek word for"best" and tonos is Greek for "a stretching or tone." I like it!The first time I heard of Ariston was back in 1973, when Iread about their RD11 turntable, which achieved a newperformance standard. It was a single -speed, 331/3 -rpmbelt -drive turntable which used a main platter spindle withan integrally machined conical bearing. This was unusual atthe time; even today, most turntables, including the AristonForte, use a separate ball bearing between the bottom ofthe platter shaft and the thrust plate at the bottom of themain bearing well. Many turntables of this type allow the ballbearing to shift position, especially when the turntable plat-ter is removed for inspection or to oil the bearing shaft.Because all bearings tend to develop flat spots over time,allowing the bearing to change position with respect to thethrust plate can cause the bearing to move in a new buteccentric pattern. This may result in an increase in mechani-cal noise and rumble that can affect the sound. The Forte'sball bearing is locked in place to prevent motion. Since thebearing of the RD11 turntable was made an integral part ofthe rotating main shaft, it also eliminated the usual surface-to-surface contact between the main shaft and a ball bear-ing, which also reduced mechanical noise and rumble.When making the bearing part of the main platter shaft, thetwo principal problems that must be overcome are obtainingsufficient precision and hardening of the part.

The Forte that I tested came with the Ariston Enigmatonearm, and I used an Ortofon X3 -MC cartridge, the samemodel that I used for the Dual CS 5000 test report (Novem-ber 1988 issue) but a different unit.

First ImpressionsThe Forte's appearance is unusual, to say the least. It

certainly doesn't look conventional, even though it uses

MEASURED DATAAriston Forte TurntableParameter Measured Comment

Speed (at 331/2 rpm) - 1.40%Speed Stability ±0.15%Wow, Unwtd. Peak 0.22%Wow, DIN Wtd. Peak 0.11%Flutter, Unwtd. Peak 0.08%Flutter, DIN Wtd. Peak 0.03%W & F, Unwtd. Peak 0.24%W & F, DIN Wtd. Peak 0.11%Long -Term Drift ± 0.10%Rumble, Unwtd. -75.9 dBRumble, Wtd. -88.7 dBSuspension 1.4 Hz

Resonance**Suspension resonance was difficult to measure because it wasvery highly damped.

No adjustmentExcellentVery goodVery goodExcellentExcellentVery goodVery goodExcellentExcellentExcellentWell damped

many conventional, proven techniques in its engineeringapproach. The turntable platter is round, as expected, butso are the main chassis and the floating subchassis. Eachof these three main parts is an aluminum casting. There isno separate base, or "plinth" as it is called in the BritishIsles. Instead, three round supports are bolted to the mainsupport chassis. These supports have rubber grommet feet,which are not adjustable, screwed to them. Three matchingsupports are bolted to the subchassis, which is isolatedfrom the bottom main chassis by springs inside these sup-ports. Each spring is adjustable by turning a knob on top ofeach support. The knobs are held by cap screws that tendto loosen when the knobs are turned, which can be anuisance.

The round, metal tonearm mount is a separate castingand is bolted to the right rear of the subchassis. It has around plate to which the Ariston Enigma tonearm is mount-ed; blank boards and boards precut for SME or Premier'sMMT arms are also available. When I tapped the Enigmatonearm tube, I heard a complex tonal quality which I findhard to describe. It was the same at both the cartridge andpillar ends of the tonearm tube, but it had a more dampedquality in the center While holding the main tonearm pillarfirmly in one hand, I tried to pull, push, and twist the tonearmtube to check for any play or looseness in the bearings andthe headshell. I found none, which is good. The cartridgemounts to what appears to be a headshell, but it is firmlyattached to the armtube and is not removable. Even thoughthe entire turntable is made of metal, it is extremely light andweighs only 101/2 pounds.

FeaturesThe Ariston Forte has a three -position rocker switch,

mounted on a flattened section on the front of the mainchassis, which is used to select 331/3 rpm, power off, and 45rpm. The 3 -pound, cast aluminum -alloy platter is painted tomatch the subchassis and main chassis. My sample waswhite, but a black and silver model is available. Strips ofAriston's patented 0 -damping material, which resemblesfoam rubber, are fastened to the inside of the rim to dampout any ringing. The subchassis also has strips of Q -damp-ing material around its inside periphery. The record mat,which weighs V2 pound, also damps out platter resonances.

The platter is driven by a belt from the motor pulley to aring, 61/2 inches in diameter, which is cast into the bottom ofthe platter. Three large access holes in the platter allow thebelt to be slipped over the motor pulley; the pulley is ratherlarge and appears to be made of brass. These access holesare about 3/8 inch from the ring, which makes grasping thebelt a bit difficult after the platter has been put in place. I

found that the trick is to pull the belt through an access hole,place the belt around a pencil, and lay the pencil againstthe platter. This holds the belt so that it can be placedaround the motor pulley at a later time. Positioning the beltmust be delayed because the machining of the bearing welland the platter shaft is so precise that it takes up to 15minutes for the shaft to slide down to its final resting positionin the well, and for the oil at the bottom to move up thebearing well. The belt must be removed from the motorpulley before the platter can be removed.

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 141

The Forte's appearance isunusual, to say the least,but despite unconventionallooks, this turntable usesproven design techniques.

The center post, for the record hole, and the main plattershaft are one continuous piece. The top is rounded, whilethe bottom has a slight taper with a small flat surface whichrests on the ball bearing at the bottom of the bearing well.The drive motor is rather small and is mounted on a spring-like ring, which in turn is supported by three coil springs.These are adjusted at the factory for minimum transmissionof mechanical energy to the main chassis, on which themotor assembly is mounted. The main bearing well, whichalso appears to be made of brass, is mounted at the centerof three spokes extendingsis. The power for the motor is supplied by a small, 9-Vtransformer with two prongs that allow it to be plugged into anormal a.c. power socket. If room for the turntable is aconsideration, the Forte can be slipped into a space about16 inches wide by about 14 inches deep. There is no coverto vie for space above the turntable, but the clearanceneeded to change records conveniently is about 8 inches.This could be reduced, in a pinch, since the distancebetween a shelf or platform and the top of the tonearm isabout 51/4 inches. The turntable comes with a removablestrobe disc for 331/3 and 45 rpm which fits down into therecess in the platter mat. However, since the Forte's speedcontrol is not accessible when the platter is mounted (it's anunmarked factory adjustment, inside the base), it's better toleave it off so that the record can be in closer contact withthe record mat, thus increasing sound clarity by furtherremoving extraneous energy from the record.

The Enigma tonearm is a statically balanced type, with thetracking force provided by a movable counterweight on therear of the tonearm tube. The weight is first rotated to theposition which balances the arm. Then the adjustable scale,calibrated from 0 to 3, is set to 0, and finally the counter-weight and scale are rotated together to set the trackingforce. The rear of the armtube is lubricated with a thin film ofviscous material that helps to damp any tendency for thecounterweight to rattle.

With the Ortofon X3 -MC cartridge, which weighs only 4.2grams, the counterweight is close to the main pillar. Thisposition is desirable because it reduces the dynamic massof the tonearm, but it does make reading the tracking forcescale difficult. A separate sidethrust force adjustment isprovided by a knob that is also calibrated from 0 to 3 tomatch the tracking force chosen. The vertical bearings

appear to be jewelled pivots, while the horiontal bearingsappear to be the ball -and -race type. The damped cueinglever allows the arm to float down to the record in about 2 S.The fingerlift on the headshell allows faster cueing for thosewith steady hands.

The base of the tonearm is fastened by three screws, andthe height of the tonearm pillar is adjustable after looseningtwo hex screws. The armtube is one continuous piece, fromthe nonremovable headshell to the rear. The tonearm is a bitshorter than others I have tested, and it appears that thetracking error has wider limits across the record surface.

The phono leads are captive, being soldered directly to aterminal block near the tonearm. The cartridge connectorsare gold plated, and the phono cables have gold phono

MEASURED DATAAriston Enigma TonearmPivot -to -Stylus Distance: 9.125 in. (23.2 cm).Pivot -to -Rear -of -Arm Distance: 2.250 in. (5.7 cm).Overall Height Adjustment: 1.00 in. (2.54 cm).Tracking Force Adjustment: Knob on main pillar adjusts spiral

spring.Tracking Force Calibration: 1 to 3 grams, within 0.1 gram.Cartridge Weight Range: 4 to 10 grams.Counterweights: One, 97 grams.Counterweight Mounting: Direct to tonearm tube, with viscous

coating.Sidethrust Correction: Calibrated knob on base of main pillar.Pivot Damping: None.Lifting Device: Fingerlift on headshell and damped cueing

lever.Headshell Offset: 23.0°.Overhang Adjustment: Slots in headshell.Bearing Alignment: Excellent.Bearing Friction: Very low.Bearing Type: Horizontal, ball race; vertical, jewel point.Lead Torque: Very low.Arm -Lead Capacitance: Left, 283 pF; right, 329 pF.Arm -Lead Resistance: 0.5 ohm, both channels.External Lead Length: 33 inches.Structural Resonances: 1000, 3800, 4200, and 6200 Hz.Base Mounting: Center hole for arm post and three screws

for base.

Ortofon X3 -MC CartridgeCoil Inductance: Left, 515 p.H; right, 530 11H.Coil Resistance: Left, 78.3 ohms; right, 78.1 ohms.Output Voltage: Left, 0.46 mV/cm/S; right, 0.39 mV/cm/S.Cartridge Mass: 4.15 grams.Microphony: Very low.Hum Rejection: Excellent.Rise -Time: 10 S.

High -Frequency Resonance: 19.6 kHz.Low -Frequency Resonance: 15.8 Hz (in Ariston Enigma

tonearm).Low -Frequency Q: 6 3 (in Ariston Enigma tonearm).Recommended Load Resistance: 47 kilohms; greater than

1 kilohm has no effect.Recommended Load Capacitance: Less than 1,000 pF has

no effect.Recommended Tracking Force: 2.1 grams.Polarity: Plus, for RIAA Standard.

142 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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The Ariston's machining isso precise that its plattershaft can take as long as15 minutes to slide down intothe turntable bearing well.

0.2.1242. P..* Rm. so _ albeelibar_ bb. .

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Fig. 1-Frequencyresponse andinterchannel crosstalkof the Ariston Enigmatonearm and OrtofonX3 -MC cartridge, usingB & K 2010 test record.

"Maar33 -MCCARTRIDGE0,116834TONEARM

1.2.../.24 87I8_IF_ w_41,

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1.1012,2011

Fig. 3-Low-frequencyresponse of X3 -MCcartridge andEnigma tonearm forvertical and lat-eral modulation,using slow sweepfrom 2 to 100 Hz.The damping isbetter in thevertical mode;see text.

'VrOnFONX3 -MC

LAURI Or ETNT..InhiF2ION1

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OP 024 18004 Frequerg Sob by 0 I

Fig. 2-Low-frequencyarm cartridge resonanceis at 15.8 Hz with a0of 6.3.

Fig. 4-Slow sweep from20 Hz to 1 kHzto test forstructural res-onances. Noserious struc-tural resonancesare visible.

2C0 1000

Toe la.

RBIS lame en; eq:2.1).

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plugs. A separate ground wire, which is attached to allmetal turntable parts, is also provided.

Measurements and Listening TestsThe technical measurements were completed on the Aris-

ton Forte turntable, Enigma tonearm, and Ortofon X3 -MCcartridge combination before any listening was attempted.This is my usual procedure because, unlike with amplifiers,loudspeakers, and other components, many adjustmentshave to be made when setting up a turntable, tonearm, andcartridge combination. If the adjustments are not done cor-rectly, they can adversely affect the outcome of listeningevaluations. During the technical measurements, the resultsof faulty setup adjustments can be seen and corrected. Thisensures that the combination will be judged for its soundreproducing quality only after it has been adjusted for opti-mum performance.

The Ariston/Enigma/Ortofon combination was comparedto a high -quality reference system by using a series ofselections from different recordings. Each selection fea-tured a type of instrument or voice as well as a type of

music. The listening panel was comprised of both trainedand casual listeners. Each panel member was given a formlisting the different types of instruments to which they shouldpay particular attention, and they were also encouraged tomake comments about anything having to do with the soundas they perceived it, even things such as rumble, hiss,background noise, etc. The reference and the tested combi-nation were designated as systems A and B. For eachmusical selection, panel members rated the systems byplacing an "X" in one of six boxes, marked from 0 to -5. Arating of 0 would mean that the listener heard absolutely nodeficiency in the sound reproduction; a -3 would be good,and a -5 would mean poor reproduction. (Over the years,there have been almost no zeros awarded and very few-5s; most ratings have been between -1 and -4.) Afterthe listening panel had made its evaluation, I tried to corre-late their ratings and comments with the technical measure-ments. Although trained listeners provide the most astuteobservations, casual listeners usually provide very enlight-ening comments, since they seem to hear the music ratherthan the sound. It should be remembered that the corn -

144 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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Threshcldproducts areexclusiselydistributed by

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Although listeners -noteda lack of spaciousness, andmy measurements showedwhy, the tested system didnot score badly for imaging.

_L I I

LEFT CHANNEL

ENIGMA TONEARM AND ORTOFON X3 -MC CARTRIDGE

MECHANICAL IMPULSE TO TONEARM TUBE

E.M.LONG ASSOCIATES 7-19-88

Fig. 5-Output vs. timeof arm cartridgewhen mechanicalimpulse wasapplied toarmtube; seetext.

Fig. 7-Interchannelphase differenceof arm cartridgeusing pink noisefrom B & K 2011,band 7.

TSU

16

RS

B

10500.00 NI CURSOR200HZ

-24.5 dBR

-34.0 deR2KHZ

ULG

T

20KHZ

E.M.LONG ASSOCIATES

ENIGMA TONEARM 8 ORTOFON 83 -MC CARTRIDGE

-TONEARM SPECTRAL RESONANCES

'La1000

2750

3800

LEFT 01-33.6

-44.0-36.8-33.3

RIGHT 01

:24;;;

-34.5-29.0

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-

4200 -22

LEFT CHANNEL 6200

75009100970010500

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-25.4-25.0-27.7-24.9

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,.....RIGHT CHANNEL

S.OA 5.011 R/16

Fig. 6-Spectral output(averaged) of arm/cartridge due to 16

P

su

16

TF

20000.00 N2 CURSOR

5011112

LGHI 20K

mechanical impulsesapplied to armtube.

-46.6 OG

5KHZ

E.M.LONG ASSOCIATES

ORTOFON X3 -MC CARTRIDGE

INTERCHANNL PHASE

--------------.-%

S.OR S.OA A/16 LGN2 SOK

Fig. 8-Arm/cartridge The difference at 20 kHzinterchannel phase is -46.6° (6.5 4).difference vs. frequency.

ODB

-20

40

-60

ODB

-20

140

60

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+90

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-90

-180

ments are written, since the panel is cautioned againstmaking any statements or gestures during the listeningsessions. While some of the comments might seem severe,they are made in an attempt to describe very subtle differ-ences between two systems.

Figure 1 shows the amplitude versus frequency responseand the interchannel crosstalk of the Ortofon X3 -MC mov-ing -coil cartridge when mounted in the Ariston Enigma tone -arm. There were comments from the listening panel about a"certain flatness" or "lack of spaciousness" which could berelated to the fact that the leakage of left -channel sound intothe right channel is rather high. Interestingly enough, thisdid not cause the panel to rate the Ariston/Enigma/Ortofoncombination poorly for image localization.

Figure 2 shows the result of a slow sweep of tones from 5to 20 Hz for left and right channels. The low -frequencyresonance caused by the interaction of the compliance ofthe X3 -MC stylus and the mass of the Enigma tonearmoccurs at 15.8 Hz with a Q of 6.3; the left channel has about2 dB more output than the right. Low -frequency sounds,such as those produced by the bass guitar, organ, etc., can

be affected by this resonance. Usually it causes the bass tosound "fuller," as some of the panel members noted. Thereference system has a lower resonance and a much lowerQ, so the rise in its output at resonance is much less. Thereference system elicited comments such as "tighter" and"more realistic" when reproducing bass instruments.

Figure 3 shows the response of the tested combination tovertical and lateral modulation between 2 and 100 Hz.Because the resonance occurs at a lower frequency forlateral modulation than for vertical modulation, either themass of the tonearm or the compliance of the cartridge-orboth-is greater in the lateral plane of motion. Since the Q isalso greater in the lateral plane of motion, it is safe toassume that the mass of the tonearm is the predominantfactor. As far as sound quality is concerned, this means thatfor this pair the exact centering of the record is probablymore important than a slight amount of up-and-down warp.

Figure 4 shows the output of the left and right channels fora very slow sweep from 20 Hz to 1 kHz, which is intended toexcite any resonances in the tonearm/cartridge combina-tion. These resonances can cause delayed energy reflec-

146 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

"Why allBoston Acoustics

speakers sound alike.(More or less, that is.)"Andy Petite, chief designer, Boston Acoustics.

"At Boston Acoustics, live music is our basic referencestandard. And since we design each of our speakers tosound musically accurate, all of our systems have aremarkable sonic resemblance.

"Any full -range speaker system, whatever its size,should have good octave -to -octave tonal balance andwide dispersion. We provide these qualities in all of ourspeaker systems-from the A40 bookshelf to the T1000tower. (From our long experience in listening to manycompetitive speaker lines, the same can be said of onlya few.)

"In larger rooms and at higher listening levels, thedifferences-and the superiority-of our more expen-sive systems begin to emerge. They can play louderwithout strain, and reproduce deeper bass. But thisdoesn't detract from the musicality, accuracy and tonalbalance of our smaller speakers.

"How much sound a speaker produces in your listen-ing room also depends on the room's size, the musicyou listen to, and how loud you play it. Because allBoston Acoustic speaker systems-bookshelf, floor -standing and tower-meet all our standards, there's atleast one that should meet your special requirementsand conditions.*

"So when you visit a Boston Acoustics dealer, ask tohear a Boston speaker. Any Boston. We can't promiseyou perfection, but we will bring you as close to themusic as the state of the art allows."

*"It certainly helps that we design and build our ownspeakers-all with the same high quality materials. Fur-ther, we manufacture all our speakers to such tight toler-ances that any two samples of a given model are virtuallyidentical. And to insure this, we test each completedsystem-every single one-before it leaves the factory.

"Finally, sonic similarity is especially important withsurround -sound systems. An all -Boston system assuresthe greatest sonic impact."

Boston Acoustics

The A40 Series II.Our most popular bookshelf system."...attains an aura of spaciousness surpassedonly by some of the far more expensivemulti -directional speakers." The New York limes.Suggested retail: $170 a pair.

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The Ariston Forte turntabledeserves to be rated verygood for wow and excellentfor flutter characteristics.

_1 t

19.2 CM/SEC AT 1KHZ

ORTOFON X3 -MC CARTRIDGE IN ENIGMA TONEARM

E M. ON ASSOCIATES

25 CM/SEC AT 1 KHZ

TRACKING TEST 88K 2010 RECORD

1 i 1111SHURE TTR-103

RECORD

10.8 KHZ AT 15 CM/SEC

' V 0

E.M.LONG ASSOCIATES ORTOFON 3 -MC CARTRIDGE IN ENIGMA

4TONEARM

Fig. 9 -Tracking of arm/cartridge with1 -kHz test tonesat 19.2 cm/S and25 cm/S.

Fig. 11 -Output from15- and 30 -cm S,

- 10.8 -kHz pulsetest, usingShure TTR-103

- test record.

10.8KHZ AT 30 CM/SEA

su

16

RS

SU

16

1000.000 HZ CURSOR

200HZ

dBR

+8.4 OBR

2KHZ

ULG

20KHZ

E.M.LONG ASSOCIATES

ORTOFON 33 -MC CARTRIDGE

ENIGMA TONEARM

1KHZ TRACKING TEST

19.2CM)SEC HARM TOP BOTTOMDB

2 -20.9

DB -3 -25.5

-19.0 --17.5

4 -44.1II 5 -4.8

-20.5-26 3

6 -41.0 -23.2

----).1,804.41

ODB=10 CM/SEC' 25 CM/SFC 8 -42:; -261114

9 -44.0 -21.310 -44.611 -44.1

-27.3-29.7

4

i i 11

-t-.--1- '...' '--I L.12 -47.3 -36.1

.

14 -51.4 -28.7

5.0A 5.0A A,16 LGH2

Fig. 10 -Spectral analysisof the cartridge outputwhen reproducing thesignals of Fig. 9.Distortion at third

su16

RS

su

16

250.0000 HZ CURSOR200HZ

20K

0DB

--20

-40

-60

ODB

20

-40

-60

harmonic is -25.5 dB forthe 19.2-cm/S track and-17.5 dB for the 25-cm/Strack. See text.

-43.7 ABA

-36.2 OEM2KHZ

ULS

20KHZ

E.M.LONG ASSOCIATES

ORTOFON 03 -MC CARTRIDGE

ENIGMA TONEARM

SHURE TTR-103 ' H,

10.8 KHZ BURST 550800

1100,,, 1350

15 CMLaK, 1600

De

-46.5

52.8-57.6-63 5

,....,

550800

30 CM/SEC 110013501600

-37.5-39.6-44.4

-49.4-56 5

1 n 1.1 \' \r

10.A 5.00 A:16

Fig. 12 -Spectrumanalysis of distortionproducts from signalsshown in Fig. 11. At the30-cm/S level (8 dB abovethe reference level of10 cm/S), distortion at

LGH2 20K

ODB

20

40

-60

0DB

-20

40

-60

250 Hz is only 0.69%,which is very good, butnote the change inthe relative levelsof different frequenciesfor the two recordedlevels.

tions as well as simple vibrations that can color the soundreproduction and/or detract from the clarity. The testedcombination does show minor resonances at 45, 80, and130 Hz which might be due to the counterweight mountingand the main bearings. Comments were made about theForte/Enigma/X3-MC combination which might correlatewith these resonances; it was said to have "slightly lessclarity" and to be "less transparent," especially during high-level orchestral passages.

I mentioned earlier that I found it difficult to describe thetonal quality of the Enigma tonearm's sound when I per-formed the simple tap test. Figure 5 shows what the soundlooks like, and when I saw these results I realized why I hadhad difficulty. The pattern is very complex and also lasts

long enough to give a sense of tonality. In Fig. 6, a spectralanalysis, there are a large number of harmonically unrelatedresonances which make it difficult to assign a definite pitchto the sound. The presence of an energy peak at 1 kHzmight account for comments about voice being "shrill" andviolin being "brighter" and "grating."

Figure 7 shows the interchannel phase relationship be-tween the left and right channels. A straight line at 45° wouldindicate perfectly identical response in both channels.There is a difference between the channels, though not verygreat, and Fig. 8 shows that it is mainly at the higherfrequencies. No comments were made by panel memberswhich could be directly related to the information in thesetwo figures.

148 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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What's the BBE Difference?It's "like the difference betweenhigh-fidelity speakers with andwithout pillows in front of them."- Radio World MagazineBetter Sound Than The MastersMusic Technology Magazine madecassette copies using BBE. It toldit's readers: "The cassette sound-

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Send me BBE 1002 unit(s) at $189 each.(U.S. currency only. California residents add applicabletax. If rush shipping requested, additional charge isdetermined by destination. Canadian residents pleasewrite for additional information.)

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The Forte is easy to use,light yet rugged, compact,and well isolated fromenergy that's mechanicallyor acoustically induced.

11 1

LEFT CHANNEL.r4

E.M.LONG ASSOCIATESORTOFON 03 -MC CARTRIDGE IN ENIGMA TONEARM

1 KR SQUARE WAVE CBS STR-112 RECORD BAND 1

RIGHT CHANNELrw

Fig. 13 -Response ofarm/cartridge to

- 1 -kHz square waveon CBS STR-112test record.

+1.0

+0.8

+0.6

+0.4

+02

0%

0.2

0.4

-0.6

-0.8

1.0

ARISTON FORTE TURNTABLE

SPEED DRIFT OVER 40 SECONDS

rimimummur mai

E.M.LONG ASSOCIATES

Fig. 15 -Speed drift overa 40-S period.The variationsare at 1.8 S percycle (0.56 Hz),related to the331/3 -rpm speed.

B

TI

SU

16

RS

6.75000 88 CURSOR1HZ

-29.7 dBR

1 HZ

145

E.M.LONG ASSOCIATES FREQ 112 DB

ARISTON FORTE TURNTABLE-280.50

0.75 -22.0.3

MOW + FLUTTER SPECTRUM 1.00 -27.92.25 -29.73.25 -39.0

IIIIPPLUMEM5.0

5.5

-45.6-42.0

10.50 -41.2

1.1111.11E, 1

12.25 -39.4

17:25 ,,:1.661L i1 1 1

11T

Inlinallig1.17+ 9.0R -11/16

Fig. 14 -Wow and flutterspectrum of Forteturntable, from 0 to100 Hz. See text.

B

rl

su16

RS

12.60000 HO CURSOR

5ZE.M.LONG ASSOC ATES

ARISTON FORTE TURNTABLE

SPECTRUM.OF RUMBLE

ODB=10 CM/SEC

LGH2

-37.7 dBR

50 Z

100

100 HZODB-1.0%

-10.0.3%

-20.0.1%

-30-0.03%

-40-0.01%

50-0 003%

-60-0.001%

70-0.0003%

ULG

C

500HZ

1.15.0R 5.0A -A/16

Fig. 16 -Rumblespectrum. Most of theoutput shown is due to

LGHZ SOO

the toneam/cartridgeresonance.

ODB

10

-20

-30

-40

50

-60

-70

-80

Figure 9 shows the output of the Ortofon cartridge for thetwo highest levels of the 1 -kHz tone on the B & K 2010 testrecord. The waveform at the bottom of the figure shows thatthe X3 -MC not only has difficulty tracking the 25-cm/S level,but has problems with the 19.2-cm/S level (top curve) aswell. The spectrum of the distortion produced by these twolevels is shown in Fig. 10. An interesting thing about thespectrum is that the sixth and eighth harmonics are predom-inant at the 19.2-cm/S level, while the sixth, seventh, andninth harmonics predominate at the 25-cm/S level. I wasable to correlate this with listeners' comments about thesound of low-level versus high-level strings and brass. Atlower levels, the sound was described as "mellow" and"sonorous"; at higher levels, comments were made that itwas "brighter" and even "zizzier"!

Some panel members' remarks regarding the sound qual-ity of cymbals can be related to the results shown in Figs. 11and 12. The ability of the X3-MC/Enigma combination totrack the 15-cm/S level of the 10.8 -kHz shaped tone burst

on the Shure TTR-103 test record is very good, as shown inthe top curve of Fig. 11. The 30-cm/S level (bottom curve)reveals that the combination causes some flattening of thewaveform, especially at the bottom. This can cause thesound of cymbals to take on a "slightly duller" quality. Theincrease in the levels shown for different frequencies (Fig.12), especially at 800 Hz, can certainly contribute to thisperception.

The response of the arm/cartridge combination to the 1 -

kHz square wave of the CBS STR-112 test record is shownin Fig. 13. The output of the right channel is slightly higher,which confirms the data of Fig. 1. One panel memberdescribed the sound of acoustic guitar, being played in areal acoustic space, to be "bigger than it should be." Thiswas mainly due to the "boomier" quality caused by theincreased lower frequency shown in the first four figures, butit could also be due to the difference in channel levels. Thiswould shift the apparent location of a complex sound'sspectral components.

150 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

IfIliacitrIbDoAllOverAAndIDaThisIsHowli olt.""Henry Kloss. Member of the Audio Hall

of Fame. Creator of Acoustic Research in the1950's, KLH in the 1960's, and Advent in the1970's -the dominant speakers of their dec-ades -now brings you Ensemble: the best -sounding speaker system of this era:'

Ensemble. By Henry Kloss.Ensemble is the first of a new generation of

stereo loudspeaker systems. It combines twobass units, two mid- to high -frequency satelliteunits and something you won't find in any hi-fistore on earth:

Your living room. Which now, because ofEnsemble's unique "double -dedicated" design,becomes a totally integrated part of the soundprop don process g4iving you perfectly bal-anced energ throughout the full ten octavesof music.

The first speaker systemthat doesn't cheat you out of either

bass or space.The fundamental octaves that so much of

music is built on...The almost subauclible but palpable

sounds generated by the big pipes of the organthe bottom of the acoustic or electric bass, thelow notes of the synth...

The fi-equendes completely ignored in theso-called "mini -speakers" now in vogue...

Ensemble provides them. With two dedi-cated, acoustic -suspension loudspeakers whosejobs are solely to reproduce the bottom twooctaves of musical sigtificance.

At a compact 12"x21"x 4.57 they're smallenough to be placed where they'll produce thebest sound, minimizing "standing waves' andwithout visually overpowering your room.

Beneath the couch, on top of the book-shelf, or under the potted plant...wherever theear dictates, the eye won't be offended.

As for the other8 octaves of music.

The rest of the sound spectrum, from anominal crossover of 140 Hz, isreproduced by a stereo pair oftwo-way satellite units. Eachincorporates a low -frequencydriver, crossing over at 1,900Hz to a direct -radiator tweeterthat goes beyond audibility.

They are small enough (4" x5"x8"high) to set the sound stage whereveryou want it. Finished inscratch -proof, gunmetalgrey Nextel, they willlook good fora lifetime.

What Henry Kloss tells his fiends:Every time I came out with a new speaker

at AR, KLH, or Advent, my friends wouldask me, "Henry is it worth the extra moneyfor me to trade up?" And every time I wouldanswer, "No, what you've alrealy got is stillgood enough':

But today, with the introduction ofEnsemble, I tell them, "Perhaps now is thetime to give your old speakers to the children:'

Overcoming the fearof paying too little.

This is more difficult than it maysound. Because the Ensemble Systemsells for an introductory price of only$499. And it can be jarring to accept thenotion that a product actuallyoutperforms others costingseveral times more.

The second thing you mustovercome is the misdirected notionthat you must go to a dealer showroom andlisten to the speakers.

Because the fact is, the only way toappredate the astonishing sound reproductionof this unconventional system is to audition itin your own room environment. Therefore,

we sell direct to you, not to dealers.By phone, by mail, or by our

front door With a straightfor-ward 30 -day money -back

return policy.

There is a wageryou can make, Kyou don'tmind tale* moneyfrom haze guests.Place Ensemble's satellites where thole visible.

Then hide one of the bass units under the sofa,and put the other on thefror with a planton it. Whenyour filen& anive, bet themto point out where the bass is comingfrom.They'll poMt to the satellites. LVery time.

0 0 0

Speaking direct'y tothe people who make the speaker.

RI our knowledge, no other hi-fi manufac-turer invites you to call, talk about, and buy thesystem. ("Hello, Mr. Sony?" that.)

In fact, the easiest way to buy Ensemble isto call us with your credit card in hand, andspeak with an expert who will be happy to walkyou through everything you want to knowabout the system. For literature, for informa-

tion -or to order -the toll -freenumber is 1-800-252-4434,Mon.-Thurs., 9-9, Fri. andSat., 9-6 Eastern Time.(In Canada, 1-800-525-4434.)Fax # (617) 332-9229.

The Ensembk Stereo System:2 bass units, 2 satellites, 100fret of wire, mounting units,

intelligent documentation,and a warm body. ()burCambridge Soundlibrksaudio expert.)

1CAMBRIDGE SOUNDWORKS154 California St., Newton, Massachusetts 02158

Send more information and lest Reports.

Send Ensemble risk -free for 30 days, for $499.*

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MA residents add 5% sales tax.*Plus freight. Call and ask. Suite 104D

L-

Enter No. 20 on Reader Service Card

When mechanical shocks wereapplied to the stand whichthe Forte was resting on,results were excellent, soyou can dance by this unit!

E.M. LONG ASSOCIATES

ARISTON FORTE TURNTABLE

(01)

MECHANICAL IMPULSE TO EDGE OF RECORD

0.2046 SECONDS TOTAL PERIOD (200 USEC/PT)

1

E.M.LONG ASSOCIATES

ARISTON FORTE TURNTABLE

RESPONSE TO MECHANICAL SHOCK TO SUPPORT STAND

0.2046 SECONDS TOTAL PERIOD (200 USEC/PT)

(BD

Fig. 17 -Output vs. timefor mechanicalshock applied toedge of record,with stylus rest-ing in groove, totest for dampingby turntable mat.The mat doesbetter at dampingthe platter'sringing than atremoving energyfrom the record.

Fig. 19 -Output vs. timefor mechanicalshock applied tostand on whichthe turntablewas resting.Isolation isexcellent.

TSU

16

RS

312.5000 HZ CURSOR50HZ

-31.2 dBR

500HZ

ULG

5KHZ

E,M,LONG ASSOC ATES HZ DB

ARISTON FORTE TURNTABLE12.5

25.0

-19.6-19.3

SPECTRUM OF MECHANICAL IMPULSE TO ErGE OF RECORD 50.0

..,

-22.2

112.5

137.5

-30.7-34.1

225.0 -32.5 -250.0 -30.7

312.5 -31.2

ODBA10 CM/SEC

375.0512.5

-33.4 --39.6

600.01025.0

-40.8-44.1 -

1162.5 -44.9

5.014 5.00 -E,IG

Fig. 18 -Spectrum to5 kHz (averaged) ofoutput from 16 impulsesapplied to edge of record.

TSU

16

RS

137.6000 HZ CURSOR50HZ

LGHZ

-24.4 dBR

500HZ

5K

ULG

5KHZ

E,M,LONG ASSOCIATES .Z Ce

ARISTON FORTE TURNTABLE12.5

112.5-22.6-25.1

-MECHANICAL SHOCK TO STAND 137.5 -24.4 -237.5

262.5-42.8-54.2

325.0375.0

-42.9 --41.5

412.5 -51.1

-56.0 -525.0

ODB=10 CM/SEC

5.0R -A,16

Fig. 20 -Spectrum to5 kHz (averaged) ofoutput from 16 impulses

LGHZ SK

ODB

-10

-20

--30

-40

50

-60

70

-80

0DB

-10

-20

-30

-40

50

60

-70

80

applied to stand on whichthe turntable was resting.

The spectrum of the Forte turntable's wow and flutter isshown in Fig. 14. I am not sure what is causing the spectralcomponent at 6.75 Hz, but it is a little less than one-half thetonearm/cartridge resonance, which occurs at 15.8 Hz. Thetonearm resonance is responsible for the energy in therange from 10.50 to 17.25 Hz. This data shows that theAriston Forte turntable deserves to be rated very good forwow and excellent for flutter characteristics. No adversecomments were made by panel members that could becorrelated directly with these characteristics.

The Forte's pitch variation over a 40-S period is shown inFig. 15. The cyclical variations correspond to the rotationalspeed of the turntable at 331/3 rpm and occur at a rate of0.56 Hz, or 1.8 S apart. There is evidence of some higherfrequency components which caused the spikes in thewaveform, and these may be related to the 6.75 -Hz spectraloutput mentioned above. I did not try to analyze the turnta-ble drive system to determine the exact cause. The sound of

the piano, although described by one panel member asbeing "slightly wooden" for one selection, did not causeanyone to make comments which could be directly relatedto unsteadiness in tone.

The spectrum of the rumble, Fig. 16, shows a largespread of energy below the tonearm resonance, which is15.8 Hz, down to about 6 Hz. The listening panel's com-ments regarding rumble and low -frequency backgroundnoise varied from record to record, indicating that the rum-ble from the Ariston Forte was well below that of the variousrecords used for the listening evaluation.

The damping qualities of the Forte's record mat, withrespect to removal of energy from the record, are plotted inFig. 17. The output versus time is due to a single mechani-cal impulse applied to the edge of a stationary record, withthe stylus resting in a groove. The mat is only moderatelyeffective in this regard; it is really more successful in damp-ing the platter's tendency to ring than it is in removing

152 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

BACK TO THEFUTURE

CAUTION

POSY 05 ILICUIC SHOCK00 NOT OPUS

AVIS: cum 00 CHOC ILICYINIEIYAll EO MIK

ATTENTION - DISAAACSER AAAAA OE RUAILACII u WAHL( uriustaUN REIM OE SCHUSS OF SOAK PM SA 175Y

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OMIT IISOILVOIUS LICEOSSIOCONSONATIO. pour IUD THE0011000.0 11501101. Ul TRACEMAASS Of 00110 LASORATORIESMERSIN COOPIMATIOIL

At Marantz, we believe quality equipment shouldnot become obsolete every six months. Whichseparates the Century Series of audio products fromevery other line on the market. Quite simply, ourback is your system's future.

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Ortofon's X3 -MC cartridgeprovides excellent sound,and with the Ariston Fortetable and Enigma arm, youget a good performing trio.

energy from the record. The spectrum of the energy due toa series of 16 impulses, applied to the edge of the recordand averaged, is shown in Fig. 18. An energy hump in therange around 312.5 Hz could contribute to the "wooden"piano quality mentioned earlier.

The isolation afforded by the Forte's three-point springsuspension, for mechanical -induced energy due to outsideshocks, is shown in Fig. 19. A mechanical shock was ap-plied to the stand on which the turntable was resting, whilethe stylus was in a stationary record groove. The resultsshown are excellent. If in the past you've had problems withthis type of induced energy-such as shocks from walkingor even dancing in the same room as the turntable-theForte will certainly cure them. Figure 20 shows the spectrumdue to 16 mechanical shocks applied to the stand andaveraged. There are peaks of energy at 112.5 and 137.5Hz, but above about 400 Hz, the energy drops off rapidly.

Tests were also made to determine the susceptibility ofthe tested combination to acoustical feedback. The results,although not shown, indicated that isolation is excellent.

ConclusionsThe Ariston Forte turntable has a distinctively different

appearance and provides very good performance. I am notsure why Ariston decided to use a separate, though locked,main ball bearing rather than the single -piece, shaft -and -

bearing design which they pioneered. However, I can't faultthe company for this engineering decision because theturntable's rumble and wow and flutter are extremely low.This turntable is easy to use, extremely light and yet rugged,compact enough to fit in a small space, and has goodisolation from mechanically and acoustically induced ener-gy. The Enigma tonearm is also very good and certainlyeasy to use, with everything working as it should, and it hasno strange idiosyncrasies. I do wonder about the effect of itsreduced length on tracking error across the record surface,but the Enigma performed very well during the listeningevaluations.

If you compare the Measured Data Table for the OrtofonX3 -MC which accompanies this report with the Table for thesame model cartridge used with the Dual CS 5000 turntableand OPS tonearm (November 1988), you will see that thetwo samples performed a bit differently. I believe the differ-ences in the Dual OPS and Ariston Enigma tonearmscaused more subtle variations in the sound quality than didthe cartridges. Despite the slight differences in the Mea-sured Data, I regard the Ortofon X3 -MC cartridge as anexcellent value and capable of very good sound reproduc-tion. The combination of the Ariston Forte turntable, theEnigma tonearm, and the Ortofon X3 -MC cartridge providedexcellent sound. Even more important, I enjoyed listening tothe music that it reproduced. Edward M. Long

Sound waves vary from about 55 feet long at

20 Hz to 2/3 of an inch long at 20 kHz. It is for this

reason that no planar speaker using constant area(curved, angled or flat) for all frequencies can beoptimum over this 1000:1 variation in wavelength.

ACOUSTAT SPECTRA technology allows us

to implement a variable geometry electrostatic-one changing both its effective size and shape asa function of frequency.

The superiority of variable geometry has beenknown for over 50 years. The uniqueness of SPECTRAis in actualizing it at high dynamic range and neededefficiency while creating radiation patterns broadin the listening area but minimal at the side wallsemploying a mirror -image pair of arrays.

We eagerly await your listening and evaluationof this long chapter of loudspeaker history and itsimplementation in the ACOUSTAT SPECTRA.

ACOUSTAT A Division of Rockford Corporation Tempe, AZ 602-967-3565

Enter No. 1 on Reader Service Card

INTRODUCING PROOF THATWE KNOW ACCURATE SOUND

INSIDE AND OUT.PRESENTING THE NEW INDOOR/OUTDOOR

MINI ADVENT LOUDSPEAKERS.Now you can hear the traditionally natural

Advent' sound in a totally different environment.Outside.

Because our new Indoor/Outdoor Mini loud-speakers are resistant to water,humidity, heat and cold, thesound from your speakerswill be accurate, even whenthe weatherman is not

Plus, they've been designedwith the same type of featuresthat have made the Adventsound a legend indoors.Including 51/4" long throw poly-propylene woofers. Polycar-bonate hard dome tweeters.c 1988 Internabonal ,ensenArlynnt is a mnisterncf trademark n1 Intonational Jensen In,

And 120 watts peak power (165, when connectedto our Mini Subwoofer) They sound terrific bythemselves or completing a surround sound system.

Wrap it all up in sleek, black Eurostyle cabinetsthat go just about anywhere (especially when usingour optional wall and ceiling mounts), and you

have a pair of speakers that will definitelyget you out of the house more often.

To hear our Indoor/OutdoorMini loudspeakers, or any ofthe fine line of Advents(including the new Prodigy II),just step insideyour nearest Adventdealer.

DIGITAL

//ADVENT®Sound as it was meant to be heard

Enter No. 4 on Reader Service Card

AURICLE

AR TSW 115PPOWEREDLOUDSPEAKERCompany Address: 330 Turnpike

St., Canton, Mass. 02021.For literature, circle No. 94

There's something to be said for ac-tive, or powered, loudspeakers. Whenyou stop to think of it, if a manufacturerhas control over the frequency re-sponse of both the driving amplifierand the transducers being driven,through careful equalization he can domuch to produce a relatively flat overallsystem response. That's exactly theapproach AR's engineers took whenthey designed this pair of activespeakers, the TSW 115P. Actually, tobe more accurate, I would have to callthem one active and one passivespeaker, since the two channels ofpower amplification used to drive thespeakers are installed in only one ofthe two cabinets.

The enclosures themselves, attrac-tively styled with solid -hardwood wal-nut or oak tops and bottoms, blackvinyl veneer cabinets, and black grillecloths, measure only 101/2 inches highx 71/16 inches wide x 6% inchesdeep. Internal volume is only 0.12 cu-bic feet (3.34 liters). Despite this mi-nuscule internal volume, the system iscapable of delivering response downto 50 Hz (if one measures to the half -power, or -3 dB point). Drivers ineach enclosure include a 4 -inch, filledpolypropylene -cone, acoustic -suspen-sion woofer and a 3/4 -inch, titanium -dome, liquid -cooled, shielded tweeter.

A 91/2 -foot twin -conductor cable,permanently attached to the "active"speaker enclosure, terminates in a po-larized, two -pin plug that connects tothe alternate speaker. While 91/2 feet isgenerally a more than adequate dis-tance between stereo speakers, I rath-er wish that AR had left it to the user tointerconnect the speakers with a cableof his own choice and length. As mat-ters stand, if you want to have thespeakers closer together, you have tocoil up the excess cable; if you needthe speakers further apart, the only so-lution is to cut and splice the supplied,

fixed cable. Fortunately, the cable in-sulation is marked for polarity, so if youare careful, you are not likely to invertthe polarity of one speaker relative tothe other.

An 11 -foot, dual, shielded cable, ter-minated at one end with a mini stereoplug and at the other with standardRCA -type phono plugs, poses noproblems. It can easily be extended, ifnecessary, using readily available au-dio cables and female -to -female jackadaptors. This cable, of course, is in-tended for connection to your programsource, be it the outputs of a preamp,CD player, portable stereo system, ste-reo TV, or perhaps best of all, the rearchannels of a surround -sound system.

The active unit is equipped with arocker power switch, and it is thisspeaker, of course, which must beplugged into a 120-V, 60 -Hz source viaits power cord. The dual -channel amphoused in this enclosure consumes amaximum of 60 watts. Tiny dual, con-centric, input -level controls allow youto adjust the system's overall gain,even if your program source lacks itsown volume control. It took approxi-

mately 300 mV of input to drive thesystem to its maximum output. There-fore, if you hook up a CD player asyour program source, you will need toturn down the TSW 115P's level con-trols considerably, since most playersdeliver 2 V or more at maximum level.

Although the audio cables are colorcoded and the mini stereo plug deter-mines which speaker will be drivenfrom which colored plug at the otherend of the cable, it is easy enough toreverse the locations of the speakersthemselves. Either unit can becomethe left- or right -channel speaker bysimply ignoring the color coding on theterminating ends of the audio cableand reversing the normal connections.This is an added convenience, sincepositioning of the program -sourceequipment relative to the "active"speaker thus becomes less critical.

I listen to speaker systems before I

measure their performance, so I

placed the two units near the wall,mounting them on a long table with thetweeters at ear level. This is the pre-ferred listening position recommendedby AR. The two things that impressed

156 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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If you are about to assemble a new audio system, theMonitcr Series 1700 Preamplifier/Tuner deserves yourconsideration. Few tuners at any price can surpass the1700's ability to deliver excellent sound under widelyvarying reception conditions. Few preamps can matchits freedom from hum and noise, or its accurate,transparent reproduction of every audio signal.

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On the whole, the sense ofpower and space that definesa good organ recording camethrough quite well on thesesmall loudspeakers.

ISM versus F.41,11101.02 (N. 211,541-11

121. Salt

Plete;Itan Isl vs. Pre ...... 1110. 16 Watts 0211.1. 4 -alms; RR 1541-115P

2.1.

.11.111,

Mal P Ou put I e Clunnel .11-115P

Fig. 1-Frequency responseof the built-in amplifier. Note thebass boost, tailored to offsetbass roll -off on the speakers.

Fig. 2-Amplifier THD + N vs.frequency, at rated output of16 watts per channel into 4 ohms.

Fig. 3-Amplifier THD + N vs.power output per channel, at1 kHz into 4 ohms.

me most, when starting to listen to thesystem, were the amount of clean basssuch small enclosures were able todeliver and the high sound pressurelevels the system was able to achievebefore overload occurred.

I decided to do my listening tests byhooking up a portable CD player, asmany users of this system are likely todo. Among the most recently acquiredCDs in my collection are a couple ofnew Delos releases. One of these isFrench Fireworks: The Symphonic Or-gan (D/CD 3049). I figured that if anyprogram material could tax the capa-bilities of a small system such as this,the "king of instruments" certainlywould. To be sure, there was somedoubling when the lower pedal noteswere struck, but on the whole, thesense of power and space that definesa good organ recording came throughquite well. Using a sound level meter, I

measured peaks of 105 dB SPL, asclaimed by AR, with little or no distor-tion or other forms of overload.

I did find that orientation of thespeakers had a lot to do with how wellgood stereo imaging was maintained.A slight toe -in of the units, so that theyactually faced me, provided a some-what more stable stereo image thanwhen both speaker enclosures faceddirectly forward. (The owner's manualhad suggested this positioning, andAR was correct.) Another Delos disc, ABrahms/Schumann Soiree (D/CD3025), features chamber works. It of-fered an opportunity to listen to a moreintimate kind of sound, as reproducedby the TSW 115P. Here, the AR systemreally came into its own, with excellentclarity of clarinet sounds and goodtransient quality of the accompanyingpiano. The piano offers an excellentopportunity to judge spectral balance,and I was especially impressed withthe sound reproduced by this smallspeaker system.

Being an incurable lab -test fanatic, I

had to see what AR had done to theiramplifier in order to have it drive these

speakers with what seemed like excel-lent overall flat system response. Fortu-nately, the configuration of the cable,coming from the active speaker, al-lowed me to substitute a resistive loadfor the second speaker. This way, I

was able to measure the built-in ampli-fier's response as well as take a look atpower output levels and harmonic dis-tortion characteristics.

For the response test, I turned downthe level of the remaining speaker sothat I wouldn't have to listen to thesweep tone. The results of my mea-surements, done at a nominal 1 -wattlevel, are shown in Fig. 1. It is clear thatAR has deliberately shaped the re-sponse curve, below around 150 Hz, tocompensate for the natural roll -off ofthe 4 -inch driver. Bass boost in theamplifier begins at about that frequen-cy and reaches a maximum of around7 or 8 dB at 80 Hz.

While no load impedance is speci-fied, it became clear that the amplifierwas designed to deliver its maximumpower into 4 -ohm loads. So, setting myresistive load to this value, I measureddistortion as a function of frequency,for a constant output of 16 watts perchannel. Since I wanted to drive bothchannels for this test-one driving myresistive 4 -ohm load, the other drivingthe actual loudspeaker-I used earprotectors. The results are shown inFig. 2. At 1 kHz, THD + N was 0.55%,rising to 0.8% at 20 kHz and to justover 1% at 50 Hz, the acknowledgedlower frequency limit of the system.Finally, using a 1 -kHz test signal, I

measured THD + N versus power out-put. Distortion was around 0.1% foroutput levels below 4 watts per chan-nel, rising gradually to the previouslymeasured 0.55% level at the rated out-put of 16 watts per channel (Fig. 3).

The AR TSW 115P, at $400 per pair,is certainly no substitute for largerspeaker systems, nor would I considerit suitable as the primary speaker/am-plifier combination in my stereo sys-tem. Nevertheless, where secondaryspeakers are required for surround -sound applications, or where space isat a premium-as in a bedroom, den,or vacation home-the AR TSW 115Poffers not only an acceptable but anexcellent alternative to the totally unac-ceptable "boom box."

Leonard Feldman

158 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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ROCK/POP RECORDINGS

SIMPLE FOLK

Folkways-A Vision Shared: VariousArtistsColumbia CK 44034, CD.Sound: B Performance: B

Folkways-A Vision Shared is billedas "A Tribute to Woody Guthrie andLeadbelly." It is a benefit album to helpThe Smithsonian Institution market itscatalog of Folkways Records, whoserights it recently acquired from the es-tate of Folkways founder Moses Asch.

The 14 selections are rendered by awildly varied group of performers serv-ing up songs by both great artists.Some of the best are U2's version of"Jesus Christ," which Guthrie wrote tothe tune of "Jesse James"; Taj Mahal's"Bourgeois Blues," in which he mimicsLeadbelly's memorable style on guitarand piano as well as vocals; EmmylouHarris' tender read of Woody's "Hobo'sLullabye," where she is joined by MarkO'Connor's eloquent fiddle; Bob Dyl-an's terrific cover of Woody's "PrettyBoy Floyd," and Bruce Springsteen'selectric version of Guthrie's "VigilanteMan." Bruce also gives us a douracoustic version of "I Ain't Got NoHome," while Sweet Honey in theRock's five female a cappella voices

mix beautifully for two Leadbellysongs, "Sylvie" and "Gray Goose." Lit-tle Richard's ride on the "Rock IslandLine," backed by Fishbone, is a puregoof. Depending on your view, you caneither take this cut as a delight or anatrocity. I like it. Arlo Guthrie does astraight -ahead version of the cowboyballad "East Texas Red," a song hisfather loved but never recorded. JohnMellencamp and his band on "Do ReMi" is somewhat sloppy and not fullygelled, and the Willie Nelson renditionof "Philadelphia Lawyer," while pleas-ant, feels almost like a throwaway.

That leaves only two clinkers to com-plete the set. Brian Wilson doing"Goodnight Irene" seems like an in-spired idea on paper, especially con-sidering The Beach Boys once record-ed a wonderful version of "CottonFields." But in practice, it does notwork; Wilson sounds profoundly un-comfortable. The finale, "This Land isYour Land," is a perfect choice, yet it isfar from the best version Pete Seegerhas recorded. Inexplicably, he omitsthe song's most pointed verse, the oneabout the sign that reads private prop-erty while "On the other side it didn'tsay nothing."

It should be no surprise that there isa whole lot of heart in most of theperformances. As an entity, Folkwayswill probably mean the most to listen-ers who are not very familiar with thesongs of Guthrie and Leadbelly (eachof whom is given a selected discogra-phy in the liner notes). For those al-ready aware of the originals, the albumwill be little more than pleasant enter-tainment.

My greatest reservation about theset is that I don't feel the canons ofGuthrie and Leadbelly mix all that wellhere. Granted, each is represented byboth whimsical and politically pointedsongs, but the total package feelsforced. The pairing of the two seemsmore convenient than anything else,since Guthrie and Leadbelly are sort ofthe twin titans of both folk music andthe Folkways catalog. A separate vol-ume for each might have been moreaesthetically satisfying, but it surelywould have been a less viable ideacommercially.

Still, the grand intentions and the al-bum's musical variety carry the dayand make Folkways-A Vision Shareda Compact Disc well worth gettingclose to. Michael Tearson

160 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

December CDs of Note:

OTHERDECEMBER

BROADWAY'

HOLLYWOODCD RELEASES:

DORIS DAY"Day At

The Movies"JULIE ANDREA('

"Little EitOf Broadway'

HOLLYWOOD MAG ('1950s and 1960s

"Finian's Rainbow""Kiss Me Kat.'

"Bells Are Ringing

On record, noone's been inand out of lovemore often inthe past 25years thanBARBRASTREISAND.

On the other hand, no one'sbeen more consistently suc-cessful in sales: Streisand hashad 36 certified gold albums,more than any other star. Herlatest, "Till I Loved You" (featur-ing the hit duet with DONJOHNSON), is Streisand's firststudio album in three years.Including Barbra's inimitablerendition of "All I Ask Of You"from The Phantom Of TheOpera, "Till I Loved You" is sureto keep love songs (and out -of -love songs) in style for at leastanother 25 years.

Don't be alarm-ed: De sp i tethe title, "Every-thing's DifferentNow," 'TILTU ESDAY'sthird albumbuilds on all thethings you loved

in the group's first two smashhit albums. And of course thatincludes lead singer/bassistAimee Mann's ethereal voiceand 'Til Tuesday's hauntinglyunique sound and unusuallypowerful lyrics. And in additionto all that, "Everything's DifferentNow" also includes a song called"The Other End (Of The Tele-scope)," not to mention 'Til Tues-day's new hit single, "(BelievedYou Were) Lucky."

IN AND OUT

OF LOVE WITH

BARBRA

THRICE IN LOVE

WITH AIMEE

A STAR IN STEREO

THE BANGLES IN

EVERYTHING

The new BROADWAY BESTVALUE CDs continue to opento raves. Including the first -time -ever stereo version of JUDYGARLAN D's A Starts Born, thisis a series selected-and priced-to seduce every Broadway andHollywood musical addict intorejuvenating their collection.The titles range from rarities likeSondheim's Anyone Can Whis-tle to standards like My FairLady and West Side Story. Nowwith 46 releases in total, includ-ing 17 new releases, the Broad-way Best Value Series has some-thing for practically everybody,a good thing to remember withthe holidays approaching.

And speaking ofthe holidays, theBANGLES areon their way tobecoming asenduring a tra-dition as silverbells and mistletoe. Now readyto dominate the charts for thethird December in a row, theband's latest collection of irre-sistible four-part harmonies andpop -rock wisdom makes the per-fect gift for someone who thinksthey have"Everything." Becausechances are, they won't have"Everything," which is, of course,the Bangles' new album. Theirmost mature-and varied-re-cording yet, "Everything" willappeal to everybody.

For at IBM ' computer thskette contaimog the complete catabg of CBS Compact Discs. send 82 for postage and tlandfing to CESCD, Box 257 Garxood, NJ 0702, "Color.ba: "CBS- are trademarks of CBS Inc 01988 CBS Records Inc

1988 CBS 800 )rds Iris

What makes Stealin Horsesunusual is that, much likeBruce Hornsby & The Range,the group is song -orientedrather than riff -driven.

Stealin HorsesArista ARCD-8520, CD.Sound: B+ Performance: A -

lf, as I have always believed, there isalways a place on the charts for well -written, well -executed music, thenStealin Horses has a bright future be-fore them. The band is based aroundthe duo of Kiya Heartwood-who singslead, plays acoustic rhythm guitar, andwrites most of the songs-and drum-mer Kopana Terry, who sings harmo-nies and occasionally co -writes withKiya. What makesthis group unusual isthat they are song -oriented rather thanriff -driven, much in the way of BruceHornsby & The Range. Indeed, theirgreatest strengths are the consistentlystrong songwriting, Kiya's singing, andGreg Ladanyi's excellent production.

There is a lot of substantial songwrit-ing on Stealin Horses. The lyrics tendto tell stories that most often take placein rural areas, far away from the bigcities. "Where All the Rivers Run" isabout a romance with a ranch hand;"Walk Away" focuses on a woman hav-ing trouble working her farm and mak-ing ends meet, and "Ballad of the Prall-town Cafe" tells how people felt whenthe town fathers closed down a hiphangout "for being too loud andblack." The little details Kiya puts intothe songs give them added verisimili-tude. The refrain of "Tangled," for in-stance, paints a vivid portrait of a wom-an who meets her lover while he ishitchhiking; she sings of "a strangefascination with his cotton shirts/hiswhiskey on the arrows." "Turnaround"may be the very best cut, with itshaunting melody shouting determina-tion while the words tell of desperatelytrying to patch up a wounded relation-ship. Even as poppish-sounding a

song as "Gotta Get a Letter to You,'which revolves around a one-nightstand at the end of a bus ride throughDelaware, has something to say.

Stylistically, Kiya's singing recallsthe Wilson sisters of Heart, but it is notnearly as hard edged or brittle. Kiyalikes to cuddle her lyrics romantically,with a winsome twist of phrasing or asoft passage that is more spoken thansung.

Ladanyi's production is superb. Hehas done an excellent job of gettingeverything the songs offer onto tape.He employed some of L.A.'s best play-ers to back the Nashville -based duo.Waddy Wachtel's co -production cred-its are well earned on "Turnaround,""Walk Away," and "Where All the Riv-ers Run," which he helped arrangeand to which he added extraordinarilyvivid and inventive guitar work. Else-where, Danny Kortchmar, Steve Lu-kather, Steve Dukes, and group member Mandy Mayer add guitars; BobGlaub, Mike Porcaro, and Leland Sklarsplit bass chores; Russ Kunkel andJ.R. Robinson augment Kopana Terryon drums; Jai Winding covers key-board parts, and Neil Young adds hisdistinctive harmonica sound to "HarrietTubman." Kiya and Kopana do all theharmonies in a tight style that recallsEverly Brothers harmony. Driving homethat their origins are folky, the grouphas opted to leave the finale, "Prall-town Cafe," as an acoustic numberbacked by a single guitar.

Kiya Heartwood shows that she caneffectively sing warm and smooth-ortough. She is a real find as a songwrit-er, too. Her special sympatico withpartner Kopana Terry is keen, and it isobvious that a real good time was hadin making this record the impressivedebut that it is. Michael Tearson

Heavy Nova: Hobert PalmerEMI -Manhattan E1-48057, CD.

This is one hell of an album. OnHeavy Nova, his tenth solo LP and hisdebut EMI disc, Robert Palmer rocksviciously, croons liltingly, and prac-tices an eclecticism well beyond thereach of most current -day rockers. In-veterate Palmer fans-and they are le-gion-know that his cool, be -suited ve-neer belies a passionate, explosive en-ergy. On this album, which he de-scribes as "heavy metal meets bossanova," the singer lets fly with some ofthe toughest, tightest sounds to befound on record.

The opener, "Simply Irresistible,"blows out all the stops, from the syn-thesizer notes rocketing between leftand right channels to the razor-sharpguitar work and ominous, thunderousdrum. This one is big, but it doesn'tsuffer from overkill. There's subtlety inthe brilliant edgings of acoustic pianoand in the holes of silence that let youknow Palmer and his crew are totally incontrol. And what a crew! Around hisnucleus band-Eddie Martinez, DonyWynn, Frank Blair, and William Bry-ant-revolves a small galaxy of musi-cal stars, among them Garth Hudsonand Rick Danko (The Band), Dom UrnRomao, Clare Fischer. and T -BoneWolk. Matching the star power of thisgathering is some glittering productionwork by Palmer himself.

162 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

More ForMy Money

I'd always thought you needed bigspeakers to get good sound. So everycouple of years, some departmentstore would have a sale and I wouldbuy the biggest speakers I could findfor the money. Then I moved acrossthe country to take a new job. I leftmy old speakers behind. I was surethey wouldn't fit in my new apart-ment and I was ready for new onesanyway.

After the move, I went shop-ping for new speakers at a specialtyhi-fi store near my apartment. I toldthe salesman to show me somethingunder $500. He took me into a roomfull of all kinds and sizes of speakers.

The first speakers he demon-strated were fantastic. The bass wasbig and tight. The stereo image wasbeautiful. Surely it was the biggestpair in the room.

"I don't have the room forthose big speakers," I said. "Andbesides, I'm sure I can't afford them."

He stopped the demonstrationto show me a KLIPSCH' acompact and elegant model. "Yeah,this is more my size," I said, "let'shear a pair of these."

"You just did," he said.I bought those kg's. I paid a

lot less than I had planned. And,believe me, I got a lot more for mymoney.

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There is a surprising diversity of ma-terial included here. In sharp contrastwith the all-out rockers is "It CouldHappen to You," the old Jimmy VanHeusen/Johnny Burk standard whichPalmer croons in a slow, smoky man-ner that would make Peggy Lee proud."Change His Ways" is an oddballblend of South African beat, Arcadianguitars, hillbilly accordion, and somehonest -to -god authentic yodelling fromPalmer. "Between Us" is the singer'shomage to the lilting, poetic Braziliantradition as practiced by one of itsmasters, Joao Gilberto.

Heavy Nova is a thoroughly remark-able offering. It is exciting, intelligent,sexy, blistering, disturbing, amusing,charming, and altogether brilliant. 'Nuffsaid. Paulette Weiss

Sur La Mer: Moody BluesPolydor 835 756-1, LP.Sound: B - Performance: C +

The Moody Blues return in sleeker -than -ever modern dress to face theend of the '80s with Sur La Mer. Smart -

mysterious barricades liessomewhere between rockand a soft place, whichshould come as no surpriseto fans of Andy Summers.

ly produced by ace veteran progres-sive Tony Visconti at his Good EarthStudios in London, the Moodies areinstantly recognizable yet up to date.One curiosity is immediately apparent.Flutist Ray Thomas is listed as a groupmember, although he does not appearat all on the record. Nor does he con-tribute to the songwriting, all of whichis the work of either Justin Hayward,John Lodge, or both.

The album opener, "I Know You'reOut There Somewhere," is typicalMoody Blues-wistful and wishful-butat 61/2 minutes, it goes on too long. Theedit for the single, down to 41/2 min-utes, feels better. Heavily laden withsynthesizers and sequencers, "Riverof Endless Love" has a big oomphysound that I'm sure fares better on CDthan LP. It has a nice sax part by MelCollins. "No More Lies" is a pretty "let'smake up" song that is slower in tempo.Hayward's "Vintage Wine" celebratesthe group's glory days of the '60s,when they were already cosmic rock-ers but not veteran cosmic rockers. Itis a wallow, to be sure, but a nice one.

"Miracle" sounds positively dance -floor friendly, a peculiar thing to sayabout a Moody Blues song, but thesong feels peculiar, too. I found it an-noying.

Thematically and sonically, the Moo -dies play it safe on Sur La Mer. Theirsole (small) risk is in attempting tosound '80s through programmeddrums and various synth sounds. It is asolid effort that I suspect will pleasetheir fans. The danger is that their fa-miliar sound borders on formula, andthat line is often obliterated here.

Michael Tearson

mysterious barricades: Andy Sum-mersPrivate Music 2039-2-P, CD.Sound: A Performance: C

Between rock and a soft place iswhere you'll find Andy Summers' mys-terious barricades, and you can forgetthe "rock," if you have his last Police -like album in mind. Gone are the clev-erly crafted pop songs, in favor of NewAge atmospherics, on this series ofduets with keyboardist David Hent-schel.

As New Age, mysterious barricadesis allied more with the orchestral, PhilipGlass -like musings of Robert Fripp andBill Nelson. Washes of sound and re-peating arpeggios float over minimalistchord changes in songs entitled "redballoon," "luna," "emperor's laststraw," and "in praise of shadows."Rhythmically speaking, the most inter-esting tune is the sombre "train song,"which is alleviated somewhat with theuse of percussion.

The sonics of this CD are fine, al-though aside from a heavy reliance ondigital -delay effects, the sound isplaced very close to the speakers, with

'64 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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HEIMIIMML>

I'm Your Man may not bethe best Leonard Cohenalbum ever, but it isa haunting work that'snot easily forgotten.

very little use of the spatial potentialwhich cou:d have added dimension tothis kind of musical approach. Textur-alism has always been Summers' in-strumental forte, so this excursion intoairiness should come as no surprise toany long-time listeners. And it is nodoubt difficult for an artist like Sum-

mers to break away from the Policelegacy. If you like ethereal backgroundmusic, you'll find mysterious barricades pleasant enough. Howeverthese musical barricades have beenbroken down too often before to makethis album particularly original ornoteworthy. Michael Wright

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Tlx 205864

I'm Your Man: Leonard CohenColumbia CK 44191, CD.Sound: B Performance: B

People automatically associateLeonard Cohen with depressingsongs, "songs to slit your wrist to," asmore than one wag has called them.It's a bad rap. Like Byron or Shelley,Leonard Cohen is a romantic of thefirst order. His songs and poetry delveinto intense beauty, often as found inthe dark and seedy aspects of life. Asa line from his early song "Suzanne"went, he "shows you where to lookamong the garbage and the flowers."Just because his voice is gruff and thecolors of his music dark, does notmean that he is miserably sad or dour.

I'm Your Man is his most aggressive-ly produced album and has the mostcosmopolitan sound. This is madeclear from the first flush of the crack-ling energy that propels the opener,"First We Take Manhattan." Any linger-ing doubts about Cohen's romanticismare swept away by "Ain't No Cure forLove," in which the singer cannotimagine being free of love's grasp. (In-cidentally, these two songs first ap-peared on Jennifer Warnes' extraordi-nary collection of Cohen songs, Fa-mous Blue Raincoat. Jennifer, who hasworked with Leonard for over a de-cade, on records and in concert, lendsher wonderful and startling support vo-cals to five of the eight songs here.)

Exotic instrumental textures have al-ways been a part of Leonard Cohen'sart, and I'm Your Man is no exception,with John Bilezikjian's oud on "Every-body Knows," Raffi Hakopian's gypsyviolin on "Take This Waltz" (a songbased on a Federico Garcia Lorcapoem), and the nervous percussionand jazz piano solo by Jeff Fisher on"Jazz Police."

A dry, bizarre humor suffuses Co -hen's work, most notably in "First WeTake Manhattan," "Jazz Police," andbest of all, the finale, "Tower of Song."Then there's the black -and -white coverphoto of a nattily attired, thoughtfulLeonard Cohen, standing in a nearlydeserted train station with a half -eatenbanana in his hand.

I'm Your Man surely is not the bestLeonard Cohen album ever, but it is ahaunting work that is not easily putaside or forgotten. Michael Tearson

166 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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CLASSICAL RECORDINGS

RENAISSANCE REVELATION

Gesualdo: Madrigals for FiveVoices. Les Arts Florissants: WilliamChristie.Harmonia Mundi HMC-90.1268, CD.

The Renaissance artist has always,to many an onlooker these three andfour centuries later, occupied a spot inthe spectrum of temperament thatranges from the blandly pious to thewildly hedonistic. Carlo Gesualdo,Principe di Venosa (circa 1561-1613),quivered rather at the spicy end of thescale. Where some artists had steamyinterludes in normal working lives, thisunpredictable, ambiguous prince siz-zled and flamed all through a ructious40 -odd years. His first wife's unfaithful-ness with a highly placed duke-thelady had discernment, at least!-ledhim to take out a murder contract onher. It was fulfilled in 1590, in the bestof Neapolitan manners. Turnabout wasfair enough for Gesualdo, evidently,because his second nuptial attemptdid not keep the man from sowing hisown oats in noble and ignoble places.So much so, in fact, that his wife'sfamily, nobles all and noble -minded,wanted to free her of him. When sheconfessed to a lingering fondness forher wayward spouse, though, they re-lented. She even wrote copiously of

her sorrow at his death . .. it seemsthings got a bit dull without his tempes-tuous presence.

And so much of this is mirrored inthe music! In an age that specialized intailoring melody and harmony to everyhue, shade, sentiment, and passion ofsplendid texts, Gesualdo, an uncom-monly versatile connoisseur of classi-cal and contemporary arts and litera-ture, excelled. At a time that saw dra-ma from poetry and the feverishly ac-tive court intrigues from Venice tofar-off Naples, this composer simplyseethed with a passion that imbues hismusic. A fair amount of which survivesintact, thank heavens-with fire, con-trast, oxymoronic juxtaposition of op-posing images for maximum rhetoricaleffect, and an expressivity that defeatsanalysis. Gesualdo's flesh -and -bloodlife imposed severe strains on the so-cial and familial fabric that cloaked hisaristocratic (and therefore quite visi-ble) career. Small wonder, then, thatthe music he left, so viscerally aliveand straining at the bounds of system-atic composition, should prove a clothtoo challenging for many of today's fineperformers.

No such disappointment, though,comes from a first encounter with thefive -part madrigali on this 55 -minute

Harmonia Mundi CD. William Christie'sgroup comprises seven vocalists andthree accompanying instrumentalists(on lute, Renaissance harp, and lyr-one, a smallish bass viol with sympa-thetic strings alla viola d'amore). Theirrendering of Gesualdo's work is ofstunning ensemble, with impressivewarmth and sympathy for this chal-lenging musical fare. They often un-leash vibrato as an expressive device,which might have some straight -toneenthusiasts writhing but is, in thisheadlong, love -besotted, death -en-chanted assemblage of 17 madrigals,sheer magic. It is really pointless tosingle out any one of the performancesfor attention. As a traversal of Gesual-do's astonishing art-yes, astonishingeven to our jaded ears-this album byLes Arts Florissants is a stunner.

The sound capture is by the inimita-ble Jean -Francois Pontefract, who un-fortunately left HM France earlier thisyear. He is the man whose extraordi-narily consistent and transparent re-cordings have made Harmonia Mun-di's catalog such a treasure house forthe music -loving audiophile. Thesound is open, full, vivid, and superim-posed on a somewhat unreverberant,uncolored acoustic that is a good dealless resonant than in most HM albums.However, there is no sense of theclaustrophobic closeness that too-

, small spaces impart to any acousticmusic. Superb annotation accompa-nies the full texts of the madrigals inFrench, English, German, and Italian.

A final note: If you are already tiredof the white, pure sound of the TallisScholars, you will discover that, in-deed, there are vocal groups breath-ing irresistible life into Renaissancemusic. This Arts Florissants CD will bea revelation. Christopher Greenleaf

Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 25, 28,and 29. Prague Chamber Orchestra,Sir Charles Mackerras.Telarc CD -80165, CD.Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 40 and 41("Jupiter"). Prague Chamber Orches-tra, Sir Charles Mackerras.Telarc CD -80139, CD.

Telarc has chosen an ideal group ofperformers from Mozart's favorite city,Prague (where he won his only real"rave reviews"), to make these record -

168 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

uc

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M&K Sound is at the cuttingedge in both loudspeaker andrecording technology. RealTimeRecords (and its associated labelPerpetua Records) has been avital part of our company since1974. We helped pioneer bothdirect -to -disc and digital record-ing, and, in 1983, we were thefirst U.S. label to release digitalCompact Discs.

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Each M&K Satellite has theunique and uncanny ability toreproduce the sharp transientsand presence of live musical

instruments. Close your eyes,and the speakers will seem todisappear. In their place, you'llhear instruments in a wide anddeep three-dimensional space,reproduced with a precision thathas astounded the most experi-enced audio reviewers. Above all,the sound is live.

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worldwide have discovered deepbass by adding an M&K Subwooferto their systems. Even withoutM&K Satellites, an M&K PoweredSubwoofer, with its own internalamplifier, will make your music orvideo source come alive, addingmuch deeper bass response anda greater tactile sense of "punch"and "impact" to the sound.

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Sir Charles Mackerras ispersuasive and works hardin his Mozart restylings,but much is lost in themonotonous, rigid tempi.

ings. Prague is a city in which, despiterecent politics, the central tradition ofEuropean music continues at a veryhigh level. But the Telarc choice ofconductor is, for my ears, unfortunate.

It is not the very fast tempi, the rea-soning for which is given succinctly inthe booklet of notes. The music proba-bly was done fast, and a whole lotfaster than the ponderous big -sympho-ny versions of the earliest electrical re-cordings (and the then -current "live"performances). This may shock someears still, though we have alreadyspeeded most of the classic repertorytoward a less heavily Romantic bias.What bothers me throughout these fiveworks is a remarkable rigidity of tempo,straight through like a machine, withnever the slightest "give" for momentsof special import and expressive-ness-even for beginnings and end-ings of major sections. I hate to say so,but this starts to sound like pop musicor, rather, the "beautiful music" of athousand background stations. (Per-haps it was that way-performance atsome sort of "Casino" was a possiblemotive in the composition!)

Sir Charles would seem to be verypersuasive and hard working in theserestylings. But those who know howsuch works are made-how there areindeed extraordinary moments of ten-sion, of transition, of return to an open-ing theme-will hear these lost in themonotonous and rigid tempi. Whateverthe style, there has to be some give,some sort of recognition for these mo-ments.

On the other hand, it is simply im-possible to force these Prague players

170

into any sort of hard performance.They play warmly and beautifully aswell as with remarkable accuracy. Nosingle phrase is just played; all areshaped, melodious, and fluent. Thatredeems the recordings, decidedly.

. Still, at times, I am reminded of thoseelectronic language speeder -uppersthat hasten the spoken word withoutchanging its contours.

Edward Tatnall Canby

Nielsen: Symphony No. 5. SwedishRadio Symphony Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen.CBS MK -44547, CD.

Esa-Pekka Salonen continues histraversal of the Carl Nielsen sympho-nies with this brilliant, propulsive, andinsightful performance of the Fifth Sym-phony, surely the most satisfying re-cording since the legendary LeonardBernstein LP in the late '60s.

Those not familiar with Nielsen's FifthSymphony may find the jagged com-plexities of much of his scoring a littleintimidating, but this orchestral tour deforce is endlessly fascinating. In fact,the liner notes tell of a 1924 Stockholmperformance conducted by Nielsen atwhich concert -goers staged a near riot(reminiscent of the infamous riot in Par-is at the 1913 premiere of Stravinsky's"Rite of Spring"). In Stockholm, the au-dience fled the hall, "appalled by theostinato clarinet, insistent snare drum,

and cacophonous effects of the firstmovement."

Salonen gets inspired playing fromthe Swedish Radio Symphony Orches-tra, and he provides a finely detailed,yet cohesive view of the very convolut-ed orchestration. A worthwhile filler onthis CD are some excerpts from Niel-sen's opera, "Masquerade."

The sound is superb, with greatpresence and dynamics, and a mostnatural perspective, affording greatfront -to -back depth in the spaciousacoustics of Stockholm's Berwald Hall.

Bert Whyte

Bartok: Sonata for Two Pianos & Per-cussion. Murray Perahia and SirGeorg Solti, pianos; David Corkhill andEvelyn Glennie, percussion.CBS MK -42625, CD.

At first glance, it might seem odd topair young piano virtuoso Murray Pera-hia with 75 -year -old Sir Georg Solti, thecelebrated conductor of the ChicagoSymphony Orchestra. in Bartok's de-manding "Sonata for Two Pianos &Percussion." The complex scoring ofthis -work, with its intricate rhythmicpermutations. requires the two pianiststo be absolutely precise in synchroniz-ing their instruments. while at the sametime integrating their playing with thepercussion.

Sir Georg, with his Hungarian origin,has always provided splendid perfor-mances of countryman Bela Bart6k's

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

Christmas neversounded like this before!

The Special Olympics Christmas Album15 Christmas Classics byThe Pointer Sisters Eurythmics WhitneyHouston The Pretenders Bruce Springsteen& The E. St. Band John Cougar Mellencamp Sting Run - D.M.C. Madonna U2 Bryan Adams Bon Jovi Bob Seger & TheSilver Bullet Band

All profits from the sale of this collection willbe donated to the Special Olympics.

An Exclusive ULMID!3C -Release FrommolefidelltYSound lab

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Also Available On ULL1i1D!3C-Pink Floyd. Dark Sice of the Moon Blind Faith Steely Dan:Aja Jethro Tull: Thick As A Brick Cat Stevens: Tea For TheTillermanFor a complete, free Original Master Recording catalog, callToll Free 800-423-5759, or write Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab,1260 Holm Rd.. Petaluma, CA 94952.

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On the most ingratiatingof Ravel's works, conductorArmin Jordan has elicitedsympathetic accompanimentsfrom the orchestra.

music. Although he rarely steps out-side his conductorial role. this record-ing showcases him as a performer. in aventure that is obviously a labor oflove. Listening to this superlative re-cording allays any fears that Sir Georgmight not have been able to keep pacewith the formidable talents of Perahia.In fact. Sir Georg and Perahia perfectlycomplement each other. both display-ing the sure, clean touch, good articu-lation. and precise timing so essentialin this work, Their performance is excit-ing and propulsive, with very broaddynamic expression. The gifted per-cussionists, David Corkhill and EvelynGlennie, provide a wholly integratedaccompaniment, and their precision isexemplary.

This CD was recorded in the Malt-ings in Snape, England. a venue oftenused by London/Decca for taping the'music of Benjamin Britten. The hall isof fairly modest size and is used forsmaller -scaled works. Tony Faulkner, atop-flight British recording engineerwho is a staunch advocate of simple,purist microphone techniques, has giv-en us a stunning sound. The pianosand percussion are perfectly placed inthe hall, providing a magical blend ofhigh instrumental definition wrapped ina lovely, warm ambience. The transientattack of both pianos and percussionis utterly clean and instantaneous, withthe punctuations of the xylophone pos-itively explosive!

In the filler work, Brahms' "Variationon a Theme by Haydn for Two Pianos,"the performance of Perahia and Solti isequally compelling. The sound of thepianos is richly resonant, very full, andwonderfully projected-one of themost realistic I have heard on a record-ing. This disc is highly recommended.

Bert Whyte

Ravel: Two Concertos. Suisse Ro-mande Orchestre, Armin Jordan; Fran-cois -Rene Duchable, piano; RachaelYakar, soprano.Erato ECD-75323, CD.

If you have a penchant for the musicof Ravel, you will delight in this gener-ous 66 -minute CD of some of his mostingratiating works. The great "Concer-to in D Major for Piano (left hand) andOrchestra" is coupled with the effer-vescent "Concerto in G Major for Piano

172

and Orchestra," the dazzling "Tzi-gane," and the lovely vocal/orchestralpoems of "Sheherazade."

Pianist Francois -Rene Duchable pro-vides a powerful and evocative ac-count of the piano concertos, while vio-linist Pierre Amoyal displays his virtu-osity in the florid complexities of "Tzi-gane." Soprano Rachael Yakar has anexceptionally clean, pure tone, and herlovely, poignant performance of "She-herazade" is quite memorable. Con-ductor Armin Jordan has elicited well -played and sympathetic accompani-ments from the Suisse Romande Or-chestre. This disc was recorded in thefelicitous acoustics of Victoria Hall inGeneva, the venue frequently used byLondon/Decca for many of their won-derful Ernest Ansermet/Suisse Ro-mande recordings. Here, the balancesbetween piano, violin, and voice are infine musical perspective, and thesound is clean and well defined, withexpressive dynamics. Bert Whyte

Charles Ives: Piano Sonata No. 2.Herbert Henck, piano.Wergo WER 60080-50, CD. (Availablefrom Harmonia Mundi, 3364 SouthRobertson Blvd., Los Angeles, Cal.90034.)

Sound: B- Performance: B+A glance at the Schwann catalog

shows Herbert Henck to be somethingof a specialist in the piano music of

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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Ives' Piano Sonata No. 2is full of schizophrenicjuxtapositions of moodsand idioms, but pianistHenck stays easily apace.

Charles Ives. A refreshing observation,when viewed from historical perspec-tive, since Henck and Wergo both hailfrom Germany. Would that more of ournative composers were recognized in-ternationally.

In his very detailed liner note, thepianist explains that "Piano Sonata No.

2, Concord, Mass., 1840-1860" issubtitled for the place and time thatthe Transcendentalist movementreached its height. The figures forwhom the four sonata movementsare named-Emerson, Hawthorne, theAlcotts, and Thoreau-were, accord-ing to Henck, leaders of the Transcen-

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dentalist school of thought. Henck ar-gues that the Sonata was derived fromthe ideals of Transcendentalism thatIves espoused.

Certainly it was inspired by the NewEngland town of Concord and by thefour American writer/philosopher/poetswho lived and worked in its environs:The thorny "Emerson," the fantastic"Hawthorne," the home -and -hearth"Alcotts," the mystical "Thoreau."Each movement is distinctive yet con-nected through recurring motifs, themost prevalent of which is the openingfour notes of Beethoven's Fifth Sym-phony.

Ives' schizophrenic juxtapositions ofmoods and idioms run rampantthroughout, and Henck stays apacewith little trouble. Originally thought ofas an orchestral piece, the first move-ment's compressed textures aredense, its engulfing sweep often wild.But there are also moments of quietresolution and, in Henck's capablehands, even tenderness.

"Hawthorne" is a scherzo that cangrow as wild as its predecessor, butwith a lighter touch. The vernacular ismost easily discernible here, ashymns, marches, and ragtime synco-pations wander through as if on theirway home from a previous engage-ment. Henck's skillfully placed upper -register tone clusters suggest a higher,perhaps even a spiritual, plane ofcommentary.

"The Alcotts" provides a welcome re-spite from all this activity. Henck doesmuch to bring out the movement's reli-gious and therapeutic beauty but fallsshort of bringing it home to a warm,New England hearth, the virtual symbolof its namesake. The piano, whichsounds slightly the worse for wear in"Hawthorne," is, in this movement, no-ticeably in need of tuning.

The mysticism of "Thoreau" links it

most directly with the spirit of Tran-scendentalism, though its contempla-tive, inner calm is occasionally threat-ened by fleet fits of nervous energy.

The recorded sound is fine, if occa-sionally shallow: Henck's capable in-terpretations do not sound as expan-sive in the lower registers, nor as crispin the upper, as they might. Still, thisdocumentation of a contemporarymasterwork is well worth owning.

Susan Elliott

174 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

Are you hearing only 4/5thsof Beethoven's Fifth?

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JAZZ & BLUES

MORE CONIFER THAN COLTRANE

Destiny's Song + The Image of Pur-suance: Courtney PineAntilles/New Directions 90697-2, CD.Sound: B+ Performance: A -

Radical shifts in music used to bethe stuff of controversy in jazz, thingslike the be -bop revolution reacting toswing, free jazz reacting to the stric-tures of be -bop, fusion reacting to theinflux of rock. This was what controver-sy used to be about-movements thatunseated the established order of jazz,with musicians like Charlie Parker,Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, andMiles Davis forcing listeners to rede-fine their criteria.

But in the tepid '80s, controversy hastaken the form of Wynton Marsalis' re-run of the bop traditions and the BlueNote standards, and now CourtneyPine's recharging of energy music.Pine, who was only 23 when he record-ed this album, is a British saxophonistwho has been likened to John Coltraneand Wayne Shorter. These compari-sons have been a double-edgedsword, however, praising his abilitiesand sources on one hand and labellinghim a clone on the other.

Certainly the Coltrane reference isapt. From the opening solo tenor notes

of "Beyond the Thought of My LastReckoning," you're taken back to ALove Supreme and Live at the VillageVanguard, two of Coltrane's epochalrecordings. Pine sings out with thesame muscular authority and focusedpassion. His solos have a determinedthrust. No matter how many twists andturns they take, Pine is always movingfull -throttle toward his destination withsingle-minded purpose. Destiny'sSong is only Pine's second solo re-cording, but already he's laying thefoundation for the future.

"Guardian of the Flame" is a spin-ning, tumbling foray, with Pine anddrummer Mark Mondesir heading pell-mell into uncharted sonic tunnels. On"Prismic Omnipotence" he slices side-ways and back, like an avenging angeltumbling scales in a tenor squall. Mon-desir is clearly Pine's alter ego, playingthe Elvin Jones to his John Coltrane,stoking a burning furnace of rhythm.But Pine isn't all storm and fury. Hecourageously takes on TheloniousMonk's "'Round Midnight" completelysolo. And his soprano sound, unlikeColtrane's eastern whine, is sweet andlyrical on "The Vision."

The album was produced by yet an-other Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, and

the sound is direct and uncluttered,although perhaps a bit too heavy onthe reverb. Pine's placement, hard leftin the stereo mix, is a suspect tech-nique. If the intent was to make thismore an ensemble record than a starvehicle, it failed. Pine is just too over-powering, and pianist Julian Joseph, inparticular, never really keeps up. Hissolo on "Prismic Omnipotence" is sim-ply obliterated by the echo of Pine'sprevious dervish whirl.

Yes, Courtney Pine does harkenback to Coltrane, but with the sanitizedsaxes of Kenny G, Kirk Whalum, andNajee, invoking the spirit of Coltranedoesn't sound like such a bad idea-especially when that invocation in-cludes the passion and individualitythat Pine brings to his music. Pine is amusician engaged in an adventuroussearch, and so far it's pretty exciting.

John Diliberto

Across the Tracks: B. B. KingAce CHD 230, LP. (Available fromRoundup Records, P.O. Box 154,North Cambridge, Mass. 02140.)Sound: A- Performance: A

A number of European record com-panies have been mining the vaults ofAmerican blues and R&B labels, bring-ing to the public a treasure trove oflong -forgotten classics. Hence, En-gland's Ace gives us Across theTracks, a compilation of alternativeand previously unreleased songs thatB. B. King recorded during the 1950s.

176 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

The first thing that you'll encounter isthe perennial B. B. conundrum: Is he"King" because he knows how to wringdistilled blues from those short, soulfulnote clusters on his guitar? Or is it

because of those vocals whichsqueeze and extend phrase ends intothe sweetest blues feeling?

B. B.'s economical guitar style is sim-ply everywhere here, like brief burstsfrom an Uzi. For classic licks, checkout "Bad Luck," the nifty double stop-ping on "Everyday (I Have the Blues),"the trills and turns on "Jump with YouBaby," and the instrumental jam "Tal-kin' the Blues."

B. B.'s vocals have this remarkablequality of writhing from a smooth, al-most nasal tenor into a mellow croon,down in the diaphragm. Listen to it atwork on "Let's Do the Boogie," "Trou-bles, Troubles, Troubles," and"Confessin' the Blues."

If you've ever heard any of thesecuts before, it was probably on boot-legs or noisy collections dubbed fromdiscs. This digital remaster, made fromthe original mono masters, sounds asclean as if it had been recorded yes-terday. At times, the presence of themix sounds a bit primitive, but then, it

was that way originally.

Across the Tracks provides an in-sightful glimpse of a young B. B. Kingmaking his reputation 10 years beforeboth his voice and guitar would thickenand mature into true blues royalty. Thisis one compilation you won't want tomiss. Michael Wright

The Complete Verve Recordings ofthe Buddy DeFranco Quartet/Quintetwith Sonny ClarkMosaic MR5-117, LP.Sound: A- Performance: A

This is another of Mosaic's superblyremastered and packaged jazz boxes,and one which I think discerning listen-ers may very well want to add to theircollections. Buddy DeFranco's 1954and '55 Verve dates are a tribute, notonly to the musicians who made them(masters all) but also to Norman Granz,whose output in those years was of aconsistently high order.

Besides DeFranco's clarinet-an in-strument on which, in his chosen con-temporary style of playing, he is practi-cally without peer-there is the infre-quently heard or mentioned SonnyClark on both piano and organ, andthe master guitarist Tal Farlow. Allthree are ignited by the fine bassistGene Wright and the excellent drum-ming of Bobby White.

On the up -tempo numbers, De -Franco shines as one would expect.The surprise is how well he plays bal-lads, not overburdening the listener byfilling in every bar and phrase withshowers of notes, as all too many bop-pers were prone to do. He has an unusually warm and full sound for a musi-cian who could and did play so often.As Ira Gitler's very good liner notespoint out, there are many fine exam-ples of his ballad work throughout theset. These cuts wash away all claimsby detractors who insisted that De -Franco was a cold, mechanical player.

As good a guitarist as Tal Farlow isand was, at that stage in his career hewas still inclined to play too much, andit shows on the ballads. Sonny Clark isfluid and fluent throughout; the manknew music very well indeed. I espe-cially like his organ work-it remindsme of the warm and evocative old ra-dio soap -opera sound, and it swings inClark's hands. A very good buy allaround. Frank Driggs

In the Great Abbey of Clement VI:Stuart DempsterNew Albion NA -013, CD. (Availablefrom New Albion Records, 584 CastroSt., #463, San Francisco, Cal. 94114.)

Anyone who has an interest in hallambience and the art of recording thesound of a room will find this disc afascinating experience. First of all, justto allay fears about still another avant-garde brass recording from the"bloop-splat" school, be assured thatthis disc represents a totally differentstyle. Yes, this is New Music that isactually pleasant to hear! Recorded inthe Great Abbey of Pope Clement VI inAvignon, France, Stuart Dempster'strombone improvisations are in the tra-dition of Paul Horn's flute solos in theTaj Mahal and other places. Dempsteruses the long reverb time and the natu-ral resonance frequencies of the hall tocreate truly gorgeous harmon'es froma solo performance. All three works onthis disc are slow-paced and medita-tive in style. Nonetheless, they includesome daringly imaginative-and unex-pected-sonic effects.

Though the three pieces are similarin sound, each has a distinct charac-ter. "Standing Waves -1976" is a fairlystraightforward solo trombone improvi-sation inside the stone -walled Abbey.It starts out sounding the way youwould expect, with overlapping notesgenerating exquisitely beautifulchords. Dempster begins slowly (thefirst note lasts 14 seconds) and buildshis effects with unusual skill. His har-

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 177

Stuart Dempster's soundhas the elusive qualitieslong absent from modernmusic: It makes sense andis pleasing to the ear.

monies hang in midair like clouds, andif you listen carefully, you can hear thesubtle changes in timbre as reflectedwaves cross, and recross, each other.But, as the piece becomes more com-plex, he begins to use avant-gardeplaying techniques to create morecomplicated effects. About halfway

through, the piece begins to sound likethe songs of the humpback whales; inDempster's words, "It almost soundslike crickets.- But. whatever they seemto be, the sounds are astonishinglybeautiful.

In the second improvisation. "Didier-idervish." Dempster plays the Austra-

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lian aborigine instrument, the didjeridu,inside the Abbey. Since he conceivedthis piece for a dance performancerelated to the whirling dervishes of Tur-key, he often rotates as he plays thedidjeridu, creating resonances in theAbbey that change with his position.The sonic palette is quite different fromthe other two pieces-but no less fas-cinating. (Listen to this track throughheadphones as well, to get the full ef-fect of the moving sound source.)

For the final improvisation, "StandingWaves -78/87," Dempster returns tothe trombone and adds modern digitalaudio technology. He plays in what hecalls an "enhanced concert hall," us-ing previously taped quadraphonicmaterial as accompaniment. His livesound is processed through a digitalreverb unit to match the 40 -seconddigital reverb time on the tape. Then,the entire performance is recorded instereo. The resulting music has an in-credible warmth and richness, en-hanced by the complex, multi -layeredinteractions of the various sounds.

Stuart Dempster's music has thoseelusive characteristics which have beenmissing in modern music for so long: Itmakes sense, and it's pleasing to theear. For anyone interested in the beau-ty of musical sounds and the problemsof capturing the ambience of a concerthall. this disc will provide some fasci-nating listening experiences.

Steve Birchall

The Peace Album: r ,u1 HornKuckuck 11083-2, CD. (Available fromCelestial Harmonies, 4549 East FortLowell, Tucson, Ariz. 85712.)Sound: C + Performance: AA GRP Christmas Collection: VariousArtistsGRP GRD-9574, CD.

Sound: A Performance: C -Not since Handel's "Messiah" has

Christmas been a vehicle for art. Forthe most part, Christmas albums havebeen the province of middle-of-the-road pop, a tradition left over from the'50s. It's always been appropriated bythe soporific choruses of Ray Conniff'sChristmas Album or Robert Goulet get-ting emotional on Robert Goulet's Won-derful World of Christmas, both ofwhich have been reissued on Colum-bia CDs for connoisseurs of schlock.

178 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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Paul Horn has elevatedstandard holiday fare toan art, imbuing it withserenity and, yes, evenwith peace.

But in the '80s, we are seeing a smallChristmas renaissance that is linked toNew Age music. Windham Hill re-leased A Winter Solstice, and with NewAge synchronicity, the Narada labelbrought out David Lanz and MichaelJones' Solstice, with overextended,George Winston -like workouts on famil-

iar themes. Two new albums, ThePeace Album and A GRP ChristmasCollection, highlight the best and worstof this type of holiday music.

Paul Horn is a noted flutist and ex-perimenter whose music ranges fromavant-garde jazz to be -bop and fromIndian ragas to solo meditations. With

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The Peace Album, he has created oneof the most delightfully serene Christ-mas recordings ever made. Here wehave a Compact Disc which trulyspeaks to the timelessness that theholiday season evokes.

Drawing on such sources as Grego-rian chants and classical music fromthe 16th to 18th centuries, he starts outahead of most Christmas albumswhich, borrow from MOR pop. But greatsources alone don't make music astranscendent as The Peace Album. It'sa solo recording but contains manyvoices, as Horn multi -tracks his sopra-no, alto, and bass flutes. He also multi-plies their lines by using a Conn Multi -Divider, an instrument that splits a toneinto numerous parallel notes.

Horn uses these techniques to cre-ate soaring flute choirs, symmetricalcounterpoints, and haunting refrains.He takes "Good King Wenceslas," a16th century melody, out of the super-markets and turns it into a piece ofcaressing undulations and enfoldingcurves. "Angels We Have Heard onHigh" glides and spins in canon formbefore Horn alights from the display toplay the melody on soprano flute. Hesingle-handedly liberates Bach's "Air,"Handel's "Joy to the World," "TheLord's Prayer," and "Silent Night" fromtheir oversentimentalized modern in-carnations, orchestrating them into thequiet songs of peace they were meantto be. The Peace Album uncovers theinner spaces of Christmas.

Horn has done a stunning job of ar-ranging and orchestrating his flutes,although the recording falls short.There's a gentle background hum,

i possibly from the Conn Multi -Divider,and tape hiss seems excessive for arecording made on 16 tracks with dbxnoise reduction and mastered to digital2 -track. But that still leaves The PeaceAlbum as a new holiday record worthbuying in 1988.

Of course, others are available. Oneof them, A GRP Christmas Collection,avoids the technical flaws of Peace buthas none of its soul. GRP has takentheir roster of artists and given us thekind of music that fills shopping mallsafter Thanksgiving. This CD wouldn'tbe out of place there at all.

For most of the artists, doing Christ-mas music means jazzing up the popChristmas standards. So David Benoit

180 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

Peace Pipes is filled withsonic imagination, musicalinventiveness, and a soundthat is strikingly fresh.

vamps on the modal modulations of"Carol of the Bells," Chick Corea'sElektric Band lays a string of rote solosacross a heavy-handed fusion stompof "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,"and Gary Burton be -bops on "0 Tan-nenbaum" like some sort of hep-catbeatnik parody.

There are some mild pleasures. Vo-calist Diane Schuur is surprisingly re-strained on "The Christmas Song." LeeRitenour does a tasteful arrangementof "White Christmas," with his acousticguitar triggering MIDI ghost choruses.And Special EFX applies an Arabic feelto "Silent Night" with George Jinda'strance -like percussion underpinningChieli Minucci's snaky, sustained gui-tar line.

But overall, A GRP Christmas Collec-tion taps into the most banal, oversenti-mentalized vision of Christmas. It be-longs next to the plastic Santa Clauswith the blinking nose, while PaulHorn's The Peace Album is a recordwe'll be listening to years from now.

John Diliberto

Peace Pipes: Arco IrisPassport Jazz PJCD88037, CD.

Beneath its surface veneer of de-lightful and unusual sounds, PeacePipes is filled with musical inventive-ness and sonic imagination. Thegroup, called Arco Iris, derives its mu-sic and style from a wide variety ofsources, principally South American.The result is a flexible, expressive jazzwith Incan inflections. Peace Pipes fea-tures a variety of South American flute-like instruments-a refreshing changefrom the expected array of exotic per-cussion. They use all the guiros,drums, and rattles, but as backgroundto the flutes. Synthesizers, too, are lessprominent than is common these days.All of this makes the sound of PeacePipes strikingly fresh.

The album also makes effective useof the recording medium. Producer AraTokatlian showcases the subtle colorsof the unusual instruments with greatskill. For the flutes, which she alsoplays, she often "zooms in" to makenew effects. Sometimes she brings outthe "breathiness" of a flute, magnifyingit in a magical way. At other times, sheuses the straight tone of an exotic flute,focusing on its special timbre. She also

seems to have a keen ear for ambienteffects, carefully creating artificial re-alities for different pieces. Sometimes,the main group seems to play in anormal acoustic space, while the soloflute plays in a much different ambi-ence that brings out its special quali-ties. All of these effects make good

musical sense and avoid falling intomere studio gimmickry. Overall, thesound quality has a wonderful trans-parency without a trace of distortion,even on cymbals or bells. Peace Pipesis a thoroughly delightful album, and Ilook forward to hearing more from ArcoIris. Steve Birchall

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 181

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182 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 183

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The "best buy" among cdplayers is now even better.

The SONOGRAPHE SDI commands respect seldomaccorded to moderately priced products. Named the 'best cdplayer to hit the market' and 'a clear best buy' by AnthonyCordesman in Stereophile Vol. 10, No. 1. Ranked third best byMartin Colloms (the top two were three and four times theprice of the SDI). 'lb enhance this already remarkableperformer the new SD 1 -BETA adds a discrete regulated D/Aconverter power supply for even greater clarity and detail,while retaining the overall musicality for which the SD 1 isnoted. Continuing to set standards of performance for cdplayers, the SD1-BETA is priced at just $795.

the conrad-johnson group 2800 R Dorr Ave Fairfax. VA 22031 703-698-8581

TIPS FOR MAIL ORDERPURCHASERS

It is impossible for us to verify all of the claimsof advertisers, including product availabilityand existence of warranties. Therefore, thefollowing information is provided for your pro-tection:

1. Confirm price and merchandise informa-tion with the seller, including brand, model, coloror finish, accessories and rebates included in theprice.

2.Understand the seller's return and refund -policy, including the allowable return period andwho pays the postage for returned merchandise.3. Understand the product's warranty. Is therea manufacturer's warranty, and if so, is it from aU.S. or foreign manufacturer? Does the selleritself offer a warranty? In either case, what iscovered by warranty, how long is the warrantyperiod, where will the product be serviced, whatdo you have to do, and will the product be repairedor replaced? You may want to receive a copy ofthe written warranty before placing your order.

4. Keep a copy of all transactions, includingcancelled checks, receipts and correspondence.For phone orders, make a note of the order includ-ing merchandise ordered, price, order date, ex-pected delivery date and salesperson's name.5. If the merchandise is not shipped within thepromised time or if no time was promised, 30days of receipt of the order, you generally have theright to cancel the order and get a refund.6. Merchandise substitution without your ex-press prior consent is not allowed.

7. If you have a problem with your order or themerchandise, write a letter to the seller with allthe pertinent information and keep a copy.8. If you are unable to obtain satisfaction fromthe seller, contact the consumer protection agen-cy in the seller's state or your local U.S. PostalService.

184 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

FOR SALE *ME 1v1et4STEIt CAlit-E li 811400

B&K amps, preamps- Cramolin, Kimber, Kable. Kevekspeakers, Furman line cond. Michell Tenderfeet, Big Moth-ers, GyroDec, Sonex. Zeta, Technics stylus force gauge,Amperex 6DJ8/ECC88 India 12AX7/ECC83, GE 6550/KT88, Vector Electronics, Portland, OR VISA -MC -AMEX.(503) 233-2603.

CALL TOLL FREE! 1-800-826-0520 FOR: ACOUSTAT, Ap-ature, Audio Control, Nifty Gritty, M&K, Oracle, Proac,Proton, Stax, Thorens, Dahlquist, Meier, Monster Cable,Belles, CWD, dbx, Fried, Harman Kardon, 3D, Onkyo,Grado, Audloquest, Celestion, DCM, Duntech, Niles,Citation, Kinergetics. Sound Seller, 1706 Main St., Mari-nette, WI 54143. (715) 735-9002.

CARVER, NAKAMICHI, BANG & OLUFSEN, A.D.S.,CROWN, REVOX TANDBERG. HAFLER, ADCOM, MIS-SION, N.A.D., HARMAN/KARDON, KYOCERA, YAMAHA,LUXMAN, DENON, KLIPSCH, B & W, KEF, D.C.M.,J.B.L., INFINITY, D.B.X., AKG, AND OTHER QUALITYCOMPONENTS. BEST PRICES -PROFESSIONAL CON-SULTATION. OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY. ALL PRODUCTSCOVERED BY MANUFACTURERS' U.S.A. WARRANTY.AMERISOUND SALES, INC., JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA32241. EAST: (904) 262-4000 WEST: (818) 243-1168.

CASH for your USED AUDIO EQUIPMENT. WE BUY andSELL by PHONE. CALL FOR the HIGHEST QUOTE. (215)886-1650. The Stereo Trading Outlet, 320 Old York Road,Jenkintown, PA 19046.

CASH FOR USED PWR/PREAMPS-ARC, Levinson,Krell, Threshold, Conrad -Johnson & Rowland Re-search. Pickup amps from your home or just ship UPS/COD. Call CA (213) 257-6726 Sennle.

CLASSIC AUDIOCA260 DUAL MONO TUBE AMPLIFIER -10 DAY HOMEAUDITION -1 YR WARRANTY-McINTOSHTRANSFORMERS -SAVE!! FACTORY DIRECT -INSTOCK -CLASSIC AUDIO, LTD., 233 LIBERTY AVE., NEWROCHELLE, NY 10805. (914) 633-3039.

CLEARANCE, NEW AND DEMO -Spica Angelus Walnut($1095) $795, Spica Angelus Oak ($1045) $725, Harman-Kardon hk825,1370 preamp/pwramp combo ($1200) $599.Spica TC50 (original) ($450) $289, B&W Matrix) ($1200)720, Mission PCM4000CD ($700) $399. Analog excellencespecial (4only) Rega Planar3 with Ortofon MC20 Super(VandenHul Typell) ($895) ($599). Call for other specials.The King's Stereo, 1275 Wabash, Springfield, IL 62704.(217) 787-5656.

CONVERGENT AUDIO TUBE. PRE -AMP, CARDAS ca-bles, MERLIN SIGNATURE speakers (Cardas-wired),WINGATE Class -A amps, SOUND ANCHOR stands. SanDiego area: Audio Archives, 619-455-6326.

DB-1B ALPS VOLUME CONTROL (80db) NOW available.Also DB-1 to 1A to 18. Power Amplifier update: DB-6 toDB-6A to DB-6A + . Warranty extensions. DB Systems,Rindge, NH 03461 (603) 899-5121.

DBX 5BX-DS RARE 5 -BAND EXPANDER/COMPRESSOR,MEMORY, WIRELESS REMOTE, FACTORY -SEALEDCARTON, U.S. WARRANTY: $1140. STAX LAMBDA -PROSYSTEM -3, IMMACULATE: $600. JOHN, P.O. BOX 34773,LOS ANGELES, CA 90034. (213) 837-2731.

ELECTRONIC -CROSSOVERS, SUBSONIC FILTERS. Formono or stereo subwoofers, bi-amping, tri-amping, etc. Freeflyer wireviews. ACE AUDIO CO., #532 -5th Street. EastNorthport, NY 11731-2399.

FREE UPS SHIPPINGB&K, PS Audio, Celestion, Superphon, Anston. Ortofon,H/K, Onkyo. Classe DR-3VHC $2299.1N STORE ONLY -Carver, B&W, Hatter. Expert consultation -ask for AudioDept. THRESHOLD AUDIO. 605 Hebron, Newark -Heath,Ohio 43056. 614-522-3520.

GAS EQUIPMENT OWNERS: From repairs to completeremanufacturing on all GAS equipment, we are the GASspecialists. Since 1977. Call or write for free brochure.GASWORKS, 5563 Kendall Street. Boise, Idaho 83706.(208) 323-0861.

MAGNAVOX OWNERS -PRODUCTION OF THE OP2 HASBEGUN -the finest sounding discrete FET op -amp moduleavailable for your CD player. Exemplary performance isguaranteed by its 500 Volt/uS slew rate, 70 MHz bandwidthand 400 mA drive. These plug-in modules will transform yourplayer into the utmost of musical instruments. The OP2 sellsat a very reasonable $130 per pair. Also available are higherperforming D/A converters, Servos and more. If you desirethe most elegant CD upgrades, contact Soloist Audio, 332Tuttle, S.A., TX 78209. 1(800) 648-6637.

t41 pugsd 6#,A,A LARGE SELECTION OF:

HIGH QUALITYACCESSORIES

(800) 342EE-9969M&Y CO.4,0, 2 y isv.td.te,L

g 4 cce-iscaue4. Stack8344 Melrose

Los Angeles, CA 90069

.9414449.

ORTOFON AUDIO TECHNICA SIGNET STAX STRAIGHT WIRE AR BEYERDYNAMIC AUDIOQUEST MONSTER CABLE NITTY GRITTY THORENS

SlettlET

FOR SALE

GET LOW PRICES ON ALL TYPES of audio equipment -including high-end.and even esoteric products not normallydiscounted. Now we can SAVE YOU MONEY on the equip-ment you really want. Extensive selection -no need to settlefor second choice. Thousands of satisfied customers nation-wide. FAST DELIVERY available. All products feature USAmanufacturer's warranty. Call us for price quotes or friendly.expert advice. Catalog $1. Member BBB and Chamber ofCommerce. Est 1979.

THE AUDIO ADVISOR, INC.,225 Oakes SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. (616) 451-3868.AMEX/DISCOVER/MC/OPTIMA/VISA.

GET SERIOUS ... SUPERMODS. PROPRIETARYMOSFET INPUT replaces your ADCOM. B&K, PS AUDIOOR SUPERPHON. Advanced circuitry in YOUR amplifier.just $229.00. THRESHOLD and others slightly higher. SU-PERMODS, 2375 W. 21st. Ave., Eugene, Oregon 97405.(503) 344-3696.

310.0-txcY\

Your search forrefinement will end here.

Brown Electronic Labs2530 Berryessa Rd., Suite 126, San Jose, CA 95132

THESPEAKER

SOURCE

Lyric212-439-1900 212-769-4600 914-949-7500

1221 Lexington Ave. 2005 Broadway 146 East Post RoadNew York. NY 10028 New York. NY 10023 White Plains. NY 10601

At Lyric, youll find more loudspeakers to choosefrom. And along with all the brands and models ondisplay, more knowledge and experience. Moreservice, too. Which explains why more peoplearound the world make Lyric their source forquality audio components.

Come in and audition speakers from B&W,Boston Acoustics, Cabasse, Celestion, Duntech, EntecGoldmund, Infinity (including IRS), JSE InfiniteSlope, M&K. Magneplanar, Meridian, Mirage, PSB,Quad, Rogers, Sonance, Synthesis, Velodyne, WilsonAudio and others. All models are available for export

rFFMhh 1!1

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 185

FOR SALE

LINNHIGH FIDELITY

Authorized DealersALABAMA Audition, HomewoodCALIFORNIA Beverly Hills Audio, Beverly Hills AudioBasics, Claremont Musical images, Fresno Havens &Hardesty, Huntington Beach Paris Audio, Los Angeles .Audible Difference, Palo Alto Keith Yates Audio,Sacramento Stereo Design. San Diego Access toMusic. San Francisco . The Audio Shoppe, SantaMonica Paris Audio, Woodland HillsCOLORADO Listen Up, Boulder'. Hi Fi Shop. ColoradoSprings . Listen Up. Denver . Audio Alternative, FortCollinsCONNECTICUT Carston Stereo, DanburyFLORIDA Sound Components, Coral Gables . AudioVisions, TampaGEORGIA Sounds of Distinction, Atlanta . Music Audio,MariettaHAWAII Audio Shoppe, HonoluluILLINOIS Glenn Poor's Audio, Champaign . MediaRoom, Morton Grove Pro Musica, Chicago . Victor'sStereo, Chicago Glenn Poor's Audio, Normal SundownAudio, Normal . Sound Choice, Lisle . Absolute AudioSystems, Rockford Sundown One, SpringfieldINDIANA Hi Fi Specialists, Bloomington AudioWorkshop, Indianapolis . Ovation Audio, IndianapolisIOWA Woodburn Sound Service, Iowa CityKANSAS Golden Stereo, Prairie VillageKENTUCKY Ovation Audio, Lexington Audio Video byDesign, LousivilleLOUISIANA Wilson Audio, New OrleansMASSACHUSETTS Liberty Tree Audio, Danvers . NaturalSound, Framingham Tripod Audio, NorthamptonMICHIGAN Absolute Sound, Ann Arbor Classic Stereo,Grand Rapids . Classic Stereo, Kalamazoo . Dr.Goodear's, Mt. Pleasant . Absolute Sound, Royal OakMISSOURI Superior Audio, Columbia Sound Room,Chesterfield . Sound Room, Creve CoeurNEBRASKA Sound Environment, Lincoln . SoundEnvironment, OmahaNEW JERSEY Hi Fi Connection, Deptford . Hi FiConnection, Marlton Professional Audio Consultants,MillburnNEW MEXICO Sound Ideas, AlbuquerqueNEW YORK Innovative Audio, Brooklyn Ears Nova,Great Neck . Sound by Singer, New York SoundConcept, RochesterNORTH CAROLINA Stereo Sound, Chapel Hill StereoSound, RaleighOHIO Audible Elegance, Cincinnati . Custom Stereo,Columbus . Stereo Showcase, Miamisburg CustomStereo, Dublin . Oxford Audio, Oxford . Hoffman's Stereo,Warrensville HeightsOKLAHOMA Audio Dimensions, Oklahoma CityOREGON Northwest Audio Labs, Corvallis HawthorneStereo, PortlandPENNSYLVANIA Community Audio, Philadelphia . AudioGallery, PittsburghPUERTO RICO Precision Audio, Rio PiedrasRHODE ISLAND Soundings, MiddletownTENNESSEE Opus 2, Memphis . Cumberland Audio,Nashville . Nicholson's Stereo, NashvilleTEXAS High Bias, Austin . Audio Concepts, Dallas .Audio Concepts, Houston Concert Sound, San AntonioWASHINGTON Hawthorne Stereo, Bellevue . DefinitiveAudio, Seattle . Advanced Audio Systems, TacomaWISCONSIN Specialized Sound, Madison AudioEmporium, Milwaukee Audiophile's, Verona

CANADA Audio Corner, Barrie . Boutique of Sound,Calgary L'Audiophile, Chicoutimi Globe Audio,Hamilton . K & A, Kelowna . Musiqualite Hi Fi, Laval .London Audio, London Martin Sound, Mississauga .Audio Club, Montreal Opus Audio, Montreal . Studio1006, Montreal . Dewar's, Ottawa Audio Room,Peterborough . Sound Advice, Pine Falls . C.O.R.A.,Quebec City Harmony Audio, Regina Better Music,Saint Katherine . Total Audio Plus, Saskatoon SoundsSuperior, Sault Saint Manes . Stereo Factory, Thornhill .Frons Hi-Fi, Thunder Bay Audio Gallery, Toronto MusicWorks, Vancouver Sound Plus, Vancouver . SoundHounds, Victoria . Sound Stage Fine Audio, Waterloo .Whitby Audio, Whitby . Better Audio, Windsor CreativeAudio, Winnipeg

`Zti 4<Xeouslal Api ,n 9, o Tic, BOW Celestion CWO dbx

Podl H. r t 1, 1[1 t JVC Video Koeisu Krell Magnum Mein, ' ' m MIT Mod Sdodd Monster TAD Onkyo Odolon Rotel moo, ' ' Son, FS SOTA Slat Sumiko Velodyne Well Tempered

Sound El Music 351 4T9,35,od St N511,11995,, MA UI utiu l 13,584 954,

FOR SALE

GREAT USED EQUIPMENT!! SOTA Star with ElectronicFlywheel $1395.00. SME V Tonearm $1349.00.SONOGRAPHE SD -1 CD Player $449.00. ELECTROCOM-PANIET Pre 1 Preamplifier $795.00. RESPONS GrandSpeakers $1995.00. KRELL KSA-100 MKII $2399.00. MEL-DS GK -1 + 1 $599.00. KINERGETICS KCD-20 $599.00.Galen Carol Audio (512) 494-3551.

GOLDMUND STUDIO/T3F turntable/servo tonearm.Mint. $4350. Phone (213) 214-6078 days, (213) 934-1817 -eves.

IDEA ACOUSTICS USED EQUIPMENT. Audio ResearchSP1011 $2300. D11511 $1900; McIntosh 6200 $900; CrownSA2 $900, EQ2 500, FM2 $350; ADS 2030 $2250. Model 10time delay $500. NEW EQUIPMENT. Crown PL4 $1000.FM3 $500; DBX 222 $135; McIntosh MC504 with walnutcase $650: Luxman PD300 with vacuum and Signet XK35$900. ON DISPLAY. Duntech Sovereign, Well -Tempered, fullline ARC. P.O. Box 2585, Starkville, MS 39759. (601)324-1020.

"LAST- RECORD PRESERVATIVE & CLEANING FLUIDSAT LOW DISCOUNT PRICES! CALL TOLL -FREE FOR OR-DERING & PRICES. 1-800-222-3465. HCM AUDIO (916)345-1341.

MAGNAVOX CD PLAYERS LOWEST: CDB480 $145,CDB482, REMOTE $168, CDB486, CHANGER $259,CDB473 $229, CDB582 AND CDB583 CALL, CDB650,RECONDITIONED $259, TV'S, VCR'S. TRADES WEL-COME. Soundcraftsmen, Monster Cable, Heybrook, Apia -lure. Extended Warranties. Digital Sound, (312) 674-8024.

MARANTZ, MCINTOSH, Fairchild, other tube componets,old speakers WANTED. Marantz 9 access doors 6/0. SLT12,T.T. $100. Many Scotts, Fishers, Drastic reductions on rema-ing items in my recent ads. Check back for bargains! ChromeE.H. Scott receivers also. N.Y.S.I. (718) 377-7282 Noon -3

MAGICMERLIN SIGNATURE 4 LOUDSPEAKERS 200 lb. 5driver point source-Sonatube interlaced with sandconstruction, 3rd generation metal dome tweeters, Car-das wire, Litz air -core inductors, $50 solid copper con-nectors, Tip Toes. biwired, fabulous MFA Lumines-cence A4 preamp M -75B, M -120A or M2008 MFA tubemonoblocks, Well Tempered table & arm combination,Melos CDT tube 2 box player with Phillips 960, Sony,etc. transports. Heath Audio 217 Alexander St.,Rochester, NY 14607. (716) 262-4310.

MCINTOSHWANTED: MCINTOSH, MARANTZ, AUDIO RE-SEARCH, DYNACO, LEVINSON, KRELL ALTEC, JBL,TANNOY, CJ, SEQUERRA, WESTERN ELECTRIC,TUBE & SOLID STATE, BUY -SELL -TRADE, MAURYCORB, (713) 728-4343, 12325 Ashcroft, Houston, TX77035.

NAGRA Tape Recorders. Models IV -D and IV-SJ. ExcellenCondition. Also -Once Used SCOTCH Recording Tape, 209and 177. Call (201) 228 -0523 -Ask for Ed Clark.

Low Price AccessoriesFor CD Players Record Doctor: vacuum -powered record

AO "Sims" CD Stabilizer Rings cleaning machine . 169.95 -

Starter Kit: 15 w/locator 19.95 LAST Record Care Products:

Complete Kit 25 w/locator 29.95 #1 Power Cleaner 1141..9955

Bonus Kit: 50 +free locator 49.95 #2 Preservative

AO CD Isolation Feet (4)19.95 #4 Stylus Cleaner16719955CO interconnects:See Cables Accessories #5 Stylast Treatment

DB Passive CD preamp 99.95 Headshells: A0-16 fur MC's 39.95

Magnavox CD Players: C0B480 139.95" Sumiko HS12 for MMT 29.95

CDB582 w/remote 184.95" Headshall wires: Livewire. Sumiko 9.95CDB473 w/remote . 249.95- SME litz BEST AVAILABLE 21.95

CDB486 16 bit CD Changer 249.95- Record Brushes: AO or NG 9.95

CDV474 CDNideo Laser Call Record Cleaning Solutions:Mod Squad CD damper kit . 23.50 NG First: 6oz 14.95 16oz 24.95.95

Torumat TM -70H: 16ozSuperCleaner: 16oz 12.95 32oz .16.95

Hard -to -Find Audiophile LPICD's: 1 gal 2425 Supersize:2.5 gal. 49.95-Chesky Records: RCIO Ll.Kijie (LP)13.99 Record Mats: AO mat 29.95

RC11 Reiner Sound (LP)13.99 Sota mat 129.95 Sumiko mat 84.95

RC -8 Gershwin, RC -9 Spain .(LPs)13.99 Sots Reflex Clamp . 89.95

CR-6 Brahms & Tchaik (CD/LP)13.99 Stylus Gauges: Shure Gauge 1425

CR-7 Bizet & Tchaik (CO/LP)13.99 Electronic Stylus Gauge 99.95

Proprius: Contate Domino(CD/LP) 15.95 Electronic Stylus Cleaner 39.95

Jazz/PawnShop: CD:15.95LPs:33.95 Sumiko: FB-1 MC Demag 209.95

Reference Recordings: LP or CD VTA-16 VTA for MMT arm 74.95

RR12 [Was, RR20 Serendipity. 15.99 Tip Toes for turntables: C3 -AR 4.95

RR25 Nojima plays Liszt 15.99 C-17-VPI,C-37-Sota.C-10-Oracle 8.95

RR26 Redheads (Jazz) 15.99 Turntable Stands: Lead Balloon 239.95'RR27 Fuller plays Rameau . 15.99 Target TT -2 w/2 shelves 139.95-

Sheffield/Moscow Sess: CD/LP(set)39.95 Turntable Wall Shelves: TT -1 99.95-KodoDrums or Test Record (CD/LP)14.99 Target PS -1, for large tables 149.95"

VPI Record Cleaning Machine: . Call

VPI PLC Power Line Cond: CallFor TurntablesAlphason Auto arm lift 29.95AR ES -1 turntable. armless 399.95'

ES -1 w/AO PT -5 tonearm 639.95'ES -1 Precut metal armboards:for AR.MMT. RB300 34.95

Cartridge Alignment Protractors:DB Systems Protrac . . 24.50Dennesen Soundtractor .149.95

Grade Cartridges: Grade ZTE +1 19.95Grade Sig 8MZ. MCZ, TLZ Call

Powerstrips with line filtersDeluxe Datagard 6 outlet stripIngrains ISOBAR line Filters18-4 4 outlets, 2 -stage filtering 69.95113-8 8 outlets. 3 -stage filtering 99.95 Tip Toes for speakers 1 1/2" 8.95Trippllte regulatofflins conditioner: Tubes:RAM/Gold km Premium Call'LC -1200 4 outlet voltage reg. 199.95 Sorbothane Tube Dampers 2.50

LC -1800 6 outlet voltage reg. 289.00' Tweak: contact treatment 14.95

'available in 220volt, 50/60hzadd $10.00 VPI HW-5db "Magic Brick" 34.95

Speaker Stands/Equipment RacksChicago "Hercules" speaker stands:

12" 129.95' 15" 134.95'20" 134.95' 25" 139.95'

AMID Rigid Riser adjustable stand .119.95'ARCICI Quad stand 169.95'

Sound Andior stands for VS IIC 219.95'Target Speaker Stands (black or while)Call

Target BT -1 acli_ wall bracket 24.95Target Equipment Racks (black or white)

AI8-1 amp Boor stand,4" 69.95TT -3 33"tall. 3 shelves 199.95

245.00'PS -3 33"w/large shelvesTT -5T 40"tall. 5 shelves 259.95'

Cables and Cable AccessoriesInterconnect Cables: As -One, C,ardas, FMS.Distech, Livewire, MIT. Monster.VandenHul Call

Custom longer length cables available Call

Speaker Cables: Aural. Gerdes, FMS.Lrvewire. MIT. Monster. VandenHul Call

Banana Connectors: king Size 8ga 725Monster 0 -terminators (pr)24.95

Tiffany RCA's: 4.5.5,7.9mm (pr)13.50Silver Solder. Wonder Solder: 1.5oz. 9.99

WBT 250g 29.95 5009 59.95

Mix. AccessoriesASC Tube Trap room dampers Cat

AO Sorbothane Isolation FeetLarge: (4)34.95 Small(CD): (4)19.95

dbx 20050 tape routing selector 99.95 -Songs Juniors: 2'02'02" sheets (4)4995

Regular Sonex products Call

49.95 Speaker Switching: Niles SPS-1 74.95QED UHSS4: for heavy cable 114.95

Terk "PI" FM Antenna 74.95

Shipping Charges (UPS, Insured, 48 States)Accessories: One Item 3.95 Each Extra Item'Turntables. Stands 12.95 "'ElectronicsUPS Mr to Western Europe, Fir East, Auss., NZ-most shipments under $50 8 less than 5 days.FAX: 616-451-0709 Service: 616-451-3868Prices subject to change.

1.258.95 1-800-669-4434

0 0 audioadvisor, inc.

225 OAKES SW GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49503

186 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

WG 8 IS3.50/f1I WG 4 1S1.75/ftl are Helical Array Spea"<er Cables with 1.3 /2.5° ofPhase Shift at 20Khz (20 ft. 4 ohm. 4W(. The competition (?) has phase shift of 5-15.

STRAIGHT WIRE,= 1909 HARRISON ST SUITE 20E YWOOD FL 33020 ( 305) 925-247(,

FOR SALE

MCINTOSHMarantz (USA), conrad-johnson, Audio Research, Krell,Levinson, and other Precision Audio Components Bought -Sold -Traded. FREE Catalogue. See our ad at the beginningof the classifieds. Audio Classics, US Post Office Bldg.,POB 176MM, Walton, NY 13856 607-865-7200. 8AM-5PMEST Mon. -Fri.

-Audio Advertiser Since 1979-

McIntosh MPI-4$1350., MR -55A $275., MR -66 $475.,MR -71 $600., PR. MC -30 $600., MC225 $600.. MAC -1900$600., MAC -1500 $400., C-22 $1300.. Marantz 3300 Pre -amp $200., PR. 2s 1650.. PR B&O 3702 Speakers $150.,ARC D-115 $2150., SP -6B $650.. EC -21 $650., PR. Whiteseries 4000 1/3 octaves EQ. $1250., Counterpoint SA -2preamp $450.. Precision Fidelity C-9 preamp $1250QUICKSILVER MS -190 $1300., 1MS-190 $775., SencoreSG -165 AM FM st. Analyer $650., Viking 870 tape deck$250. R.R., Audible Illusion Modular I Preamp $350., J.P.Evans, 877 Bettina Ct. #643, Houston, TX 77024. (713)973-9480.

NAKAMICHI TX -1000 Turntable with vacuum (See Ab-solute Sound rave). Mint, New $7000., Sell $3200. GOLD-MUND Studio with T3B. Mint, $2995. SPECTRAL DMC-10$1585. JON: (415) 892-7524.

FOR SALE

MUSIC BY THE SEASouthern California's premier audio salon offering musiclovers exceptional products: ROWLAND RESEARCH SOTA MOD SQUAD ET 2 VIRTUOSO SME VAN-DERSTEEN MIT COUNTERPOINT VAN DEN HUL B&K SPICA ORACLE WELL TEMPERED LAB STAX RAUNA NITTY GRITTY AUDIOQUEST GRADO HARMAWKARDON SUPERPHON MIRAGE KOETSU STRAIGHTWIRE MAGNUM VACUUM TUBE LOGIC TUBE TRAPS POLYPHASORS Custom cables, experttumtable set-up, in -home auditions, system installation anda 2 week satisfaction guarantee. MUSIC BY THE SEA (619)436-7692; 542 North Highway 101, Leucadia, California92024. Open Tuesday -Saturday 11-6pm. Call for your MUSI-CAL NOTES newsletter.

CARVER, NAKAMICHI, BANG & OLUFSEN, A.D.S.,CROWN, REVOX TANDBERG, HAFLER. ADCOM, MIS-SION. N.A.D., HARMAN KARDON, KYOCERA, YAMAHA,WXMAN, DENON, KLIPSCH, B & W. KEF, D.C.M.,J.B.L., INFINITY, D.B.X., AKG. AND OTHER QUALITYCOMPONENTS. BEST PRICES-PROFESSIONAL CON-SULTATION. OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY. ALL PRODUCTSCOVERED BY MANUFACTURERS' U.S.A. WARRANTY.AMERISOUND SALES, INC., JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA32241. EAST: (904) 262-4000 WEST: (818) 243-1168.

The Most KnowledgeableAudio Dealership

Many audiophiles who desire high qualityaudio systems are misled by well meaning-but misinformed-friends, salesmen, andenthusiast magazines whose understandingof sound reproduction is superficial or incom-plete. As a result, many expensive "mistakes"are made.

During the past 10 years, Gala Sound,founded by pianist James Gala, has earnedthe trust and confidence of the audiophile

community throughout the world. The musical and technicalexpertise of its founder and distinguished staff has establishedGala Sound as the preeminent high -end audio dealership in theUnited States.

Audiophiles, musicians and music lovers throughout the U.S.,Europe and South America, rely on Gala Sound for audio systemstailored to their specific needs, listening environments and budgets.These systems are second to none.

If you're serious about sound, you can own the finest: a definitiveaudio system from Gala Sound. Phone (do not write) Jim Gafa at(716) 461-3000.

KEF KRELL APOGEE SOUNDWAVE B&W BANG & OLUFSEN THRESHOLD BRYSTON

REVOX NAKAMICHI KYOCERA THORENS

GALA SOUND3122 Monroe Avenue, Rochester, New York 14618

LOWERLOUDSPEAKERDISTORTION

The VMPS Tower II is the second of four floor stand-ing, high efficiency, low distortion loudspeaker sys-tems featuring natural tonal balance combinedwith high output levels and the most extended bassresponse for size of any production speakers.This system (and its larger sibling, the SuperTower/R) was selected by Audio magazine criticAnthony Cordesman for his "Personal Honor Roll"of the top 20 affordable reference speakers fromaround the world. He comments: "The VMPS TowerII ($1199/pr) [has] extraordinary power handlingand bass capability. It is an unquestioned 'best buy'for lovers of organ, rock, large bands, full orchestra,anti grand opera." [Best of Audio, published Nov87) The Tower II/ R (with optional ribbon super -tweeter) is a "Recommended Component" ofStereophile magazine.There are three VMPS Subwoofers (Smaller,$229ea kit, $299ea assem; Original, $329ea kit,$399ea assem; Larger,$439ea kit, $549 asseml,two 0S0 bookshelf systems, the new, compactMinitower Ha 3369ea kit, $479ea assem), andthe highly acclaimed Special Edition of the SuperTowerlIa/14[1499ea kit, $1938ea asseml. VMPSalso distributes John Curl's Vendetta ResearchTPC 1 electronic crossover ($4491 and the newultralownoise phono preamp SCP 2 ($1895),praised by both Stereophile and the IAR as thefinest available.

Hear VMPS at the dealers listed below, or write to!JS for brochures and test reports. All prices include!ree shipping in 48 US states and kits are suppliedwith fully assembled cabinets.

VMPS AUDIO PRODUCTSdiv (tone Audio

3412 Eric Ct. El Sobrante Ca 94803(415) 222-4276

Hear VMPS at: The Listening Studio, Boston; Par TroySound, Parsippany NJ; Dynamic Sound, WashingtonDC; American Audio, Greenville SC: Audio by Caruso,Miami Fl; Arthur Morgan. Lake Mary Fl; MountaineerTelephone. Beckley WV; Audio Specialist, South Bend,In; Simply Stereo, Mt. Prospect, II; Shadow Creek Ltd,Minneapolis Mn; Ultimate Sound, Mesa Az; ReferenceSound, Eagle Rock, Ca: Efficient Stereo, Torrance Ca:Sounds Unique, San Jose Ca; Ultimate Sound, SanFrancisco Ca; Custom Audio, Novato, Ca; !tone Audio, ElSobrante Ca.

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 187

TO.,:,, ..: .USIM 7.:\

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OXFORD AUDIOCONSULTANTS, INC.

For over thirteen years, we have been serving the audiocognoscenti, from our pastoral setting here in Oxford,Ohio with in -the -home demonstrations, excellent ser-vices, superb products and succinct, expert advice. Wesupply customers not only in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indi-ana but throughout the United States, and in countriesall over the world. OAC specializes in accurate highquality audio components. Our products include Audio-quest, British Fidelity, Counterpoint, Janis, Linn, Spend-or, Vandersteen, and the world's finest electrostaticloudspeakers and kit electronics (both American made).Auditions are given by appointment. Most orders areshipped by the next business day. Free shipping to ALLU.S. zip codes. Our extensive export facility ships world -wide. OXFORD AUDIO CONSULTANTS, INC., Box145, Oxford, OH 45056-0145, (513) 523-3333,TLX427791.

STORE ORDER TOLL -FREE 1 (800) 222-3465. DIS-Digital AudioTape

Professional, portable and home digital audio taperecorders (most brands in stock NOW!) Fullwarranty. English manuals, transformers, tapes andaccessories available.

COUNTS! AR * AUDIOQUEST * B&K *BLAUPUNKT * BOSE * BOSTON * CELES-TION * GRADO * HAFLER * HARMAN KAR-DON * JBL * MOD SQUAD * MONSTERCABLE * MUSICAL CONCEPTS * NITTYGRITTY * SONY * STAX * STRAIGHTWIRE

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SAN FRANCISCO AREA-IRRESISTIBLY priced au-diophile components. Shipped/delivered. New/used. World'sbest CD Players/speakers/electronics/cables/turntables.1548 Center Rd, Novato, CA 94947 (415) 898-1464.

STEINWAY SOUNDS INC. ifIN THE TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE INSOUND QUALITY WE ARE PROUD TO OFFERTHE FOLLOWING AUDIO COMPANIES

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SOTA's New CosmosTM: Beyond Acrylic-The Reference Turntable for the 1990s

To neutralize the resonant LP, to cou- Structurally, the Cosmos functions asple it hard and fast against the ideal a single entity, indicated by the 6dB im-surface-that dream drives SOTA's design provement in channel separation directlyteam of David Fletcher and Allen Perkins. attributed to the new rigid design. It isBeyond the best of the '80s technology- the ultimate execution of ideas that madethe damped acrylic platter-comes SOTA America's most successful turntableSOTA's new vacuum Vinyl-ForMat. The company.ideal "vinyl -mimic" with the idealvacuum record clamp.

Acrylic is good, but the Vinyl-ForMatexactly matches the mechanical imped-ance of record vinyl-further optimizedby its total inertness. For the first time,the record, mat, and platter function asa single, non -resonant entity.

The Black Cosmos" HOME OF THE NEW YORK AUDIO SOCIETY

25.15 STEINWAY ST. ASTORIA, N.Y. 11105TWO BLOCKS OFF OF THE GRAND CENTRAL

10 MIN. FROM MANHATTAN(718) 204-0175 ASK FOR TOM GALANIS

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188 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

FOR SALE

MUSICAL CONCEPTS COMPACT DISC PLAYERS

CD-3/TPS (The Absolute Sound, #52), toroidal powersupply, superb imaging and delicacy! NEW CD -4, Theone that "Analog -only" audiophiles can't resist! CD -lb,sweet musicality, lowest cost! Complete units, 1 yr.

warranty! Pricing starting at: CD -1b $549. CD-3/TPS$819, CD-4/TPS $929, other models available or wellmodify yours!

ADCOM LX AND HAFLER GXB MODIFICATIONS

Inductorless, optimized circuitry! Superb on Martin-Logans, etc.! Many former tube lovers are using ouramplifiers? Haller GXB modifications, $149/kit, $2341installed. Adcom modification (GFA-555, 545, 535)$195, installed. Many options!

NEW STANDARDS

TEFLON MC -2 preamplifier fits Haller DH -100, 101 and110, Adcom GFP-555 preamps. Why is the MC -2Treplacing $5000 tube preamps? Modified Hatter andAdcom preamps, the ultimate price/performance stan-dard!SuperConnect III interconnect! You can pay more. butwhy? $55n M.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

The B & K modifications, are finally ready, $219/installed(ST -140). DH -280 (complete new PC boards), just aboutready! Dyna tube mods -here before Santa!

Dealer Musical Concepts SendInquiries One Patterson Plaza ForInvited St. Louis, MO 63031 Reviews/

314-831-1822 Newsletter

PAUL HEATH AUDIOComponents for the Connoisseur

217 Alexander, Rochester, NY 14607716-262-4310

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PS AUDIO - SUPERB!Fast, FREE shipping! Knowledgeable. tnendly service!Audire, Chesky, CWD, Fried, Grado, Mirage. Monster Cable(M -series). Quad, SME, Sota, Spica, Stax Straightwire,Talisman, Thorens, more. READ BROTHERS STEREO, 593King Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29403. (803)723-7276.

60 YEARS IN BUSINESS...WE MUST BE DOINGSOMETHING RIGHT! Long Island, New York to LongBeach, California, we have the audiophile product youwant for immediate shipment at an irresistible price.Contult with our quiet experts or just order U.S.-warranteed components like Nakamichi; Carver; NAD;Tanberg; Hailer; Harman-Kardon; JBL; Allison; Per-reaux; ADS; Sony; Mod Squad; Monster Cable...andthat's just the tip of the iceberg! VISA/MC. SQUAREDEAL, 456 Waverly Ave., Patchogue, N.Y. 11772. (516)475-1857. Ask for Mark Allen.

IT'S THE PITTSfrustrated by loudspeakers that don't PromoteInterest Toward True Sound? Now you canbuild a pair of computer -designed, two-wayPITTS speakers based on Audio magazine'stwo-part construction articles by Ken Kantor,formerly Chief Engineer at AR. The four driv-ers (2 woofers, 2 tweeters) are only $ 128, de-livered in the USA.

0 Yes, send me the PITTS0 No, but send more info on loud-

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Old Colony Sound LabPO BOX 243 PETERBOROUGH, NH 03458(603) 924-6371 FAX: (60:3) 924-9467

FOR SALE

CALLSOUND EXCHANGE

Utah's New, Used, Demo, Classics store. Examples:Synthesis LM300 $1450, McIntosh MR78 $850, HallerXL600 $1025, JBL Subwoofer 18-8cuft $795, CarverC-2 $240, Sumo Athena $559, Sumo Delilah $429,Mark Levinson No -23 $3450. Call for MAILING LIST.Sound Exchange, 5130 South State Street, Murray, UT84107. (801) 268-6066..

SONY TAPE DELIVERED: UX-PRO-90 268./100, METAL -ES -90 362./100, P6-90 248./40, L -500 -PRO -X 235./40.T -120 -PRO -X 287./40. Sennheiser, AKG, A -T, dbx, Uher,Loftech. Carpenter/GHP, P.O. Box 1321, Meadville, PA16335-0821.

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Finally, a preamp under$2000 that outperformsthe conrad-Johnson PV5

Introduced in 1983, the conrad-johnson model PV5preamplifier set a new standard of performance amongpreamplifiers under two thousand dollars. It so dominatedthat field that three years later when a major high -end journallisted the reference systems of four of its new reviewers, threeowned PV5s. After nearly five years, someone has finallysurpassed the PV5.

Announcing the cortrad-johnson PV8 all vacuum -tubepreamplifier Setting a new standard of performance at 51685.

the conrad-johnson group 2800 R Dom Ave Fairfax, VA 22031 703-698-8581

0 Nem - 41.

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 189

The RECORD SURVIVAL KITbridges the gap betweenexpensive cleaning machinesand ineffectivecleaning pretendersSerious lovers of music deserve a costeffective means of keeping recordsand phono cartridges in optimumcondition. The Record Survival Kitis a comprehensive collection thatincludes: hi -tech cleaning fluids withapplicators, pressurized air, lighted3X magnifier, hi -grade record sleevesand wood record case. All are provento clean or protect your pricelessrecord collection.Distributed by:Nitty Gritty Record Care Products4650 Arrow Hwy. #F4Montclair, CA 91763714/625-5525

FOR SALE

SPACE AND TIMEPHASE II

DNM SOLID CORE CABLES-Custom Termina-tions. Superhon, Magnum Dynelab, Epos ES14,Kimper Kable, Tiffany, Van den Hul, Odyssey Engineer-ing. VISA./MC. Audio Excellence, Liverpool, NY (315)451-2707.

FOR SALE

STEREO 70 KITS ASSEMBLED PROFESSIONALLY Forsuperior performance. Repairs and retrofits available. Litera-ture on request. DoReTech Audio Services, P.O. Box 6054,South Hackensack, NJ 07606-4354. (201) 233-2659.

YAMAHA CDX1100U, Onkyo P308 Grand Integra Pre -amp, Onkyo T9090 Tuner, Sumo "Andromeda" Amplifier,JSE Speakers. All Mint. About half price. Ted-(904)797-2359.

FREE CARVERHOLOGRAPHY

TEST TAPE

Here's your chance to get a FREE CARVER HOLOGRAPHY TEST TAPE totake home and try out. Just bring this ad in and audition either the brandnew receiver model 6250, the new CT -7 tuner pre -amp, or the new AVR-100audio video center.All three new products have:

Sonic HolographyRemote Control

ACCD "Carver" TunersOFFER EXPIRES

DEC. 31, 1988

Authorized Dealer for:

NAD CARVER DENON KEF AMBRIA ENERGY ADS PULSAR PHILLIPS M&K SIGNET CWD

BANG & OLUFSEN AUDIO CONTROL MONSTER CABLE

Please no mail order

In Mdnhdtt,ln173 BROADWAY

World Trade Center Area212-227-6738

In Queens184-10 HORACE HARDING

Fresh MeadowsExit 25 L.I.E. Utopia Pkwy

718-961-9888

SCUM-)STAUF

FOR SALE

TUBE ST -70 DYNAKITS:NEW 1988 DYNAKIT. Complete Stereo 70 "classic" TUBEpower amp kit -as original -with all NEW parts (includingfiberglass boards!). $499.00 + UPS. TRANSISTORIZED200/200W Stereo 410 power amp, $299.00 + UPS. Askabout our 30 -day return option on kits! Metalwork -only"Dynashells" (your own design!) + UPS: ST -410, $49.00;ST -150, $39.00; PAT -5, $29.00. FREE 4,000 -item DynacoRepair Parts list available. VISA:MC/COD: (614)889-2117,10-4 Eastern, M-TH. DynakiVSound Values, Box 551AM/3,Dublin, OH 43017.

TRANSCENDENCE THREE-Finally musical reality! An-nouncing the stunning original new hybrid Fet-Valve designsfrom Audio by Van Alstine. The Fet-Valve Ampilifiers, the Fet-Valve Preamplifiers, and the Fet-Valve CD Players. A perfectcombination of tubes for voltage gain and power fets forcurrent gain, each used ideally! The result is musicalreality-the closest approach to live music in your homeshort of bringing in the musicians. One listen and you will besatisfied with nothing less. Now ultimate musical enjoymentis much less expensive. Write or call for our illustratedcatalog. Audio by Van Alstine, 2202 River Hills Drive, Bur-nsville, MN 55337. (612) 890-3517.

WAVETRACETECHNOLOGIES

MODIFIESB & K

ADCOMMAGNAVOX

INTOMUSICAL ECSTASY

4215 East Bay Dr. # 1205C Clearwater, FL 34624. (813)536-290

DATWE OFFER DIGITAL AUDIO TAPE RECORDERS with oneyear warranties. SONY, JVC. TECHNICS, AIWA and more.Home, studio and portable. State of the art sound for under$1995. Blank and pm -recorded tapes and accessories instock now! AUDIO GALLERY, 2716 Wilshire Blvd., SantaMonica, CA 90403. (213) 829-3429.

ATTENTIONDENON CUSTOMERS

Not everyone offering Denonproducts for sale is an authorizedDenon dealer. This has greatsignificance to you as a potentialDenon customer.

Denon America's warranty appliesto the original purchase only. Denonproducts sold by non -authorizeddealers are not covered under this orany other warranty.

Additionally, some of this equipmentmay have been designed for foreignmarkets and therefore will not meetDenon America's specifications.

So look for the Authorized DenonDealer Sticker before you buy.

To find your nearestAUTHORIZED Denon Dealer call:

1-201-575-7810 (9:00am -5:00pm EST)

190 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

FOR SALE

WE'RE DEALIN'!CUSTOM STEREO FALL SEASON DEMO & TRADE-IN SALE! 100A Dolby $129; Acoustat One + One$1295/pr; One's $995/pr; Bang & Olufsen CD50 discw/remote control $795, Janzen Z412HP speakers $400/pr.; JBL 4411, 4311 speakers $500/pr; Kloss Model 2Novabeam (new tubes) projection tv $1459 T-2 Tuners(s) $199; Linn LK-2 amp $599. Marantz 5420 deck $179:Music Reference RM4 headamp $350; Nakamichi480Z deck $295; OMS 711 CD $1595, 550 deck $275;OMS5 CD $649; OMS3 CD $680: OMS4 CD $795:Revolver Turnable with AT cartridge $349; Revox A77Reel $395; Teac CX400 cassette $180: Quad 44 pre -amp $299; Sansui G3500 receiver $120. QRX3000Receiver $150: A710 integrated amp $125; Stax CPYcartridge & supply (new) $399. Authorized Dealers forAcoustat, Bang & Olufsen. Bose, Boston Acoustics.Canon Video, DBX, Klipsch, Kloss, Linn, NAD,Nakamichi, Stax, Tascam, Teac. Tera Video. Velodyne,Yamaha and many more! CUSTOM STEREO since1965! 1391 South Hamilton, Columbus, Ohio 43227.614/235-3531.

LOUDSPEAKERS

AUDIOPHILES: NO RISK AUDITIONINGS! On -premises engineering. separate listening rooms, state-of-the-art audio equipment. We pay shipping & acceptcredit cards. Call for more information. SOUNDUNLIMITED, 169 Church St.. Bristol. CT 06010. Est1959. (203) 584-0131.

A&S SPEAKERS offers high -end speaker components, kitsand systems in the Bay Area and mail order. We have all ofthe legends: Audax, Dynaudio, Scan -Speak, SEAS. Morel,Peerless, Focal. Eton, VMPS, others. Free literature. A&SSpeakers, 3170 23rd Street, San Francisco. CA 94110.(415) 641-4573.

BEST SELECTION -50 HOME, SUBWOOFER. CAR &PRO SPEAKERKITS. JBL, B&W, AUDAX, MOREL, PEER-LESS, SEAS, VIFA, 24DB ELECTRONIC CROSSOVER.40p CATALOG. $2. GOLD SOUND. BOX 141A,ENGLEWOOD, CO 80151.

CARVER. NAKAMICHI, BANG & OLUFSEN, A.D.S.,CROWN, REVOX, TANDBERG, HAFLER, ADCOM, MIS-SION, N.A.D., HARMAN/KARDON, KYOCERA, YAMAHA,WXMAN, DENON, KLIPSCH, B & W. KEF. D.C.M.. E -V,J.B.L., INFINITY, D.B.X., AKG. AND OTHER QUALITYCOMPONENTS. BEST PRICES-PROFESSIONAL CON-SULTATION. OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY. ALL PRODUCTSCOVERED BY MANUFACTURERS' U.S.A. WARRANTY.AMERISOUND SALES, INC., JACKSONVILLE. FLORIDA32241. EAST: (904) 262-4000, WEST: (818) 243-1168.

FIND OUT WHY AUDIO CONCEPTS INC., sells more high -end speaker kits and parts than anyone in the country.Catalog Toll Free: 1(800) 346-9183. Allow 4-6 weeks fordelivery. First class mailing send $2 to Audio Concepts, Box212, LaCrosse, WI 54601.

FRIED SPEAKERS & KITSState -of -the -aril Amazing performance price! FREE ship-ping. Knowledgeable, friendly service! Audire. Chesky,CWD, Grado, Monster, PS, Quad, Sot& Spica. Stax, Thor -ens, more. READ BROTHERS STEREO, 593 King Street,Charleston, South Carolina 29403. (803) 723-7276.

HEAR ALL THE CRUD YOU'VE BEEN MISSING with theKevin Ingram Model One, a high -resolution horn monitor forthe eighties. These suckers are so analytical. you may neverenjoy your record collection again! High Biscus Audio Sys-tems, Inc., Box 6476. Bethlehem, PA 18001.

JBL, ALTEC, ELECTRO-VOICE speaker components andsystems. JBL Studio Monitors. Professional amplifiers. LowPrices! Flyer 50 cents. RICK MARDER, AHCo; (201)561-8123.

LEGACY LOUDSPEAKERS BY REEL TO REAL DE-SIGNS combine Edge -of -the -Art design with Old WorldCraftsmanship. A marriage of the finest speaker compo-nents from England, France, Denmark and the UnitedStates. "... exceptional value" says The Sensible Sound. "...a world class speaker" E.H., South Carolina, "... the bestspeaker enclosures I've heard" I.M., Massachusetts. Ex-quisite cabinetry. Quality assured by a ten year warranty.Auditioned in the only relevant environment-YOUR HOME.Retail or factory direct. From $496/pr shipping prepaid.RTRD 2105 Claremont, Springfield. IL 62703. (217)529-8793.

GETWIRED

And bring back the sound & feel of live music.Amazing! That's how most people react when they hear

the new Live Wire cables from AudioQuest. The music iscleaner and clearer - like a picture in better focus. If youhaven't listened to Live Wire cables recently, you don't knowhow close to live music your system can get.

With eleven speaker cables and six interconnects tochoose from, Live Wire has a cable that's right for you. HearLiveWire cables at your local dealer or contact AudioQuest formore information.

P.O. Box 3060, San Clemente, CA 92672 USATel: 714/498-2770 Fax: 714/498-5112 Tlx: 205864

aqcochoquest

LOUDSPEAKERS

DB SYSTEMS ELECTRONIC CROSSOVERS -6 to 36 dBper Octave. NEW Magnepan. Snell custom crossovers. Main

Rindge NH 03461. (603) 899-5121.

LOUDSPEAKERS

SPEAKER RECONING! "New life to old speakers". FreePrice Index. RC E 532 N.E. "E" ST., Grants Pass, Oregon97526. (503) 479-4150.

Licensedto kill.

A mere 101/4"H x 63/4"W x 8"D, the bass extension ofThe Maxim 2 can be described in one word: deadly.

GoodmansiFEstablished in England, 1925

Now available in the USA: Goodmans, 122517th St.'1430, Denver, CO 80202, (303)293-9737

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 191

WIRE AUDIO INTERCONNECTS TIFFANY CONNECTORS TONEARM CqB LOUDSPEAKERS

rn...audible resultswith the finestin connectingcomponents.

HUL MATCHED CRYSTAL CABLE HEADSHELL LEADS BINDING POST

to0O

LOUDSPEAKERSLOUDSPEAKER COMPONENTS -KITS. Dynaudio, Morel,Eclipse, Focal, Peerless, Eton, Vita, more! Crossoverparts -design books also. Catalog $1. Meniscus, 3275WGladiola, Wyoming, Michigan 49509. (616) 534-9121.

LOUDSPEAKERSSPEAKER STANDS -INNOVATIVE DESIGN. Severalstyles and heights competitively priced. Write for brochure:GONZ SPEAKER STANDS, 5510 Citronell Ave., PicoRivera, CA 90660.

All the best.Krell Audio Research B&WProAc Thiel Cello Koetsu

Meitner SOTA Versa/DynamicsWell -Tempered Duntech AragonLinn Analogic Design Dahlquist

...and many more'

CffJ ADIO193 Bellevue Ave. 20 Olcott Square

Upper Montclair, NJ Bernardsville, NJ201 744-0600 201 953-9777

ACTIVE ELECTRONICCROSSOVERS

MODEL 120 CABINET & NEW 120-R"RACK AND PANEL" DESIGNS

Made to order in Butterworth bi-amp,tri-amp, or quad -amp configurationswith optional level controls, subsonicfilters, or summers. Filters, regulatedpower supplies, equalizers, are alsoavailable.New catalog and price sheet. Free!

e esevuuti Eng. Lab.11828 Jefferson BI. Culver City, CA 90230

PHONE (213) 397.9668

model

preamplifier

state-of-the-art the pertect to receivemusic definition companion completethrough a for the new informationpure class A FORTE

on thesediscrete IC model 1a & 3 looncircuit topology power productsdesigned by amplifiers. write:Nelson Pass. 1\1

12919Earhart AvenueAuburn, California95603or call(800) 888 8055.

IONTE productsOre exclusivelycTstributed by

irm I I;

d.v,s;on ofThresholdCorpordlion

eakerBuilderJTHELOUDSPEAKERJOURNAL

The world's only magazine for people who love buildingall kinds of loudspeakers -from bookshelf kits to elec-trostatics to horns. A rich mix of how -to -do -it and theory.Only $35 for 2 years (12 issues), 1 year for $20 (6).

Box 494, Dept. A83, Peterborough, NH 03458 USA(Outside USA add $4/year postage. US $ only.)

LEGACY -1 LOUDSPEAKERS BY REEL TO REAL DE-SIGNS: Probably the most accurate speaker system you'llever own. Samarium Cobalt leaf tweeter hands off to a30mm European dome. Vocals are recreated by the mostremakable cone driver anywhere. A multi -chambered. slot -loaded dual woofer configuration extends bass response to16 Hz. Biampable through Tiffany gold binding posts andhigh definition cable. Elegant 43" tower design. Ten yearwarranty. $1648/pr shipped prepaid. Ten day home trial.RTRD, 2105 Claremont, Springfield, IL 62703. (217)529-8793.

LEGACY SUBWOOFER BY REEL TO REAL DESIGNSdelivers IMPACT. Dual sub -bass drivers provide the weightand punch you've been missing. Variable crossover.CLEAN -CONTROLLED -POWERFUL $548. 2105 Clare-mont. Springfield, IL 62703. (217) 529-8793.

LEGENDARY ARTISTSCHOOSE

legendary GUSS Loudspeaker Systems. (From $4000)."Your speakers are magnificient", FRANCO CORELLI, worldrenowned tenor. For demonstration, call (212) 580-7401.

MERLIN SIGNATURE 4 SPEAKERS. 5 YEAR WARRAN-TY! New. $2295. Michael D. Rothman (314) 567-6421.

SPEAKER CABINETS and SPEAKER KITS, Air CoreInductors. Crossover Networks, Subwoofers, Cabinetsfor Dynaudio, Kef, Fried, etc. Send $3.00 for literature toAdvanced Sound, 711 East Magnolia Ave., Knoxville,TN 37917. (615) 637-6694.

CD PLAYERS

CD OWNERS: Bypass the preamp! This "straight wire"volume control between your CD and amplifier yields ulti-mate sonics! CD/Aux, Source Preamp/Tape switching;Bourns volume controls, gold-plated jacks, diecast en-closure.' $199 postpaid, free COD, 10 day trial. (212)865-4549. Spectrum Physics. Dept. C, Box 1348, New York,NY 10025.

Philips based CD Players Repaired -Updated -Modifiedby Clif Ramsey former Senior Service Technician at McIn-tosh & Certified Philips Technician. See our ad at the begin-ning of the classifieds. AUDIO CLASSICS, POB 176CD.Walton, NY 13856. (607) 865-7200. 8AM-5PM EST Mon. -Fri.

-Audio Advertiser Since 1979 -

PHILIPS COMPACT DISC PLAYERSPHILIPS CD -960, CD -880, REMARKABLY SMOOTH & DE-TAILED, EXCELLENT DYNAMICS. CD -680 EXCEPTION-AL VALUE UNDER $300.00. FOR INFORMATION CALL(301) 890-3232, J. S. AUDIO, ONE CHILDRESS COURT,BURTONSVILLE, MD 20866. MONDAY THRU FRIDAY10am. TO 7pm. SATURDAY 11-5 M/C VISA AMEX.

COMPACT DISC PLAYERSKnowledgeable, friendly service! Finest brands.FREEshipping. READ BROTHERS STEREO, 593King Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29403.(803) 723-7276.

COMPACT DISCS -AT LOW WAREHOUSE PRICES. Nowin our 5th year. CATALOG: Send $2.00. Oz Warehouse,1575P Hwy 29. Lawrenceville, GA 30244.

RECORDS

RECORD COLLECTORS SUPPLIES. REPLACEMENTJACKETS, INNER SLEEVES, 78 RPM SLEEVES. OPERABOXES, LASER DISK BOXES, ETC. FREE CATALOG.CABCO PRODUCTS, BOX 8212, ROOM 662, COLUMBUS,OHIO 43201.

RARE ROCK -60'S TO NOW. 2 stamps for catalogues.Gregg Breth, Box 4364, Burlington, VT 05401.

192 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

BLANK TAPEDIMENSIONAL PURITY VANDERSTEEN AUDIO

3.95 SHIPPING ANY SIZE ORDER, UPS 1-900-245-6000TOE 7/1204150 HG MUD fD

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TAPE WORLD 220 SPITING St BUTLER PA reamACMCA TRIAD 6 V146 6.01411C CALL

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AMPEX OPEN REEL TAPE-USED ONCE; 1800'. or2400'. (Boxed) -10 Reels: $25.00. Sample: $2.50. Also:New MAXELL reels/cassettes. AUDIO TAPES, Box 9584E.Alexandria, VA 22304. (703) 370-5555, VISA/MC.

AUDIOPHILE RECORDS

AUDIOPHILE ALBUMS AT WHOLESALE COST!Mobile Fidelity, Nautilus, Japanese, Century, Sweet ThunderAlso Reference, Chesky, Sheffield, Wilson, M&K. AmericanGramophone, CBS Master Sound, Super Disks. DBX,Proprious, Crystal Clear, Lyrita, Opus 3, British Imports, Lynn,Northstar, Bainbridge (Colossus), Umbrella & others! I also sellrecord care products by LAST, AUDIO QUEST & NITTYGRITTY. Quick same day UPS Service: Chad Kassem, Box2043, Salina, KS 67402-2043.(913) 825-8609. DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED!

AUDIOPHILE ALBUMS FROM SOUND ADVICE! MobileFidelity, Reference Recordings, Sheffield Lab, Chesky,Wilson Audio. U.H.Q.R.'s collection, etc ... SOUND ADVICE:8215 Grand, Kansas City, MO 64114. (816) 361-2713. Au-diophile Albums represent the final effort for the analogrecording medium. Keep the faith.

AUDIOPHILE WAREHOUSE LIQUIDATION! Direct -to -Disc, Halfspeed, Quiex II Recordings. 2000 available. GreatPrices-example: Dark Side of Moon, $45.00. Elusive Disc,4216 Beverly Blvd., Suite 230, Los Angeles, CA 90004.

REFERENCE RECORDINGSHow shall we follow "Nolima Plays Liszt," "Three -Way Mir-ror" and "Blazing Redheads"??? With harpsichord music byRameau, of course! ALBERT FULLER, Rameau specialistextraordinaire has been captured in the Suite in A-includingthe "Gavotte and Variations"-plus a group of familiarRameau favorites. Prot. Johnson has made a harpsichordrecording like none other: for the first time, hear a three-dimensional array of plucked strings with real body andpresence. ALBERT FULLER PLAYS RAMEAU (RR -27) isnow at your favorite RR dealer, or order it from the source:Reference Recordings, Box 77225X, San Francisco, CA94107. (415) 355-1892. Check, Visa or MC. $16.98 forDigital Master CD or Pure Analogue LP, $8.98 cassette(postpaid). Free catalogue/reviews. Dealer inquiries invited.

rh

8

Vandersteen AucLo was founded in 1977with the commitment to offer always thefinest in music reproduction for the dollar.Toward this goal :here will always be ahigh degree of pride, love, and personalsatisfaction involded in each piece before itleaves our Your Vandersteen dealershares in this commitment, and has beencarefully selectec for his ability to deal withthe complex task of assembling a musicallysatisfying system. Although sometimeshard to find, he is well worth seeking out.

Write or call for E brochure and thename of your nearest dealer.

VANDERSTEEN AUDIOlib WEST FOURTH STREETHAI1FORD, CALIFORNIA 93230 U5A(209:582-0324

WANTED TO BUY

AAA GREAT GUY TO CALL FOR INSTANT CASH!Wanted: McIntosh, Marantz, Western Electric, AudioResearch, JBL, Tannoy or anything interesting. Call orwrite me now: JOEL I. HAZAN, 8306 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite *956, Beverly Hills, CA 90211. (213) 934-7804:(213) 859-5886.

WANTED TO BUY

CASH PAID FOR CLASSICAL ALBUMS-RCA LIVINGSTEREO, MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE (stereo). Alsoaudiophile albums: MOBILE FIDELITY. NAUTILUS. CBSMASTERSOUNDS, JAPANESE, etc. CHAD KASSEM, POBox 2043, Salina, KS 67402-2043. (913) 825-8609.

MERRILL "HEIRLOOM" TURNTABLEThe most thoroughly engineered turntable. Refer-ence quality at a reasonable price. The productthat started the movement to new types of materi-als in the construction of turntables.

MERRILL "STABLE" TABLEThe "Stable Table" is a floor standing platformdesigned to hold a turntable or CD player but willalso have the capability of holding rack mountedpre -amps and power amplifiers. An optional sus-pension system designed to suspend power am-plifiers will also be available. The frame work canbe shot filled. A sand filled counter balance sys-tem is used at the bottom.

MERRILL "ORNATE" AUDIO FURNITUREA line of gorgeous furniture designed for use withaudiophile performing equipment. This is notmerely ordinary furniture with dimensions capableof housing audio components. The entire struc-ture is designed using the same energy dissipa-tion techniques employed in the Merrill "Heir-loom" turntable. This furniture looks good: itsounds good.

MERRILL AUDIO, 2125 CENTRAL AVE.,MEMPHIS, TN 38104, 901-272-1410

OUR BEST HEADPHONEEVER!

Nothing in our past listening experience prepared usfor our first audition of the new DM -90 Digital -Monitorheadphones. We were absolutely stunned. We thentook the sample to our "golden ear" dealers, and theytoo were amazed!

The verdict: THE DM -90 AT $99.95 IS EQUAL TO,OR BETTER THAN ANY OTHER DYNAMIC HEAD-PHONE ON THE MARKET, AT ANY PRICE!

Some headphones can be said to have extendeddeep bass, others smooth midrange, some, trans-parent highs and superior dynamic range. Our newDM -90 has all of this, and more. It is unquestionablyour'pest headphone-ever!

AZDEQUALITY YOU CAN HEAR

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Listen tothe DM -90 at the

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CAUFORMAFry§ Electronics, Fremont Down toEarth Stereo. San Diego Wong's.San Francisco Fry's Electronics,gucr=gdal Co. TustinSound Shop, ColoradoSpgs Soundtrack, Delver SoundCompany. Grand Junction Sounettronix. PuebloCMSTRqICTua OF COLUMBIAThe EFLORIDAlizerSound Advice, All locaions BrandsMart. Miami La Mirage,MiamiGEORGIAAtlanta Stereo, AtlantaIDAHOSound Pro. Boise Inileys, IdahoFee Mel Cholas. FallsILUNOISMustered, All locations StereoSystems, Aurora. Joliet, NapervilleMASSACHUSETTSCameras Inc . AdeptenMCHIGANAdrayk. DearbornMINNESOTACampus Audlo. MinneapolisMONTANASound Pro. Bozeman Thirsty Ear.BozemanNEW HAMPSHIRECoomos, SalemNEW JERSEYWiz -Record Dept kKations Randt Camera. Toms Reit. SammSound, W Caldwell ConsumerElectronics, Maple ShadeNEW YORKWa-Recad Dept All locattons PC Richard, All locasons AlbanyAppear., Alb FocusElectronics. Fielyn BrothersCamera, Manhattan Jams Sound.Menhaden SAS Scund City,Manhattan 6th Aver. Electra..ManhattanNEW MEXICOTown Crier. ClovisPENNSYLVANIASasnd Advice, Doylestown StudioOne. Eon Gola Eletra.,Philadelphia Sounds Good To Me.SharonUTAHInkleys Logan, Ogden, Salt LakeCity Gadgets. Salt -ake CityWASHINGTONEvergreen Audio, Bromerlon Stereo

. tacOmaNG

New MUSIC Boo. Laramie

AUDIOIDECEMBER 1988 193

WANTED TO BUY

a

NRNELSON -REED

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polk audioThe Speaker Specialists "9

ALWAYS PAYING TOP SS FOR MCINTOSH, M.LEVINSON.KRELL, ARC, C. JOHNSON, AND SIMILAR HIGHQUALITY PRODUCTS. CALL OR WRITE: JOHN WOLFF,5115 RED FOX, BRIGHTON, MI 48116. (313) 229-5191

Challenging Prices For Last Call: Sequerra, McIntosh,Marantz, Quad, Audio Research, Western Electric, Westrex.Vintage speaker systems, units, from Tannoy, JBL, Altec, EV,Jensen RCA/LC-1A, W.E. Tel.: (818) 701-5633, David/AudioCity, P.O. Box 786,Northridge, CA 91328-0786.

I WILL PAY RETAIL for all tube MARANTZ or usedMcINTOSH tube or solid state. Need not work. (504)833-6942 days.

IT'S WORTH IT CALLING MEl McIntosh, Marantz Tubecomponents, Western Electric, Altec, JBL, Jensen, TannoyLan-Gevin Trusonic Raw speaker. Tube etc., top cash. HenryChang, 309 E. Garvey Ave., Monterey Park, CA 91754. (818)571-6274 LAX.

MCINTOSH, MARANTZ,JBL

ATTENTION WANTED: ALTEC, JBL HARTSFIELD,METREGON, PARAGON, OLYMPUS, APOLLO; ELEC-TROVOICE PATRICIAN 600, 700, 800, MCINTOSH &MARANTZ, ARC, TUBE/SOLID. (713) 728-4343, MA-URY CORB, 12325 ASHCROFT, HOUSTON, TX77035.

McINTOSH, MARANTZ TUBE, MCINTOSH S.S. equip-ment, Western Electric, Tubes, Speakers, etc. TOP CASH.Scott Dowling, 9908 Dairies Drive, Temple City, CA 91780.(818) 286-9122, evenings/weekends.

TOP PAYING FOR MCINTOSH, MARANTZ TUBE AMPMcIntosh Solid State, Western, JBL, Altec, Tannoy, EV,Jensen, Speakers & Horn, EMT Turntable, Ortofon, Arm,Temma-(515) 997-7633, (516) 496-2973.

WANTED MARANTZ, McIntosh Futterman, Fisher, Acro-sound Regency, anything Fairchild, Tannoy, J.B.L., E.V. ,

Call last for highest offer. N.Y.S.I. (718)377-7282 afternoons.

COMPACT DISCS

NEW AUDIOPHILE CD'S BY MOBILE FIDELITY -ULTRADISC 24K Gold Limited Editions. Artists include PinkFloyd, Super Tramp, Jethro Tull, Blind Faith, Steely Dan, CatStevens, Allman Brothers & more. Also-COLOSSUS re-cordings by Bainbridge, Telarc. M&K, Proprius, Chesky,Sheffield, Reference & more. CHAD KASSEM, PO Box2043, Salina, KS 67402-2043. (913) 825-8609.

THE FINEST IN HOME AUDIO,CAR STEREO & VIDEO EQUIPMENT

AUTHORIZED DEALER FORADSAKGALTEC-LANSING'AUDIO CONTROL*AUDIO PROAUDIO SOURCEB & WdbxDENONGUL'INFINITY (CAR)JVCKEN WOOD'KICKER'MINOLTA

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KRoute23 South 8384444inneion, N.J. (201)

194AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

COMPACT DISCS

1%T.11.011INIC:

Free Catalog of CD's.Same day ehippingif you order

. before 12:hoon E DT.11" DISCOUNT per disc on orders

of 10 or more. s25,for UPS Cont. U.S. shipments

Call Toll Free to order:1-800-333-4422

P.O. Box 616, Clifton Park, NY 12065518-383-4855

?OISM PACT

ENTRE

CHECK

ouRo-pcocElo

DIRECT -TO -TAPE RECORDINGS-CD:s and 70 + DATtapes plus other tape formats. Primarily classical/jazz. Send75 cents (3 stamps), for CATALOG/NEWSLETTER to:Direct -to -Tape Recording, 14-R Station Avenue, HaddonHeights, NJ 08035.

FREE CD/RE:CORD OFFER! FREE CATALOG! "World'sBest Brass Catalog" (Fanfare). Outstanding, Brass, Wood-winds, Strings, Orchestra. CRYSTAL RECORDS. Sedro-Wooley, WA 98284.

SERVICES

AUDIO PULSE SERVICE. Factory trained technicians. NewDigital Time -Delay Systems with power amplifiers availablefor $300. White Labs, 10528 Lower Azusa Rd., Suite 192A.El Monte, CA 91731. (818) 446-5346.

Audio Repairs and restorations by Richard Modafferi,former Senior Engineer at McIntosh and Clif Ramsey, formerSenior Service Technician at McIntosh. Over 55 year com-bined experxance. See our ad at the beginning of the classi-fieds. AUDIO CLASSICS, POB 176MR, Walton, NY 13856,(607) 865-7200, 8AM-5PM EST Mon. -Fri.

-Audio Advertiser Since 1979-

SPEAKER re -coning and repair. 4" to 18" speakers re -coned. Grills recovered. Orban Audio, 119 7th St. N.W..North Canton, OH 44720. (216) 497-9932.

SPEAKERSDRIVERS IN CANADA

(seas) ))) L scanspeax

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MAUDIOCROSSOVER, SPEAKER COMPONENTSSOLEN CROSSOVERSCustom Computer DesignPassive Crossover for Professional, Hi-Fi andCar Hi-Fi Application.Power up to 1000 Watt.SOLEN INDUCTORSPerfect Lay Hexagonal Winding Air CoredValues from 10 mH to 30 mH,Wire Sizes from #20 AWG to #10 AWGCHATEAUROUX CAPACITORSMetallized Polypropylene (Non -Polarized)Values from 1.0 mfd to 200 mfd,Voltage Rating: 250 VDC / 150 VACCROSSOVER, SPEAKER PARTSMylar Capacitors. Power Resistors, CrossoverTerminals, Nylon Ty -Wrap, Binding Post, BananaPlugs, Speaker Terminals, Grill Cloth, PlasticGrill Fast Srap, Neoprene Gasket, Misc. Parts.

COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN FORENCLOSURE AND CROSSOVER

AVAILABLE TO CUSTOMERProduct specifications and prices available upon request

SOLEN INC.5851 Cousineau Blvd.,St. Hubert, Que.J3Y 7P5 Canada

ORDERS: Tel.: (514) 656-2759

GOVERNMENT SURPLUS

IS IT TRUE you can buy jeeps for $44 hrough the U.Sgovernment? Get the facts today! Call (312) 742-1142 Ext.4600.

CAR STEREO

CAR STEREO -GET THE FACTS, NOT A SALES PITCH.250 pages of information you can't get anywhere else. "HOWTO BUY CAR STEREO"-$14.95. Satisfaction Guaranteed'1(800) BE4-UBUY, (1-800-234-8289).

Light at the end of the CD Tunnel'The joy of hearing music insuch a new light makes the°rism the best value in CDDlayers today, as well as thenest CD player period"

J Peter Moncreiff

"The Prism is significantly more open anddynamic than any other CD player I haveheard to date delivers the dynamic rangethat CD has promised since it first appearedbut has never quite made good on'

Anthony H. Cordesman

Enough said. Now is the time to listen. Call us(619/436-7666) and ask for the name of yourlocal full -line Mod Squad Dealer, or write to 542North Hwy. 101, Leucadia, CA 92024 Tfloc_tead

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 195

DUETDEBUTS

Featuring a host of firsts, beginning

with the new MDT -33, Morel's

high -efficiency double -magnet

tweeter whose frequency response

falls within an incredible + - 0.6dB.

Paired with the MW -164, Morel's

long -throw double -magnet woofer,

making its debut in a cabinet system.

Followed by the cabinet itself, a

radical rhombic design angled up for

greater depth and imaging.

Duels pure Morel, and pure

performance, from its Hexatech

voice coil to its drivers.

Call or write for more on Duet

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auto speaker systems.

morel

Morel Acoustics USA414 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02146tel (617) 277-6663 telex 650-2490475

Audio UnlimitedFor Specials List & Catalog ONLY/

Call 800-233-8375AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR:

AR Altec Audio Control AudioDynamics Audioquest B & K dbx

Fried Grado Hafler JVC Monster Cable Pioneer Elite

Proton Sony -Car Stax Superphon Thorens And Morel503-963-5731

1203 Adams Ave.La Grande, OR 97850

10:00-5:30 M-Thurs.10:00-3:00 Fri.Pacific Time

Q Audio Sells GreatUsed Equipment!

PREAMPLIFIERS

Audio Research SP -9 (as new) 91195 Audio Research SP -8 $695Marantz 7C $1750 amnia 4000 $125Marantz 3300 $100 Phase linear 4000 $275

Dynaco PAS -2 $125 Dynaco PAS -3 $130

Carver C-4000 9425 Hitachi HCA-7500 $150SAE MK1 $250GS! 3TP (as new) $375Onkyo P-308 $295PS Audio MI $350PS Audio 4.5 $375Adcom GFP-555 $350

SAE MK31B 5100Crown IC -150 $100DectroCompaniet Pre -Wire $599

Hafler 00-1109 $275PS Audio Source SR -1 $195II 8 K Pro 10MC $275Adcom SIC -505 (as new) $135

POWER AMPLIFIERS

Adcom GFA-555 $495Crown Powerline 3 $295Phase Linear 200 $225Haller 011120 $225Harman/Citation 2 $450PS Audio 2000 $1000Nakamichi PA -5 Stasis $695Sony TAN-7/ES $795

LOUDSPEAKERS (price per pair)

Klipsch Heresy $45089W Matrix 3 S1200AMPS SuperTowers $1200Sota Panorama $795AR 94Si $220Merlin 284 $575181 Minigons .9750Rogersound 1600 3 pc $195Mission 770 9375Phase Tech PCi60 $375

TURNTABLES

Sota Headamp $130Sota Sapphire w/mat $675Thorens T0166/11 $175

AR-Xa $50PS Audio CO -1A $375

AudioTechnica AT-656ex $95

COMPACT DISC PLAYERS

Magnavox CDB-090 S250

Yamaha CDX-90136 S375

Yamaha CD -3 (skips) S50

Sony CDP-510 $150

Adcom GFA-535 $295Phase Linear 400 9295Apt/Holman One $295

SAE MK2 $195Harman/Citation 24 $425Nakamichi PA -7 Stasis $1195Yamaha Pro P2200 $425Yamaha M60 $375

Oahlquist D0-10 $575Allison 50-6 $195Vandersteen 2C $850

Magnepan MG -1 $350

ADS L880/11 $395ElectroVoice Marquis $750Quad ESL $750ProAc SuperTahlette $395Pyramid MET -7 (new) $275

1814333A Pro Monitors $2500

Alphason HR1WMCS $475

Souther SLA-3 arm $250Thorens 10146 $225AR-Xa 5150Magnepan Unitrac arm $75

Sony COP-610ES $250

Delon DCD-1100 (skips) $60

Mission PCM7000 $595

Magnavox CDB-460 $145

MISCELLANEOUS ELECTRONICS

dbx 200 985Dynaco FM -3 $39

Sony TCV-77 $175Kenwood KT7500 $125PS Audio Elite $400VPI HW-16 (upgraded) 9250Advent 500 delay $195OB Systems x -over 100 ho $275Sound Concepts VSP-1 $35

NAD 3140 5200Sony PCM-501ES $750

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All items sublet to prior salt This ad reflects inventory on hand as of 10-19-

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PARTS & ACCESSORIES

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196 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

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AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 197

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Nikko CO -232 -Way Stereo Electronic Crossover $299"Nikko EA -3030 Band Pro Quality Mono Equalizer . . 5249"Celestion DL8-II 2 -Way Speakers8" Speaker, Black or Walnut finish . . Pair $39995

SAE T-101Rack Mount Audiophile Tuner, 16 Presets . $2999$

Grado MC -ZNew Signature Series Phono Cartridge . . CALLShure V15-VMRTop Rated Cartridge w/MIcro Ridge Stylus . $12995

Pioneer LDW-1Dual Drawer LaserDlsc Player, Digital Effects CALL

Magnavox COB -473Remote Controlled CO Player $229"Beyer DT -990Audiophile Digital Ready Headphone . . $17995

Terk 8500FM Electronic Antenna $3495

Teac R -919XA/R, 3 -Head Cassette. Dolby B/C,dbx . $49995

Teac W-990RX3 Head Cassette,Dolby 11/C,DBX,HX Pro . . 549995

Teac X -2000MNew Mastering Reel -to -Reel Tape Deck . . $1399"Audioquest Sorbothane FeetKeep Equipment Vibration Free . . 4 -Pack $3495

Panasonic PV -48604 -Head, VHS HI-FI Video Recorder $499"Koss JCK-200Wireless Stereo Headphones w/transmitter . $118"

Koss SST/10 StereophoneLightweight Digital Ready, UnImatch Plug $8895

Sony Metal 90TopRated Metal Bias Cassette Tape . . . Each $338

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AD INDEX

Firm (Reader Service No.) Pagea/d/s/ 130 & 131Acoustat (1) 154Acoustic Research (2) Cover II & Page 1Adcom (3) 109Advent (4) 155Akai (5, 6) 69, 71AKG Acoustics 15American Acoustics (7) 49Apogee Acoustics (8) 133Ariston (9) 45Audio Dynamics (10) 37Audio Research (11) 22AudioQuest 18, 166Audiostream (12) 98 & 99Barcus-Berry (13) 149Bedini (14) 113Berkeley SoundLab (15) 175Beyerdynamic (16) 4

Boston Acoustics 53, 147Brystonvermont (17, 18)... 58 & 59, 104 & 105B & K (19) 42Cambridge Soundworks (20) 151Canton (21) 118 & 119, 172Carnegie 180Carver (22, 23) 38 & 39, 50 & 51CBS Records 161

Celestion (24) 173Columbia House 41

Component Guard (25) 127Counterpoint (26) 5-12Coustic (27) 167Crutchfield 14Denon (28) CoverEclipse (29) 65Esoteric Audio (31) 70Fosgate (32) 28Hill Products (33) 4

Jamo (34) 178Klipsch (35) 163Levinson 3Linn/Audiophile Systems (36) 135Luxman (37) 95M & K Sound (38) 169Madrigal 174Marantz (39) 153Maxell (40) 27McIntosh (41) Cover IIIMitsubishi (42) 19-21Mobile Fidelity (43) 171

Mondial (44) 43Monster Cable (45) 181

NAD 157Nakamichi 111

NEC 143Ohm (46) 139Onkyo 61-63Philips 46 & 47Pioneer (47, 48) 54-56, 114 & 115Polk (49) 34 & 35Proton (50) 23Pyle 125RCA 17Sherwood (51) 121, 123Signet (52) 138Sony 29Soundcraftsmen (30) 24 & 25Star Audio Sound Systems (53) 126Stereo Exchange (54) 159Studer Revox (55) 89Sumo 66 & 67TEAC (56 ) 31Technics (57) 100 &101Threshold 145Toshiba (58) 40Warner Home Video (59) 165Winston 107Wisconsin Discount Stereo 179Yamaha 137

AR Music World, Dept. AM1213$ 23 Park Row, New York NY 10038 198 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

00(x) ANNUAL'cZ11\1

SUBJECT INDEXAmplifiersUnderstanding Common -Mode Signals,

R. N. Marsh, Feb., 58.An Informal History of Car Amps, John R.

Bishop, May, 37.An Informal History of Solid -State Amps,

Daniel Sweeney and Steve Mantz, June,46.

Book ReviewsIntroduction to Professional Recording

Techniques by Bruce Bartlett, Sept., 36.Audio Production Techniques for Video by

David Miles Huber, Sept., 36.The Audio Dictionary by Glenn D. White,

Sept., 36.The Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, Third

Edition by Vance Dickason, Sept., 42.The Jazz Years: Earwitness to an Era by

Leonard Feather, Oct., 53.Benny Goodman: Listen to His Legacy by

D. Russell Connor, Oct., 53.Remembering Buddy by John Goldrosen

and John Beecher, Oct., 54.A Life in Jazz by Danny Barker, Oct., 54.Grounding and Shielding Techniques in In-

strumentation, Third Edition by RalphMorrison, Dec., 57.

Noise Reduction Techniques in ElectronicSystems, Second Edition by Henry Ott,Dec., 57.

Total Harmonic Distortion by Charles Rodri-gues, Dec., 59.

Car StereoAn Informal History of Car Amps, John R.

Bishop, May, 37.Power to the People: Build a Car Sub -

woofer, Richard A. Frank, May, 44.14th Annual Car Stereo Directory, May, 101.4 x 4 By Two, Ivan Berger, Nov., 72.

Construction ProjectsPower to the People: Build a Car Sub -

woofer, Richard A. Frank, May, 44.

Build an Active Filter, Richard J. Kaufman,July, 44.

Build a High -Blend Control, Richard J. Kauf-man, July, 47.

Speakers By Design, Ken Kantor, Part I,Nov., 64; Part II, Dec., 72.

Digital Sound & EquipmentDeciding on DAT. Witness of the Persecu-

Forum: Philips' Folly, Leonard Feldman,April, 16.

Forum: ''DATs de Breaks," Leonard Feld-man, May, 30.

Forum: Pop Goes the Problems, LeonardFeldman, Aug., 24.

Crest Factors of CDs, Leonard Feldman.Dec., 96.

DirectoriesCar Stereo Directory, May.

Introduction, 101; DAT Players, 101,Amps,'Equalizers, 102; Compact DiscPlayers, 110; Radios/Tape Players, 111,Speakers, 123; Company Addresses,145.

Annual Equipment Directory, Oct.Introduction, 139; DAT Recorders, 142;CD Players & D/A Converters, 146; Ampli-fiers, 172; Preamplifiers, 206; Tuners,222; Receivers, 228; Turntables, 242;Tonearms, 252; Phono Cartridges, 255;Cassette Decks, 268; Open -Reel TapeDecks, 276; Blank Tape, 276; Micro-phones, 281; Headphones, 298; Equaliz-ers, 304; Ambience & Surround SoundProcessors, 308; Signal Processors, 310;Crossovers, 316; Hi-Fi VCRs, 320; Loud-speakers, 324; Company Addresses,439.

Equipment Profiles/AuriclesAkai AD -93 Digital Audio Tape Recorder,

June, 68.Akai AT -93 Tuner, Dec., 128.AR TSW 115P Powered Loudspeaker ("Au-

ricle"), Dec., 156.

Ariston Forte Turntable and Enigma Tone -arm, Dec., 140.

AudioJab 8000A Integrated Amplifier, April,70.

Audio Research M-300 Amplifier ("Auri-cle"), Nov., 152.

Blaupunkt Berlin TQR 07 Car Stereo, May,64.

Clarion Audia 2000E Car Stereo, May, 76.Creek 3140 FM Tuner, Jan., 124.dbx TX1 Tuner, Nov., 101.Denon DN-950 CD Cart Player ("Spec-

trum"), Aug., 18.Dual CS 5000 Turntable and Ortofon X3 -MC

Cartridge, Nov., 114.Eclipse EST -240 Car DAT Player, Nov., 134.Ford Premium Car Stereo, May,Harman/Kardon Citation Twenty -Three Tun-

er. Jan., 101.Infinity 9 Kappa Loudspeaker ("Auricle"),

Jan., 132.KEF 107 Loudspeaker, Feb., 88.Kenwood KX-660HX Cassette Deck, April,

78.

Kenwood KDT-99R AM/FM-DAT Car Stereo,Sept., 86.

Klyne SK -5A Preamplifier, Jan., 72.Mark Levinson No. 23 Dual Mono Amplifier

("Auricle"), April, 83.Luxman R-117 Receiver, March, 56.Marantz CD -94 Compact Disc Player and

CDA-94 D/A Converter, Aug., 70.Marantz PM -94 Integrated Amplifier, Dec.,

116.MB Quart Electronics 280 Loudspeaker,

Dec., 102.McIntosh C 31V AudioNideo Preamplifier,

Feb., 80.Meitner PA -6i Preamplifier, Nov., 140.Mission Mat ("Mats & Clamps: By the Num-

bers"), April, 44.Mod Squad Prism Compact Disc Player

(Auricle"), Aug., 104.Monster Cable Planax Clamp ("Mats &

Clamps: By the Numbers"), April, 44.Nakamichi CR-4A Cassette Deck, Aug., 88.NEC AVD-700E Digital Surround Processor,

March, 78.Ohm Walsh 5 Loudspeaker, June, 78.Oricyci T-909011 FM Tuner, July, 70.Oracle Mat ("Mats & Clamps: By the Num-

bers"), April, 44.Ortofon X3 -MC Cartridge and Dual CS 5000

Turntable, Nov., 114; with Ariston Forte

AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988 199

1988 ANNUAL INDEXTurntable and Enigma Tonearm, Dec.,140.

Parasound D/HX-600 Cassette Deck,March, 68.

Philips CD960 Compact Disc Player, June,112.

Philips DAC960 D/A Converter, June, 124.Pioneer Elite F-91 Tuner, Aug., 58.Platter Matter Mat ("Mats & Clamps: By the

Numbers"), April, 44.PS Audio 4.6 Preamplifier ("Auricle"), Sept.,

116.Revox 8260 FM Tuner, Sept., 70.Sansui CD -X901 Compact Disc Player,

Jan., 108.Scotch Dustguard Mat ("Mats & Clamps: By

the Numbers"), April, 44.Sennheiser MKH 40 Microphone, Jan., 114.Sony CDP-707ESD Compact Disc Player,

April, 56.SOTA Mat and Supermat ("Mats & Clamps:

By the Numbers"), April, 44.Soundcraftsmen Pro -Control Four Preampli-

fier, Feb., 104.Sumo Delilah Crossover, Aug., 98.Tandberg 3001 A FM Tuner, March, 48.Turomat ("Mats & Clamps: By the Num-

bers"), April, 44.van den Hul MC -One Cartridge and Well

Tempered Tonearm, July, 49.Well Tempered Turntable, July, 48.Well Tempered Tonearm and van den Hul

MC -One Cartridge, July, 49.Wheaton Tri-Planar II Tonearm, June, 100.Yamaha CDX-5000 Compact Disc Player,

Jan., 88.Yamaha CDX-1110U Compact Disc Player,

Sept., 102.Yamaha DSP-3000 Digital Sound Field Pro-

cessor, Nov., 82.

ForumPhilips' Folly, Leonard Feldman, April, 16."DATs de Breaks," Leonard Feldman, May,

30.Pop Goes the Problems, Leonard Feldman,

Aug., 24.

History of AudioAn Informal History of Car Amps, John R.

Bishop, May, 37.An Informal History of Solid -State Amps,

Daniel Sweeney and Steve Mantz, June,46.

Oberlin Smith: Centenary of Magnetic Re-cording, Jon R. Sank, Dec., 90.

InterviewsMilt Gabler, Ted Fox, Feb., 66. (Commodore

Music)Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen, David Land-

er, March, 34. (GRP Records)Chris Strachwitz, Ted Fox, June, 56. (Arhoo-

lie Records/Down Home Music)E. Alan Silver, David Lander, July, 38. (Con-

noisseur Society/In Sync Laboratories)

Tom Jung, David Lander, Aug., 50. (dmp)Leonard Feather, Ted Fox, Sept., 56.Rick Rowe, Susan Elliott, Dec., 82. (Restora-

tion of Hair)

LoudspeakersPower to the People: Build a Car Sub -

woofer, Richard A. Frank, May, 44.Build an Active Filter, Richard J. Kaufman,

July, 44.Speakers By Design, Ken Kantor, Part I,

Nov 64: Part II, Dec 72.

Measurement TechniquesUnderstanding Common -Mode Signals,

R. N. Marsh, Feb., 58.Mats & Clamps: By the Numbers, Edward

M. Long, April, 44.Forum: Pop Goes the Problems, Leonard

Feldman, Aug., 24.Crest Factors of CDs, Leonard Feldman,

Dec., 96

Music Performance & RecordingGrateful Tapers: An Informal History of Re-

cording "The Dead," Michael Nash, Jan.,54.

The Moscow Sessions: From Russia withLove, Bert Whyte and Lisa Sonne, March,45.

Inscriptions: Miles Davis on CD, John Sun-ier, April, 38 (Erratum, June, 6).

Ella in Rome, Michael Aldred, Oct., 118.Irving Berlin: The Memories Linger On, Don-

ald Spoto, Oct., 124.Reprise: The Commodore and Keynote Col-

lections, Frank Driggs, Dec., 78.

ObituaryJohn Bowers, April, 2.

Tape & Tape RecordersThe Effectiveness of Bulk Erasing, Howard

A. Roberson, Jan., 64.EQ and NR: Striking a Balance, Howard A.

Roberson, Aug., 46.Hi-Fi Sound on Hi-Fi VCRs, Joseph Giovan-

elli, Sept., 52.Oberlin Smith: Centenary of Magnetic Re-

cording, Jon R. Sank, Dec., 90.

TurntablesMats & Clamps: By the Numbers, Edward

M. Long, April, 44.

AUTHOR INDEXAldred, Michael, Ella in Rome, Oct., 118.Berger, Ivan, Coda: John Bowers, April,

2; 4 x 4 By Two, Nov., 72.Bishop, John R., An Informal History of

Car Amps, May, 37.Driggs, Frank, Reprise: The Commodore

and Keynote Collections, Dec., 78.Elliott, Susan, The Audio Interview: Rick

Rowe, Dec., 82.Feldman, Leonard, Forum: Philips' Folly,

April, 16; Forum: "DATs de Breaks," May,30; Forum: Pop Goes the Problems, Aug.,24; Crest Factors of CDs, Dec., 96.

Fox, Barry, Deciding on DAT: Witness ofthe Persecution, March, 40.

Fox, Ted, The Audio Interview: MiltGabler, Feb., 66; The Audio Interview:Chris Strachwitz, June, 57; The Audio In-terview: Leonard Feather, Sept., 56.

Frank, Richard A., Power to the People:Build a Car Subwoofer, May, 44.

Giovanelli, Joseph, Sound on Hi-FiVCRs, Sept., 52.

Kantor, Ken, Speakers By Design, Part I,Nov., 64; Part II, Dec., 72.

Kaufman, Richard J., Build an ActiveFilter, July, 44; Build a High -Blend Con-trol, July, 47.

Lander, David, The Audio Interview:Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen, March, 34;

The Audio Interview: E. Alan Silver, July,38; The Audio Interview: Tom Jung, Aug.,50.

Long, Edward M., Mats & Clamps: Bythe Numbers, April, 44..

Mantz, Steve and Daniel Sweeney, AnInformal History of Solid -State Amps,June, 46.

Marsh, R. N., Understanding Common -Mode Signals, Feb., 58.

Nash, Michael, Grateful Tapers: An Infor-mal History of Recording "The Dead,"Jan., 54.

Roberson, Howard A., The Effective-ness of Bulk Erasing, Jan., 64; EQ andNR: Striking a Balance, Aug., 46.

Sank, Jon R., Oberlin Smith: Centenary ofMagnetic Recording, Dec., 90.

Sonne, Lisa and Bert Whyte, The MoscowSessions: From Russia with Love, March,45.

Spoto, Donald, Irving Berlin: The Memo-ries Linger On, Oct., 124.

Sunier, John, Inscriptions: Miles Davis onCD, April, 38 (Erratum, June, 6).

Sweeney, Daniel and Steve Mantz, AnInformal History of Solid -State Amps,-June, 46.

Whyte, Bert and Lisa Sonne, The Mos-cow Sessions: From Russia with Love,March, 45.

200 AUDIO/DECEMBER 1988

"McIntosh no other transistor am liferis capable .of reproducing as well.""All the sounds, even those different one fromanother, remain separated and distinctive. Thereresults a sensation of contrast, precision, and un-common clarity.....A close analysis of different frequenciesreveals an extremely deep bass, very rich inspatial detail ... The upper bass region is verylinear testifying to an extraordinary richness ofinformation. The very structured mid -range con-tributes enormously to listening pleasure.The feeling of power is never refuted and instead-of stunning the listener, the 7270 recreates anaudio environment of a majesty that no othertranststor amplifier is capable of reproducing aswell." rieed,we say more?

-REVUE foremost French stereo magazine.

For a copy of the REVE DU SONand information on tlitIcIntosh MC 7270Amplifier and other McIneb, products write:McINTOSH LABORATORY INC.P.O. Box 96 EAST SIDE STATION, "elECT. A47BINGHAMTON NY 13904-0096

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.OVER

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